Variable refrigerant flow air conditioning system with dual control over temperature and humidity and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10101054-B2
Application number	US-201615503478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning system with dual control over temperature and humidity and a control method thereof, in which the VRF air conditioning system includes multiple indoor machines, an outdoor machine and a controller; the outdoor machine is provided with a first connector and a second connector; each indoor machine includes an indoor throttle valve, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first solenoid valve, a second solenoid valve, a third solenoid valve, a temperature detector and a humidity detector; the controller controls the VRF air conditioning system by controlling the indoor throttle valve, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve in each indoor machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning system with dual control over temperature and humidity, comprising:
an outdoor machine having a first connector and a second connector;
a controller; and
a plurality of indoor machines, each comprising:
an indoor throttle valve having a first end connected with the first connector;
a first solenoid valve having a first end connected with a second end of the indoor throttle valve;
a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein a first end of the first heat exchanger is connected with a first end of the second heat exchanger, and a first node is provided between the first end of the first heat exchanger and the first end of the second heat exchanger and is connected with a second end of the first solenoid valve;
a second solenoid valve having a first end connected with the first end of the first solenoid valve and the second end of the indoor throttle valve respectively, and a second end connected with a second end of the second heat exchanger, wherein a second node is provided between the second end of the second solenoid valve and the second end of the second heat exchanger;
a third solenoid valve having a first end connected with the second node, and a second end connected with a second end of the first heat exchanger and the second connector respectively;
a temperature detector configured to detect an indoor environment temperature; and
a humidity detector configured to detect indoor environment relative humidity;

wherein the controller is connected with the indoor throttle valve, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the temperature detector and the humidity detector of each indoor machine respectively, and is configured to control the VRF air conditioning system through control over the indoor throttle valve, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve of each indoor machine.

2. The VRF air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a temperature difference value ΔT1 between the indoor environment temperature corresponding to each indoor machine and a set temperature, and judge a prioritized operation mode for the VRF air conditioning system and an operation state of each indoor machine, wherein
when it is judged that the prioritized operation mode for the VRF air conditioning system is a heating-prioritized mode, an indoor machine operating in a heating mode exists in the VRF air conditioning system, an indoor machine operating in a temperature and humidity control mode exists in the VRF air conditioning system, and ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is greater than a first preset temperature, then the controller is configured to control the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode to stop running.

3. The VRF air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein when it is judged that the prioritized operation mode for the VRF air conditioning system is the heating-prioritized mode, the indoor machine operating in the heating mode exists in the VRF air conditioning system, the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode exists in the VRF air conditioning system, and the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is less than or equal to the first preset temperature, then the controller is configured to further judge the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode, wherein
when the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is less than a second preset temperature, the controller is configured to control the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve of the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode to turn on, and control the second solenoid valve thereof to turn off, such that the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode starts to operate in the heating mode, in which the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature;
when the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature and less than or equal to the first preset temperature, the controller is configured to control the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve of the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode to turn off, and control the second solenoid valve thereof to turn on, such that the first heat exchanger in the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode acts as a condenser for heating and warming, and the second heat exchanger therein acts as an evaporator for refrigerating and dehumidifying, and meanwhile the controller is configured to degrade evaporation of the evaporator by increasing an opening degree of the indoor throttle valve of the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode.

4. The VRF air conditioning system according to claim 3 , wherein each indoor machine further comprises a humidifier configured to humidify the indoor environment, in which the controller is further configured to control the corresponding humidifier to turn on or off based on the indoor environment relative humidity corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode, such that the indoor environment relative humidity corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode meets preset requirements.

5. The VRF air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein when it is judged that the prioritized operation mode for the VRF air conditioning system is the heating-prioritized mode and no indoor machine operating in the heating mode exists in the VRF air conditioning system, or when it is judged that the prioritized operation mode for the VRF air conditioning system is a refrigerating-prioritized mode, wherein
when the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is less than or equal to a third preset temperature, the controller is configured to control the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve of the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode to turn off, and control the second solenoid valve thereof to turn on, such that the second heat exchanger in the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode acts as the condenser for heating and warming, and the first heat exchanger therein acts as the evaporator for refrigerating and dehumidifying, and meanwhile the controller is configured to degrade evaporation of the evaporator by increasing the opening degree of the indoor throttle valve in the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode;
when the ΔT1 corresponding to the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode is greater than or equal to a fourth preset temperature and less than or equal to a fifth preset temperature, the controller is configured to control the first solenoid valve and the third solenoid valve of the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode to turn off, and control the second solenoid valve thereof to turn on, such that the second heat exchanger in the indoor machine operating in the temperature and humidity control mode acts as the condenser for heating and warming, and the first heat exchanger therein acts as the evaporator for refrigerating and dehumidifying, and the controller is configured to degrade condensation of the condenser

Assignees

• Gd Midea Heating & Ventilating Equipment Co Ltd
• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Zhao

Classifications

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title

• F24F11/84 Primary

  using valves · CPC title

• F24F11/89

  Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• F24F1/0003

  characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units · CPC title