METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE, AIR CONDITIONER, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411804999.5, titled “METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE, AIR CONDITIONER, AND STORAGE MEDIUM” and filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on Dec. 9, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning, and more specifically, to a method and a device for determining refrigerant leakage, an air conditioner, and a storage medium, in the field of air conditioning.

BACKGROUND

Air conditioners are common household appliances and typically use refrigerant for heat exchange to achieve cooling or heating.

Refrigerant leakage may occur during refrigerant circulation. Conventional refrigerant detection involves setting a corresponding refrigerant threshold, and when a refrigerant sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration exceeds the refrigerant threshold, determining that refrigerant leakage currently exists. This method is only capable of detecting refrigerant concentration for a single refrigerant type and fails to determine whether refrigerant leakage exists when the air conditioner uses different types of refrigerants.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a method and a device for determining refrigerant leakage, an air conditioner, and a storage medium. This method ensures that, regardless of the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner, the refrigerant detection device can transmit a refrigerant feedback signal through a transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type, to determine whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

In a first aspect, a method for determining refrigerant leakage is provided. The method is applied to a controller of an air conditioner, wherein the controller is connected to a refrigerant detection device capable of obtaining refrigerant information for different types of refrigerants. The method includes: receiving a refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries the refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device; obtaining a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels; in response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In a second aspect, a device for determining refrigerant leakage is provided, wherein the device includes:

• • a receiving unit configured to receive a refrigerant feedback signal sent by a refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device;
  • an obtaining unit configured to obtain a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels;
  • a determination unit configured to determine, in response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of an air conditioner, whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In a third aspect, an air conditioner is provided, including: a memory configured to store executable program code; and a controller configured to invoke and execute the executable program code from the memory to cause the air conditioner to perform the method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

In a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes computer program code which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

In a fifth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium has stored thereon computer program code which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to the first aspect or any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device is connected to the controller and is configured to send the refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information to the controller. After receiving the refrigerant feedback signal, the controller obtains the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a match between the first channel identifier and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, the controller further determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier. In response to a match between the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, it can be determined that the refrigerant information received through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier is the refrigerant information corresponding to the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner. Therefore, regardless of the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner, the refrigerant detection device can transmit the refrigerant feedback signal to the air conditioner through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type, so that the air conditioner determines whether refrigerant leakage exists based on the refrigerant information carried in the refrigerant feedback signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a device for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The technical solutions of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, “/” means “or.” For example, “A/B” means “A or B.” The “and/or” used for describing an association relationship between associated objects represents the presence of three relationships. For example, “A and/or B” may represent the presence of A only, the presence of both A and B, and the presence of B only. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, “a plurality of” means two or more than two.

The terms “first” and “second” used herein are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating relative importance or as implying the numbers of the designated technical features. Thus, the features defined by “first” or “second” may include one or more such features, whether explicitly stated or implied.

FIG. 1 is a schematic scenario diagram of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

An air conditioning system may be designed to allow a single type of indoor unit to be flexibly paired with one of multiple different types of outdoor units. This design provides enhanced flexibility and a wider range of options for users and installers. However, this mix-and-match approach introduces a technical challenge: it is often needed for the internal structures of the air conditioning system to be compatible with multiple refrigerant types since the indoor unit may be used with outdoor units that use different types of refrigerants.

Among many types of refrigerants, flammable refrigerants, due to their particular physical and chemical characteristics, impose higher requirements on the safety of the air conditioning systems. To ensure the safe operation of an air conditioning system using this type of refrigerant, the system is typically equipped with a dedicated refrigerant detection device that can generate an alarm immediately after refrigerant leakage, thereby effectively avoiding potential safety hazards. However, most refrigerant detection devices currently available on the market are highly specialized. For example, a refrigerant detection device designed specifically for R454B refrigerant has detection principles and technical parameters that are specifically matched to the physical properties of the R454B refrigerant, such that it is only suitable for air conditioning systems using the R454B refrigerant as a working medium. Similarly, a refrigerant detection device for R32 refrigerant is only suitable for R32-based air conditioning systems. While this “one-to-one” matching pattern ensures the detection accuracy and reliability to some extent, it inadvertently creates an obstacle for the mix-and-match compatibility of the air conditioning system.

In view of above, the present disclosure provides a method for determining refrigerant leakage. Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerant detection device is connected to a controller and is configured to send a refrigerant feedback signal carrying refrigerant information to the controller. After receiving the refrigerant feedback signal, the controller obtains a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of an air conditioner, the controller further determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier. In response to a match between the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, it can be determined that the refrigerant information received through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier is the refrigerant information corresponding to the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner. Therefore, regardless of the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner, the refrigerant detection device can transmit the refrigerant feedback signal to the air conditioner through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type, so that the air conditioner determines whether refrigerant leakage exists based on the refrigerant information carried in the refrigerant feedback signal.

With reference to FIGS. 2 to 10 and based on the schematic scenario of FIG. 1, the method for determining refrigerant leakage according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following steps S101 to S103.

S101, receiving a refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device.

In one embodiment, when the air conditioner receives a startup instruction and operates in a cooling mode or a heating mode, the refrigerant detection device collects refrigerant concentration parameters in real time. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device may be installed at critical locations prone to refrigerant leakage, such as connection pipelines and valves, etc. In an example, one refrigerant detection device may be installed at each of the above-mentioned critical locations to collect refrigerant concentration parameters from different positions in real time. Alternatively, the refrigerant detection device may collect refrigerant concentration parameters from different locations according to a detection period.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device detects refrigerant concentrations for different refrigerant types. In an example, based on a detected refrigerant concentration parameter for one refrigerant type, the refrigerant detection device may convert the detected refrigerant concentration parameter into corresponding refrigerant concentration parameters for other refrigerant types. For example, the refrigerant detection device detects that the type of currently leaking refrigerant is Refrigerant A and its concentration is A. By using a pre-stored first correlation table containing correlations between refrigerant concentrations for different refrigerant types, the refrigerant detection device determines that Concentration A for Refrigerant A corresponds to Concentration B for Refrigerant B and Concentration C for Refrigerant C. After obtaining the refrigerant concentration parameters (Concentration A, Concentration B, and Concentration C) for Refrigerant A, Refrigerant B, and Refrigerant C, the refrigerant information to be transmitted to the controller is determined. Subsequently, the refrigerant feedback signals carrying the refrigerant information for the different refrigerant types are sent to the controller through different transmission channels separately, wherein each refrigerant feedback signal is a signal that carries the refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device based on a respective refrigerant concentration parameter detected. The refrigerant information includes the refrigerant concentration parameters and respective determination results, wherein each determination result is a result determined by the refrigerant detection device based on a respective refrigerant concentration parameter detected, indicating whether refrigerant leakage has occurred in the air conditioner.

S102, obtaining a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels.

In one embodiment, the refrigerant detection device transmits refrigerant feedback signals which carry the refrigerant information for different refrigerant types to the controller through different transmission channels. For example, the transmission channel A is configured to transmit a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information of Refrigerant A to the controller, the transmission channel B is configured to transmit a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information of Refrigerant B to the controller, and the transmission channel C is configured to transmit a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information of Refrigerant C to the controller.

Furthermore, after receiving the refrigerant feedback signals, the controller can determine, based on the received signals, first channel identifiers corresponding to transmission channels through which the respective refrigerant feedback signals are transmitted. For example, with reference to the foregoing description, the controller may determine that the first channel identifier is A1 for the transmission channel A, B1 for the transmission channel B, and C1 for the transmission channel C.

S103, in response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In one embodiment, after obtaining the first channel identifier, in response to a match between the first channel identifier and the second channel identifier corresponding to a pre-stored refrigerant type designation, the controller determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier. The refrigerant type designation is a designation stored in the controller and corresponding to the refrigerant type, and can be determined via a refrigerant type selection component (for example, a dial switch). For example, if a user determines that the currently selected refrigerant type is Refrigerant A, the refrigerant type currently used by the air conditioner can be set via the refrigerant type selection component. The controller determines the refrigerant type designation based on the result of the operation on the refrigerant type selection component, thereby determining the refrigerant type and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation, wherein the second channel identifier is a channel identifier stored in the controller and corresponding to the refrigerant type designation.

For example, with reference to the foregoing description, the user determines that the currently selected refrigerant type is Refrigerant A and sets the current refrigerant type via the selection component. After detecting the user's operation on the selection component, the controller determines the refrigerant type designation (0011) corresponding to the user's selection operation on the selection component, and then determining the refrigerant type (Refrigerant A) and the second channel identifier (A1) corresponding to the refrigerant type designation (0011). In response to a determination that the second channel identifier (A1) corresponding to the refrigerant type designation matches one of the first channel identifiers (A1, A2, A3), the controller determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information contained in the refrigerant feedback signal transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to this matched channel identifier (i.e., the first channel identifier corresponding to the second channel identifier).

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device is connected to the controller and is configured to send the refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information to the controller. After receiving the refrigerant feedback signal, the controller obtains the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a match between the first channel identifier and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, the controller determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier. In response to a match between the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, it can be determined that the refrigerant information received through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier is the refrigerant information corresponding to the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner. Therefore, regardless of the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner, the refrigerant detection device can transmit the refrigerant feedback signal to the air conditioner through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type, so that the air conditioner determines whether refrigerant leakage exists based on the refrigerant information carried in the refrigerant feedback signal.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following steps S201 to S205.

S201, obtaining a refrigerant type designation of an air conditioner, and determining a second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation.

In one embodiment, after a user sets a refrigerant type currently used by the air conditioner via a refrigerant type selection component, the controller determines the refrigerant type designation based on the result of the user's operation on the selection component, and further determines the refrigerant type and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation.

S202, sending a refrigerant request signal to the refrigerant detection device through a transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a schematic scenario diagram of the method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. After determining the second channel identifier, the refrigerant request signal is sent to the refrigerant detection device through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier, wherein the refrigerant request signal is a signal that requests the refrigerant detection device to detect refrigerant concentration. After receiving the refrigerant request signal, the refrigerant detection device determines the refrigerant type required by the controller, based on the channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant request signal is transmitted, and thus obtains the refrigerant concentration parameter and the concentration threshold corresponding to the refrigerant type. In response to a determination that the refrigerant concentration parameter is greater than the concentration threshold and thus an alarm needs to be activated, a refrigerant feedback signal carrying a determination result (“activate an alarm”) is sent to the controller.

For example, in another embodiment, after receiving the refrigerant request signal, the refrigerant detection device determines the refrigerant type required by the controller, based on the channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant request signal is transmitted, and thus obtains the refrigerant concentration parameter corresponding to the refrigerant type and sends a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant concentration parameter to the controller.

S203, receiving the refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries the refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device;

S204, obtaining a first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels;

S205, in response to a match between the first channel identifier and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

FIG. 5 is a schematic scenario diagram of the method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The controller receives the refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device and determines the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a determination that the first channel identifier matches the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation, and that the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel is “activate an alarm,” then it is determined that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner. If the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel is “do not activate an alarm,” it is determined that no refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device transmits the refrigerant feedback signal to the controller based on the transmission channel through which the refrigerant request signal is received.

It can be understood that the user can reset the refrigerant type currently used by the air conditioner via the selection component, thereby determining whether refrigerant leakage exists for different refrigerant types by using the above-described method, which is not repeated herein.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the refrigerant information carried in the refrigerant feedback signal is the refrigerant concentration parameter, the obtained refrigerant concentration parameter is compared with a first refrigerant concentration threshold corresponding to the second channel identifier. If the refrigerant concentration parameter is greater than or equal to the first refrigerant concentration threshold, it represents that the refrigerant concentration exceeds the standard, thereby determining that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner, as shown in FIG. 6.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, by sending the refrigerant request signal to the refrigerant detection device, the refrigerant detection device can be triggered to perform collection based on the received refrigerant request signal, and determine the refrigerant concentration corresponding to the current refrigerant type of the air conditioner, thereby reducing the number of collections of the refrigerant detection device, and the refrigerant detection device transmits the refrigerant feedback signal to the controller based on the transmission channel through which the refrigerant request signal is received. In this way, only one refrigerant feedback signal needs to be transmitted, thereby avoiding energy waste. Thus, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, it is determined that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner when the refrigerant concentration parameter is greater than or equal to the first refrigerant concentration threshold corresponding to the second channel identifier, thereby achieving an accurate determination of refrigerant leakage.

Refer to FIG. 7, which is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following steps S301 to S303.

S301, receiving a refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device, and the refrigerant information includes a refrigerant concentration parameter detected by the refrigerant detection device;

S302, obtaining a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels;

S303, in response to an absence of the refrigerant type designation for the air conditioner, obtaining a preset second refrigerant concentration threshold, and determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold.

In one embodiment, in response to an absence of the refrigerant type designation in the controller, it is determined that the user has not selected the refrigerant type currently used by the air conditioner. Based on this, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, one second refrigerant concentration threshold may be set in the air conditioner, thereby determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the received refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold.

In one implementation, the second refrigerant concentration threshold may be a concentration threshold for a refrigerant type that is more difficult to trigger the alarm. For example, alarm-triggering concentration threshold is r for Refrigerant A, g for Refrigerant B, and h for Refrigerant C, wherein r is greater than h that is greater than g, then the second refrigerant concentration threshold is determined to be r. Referring to FIG. 8, after obtaining the refrigerant concentration parameter (Concentration A) carried in the refrigerant feedback signal transmitted from a refrigerant sensor through the transmission channel A, the refrigerant concentration parameter (Concentration B) carried in the refrigerant feedback signal transmitted through the transmission channel B, and the refrigerant concentration parameter (Concentration C) carried in the refrigerant feedback signal transmitted through the transmission channel C, in response to determining that any one of Concentration A, Concentration B, and Concentration C is greater than r, then it is determined that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner. It can be understood that if a currently received refrigerant concentration parameter is greater than the refrigerant concentration threshold of the refrigerant type that is more difficult to trigger the alarm, this generally means that concentrations for other refrigerant types have reached or even exceeded their respective alarm thresholds.

Furthermore, refer to FIG. 9, which is a schematic scenario diagram of the method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second refrigerant concentration threshold preset in the controller is a concentration threshold for a specific refrigerant type, and the channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant concentration parameter corresponding to the refrigerant type is the second channel identifier. A first correlation table containing correlations between refrigerant concentrations for different refrigerant types is stored in the refrigerant detection device. Accordingly, after detecting any refrigerant, the refrigerant detection device can convert its concentration into the refrigerant concentration parameter, corresponding to the refrigerant type, pre-stored in the controller, and transmit a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the converted refrigerant concentration parameter to the controller through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type. The controller receives the refrigerant feedback signal and obtains a first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a determination that the first channel identifier matches the second channel identifier, the refrigerant concentration parameter carried in the refrigerant feedback signal is compared with the second refrigerant concentration threshold, thereby determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner. For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device may also determine whether an alarm needs to be activated based on the detected refrigerant concentration parameter and the stored refrigerant concentration threshold, and then send a refrigerant feedback signal carrying a corresponding determination result (“activate an alarm” or “do not activate an alarm”) to the controller. The controller then determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the received feedback signal.

Furthermore, refer to FIG. 10, which is a schematic scenario diagram of the method for determining refrigerant leakage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device obtains the refrigerant concentration for the configured refrigerant type and transmits a refrigerant feedback signal carrying the obtained refrigerant concentration parameter to the controller through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type. Based on the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel, the controller determines the refrigerant type corresponding to the refrigerant concentration parameter carried in the currently received refrigerant feedback signal, then obtains a pre-stored second correlation table containing correlations between refrigerant concentration parameters for different refrigerant types, converts the refrigerant concentration parameter into a refrigerant concentration parameter corresponding to the refrigerant type for the second refrigerant concentration threshold, compares the converted refrigerant concentration parameter with the second refrigerant concentration threshold, and determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the comparison result. In response to the converted refrigerant concentration parameter being greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, it is determined that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner. In response to a determination that the converted refrigerant concentration parameter is less than the second refrigerant concentration threshold, it is determined that refrigerant leakage does not exist in the air conditioner.

For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the converted refrigerant concentration parameter may also be displayed on a display interface, allowing the user to check whether refrigerant leakage currently exists.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in response to an absence of the refrigerant type designation in the controller, the controller is capable of, after receiving refrigerant concentration parameters from a plurality of refrigerant feedback signals, determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner using the preset the second refrigerant concentration threshold and the received refrigerant concentration parameters, thereby accurately determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner in the absence of the refrigerant type designation.

Based on the schematic scenario diagram of FIG. 1, a device for determining refrigerant leakage according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below in conjunction with FIG. 11. It should be noted that the device for determining refrigerant leakage in FIG. 11 is configured to perform the method according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 10 of the present disclosure. For the convenience of description, only parts related to the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, and for the specific technical details not described in detail here, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 to 10 of the present disclosure. Specifically, the device 1 for determining refrigerant leakage includes a receiving unit 11, an obtaining unit 12, and a determination unit 13.

The receiving unit 11 is configured to receive a refrigerant feedback signal sent by a refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device.

The obtaining unit 12 is configured to obtain a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels.

The determination unit 13 is configured to determine, in response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of an air conditioner, whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In an example, the determination unit includes a first obtaining subunit 131 and a first determination subunit 132;

• • the first obtaining subunit 131 is configured to obtain the first refrigerant concentration threshold corresponding to the second channel identifier;
  • the first determination subunit 132 is configured to: in response to the refrigerant concentration parameter being greater than or equal to the first refrigerant concentration threshold, determine that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

In an example, the receiving unit 11 includes a second obtaining subunit 111 and a sending subunit 112;

• • the second obtaining subunit 111 is configured to obtain the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, and determine the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation;
  • the sending subunit 112 is configured to send a refrigerant request signal to the refrigerant detection device through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In an example, the receiving unit 12 includes a third obtaining subunit 121.

The third obtaining subunit 121 is configured to: in response to an absence of the refrigerant type designation for the air conditioner, obtain a preset second refrigerant concentration threshold, and determine whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold.

The third obtaining subunit 121 is specifically configured to:

• • in response to an existence of a plurality of refrigerant concentration parameters, determine whether any one of the plurality of the refrigerant concentration parameters is greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold;
  • in response to a determination that any one of the plurality of the refrigerant concentration parameters is greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, determine that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

The third obtaining subunit 121 is specifically configured to:

• • determine a refrigerant type for the refrigerant concentration parameter based on the first channel identifier;
  • in response to a mismatch between the refrigerant type and a refrigerant type corresponding to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, obtain a pre-stored second correlation table containing correlations between refrigerant concentration parameters for different refrigerant types;
  • convert the refrigerant concentration parameter into a refrigerant concentration parameter corresponding to the refrigerant type for the second refrigerant concentration threshold;
  • in response to the converted refrigerant concentration parameter being greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, determine that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 12, the air conditioner 500 includes a controller 501 and a memory 502. Wherein the controller 501 is electrically connected to the memory 502.

The controller 501 is the control center of the air conditioner 500 and may include one or more processing cores. The controller 501 is connected to various parts of the entire air conditioner 500 using various interfaces and lines. By executing or invoking a computer program stored in the memory 502, as well as by invoking data stored in the memory 502, the controller 501 performs various functions of and processes data for the air conditioner 500, thereby achieving overall control and management of the air conditioner 500. In an example, the controller 501 may be implemented in at least one hardware form of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or Programmable Logic Array (PLA). The controller 501 may be integrated with a combination of one or more of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and a modem and the like. Wherein CPU is primarily responsible for processing an operating system, a user interface, an application, and the like; GPU is primarily responsible for rendering and drawing display content; and the modem is configured for wireless communications. It can be understood that the above-mentioned modem may not be integrated into the controller 501, but instead may be implemented via a communication chip.

The memory 502 may be configured to store a software program and a module. The controller 501 executes various functional applications and processes data by executing the computer program and the module stored in the memory 502. The memory 502 may mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may be configured to store an operating system, a computer program required by at least one function, and the like. The data storage area may be configured to store data created based on the use of the air conditioner 500, and the like.

Furthermore, the memory 502 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may further include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or another non-volatile solid-state storage device. Correspondingly, the memory 502 may further include a memory controller to allow the controller 501 to access the memory 502.

In this embodiment, the controller 501 in the air conditioner 500 is configured to load instructions corresponding to processes of one or more computer programs into the memory 502 and execute the computer program stored in the memory 502 to implement various functions by performing the following steps of:

• • receiving a refrigerant feedback signal sent by a refrigerant detection device, wherein the refrigerant feedback signal carries refrigerant information obtained by the refrigerant detection device;
  • obtaining a first channel identifier corresponding to a transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, wherein the refrigerant detection device is configured to transmit different types of refrigerant information through different transmission channels;
  • in response to a match between the first channel identifier and a second channel identifier corresponding to a refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In an example, to determine whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information obtained through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier, the controller 501 is specifically configured to:

• • obtain a first refrigerant concentration threshold corresponding to the second channel identifier;
  • in response to the refrigerant concentration parameter being greater than or equal to the first refrigerant concentration threshold, determine that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

In an example, before receiving the refrigerant feedback signal sent by the refrigerant detection device, the controller 501 may be further configured to:

• • obtain the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, and determining the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation;
  • transmit a refrigerant request signal to the refrigerant detection device through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier.

In an example, after obtaining the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted, the controller 501 may be further configured to:

• • in response to an absence of the refrigerant type designation for the air conditioner, obtain a preset second refrigerant concentration threshold, and determining whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold.

In an example, to determine whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold, the controller 501 is specifically configured to:

• • in response to an existence of a plurality of refrigerant concentration parameters, determine whether any one of the plurality of the refrigerant concentration parameters is greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold;
  • in response to a determination that any one of the plurality of the refrigerant concentration parameters is greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, determining that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

In an example, to determine whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant concentration parameter and the second refrigerant concentration threshold, the controller 501 is specifically configured to:

• • determine a refrigerant type for the refrigerant concentration parameter based on the first channel identifier;
  • in response to a mismatch between the refrigerant type and a refrigerant type corresponding to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, obtain a pre-stored second correlation table containing correlations between refrigerant concentration parameters for different refrigerant types;
  • convert the refrigerant concentration parameter into a refrigerant concentration parameter corresponding to the refrigerant type for the second refrigerant concentration threshold;
  • in response to the converted refrigerant concentration parameter being greater than or equal to the second refrigerant concentration threshold, determine that refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant detection device is connected to the controller and is configured to send the refrigerant feedback signal carrying the refrigerant information to the controller. After receiving the refrigerant feedback signal, the controller obtains the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted. In response to a match between the first channel identifier and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, the controller determines whether refrigerant leakage exists in the air conditioner based on the refrigerant information transmitted through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier. In response to a match between the first channel identifier corresponding to the transmission channel through which the refrigerant feedback signal is transmitted and the second channel identifier corresponding to the refrigerant type designation of the air conditioner, it can be determined that the refrigerant information received through the transmission channel corresponding to the second channel identifier is the refrigerant information corresponding to the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner. Therefore, regardless of the refrigerant type used by the air conditioner, the refrigerant detection device can transmit the refrigerant feedback signal to the air conditioner through the transmission channel corresponding to the refrigerant type, so that the air conditioner determines whether refrigerant leakage exists based on the refrigerant information carried in the refrigerant feedback signal.

It can be understood that the device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure is configured to execute the above-mentioned method for determining refrigerant leakage, and thus can achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned method.

In case of using an integrated unit, the device may include a processing module and a storage module. The processing module may be used to control and manage operations of the air conditioner when the device is applied to the air conditioner. The storage module may be used to support the air conditioner in executing relevant program code.

The processing module may be a controller which can implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits disclosed in the present disclosure. The controller may also be implemented as a combination of computing components, for example, including a combination of one or more micro-controllers, a combination of a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and a micro-controller, and the like. The storage module may be a memory.

Furthermore, the device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure may specifically be a chip, a component, or a module. The chip may include a controller and a memory connected with each other. The memory is configured to store instructions that, when invoked and executed by the controller, cause the chip to perform the method for determining refrigerant leakage provided in the above-mentioned embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program code which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the above relevant steps to perform the method for determining refrigerant leakage provided in the above-mentioned embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program product which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the above relevant steps to perform the method for determining refrigerant leakage provided in the above-mentioned embodiments.

The device, the computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product, and the chip provided in these embodiments are all used to perform the corresponding method provided above. Accordingly, for the beneficial effects they can achieve, reference can be made to the beneficial effects in the corresponding method provided above, which are not repeated herein.

From the descriptions of the foregoing implementations, those skilled in the art can realize that, for ease and brevity of description, only division into the foregoing function modules is used as an example for description, but in actual applications, the foregoing functions may be allocated, depending on requirements, to different function modules for implementation, that is, the internal structure of the device is divided into different function modules to implement all or some of the functions described above.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed device and method may be implemented in other manners. For example, the above-mentioned device embodiments are merely illustrative, for example, the division of the module and the unit is merely based on logical functions, in actual implementation, they can be divided in other manners. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored, or not executed. Further, a mutual coupling or a direct coupling or a communicative connection displayed or discussed here may be an indirect coupling or communicative connection via some interfaces, devices, or units, which may be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

The foregoing descriptions are merely specific implementations of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the present disclosure shall be included within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure is determined by the protection scope of the appended claims.