Refrigerant circulation system and control method and apparatus therefor, electronic device and storage medium

Abstract

A refrigerant circulation system (10) and a control method and apparatus therefor, an electronic device and a storage medium. The refrigerant circulation system (10) comprises: a refrigerant circulation subsystem (11) and a liquid storage module (12), wherein the refrigerant circulation subsystem (11) comprises a first pressure line (111) and a second pressure line (112), the pressure of the first pressure line (111) being greater than that of the second pressure line (112); the liquid storage module (12) is connected to the first pressure line (111) by means of a first line (121), and a liquid intake valve (13) is mounted on the first line (121); the liquid storage module (12) is connected to the second pressure line (112) by means of a second line (122), and a gas balancing valve (14) is mounted on the second line (122) and is configured to adjust the flow rate of a refrigerant in the liquid storage module (12); and the liquid storage module (12) is connected to the second pressure line (112) by means of a third line (123), and a liquid discharge valve (15) is mounted on the third line (123).

Description

Refrigerant circulation system and its control methods, devices, electronic equipment and storage media

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on December 24, 2024, application number 202411916182.7, entitled "Refrigerant Circulation System and Control Method, Apparatus, Electronic Equipment and Storage Medium Thereof", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a refrigerant circulation system and its control method, device, electronic equipment and storage medium. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, for multi-split air conditioning systems, changes in outdoor temperature, the number of indoor units in operation, and load rates all significantly affect the refrigerant required by the system. Therefore, during the operation of multi-split systems, an inappropriate refrigerant level often occurs, preventing the system from achieving optimal energy efficiency. Thus, adjusting the refrigerant level is crucial during the operation of multi-split systems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a refrigerant circulation system, comprising: a refrigerant circulation subsystem and a liquid storage module. The refrigerant circulation subsystem includes a first pressure line and a second pressure line, wherein the pressure of the first pressure line is greater than the pressure of the second pressure line.

[0006] The liquid storage module is connected to the first pressure pipeline via a first pipeline, and an inlet valve is installed on the first pipeline; the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem flows into the liquid storage module through the first pipeline;

[0007] The liquid storage module is connected to the second pressure pipeline via a second pipeline, and a gas balance valve is installed on the second pipeline. The gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module flows into the refrigerant circulation subsystem through the second pipeline; the gas balance valve is used to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant in the liquid storage module.

[0008] The liquid storage module is connected to the second pressure pipeline via a third pipeline, and a drain valve is installed on the third pipeline; the liquid refrigerant in the liquid storage module flows into the refrigerant circulation subsystem through the third pipeline.

[0009] As an optional implementation, the liquid storage module is connected to the first pipeline via a first end. The liquid storage module is connected to the second pipeline via a second end. The liquid storage module is connected to the third pipeline via a third end.

[0010] As an optional implementation, the refrigerant circulation system further includes a fourth pipeline. The first end of the fourth pipeline is connected to the first end of the liquid storage module. The second end of the fourth pipeline is connected to the second pressure pipeline. An unloading valve is installed on the fourth pipeline.

[0011] Secondly, this application provides a control method for a refrigerant circulation system, applied to the refrigerant circulation system described in any one of the first aspects. The method includes: acquiring a set of parameters involved in the operation of a refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system; determining the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the set of parameters; determining the operating mode of a liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power; and adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, the gas balance valve, and the drain valve connected to the liquid storage module based on the operating mode.

[0012] As an optional implementation, the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes at least one indoor module and at least one outdoor module. The indoor module is used for cooling or heating the indoor space. The step of acquiring the parameter set involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes: acquiring the system operating mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem; acquiring a set temperature value for at least one indoor module, and acquiring an indoor temperature value using a temperature sensor installed on the indoor module; acquiring an outdoor temperature value using a temperature sensor installed on the outdoor module; determining the total output energy of the indoor module; acquiring a first power of the indoor module and a second power of the outdoor module; and incorporating the system operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, at least one outdoor temperature value, the total output energy, the first power, and the second power into the parameter set.

[0013] As an optional implementation, determining the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set includes: inputting the system operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, and at least one outdoor temperature value into a preset performance test model to obtain the target energy efficiency and target power output by the performance test model; adding the first power and the second power to obtain the current power; and dividing the total output energy by the current power to obtain the current energy efficiency.

[0014] As an optional implementation, determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power includes: if the current energy efficiency is less than the target energy efficiency, comparing the current power with the target power to obtain a comparison result; if the comparison result indicates that the current power is less than the target power, determining the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module as a refrigerant discharge mode; if the comparison result indicates that the current power is greater than or equal to the target power, determining the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module as a refrigerant storage mode; determining the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode; and determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range.

[0015] As an optional implementation, determining the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes: when the initial operating mode is a refrigerant discharge mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes a first liquid discharge power range and a second liquid discharge power range; the power of the first liquid discharge power range is less than the power of the second liquid discharge power range, and the power of the second liquid discharge power range is less than the target power. Determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range includes: when the current power belongs to the first liquid discharge power range, determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module as a rapid refrigerant discharge mode; when the current power belongs to the second liquid discharge power range, determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module as a flexible refrigerant discharge mode.

[0016] As an optional implementation, adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode includes: when the operating mode of the liquid storage module is a rapid refrigerant discharge mode, controlling the inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module to close, the gas balance valve to open, and the drain valve to open; when the operating mode of the liquid storage module is a flexible refrigerant discharge mode, controlling the inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module to close, the gas balance valve to close, and the drain valve to open.

[0017] As an optional implementation, determining the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes: when the initial operating mode is a refrigerant storage mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes a first liquid storage power range and a second liquid storage power range; the power of the first liquid storage power range is less than the power of the second liquid storage power range, and the power of the first liquid storage power range is greater than the target power. Determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range includes: if the current power belongs to the first liquid storage power range, determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module as a flexible refrigerant storage mode; if the current power belongs to the second liquid storage power range, determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module as a rapid refrigerant storage mode.

[0018] As an optional implementation, adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode includes: when the operating mode of the liquid storage module is flexible refrigerant storage mode, controlling the inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module to open, the gas balance valve to close, and the drain valve to close; when the operating mode of the liquid storage module is rapid refrigerant storage mode, controlling the inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module to open, the gas balance valve to open, and the drain valve to close.

[0019] As an optional implementation, each comparison power interval includes multiple sub-power intervals, and each sub-power interval corresponds to a runtime; wherein, the runtime is positively correlated with the absolute value of the difference between the sub-power intervals, and the absolute value of the difference is the absolute value of the difference between any power value in the sub-power interval and the target power.

[0020] After determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range, the method further includes: determining the target sub-power range to which the current power belongs; and determining the running time corresponding to the target sub-power range as the target duration.

[0021] After adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode, the method further includes: maintaining the liquid storage module in the current operating state for the target duration.

[0022] Thirdly, this application provides a control device for a refrigerant circulation system, applied to the refrigerant circulation system described in any one of the second aspects, the device comprising: an acquisition module, a first determination module, a second determination module, and an adjustment module.

[0023] The acquisition module is used to acquire the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system.

[0024] The first determining module is used to determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set.

[0025] The second determining module is used to determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power.

[0026] The adjustment module is used to adjust the on / off state of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode.

[0027] Fourthly, this application provides an electronic device, including: a processor, a communication interface, a memory, and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the communication interface, and the memory communicate with each other through the communication bus; the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor is used to implement the control method of the refrigerant circulation system according to any one of the second aspects when executing the computer program.

[0028] Fifthly, this application provides a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the control method for the refrigerant circulation system described in any of the second aspects.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided in this application has the following advantages: The refrigerant circulation system provided in this application connects the refrigerant inflow pipe in the liquid storage module to the high-pressure pipe in the refrigerant circulation subsystem to which the refrigerant quantity is to be adjusted, and controls it through the inlet valve. Conversely, the refrigerant outflow pipe in the liquid storage module is connected to the low-pressure pipe in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, and controlled by the drain valve. This ensures smooth refrigerant inflow and outflow. Simultaneously, another pipe is installed in the liquid storage module to connect to the low-pressure pipe in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, and a gas balance valve is installed. By adjusting this gas balance valve, the amount of gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module can be changed, thus adjusting the pressure within the liquid storage module and consequently regulating the refrigerant flow rate. Based on the above structure of the liquid storage module, different combinations of the inlet valve, drain valve, and gas balance valve can be used to accurately control the inflow and outflow of refrigerant in the liquid storage module, achieving more accurate adjustment of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation system and improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation system. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of several working modes of the liquid storage tank provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration flow path in a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a heating flow path in a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0040] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0041] Figure 9 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0042] Figure 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0043] Figure 11 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0044] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control device for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application;

[0045] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0048] In existing technologies, when it is determined that the amount of refrigerant in a multi-split system needs to be adjusted, the amount of refrigerant in the system is generally increased or decreased by opening or closing the liquid receiver. However, in this process, the amount of refrigerant flowing in and out cannot be accurately controlled. This not only makes it impossible to accurately adjust the amount of refrigerant in the multi-split system, but also easily has the opposite effect.

[0049] To address the technical problem in existing technologies where the refrigerant flow in and out of a liquid receiver tank cannot be accurately controlled when adjusting the refrigerant level in a multi-split air conditioning system, resulting in inaccurate refrigerant adjustment and potentially adverse effects, this application provides a refrigerant circulation system. This system connects the refrigerant inflow pipe in the liquid receiver module to a higher-pressure pipe in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, controlled by an inlet valve, and connects the refrigerant outflow pipe in the liquid receiver module to a lower-pressure pipe in the same subsystem, controlled by a drain valve. This ensures... The refrigerant flows smoothly in and out. Simultaneously, an additional pipeline is installed in the liquid storage module to connect to the lower-pressure pipeline in the refrigerant circulation subsystem. A gas balance valve is also installed; by adjusting this valve, the amount of gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module can be changed, thus regulating the pressure within the module and consequently the refrigerant flow rate. Based on this structure, different combinations of the inlet valve, outlet valve, and gas balance valve can accurately control the inflow and outflow of refrigerant in the liquid storage module, achieving more precise regulation of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation system and improving its energy efficiency.

[0050] The refrigerant circulation system provided in this application will be further explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0051] Referring to Figure 1, it is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerant circulation system 10 may include: a refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 and a liquid storage module 12.

[0052] The aforementioned refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 may include a first pressure line 111 and a second pressure line 112. The aforementioned refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 may be an air conditioning system, and more specifically, it may be a multi-split air conditioning system. The refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 can be used to regulate the indoor temperature for cooling or heating the room.

[0053] The aforementioned liquid storage module 12 is used to store the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system. This refrigerant refers to the medium used for refrigeration, and can be Freon or other refrigerants; this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. The aforementioned liquid storage module 12 can be a liquid storage tank or other liquid storage container; this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0054] The aforementioned liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the aforementioned first pressure pipeline 111 via the first pipeline 121, and an inlet valve 13 can be installed on the aforementioned first pipeline 121. Refrigerant in the aforementioned refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 can flow into the aforementioned liquid storage module 12 via the aforementioned first pipeline 121. The aforementioned inlet valve 13 can be used to regulate the amount of refrigerant flowing through the first pipeline 121. This application embodiment does not limit the type or size of the inlet valve 13.

[0055] The aforementioned liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the aforementioned second pressure pipeline 112 via the second pipeline 122. The aforementioned second pipeline 122 is equipped with a gas balance valve 14, through which the gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module can flow into the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11. The aforementioned gas balance valve 14 can be used to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant in the liquid storage module 12.

[0056] The aforementioned liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the second pressure pipeline 112 via a third pipeline 123, and a drain valve 15 is installed on the third pipeline. The liquid refrigerant in the liquid storage module 12 can flow into the aforementioned refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 via the third pipeline.

[0057] In one embodiment, based on the refrigerant circulation system 10 shown in FIG1, the executing entity of this application embodiment can determine the required amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 when controlling the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11, and control the inlet valve 13, the gas balance valve 14, and the drain valve 15 in the liquid storage module 12 to control the liquid storage module 12 to provide the required amount of refrigerant to the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11. Since the inlet valve 13 is connected to the first pressure pipeline 111 with higher pressure in the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11, and the drain valve 15 is connected to the second pressure pipeline 112 with lower pressure in the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11, a pressure difference is formed between the inlet valve 13 and the drain valve 15, so that the refrigerant can flow smoothly into and out of the liquid storage module 12.

[0058] Furthermore, since there is a gas balance valve 14 in the liquid storage module 12, the gas balance valve 14 can adjust the pressure inside the liquid storage module 12, thereby adjusting the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into and out of the liquid storage module 12. Therefore, the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 can be controlled more accurately through the liquid storage module 12.

[0059] The refrigerant circulation system provided in this application connects the refrigerant inflow pipeline in the liquid storage module to the higher-pressure pipeline in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, controlled by an inlet valve, and the refrigerant outflow pipeline in the liquid storage module to the lower-pressure pipeline in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, controlled by a drain valve. This ensures smooth refrigerant inflow and outflow. Simultaneously, another pipeline in the liquid storage module connects to the lower-pressure pipeline in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, and a gas balance valve is installed. Adjusting this gas balance valve changes the amount of gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module, regulating the pressure within the module and thus adjusting the refrigerant flow rate. Based on this structure, different combinations of the inlet valve, drain valve, and gas balance valve can accurately control the inflow and outflow of refrigerant in the liquid storage module, achieving more precise regulation of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation system.

[0060] Further, referring to Figure 2, is a schematic diagram of another refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the top of the liquid storage module 12 in the refrigerant circulation system 10 may include a first end P1 and a second end P2, and the bottom of the liquid storage module 12 may include a third end P3.

[0061] The liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the first pipeline 121 through the first end P1 at the top, the liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the second pipeline 122 through the second end P2 at the top, and the liquid storage module 12 can be connected to the third pipeline 123 through the third end P3 at the bottom.

[0062] Based on this connection method, the first pipe 121 for refrigerant to flow into the liquid storage module 12 and the second pipe 122 for gaseous refrigerant to flow out are both connected to the top of the liquid storage module 12, and the third pipe 123 for discharging refrigerant is connected to the bottom of the liquid storage module 12. This allows refrigerant to flow in quickly from the top, gaseous refrigerant to flow out quickly from the top, and liquid refrigerant to flow out quickly from the bottom, ensuring timely refrigerant adjustment.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the refrigerant circulation system 10 may also include a fourth pipe 21. The first end T1 of the fourth pipe 21 can be connected to the first end P1 at the top of the liquid storage module 12, and the second end T2 of the fourth pipe 21 can be connected to the second pressure pipe 112. An unloading valve 22 may be installed on the fourth pipe.

[0064] Based on this connection method, the unloading valve 22 can be automatically opened when the pressure in the liquid storage module 12 exceeds the standard, so as to ensure the safety of the refrigerant circulation system 10.

[0065] Referring to Figure 3, a schematic diagram of another refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The system structure shown in Figure 3 is illustrated using the circulating refrigerant subsystem 11 as an air conditioning system and the liquid storage module 12 as a liquid storage tank as an example. As shown in Figure 3, the system may include the structures shown in Table 1:

[0066] Table 1

[0067] Wherein, the liquid storage tank 301 can be the liquid storage module 12 shown in Figure 1, the liquid inlet valve 302 can be the liquid inlet valve 13 shown in Figure 1, the gas balance valve 303 can be the gas balance valve 14 shown in Figure 1, the liquid drain valve 304 can be the liquid drain valve 15 shown in Figure 1, the unloading valve 305 can be the unloading valve 22 shown in Figure 2, the liquid side main pipe 205 can be the first pressure pipeline shown in Figure 1, the third pipeline 203 can be the second pressure pipeline shown in Figure 1, the pipeline where the liquid inlet valve 302 is located can be the first pipeline 121 shown in Figure 1, the pipeline where the gas balance valve 303 is located can be the second pipeline 122 shown in Figure 1, and the pipeline where the liquid drain valve 304 is located can be the third pipeline 123 shown in Figure 1. The compressor 101, four-way valve 102, outdoor heat exchanger 103, upper heating expansion valve 104, lower heating expansion valve 105, and gas-liquid separator 106 mentioned above can constitute the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 shown in Figure 1.

[0068] Based on the system structure shown in Figure 3, the above-mentioned liquid storage tank 301 may include the following connection methods:

[0069] The liquid storage tank 301 is connected to the liquid-side main pipe 205 via the inlet valve 302, and to the third pipe 203 via the gas balance valve 303 and the drain valve 304. Since the liquid-side main pipe 205 is on the medium-pressure side in both cooling and heating modes, while the third pipe 203 is always on the low-pressure side, the liquid inlet side of the storage tank has a medium-pressure pressure, and the drain side has a low-pressure pressure. The two can always maintain a certain pressure difference to ensure sufficient liquid inlet and outlet power.

[0070] The inlet valve 302 and related piping are connected to the top of the liquid storage tank 301. When the inlet valve 302 is opened, the refrigerant enters from the top of the liquid storage tank 301 with minimal resistance. After entering, the refrigerant separates into gas and liquid phases, with the upper part being gaseous and the lower part being liquid.

[0071] The related piping of the gas balance valve 303 is also connected to the top of the liquid storage tank 301. During the liquid filling process, if the gas balance valve 303 is closed, the pressure in the liquid storage tank will gradually increase as the liquid filling process proceeds, making it difficult for the refrigerant to enter the liquid storage tank. At this time, if the gas balance valve 303 is opened, the gaseous refrigerant at the top of the liquid storage tank is connected to the low-pressure side. The excess gaseous refrigerant flows to the low-pressure side under the action of pressure difference, thereby reducing the pressure in the liquid storage tank and maintaining the liquid filling power. Furthermore, since the liquid filling volume is always much greater than the gaseous refrigerant outflow through the gas balance valve 303, it is still a net liquid filling state at this time.

[0072] The drain valve 304 and related pipelines are connected to the bottom of the storage tank. When the drain valve 304 is opened, the liquid refrigerant is discharged from the storage tank under the pressure difference between the storage tank pressure and the low pressure.

[0073] The unloading valve 305 and related piping are connected to the top of the storage tank and open automatically only when the pressure exceeds the limit to ensure system safety.

[0074] Based on the above connection method, and according to the combination of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve in the liquid storage tank 301, the working modes of the liquid storage tank 301 can be divided into the working modes shown in Figure 4: Referring to Figure 4, it is a structural schematic diagram of several working modes of the liquid storage tank provided in the embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the liquid storage tank can have the following working modes:

[0075] Referring to Figure 4A, which is a structural schematic diagram of the working mode of a liquid storage tank provided in an embodiment of this application, the mode shown in Figure 4A can be a rapid refrigerant discharge mode. In this mode, the gas balance valve 303 and the drain valve 304 are opened simultaneously. The upper layer of gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage tank is discharged through the gas balance valve 303, and the lower layer of liquid refrigerant in the liquid storage tank is discharged through the drain valve 304. Since both gaseous and liquid refrigerant are discharged outwards simultaneously, it is suitable for occasions requiring rapid refrigerant discharge.

[0076] Referring to Figure 4B, which is a structural schematic diagram of another working mode of the liquid storage tank provided in an embodiment of this application, the mode shown in Figure 4B can be a flexible refrigerant discharge mode. In this mode, only the drain valve 304 is opened, and the lower layer of liquid refrigerant is discharged through the drain valve 304. Since only liquid refrigerant can be discharged, it is suitable for occasions where fine control of the discharge volume is required or the discharge volume requirement is small.

[0077] Referring to Figure 4C, this is a structural schematic diagram of another working mode of the liquid storage tank provided in an embodiment of this application. The mode shown in Figure 4C can be a flexible refrigerant storage mode, in which only the inlet valve 302 is opened. Liquid refrigerant enters from the medium-pressure side. Since the pressure will rise rapidly after the liquid storage tank contains refrigerant, the refrigerant inlet power will drop rapidly. Therefore, the overall refrigerant inlet rate is relatively low, which is suitable for occasions that require fine control of the inlet volume or have a small inlet volume requirement.

[0078] Referring to Figure 4D, it is a structural schematic diagram of another working mode of the liquid storage tank provided in the embodiment of this application. The mode shown in Figure 4C can be a rapid refrigerant storage mode. In this mode, the liquid inlet valve 302 and the gas balance valve 303 can be opened simultaneously. While the refrigerant is introduced, the internal pressure balance of the liquid storage tank is maintained, thus maintaining the refrigerant storage rate. It is suitable for occasions that require rapid refrigerant storage.

[0079] In one embodiment, the refrigerant flow direction in the refrigerant circulation system shown in Figure 3 may include a cooling flow direction and a heating flow direction. The cooling and heating flow directions of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system can be represented by the flow charts shown in Figures 5 and 6, respectively.

[0080] Referring to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration flow path in a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, during refrigeration operation in this refrigeration circulation system, the refrigerant flows as follows: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101 enters the second pipeline 202 via the four-way valve 102, condenses in the outdoor heat exchanger 103, and then enters the indoor side for evaporation and refrigeration via the liquid-side main pipe 205. The refrigerated refrigerant returns to the outdoor side via the gas-side main pipe 206, and then returns to the gas-liquid separator 106 and the compressor 101 via the four-way valve 102.

[0081] Referring to Figure 6, this is a schematic diagram of the heating flow path in a refrigerant circulation system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, during heating operation in this refrigeration circulation system, the refrigerant flows as follows: the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101 passes through the four-way valve 102 and enters the indoor side via the gas-side main pipe 206 for condensation and heating. After heating, the refrigerant returns to the outdoor side via the liquid-side main pipe 205, evaporates in the outdoor heat exchanger 103, and then returns to the gas-liquid separator 106 and compressor 101 via the four-way valve 102.

[0082] Based on the refrigerant flow paths shown in Figures 5 and 6, it can be seen that, regardless of whether it is in the refrigeration or heating flow path, the liquid inlet side (liquid inlet valve 302 and its pipe) of the liquid storage tank 301 is connected to the liquid side main pipe 205 and is always under medium pressure. Meanwhile, the gas balance side (gas balance valve 303 and its pipe) and the drain side (drain valve 304 and its pipe) of the liquid storage tank 301 are connected to the third pipe 203 and are always under low pressure.

[0083] The refrigerant circulation system provided in this application embodiment is connected to the medium-pressure and low-pressure sides of the system pipeline via an inlet valve, a drain valve, and a gas balance valve to ensure sufficient inlet and outlet refrigerant pressure differential. By combining the above-mentioned valve switches and coordinating the valve switching durations, the refrigerant quantity adjustment speed can be changed, thereby adapting to various refrigerant adjustment needs.

[0084] Based on the refrigerant circulation system shown in the above figure, this application provides a control method for a refrigerant circulation system. This method can determine the current energy efficiency and power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and power, by acquiring various parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem. This allows for the determination of the operating mode of the liquid storage module, and the control of the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the energy storage module according to the corresponding operating mode. This ensures that the energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem reaches its optimal level, enabling more accurate adjustment of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation system, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation system.

[0085] Referring to Figure 7, a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application is shown. As an embodiment, the flowchart shown in Figure 7 can be applied to any of the refrigerant circulation systems shown in Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 7, the flowchart may include steps 701 to 704.

[0086] Step 701: Obtain the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system.

[0087] The aforementioned refrigerant circulation system can be a system that achieves cooling or heating functions by circulating refrigerant, such as the refrigerant circulation system 10 shown in Figure 1. The aforementioned refrigerant refers to a refrigerant used for cooling, such as Freon, carbon dioxide, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0088] Furthermore, the aforementioned refrigerant circulation system may include a refrigerant circulation subsystem and a liquid storage module, such as the refrigerant circulation subsystem 11 and the liquid storage module 12 shown in Figure 1. The refrigerant circulation subsystem can further provide cooling or heating functions for the room.

[0089] In this embodiment of the application, the executing entity may be a controller in the refrigerant circulation system or a control system connected to the refrigerant circulation system. This embodiment of the application does not limit this.

[0090] In one embodiment, to improve the energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the executing entity of this application embodiment can obtain a set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem. This parameter set may include various parameters, including but not limited to: the operating mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the set temperature value for cooling or heating the indoor environment, the current indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature, the total output energy of the indoor module, the first power of the indoor module, and the second power of the outdoor module. The indoor module refers to the module in the refrigerant circulation subsystem used for temperature regulation, such as an indoor air conditioner unit, and the outdoor module refers to the module in the refrigerant circulation subsystem installed outdoors, such as an outdoor air conditioner unit.

[0091] As an optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can obtain the set of parameters involved in the operation of the above-mentioned refrigerant circulation subsystem in real time.

[0092] As another optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can periodically obtain the set of parameters involved in the operation of the above-mentioned refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0093] The specific method for obtaining the above parameter set will be explained in the following text through the process shown in Figure 8, and will not be detailed here.

[0094] Step 702: Based on the above parameter set, determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the above refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power.

[0095] The aforementioned current energy efficiency refers to the ratio between the energy consumed by the refrigerant circulation subsystem during its current operation and the cooling or heating effect it provides. A high-efficiency air conditioning system consumes less energy for the same cooling capacity, and vice versa.

[0096] The aforementioned current power refers to the total power of all functional modules of the refrigerant circulation subsystem during current operation. These functional modules can be all operable modules included in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, such as the indoor and outdoor modules in an air conditioning system.

[0097] The aforementioned target energy efficiency refers to the predicted high energy efficiency that the refrigerant circulation subsystem can achieve, which can improve the operating efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0098] The aforementioned target power refers to the predicted power value of the refrigerant cycle subsystem under the aforementioned target energy efficiency.

[0099] In one embodiment, after obtaining the parameter set of the refrigerant circulation subsystem during operation, the executing entity of this application embodiment can determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set.

[0100] As an optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can process the preset parameters in the parameter set according to the preset processing method to obtain the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant cycle subsystem.

[0101] As another optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can input the parameters from the above parameter set into a pre-trained performance test model to obtain the target energy efficiency and target power output by the performance test model. The performance test model can be a pre-trained model used to predict the highest target energy efficiency and corresponding target power that the refrigerant cycle subsystem can achieve during operation.

[0102] As for how the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant cycle subsystem are determined based on the above set of parameters, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, this will be explained in the following text through the process shown in Figure 8, and will not be detailed here.

[0103] Step 703: Based on the current energy efficiency, target energy efficiency, current power, and target power, determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module.

[0104] Step 704: According to the above operating mode, adjust the on / off status of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve, and liquid drain valve connected to the liquid storage module.

[0105] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 703 and 704.

[0106] The above operating mode refers to the operating mode corresponding to the energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem when the energy efficiency reaches the target energy efficiency. This operating mode can be determined by the on / off state of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve and liquid drain valve in the liquid storage module. That is, different combinations of the on / off states of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve and liquid drain valve can obtain different operating modes.

[0107] As can be seen from the description of the system shown in Figure 3, the operating modes of the energy storage module can include a refrigerant storage mode and a refrigerant discharge mode. Furthermore, the refrigerant storage mode can include a rapid refrigerant storage mode (the inlet valve and the gas balance valve are open, and the drain valve is closed) and a flexible refrigerant storage mode (the inlet valve is open, and the gas balance valve and the drain valve are closed). The refrigerant discharge mode can include a rapid refrigerant discharge mode (the drain valve and the gas balance valve are open, and the inlet valve is closed) and a flexible refrigerant discharge mode (the drain valve is open, and the gas balance valve and the inlet valve are closed).

[0108] In this embodiment of the application, after determining the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, the executing entity of this embodiment of the application can determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the above-mentioned current energy efficiency, current power, target energy efficiency, and target power.

[0109] Subsequently, based on this operating mode, the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module can be adjusted. This allows for timely increases or decreases in the amount of refrigerant to the refrigerant circulation subsystem when the refrigerant circulation subsystem's energy efficiency has not reached the optimal target energy efficiency, so that the refrigerant circulation subsystem's energy efficiency can reach the target energy efficiency.

[0110] The technical solution provided in this application embodiment obtains the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system. Based on the set of parameters, the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, are determined. Based on the current energy efficiency, target energy efficiency, current power, and target power, the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined. Based on the operating mode, the on / off state of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve, and liquid drain valve connected to the liquid storage module is adjusted. This technical solution determines the current energy efficiency and power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem by referencing the set of parameters involved in its operation, as well as predicting the target energy efficiency and power. The various parameters included in the parameter set can more accurately predict the target energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem. Subsequently, the operating mode of the liquid storage module can be determined based on the current energy efficiency, current power, target energy efficiency, and target power. The operation of the liquid storage module is then controlled according to the operating mode. The inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected in the liquid storage module can control the speed of liquid inflow and outflow through different combinations of on / off states. This allows for precise control of the amount of refrigerant supplied by the liquid storage module to the refrigerant circulation subsystem, achieving more accurate control of the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system.

[0111] Referring to Figure 8, a flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application is shown. Based on the flowchart shown in Figure 7, Figure 8 describes how, in the case where the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes at least one indoor module and at least one outdoor module, the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem is obtained, and based on the parameter set, the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem are determined, as well as the target energy efficiency and target power are predicted. As shown in Figure 8, this process may include steps 801 to 809.

[0112] Step 801: Obtain the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0113] Step 802: Obtain the set temperature value of at least one indoor module, and obtain the indoor temperature value through the temperature sensor installed in the indoor module.

[0114] Step 803: Obtain the outdoor temperature value using the temperature sensor installed on the outdoor module.

[0115] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 801 to 803.

[0116] The aforementioned refrigerant circulation subsystem refers to a system that achieves cooling or heating functions through refrigerant, such as an air conditioning system. The refrigerant circulation subsystem may include at least one indoor module and at least one outdoor module. The indoor module can be used to cool or heat the indoor space, and the outdoor module can be used to coordinate the indoor module to achieve cooling or heating of the indoor space, such as the outdoor heat exchanger shown in Figure 3.

[0117] The aforementioned system operation mode refers to the current operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, which can be determined by the function currently performed by the refrigerant circulation subsystem. For example, if the current function of the refrigerant circulation subsystem is to heat the room, then the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem is the cooling mode; when the current function of the refrigerant circulation subsystem is to heat the room, the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem is the heating mode. It may also include dehumidification mode, other modes, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not limit this.

[0118] In this embodiment of the application, during the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the executing entity of this embodiment of the application can obtain the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0119] As an optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can determine the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem according to the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem. For example, when the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem is as shown in Figure 5, then the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem can be determined to be the cooling mode; when the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem is as shown in Figure 6, then the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem can be determined to be the heating mode.

[0120] In one embodiment, the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes an indoor module and an outdoor module, on which temperature sensors can be pre-installed. Based on this, the execution subject of this application embodiment can obtain a set temperature value of at least one indoor module, obtain an indoor temperature value through the temperature sensor installed in the indoor module, and obtain an outdoor temperature value through the temperature sensor installed in the outdoor module.

[0121] As an optional implementation, if there is only one indoor module, a set temperature value and an indoor temperature value can be obtained.

[0122] As another optional implementation, when there are multiple indoor modules, multiple set temperature values ​​and multiple indoor temperature values ​​can be obtained.

[0123] As an optional implementation, if there is only one outdoor module, an outdoor temperature value can be obtained.

[0124] As another optional implementation, when there are multiple outdoor modules, multiple outdoor temperature values ​​can be obtained.

[0125] Step 804: Determine the total output energy of the indoor module.

[0126] The total output energy mentioned above refers to the total energy output by the current indoor module, which can be expressed as the total heat or total cooling output of the indoor module.

[0127] In one embodiment, the executing entity of this application embodiment can determine the total output energy of the indoor module in real time or at regular intervals during the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem. Specifically, if there is only one indoor module, the total output energy can be obtained directly; if there are multiple indoor modules, multiple sub-output energies can be obtained, and these sub-output energies are added together to obtain the total output energy.

[0128] As an optional implementation, the air volume and enthalpy difference of the indoor module can be obtained, and the air volume and enthalpy difference can be preset to calculate the total output energy of the indoor module.

[0129] Step 805: Obtain the first power of the indoor module and the second power of the outdoor module.

[0130] Step 806: The above operating mode, the above at least one set temperature value, the above at least one indoor temperature value, the above at least one outdoor temperature value, the above total output energy, the above first power, and the above second power are included in the parameter set.

[0131] To provide a unified explanation of steps 805 and 806.

[0132] The aforementioned first power refers to the power currently being used by the indoor module.

[0133] The aforementioned second power refers to the power currently being used by the outdoor module.

[0134] In one embodiment, the executing entity of this application embodiment may determine the first power of each indoor module and the second power of each outdoor module.

[0135] As an optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can obtain the first power of the indoor module by collecting the current and voltage of the indoor module currently in operation and multiplying the current and voltage.

[0136] As an optional implementation, the execution entity of this application embodiment can obtain the second power of the outdoor module by collecting the current and voltage of the outdoor module currently in operation and multiplying the current and voltage.

[0137] In this embodiment of the application, when the executing entity of this embodiment obtains the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the set temperature value of at least one indoor module, the measured at least one indoor temperature value, the at least one outdoor temperature value, the total output energy, the first power of the indoor module, and the current second power of the outdoor module, it can classify the above-mentioned system operation mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, at least one outdoor temperature value, total output energy, the first power of the indoor module, and the second power of the outdoor module into a preset parameter set to obtain the parameter set of the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0138] Furthermore, if a humidity sensor is installed in the aforementioned indoor module, the current indoor humidity value can be obtained through the humidity sensor and included in the aforementioned parameter set.

[0139] Furthermore, when a humidity sensor is installed on the outdoor module, the current outdoor humidity value can be obtained through the humidity sensor and included in the parameter set.

[0140] Step 807: Input the above operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, and at least one outdoor temperature value into the preset performance test model to obtain the target energy efficiency and target power output by the performance test model.

[0141] The aforementioned performance testing model is a pre-trained model used to predict the highest target energy efficiency and target power that the refrigerant circulation subsystem can achieve based on the operating parameters of the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0142] In this embodiment of the application, the operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, and at least one outdoor temperature value in the parameter set can be input into a pre-trained performance test model to obtain the target energy efficiency and target power output by the performance test model.

[0143] Step 808: Add the first power and the second power to obtain the current power.

[0144] Step 809: Divide the total output energy by the current power to obtain the current energy efficiency.

[0145] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 808 and 809.

[0146] The current power mentioned above refers to the total power of all functional modules of the refrigerant circulation subsystem at present.

[0147] The aforementioned current energy efficiency refers to the ratio between the energy consumed by the refrigerant circulation subsystem during its current operation and the cooling or heating effect it provides. A high-efficiency air conditioning system consumes less energy for the same cooling capacity, and vice versa.

[0148] In one embodiment, the executing entity of this application embodiment can obtain the current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem by adding the first power of the indoor module and the second power of the outdoor module.

[0149] In one embodiment, since the current energy efficiency refers to the ratio between the energy consumed by the refrigerant circulation subsystem during its current operation and the cooling or heating effect it provides, and the current power is the energy consumed by all functional modules, and the total output energy is the cooling or heating effect that the refrigerant circulation subsystem is to output, the current energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem can be obtained by dividing the total output energy by the current power.

[0150] Furthermore, after obtaining the target energy efficiency, since the target energy efficiency is the highest energy efficiency that the refrigerant cycle subsystem can achieve as predicted by the performance test model, the executing entity of this application embodiment can determine whether the target energy efficiency is greater than the current energy efficiency. If so, it indicates that the target energy efficiency predicted by the performance test model is relatively accurate; if not, it indicates that the target energy efficiency predicted by the performance test model may have an error. Therefore, the performance test model can be further trained using the above parameters to improve the performance test model.

[0151] The technical solution provided in this application obtains the parameter set of the refrigerant circulation subsystem during its current operation by acquiring the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the set temperature value of at least one indoor module, the indoor temperature value, the outdoor temperature value, the total output energy of the indoor module, the first power of the indoor module, and the second power of the outdoor module. It then predicts the target energy efficiency and target power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem using a pre-trained performance testing model, determines the current power of all indoor and outdoor modules within the refrigerant circulation subsystem, and divides the total output energy of the indoor modules by the current power to obtain the current energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem. This technical solution, by acquiring multiple different parameters of the refrigerant circulation subsystem during operation and using a pre-trained performance testing model, can more efficiently and accurately determine the target energy efficiency and target power achievable by the refrigerant circulation subsystem, thereby improving the accuracy of current energy efficiency, current power, target energy efficiency, and target power, and thus enabling more accurate adjustment of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0152] Referring to Figure 9, a flowchart of another embodiment of the control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application is shown. The flowchart in Figure 9, based on the flowchart in Figure 7, describes how the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined according to the current energy efficiency, target energy efficiency, current power, and target power. As shown in Figure 9, this process may include steps 901 to 907.

[0153] Step 901: Determine if the current energy efficiency is less than the target energy efficiency. If yes, proceed to step 902; otherwise, end the process.

[0154] Step 902: Compare the current power with the target power to obtain the comparison result.

[0155] Step 903: If the above comparison results indicate that the current power is less than the target power, determine the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module as the refrigerant discharge mode.

[0156] Step 904: If the comparison results indicate that the current power is greater than or equal to the target power, determine that the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module is the refrigerant storage mode.

[0157] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 901 to 904.

[0158] The aforementioned initial operating mode refers to whether the initially determined liquid storage module discharges or stores refrigerant. Therefore, the initial operating mode can be either the refrigerant discharge mode or the refrigerant storage mode.

[0159] The aforementioned refrigerant discharge mode refers to the mode in which the storage module discharges refrigerant into the refrigerant circulation subsystem. In this mode, the drain valve of the liquid storage module is open, and the inlet valve is closed.

[0160] The aforementioned refrigerant storage mode refers to the mode in which the storage module obtains and stores refrigerant from the refrigerant circulation subsystem. In this mode, the inlet valve of the liquid storage module is open and the drain valve is closed.

[0161] In this embodiment of the application, after determining the current energy efficiency and target energy efficiency of the refrigerant cycle subsystem, it can be determined whether the current energy efficiency is less than the target energy efficiency.

[0162] Optionally, if the current energy efficiency is determined to be greater than or equal to the target energy efficiency, it means that the current energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem has reached the highest energy efficiency, and there is no need to adjust the refrigerant quantity to improve energy efficiency. At this time, the process can be terminated.

[0163] Optionally, if it is determined that the current energy efficiency is less than the target energy efficiency, it means that the current energy efficiency of the refrigerant circulation subsystem has not reached a high level and its efficiency is low. Therefore, the current power can be compared with the target power to determine the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the comparison results.

[0164] As an exemplary implementation, if the comparison result indicates that the current power is less than the target power, it means that the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the current power in the refrigerant circulation subsystem has not reached the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the target power. Therefore, it can be determined that the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem can be increased. That is, the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module is the refrigerant discharge mode.

[0165] As another exemplary implementation, if the comparison result indicates that the current power is greater than or equal to the target power, it means that the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the current power in the refrigerant circulation subsystem is greater than the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the target power. Therefore, it can be determined that the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem can be reduced, that is, the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module is the refrigerant storage mode.

[0166] Step 905: Determine the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode.

[0167] Step 906: Determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range mentioned above.

[0168] Step 907: According to the above operating mode, adjust the on / off status of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve, and liquid outlet valve connected to the liquid storage module.

[0169] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 905 to 907.

[0170] The aforementioned comparison power range refers to multiple different ranges corresponding to a predetermined initial mode for comparing the current power. By comparing the current power with the comparison power range, the rate of adjustment of the refrigerant quantity can be further determined, thereby determining whether the gas balance valve of the liquid storage module needs to be opened, and thus determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module.

[0171] The above operating mode refers to the mode that includes the on / off states of all three valves in the liquid storage module: the inlet valve, the gas balance valve, and the drain valve.

[0172] In this embodiment, each operating mode can correspond to multiple different comparison power ranges. Based on this, after determining the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module, the executing entity of this embodiment can determine the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode, and determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range. Then, based on the operating mode, the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module can be adjusted.

[0173] As an optional implementation, when the initial operating mode is refrigerant discharge mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode may include a first refrigerant discharge power range and a second refrigerant discharge power range. The power in the first refrigerant discharge power range is less than the power in the second refrigerant discharge power range, and the power in the second refrigerant discharge power range is less than the target power. Since the current power is less than the target power in refrigerant discharge mode, the difference between the power in the first refrigerant discharge power range and the target power is larger, while the difference between the power in the second refrigerant discharge power range and the target power is smaller.

[0174] As an exemplary implementation, a first comparison threshold less than the target power can be determined. Based on this, the power in the first drainage power range can be less than the first comparison threshold, and the power in the second drainage power range can be greater than or equal to the first comparison threshold and less than the target power.

[0175] Based on this, when determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module according to the current power and the comparison power range, it can be determined whether the current power belongs to the first liquid discharge power range or the second liquid discharge power range.

[0176] Optionally, if the current power is determined to be within the first discharge power range, it indicates that the difference between the current power and the target power is large, and a large amount of refrigerant needs to be provided to the refrigerant circulation subsystem quickly. Therefore, the operating mode of the liquid storage module can be determined to be the rapid refrigerant discharge mode.

[0177] Based on this, in the rapid refrigerant discharge mode, when the execution subject of this application embodiment controls the operating state of the liquid storage module, in order to achieve the purpose of rapid refrigerant discharge, the gas balance valve can be opened to adjust the pressure in the liquid storage module to quickly discharge the refrigerant. Therefore, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module can be closed, the gas balance valve can be opened, and the liquid discharge valve can be opened.

[0178] Optionally, if the current power is determined to be within the second discharge power range, it means that the difference between the current power and the target power is small, and less refrigerant needs to be provided to the refrigerant circulation subsystem. The discharge rate of the refrigerant to the liquid storage module should not be too fast. Therefore, the operating mode of the liquid storage module can be determined to be the flexible discharge mode.

[0179] Based on this, in the flexible refrigerant discharge mode, when the execution subject of this application embodiment controls the operating state of the liquid storage module, in order to achieve the purpose of providing less refrigerant to the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the gas balance valve can be closed so that there is a certain pressure in the liquid storage module to slowly discharge the refrigerant. Therefore, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module can be closed, the gas balance valve can be closed, and the liquid discharge valve can be opened.

[0180] As an alternative implementation, when the initial operating mode is refrigerant storage mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode may include a first liquid storage power range and a second liquid storage power range. The power in the first liquid storage power range is less than the power in the second liquid storage power range, and the power in the first liquid storage power range is greater than the target power. Since in refrigerant storage mode, the current power is greater than or equal to the target power, the difference between the power in the first liquid storage power range and the target power is smaller, while the difference between the power in the second liquid storage power range and the target power is larger.

[0181] As an exemplary implementation, a second comparison threshold greater than the target power can be determined. Based on this, the power in the first liquid storage power range can be greater than the target power and less than the second comparison threshold. The power in the second liquid storage power range can be greater than or equal to the second comparison threshold.

[0182] Based on this, when determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module according to the current power and the comparison power range, it can be determined whether the current power belongs to the first liquid storage power range or the second liquid storage power range.

[0183] Optionally, if the current power is determined to be within the first liquid storage power range, it means that the difference between the current power and the target power is small, and a small amount of refrigerant needs to be obtained from the refrigerant circulation subsystem for storage. Therefore, the operating mode of the liquid storage module can be determined to be the flexible refrigerant storage mode.

[0184] Based on this, in this flexible refrigerant storage mode, when the executing entity of this application embodiment controls the operating state of the liquid storage module, in order to achieve the purpose of slowly obtaining and storing the discharged refrigerant from the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the gas balance valve can be closed so that a certain pressure buffer exists in the liquid storage module to absorb the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem. Therefore, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module can be opened, the gas balance valve can be closed, and the liquid drain valve can be closed.

[0185] Optionally, if the current power is determined to be within the second liquid storage power range, it indicates that the difference between the current power and the target power is large, and a large amount of refrigerant needs to be quickly obtained from the refrigerant circulation subsystem. Therefore, the operating mode of the liquid storage module can be determined to be the rapid refrigerant storage mode.

[0186] Based on this, in the rapid refrigerant storage mode, when the executing entity of this application embodiment controls the operating state of the liquid storage module, in order to achieve the purpose of quickly obtaining a large amount of refrigerant from the refrigerant circulation subsystem for storage, the gas balance valve can be opened so that there is a small pressure in the liquid storage module so that the amount of refrigerant can be quickly absorbed. Therefore, the liquid inlet valve, the gas balance valve, and the drain valve connected to the liquid storage module can be opened.

[0187] The technical solution provided in this application involves comparing the current power with the target power when the current energy efficiency is determined to be less than the target energy efficiency, obtaining a comparison result, determining the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module as the refrigerant discharge mode when the comparison result indicates that the current power is less than the target power, and determining the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module as the refrigerant storage mode when the comparison result indicates that the current power is greater than or equal to the target power. The comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode is determined, and the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined based on the current power and the comparison power range. Based on the operating mode, the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module are adjusted. This technical solution determines the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module by comparing the current power with the target power. Then, it further determines the final operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the refined comparison power range corresponding to each initial operating mode. It can determine the amount of refrigerant to be adjusted in the refrigerant circulation subsystem by comparing the current power with different power ranges. This allows for the control of the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module. This enables a more accurate determination of the operating mode by which the liquid storage module adjusts the amount of refrigerant required in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, thereby achieving more accurate adjustment of the refrigerant amount in the cold storage system.

[0188] Referring to Figure 10, this is a flowchart of another embodiment of the control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application. The flowchart shown in Figure 10, based on the flowchart shown in Figure 9, further determines the duration of operation of the liquid storage mode in the determined operating mode. As shown in Figure 10, this process may include steps 1001 to 1004.

[0189] Step 1001: After determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range, determine the target sub-power range to which the current power belongs. Each comparison power range may correspond to multiple sub-power ranges.

[0190] Step 1002: Determine the running time corresponding to the target sub-power range as the target duration.

[0191] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 1001 and 1002.

[0192] The aforementioned current power refers to the total power of the circulating refrigerant subsystem currently in operation, as determined in the process shown in Figure 7.

[0193] The aforementioned power comparison range refers to the power comparison range corresponding to the initial operating mode in the process shown in Figure 9. When the initial operating mode is refrigerant discharge mode, the corresponding power comparison range may include a first liquid discharge power range and a second liquid discharge power range, with the power in the first liquid discharge power range being less than the power in the second liquid discharge power range. When the current initial operating mode is refrigerant storage mode, the corresponding power comparison range may include a first liquid storage power range and a second liquid storage power range, with the power in the first liquid storage power range being less than the power in the second liquid storage power range. Further, the power in the second liquid discharge power range is less than the target power, and the power in the first liquid storage power range is greater than the target power.

[0194] The aforementioned target duration refers to the final determined duration of operation of the liquid storage module in the operating mode.

[0195] In this embodiment of the application, after determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module, in order to further accurately control the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, the comparison power range corresponding to each operating mode can be further divided into multiple sub-power ranges to determine the running time of the operating mode, thereby achieving accurate control of the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0196] Based on this, each of the aforementioned comparison power intervals may include multiple sub-power intervals, and each sub-power interval may correspond to a runtime. The runtime is positively correlated with the absolute value of the difference between the sub-power intervals. The absolute value of the difference is the absolute value of the difference between any power value in the sub-power interval and the target power. That is, the larger the absolute value of the difference between the sub-power interval and the target power, the longer its runtime. For example, when the sub-power interval is greater than the target power, the sub-power interval with the larger difference from the target power has a longer runtime. When the sub-power interval is less than the target power, the sub-power interval with the smaller difference from the target power (the difference is negative) has a longer runtime.

[0197] In one embodiment, after determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module, the executing entity of this application embodiment can determine the target sub-power range to which the current power belongs, and determine the running time corresponding to the target sub-power range as the target duration.

[0198] For example, suppose the current power is P and the target power is P. t The comparison power range for each operating mode, the sub-power ranges included in each comparison power range, and the running time corresponding to each sub-power range are shown in Table 2 below:

[0199] Table 2

[0200] As shown in Table 1, the comparison power range corresponding to the rapid refrigerant discharge mode of the liquid storage module is (1, P).t -δP1), the sub-power intervals included in this comparison power interval may include: (0, P t -δP1-δP 11 ), [P t -δP1-δP 11 P t -δP1-δP 12 ), and [P t -δP1-δP 12 P t -δP1), further, the above (0, P t -δP1-δP 11 The corresponding runtime is T. 11 [P] t -δP1-δP 11 P t -δP1-δP 12 The corresponding runtime is T. 12 [P] t -δP1-δP 12 P t The runtime corresponding to -δP1) is T. 13 Among them, δP1 and δP 11 and δP 12 δP is the preset comparison threshold. 11 >δP 12 T 11 >T 12 >T 13 In other words, the further the current power deviates from the target power, the longer the running time will be.

[0201] The comparison range corresponding to the flexible refrigerant discharge mode of the liquid storage module can be (P) t -δP1,P t The sub-power ranges included in the comparison power range may include: (P) t -δP1,P t -δP 21 ), [P t -δP 21 P t -δP 22 ), and [P t -δP 22 P t Furthermore, the above (P) t -δP1,P t -δP 21 The corresponding runtime is T. 21 [P] t -δP 21 P t -δP22 The corresponding runtime is T. 22 [P] t -δP 22 P t The corresponding runtime is T. 23 Among them, δP1 and δP 21 and δP 22 The preset comparison threshold is used, and δP1>δP 21 >δP 22 T 21 >T 22 >T 23 In other words, the further the current power deviates from the target power, the longer the running time will be.

[0202] The comparison range corresponding to the flexible refrigerant storage mode of the liquid storage module can be (P) t P t +δP3), the sub-power intervals included in this comparison power interval may include: (P t P t +δP 31 ), [P t +δP 31 P t +δP 32 ), and [P t +δP 32 P t +δP3), further, the above (P t P t +δP 31 The corresponding runtime is T. 31 [P] t +δP 31 P t +δP 32 The corresponding runtime is T. 32 [P] t +δP 32 P t The runtime corresponding to +δP3) is T. 33 Among them, δP3 and δP 31 and δP 32 The preset comparison threshold is used, and δP3 > δP. 32 >δP 31 T 33 >T 32 >T 31 In other words, the further the current power deviates from the target power, the longer the running time will be.

[0203] The comparison range corresponding to the rapid refrigerant storage mode of the liquid storage module can be (P) t+δP3, +∞), the sub-power intervals included in this comparison power interval may include: (P t +δP3,P t +δP3+δP 41 ), [P t +δP3+δP 41 P t +δP3+δP 42 ), and [P t +δP 32 +δP 42 ,+∞), further, the above (P t +δP3,P t +δP3+δP 41 The corresponding runtime is T. 41 [P] t +δP3+δP 41 P t +δP3+δP 42 The corresponding runtime is T. 42 [P] t +δP 32 +δP 42 The runtime corresponding to +∞) is T. 43 Among them, δP3 and δP 41 and δP 42 The preset comparison threshold is δP. 42 >δP 41 T 43 >T 42 >T 41 In other words, the further the current power deviates from the target power, the longer the running time will be.

[0204] Step 1003: Adjust the on / off status of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode.

[0205] Step 1004: Maintain the liquid storage module in its current operating state for the target duration.

[0206] The following provides a unified explanation of steps 1003 and 1004.

[0207] In this embodiment of the application, after determining the running time of the operating mode, the executing entity can adjust the on / off state of the liquid inlet valve, gas balance valve, and liquid outlet valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the above operating mode, and keep the liquid storage module running in the current operating state for the above target time. This can control the adjustment speed and adjustment time of the liquid storage module on the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, thereby accurately controlling the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem.

[0208] The technical solution provided in this application determines the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range, then determines the target sub-power range to which the current power belongs. Each comparison power range can correspond to multiple sub-power ranges. The running time corresponding to the target sub-power range is determined as the target duration. Based on the operating mode, the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module are adjusted to maintain the liquid storage module operating in the current state for the target duration. This technical solution, by comparing the current power with multiple sub-power ranges included in the comparison power range after determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module, determines the running time corresponding to the operating mode based on the sub-power range to which the current power belongs. This achieves a more accurate determination of the running time of the operating mode, thereby enabling more accurate control of the adjustment rate and duration of the liquid storage module on the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation subsystem, thus accurately controlling the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circulation system.

[0209] Referring to Figure 11, this is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a control method for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application. Based on the flowchart shown in Figure 7, Figure 11 uses a multi-split air conditioning system as an example to illustrate the control method for the refrigerant circulation system provided in this application. As shown in Figure 11, the process may include the following steps:

[0210] (1) Read

[0211] The system uses various sensors to read the required parameters and transmit them to the calculation layer. These parameters are categorized into several types. System operating mode: primarily includes cooling or heating. Indoor set temperature Tset: the target temperature set by the user for the indoor unit; when there are multiple indoor units, these should be calculated separately. Indoor temperature Tindoor and outdoor temperature Toutdoor: indoor and outdoor units are equipped with temperature sensors to measure indoor and outdoor temperatures. When there are multiple indoor or outdoor units, these should be calculated separately. In addition to temperature, some units are also equipped with humidity sensors; the indoor humidity Hindoor and outdoor humidity Houtdoor are also read and transmitted. System capacity and power: System capacity refers to the system's cooling or heating capacity, which is the total cooling or heating output that the indoor units can provide to the indoor environment. System power requires the sum of the power data from both the indoor and outdoor sides of the system.

[0212] (2) Calculation

[0213] Substitute the relevant parameters read above into the performance prediction model to calculate the corresponding target energy efficiency φt and target power Pt.

[0214] Among them, the performance prediction model is calibrated and summarized after a large number of tests under different operating conditions in the laboratory before the unit leaves the factory. It contains the mapping relationships between various parameter conditions such as different operating modes, set temperatures, and ambient temperatures and system energy efficiency and power. During the substitution calculation process, the preset parameter conditions closest to the input values are found and interpolated according to certain rules. The calculated energy efficiency and power are used as the target energy efficiency and power under the current parameter conditions of the system.

[0215] At the same time, according to the read capacity and power, the system energy efficiency φ is calculated by division.

[0216] (3) Judgment

[0217] First, compare the system energy efficiency φ and the target energy efficiency φt. If φ < φt, it means that the current energy efficiency still needs to be improved to achieve the maximum energy efficiency. If φ ≥ φt, it means that the current energy efficiency has been maximized and the system is in an optimal operating state. At this time, remember the current system operating mode, set temperature, ambient temperature and other parameter conditions and energy efficiency, and add them to the database of the performance prediction model, which can provide a reference for future refrigerant adjustment.

[0218] Then, when the energy efficiency needs to be improved, in order to determine the refrigerant adjustment direction, it is still necessary to compare the current power P and the target power Pt. If P < Pt, it means that there is too little refrigerant in the current system, and the liquid discharge function of the liquid storage tank should be turned on to increase the refrigerant circulation volume in the system; if P ≥ Pt, it means that there is too much refrigerant in the current system, and the liquid storage function of the liquid storage tank should be turned on to reduce the refrigerant circulation volume in the system.

[0219] After determining the basic refrigerant adjustment direction, it is still necessary to further refine the liquid discharge method or liquid storage method according to the power P. As shown in the following table, the power is divided into 4 large intervals, and each large interval can be further divided into multiple sub-intervals. The specific number of sub-divisions is not limited. Here, 3 sub-intervals shown in Table 3 are used as examples for illustration.

[0220] Table 3 <00OO573>

[0221] (4) Action

[0222] ① Power interval P < (Pt - δP1):

[0223] When the power is in this interval, it means that the current power is not only lower than the target power, but far lower than the target power. Among them, δP1 is a preset value of the system. It can be seen that the refrigerant in the system is seriously lacking, and the fast refrigerant discharge method should be used to quickly increase the refrigerant circulation volume in the system.

[0224] Further subdivision: when P < (Pt - δP1) - δP11, the execution time of rapid refrigerant discharge is T11; when (Pt - δP1) - δP11 ≤ P < (Pt - δP1) - δP12, the execution time of rapid refrigerant discharge is T12; when (Pt - δP1) - δP12 ≤ P < (Pt - δP1), the execution time of rapid refrigerant discharge is T13. Among them, δP11 > δP12, T11 > T12 > T13, following the principle that the farther the system power deviates from the target value, the longer the adjustment duration.

[0225] ② Power range (Pt - δP1) ≤ P < Pt:

[0226] When the power is within this range, it indicates that the current power is slightly lower than the target power and the refrigerant amount in the system is slightly insufficient. Therefore, the flexible refrigerant discharge method is adopted to increase the refrigerant circulation amount in the system.

[0227] Further subdivision: when (Pt - δP1) ≤ P < Pt - δP21, the execution time of flexible refrigerant discharge is T21; when Pt - δP21 ≤ P < Pt - δP22, the execution time of flexible refrigerant discharge is T22; when Pt - δP22 ≤ P < Pt, the execution time of flexible refrigerant discharge is T23. Among them, δP1 > δP21 > δP22, T11 > T12 > T13, following the principle that the farther the system power deviates from the target value, the longer the adjustment duration.

[0228] ③ Power range Pt < P < (Pt + δP3)

[0229] When the power is within this range, it indicates that the current power is slightly higher than the target power and the refrigerant amount in the system is slightly excessive. Therefore, the flexible refrigerant storage method is adopted to reduce the refrigerant circulation amount in the system. Here, δP3 is a preset value of the system.

[0230] Further subdivision: when Pt ≤ P < Pt + δP31, the execution time of flexible refrigerant storage is T31; when Pt + δP31 ≤ P < Pt + δP32, the execution time of flexible refrigerant storage is T32; when Pt + δP32 ≤ P < (Pt + δP3), the execution time of flexible refrigerant storage is T33. Among them, δP3 > δP32 > δP31, T33 > T32 > T31, following the principle that the farther the system power deviates from the target value, the longer the adjustment duration.

[0231] ④ Power range (Pt + δP3) ≤ P

[0232] When the power is within this range, it indicates that the current power is not only higher than the target power but also much higher than the target power. It can be seen that the refrigerant in the system is seriously excessive, and the rapid refrigerant storage method should be used to quickly reduce the refrigerant circulation amount in the system.

[0233] Further subdividing, when (Pt + δP3) ≤ P < (Pt + δP3) + δP41, the rapid refrigerant storage execution time is T41; when (Pt + δP3) + δP41 ≤ P < (Pt + δP3) + δP42, the rapid refrigerant storage execution time is T42; when (Pt + δP3) + δP42 ≤ P, the rapid refrigerant storage execution time is T43. Among them, δP42 > δP41, T43 > T42 > T41, following the principle that the farther the system power deviates from the target value, the longer the adjustment duration.

[0234] During adjustment, count the cumulative number of adjustment cycles, and count 1 for each adjustment.

[0235] After the adjustment is completed, wait for the system to stabilize. The criterion for system stability can be judged according to a set fixed waiting time, that is, after the adjustment is completed, wait for a fixed duration and then consider the system to reach a new steady state. Or it can also be judged according to the fact that the system parameters no longer change, such as parameters such as the high pressure, low pressure, compressor frequency, and indoor unit expansion valve opening of the system.

[0236] After the system is stable, if the cumulative cycle number i has not reached the upper limit value imax, that is, i < imax (imax is the upper limit of the number of system-set adjustments), then compare the current energy efficiency φ and the target energy efficiency φt. If φ < φt, it means that the current energy efficiency still needs to be improved, and enter the judgment of the next refrigerant adjustment; if φ ≥ φt, it means that the current energy efficiency has been maximized and the system is in the optimal operating state. At this time, remember the current system operating mode, set temperature, ambient temperature and other parameter conditions and energy efficiency, and add them to the database of the performance prediction model, which can provide reference for future refrigerant adjustments.

[0237] If the cumulative cycle number i has reached the upper limit value imax, that is, i ≥ imax, it means that the target energy efficiency cannot be achieved even after adjusting to the limit. Possible reasons include: the influence of the length of the engineering installation pipeline, the influence of the installation height difference of the indoor unit, the influence of equipment aging, the influence of refrigerant leakage, etc. Record the actual energy efficiency φ in this case. Optionally, if the system repeatedly fails to reach the target energy efficiency φt even after adjusting to the limit under this operating condition, then update the actually achieved energy efficiency φ to the target energy efficiency in the database of the energy efficiency prediction model to guide subsequent refrigerant adjustments.

[0238] The control method of the refrigerant cycle system provided by the embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0239] (1) Through a multi-connected system capable of adjusting the refrigerant circulation volume, having an inlet valve, a drain valve and a gas balance valve, connected to the medium-pressure and low-pressure sides of the system pipeline, ensuring sufficient inlet and outlet refrigerant pressure differences, and realizing the change of the refrigerant volume adjustment speed through the combination of valve switches and the cooperation of valve switch durations, so as to meet the needs of various refrigerant adjustments.

[0240] (2) The model can calculate the target energy efficiency and target power based on actual usage, and can continuously update and correct the model based on the refrigerant adjustment results.

[0241] (3) A method for adjusting the refrigerant based on the target energy efficiency and target power, and different refrigerant adjustment methods and adjustment times can be selected based on the difference between the actual energy efficiency and the target energy efficiency, and the difference between the actual power and the target power, so as to shorten the adjustment time.

[0242] Referring to Figure 12, this is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control device for a refrigerant circulation system provided in this application. As one embodiment, this device can be applied to any of the refrigerant circulation systems shown in Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figure 12, the device may include:

[0243] The acquisition module 1201 is used to acquire the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system;

[0244] The first determining module 1202 is used to determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set.

[0245] The second determining module 1203 is used to determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power.

[0246] The adjustment module 1204 is used to adjust the on / off state of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode.

[0247] Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application, including a processor 1301, a communication interface 1302, a memory 1303, and a communication bus 1304. The processor 1301, communication interface 1302, and memory 1303 communicate with each other via the communication bus 1304.

[0248] Memory 1303 is used to store computer programs.

[0249] In one embodiment of this application, the processor 1301, when executing a program stored in the memory 1303, implements the control method of the refrigerant circulation system provided in any of the foregoing method embodiments, including:

[0250] Obtain the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system;

[0251] Based on the parameter set, determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant cycle subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power.

[0252] The operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power.

[0253] According to the operating mode, adjust the on / off state of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module.

[0254] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for the refrigerant circulation system provided in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0255] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0256] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented using software plus a general-purpose hardware platform, or of course, using hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the parts that contribute to the related technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0257] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0258] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A refrigerant circulation system, characterized in that, include: A refrigerant circulation subsystem and a liquid storage module, wherein the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes a first pressure line and a second pressure line, and the pressure of the first pressure line is greater than the pressure of the second pressure line; The liquid storage module is connected to the first pressure pipeline via a first pipeline, and an inlet valve is installed on the first pipeline; the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation subsystem flows into the liquid storage module through the first pipeline; The liquid storage module is connected to the second pressure pipeline via a second pipeline, and a gas balance valve is installed on the second pipeline. The gaseous refrigerant in the liquid storage module flows into the refrigerant circulation subsystem through the second pipeline; the gas balance valve is used to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant in the liquid storage module. The liquid storage module is connected to the second pressure pipeline via a third pipeline, and a drain valve is installed on the third pipeline; the liquid refrigerant in the liquid storage module flows into the refrigerant circulation subsystem through the third pipeline.

2. The refrigerant circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid storage module is connected to the first pipeline via a first end; The liquid storage module is connected to the second pipeline via a second end; The liquid storage module is connected to the third pipeline via a third end.

3. The refrigerant circulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerant circulation system also includes a fourth pipeline; The first end of the fourth pipeline is connected to the first end of the liquid storage module; The second end of the fourth pipeline is connected to the second pressure pipeline; An unloading valve is installed on the fourth pipeline.

4. A control method for a refrigerant circulation system, characterized in that, Applied to the refrigerant circulation system according to any one of claims 1-3, the method comprises: Obtain the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system; Based on the parameter set, determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant cycle subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power. The operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power. According to the operating mode, adjust the on / off state of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The refrigerant circulation subsystem includes at least one indoor module and at least one outdoor module. The indoor module is used for cooling or heating the indoor space. The acquisition of the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem includes: Obtain the system operation mode of the refrigerant circulation subsystem; Obtain a set temperature value for at least one of the indoor modules, and obtain an indoor temperature value through a temperature sensor installed in the indoor module; The outdoor temperature value is obtained by a temperature sensor installed on the outdoor module; Determine the total output energy of the indoor module; Obtain the first power of the indoor module and the second power of the outdoor module; The system operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, at least one outdoor temperature value, the total output energy, the first power, and the second power are included in the parameter set.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of determining the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant cycle subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set includes: The system operating mode, at least one set temperature value, at least one indoor temperature value, and at least one outdoor temperature value are input into a preset performance test model to obtain the target energy efficiency and target power output by the performance test model. The first power and the second power are added together to obtain the current power; The current energy efficiency is obtained by dividing the total output energy by the current power.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, Determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power includes: If it is determined that the current energy efficiency is less than the target energy efficiency, the current power is compared with the target power to obtain a comparison result; If the comparison result indicates that the current power is less than the target power, the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the refrigerant discharge mode; If the comparison result indicates that the current power is greater than or equal to the target power, the initial operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the refrigerant storage mode; Determine the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode; The operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined based on the current power and the comparison power range.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Determining the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes: When the initial operating mode is the refrigerant discharge mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes a first liquid discharge power range and a second liquid discharge power range; the power of the first liquid discharge power range is less than the power of the second liquid discharge power range, and the power of the second liquid discharge power range is less than the target power. Determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range includes: If it is determined that the current power belongs to the first liquid discharge power range, the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the rapid refrigerant discharge mode; If the current power is determined to be within the second discharge power range, the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the flexible refrigerant discharge mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode includes: When the liquid storage module is in the rapid refrigerant discharge mode, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module is closed, the gas balance valve is opened, and the liquid discharge valve is opened. When the liquid storage module is in flexible refrigerant discharge mode, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module is closed, the gas balance valve is closed, and the liquid discharge valve is opened.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, Determining the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes: When the initial operating mode is the refrigerant storage mode, the comparison power range corresponding to the initial operating mode includes a first liquid storage power range and a second liquid storage power range; the power of the first liquid storage power range is less than the power of the second liquid storage power range, and the power of the first liquid storage power range is greater than the target power. Determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range includes: If it is determined that the current power belongs to the first liquid storage power range, the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the flexible refrigerant storage mode; If the current power is determined to be within the second liquid storage power range, the operating mode of the liquid storage module is determined to be the rapid refrigerant storage mode.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode includes: When the liquid storage module is in flexible refrigerant storage mode, the liquid inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module is opened, the gas balance valve is closed, and the liquid drain valve is closed. When the liquid storage module is in the rapid refrigerant storage mode, the inlet valve connected to the liquid storage module is opened, the gas balance valve is opened, and the drain valve is closed.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that, Each of the comparison power intervals includes multiple sub-power intervals, and each sub-power interval corresponds to a running time; wherein, the running time is positively correlated with the absolute value of the difference between the sub-power intervals, and the absolute value of the difference is the absolute value of the difference between any power value in the sub-power interval and the target power; After determining the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current power and the comparison power range, the method further includes: Determine the target sub-power range to which the current power belongs; The runtime corresponding to the target sub-power range is determined as the target duration. After adjusting the on / off states of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode, the method further includes: The target duration is maintained by keeping the liquid storage module running in its current operating state.

13. A control device for a refrigerant circulation system, characterized in that, The device is applied to the refrigerant circulation system according to any one of claims 1-3, the device comprising: The acquisition module is used to acquire the set of parameters involved in the operation of the refrigerant circulation subsystem in the refrigerant circulation system; The first determining module is used to determine the current energy efficiency and current power of the refrigerant circulation subsystem, as well as the predicted target energy efficiency and target power, based on the parameter set. The second determining module is used to determine the operating mode of the liquid storage module based on the current energy efficiency, the target energy efficiency, the current power, and the target power. The adjustment module is used to adjust the on / off state of the inlet valve, gas balance valve, and drain valve connected to the liquid storage module according to the operating mode.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: The processor, communication interface, memory, and communication bus are connected, with the processor, communication interface, and memory communicating with each other via the communication bus. The memory is used to store computer programs; the processor is used to execute the computer programs to implement the control method of the refrigerant circulation system according to any one of claims 4-12.

15. A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When executed by a processor, the computer program implements the control method for the refrigerant circulation system according to any one of claims 4-12.

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