WO2024018627A1 - Air-conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

An air-conditioning system (100) according to the present disclosure comprises: a display unit (55); a compressor (10); an outdoor unit (20); a first indoor unit (30A); a second indoor unit (30B); a refrigeration cycle (11); a first temperature sensor (35A); a second temperature sensor (35B); and a control device (50) that controls the operation frequency of the compressor using predetermined conditions based on the temperature of air in rooms corresponding to the indoor units. At least one of the first indoor unit (30A) and the second indoor unit (30B) is designated as one to be subjected to the predetermined conditions. When at least one of the indoor units that have been designated as one to be subjected to the predetermined conditions does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, the control device (50) controls the operation frequency of the compressor such that the temperature of evaporation is low, and causes the display unit (55) to display information indicating whether or not the predetermined conditions are satisfied, for each of the first indoor unit (30A) and the second indoor unit (30B).

Description

air conditioning system

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system.

Conventionally, an air conditioning system is known that has a configuration in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit. Such air conditioning systems are used in office buildings, commercial facilities, and the like.

International Publication No. 2018/220803 (Patent Document 1) discloses that a target evaporation temperature of a refrigerant system is adjusted based on a detected value of a temperature/humidity detection means provided in at least one of a plurality of indoor units. , it is stated that it aims to save energy. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-152071 (Patent Document 2) discloses that among a plurality of indoor units, the indoor unit that continues to have the highest required capacity value is excluded from the selection targets, and the indoor units included in the selection targets are It is described that it is determined whether or not to adjust the evaporation temperature based on the required capacity of the evaporation temperature.

International Publication No. 2018/220803 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-152071

In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-152071 (Patent Document 2), conditions for determining whether or not to increase the evaporation temperature are set for each of a plurality of indoor units, and when all indoor units satisfy the conditions, , control is performed to increase the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant circuit. If an indoor unit installed near a heating element is included in multiple indoor units, control is performed to increase the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant circuit if the indoor unit near the heating element does not meet the conditions. There may be cases where it is not possible. Therefore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-152071 (Patent Document 2), indoor units whose required capacity value continues to be high are excluded from indoor units subject to the condition.

However, if the evaporation temperature is increased by excluding the indoor unit, the comfort of the room in which the excluded indoor unit is installed may be impaired. Therefore, if an indoor unit excluded from the conditions is installed in a room that is highly important to the user, such as a reception room, the user may not wish to set the exclusion setting.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and the purpose is to satisfy conditions for each indoor unit in order to perform control to increase the evaporation temperature in an air conditioning system having multiple indoor units. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning system that allows a user to recognize the suitability of the following items and supports judgment on which indoor units should be subjected to exclusion settings.

An air conditioning system according to the present disclosure connects a display unit, a compressor, an outdoor unit, a first indoor unit, a second indoor unit, a compressor, an outdoor unit, a first indoor unit, and a second indoor unit. a refrigeration cycle that circulates a refrigerant; a first temperature sensor that detects a first indoor air temperature corresponding to the first indoor unit; and a second temperature sensor that detects a second indoor air temperature that corresponds to the second indoor unit. It includes a temperature sensor and a control device that controls the operating frequency of the compressor using predetermined conditions based on the indoor air temperature corresponding to the indoor unit. At least one of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit is determined to be subject to the predetermined condition. The control device controls the operating frequency of the compressor so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle becomes the first evaporation temperature when all the indoor units defined as targets satisfy the predetermined conditions, and If at least one of them does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, the operating frequency of the compressor is controlled so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle becomes a second evaporation temperature lower than the first evaporation temperature, and The air temperature is acquired, the second air temperature is acquired from the second temperature sensor, and information indicating whether predetermined conditions are satisfied for each of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit is displayed on the display unit.

According to the present disclosure, in an air conditioning system having a plurality of indoor units, a user is made to recognize whether or not a condition is met for each indoor unit to perform control to increase the evaporation temperature, and an exclusion setting is set for any of the indoor units. We can help you decide whether to do so.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioning system. It is a diagram showing the configuration of a refrigeration cycle. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system. It is a figure which shows the 1st example for demonstrating the predetermined condition which shows whether high sensible heat control is performed. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example for demonstrating the predetermined condition which shows whether high sensible heat control is performed. It is a figure which shows the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control in a predetermined period. It is a figure which shows the period of high sensible heat control which increased by performing exclusion setting. FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating displaying the total period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied in a ranking format. FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating displaying the total period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied in a ranking format. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating electricity charges that can be reduced by exclusion settings. It is a figure which shows the electricity bill which can be reduced for each refrigeration cycle. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure for outputting the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the technical idea according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

<Overall configuration of air conditioning system>
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioning system 100. The air conditioning system 100 in this embodiment is installed, for example, in an office building, commercial facility, or the like. Below, an overview of each component included in the air conditioning system 100 will be explained. The air conditioning system 100 includes a control device 50, an outdoor unit 20, indoor units 30A to 30H, an outdoor unit 21, and indoor units 31A to 31H. In FIG. 1, the illustrations of the indoor units 30C to 30G and the indoor units 31C to 31G are simplified to simplify the explanation. In the following, the indoor units 30A to 30H may be collectively referred to simply as "indoor units 30." Further, the indoor units 31A to 31H may be collectively referred to simply as "indoor units 31."

The control device 50 is electrically connected to the outdoor unit 20 and the outdoor unit 21. The control device 50 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device (including, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory)), an input/output buffer, and the like. The control device 50 adjusts the evaporation temperature in the indoor units 30 and 31 by having the CPU execute a program stored in a storage device. In the present embodiment, control device 50 is, for example, a terminal device installed in a management room of an office building where air conditioning system 100 is installed. Note that the control device 50 may be provided as a cloud server. That is, the control device 50 may be placed in a location different from the office building where the air conditioning system 100 is installed. Control device 50 includes a display section 55 that displays various information. The display unit 55 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

The office building in which the air conditioning system 100 is installed includes multiple rooms. Each of the indoor units 30A to 30H and 31A to 31H is installed in a room in an office building where the air conditioning system 100 is installed. In other words, each of the indoor units 30A to 30H and 31A to 31H is associated with a room in the office building. Note that in some aspects, a plurality of indoor units may be installed in one room.

The outdoor unit 20 and the indoor units 30A to 30H are connected by piping that circulates refrigerant, forming a refrigeration cycle 11. Furthermore, the outdoor unit 21 and the indoor units 31A to 31H are connected by piping that circulates refrigerant, forming a refrigeration cycle 12. That is, the refrigeration cycle 11 made up of the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor units 30A to 30H is made up of separate piping from the piping of the refrigeration cycle 12 made up of the outdoor unit 21 and the indoor units 31A to 31H. It is a refrigeration cycle. In other words, the piping forming the refrigeration cycle 11 and the piping forming the refrigeration cycle 12 are not in communication with each other.

In the air conditioning system 100 in this embodiment, the indoor units 30A to 30H are installed, for example, in a room on the first floor of an office building, and the indoor units 31A to 31H are installed in a room on the second floor of the office building. The control device 50 includes an input device (not shown), into which a user inputs a set temperature that is a target room temperature of the room in which the indoor units 30A to 30H and the indoor units 31A to 31H are installed. The input device is installed, for example, in the management room mentioned above. The control device 50 controls the compressors included in the refrigeration cycles 11 and 12 according to the set temperature.

In this way, in the air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of indoor units 30A to 30H and 31A to 31H are connected to one outdoor unit 20 and 21, respectively, and the control device 50 collectively controls the indoor units 30A to 30H and 31A to 31H. The compressors included in each of the refrigeration cycles 11 and 12 are controlled. The indoor unit 30A may correspond to the "first indoor unit" of the present disclosure. Further, the indoor unit 30B may correspond to a "second indoor unit" of the present disclosure.

<Refrigerating cycle configuration and refrigerant circulation>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the refrigeration cycle 11. The refrigeration cycle 11 is configured to circulate a refrigerant sealed within the circulation path L1. In the refrigeration cycle 11, a compressor 10, a four-way valve 15, an outdoor unit 20, expansion valves 25A to 25H, and indoor units 30A to 30H are connected by piping. In FIG. 2, the illustrations of the indoor units 30C to 30G and the expansion valves 25C to 25G are simplified to simplify the explanation.

The four-way valve 15 switches the flow path of the refrigerant flowing into the circulation path L1. In this embodiment, the state of the four-way valve 15 is switched between a first state and a second state, and FIG. 2 shows the circulation flow path L1 when the four-way valve 15 is in the first state. When the four-way valve 15 is in the first state, the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 11 circulates in the order of the compressor 10, the four-way valve 15, the outdoor unit 20, the expansion valves 25A to 25H, and the indoor units 30A to 30H. The type of refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 11 is, for example, an HFC refrigerant or a natural refrigerant.

When the four-way valve 15 is switched from the first state to the second state, the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 11 is transferred to the compressor 10, the four-way valve 15, the indoor units 30A to 30H, the expansion valves 25A to 25H, and the outdoor unit 20. cycle in order. That is, depending on the state of the four-way valve 15, the inflow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes connecting the four-way valve 15, the indoor units 30A to 30H, the expansion valves 25A to 25H, and the outdoor unit 20 is reversed. Below, the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 will be described in the order in which the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 11 flows through the circulation path L1 when the four-way valve 15 is in the first state.

The compressor 10 is configured to compress the gaseous refrigerant in the circulation path L1. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas state. Direction D is the direction in which the compressor 10 discharges refrigerant. In the following, in the circulation flow path L1, the direction in which the refrigerant flows from an arbitrary position is sometimes referred to as "downstream", and the direction opposite to "downstream" and in which the refrigerant flows is sometimes referred to as "upstream". . For example, the compressor 10 is arranged upstream of the four-way valve 15, and the four-way valve 15 is arranged downstream of the compressor 10.

When the four-way valve 15 is in the first state, the outdoor unit 20 functions as a condenser. The gas refrigerant passing through the outdoor unit 20 exchanges heat with the air around the outdoor unit 20 by blowing air from the fan F20. Thereby, the refrigerant passing through the outdoor unit 20 is condensed and becomes liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant passes through the branch point BP1 and flows into each of the expansion valves 25A to 25H. The liquid refrigerant is depressurized by the expansion valves 25A to 25H, and becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.

The refrigerant in a two-phase gas-liquid state flows into the indoor units 30A to 30H. When the four-way valve 15 is in the first state, the indoor units 30A to 30H function as evaporators. In the indoor units 30A to 30H, the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant exchanges heat with the air around the indoor units 30A to 30H by blowing air from the fans FA to FH. In FIG. 2, the illustrations of the fans FC to FG are simplified to simplify the explanation. As a result, a part of the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant passing through the indoor units 30A to 30H evaporates and becomes gas refrigerant. The gas refrigerant joins at the branch point BP2 and flows into the four-way valve 15.

After that, the gas refrigerant returns to the compressor 10 and is compressed by the compressor 10 again. An accumulator may be installed in the circulation passage L1 downstream of the four-way valve 15 and upstream of the compressor 10. In this way, in the air conditioning system 100, the refrigeration cycle 11 in which the refrigerant circulates through the circulation path L1 is formed by each configuration shown in FIG. Note that when the four-way valve 15 is in the second state, the outdoor unit 20 functions as an evaporator, and the indoor units 30A to 30H function as condensers. Since the refrigeration cycle 12 has the same configuration as the refrigeration cycle 11, the description of the refrigeration cycle 12 will not be repeated.

The control device 50 controls the amount of refrigerant discharged by the compressor 10 per unit time by adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor 10. The control device 50 can increase the energy saving effect in the air conditioning system 100 by lowering the operating frequency of the compressor 10. By lowering the operating frequency of the compressor 10, the evaporation temperature at which the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator increases. Control in which the operating frequency of the compressor 10 is lowered and the evaporation temperature is increased in this manner is referred to as "high sensible heat control." Note that "high sensible heat control" may also be referred to as "evaporation temperature control". Thereby, the energy consumed by the compressor 10 can be reduced. The evaporation temperature after the high sensible heat control is performed may correspond to the "first evaporation temperature" in the present disclosure. The evaporation temperature before high sensible heat control is performed may correspond to the "second evaporation temperature" in the present disclosure.

The control device 50 determines whether or not to perform high sensible heat control for each of the refrigeration cycles 11 and 12, each of which includes a compressor. The control device 50 uses predetermined conditions to determine whether or not to perform high sensible heat control. The control device 50 determines a plurality of indoor units among the indoor units 30 as targets of the predetermined condition, and determines whether the predetermined condition is satisfied for the target indoor units. The control device 50 executes high sensible heat control when all of the indoor units subject to the predetermined conditions satisfy the predetermined conditions, and performs high sensible heat control when at least one of the indoor units subject to the predetermined conditions does not satisfy the predetermined conditions. Do not perform thermal control.

Hereinafter, the predetermined conditions regarding high sensible heat control for the refrigeration cycle 11 will be specifically explained. In the initial settings, all of the indoor units 30A to 30H included in the refrigeration cycle 11 are set as targets of the predetermined conditions. In the present embodiment, the predetermined condition is whether the temperature difference when the set temperature set in the indoor unit is subtracted from the air temperature is within a predetermined range. In the following, the indoor unit that is subject to the predetermined conditions will be referred to as a "target unit."

The control device 50 controls the refrigeration cycle 11 when the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the set temperature set for the target machine from the air temperature in all of the indoor units 30A to 30H that are the target machines is within a predetermined range. Executes high sensible heat control. If there is an indoor unit for which the temperature difference when the set temperature set for the target unit is subtracted from the air temperature is outside the predetermined range, the control device 50 does not perform high sensible heat control. The conditions for executing the high sensible heat control will be explained in more detail later.

<Configuration of control device 50>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioning system 100 includes, in addition to indoor units 30A to 30H, 31A to 31H, outdoor units 20 and 21, and a control device 50, sensors 35A to 35H, and sensors 36A to 36H. and an external terminal 60. Below, the sensors 35A to 35H may be collectively referred to simply as "sensor 35." Further, the sensors 36A to 36H may be collectively referred to simply as "sensor 36".

The sensors 35A to 35H are provided in the rooms where the indoor units 30A to 30H are installed, respectively. The sensors 35A to 35H detect the indoor air temperature of the room in which the indoor units 30A to 30H are installed. In other words, the sensors 35A to 35H detect the temperature of the air sucked by the indoor units 30A to 30H. Similarly, the sensors 36A to 36H are provided in the rooms where the indoor units 31A to 31H are installed, respectively. In other words, the sensors 36A to 36H detect the temperature of the air sucked by the indoor units 31A to 31H.

Note that the sensors 35A to 35H and the sensors 36A to 36H may be arranged inside the indoor units 30A to 30H and the indoor units 31A to 31H, respectively. The sensors 35 and 36 are, for example, temperature sensors such as thermistors. Additionally, each of the sensors 35 and 36 may include a humidity sensor.

The sensor 35A may correspond to the "first temperature sensor" in the present disclosure. Sensor 35B may correspond to a "second temperature sensor" in the present disclosure. The air temperature detected by sensor 35A may correspond to the "first air temperature" in the present disclosure. The air temperature detected by sensor 35B may correspond to "second air temperature" in the present disclosure.

Each of the sensors 35 and 36 transmits the detected air temperature to the control device 50. That is, the control device 50 acquires the detection values of the sensors 35 and 36 via each of the indoor units 30 and 31 and the outdoor units 20 and 21.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 50 includes a totaling section 51, a storage section 52, a setting section 53, a calculation section 54, a display section 55, a determination section 56, and an output section 57. The totaling unit 51 receives detection values from each of the sensors 35 and 36 at predetermined intervals. For example, the totaling unit 51 acquires a detected value from each of the sensors 35 and 36 every 10 seconds, and writes it into the storage unit 52. Note that the predetermined interval may be an interval other than 10 seconds, for example, it may be 1 second or 2 minutes.

The storage unit 52 is a nonvolatile memory, and includes, for example, a hard disk, SSD (Solid State Drive), CD-ROM, FD (Flexible Disk), magnetic tape, cassette tape, and optical disk (MO (Magnetic Optical Disc)/MD). (Mini Disc/DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)), IC (Integrated Circuit) card (including memory card), optical card, mask ROM, EPROM (Electronically Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only) It is a recording medium that permanently stores data and programs, such as a semiconductor memory such as a flash ROM (Memory) or a flash ROM.

The processing executed by the calculation unit 54, determination unit 56, and output unit 57 is realized by cooperation of software executed by the CPU. The calculation unit 54 calculates the temperature difference when the set temperature is subtracted from the air temperature for each of the indoor units 30A to 30H and the indoor units 31A to 31H. The calculation unit 54 transmits to the determination unit 56 the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the set temperature from the air temperature of each of the indoor units 30A to 30H and the indoor units 31A to 31H.

The setting unit 53 transmits predetermined conditions regarding high sensible heat control to the calculation unit 54. For example, the setting unit 53 transmits a temperature difference range that is a condition for whether or not to perform high sensible heat control. The temperature difference range serving as the condition is, for example, within +1°C. The control device 50 controls the refrigeration cycle 11 when the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the set temperature set for the target machine from the air temperature is within the temperature difference range set by the setting unit 53 in all of the target machines. Executes high sensible heat control.

Specifically, for example, if the set temperature of the indoor unit 30A is 26°C and the air temperature of the indoor unit 30A is 26.5°C, the temperature difference when subtracting the set temperature from the air temperature of the indoor unit 30A is is +0.5°C. Since the temperature difference obtained by subtracting the set temperature from the air temperature is within the temperature difference range set by the setting unit 53, the indoor unit 30A satisfies the conditions for performing high sensible heat control.

On the other hand, if the set temperature of the indoor unit 30A is, for example, 26°C and the air temperature of the indoor unit 30A is 28°C, the temperature difference when subtracting the set temperature from the air temperature of the indoor unit 30A is +2°C. be. That is, the indoor unit 30A does not satisfy the conditions for executing high sensible heat control. In this way, the calculation unit 54 calculates the temperature difference based on the air temperature acquired from the sensors 35 and 36, the set temperature set in the indoor units 30 and 31, and the temperature difference acquired from the setting unit 53. It is calculated whether the conditions for executing high sensible heat control for each of the indoor units 30 and 31 are satisfied. In this way, the predetermined condition is a condition that determines whether or not to execute high sensible heat control for each of the indoor units 30 and 31, and is set by the setting unit 53 as the temperature difference when the set temperature is subtracted from the air temperature. The condition is whether or not the temperature difference is within the specified temperature difference range. Note that the default condition may be another condition, for example, the air temperature and the set temperature are stored as a history, and a period during which the temperature difference between the air temperature and the set temperature is within a predetermined range is determined in advance. It may be determined based on whether or not the value is larger than a set threshold value.

The calculation unit 54 transmits the calculation results of the indoor units 30A to 30H and the indoor units 31A to 31H to the determination unit 56. The determination unit 56 determines whether all target machines satisfy the conditions for executing high sensible heat control. As described above, the target machines in the initial setting are, for example, the indoor units 30A to 30H in the refrigeration cycle 11 and the indoor units 31A to 31H in the refrigeration cycle 12. That is, target machines in the initial setting are all indoor units included in the refrigeration cycle. The target machine can be changed by setting, and the storage unit 52 stores which indoor unit is set as the target machine. For example, the user can use an input device (not shown) included in the control device 50 to set the indoor unit 30A to be removed from the target devices. Settings for excluding indoor units from target units in this manner are referred to as "exclusion settings."

The determination unit 56 determines to perform high sensible heat control when the difference between the set temperature and the air temperature in all target machines is within a predetermined range. The determination unit 56 determines not to perform high sensible heat control when the difference between the set temperature and the air temperature in at least one indoor unit included in the target machine is not within a predetermined range. The determination unit 56 transmits the calculation result obtained from the calculation unit 54 to the output unit 57 in addition to the determination result indicating whether or not to perform high sensible heat control. Note that the output unit 57 may directly receive the calculation result from the calculation unit 54.

The output unit 57 outputs the calculation result and the determination result to the display unit 55. The display unit 55 displays the calculation results and the determination results. Further, the output unit 57 outputs the calculation result and the determination result to the external terminal 60. The external terminal 60 is, for example, a general-purpose PC, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. In this way, the control device 50 determines whether each of the indoor units satisfies the predetermined conditions, and if all of the target machines satisfy the predetermined conditions, controls the compressor 10 so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle increases. do.

In the present embodiment, control device 50 displays calculation results and determination results on display unit 55 and external terminal 60 as data for determining whether each of indoor units 30A to 30H satisfies predetermined conditions. to be displayed. As a result, in the air conditioning system 100 having a plurality of indoor units, the user is made aware of whether the conditions for performing high sensible heat control to increase the evaporation temperature are satisfied for each indoor unit, and the exclusion setting is made for any indoor unit. We can help you decide whether to do so.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first example for explaining predetermined conditions indicating whether or not to execute high sensible heat control. FIG. 4 shows a coordinate system in which the vertical axis represents air temperature and the horizontal axis represents time. Furthermore, eight waveforms are shown in the coordinate system as lines LnA to LnH. Lines LnA to LnH indicate detected values of sensors 35A to 35H, respectively. That is, FIG. 4 shows the change in air temperature of the indoor units 30A to 30H in the refrigeration cycle 11 as a waveform. In the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, all of the indoor units 30A to 30H are set as target units.

In the example of FIG. 4, 26° C. is uniformly set as the set temperature for each of the indoor units 30A to 30H. The setting unit 53 sets +1° C. as the temperature difference range that is a condition for whether or not to perform high sensible heat control as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the temperature that is the threshold for determining whether or not to execute high sensible heat control is 27°C.

In the periods Dr11 and Dr13, the detected value of the sensor 35D, indicated by the line LnD, exceeds 27°C. Further, in the period Dr15, the detection values of the sensors 35D and 35G shown as lines LnD and LnG exceed 27° C., respectively. Furthermore, in the period Dr17, the detected values of the sensors 35D, 35G, and 35C shown as lines LnD, LnG, and LnC exceed 27° C., respectively.

Therefore, the control device 50 does not perform high sensible heat control during periods Dr11, Dr13, Dr15, and Dr17. On the other hand, the control device 50 performs high sensible heat control during the periods Dr12, Dr14, and Dr16 because there is no indoor unit among the target machines that does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, and all of the target machines satisfy the predetermined conditions. That is, in periods Dr12, Dr14, and Dr16, the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle 11 increases.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second example for explaining predetermined conditions indicating whether or not to execute high sensible heat control. Similar to FIG. 4, FIG. 5 shows a coordinate system in which the vertical axis shows air temperature and the horizontal axis shows time, and lines LnA to LnH show the detected values of sensors 35A to 35H, respectively. ing. Further, in FIG. 5 as well, the setting unit 53 sets +1° C. as the temperature difference range that is a condition for whether or not to perform high sensible heat control.

In FIG. 5, unlike FIG. 4, the set temperature of the indoor units 30A to 30C and 30E to 30H is set to 26°C, while the set temperature of the indoor unit 30D is set to 22°C. In other words, the temperature that is the threshold for determining whether to perform high sensible heat control on the indoor units 30A to 30C and 30E to 30H is 27° C., and the temperature that is the threshold value for determining whether to perform high sensible heat control on the indoor unit 30D. The threshold temperature is 23°C.

In periods Dr21, Dr23, Dr25, and Dr27, the detected value of the sensor 35D shown as line LnD exceeds 23°C. Further, in the period Dr26, the detected value of the sensor 35G indicated by the line LnG exceeds 27°C. Furthermore, in the period Dr29, the detection values of the sensors 35G and 35C shown as lines LnG and LnC exceed 27° C., respectively.

That is, the control device 50 does not perform high sensible heat control during periods Dr21, Dr23, Dr25, Dr26, Dr27, and Dr29. On the other hand, the control device 50 performs high sensible heat control during periods Dr22, Dr24, and Dr28 because there is no indoor unit among the target machines that does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, and all of the target machines satisfy the predetermined conditions. That is, in periods Dr22, Dr24, and Dr28, the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle 11 increases.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, high sensible heat control may not be executed because some of the target indoor units 30A to 30H do not satisfy the predetermined conditions. By excluding some indoor units that do not meet the predetermined conditions from the target units, the user can prioritize the energy saving effect of the refrigeration cycle over the comfort of the room where the indoor unit is installed. can. However, for example, if the indoor unit 30G is installed in a room that is highly important to the user, such as a reception room or a president's office, there may be a case where the user does not want to make the exclusion setting. The air conditioning system 100 of this embodiment supports the user in determining which indoor units 30A to 30H should be subjected to exclusion settings using the method described below.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing suitability of conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control during a predetermined period. The control device 50 generates the data shown in FIG. 6 and causes the display unit 55 to display the data in response to receiving a command from the user to output the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control.

In FIG. 6, data showing the suitability of the predetermined conditions for each indoor unit 30A to 30H from the time when the command to output the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control is received until the most recent hour is shown in table format. It is shown in The most recent hour may correspond to a "default period" in the present disclosure. The predetermined period is not limited to the most recent hour, but may be, for example, one day, one week, or one month from the time specified by the user. The predetermined period can be specified by the user together with a command to output the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control.

The tabular data in FIG. 6 shows the suitability of the predetermined conditions for each of the indoor units 30 and 31 every two minutes within the last hour. More specifically, the leftmost column labeled "00" indicates the suitability of the predetermined conditions of the indoor unit 30 for 2 minutes from 60 minutes back from when the output command was received. has been done. Further, the column labeled "20" indicates whether or not the indoor unit 30 satisfies the predetermined conditions for 2 minutes from the time when the output command was received for 40 minutes. Further, the rightmost column labeled "58" indicates the suitability of the predetermined conditions of the indoor unit 30 for the most recent two minutes since the output command was received.

From FIG. 6 onwards, the state in which the indoor unit 30 does not satisfy the predetermined conditions is expressed as "OFF". That is, in FIG. 6, a period in which the temperature difference when the set temperature of the indoor unit is subtracted from the indoor air temperature is not within a predetermined range is expressed as "OFF". Specifically, in the indoor unit 30A, the temperature difference when subtracting the set temperature of the indoor unit from the indoor air temperature during the period from 36 minutes to 42 minutes is within the predetermined range. Therefore, "OFF" is displayed at the corresponding location in FIG. In addition, in the indoor unit 30D, the temperature difference when subtracting the set temperature of the indoor unit from the indoor air temperature during the period from 10 minutes to 30 minutes is not within the predetermined range. "OFF" is displayed at the corresponding location in FIG.

In the lower part of FIG. 6, periods in which high sensible heat control is not executed by the control device 50 are shown divided into cases depending on the presence or absence of exclusion settings. A period in which high sensible heat control is not executed is expressed as "OFF". As shown in FIG. 6, when the exclusion setting is not performed, the control device 50 executes high sensible heat control for 14 minutes within the most recent hour.

The control device 50 also displays the execution period of the high sensible heat control when the indoor unit 30D is set to be excluded. In FIG. 6, high sensible heat control is executed when indoor unit 30D is excluded from the target units, that is, when indoor units 30A to 30C and 30E to 30H all satisfy the predetermined conditions, regardless of the detected value of sensor 35D. The period during which the If the indoor unit 30D is set to be excluded, the control device 50 executes high sensible heat control for 36 minutes within the most recent hour.

Further, the control device 50 also displays the execution period of the high sensible heat control when the indoor unit 30G is set to be excluded in addition to the indoor unit 30D. When the indoor unit 30D and the indoor unit 30G are set to be excluded, the control device 50 executes high sensible heat control for 44 minutes within the most recent hour. The example in FIG. 6 shows an example in which the indoor unit 30D that has been in the OFF state for the longest period and the indoor unit 30G that has been in the OFF state for the second longest period after the indoor unit 30D are excluded. Data may be generated when other indoor units are excluded. The data shown in FIG. 6 is output by the output unit 57 and displayed by the display unit 55.

In this way, in the air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment, the period during which the predetermined condition is not satisfied within the most recent hour is displayed on the display unit 55 in a manner that allows comparison for each of the indoor units 30A to 30H. A comparable aspect is, for example, an aspect shown in a table format. The information shown in FIG. 6, in which the period in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied for each of the indoor units 30A to 30H, is expressed in a comparable manner indicates whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied for each of the indoor units 30A to 30H. It is information.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the period of high sensible heat control increased by performing exclusion settings. In addition to the table shown in FIG. 6, the control device 50 generates the table shown in FIG. 7 and displays it on the display unit 55. As explained in FIG. 6, if no exclusion settings are made, high sensible heat control will be executed for 14 minutes, and if indoor unit 30D is excluded, high sensible heat control will be executed for 36 minutes, excluding indoor units 30D and 30G. In this case, high sensible heat control is executed for 44 minutes.

In addition to the execution period of the high sensible heat control, the control device 50 displays the execution period of the high sensible heat control increased by making the exclusion setting as an increased period in the right column. As shown in FIG. 7, when the indoor unit 30D is excluded, the execution period of the high sensible heat control increases by 22 minutes compared to the case where the exclusion setting is not made. When indoor unit 30D and indoor unit 30G are excluded, the execution period of high sensible heat control increases by 30 minutes compared to the case where exclusion settings are not made.

In this way, the control device 50 in the present embodiment calculates the execution period of high sensible heat control when no exclusion setting is made in the last hour, and the execution period of high sensible heat control when exclusion setting is made, It is displayed on the display section 55. Thereby, in the air conditioning system 100, the user can easily recognize the period of increase in the execution period of the high sensible heat control when the exclusion setting is performed. Using the increase period, the user can determine whether or not indoor units 30D and 30G should be excluded. Note that the execution period of the high sensible heat control when no exclusion setting is performed may correspond to the "first period" in the present disclosure. Further, the execution period of the high sensible heat control when the exclusion setting is performed may correspond to the "second period" in the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a first diagram for explaining displaying the total period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied in a ranking format. FIG. 8 shows the total period during which the predetermined conditions for the indoor units 30A to 30H included in the refrigeration cycle 11 are not satisfied. The control device 50 displays the total time during which each of the indoor units 30A to 30H does not satisfy the predetermined conditions within the most recent hour in a manner that allows comparison.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, it is displayed in a ranking format using a bar graph. The indoor units 30A to 30H are displayed in order from the indoor unit 30D that has the longest period of time in which the predetermined conditions are not met. Thereby, in the air conditioning system 100, the user can easily recognize which indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units is an indoor unit that interferes with execution of the high sensible heat control.

FIG. 9 is a second diagram for explaining displaying the total period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied in a ranking format. FIG. 9 shows the total period during which the predetermined conditions for the indoor units 31A to 31H included in the refrigeration cycle 12 are not satisfied. Although not shown, in this embodiment, the control device 50 also generates the tables shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 for the refrigeration cycle 12. Thereby, the control device 50 can display the total period of the period in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied also for the refrigeration cycle 12 in a ranking format. The control device 50 causes the display section 55 to display the table shown in FIG.

By comparing FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the user can understand that in FIG. 8, the period in which the indoor unit 30D does not satisfy the predetermined conditions is more prominent than the other indoor units 30A to 30C and 30E to 30H. Thereby, when referring to FIG. 8, the user can recognize that when the indoor unit 30D is set to be excluded, the increase period of the high sensible heat control becomes longer. Thereby, in the air conditioning system 100, the user can be made aware of indoor units with a large deviation between the set temperature and the air temperature.

<Calculation of electricity charges>
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating electricity charges that can be reduced by setting exclusions. Below, a method for estimating the electricity charges that can be reduced by setting exclusions will be explained.

Unlike the examples in FIGS. 6 to 9, FIG. 10 shows an example in which the user has selected a period from 9:00 to 19:00 on August 1st as the default period. The control device 50 refers to the data for the period from 9:00 to 19:00 on August 1st from the storage unit 52 and generates the table shown in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 10, periods in which high sensible heat control is not performed are shown separately for a case where no exclusion setting is made and a case where an exclusion setting is made for the indoor unit 30D for which the predetermined condition is not satisfied for the longest period. In the example of FIG. 10, an example is shown in which cooling operation is performed.

The control device 50 calculates the cooling load or heating load for each hour. Hereinafter, the cooling load and the heating load will be collectively referred to as "air conditioning load." When cooling operation is performed, the control device 50 calculates a value obtained by multiplying the refrigerant flow rate by the specific enthalpy difference between the entrance and exit of the evaporator as the cooling load. More specifically, the cooling load is calculated from the formula: cooling load [kW] = refrigerant flow rate per unit time [kg/h] x specific enthalpy difference at the entrance and exit of the evaporator [kJ/kg]. When heating operation is performed, the heating load is calculated as a value obtained by multiplying the refrigerant flow rate by the specific enthalpy difference between the inlet and outlet of the condenser.

The control device 50 controls the refrigerant flow rate in the refrigeration cycle 11 per unit time based on the operating frequency of the compressor 10, the pressures on the high pressure side and the low pressure side in the refrigeration cycle, and the opening degrees of the expansion valves 25A to 25H. calculate. Further, the control device 50 determines the exit specific enthalpy of the evaporator based on the temperature in the liquid pipes of the indoor units 30A to 30H and the temperature in the gas pipes of the indoor units 30A to 30H. Furthermore, the control device 50 determines the inlet specific enthalpy of the evaporator based on the temperature inside the liquid pipe of the outdoor unit 20. The operating frequency of the compressor 10, the pressure on the high pressure side and the low pressure side, the opening degree of the expansion valves 25A to 25H, the temperature inside the liquid pipes of the indoor units 30A to 30H, the temperature inside the gas pipes of the indoor units 30A to 30H, and the temperature inside the gas pipes of the indoor units 30A to 30H, The temperature inside the liquid pipe is acquired by a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, etc. (not shown), and is stored in the storage unit 52.

The control device 50 calculates the cooling load for each hour as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the cooling load during the time period from 9:00 to 10:00 on August 1st is 18.4kW. Furthermore, the cooling load during the time period from 10:00 to 11:00 on August 1st is 26.4kW. Note that the cooling load shown in FIG. 10 is an average value per hour.

After calculating the cooling load, the control device 50 obtains a coefficient of performance (COP). The coefficient of performance is an index indicating the air conditioning capacity per power consumption, is determined in advance through experiments, etc., and is stored in the storage unit 52. The coefficient of performance is a value that changes depending on the air conditioning load. The storage unit 52 stores the correspondence between the coefficient of performance and air conditioning load when high sensible heat control is executed, and the correspondence between the coefficient of performance and air conditioning load when high sensible heat control is not executed. . After calculating the air conditioning load as shown in FIG. 10, the control device 50 calculates the difference between the coefficient of performance when high sensible heat control is executed and the coefficient of performance when high sensible heat control is not executed. Hereinafter, the difference between the coefficient of performance when high sensible heat control is executed and the coefficient of performance when high sensible heat control is not executed will be referred to as "COP difference".

The control device 50 multiplies the cooling load by the increase period of the high sensible heat control based on the exclusion settings shown in FIG. 10, and divides the multiplication result by the COP difference. Thereby, the control device 50 can obtain power consumption (kW) that can be reduced by executing the high sensible heat control. Furthermore, the control device 50 can calculate the electricity bill that can be reduced by executing the high sensible heat control by multiplying the calculated power consumption by the charge per power consumption presented by the power supply company. can.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the electricity charges that can be reduced for each refrigeration cycle. The control device 50 displays the electricity bill that can be reduced by executing the high sensible heat control, which is obtained by the method described in FIG. 10, in association with the indoor unit to be excluded. In the example of FIG. 11, in the refrigeration cycle 11, if the indoor unit 30D is excluded, the electricity bill can be reduced by 10,000 yen per month, and if the indoor units 30D and 30G are excluded, the electricity bill can be reduced by 10,000 yen per month. It has been shown that electricity charges of 12,000 yen can be reduced. Furthermore, in FIG. 11, in the refrigeration cycle 12, if the indoor unit 31A is excluded, the electricity bill can be reduced by 800 yen per month, and if the indoor units 31A and 31E are excluded, the electricity bill can be reduced by 100 yen per month. It has been shown that electricity charges of ,000 yen can be reduced. Note that in the example of FIG. 11, the electricity charges that can be reduced per month are displayed, but the electricity charges that can be reduced for other periods may be displayed. Further, the control device 50 may display the calculated power consumption amount on the display unit 55.

As explained in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment, reduction is possible by performing exclusion settings using the increase period of high sensible heat control, the air conditioning load, and the coefficient of performance. Calculate the power consumption. Furthermore, the control device 50 can calculate the electricity bill that can be reduced based on the tariff of the power supply company acquired from the outside. According to this, the air conditioning system 100 can make the user aware of the electricity bill that can be reduced by performing high sensible heat control, and can support the user in determining whether to set exclusion settings for the indoor unit.

<Output processing procedure by control device 50>
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for outputting suitability of conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control. Below, processing in the control device 50 of the air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment will be explained. The flowchart shown in FIG. 12 is stored as a program in the storage unit 52 and executed by the control device 50. The control device 50 executes the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 when receiving a command from the user to output the suitability of the conditions for each indoor unit for high sensible heat control, or when a predetermined period has elapsed. Execute. The predetermined period is, for example, one month. The control device 50 can prompt the user to review conditions regarding high sensible heat control by periodically displaying data to the user.

The control device 50 calculates a period in which the predetermined condition is satisfied and a period in which it is not satisfied for each indoor unit within the predetermined period (step S100). That is, the control device 50 generates the table described in FIG. 6 with reference to the storage unit 52. Subsequently, the control device 50 generates data that can display the total period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied in a ranking format for each indoor unit (step S110). That is, the control device 50 generates the data explained in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Next, the control device 50 calculates the execution period of the high sensible heat control that increases when the exclusion setting is performed (step S120). That is, the control device 50 calculates the execution period of the high sensible heat control increased by performing the exclusion setting as explained in FIGS. 6 and 7. The control device 50 calculates power consumption, and calculates the amount of power consumption that can be reduced and the electricity rate (step S130). That is, the control device 50 calculates the amount of power consumed and the electricity rate using the method described in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Finally, the control device 50 outputs at least one of the data acquired in steps S100 to S130 (step S140). That is, the control device 50 causes the display unit 55 or the external terminal 60 to display at least one of the tables and graphs shown in FIGS. 6 to 11. As a result, in the air conditioning system 100 having the indoor units 30A to 30H, the user is made aware of the suitability of establishing the conditions for each indoor unit to perform control to increase the evaporation temperature, and which indoor units should be set to be excluded. We can support your decision.

<Modification 1>
As explained above, the flowchart shown in FIG. 12 may be executed based on the elapse of a predetermined period of time. Thereby, for example, the control device 50 can output data periodically every month and urge the user to review settings related to high sensible heat control. In Modification 1, the air conditioning system 100 does not need to output periodic data, for example, if the electricity bill that can be reduced even with the exclusion setting is smaller than a predetermined value.

In the air conditioning system 100 of Modification 1, for example, regarding the output of data in the ranking format shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, if the period in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied for the longest period has a small difference from other periods, the data is output. No output is required. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 8, if the period in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied for indoor unit 30D is smaller than a predetermined value from the average of the period in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied in indoor units 30A to 30H, , the control device 50 does not output the data shown in FIG. In other words, as shown in FIG. 9, if the variance of the period in which the predetermined conditions are not satisfied for each indoor unit 31A to 31H is small, the effect obtained by performing the exclusion setting is small, so data is not output and processing is reduced. can do.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that equivalent meanings and all changes within the scope of the claims are included.

10 Compressor, 11, 12 Refrigeration cycle, 15 Four-way valve, 20, 21 Outdoor unit, 25A to 25H Expansion valve, 30A to 30H, 31A to 31H Indoor unit, 35A to 35H, 36A to 36H Sensor, 50 Control device, 51 Totalization unit, 52 Storage unit, 53 Setting unit, 54 Calculation unit, 55 Display unit, 56 Judgment unit, 57 Output unit, 60 External terminal, 100 Air conditioning system, BP1, BP2 Branch point, D direction, Dr11 to Dr17, Dr21 ~Dr29 period, F20, FA~FH fan, L1 circulation flow path, LnA~LnH line.

Claims (7)

An air conditioning system,
A display section;
a compressor;
outdoor unit and
a first indoor unit;
a second indoor unit;
a refrigeration cycle that connects the compressor, the outdoor unit, the first indoor unit, and the second indoor unit and circulates refrigerant;
a first temperature sensor that detects a first indoor air temperature corresponding to the first indoor unit;
a second temperature sensor that detects a second indoor air temperature corresponding to the second indoor unit;
and a control device that controls the operating frequency of the compressor using predetermined conditions based on indoor air temperature corresponding to the indoor unit,
At least one of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit is determined to be subject to the predetermined condition,
The control device includes:
When all the indoor units determined as targets satisfy the predetermined conditions, controlling the operating frequency of the compressor so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle becomes a first evaporation temperature,
If at least one of the indoor units determined as the target does not satisfy the predetermined conditions, the compressor is operated so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigeration cycle becomes a second evaporation temperature lower than the first evaporation temperature. control the frequency,
obtaining the first air temperature from the first temperature sensor;
obtaining the second air temperature from the second temperature sensor;
An air conditioning system that causes the display unit to display information indicating whether the predetermined condition is satisfied for each of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit. The control device includes:
a period within a predetermined period in which the first indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition;
The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the display section displays a period during which the second indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition within the predetermined period in a manner that allows comparison. The control device calculates, using a graph, a total period during which the first indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition and a total period during which the second indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition within the predetermined period. The air conditioning system according to claim 2, which is displayed on the display unit. 3. The control device causes the display unit to display a period in which the first indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition and a period in which the second indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition in a table format. air conditioning system. The control device includes:
In the predetermined period, when the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit are subject to the predetermined condition, a first period in which the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit satisfy the predetermined condition;
a second period in which the second indoor unit satisfies the predetermined condition when the first indoor unit is not subject to the predetermined condition and the second indoor unit is made subject to the predetermined condition in the predetermined period; Calculate,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an increase period indicating a difference between the second period and the first period is calculated, and the calculated increase period is displayed on the display unit. The air conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the control device calculates the amount of power consumption that can be reduced using the increase period, the air conditioning load of the first indoor unit, and a coefficient of performance. Equipped with an additional external terminal,
The control device includes:
a period within the predetermined period in which the first indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition;
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a period during which the second indoor unit does not satisfy the predetermined condition within the predetermined period is displayed on the external terminal in a comparative manner. .

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