CN110637199A - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioning system. An air conditioning system (10) is provided with a plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) that target the same indoor space, and a single control device (60) that controls the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40). The control device (60) is configured to enable the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) to perform a first operation in which the indoor units (30, 50) of all the air conditioners (20, 40) are controlled to cool air to below a dew-point temperature and a second operation; in the second operation, the indoor unit (30) of at least one air conditioner (20) is controlled to cool the air to a temperature lower than the dew-point temperature, and the indoor units (50) of the other air conditioners (40) are controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature.

Description

Air conditioning system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system.

Background

Air conditioning systems for performing indoor air conditioning have been known. Some of these air conditioning systems perform indoor dehumidification in addition to indoor cooling.

For example, an air conditioning system described in patent document 1 is configured to have a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected, and a refrigeration cycle is performed in the refrigerant circuit. In an air conditioning system, during an operation for dehumidifying the interior of a room, the evaporation temperature of an indoor heat exchanger is lowered. In this way, the air is cooled to a temperature lower than the dew point temperature in the indoor heat exchanger, and moisture in the air is condensed. As a result, indoor dehumidification is performed.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 9-14724

Disclosure of Invention

The technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the air conditioning system as described above, particularly at the start of operation, the indoor humidity (latent heat load) may be high. Therefore, if the indoor humidity can be rapidly reduced under such conditions, the comfort in the room can be improved. On the other hand, when the air is excessively cooled in order to reduce the indoor humidity, the indoor temperature also becomes too low, resulting in a reduction in energy saving performance.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioning system which can quickly handle latent heat in a room and is excellent in energy saving performance.

Technical solution for solving technical problem

The first aspect of the present invention is directed to an air conditioning system including a plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40 and a single controller 60. The plurality of air conditioners 20, 40 have indoor units 30, 50 and outdoor units 21, 41, respectively, and the plurality of air conditioners 20, 40 perform refrigeration cycles individually and target the same indoor space; the control device 60 controls the plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40. The control device 60 is configured to allow the plurality of air conditioners 20, 40 to perform a first operation in which the indoor units 30, 50 of all the air conditioners 20, 40 are controlled to cool air to a dew-point temperature or lower; in the second operation, the indoor unit 30 of at least one of the air conditioners 20 is controlled to cool the air to the dew-point temperature or lower, and the indoor units 50 of the other air conditioners 40 are controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the controller 60 switches between the first operation and the second operation for all the air conditioners 20 and 40. During the first operation, the indoor units 30 and 50 of all the air conditioners 20 and 40 are controlled to cool the air to a dew-point temperature or lower. All the air conditioners 20 and 40 air-condition the same indoor space 11. Therefore, by performing the first operation, latent heat in the room can be quickly handled.

When the second operation is performed, some of the indoor units 30 of the air conditioner 20 are controlled to cool the air to below the dew-point temperature. Meanwhile, the indoor units 50 of the other air conditioners 40 are controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature. In the second operation, the latent heat of the air is preferentially handled by some of the air conditioners 20, and the sensible heat of the air is handled by the other air conditioners 40. Thus, the indoor temperature and humidity can be brought close to the target values without excessively lowering the indoor temperature. Therefore, operation with excellent energy saving performance can be performed.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the controller 60 causes all of the air conditioners 20 and 40 to perform the first operation when a condition indicating that at least the indoor humidity is higher than a predetermined value is satisfied.

In the second aspect of the invention, the first operation is performed under the condition that the indoor humidity is high. This makes it possible to quickly deal with latent heat in the room and quickly ensure comfort in the room.

A third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first or second aspect, wherein the controller 60 causes the plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40 to perform the second operation when a condition indicating that the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity fall within the target ranges is satisfied.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the second operation is performed when the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity reach the target ranges. This makes it possible to maintain the indoor temperature and humidity within the target range while ensuring energy saving performance.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the control device 60 is configured to: switching a temperature control mode including a normal cooling operation and a temperature/humidity control mode including the first operation and the second operation.

In the fourth aspect of the invention, the temperature control mode and the temperature/humidity control mode are selectively executed. The temperature control mode is an operation mode for adjusting the indoor temperature, and includes a normal cooling operation. The temperature and humidity mode is an operation mode for adjusting the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity, and includes a first operation for preferentially handling latent heat and a second operation for separately handling latent heat and sensible heat.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the controller 60 determines whether or not to start a next operation including the first operation and the second operation when the temperature/humidity control mode is started.

In the fifth aspect of the invention, when the temperature/humidity control mode is started, it is determined whether or not at least the first operation and the second operation are started.

In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the control device 60 is configured to: all the air conditioners 20, 40 can be caused to perform a third operation in which the indoor units 30, 50 of all the air conditioners 20, 40 are controlled to cool air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature.

In the sixth aspect of the invention, during the third operation, the indoor units 30 and 50 of all the air conditioners 20 and 40 are controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature. All the air conditioners 20 and 40 air-condition the same indoor space 11. Therefore, by performing the third operation, sensible heat in the room can be promptly processed.

In the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the control device 60 causes the all air conditioners 20 and 40 to perform the third operation when a condition indicating that the indoor humidity is lower than a predetermined value and the indoor temperature is higher than the predetermined value is satisfied.

In the seventh aspect of the invention, the third operation is performed only under the condition that the indoor temperature is high. This enables only sensible heat in the chamber to be treated, and the humidity of the air does not become too low. Therefore, the temperature and humidity in the room can be brought close to the target values without consuming excessive energy in the latent heat treatment.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, a plurality of air conditioners 20, 40 targeting the same indoor space 11: the first operation for preferentially processing latent heat by all the air conditioners 20 and 40 and the second operation for substantially separately processing latent heat and sensible heat by the plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40 are switched. By performing the first operation under the condition of a high latent heat load in this way, the latent heat in the room can be quickly handled, and the comfort in the room can be ensured. In addition, by performing the second operation under the condition that the temperature and humidity in the room fall within the target range, it is possible to avoid cooling the air to an excessively low temperature. This can suppress the consumption of extra energy for cooling the air and the uncomfortable feeling of the user.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of duct systems of a first air conditioner and a second air conditioner in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a flow when the air conditioning system according to the embodiment shifts to the temperature/humidity control mode.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of the determination operation of each operation in the temperature/humidity control mode of the air conditioning system according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is an air line diagram for explaining the relationship between the threshold value or the region used in the first determination operation at the start of the temperature/humidity control mode and each operation.

Fig. 7 is an air line diagram for explaining the relationship between the threshold value or the region used in the determination operation at the time of the dehumidification operation and the non-separation operation and each operation.

Fig. 8 is an air line diagram for explaining the relationship between the threshold value or region used in the determination operation at the time of the hidden behind display separation operation and each operation.

Fig. 9 is an air line diagram for explaining the relationship between the threshold value or region used in the determination operation at the time of sensible heat operation and each operation.

Fig. 10 is an air line diagram for explaining the relationship between the threshold value or region used in the determination operation at the time of latent heat operation and each operation.

Fig. 11 is an air line diagram for explaining an evaporation temperature determining operation in the dehumidification operation and the latent heat operation.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are essentially preferred examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its application, or its use.

Integral structure of air conditioning system

The air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40. The plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40 air-condition the same indoor space 11. The air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment is provided with two air conditioners (a first air conditioner 20 and a second air conditioner 40). The air conditioning system 10 may include three or more air conditioners. The first air conditioner 20 has the same basic structure as the second air conditioner 40. The air conditioning system 10 further includes a control device 60 for controlling each of the air conditioners 20 and 40.

First air conditioner

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first air conditioner 20 includes a first outdoor unit 21 installed outdoors and a plurality of first indoor units 30 installed indoors. The plurality of first indoor units 30 are connected in parallel to the first outdoor unit 21 via two connection pipes. The number of the first indoor units 30 may be one, two, or three or more.

The first air conditioner 20 includes a first refrigerant circuit 22 to be filled with refrigerant. The first refrigerant circuit 22 performs a refrigeration cycle by circulating a refrigerant. The first refrigerant circuit 22 is connected to a first compressor 23, a first outdoor heat exchanger 24, a first outdoor expansion valve 25, a first four-way selector valve 26, and a plurality of first indoor heat exchangers 32.

The first compressor 23, the first outdoor heat exchanger 24, the first outdoor expansion valve 25, and the first four-way selector valve 26 are provided in the first outdoor unit 21. The first compressor 23 is constituted by an inverter type compressor with a variable capacity. The first compressor 23 is configured to be capable of adjusting the operating frequency (the rotational speed of the motor) by controlling the output of the inverter device. The first outdoor heat exchanger 24 is, for example, a tube-fin heat exchanger. A first outdoor fan 27 is provided in the vicinity of the first outdoor heat exchanger 24. In the first outdoor heat exchanger 24, the outdoor air sent from the first outdoor fan 27 exchanges heat with the refrigerant. The first outdoor expansion valve 25 is constituted by an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree is variable. The first four-way selector valve 26 has first to fourth ports. The first valve port communicates with the discharge side of the first compressor 23, and the second valve port communicates with the suction side of the first compressor 23. The third port communicates with the gas-side end of the first outdoor heat exchanger 24, and the fourth port communicates with the gas-side end of the first indoor heat exchanger 32. The first four-way selector valve 26 is switched between a first state (shown by solid lines in fig. 2) in which the first port communicates with the third port and the second port communicates with the fourth port, and a second state (shown by broken lines in fig. 2) in which the first port communicates with the fourth port and the second port communicates with the third port.

Each of the first indoor heat exchangers 32 is provided in each of the first indoor units 30. The first indoor heat exchanger 32 is disposed in an air passage in the first indoor unit 30. A first indoor fan 33 is provided near (downstream of) the first indoor heat exchanger 32. The indoor air (intake air) taken in from the indoor space 11 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the first indoor heat exchanger 32. The air heat-exchanged in the first indoor heat exchanger 32 is supplied to the indoor space 11 as blown air.

The first indoor fan 33 is, for example, a centrifugal fan, and is configured to be capable of adjusting the fan air volume. The air volume of the first indoor fan 33 of the present embodiment can be switched among three stages, i.e., L-stage (small air volume), M-stage (medium air volume), and H-stage (large air volume).

Each of the first indoor units 30 is provided with a first intake temperature sensor 34 and a first intake humidity sensor 35. The first intake temperature sensor 34 detects the temperature of the intake air. The first intake humidity sensor 35 detects the humidity (absolute humidity) of the intake air.

In the first refrigerant circuit 22, a first refrigeration cycle (refrigeration cycle) and a second refrigeration cycle (heating cycle) are performed in a switched manner. In the first refrigeration cycle, the first four-way selector valve 26 is in the first position, and the first compressor 23, the first outdoor fan 27, and the first indoor fan 33 are operated. In the first refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant releases heat (condenses) in the first outdoor heat exchanger 24, is reduced in pressure by the first outdoor expansion valve 25, and then evaporates in the first indoor heat exchanger 32. In the second refrigeration cycle, the first four-way selector valve 26 is in the second position, and the first compressor 23, the first outdoor fan 27, and the first indoor fan 33 are operated. In this way, in the second refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant releases heat (condenses) in the first indoor heat exchanger 32, is reduced in pressure by the first outdoor expansion valve 25, and then evaporates in the first outdoor heat exchanger 24.

A refrigerant temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the evaporation temperature Te is provided in the first indoor heat exchanger 32 of the first refrigerant circuit 22.

Second air conditioner

As shown in fig. 2, the second air conditioner 40 includes the same constituent devices as the first air conditioner 20. That is, in the second air conditioner 40, the second outdoor unit 41 and the plurality of second indoor units 50 are connected together to form the second refrigerant circuit 42 in which the refrigerant circulates.

The second outdoor unit 41 is provided with a second compressor 43, a second outdoor heat exchanger 44, a second outdoor expansion valve 45, a second four-way selector valve 46, and a second outdoor fan 47. The second indoor unit 50 is provided with a second indoor heat exchanger 52, a second indoor fan 53, a second intake temperature sensor 54, and a second intake humidity sensor 55. As with the first refrigerant circuit 22, the second refrigerant circuit 42 performs a first refrigeration cycle (refrigeration cycle) and a second refrigeration cycle (heating cycle) in a switched manner. The configuration of each device of the second air conditioner 40 is the same as that of the first air conditioner 20, and therefore, the detailed description thereof is omitted.

Remote controller

As shown in fig. 1, the first air conditioner 20 is equipped with a first remote controller 36. The second air conditioner 40 is equipped with a second remote controller 56. The remote controllers 36 and 56 are installed on, for example, an indoor wall, and are configured to be operable by a user. Each of the remote controllers 36 and 56 is provided with an operation unit for turning on/off the power supply of the corresponding air conditioner 20 or 40, switching the operation mode, switching the direction of the blown air, and the like. Each of the remote controllers 36 and 56 is provided with a display unit for displaying the current operation mode, set temperature, set humidity, and the like of the corresponding air conditioner 20 or 40.

Control device

As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the air conditioning system 10 includes a control device 60 (control system) for controlling each of the air conditioners 20 and 40. The control device 60 of the present embodiment includes a first local controller 61, a second local controller 71, a communication terminal 80, a router 85, and a cloud server 90.

The first local controller 61 is provided for the first air conditioner 20. The first local controller 61 is configured to be able to control each component of the first refrigerant circuit 22, the first indoor fan 33, and the like. The first local controller 61 is configured by a microcomputer and a storage device (specifically, a semiconductor memory) storing software for operating the microcomputer.

The first local controller 61 includes a first capability decision section 62, a first capability control section 63, and a first communication section 64. The first capacity determining unit 62 is a calculation unit for determining the capacity of the first air conditioner 20. The first capacity control unit 63 is a control unit for controlling the capacity of the first air conditioner 20.

The first communication unit 64 is connected to the internet 86 via the router 85, and is configured to be able to communicate with the cloud server 90 via the internet 86. The communication between the first communication unit 64 and the router 85 may be realized by a wired method or may be realized by a wireless method. With such a configuration, signals such as an operation command and control parameters can be exchanged bidirectionally between the first local controller 61 and the cloud server 90.

The second local controller 71 is provided for the second air conditioner 40. The second local controller 71 is configured to be able to control the respective constituent devices of the second refrigerant circuit 42, the second indoor fan 53, and the like. The second local controller 71 is constituted by a microcomputer and a storage device (specifically, a semiconductor memory) storing software for operating the microcomputer.

The second local controller 71 includes a second capability decision section 72, a second capability control section 73, and a second communication section 74. The second capacity determining unit 72 is a computing unit for determining the capacity of the second air conditioner 40. The second capacity control unit 73 is a control unit for controlling the capacity of the second air conditioner 40.

The second communication unit 74 is connected to the internet 86 via the router 85, and is configured to be able to communicate with the cloud server 90 via the internet 86. The communication between the second communication unit 74 and the router 85 may be realized by a wired method or may be realized by a wireless method.

The communication terminal 80 is a communication device that a user issues a command to perform an operation in a temperature/humidity control mode described in detail later. The communication terminal 80 is configured by, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, or the like. The communication terminal 80 has a microcomputer and a storage device (specifically, a semiconductor memory) storing software for operating the microcomputer. The communication terminal 80 includes a touch panel 81 serving as both a display unit and an operation unit, and a communication unit 82 connected to a cloud server 90 via the internet 86.

A program (control application program) for executing the temperature/humidity control mode is stored in the communication terminal 80. The user can switch the temperature/humidity control mode on/off, set the indoor target temperature Ts in the temperature/humidity control mode, and set the indoor target humidity Rs in the temperature/humidity control mode by operating the touch panel 81 of the communication terminal 80.

The cloud server 90 is configured to be capable of bi-directionally communicating with the first local controller 61, the second local controller 71, and the communication terminal 80 via the internet 86. The cloud server 90 has a microcomputer and a storage device (specifically, a semiconductor memory) storing software for operating the microcomputer.

The cloud server 90 includes an operation determination unit 91 and a capability determination unit 92. The operation determination unit 91 performs a determination operation for switching various operations (described in detail later) in the temperature/humidity control mode. The capacity determination unit 92 determines the target evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 20, 40 and the speed (fan stage) of the indoor fan in each operation in the temperature/humidity control mode. The cloud server 90 transmits the operation parameters thus obtained to the local controllers 61 and 71 via the internet 86 at predetermined time intervals (for example, 20 seconds).

Working conditions-

The operation of the air conditioning system 10 will be described in detail.

In the air conditioning system 10, a temperature control mode and a temperature and humidity control mode are selectable. The temperature control mode is an operation mode for adjusting only the air temperature in the indoor space 11, and includes a cooling operation and a heating operation. In the temperature control mode, control is performed to bring the temperature of the indoor air close to a target value. The temperature/humidity control mode is an operation mode for adjusting the temperature and humidity of the indoor air in the indoor space 11. The temperature and humidity control mode includes 1) dehumidification operation, 2) non-divisional operation, 3) latent sensible-division operation, 4) sensible-heat operation, and 5) latent-heat operation. In the temperature/humidity control mode, the operations 1) to 5) are automatically switched according to the air state (temperature and humidity) in the room. These operations will be described in detail later.

-cooling operation in temperature control mode

The cooling operation in the temperature control mode will be described. In the cooling operation, the first refrigeration cycle described above is performed in each of the air conditioners 20 and 40. That is, the refrigerant compressed by the compressors 23 and 43 is condensed by the outdoor heat exchangers 24 and 44, and releases heat to the outdoor air. The condensed refrigerant is decompressed by the outdoor expansion valves 25 and 45, and then flows through the indoor heat exchangers 32 and 52. In each of the indoor heat exchangers 32 and 52, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the indoor air and evaporates. In this way, the intake air is cooled in each of the indoor units 30 and 50. The evaporated refrigerant is sucked into the compressors 23 and 43 and compressed again. The air cooled by each of the indoor heat exchangers 32 and 52 is supplied to the indoor space 11 as blown air.

During the cooling operation, the capacities of the air conditioners 20 and 40 are controlled according to the difference Δ T between the temperature of the intake air of the indoor units 30 and 50 and the set temperature. When the Δ T is increased, the target evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 20, 40 is decreased, and the operating frequency of each compressor 23, 43 is increased. Conversely, when Δ T is smaller, the target evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 20, 40 becomes larger, and the operating frequency of each compressor 23, 43 becomes smaller.

-temperature and humidity control mode-

The operation in the temperature/humidity control mode is an operation in which the indoor temperature is brought close to the target temperature Ts and the indoor humidity is brought close to the target humidity Rs. In the temperature/humidity control mode, the various operations are switched so that the current indoor temperature/humidity approaches the target point S (see fig. 6) according to the current air state point C. The temperature/humidity control mode is realized by the mutual signal transmission and reception among the local controllers 61 and 71, the cloud server 90, and the communication terminal 80. The transmission and reception of signals between these terminals are performed at predetermined time intervals (for example, 20 seconds).

Control before transition to temperature/humidity control mode

The control before the transition to the temperature/humidity control mode will be described with reference to fig. 4. When the user starts an application program of the communication terminal 80 and selects "on" of the "temperature and humidity control mode" on the touch panel 81, the signal is output to the cloud server 90. At the same time, the target temperature Ts and the target humidity Rs set at the communication terminal 80 are input to the cloud server 90. As described above, when the temperature/humidity control mode is instructed to start, the process proceeds from step St1 to step St 2.

Next, the cloud server 90 transmits the received target temperature Ts and target humidity Rs to the local controllers 61 and 71 of the air conditioners 20 and 40, or the remote controllers 36 and 56. Each local controller 61, 71 uses the intake air temperature detected by each air conditioner 20, 40 and the target temperature Ts to determine whether each air conditioner 20, 40 is activated (activated by temperature: thermo on). The local controllers 61 and 71 may determine whether or not the air conditioners 20 and 40 are activated, using the intake air humidity and the target humidity Rs detected by the air conditioners 20 and 40.

As described above, when the temperature-dependent start condition is satisfied, the process proceeds from step St2 to step St3, that is, to the temperature/humidity control mode.

First judgment action

As shown in fig. 5, when the temperature/humidity control mode is shifted, the first determination operation is performed (step St 51). In the first determination operation, the operation determination unit 91 determines which of the 1) dehumidification operation, 3) sensible heat operation, 4) sensible heat operation, and 5) latent heat operation is performed. That is, in the first determination operation, the 2) non-division operation is not selected. In the determination operation, the target temperature Ts set in the communication terminal 80, the target humidity Rs set in the communication terminal 80, and the current air state of the indoor space 11 are used. Here, as the index indicating the current air state, the current air temperature T of the indoor space 11, the current air humidity R of the indoor space 11, and the current discomfort index DI of the indoor space 11 are used.

The air temperature T uses the highest air temperature Tmax among the respective detected temperatures of the plurality of first intake temperature sensors 34 and the respective detected temperatures of the plurality of second intake temperature sensors 54. The air humidity R is a detected humidity corresponding to the maximum air temperature Tmax among the detected humidities of the plurality of first intake humidity sensors 35 and the detected humidities of the plurality of second intake humidity sensors 55. That is, the air temperature T and the air humidity R correspond to the pair of the suction temperature sensors 34, 54 and the suction humidity sensors 35, 55 of the same indoor unit 30, 50.

The discomfort index DI is determined from the air temperature T and the air humidity R. Here, the discomfort index (disconfort index) is one of the warm indexes indicating the sensation of warmth of the human body, and can be obtained by a relational expression including temperature and humidity.

In the determination operation, a plurality of thresholds for determining the transition state of each operation are used. These thresholds are determined based on target values of the air state in the room (i.e., target temperature Ts and target humidity Rs).

Specifically, conceptually described using the air line diagram of fig. 6, the operation determination unit 91 calculates the first temperature threshold value Ts1, the second temperature threshold value Ts2, the third temperature threshold value Ts3, the fourth temperature threshold value Ts4, and the stop (thermal off) determination temperature Toff based on the target temperature Ts. The first temperature threshold value Ts1 is a value obtained by adding a predetermined temperature Δ t1 (e.g., 0.5 ℃) to the target temperature Ts. The second temperature threshold value Ts2 is a value obtained by adding a predetermined temperature Δ t2 (e.g., 1.5 ℃) to the target temperature Ts. The third temperature threshold value Ts3 is a value obtained by adding a predetermined temperature Δ t3 (e.g., 2.0 ℃) to the target temperature Ts. The fourth temperature threshold value Ts4 is a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined temperature Δ t4 (e.g., 0.5 ℃) from the target temperature Ts. The stop determination temperature Toff is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined temperature (for example, 2 ℃) from the target temperature. In the present embodiment, Δ t1 is equal to Δ t 4.

The operation determination unit 91 calculates the first humidity threshold Rs1, the second humidity threshold Rs2, the third humidity threshold Rs3, and the fourth humidity threshold Rs4 based on the target humidity Rs. Here, the first humidity threshold Rs1 is a value obtained by adding a predetermined humidity Δ r1 (for example, 1.0g/kg (dry air)) to the target humidity Rs. The second humidity threshold Rs2 is a value obtained by adding a predetermined humidity Δ r2 (for example, 2.0g/kg (dry air)) to the target humidity Rs. The third humidity threshold Rs3 is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined humidity Δ r3 (e.g., 1.0g/kg (dry air)) from the target humidity Rs. The fourth humidity threshold Rs4 is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined humidity Δ r4 (for example, 2.0g/kg (dry air)) from the target humidity Rs. In the present embodiment, Δ r1 is equal to Δ r3, and Δ r2 is equal to Δ r 4.

The operation determination unit 91 calculates a target discomfort index (target discomfort index DIs1) as the target of the indoor space 11, based on the target temperature Ts and the target humidity Rs. In the psychrometric chart of fig. 6, the discomfort index becomes larger toward the upper right (the higher the temperature and humidity are); the discomfort index becomes smaller the further to the lower left (the lower the temperature and humidity). Therefore, in the psychrometric chart, the target discomfort index Ds1 becomes a line extending to the upper left, and the target discomfort index DIs1 becomes the first discomfort index threshold value. The operation determination unit 91 sets a value obtained by adding a predetermined value (for example, 0.5) to the target discomfort index DIs1 as the second discomfort index threshold value DIs 2.

The operation determination unit 91 compares each of the above thresholds with the current air state point C (i.e., the air temperature T and the air humidity R) to determine which operation to shift to.

Specifically, when the current air state point C is within the area E1 surrounded by the thick line, the operation determination unit 91 determines to shift to the hidden-display separation operation. That is, when the air temperature T is lower than the second temperature threshold Ts2, the air humidity R is equal to or higher than the third humidity threshold Rs3, and the air humidity R is lower than the first humidity threshold Rs1, the transition to the dive-display separation operation is determined. Further, the operation determination unit 91 determines to shift to the hidden-display separation operation also when the current discomfort index DI of the air is lower than the target discomfort index DIs1 and the air humidity R is equal to or higher than the third humidity threshold Rs 3.

When the current air state point C is within the area E2 surrounded by the thick line, the operation determination unit 91 determines to shift to sensible heat operation. That is, when the air temperature T is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold value Ts2 and the air humidity R is lower than the first humidity threshold value Rs1, the sensible heat operation is determined. The operation determination unit 91 also determines to shift to sensible heat operation when the air temperature T is lower than the second temperature threshold Ts2 and the air humidity R is lower than the third humidity threshold Rs 3.

When the current air state point C is within the area E3 surrounded by the thick line, the operation determination unit 91 determines to shift to the latent heat operation. That is, when the air temperature T is lower than the first temperature threshold Ts1, the air humidity R is equal to or higher than the first humidity threshold Rs1, and the discomfort index DI is equal to or higher than the target discomfort index DIs1, the transition to the latent heat operation is determined.

When the current air state point C is within the area E4, the operation determination unit 91 determines to shift to the dehumidification operation. That is, when the air temperature T is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold Ts1 and the air humidity R is equal to or higher than the first humidity threshold Rs1, the transition to the dehumidification operation is determined.

As shown in fig. 5, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined time (for example, 120 seconds) has elapsed after the start of the dehumidification operation at step St56, the operation shifts to step St57, and the dehumidification operation is switched to the non-separated operation.

Outline of the second and subsequent judgment actions

In the second and subsequent determination operations (step St58) after the transition to the temperature/humidity control mode, the operation determination unit 91 determines which of the operations (2) other than the dehumidification operation (non-divided operation), 3) sensible heat operation, 4) sensible heat operation, and 5) latent heat operation) is performed. That is, in the temperature/humidity control mode, in the first determination operation immediately after the start of the temperature/humidity control mode, the dehumidification operation is performed only when the current air is in the area E4.

In each operation, the second and subsequent determination operations are performed once every predetermined time (for example, every 20 seconds). The basic determination criterion in the second and subsequent determination operations is the same as in the first determination operation. However, in the second and subsequent determination operations, the threshold for determining the next operation based on the current operation type is different from the first determination operation.

Judgment action in dehumidification operation/non-separation operation

Fig. 7 shows threshold values of the determination operation in the dehumidification operation and the non-separation operation. In these operations, the humidity range of the region E1 corresponding to the latent image separation operation is expanded downward (low humidity side) compared to other determination operations, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, in these operations, in the region E1 corresponding to the latent image separation operation, there is no threshold value of the discomfort index in the range of the first humidity threshold Rs1 or more.

Judgment action in separate operation of diving display

The threshold value of the determination operation in the hidden display separation operation is shown in fig. 8. In the latent sensible heat separation operation, the region E2 corresponding to sensible heat operation and the region E3 corresponding to latent heat operation are smaller than the first determination operation, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the sneak display separation operation, when the current air state point C is in the region E5, the transition to the non-separation operation is determined. The range of the region E5 in the latent image separation operation is smaller than the region E4 in the first determination operation (transition range to the dehumidification operation). In this way, in the determination operation in the hidden behind separate operation, the area E1 for continuing the hidden behind separate operation is larger than the area E1 of the first determination operation. Therefore, after a certain operation is shifted to the latency separation operation, the air temperature T and the air humidity R are slightly increased, so that the other operation can be prevented from being returned again (so-called hunting).

Judging action of sensible heat running

The threshold value of the determination operation in the sensible heat operation is shown in fig. 9. In the sensible heat operation, there is an area E6 (hatched area) which is not in the other determination operation, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The region E6 is a region for determining transition to the non-split operation, similarly to the region E5. However, in the determination operation during sensible heat operation, when the state point C of air is in the region E5, the operation is quickly shifted to the non-separate operation, whereas when the state point C of air is in the region E6, the operation is shifted to the non-separate operation after the state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 180 seconds). In this way, by increasing the time constraint in the region near the boundary from the sensible heat operation to the non-separated operation, the fluctuation between the sensible heat operation and the non-separated operation can be avoided.

Judging action of latent heat operation

Fig. 10 shows threshold values of the determination operation in the latent heat operation. In the latent heat operation, the range of the humidity of the region E1 corresponding to the latent heat separation operation is expanded to the lower side (low humidity side) than the first determination operation, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

Overview of operations

Next, each operation performed in the temperature/humidity control mode will be described. The operation in the temperature and humidity control mode is roughly divided into: all of the plurality of air conditioners 20, 40 become the first operation of the latent heat engine; a second operation in which a part of the plurality of air conditioners (the first air conditioner 20 in this example) becomes a latent heat engine and the other air conditioners (the second air conditioner 40 in this example) become heat generators; and a third operation in which all of the plurality of air conditioners 20 and 40 (in this example, the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40) become heat generators. The dehumidifying operation, the non-separating operation and the latent heat operation are included in the first operation. The latent heat split operation corresponds to the second operation, and the sensible heat operation corresponds to the third operation.

The "latent heat engine" is an air conditioner that controls the indoor heat exchangers 32, 52 of the indoor units 30, 50 so as to cool air to a dew point temperature or lower. Therefore, if the air is cooled in the indoor units 30 and 50 of the latent heat engine, moisture in the air is condensed, and the condensed water is collected in a drain pan or the like. Thus, in the indoor units 30 and 50 of the latent heat machine, both the temperature and the humidity of the air are reduced.

The "heat development machine" is an air conditioner that controls the indoor heat exchangers 32 and 52 of the indoor units 30 and 50 so as to cool air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature. Therefore, if the air is cooled in the indoor units 30 and 50 of the sensible heat unit, moisture in the air does not condense, and only the temperature of the air decreases.

Dehumidification operation

The dehumidification operation is an operation of rapidly lowering the absolute humidity in the room under a condition of high indoor humidity and high indoor temperature. In the dehumidifying operation, both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 become latent heat engines.

When shifting to the dehumidification operation, the cloud server 90 transmits a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 of the air conditioners 20 and 40 to the local controllers 61 and 71. During the dehumidification operation, a signal for controlling the air volumes of the indoor fans 33 and 53 to the L range is transmitted. Thus, during the dehumidification operation, the air volumes of all the indoor fans 33 and 53 are small, and the dehumidification performance of each of the indoor units 30 and 50 is improved.

The cloud server 90 appropriately obtains the target evaporation temperature TeS of each air conditioner 20, 40, and transmits the obtained target evaporation temperature TeS to each local controller 61, 71. Here, in the dehumidification operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS is calculated based on the current air state by the following processing (target evaporation temperature determination processing). Specifically, the capacity determination unit 92 calculates the target evaporation temperature TeS using the functional expression stored in the memory. Here, the functional formula is a function including the saturation curve shown on the air line graph of fig. 11, the current air temperature T, and the current air humidity R. Specifically, as shown in fig. 11, the functional expression is a functional expression for determining a temperature Tp corresponding to a tangent point P of a saturation curve on the air line graph and a straight line M passing through the current state point of the air. Here, the current air state point C corresponds to the current air temperature T and the current air humidity R. The temperature Tp corresponding to the tangent point P is calculated from the functional expression, and is set as the target evaporation temperature TeS. In the dehumidification operation, in principle, such a target evaporation temperature determination process is executed once every predetermined time (20 seconds).

The target evaporation temperature TeS thus obtained is appropriately transmitted to each local controller 61, 71 via the internet 86. As a result, each of the air conditioners 20 and 40 controls the operating frequency of the compressors 23 and 43 so that the current evaporation temperature Te approaches the target evaporation temperature TeS received at predetermined time intervals.

By thus determining the target evaporation temperature T during the dehumidification operation, it is possible to prevent the target evaporation temperature TeS from becoming excessively high or excessively low. When the target evaporation temperature TeS is too high, the temperature of the coolable air increases, and the amount of moisture that can be condensed from the air also decreases. Therefore, the indoor air cannot be dehumidified quickly, and the indoor temperature and humidity cannot be brought close to the target point S quickly. As a result, the comfort of the indoor space 11 is impaired.

On the other hand, if the target evaporation temperature TeS is too low, the air tends to be dehumidified in a region where sensible heat of the air is relatively large (a region where the inclination of the arrow a in fig. 11 is small). In this region, the ratio of the latent heat to be handled to the total heat to be handled becomes small, and therefore, conditions unfavorable for dehumidification are created. Therefore, when the air is cooled in this area, the dehumidification efficiency is lowered, and the energy saving property is deteriorated.

In contrast, as shown in fig. 11, by setting the temperature Tp corresponding to the tangent point P to the target evaporation temperature TeS, the target evaporation temperature TeS does not become too high or too low. As a result, both the comfort in the room and the energy saving performance of the air conditioning system 10 can be achieved.

The upper limit value is set for the target evaporation temperature TeS determined in the dehumidification operation so that the air can be reliably cooled to the dew point temperature or lower in each latent heat machine. Therefore, the air cooled by each latent heat machine during the dehumidification operation is not higher than the dew point temperature.

In the dehumidification operation, as described above, the target evaporation temperature determination process is performed in principle once every predetermined time (20 seconds). However, in order to protect the compressors 23, 43 or to prevent the evaporation temperature Te from fluctuating, the next update determination is performed before each target evaporation temperature determination process is executed.

In the update determination, it is determined whether or not the target evaporation temperature process is executed again. In the update determination, when either or both of the condition 1-a and the condition 1-B are satisfied, the target evaporation temperature determination process is performed to update the target evaporation temperature TeS.

1-A: e1 with the current absolute Te-TeS absolute less than or equal to

1-B: e2 is less than or equal to (current | Te-TeS | -last | Te-TeS |) |

Here, the current | Te — TeS | is an absolute value of a difference between the current evaporation temperature Te and the current target evaporation temperature TeS. The previous | Te-TeS | corresponds to | Te-TeS | calculated before the current update judgment, i.e., in the previous update judgment. E1 and E2 are predetermined judgment thresholds.

When the condition 1-a is satisfied, it can be determined that the actual evaporation temperature Te is close to the target evaporation temperature TeS. Therefore, when the condition 1-a is satisfied, the target evaporation temperature determination process is performed again, and the target evaporation temperature TeS is recalculated.

When the condition 1-B is satisfied, it can be determined that the amount of change in the decrease in the difference between the evaporation temperature Te and the target evaporation temperature TeS is small, and the evaporation temperature Te tends to approach the target evaporation temperature TeS. Therefore, even when the condition 1-B is satisfied, the target evaporation temperature determination process is performed again, and the target evaporation temperature TeS is recalculated.

When neither the condition 1-a nor the condition 1-B is satisfied, it can be determined that the evaporation temperature Te does not approach the target evaporation temperature TeS, and the evaporation temperature Te changes greatly. Therefore, when these conditions are not satisfied, the target evaporation temperature determination process is prohibited, and the target evaporation temperature TeS is not recalculated. Thus, when the evaporation temperature Te changes greatly, the target evaporation temperature TeS can be restricted from being changed again. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a large change in the operating frequency of the compressors 23, 43 or a fluctuation in the evaporation temperature Te.

Non-separating operation

The non-separated operation is an operation of lowering the absolute humidity in the room under a condition of high indoor humidity and high indoor temperature, as in the dehumidification operation. In the non-split operation, both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 become latent heat engines. However, as described above, the non-separation operation is not performed in the first determination operation (see fig. 5). In the non-split operation, both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 become latent heat engines.

When shifting to the non-separated operation, the cloud server 90 transmits a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 of the air conditioners 20 and 40 to the local controllers 61 and 71, respectively. In the non-separate operation, a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 to the M level is transmitted. Thus, during the non-separated operation, the air volumes of all the indoor fans 33 and 53 are equal to the medium air volume.

The cloud server 90 appropriately obtains the target evaporation temperature TeS of each air conditioner 20, 40, and transmits the obtained target evaporation temperature TeS to each local controller 61, 71. Here, the target evaporation temperature TeS of the non-divided operation is determined by a method similar to the cooling operation in the temperature control mode.

That is, in the evaporation temperature determination process of the non-separated operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS is calculated from the difference Δ Trs between the current air temperature T and the target temperature Ts set in the communication terminal 80. When Δ Trs becomes large, the target evaporation temperature TeS is lowered to increase the capacity of each air conditioner 20, 40. Conversely, when Δ Trs is small, the target evaporation temperature TeS is increased to lower the capacity of each air conditioner 20, 40.

The upper limit value is set for the target evaporation temperature TeS determined in the non-divided operation so that the air can be reliably cooled to the dew point temperature or lower in each latent heat machine. Therefore, the air cooled by each latent heat machine in the non-split operation is not higher than the dew point temperature.

As in the dehumidification operation, whether or not the target evaporation temperature TeS is updated is determined in the non-divided operation. In this way, the compressors 23, 43 can be protected, and fluctuations in the evaporation temperature Te can be avoided.

Latent heat operation

The latent heat operation is an operation for lowering the absolute humidity in the room under a condition of high indoor humidity. In the latent heat operation, both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 become latent heat engines. The control of the latent heat operation is basically the same as the dehumidifying operation.

During the latent heat operation, a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 to the M range is transmitted. Thus, during the latent heat operation, the air flow rates of all the indoor fans 33 and 53 become the medium air flow rates.

In the evaporation temperature determination process of the latent heat operation, as in the dehumidification operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS is determined based on the temperature Tp corresponding to the above-described tangent point P. However, unlike the dehumidification operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS is not updated in the latent heat operation. Therefore, in the latent heat operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS must be recalculated at predetermined time intervals (for example, 20 seconds).

As described above, the latent heat operation is performed in the case where the state point C of the air is in the region E3, and the region E3 is located near the region where the operation is stopped according to the temperature. Assuming that recalculation of the target evaporation temperature TeS is prohibited in the latent heat operation as in the dehumidification operation, the air may be excessively cooled during this period, and the air temperature T may be much lower than the target evaporation temperature TeS. In this case, the air temperature T may also reach a region where the temperature stops.

In contrast, in the present embodiment, the target evaporation temperature TeS needs to be updated during the latent heat operation. Therefore, the target evaporation temperature TeS can be adjusted before the air temperature T is excessively cooled. This also avoids the air temperature T reaching the temperature-dependent stop region. In the latent heat operation, the evaporation temperature Te tends to approach the target evaporation temperature TeS more easily than in the dehumidification operation. Therefore, even if the update determination is limited, the operating frequency and the evaporation temperature Te of the compressors 23 and 43 do not change greatly.

Overview of dive-show separated operation

The latent heat and sensible heat separate operation (simultaneous operation) is an operation in which latent heat and sensible heat in the room are individually handled by the air conditioners 20 and 40 when the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity are in the range close to the target point S. In the latent heat and display separation operation of the present embodiment, the first air conditioner 20 becomes a latent heat engine, and the second air conditioner 40 becomes a heat display engine. Therefore, in the stealth-defined operation, the air is cooled and dehumidified by the indoor units 30 and 50 of the first air conditioner 20, and only the air is cooled by the indoor units 30 and 50 of the second air conditioner 40. By enabling the latent heat engine and the sensible heat engine to operate simultaneously, the indoor temperature can be prevented from excessively dropping, and the indoor temperature and humidity can be close to the target range.

In the latent display separation operation, it is necessary to send different control signals from the cloud server 90 to the local controller (the first local controller 61 in this example) provided to the latent heat engine and the local controller (the second local controller 71 in this example) provided to the latent heat engine, respectively. This is because the sensible heat machine and the latent heat machine are controlled differently. Therefore, the cloud server 90 registers therein the facility information indicating which air conditioner 20, 40 is the latent heat engine and which air conditioner 20, 40 is the heat engine when the latent heat display separation operation is performed. In this example, the equipment information indicating that the first air conditioner 20 becomes a latent heat engine and the equipment information indicating that the second air conditioner 40 becomes a heat engine in the latent heat display separation operation are registered in the cloud server 90. For example, such information is transmitted from the communication terminal 80 and the local controllers 61 and 71 to the cloud server 90 via the internet 86.

Control of submersible heat engine in operation with separate display

In the latent display separation operation, the cloud server 90 transmits a signal for controlling the air volume of the first indoor fan 33 to the first local controller 61 equipped to the first air conditioner 20 as a latent heat engine. In the hidden display separate operation, the air volume of the first indoor fan 33 of the first air conditioner 20 is switched between two stages (for example, two stages of the L stage and the M stage). The first indoor fan 33 may be switched between two ranges, i.e., an M range and an H range.

In addition, the cloud server 90 transmits a target evaporation temperature (first target evaporation temperature TeS1) for controlling the evaporation temperature Te of the first air conditioner 20 to the first local controller 61.

The evaporation temperature of the latent heat engine in the latent heat separation operation is determined by a method similar to the dehumidification operation. Specifically, the capacity determination unit 92 sets the temperature corresponding to the tangent point of the saturation curve on the air line graph and the straight line passing through the target point S as the first target evaporation temperature TeS 1. That is, in the dehumidification operation, the current state point C of the air (i.e., the air temperature T and the air humidity R) is used when the tangent point to the saturation curve is obtained, whereas in the latent image separation operation, the target point S (i.e., the target temperature Ts and the target humidity Rs) is used, and both are different from each other. Since the target point S is determined by the set value of the communication terminal 80, it does not substantially change as in the state point C. Therefore, by finding the tangent point based on the target point S, the first target evaporation temperature TeS1 does not change greatly. Therefore, the current state point C of the air can be prevented from coming out of the region E1 in fig. 8 due to the change in the first target evaporation temperature TeS1, and switching from the hidden-display separation operation to another operation can be suppressed.

As in the dehumidification operation, the update determination is performed in the evaporation temperature determination process of the latent heat engine that operates in the latent display separation mode. By so doing, the compressors 23, 43 can be protected, and fluctuations in the evaporation temperature Te can be prevented.

In the latent image separation operation, the first target evaporation temperature TeS1 of the latent heat engine is adjusted in stages based on the current state point C of the air, the target point S, and the change that has just occurred in the state point C of the air (the air temperature T and the air humidity R), and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Control of heat-displaying machine in separate operation of latent display

In the hidden display separate operation, the cloud server 90 sends a signal for controlling the air volume of the second indoor fan 53 to the second local controller 71 equipped to the second air conditioner 40 as the display unit. In the hidden display separate operation, the air volume of the second indoor fan 53 of the second air conditioner 40 is controlled to, for example, M range or H range.

The cloud server 90 transmits a target evaporation temperature TeS (a second target evaporation temperature TeS2) for controlling the evaporation temperature Te of the second air conditioner 40 to the second local controller 71.

In the evaporation temperature determination process of the sensible heat engine in the latent sensible separation operation, the second target evaporation temperature TeS2 is determined so that the air processed by the sensible heat engine is higher than the dew point temperature. Specifically, the dew point temperature Tdew-S corresponding to the air is calculated based on the state point (target temperature Ts and target humidity Rs) of the air corresponding to the current target point S. That is, the dew point temperature Tdew-S is a temperature at which dew water is generated from the air in the case where the air at the target point S has been cooled. In the evaporation temperature determination process, the dew point temperature Tdew-s is set to the second target evaporation temperature TeS 2.

When the current air state point C is in the area E1 including the target point S, the dive-display separation operation is performed. Therefore, the temperature and humidity of the air do not greatly differ from the target point S at the current air state point C. In addition, the air cooled by the second indoor heat exchanger 52 of the sensible heat engine is substantially impossible to be cooled to a temperature below the evaporating temperature. Therefore, by setting the dew point temperature Tdew-S corresponding to the target point S to the second target evaporation temperature TeS2, the air is substantially cooled to a temperature higher than the actual dew point temperature in the heat generator.

Here, the target point S is determined by a setting value of the communication terminal 80. The target point S is substantially unchanged as is the state point C. Therefore, by finding the dew point temperature based on the target point S, the second target evaporation temperature TeS2 does not change greatly. Thus, the current state point C of the air can be prevented from coming out of the region E1 in fig. 8 due to the change in the second target evaporation temperature TeS2, and the switching from the hidden behind display separated operation to another operation can be suppressed.

Sensible heat operation

The sensible heat operation is an operation in which the indoor temperature is lowered under a condition that the indoor temperature is high. In the sensible heat operation, both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 become sensible heat machines.

When the sensible heat operation is shifted, the cloud server 90 transmits a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 of the air conditioners 20 and 40 to the local controllers 61 and 71. In the sensible heat operation, a signal for controlling the air volume of the indoor fans 33 and 53 to the M range is transmitted. Thus, during sensible heat operation, the air flow rates of all the indoor fans 33 and 53 become medium air flow rates.

In addition, the cloud server 90 transmits the target evaporation temperature TeS for controlling the evaporation temperature Te of each air conditioner 20, 40 to each local controller 61, 71.

In the evaporation temperature determination process of the latent image display operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS is determined so that the air processed by the sensible heat engine is higher than the dew point temperature. Specifically, the dew point temperature Tdew-C corresponding to the air is calculated from the current air state point C (air temperature T and air humidity R). That is, the dew point temperature Tdew-c is a temperature at which dew water is generated from the air in a case where the air at the current state point has been cooled. In the evaporation temperature determination process, the dew point temperature Tdew-c is set to the second target evaporation temperature TeS 2.

When the current air state point C is in the area E2 deviated from the target point S, sensible heat operation is performed. Therefore, the temperature of the current state point C of the air is higher than the temperature of the target point S. Therefore, in the sensible heat operation, unlike the control of the latent heat engine in the latent heat display separate operation, the dew point temperature Tdew-C corresponding to the target point S is set to the target evaporation temperature TeS, instead of the dew point temperature Tdew-C corresponding to the current state point C of the air. That is, when the dew point temperature Tdew-S corresponding to the target point S is set as the target evaporation temperature during the sensible heat operation, the target evaporation temperature TeS becomes too low, and the air may be cooled to the actual dew point temperature or less. On the other hand, since the dew-point temperature Tdew-C corresponding to the current state point C of the air is set as the target evaporation temperature TeS during the sensible heat operation, the air can be reliably prevented from being dehumidified during the sensible heat operation.

Stop action

In each of the above-described operations, in principle, when the temperature detected by each of the suction temperature sensors 34 and 54 of each of the air conditioners 20 and 40 becomes equal to or lower than the stop determination temperature Toff, the corresponding indoor unit 30 or 50 is stopped in accordance with the temperature.

However, in the latent image separation operation, the stop of all the indoor units 30 and 50 according to the temperature is prohibited until the detected temperature of all the intake temperature sensors 34 and 54 of at least the plurality of operating indoor units 30 and 50 becomes equal to or lower than the stop determination temperature Toff. Therefore, even if the temperatures detected by the suction temperature sensors 34, 54 of only some of the indoor units 30, 50 become equal to or lower than the stop determination temperature Toff during the stealth split operation, the indoor units 30, 50 do not stop according to the temperatures.

In the latent heat separation operation, the temperature of the blow air of the sensible heat engine and the latent heat engine is different. Therefore, temperature unevenness is likely to occur in the indoor space 11, and the detection temperature of the suction temperature sensors 34 and 54 of some of the indoor units 30 and 50 becomes extremely low due to the temperature unevenness, and the latent image separation operation may not be continued. On the other hand, by performing the above-described determination of the stop according to the temperature, the operation of the sneak display separation can be continued until the temperature of the entire indoor space 11 becomes equal to or lower than the stop determination temperature.

Effects of the embodiment

In the above embodiment, when the condition indicating that the indoor humidity is higher than the predetermined value (the condition that the indoor humidity R is, for example, the first humidity threshold Rs1 or more, or the condition that the indoor humidity R is the second humidity threshold Rs2 or more) is satisfied, the first operation (the dehumidification operation, the non-separation operation, and the latent heat operation) is performed in which all the air conditioners 20 and 40 are latent heat engines. Therefore, under the condition that the indoor humidity load is high, the humidity load can be quickly handled, and the indoor comfort can be ensured.

When a condition indicating that the temperature and humidity in the room is within the target range (a condition indicating that the state point C of the air is within the region E1) is satisfied, a second operation (a latent image separation operation) is performed in which the first air conditioner 20 is a latent image generator and the second air conditioner 40 is a latent image generator. Therefore, when the indoor temperature and humidity are in the optimum range, the latent heat and the sensible heat can be separately processed. This can prevent the energy saving performance from being deteriorated by excessively cooling the indoor air, and can prevent the user from feeling a cold feeling.

When a condition indicating that the indoor humidity is lower than the predetermined value and the indoor temperature is higher than the predetermined value (for example, a condition that the indoor humidity R is lower than the first humidity threshold Rs1 and the indoor temperature T is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold Ts 2) is satisfied, a third operation (sensible heat operation) is performed in which both the first air conditioner 20 and the second air conditioner 40 are heat-generating machines. Therefore, when only the indoor temperature is high, sensible heat in the room can be quickly processed without lowering the humidity.

In the temperature/humidity control mode, by switching the operations in accordance with the temperature/humidity of the indoor air, the state point C can be made to fall within the first region E1, and the hidden highlight separation operation can be performed for as long as possible. Thus, operation with excellent energy saving performance can be performed while ensuring comfort in the room.

Air quantity control

In the above embodiment, it is preferable to control the blown air volumes of the latent heat engine and the sensible heat engine as follows.

As described above, the air conditioners 20 and 40 serving as latent heat engines are controlled to cool air to a dew point temperature or lower. The air conditioners 20, 40 serving as heat generators are controlled to cool air to a temperature higher than the dew point temperature. Therefore, the temperature of the blow air of the latent heat engine is lower than the temperature of the blow air of the sensible heat engine. When the blown air of the latent heat machine is directly blown toward the indoor person, the indoor person feels uncomfortable. Then, in the latent-display-separate operation, the air volume of the air-conditioning apparatuses 20 and 40 serving as latent-heat engines is made smaller than the air volume of the air-conditioning apparatuses 20 and 40 serving as latent-heat engines by the control device 60. Specifically, in the hidden display separate operation, the air volume of the indoor fan 33, 53 of the air conditioner 20, 40 serving as the latent heat engine is set to, for example, the M range (medium air volume), and the air volume of the indoor fan 33, 53 of the air conditioner 20, 40 serving as the latent heat engine is set to, for example, the H range (large air volume). Thus, the distance to which the blown air of the latent heat engine reaches is shortened, and the low-temperature wind can be prevented from directly blowing to the indoor people. On the other hand, since the distance over which the blown air of the heat display unit reaches is long, the comfort of the indoor people can be improved by blowing the relatively high-temperature wind to the indoor people.

In the latent image separation operation, the temperature distribution of the indoor space may be caused to be uneven due to the difference between the temperature of the blow-out air of the latent image separator and the temperature of the blow-out air of the image separator. On the other hand, by making the volume of the blown air of the air conditioners 20 and 40 serving as the sensible heat machines larger than the volume of the blown air of the air conditioners 20 and 40 serving as the latent heat machines, the mixing of the blown air of the latent heat machines and the blown air of the sensible heat machines can be promoted. Thus, the temperature distribution in the indoor space can be suppressed from becoming uneven under the latent image separation operation.

About wind direction control

In the above embodiment, it is preferable to control the wind direction of the latent heat engine as follows.

As described above, when the blown air of the latent heat machine is directly blown to the indoor person, the indoor person has an uncomfortable feeling. Then, the control device 60 controls the wind direction adjustment vanes (flaps) of the air conditioners 20 and 40 so that the wind direction of the air blown out of the air conditioners 20 and 40, which are latent heat engines, becomes substantially horizontal. In this way, it is possible to avoid blowing air from the latent heat engine from being directly blown to the indoor personnel. Such wind direction control can be adopted if at least one of the air conditioners 20 and 40 is operated as a latent heat engine. Specifically, the latent heat machine can blow air horizontally in the dehumidification operation, the non-separation operation, the latent heat operation, and the latent-display separation operation.

Due to the influence of indoor layout and the like, it may be inappropriate to blow air horizontally from the latent heat engine. Therefore, the wind direction setting unit may be provided so that the user can arbitrarily change the wind direction of the blown air of the latent heat engine. For example, the wind direction setting unit may be provided in the remote controllers 36 and 56 or the communication terminal 80.

(other embodiments)

The control device 60 of the above embodiment includes the cloud server 90, the communication terminal 80, and the like, and realizes the temperature/humidity control mode via the internet 86. However, the control device 60 may control the air conditioners 20 and 40 only by a local controller without passing through the internet.

Further, the air conditioning system 10 of the above embodiment is configured by two air conditioners 20 and 40 targeting the same indoor space 11, but three or more air conditioners 20 and 40 may be provided. In this case, it is also registered in advance which air conditioner becomes the latent heat engine and which air conditioner becomes the heat engine in the latent heat display separation operation. In the latent heat and power separating operation, the ratio of the latent heat engine and the power generator is determined based on the registered information.

The air conditioning system 10 of the above embodiment may be configured such that three or more indoor units are provided as air conditioners, and an indoor expansion valve is provided in a refrigerant circuit in each of the indoor units, that is, the air conditioning system 10 of the embodiment is a so-called multi-air conditioner type for a building.

Industrial applicability-

In summary, the present invention is useful for an air conditioning system.

-description of symbols-

10 air conditioning system

20 first air conditioner

21 first outdoor unit

30 first indoor unit

40 second air conditioner

41 second outdoor unit

50 second indoor unit

60 control device

Claims (7)

1. An air conditioning system comprising: a plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) and a control device (60), wherein the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) respectively have indoor units (30, 50) and outdoor units (21, 41), the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) respectively perform refrigeration cycles individually, and the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) respectively target the same indoor space, and the control device (60) controls the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40), the air conditioning system being characterized in that:

the control device (60) is configured to: the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) can perform a first operation and a second operation,

in the first operation, the indoor units (30, 50) of all the air conditioners (20, 40) are controlled to cool the air to a dew-point temperature or lower,

in the second operation, the indoor unit (30) of at least one air conditioner (20) is controlled to cool the air to a temperature lower than the dew-point temperature, and the indoor units (50) of the other air conditioners (40) are controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature.

2. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein:

when a condition indicating that at least the indoor humidity is higher than a predetermined value is satisfied, the control device (60) causes all the air conditioners (20, 40) to perform the first operation.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:

when a condition indicating that the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity fall within the target ranges is satisfied, the control device (60) causes the plurality of air conditioners (20, 40) to perform the second operation.

4. An air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein:

the control device (60) is configured to: switching a temperature control mode including a normal cooling operation and a temperature/humidity control mode including the first operation and the second operation.

5. The air conditioning system of claim 4, wherein:

when the temperature/humidity control mode is started, the control device (60) determines whether to start a next operation including the first operation and the second operation.

6. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein:

the control device (60) is configured to: all the air conditioners (20, 40) can be caused to perform a third operation in which all the indoor units (30, 50) of all the air conditioners (20, 40) are controlled to cool air to a temperature higher than the dew-point temperature.

7. The air conditioning system of claim 6, wherein:

when a condition indicating that the indoor humidity is lower than a predetermined value and the indoor temperature is higher than the predetermined value is satisfied, the control device (60) causes all the air conditioners (20, 40) to perform the third operation.