CN112567183A - Air conditioner, control device, air conditioning method, and program - Google Patents

Air conditioner, control device, air conditioning method, and program Download PDF

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Publication number
CN112567183A
CN112567183A CN201880096619.3A CN201880096619A CN112567183A CN 112567183 A CN112567183 A CN 112567183A CN 201880096619 A CN201880096619 A CN 201880096619A CN 112567183 A CN112567183 A CN 112567183A
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China
Prior art keywords
air
temperature
humidity
unit
mode
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Granted
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CN201880096619.3A
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Chinese (zh)
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CN112567183B (en
Inventor
森冈怜司
竹田惠美
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Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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Mitsubishi Electric Corp
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Publication of CN112567183A publication Critical patent/CN112567183A/en
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
    • F24F3/12—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
    • F24F3/14—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification
    • F24F3/1405—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling by humidification; by dehumidification in which the humidity of the air is exclusively affected by contact with the evaporator of a closed-circuit cooling system or heat pump circuit
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/62—Control or safety arrangements characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
    • F24F11/63—Electronic processing
    • F24F11/65—Electronic processing for selecting an operating mode
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
    • F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
    • F24F11/80—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
    • F24F11/86—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
    • F24F2110/10—Temperature
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2110/00—Control inputs relating to air properties
    • F24F2110/20—Humidity
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F2140/00—Control inputs relating to system states
    • F24F2140/50—Load

Abstract

In the air conditioner of the present invention, the air conditioning unit (110) has a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant in a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air in the air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant pipe, and a blower that sends air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger, and the air conditioning unit (110) air-conditions the air-conditioned space. An acquisition unit (510) acquires the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space. The air conditioning control unit (540) switches the operation mode among a cooling mode in which the air conditioning unit (110) cools the air conditioning space, a dehumidification mode in which the air conditioning unit (110) dehumidifies the air conditioning space, and an air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping air blowing by the air blower, on the basis of the temperature and humidity acquired by the acquisition unit (510).

Description

Air conditioner, control device, air conditioning method, and program
Technical Field
The invention relates to an air conditioner, a control device, an air conditioning method, and a program.
Background
A technique for automatically switching an operation mode of an air conditioner is known. For example, patent document 1 discloses an air conditioner in which a set temperature is corrected based on a calendar and an outside air temperature, and an operation mode of heating, dehumidifying, and cooling is changed based on a difference between the set temperature and an indoor temperature. Further, patent document 2 discloses an air conditioning apparatus that switches between a first dehumidification operation and a second dehumidification operation according to a difference between a humidity of an air-conditioned space and a target humidity.
Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5194696
Patent document 2: japanese patent No. 5799932
In the air conditioner with the automatically switched operation mode as described above, if the operation mode is switched based on only one of the temperature and the humidity, the comfort in the air-conditioned space may not be improved even if one of the temperature and the humidity reaches a target value at which the comfort can be obtained and the other of the temperature and the humidity does not reach the target value.
Disclosure of Invention
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioner and the like capable of improving comfort in an air-conditioned space.
In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes:
an air conditioning unit having a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air in an air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe, and a blower that sends the air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger, the air conditioning unit air-conditioning the air-conditioned space;
an acquisition unit that acquires the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space; and
and an air conditioning control unit that switches an operation mode between a cooling mode in which the air conditioning unit cools the air-conditioned space, a dehumidification mode in which the air conditioning unit dehumidifies the air-conditioned space, and an air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping air blowing by the air blower, based on the temperature and the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit.
According to the present invention, the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space are acquired, and the operation mode is switched between the cooling mode in which the air-conditioned space is cooled, the dehumidification mode in which the air-conditioned space is dehumidified, and the air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping the air blowing by the air blower, based on the acquired temperature and humidity. Therefore, the comfort in the air-conditioned space can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the outdoor unit control unit according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between an air conditioning capacity and an operation mode executed by the air conditioner according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of control processing in the air blowing mode executed by the air conditioner according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the outdoor unit control unit according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between a heat load and an operation mode in embodiment 1.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing changes in (a) the amount of solar radiation, (b) the outside air temperature To, (c) the outside air humidity Rho, (d) the steady sensible heat load Qs, (e) the steady latent heat load Ql, and (f) the operation mode under high humidity conditions in embodiment 1.
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing changes in (g) sensible heat capacity, (h) latent heat capacity, (i) room temperature Ti, and (j) room humidity RHi under high-humidity conditions in embodiment 1.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing changes in the amount of solar radiation (a), the outside air temperature To (b), the outside air humidity RHo (c), the sensible heat load Qs (d), the latent heat load Ql (e), and the operation mode (f) in embodiment 1 under low humidity conditions.
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing changes in (g) sensible heat capacity, (h) latent heat capacity, (i) room temperature Ti, and (j) room humidity RHi under low humidity conditions in embodiment 1.
Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of an operation mode notification screen in embodiment 1.
Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a second example of an operation mode notification screen in embodiment 1.
Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of an operation mode notification screen in embodiment 1.
Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a flow of control processing in the automatic mode executed by the air conditioner according to embodiment 1.
Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between temperature, humidity, and operation mode in embodiment 2 of the present invention.
Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an outdoor unit control unit according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.
Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of history information in embodiment 4.
Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an outline of heat transfer in the indoor space in embodiment 4.
Fig. 19(a) to (c) are diagrams each showing an approximate straight line showing a relationship between a temperature difference between room temperature and outside air temperature and air conditioning capacity, an approximate straight line for each heat insulating performance, and an approximate straight line for each internal heat generation amount in embodiment 4.
Fig. 20 is an explanatory diagram of a method for obtaining an approximate straight line using representative data points in embodiment 4.
Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an outdoor unit control unit according to embodiment 5 of the present invention.
Fig. 22 is a diagram showing the relationship between the temperature difference between the room temperature and the outside air temperature and the first and second sensible heat thresholds in embodiment 5.
Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system according to a modification of the present invention.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the relationship between the sizes of the respective components may be different from the actual relationship. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals.
The embodiments of the constituent elements shown in the specification are merely examples, and are not limited to these descriptions. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments and the drawings. Needless to say, the embodiment and the drawings can be modified without changing the gist of the present invention.
The steps of the program describing the operations of the embodiment of the present invention are processes performed in time series along the described sequence, but the steps may not necessarily be processed in time series, and may include processes executed in parallel or independently.
The embodiments of the present invention may be implemented individually or in combination. In any case, the following advantageous effects are exhibited. The various specific settings and flags described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not particularly limited thereto.
In the embodiments of the present invention, the system refers to the entire apparatus including a plurality of apparatuses or the entire function including a plurality of functions.
(embodiment mode 1)
< Structure of air conditioner 1 >
Fig. 1 shows an air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. The air conditioner 1 is a device for air-conditioning an indoor space 71 which is an air-conditioning space. Air conditioning is air conditioning in which the temperature, humidity, cleanliness, and airflow of air in an air-conditioned space are adjusted, specifically, heating, cooling, dehumidification, humidification, air purification, and the like.
As shown in fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 is installed in a house 3. The housing 3 is, as an example, a building of a so-called general free-standing house. The air conditioner 1 uses, for example, CO2Heat pump type air conditioning equipment using a refrigerant such as carbon dioxide or HFC (hydrofluorocarbon). The air conditioner 1 is equipped with a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, and operates by receiving electric power from a commercial power supply, a power generation facility, a power storage facility, and the like, which are not shown.
As shown in fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 includes: an outdoor unit 11 provided outside the housing 3; an indoor unit 13 provided inside the housing 3; and a remote controller 55 operated by a user. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor units 13 are connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe 61 through which a refrigerant flows and a communication line 63 through which various signals are transmitted. The air conditioning apparatus 1 cools the indoor space 71 by blowing out conditioned air, for example, cool air from the indoor units 13, and heats the indoor space 71 by blowing out warm air.
The outdoor unit 11 includes a compressor 21, a four-way valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, an expansion valve 24, an outdoor blower 31, and an outdoor unit control unit 51. The indoor unit 13 includes an indoor heat exchanger 25, indoor fans 33a and 33b, and an indoor unit control unit 53. The refrigerant pipe 61 connects the compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the outdoor heat exchanger 23, the expansion valve 24, and the indoor heat exchanger 25 in an annular shape. This constitutes a refrigeration cycle.
The compressor 21 compresses a refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through the refrigerant pipe 61. Specifically, the compressor 21 compresses a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, and discharges the high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant to the four-way valve 22. The compressor 21 includes an inverter circuit capable of changing the operating capacity in accordance with the drive frequency. The operation capacity is an amount of refrigerant sent per unit by the compressor 21. The compressor 21 changes the operation capacity in accordance with an instruction from the outdoor unit control unit 51.
The four-way valve 22 is provided on the discharge side of the compressor 21. The four-way valve 22 switches the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61 depending on whether the operation of the air conditioner 1 is the cooling or dehumidifying operation or the heating operation.
The outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61 and air in the outdoor space 72 (external space) outside the air-conditioned space. The outdoor blower 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and sends air of the outdoor space 72 to the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The outdoor fan 31 sucks in the air in the outdoor space 72, and the sucked air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 23, exchanges heat with the cooling energy or the heating energy supplied by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61, and is then blown out to the outdoor space 72.
The expansion valve 24 is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and the indoor heat exchanger 25, and decompresses and expands the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61. The expansion valve 24 is an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree can be variably controlled. The expansion valve 24 changes its opening degree in response to an instruction from the outdoor unit control unit 51, and adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant.
The indoor heat exchanger 25 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61 and the air in the indoor space 71. The indoor blowers 33a and 33b are respectively provided in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 25, and send the air in the indoor space 71 to the indoor heat exchanger 25. The indoor air-sending devices 33a and 33b suck air in the indoor space 71, and the sucked air is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 25, exchanges heat with cooling energy or heating energy supplied by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61, and is then blown out to the indoor space 71. The air heat-exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger 25 is supplied to the indoor space 71 as air-conditioned air. Thereby, the indoor space 71 is air-conditioned.
The indoor heat exchanger 25 includes two heat exchangers 25a and 25b and an expansion valve 26. The first heat exchanger 25a is provided on the upstream side of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle during cooling, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air blown by the indoor blower 33a, which is a first blower. The second heat exchanger 25b is provided on the downstream side of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle during cooling, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air blown by the indoor air-sending device 33b serving as a second air-sending device. The expansion valve 26 is provided between the two heat exchangers 25a and 25b, and adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant flowing between the two heat exchangers 25a and 25b.
The indoor unit 13 further includes a temperature sensor 41, a humidity sensor 42, and an infrared sensor 43. The temperature sensor 41 is a sensor such as a temperature measuring resistor, a thermistor, or a thermocouple, and detects a room temperature Ti, which is an air temperature of the indoor space 71. The humidity sensor 42 is a sensor of a resistance type, a capacitance type, or the like, and detects an indoor humidity RHi which is an air humidity of the indoor space 71.
The temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are provided at the suction port of the second heat exchanger 25b in the indoor heat exchanger 25, and detect the temperature and the humidity of the air sucked into the second heat exchanger 25b by the second indoor fan 33b. The temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are provided at the air inlet of the second indoor air-sending device 33b, and can detect the temperature and the humidity of the air in the indoor space 71 with high accuracy.
The infrared sensor 43 is a pyroelectric type, thermopile type, or the like, and detects infrared rays emitted from the subject. The infrared sensor 43 is provided in the vicinity of the window 75, which is a place in the indoor space 71 where sunlight is received, and detects infrared rays emitted from the window 75, thereby detecting a window temperature Tw that is a surface temperature of the window 75. The window 75 is irradiated with sunlight when the sun comes out in the daytime, and therefore the surface temperature thereof can be used as an index of the amount of sunshine.
The infrared sensor 43 also functions as a so-called human detection sensor, and detects infrared rays emitted from an object such as a person or an object present in the indoor space 71, thereby making it possible to specify the presence and position of the object.
The air conditioner 1 further includes the following components, not shown: an outside air temperature sensor that detects an outside air temperature; an outside air humidity sensor that detects outside air humidity; and an evaporation temperature sensor that detects the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 61. The outside air temperature sensor and the outside air humidity sensor are provided in the outdoor space 72, respectively, and detect an outside air temperature To, which is an air temperature of the outdoor space 72, and an outside air humidity RHo, which is an air humidity of the outdoor space 72.
In the following description, the humidity sensor 42 and the outside air humidity sensor detect humidity in units of relative humidity, but may detect humidity in units of absolute humidity. The relative humidity and the absolute humidity can be appropriately converted using the air temperature at that time.
The evaporation temperature sensor is provided in the refrigerant pipe 61 that is on the upstream side of the indoor heat exchanger 25 during cooling and dehumidification, for example, and detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe 61. Thereby, the evaporation temperature sensor detects the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 25. The evaporation temperature sensor may be provided between the first heat exchanger 25a and the second heat exchanger 25b, for example, and may detect the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25.
The detection results obtained by the sensors are supplied to the indoor unit control unit 53. The indoor unit controller 53 supplies the supplied detection result to the outdoor unit controller 51 via the communication line 63.
The outdoor unit control unit 51 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 11. As shown in fig. 2, the outdoor unit control unit 51 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a timer unit 103, and a communication unit 104. These components are connected via a bus.
The control unit 101 includes a cpu (central Processing unit), a rom (read Only memory), and a ram (random Access memory). The CPU is also called a central processing unit, a processor, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a dsp (digital Signal processor), and the like. The CPU of the control unit 101 reads a program and data stored in the ROM, and controls the outdoor unit control unit 51 in a unified manner using the RAM as a work area.
The storage unit 102 is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, an eprom (Erasable Programmable rom), and an eeprom (electrically Erasable Programmable rom), and functions as a so-called secondary storage device or auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 102 stores programs and data used for the control unit 101 to perform various processes, and data generated or acquired by the control unit 101 performing various processes.
The timer unit 103 includes rtc (real Time clock) and is a timer device that continues to count Time even during the power-off period of the air conditioner 1.
The communication unit 104 is an interface for communicating with the indoor unit control unit 53 and the remote controller 55 via the communication line 63. The communication unit 104 receives operation information received from the user from the remote controller 55, and transmits notification information for notifying the user to the remote controller 55. The communication unit 104 transmits an operation command of the indoor unit 13 to the indoor unit control unit 53, and receives status information indicating the status of the indoor unit 13 from the indoor unit control unit 53.
The indoor unit control unit 53 further includes the following components, none of which are shown: CPU, ROM, RAM, communication interface and read-write nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The CPU of the indoor unit control unit 53 controls the operation of the indoor unit 13 by using the RAM as a work memory and executing a control program stored in the ROM.
The outdoor unit control unit 51 is connected to the indoor unit control unit 53 through a communication line 63 which is a wired, wireless, or other communication medium. The outdoor unit controller 51 controls the entire air conditioner 1 by transmitting and receiving various signals through the indoor unit controller 53 and the communication line 63 to perform coordinated operations. In this way, the outdoor unit control unit 51 functions as a control device for controlling the air conditioner 1.
The outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 control the operation of the air conditioner 1 based on the detection results of the sensors and setting information of the air conditioner 1 set by the user. Specifically, the outdoor unit control unit 51 controls the driving frequency of the compressor 21, the switching of the four-way valve 22, the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 31, and the opening degree of the expansion valve 24. The indoor unit control unit 53 controls the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b. The outdoor unit control unit 51 may control the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b, and the indoor unit control unit 53 may control the driving frequency of the compressor 21, the switching of the four-way valve 22, the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 31, or the opening degree of the expansion valve 24. In this way, the outdoor unit control unit 51 and the indoor unit control unit 53 output various operation commands to various devices in accordance with the operation command given to the air conditioner 1.
The remote controller 55 is disposed in the indoor space 71. The remote controller 55 transmits and receives various signals to and from the indoor unit control unit 53 provided in the indoor unit 13. The remote controller 55 includes buttons, a touch panel, a liquid crystal display, an led (light Emitting diode), and the like, and functions as an instruction receiving unit that receives various instructions from a user and a display unit that displays various information to the user. The user inputs an instruction to the air conditioner 1 by operating the remote controller 55. The command is, for example, a switching command between operation and stop, or a switching command between an operation mode, a set temperature, a set humidity, an air volume, an air direction, a timer, or the like. The air conditioner 1 operates in accordance with the input command. In addition, instead of the remote controller 55, an information device such as a smartphone or a tablet may be provided as such a user interface.
< operating mode >
The air conditioner 1 has at least operation modes of "(a) cooling", "(B) heating", "(C) dehumidification", "(D) blowing", and "(E) automatic", and air-conditions the indoor space 71 in any one of the operation modes.
(A) Refrigeration mode
The "cooling" operation mode is a mode for cooling the air in the indoor space 71 to lower the temperature thereof. Upon receiving the operation command of "cooling", the control unit 101 switches the flow path of the four-way valve 22 so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and appropriately opens the expansion valves 24 and 26. The control unit 101 drives the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 31, and the indoor fans 33a and 33b.
When the compressor 21 is driven, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the four-way valve 22. The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat with outdoor air sucked from the outdoor space 72, condenses and liquefies, and flows into the expansion valve 24. The refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve 24 is decompressed by the expansion valve 24 and then flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25. The refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 25 exchanges heat with indoor air sucked from the indoor space 71, evaporates, passes through the four-way valve 22, and is sucked into the compressor 21 again. In this way, the indoor air sucked from the indoor space 71 is cooled by the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25.
(B) Heating mode
The "heating" operation mode is a mode for heating the air in the indoor space 71 to increase the temperature thereof. Upon receiving the operation command of "heating", the control unit 101 switches the flow path of the four-way valve 22 so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25, and appropriately opens the expansion valves 24 and 26. The control unit 101 drives the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 31, and the indoor fans 33a and 33b.
When the compressor 21 is driven, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25 through the four-way valve 22. The refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 25 exchanges heat with indoor air taken in from the indoor space 71, condenses and liquefies, and flows into the expansion valve 24. The refrigerant flowing into the expansion valve 24 is decompressed by the expansion valve 24 and then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat with outdoor air sucked from the outdoor space 72, evaporates, passes through the four-way valve 22, and is again sucked into the compressor 21. In this way, the refrigerant flows in the direction opposite to the direction of "cooling" and "dehumidification", and the indoor air taken in from the indoor space 71 is heated in the indoor heat exchanger 25.
< operation and stop of compressor >
In the cooling mode, when room temperature Ti is reduced to the thermal cut-off temperature during the operation of compressor 21, controller 101 stops the operation of compressor 21 to prevent overcooling. When the room temperature Ti rises to the heat conduction temperature while the compressor 21 is stopped, the operation of the compressor 21 is restarted to prevent overheating. Similarly, in the heating mode, when the room temperature Ti rises to the thermal cut-off temperature during the operation of the compressor 21, the control unit 101 stops the operation of the compressor 21 in order to prevent overheating. When the room temperature Ti decreases to the heat conduction temperature while the compressor 21 is stopped, the controller 101 restarts the operation of the compressor 21 to prevent overcooling. The thermal cutoff temperature and the thermal conduction temperature are set in advance to temperatures within a predetermined range with respect to a set temperature Tm that is a target temperature. In this way, control unit 101 repeats the operation and stop of compressor 21, thereby maintaining room temperature Ti at set temperature Tm.
(C) Dehumidification mode
The "dehumidification" operation mode is a mode for reducing the humidity of the indoor space 71. Upon receiving the operation command of "dehumidification", the control unit 101 switches the flow path of the four-way valve 22 so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and appropriately opens the expansion valves 24 and 26, as in the case of "cooling". The control unit 101 drives the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 31, and the indoor fans 33a and 33b. Thereby, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant pipe 61 in the same direction as "cooling".
More specifically, the operation modes of the "dehumidification" are divided into six operation modes of "(C1) weak cooling dehumidification", "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification", "(C5) extended dehumidification", and "(C6) reheat dehumidification". The above-described mode is collectively referred to as a dehumidification mode. In addition, although the dehumidification mode may be described as a part of the cooling mode in actual products, the dehumidification mode described below is included in the operation mode if the operation mode can obtain the sensible heat ratio SHF relatively lower than that in the cooling mode.
Fig. 3 shows the relationship between each operation mode and the air conditioning capacity. Here, the air conditioning capacity is an index indicating the intensity of air conditioning performed by the air conditioner 1, and corresponds to the amount of heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger 25. The air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning apparatus 1 increases as the amount of heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the indoor heat exchanger 25 increases. The air conditioning capacity during cooling is referred to as cooling capacity, and the air conditioning capacity during heating is referred to as heating capacity.
In fig. 3, the horizontal axis represents sensible heat capacity, and the vertical axis represents latent heat capacity. Sensible heat capacity corresponds to capacity related to temperature change of air in air conditioning capacity. In contrast, the latent heat capacity corresponds to a capacity related to a change in the state of moisture in the air, that is, a capacity related to dehumidification and humidification. The total of Sensible capacity and latent capacity is called total Heat capacity, and the ratio of Sensible capacity to total Heat capacity is called Sensible Heat ratio (SHF). The sensible heat ratio is represented by the following formula (1).
Sensible heat ratio (SHF) ═ sensible heat capacity/total heat capacity … (1)
Hereinafter, sensible heat capacity when cooling air is assumed to be positive, and latent heat capacity when dehumidifying air is assumed to be positive. Specifically, in each operation mode of "dehumidification", the dehumidification capacity is increased as compared with "cooling", and therefore the latent heat capacity is increased, but the cooling capacity is decreased, and therefore the sensible heat capacity is decreased. The respective operation modes of "dehumidification" will be described in detail below.
(C1) Weak refrigeration dehumidification mode
The operation mode of "weak cooling and dehumidification" is a dehumidification mode in which the cooling capacity is low and the dehumidification capacity is high, as compared with "cooling". Upon receiving the operation command of "weak cooling and dehumidification", the control unit 101 circulates the refrigerant in the same direction as "cooling". In addition, the control unit 101 reduces the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b compared to the case of "cooling". In other words, the control unit 101 reduces the amount of air blown by the indoor air-sending devices 33a and 33b to the indoor heat exchanger 25 in the "weak cooling and dehumidification" as compared with the "cooling".
In general, the higher the blowing amounts of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b, the higher the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25, and the higher the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, the air conditioner 1 is operated with a large air blowing amount not reaching the noise level in the "cooling" operation, thereby achieving energy saving. In contrast, in the "weak cooling and dehumidification", the control unit 101 reduces the amount of air blown by the indoor fans 33a and 33b as compared with the "cooling", thereby lowering the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant. This reduces the sensible heat capacity of the indoor heat exchanger 25 and increases the latent heat capacity. Therefore, the sensible heat ratio decreases. As a result, the "weak cooling and dehumidification" is less likely to lower the room temperature Ti and is more likely to lower the room humidity RHi than the case of the "cooling".
(C2) Dual fan dehumidification mode
The "dual fan dehumidification" operation mode is a dehumidification mode in which the two indoor blowers 33a and 33b are driven at different rotation speeds to dehumidify the indoor space 71. Upon receiving the operation command of "dual fan dehumidification", control unit 101 causes the refrigerant to circulate in the same direction as "cooling". In addition, the control unit 101 sets the rotation speed of the first indoor fan 33a to be lower than the rotation speed of the second indoor fan 33b.
Specifically, the control unit 101 drives the first indoor fan 33a, which is distant from the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42, at the first rotation speed W1 which is lower than the predetermined rotation speed W0 in the "two-fan dehumidification" in contrast to the case where the two indoor fans 33a, 33b are driven at the predetermined rotation speed W0 in both the "weak cooling dehumidification". On the other hand, in the "dual fan dehumidification", the control unit 101 drives the second indoor fan 33b close to the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 at the second rotation speed W2 higher than the first rotation speed W1. The second rotation speed W2 is set to a rotation speed approximately equal to the predetermined rotation speed W0. Thus, the control unit 101 reduces the sum of the air volumes of the first indoor air-sending device 33a and the second indoor air-sending device 33b in the "double-fan dehumidification" compared with the sum of the air volumes of the first indoor air-sending device 33a and the second indoor air-sending device 33b in the "weak cooling dehumidification".
When the rotation speed of the second indoor fan 33b near the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 is reduced, the amount of intake air is reduced, and therefore it is difficult to accurately obtain the temperature of the intake air, and it is difficult to appropriately control the air conditioning of the air-conditioned space. However, in the "dual-fan dehumidification", the rotation speed of the second indoor fan 33b is maintained to the same degree as the "weak cooling dehumidification", so that the temperature and humidity of the air sent to the indoor heat exchanger 25 by the second indoor fan 33b can be detected with high accuracy.
On the other hand, by reducing the rotation speed of the first indoor fan 33a, which is distant from the temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42, compared to the "weak cooling and dehumidification", the sum of the amounts of air blown by the indoor fans 33a and 33b is reduced compared to the "weak cooling and dehumidification". This reduces the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25, and increases the latent heat capacity. On the other hand, sensible heat capacity decreases, and therefore sensible heat ratio decreases. As a result, in the case of the "double-fan dehumidification", the room temperature Ti is less likely to decrease and the room humidity RHi is more likely to decrease, as compared with the "weak cooling dehumidification".
In this way, in the "dual fan dehumidification", the difference in the rotation speed between the two indoor fans 33a and 33b allows the temperature and humidity of the indoor space 71 to be detected with high accuracy, and the amount of air blown into the indoor heat exchanger 25 to be reduced. Therefore, the indoor space 71 can be dehumidified with a higher dehumidification capacity than the "weak cooling dehumidification".
(C3) Dew point temperature dehumidification mode
The "dew point temperature dehumidification" operation mode is a dehumidification mode in which the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is lower than the dew point temperature of the air in order to improve the dehumidification capability. Upon receiving the operation command of "dew point temperature dehumidification", the control unit 101 causes the refrigerant to circulate in the same direction as "cooling". In addition, the control unit 101 controls the rotation speed of the compressor 21 so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant detected by the evaporation temperature sensor is lower than the dew point temperature of the air.
In "cooling", "weak cooling dehumidification", and "double-fan dehumidification", control unit 101 controls the rotation speed of compressor 21 based on temperature difference Δ T between room temperature Ti and set temperature Tm, and therefore the rotation speed of compressor 21 decreases as room temperature Ti decreases. When the rotation speed of the compressor 21 is decreased, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25 naturally increases, and both sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity decrease. Therefore, although the room temperature Ti is stabilized at the set temperature Tm, the room humidity RHi may not decrease, which may decrease the comfort.
Therefore, in the "dew point temperature dehumidification", the control unit 101 controls the rotation speed of the compressor 21 so that the evaporation temperature is lower than the dew point temperature, based on the difference between the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25 and the dew point temperature of the air sucked into the indoor heat exchanger 25. This can maintain the latent heat capacity without reducing it. In the case of "dew point temperature dehumidification", the indoor humidity RHi is likely to decrease as compared with "weak cooling dehumidification".
(C4) Partial cooling dehumidification mode
The "partial cooling dehumidification" operation mode is a dehumidification mode in which the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is lower than the dew point temperature of air on the inlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 25 and the degree of superheat of the refrigerant is increased on the outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 25. Upon receiving the "partial cooling and dehumidification" operation command, the control unit 101 causes the refrigerant to circulate in the same direction as "cooling". In addition, the control unit 101 controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 24 to an opening degree at which the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger 25 is lower than the dew point temperature of the air.
In "cooling", "weak cooling dehumidification", and "double-fan dehumidification", the control unit 101 controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 24 so that the degree of saturation of the refrigerant at the outlet of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25, that is, the degree of superheat near the outlet of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25 approaches zero. This allows the air conditioner 1 to efficiently output the full heat capacity. In contrast, in the "partial cooling dehumidification", the control unit 101 controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 24 so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant becomes lower than the dew point temperature of the air taken into the indoor heat exchanger 25 in the vicinity of the refrigerant inlet of the indoor heat exchanger 25.
Specifically, the control unit 101 makes the opening degree of the expansion valve 24 smaller than the "cooling" and the "weak cooling dehumidification" in the "partial cooling dehumidification". This reduces the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant near the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger 25, and a large amount of the refrigerant evaporates near the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger 25, so the degree of superheat near the outlet of the indoor heat exchanger 25 increases. As a result, the air can be dehumidified at a low temperature on the inlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 25, and the air is not excessively cooled on the outlet side. In the case of "partial cooling dehumidification", the room temperature Ti is less likely to decrease and the room humidity RHi is more likely to decrease, as compared with "weak cooling dehumidification" and "dew point temperature dehumidification".
(C5) Extended dehumidification mode
The "extended dehumidification" operation mode is a mode in which two or three of "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", and "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification" are combined. By combining two or three of the above-described three operation modes, the sensible heat capacity and the latent heat capacity can be adjusted continuously and widely. Therefore, it is possible to provide a comfortable air conditioner with little variation in room temperature and humidity under various weather conditions, building conditions, and living conditions. In addition, the "extended dehumidification" saves energy as compared with the following "reheat dehumidification".
(C6) Reheat dehumidification mode
The operation mode of the "reheat dehumidification" is a dehumidification mode in which the humidity is reduced while suppressing a decrease in the temperature of the indoor space 71. Upon receiving the operation command of "reheat dehumidification", control unit 101 causes the refrigerant to circulate in the same direction as "cooling". In addition, the control unit 101 appropriately closes the expansion valve 26 between the two heat exchangers 25a and 25b of the indoor heat exchangers 25.
By reducing the opening degree of the expansion valve 26, the first heat exchanger 25a located upstream of the expansion valve 26 functions as a condenser for condensing the refrigerant, and heats the air supplied by the second indoor air-sending device 33b. On the other hand, the second heat exchanger 25b located on the downstream side of the expansion valve 26 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant, and reduces the humidity of the air supplied by the second indoor fan 33b. Since the air is heated and the humidity is reduced, the room temperature Ti is less likely to be reduced and the room internal humidity RHi is more likely to be reduced in the case of "reheat dehumidification" as compared with other dehumidification modes.
(D) Blowing mode
The operation mode of the "air blowing mode" will be described. The air blowing mode is a mode in which the compressor 21 is stopped and air conditioning is performed by blowing air from the indoor air-sending devices 33a and 33b. In the cooling period, since cooling is not necessary when the outside air temperature To is lower than the room temperature Ti, the indoor space 71 can be agitated without a large power consumption by setting the blowing mode. Even if the compressor 21 is not operated, a cool feeling can be obtained by feeling the wind. Note that, in a state where the compressor 21 is stopped without stopping the blowing of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b, for example, when the heat shut-off of the compressor 21 is stopped to prevent supercooling, the description will be made as a part of the blowing mode. Hereinafter, as the "air blowing mode", a "hybrid mode" in which a cooling mode and an air blowing mode are combined will be described as an example.
Specifically, the flow of processing in the air blowing mode will be described with reference to fig. 4. First, in a state where compressor 21 is operating, control unit 101 determines whether or not room temperature Ti has decreased to a temperature equal to or lower than the thermal cut-off temperature (step S11). In the case where room temperature Ti is higher than the heat conduction temperature (step S11; no), control unit 101 maintains compressor 21 in the operating state. On the other hand, when room temperature Ti is lowered to the thermal cut-off temperature or lower (step S11; yes), controller 101 stops the operation of compressor 21 (step S12). When the operation of the compressor 21 is stopped, the control unit 101 increases the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b to be higher than the rotation speed of the compressor 21 immediately before the stop of the operation (step S13).
Specifically, in the operation mode other than the "blowing", the control unit 101 does not increase the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b because the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b is reduced or the driving of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b is stopped when the compressor 21 is stopped. In contrast, in the "blowing" mode, when the compressor 21 stops operating, the control unit 101 increases the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b. This makes it possible to provide a moderate cool feeling without the indoor person in the indoor space 71 suddenly feeling hot.
After stopping the operation of the compressor 21, the control unit 101 adjusts the rotation speeds of the indoor fans 33a and 33b in accordance with the change in the room temperature Ti (step S14). For example, when the room temperature Ti increases while the compressor 21 is stopped, the control unit 101 gradually increases the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b. This can reduce the sensible temperature in the indoor space 71.
While the compressor 21 is stopped, the control unit 101 adjusts the wind directions of the indoor fans 33a and 33b (step S15). Specifically, the indoor unit 13 includes the following members, not shown: a left-right wind direction plate that can change the wind direction of the airflow blown out from the indoor unit 13 in the left-right direction; and a vertical wind direction plate capable of changing the wind direction vertically. In the stopped state of the compressor 21, the control unit 101 swings at least one of the horizontal wind direction plate and the vertical wind direction plate, and swings the direction of the air blowing by the indoor fans 33a and 33b. This air-conditions the entire indoor space 71 uniformly.
In step S15, when the infrared sensor 43 detects an object such as a person or an object present in the indoor space 71, the control unit 101 controls the horizontal wind direction plate and the vertical wind direction plate to rotate so that the wind direction of the air blown by the indoor air- blowers 33a, 33b is directed toward the position of the detected object. This can improve the cool feeling and improve the comfort.
Second, in the state where the compressor 21 stops operating, the control portion 101 determines whether the room temperature Ti rises to the heat conduction temperature or more (step S16). When room temperature Ti is lower than the heat-on temperature (step S16; no), control unit 101 maintains compressor 21 in the stopped state. On the other hand, when room temperature Ti rises to or above the heat conduction temperature (step S16; yes), control unit 101 determines that comfort cannot be maintained unless in the cooling mode, and starts operation of compressor 21 (step S17). When the operation of the compressor 21 is started, the control unit 101 decreases the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b from the rotation speed immediately before the start of the operation of the compressor 21 (step S18). Here, the heat conduction temperature is set to, for example, a set temperature Tm or a temperature obtained by adding the set temperature Tm to the amount of decrease in sensible temperature due to blowing by the indoor blowers 33a and 33b.
Specifically, in the operation mode other than the "blowing", the control unit 101 increases the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b when the compressor 21 starts operating, and therefore does not decrease the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b. In contrast, in the "blowing" mode, when the compressor 21 starts operating, the control unit 101 decreases the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b. This makes it possible to obtain a moderate cooling sensation without causing sudden coldness to the indoor person in the indoor space 71.
After the start of the operation of the compressor 21, the control unit 101 adjusts the rotation speeds of the indoor fans 33a and 33b in accordance with the change in the room temperature Ti (step S19). For example, when the room temperature Ti decreases during the operation of the compressor 21, the control unit 101 gradually decreases the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b. This increases the sensible temperature in the indoor space 71.
Thereafter, control unit 101 returns the process to step 11, and repeats the processes from step S11 to step S19. When increasing or decreasing the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b, the control unit 101 may gradually change the rotation speed of the indoor fans 33a and 33b to the target rotation speed without rapidly changing the rotation speed.
In this way, in the "blowing" operation mode, the control unit 101 increases or decreases the rotation speed of the indoor blowers 33a and 33b when switching between the operation and the stop of the compressor 21. Since the sensible temperature of the user is lowered by the airflow by increasing the air volumes of the indoor air-sending devices 33a and 33b while the compressor 21 is stopped, comfort is ensured even when the compressor 21 is stopped. This can suppress an increase in power consumption caused by a user lowering the set temperature during the stop of the compressor 21. As a result, the operation time of the compressor 21 can be reduced, and both comfort and energy saving can be achieved. In particular, the "blowing" operation mode is suitable for the case where the temperature and humidity of the outdoor space 72 are not high, and air conditioning can be performed by both the cooling and the electric fan, as in early summer or deep summer. In addition, since it is not necessary to separately provide an electric fan, the design of the indoor space 71 is improved.
(E) Automatic mode
The "automatic" operation mode is a mode in which the operation mode is automatically switched from among "(a) cooling", "(C1) weak cooling dehumidification", "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification", "(C5) extended dehumidification", "(C6) reheat dehumidification", and "(D) blowing" described above. The user can change the operation mode to the "(E) automatic mode" by pressing a single button of the user interface. The representation of "(E) automatic mode" in the user interface may also be generalized names such as "automatic", "optional", and "a.i. Hereinafter, a case where the air conditioner 1 air-conditions the indoor space 71 in the "(E) automatic" operation mode will be described.
< function of air conditioner 1 >
Next, a functional configuration of the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to fig. 5. As shown in fig. 5, the air conditioner 1 functionally includes an acquisition unit 510, an estimation unit 520, a determination unit 530, an air conditioning control unit 540, and a notification unit 550. Each of the above functions is implemented by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are described as programs and are stored in the ROM or storage section 102. Then, in the control unit 101, the CPU executes the program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 102 to realize each function shown in fig. 5.
The acquisition unit 510 acquires load information related to the heat load of the indoor space 71. The heat load is the amount of heat required by the air conditioner 1 to change the environment such as the temperature and humidity of the indoor space 71 and maintain the environment at a target environment. The acquisition unit 510 acquires information such as temperature and humidity detected by each of the temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor 42, and the infrared sensor 43 as load information.
Specifically, the acquisition unit 510 acquires the room temperature Ti detected by the temperature sensor 41 from the temperature sensor 41, the room humidity RHi detected by the humidity sensor 42 from the humidity sensor 42, and the window temperature Tw detected by the infrared sensor 43 and the position information of the object in the indoor space 71 from the infrared sensor 43. The acquisition unit 510 acquires the outside air temperature To and the outside air humidity RHo detected by the outside air temperature sensor and the outside air humidity sensor, and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant detected by the evaporation temperature sensor from the sensors.
Each sensor periodically transmits detected information to the outdoor unit control unit 51 at a predetermined cycle. Alternatively, acquisition unit 510 may transmit a request to each sensor as necessary, and each sensor may transmit the detected information in response to the request. In this way, the acquisition unit 510 acquires information such as temperature and humidity detected by each sensor via the indoor unit control unit 53 and the communication line 63. The acquisition unit 510 is realized by the control unit 101 cooperating with the communication unit 104. The acquisition unit 510 functions as an acquisition unit.
The estimation unit 520 estimates the heat load of the indoor space 71 based on the information such as the temperature and the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit 510. Here, the heat load includes a sensible heat load due to sensible heat and a latent heat load due to latent heat.
< relationship and definition of Heat load and air Conditioning Capacity >
The sensible heat load is classified into an unstable sensible heat load Ps expressed by the following expression (2) and a stable sensible heat load Qs expressed by the following expression (3). The sum of the unsteady sensible heat load Ps and the steady sensible heat load Qs corresponds to the sensible heat capacity of the air conditioner 1 for changing the room temperature Ti and maintaining the room temperature at the set temperature Tm, as shown in the following expression (4).
Unsteady sensible heat load Ps ═ sensible heat capacity/unit time × (room temperature Ti — set temperature Tm) … (2)
Stable sensible heat load Qs ═ α (outside air temperature To-room temperature Ti) + β (window temperature Tw-room temperature Ti) + internal calorific value Qn … (3)
Sensible heat capacity is unstable sensible heat load Ps + stable sensible heat load Qs … (4)
In the above equation (2), the sensible heat capacity is a heat capacity related to sensible heat possessed by a wall, a floor, furniture, or the like of the indoor space 71. In the above expression (3), α is a coefficient indicating the heat insulating performance of the indoor space 71, β is a coefficient indicating the ease of sunlight penetration, and the internal heat generation amount Qn is the amount of heat generated from the illumination, home appliances, people, and the like present in the indoor space 71. These values are set in advance to appropriate values and stored in the storage unit 102.
As shown in the above equation (2), the unsteady sensible heat load Ps is determined by the temperature difference Δ T between the room temperature Ti and the set temperature Tm. The unsteady sensible heat load Ps corresponds to the amount of heat for changing the room temperature Ti to the set temperature Tm, and becomes the first sensible heat load dominant when the room temperature Ti is far from the set temperature Tm.
On the other hand, as shown in the above equation (3), the steady sensible heat load Qs is determined by the difference between the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ti, the difference between the window temperature Tw, which is a parameter depending on the amount of solar radiation in the outdoor space 72, and the room temperature Ti, and the internal heat generation amount Qn. The steady sensible heat load Qs is a sensible heat load generated mainly by a difference between the environment of the indoor space 71 and the environment of the outdoor space 72, and corresponds to a heat amount required to maintain the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm in a steady state when the room temperature Ti is equal to the set temperature Tm. The steady sensible heat load Qs is the second sensible heat load that becomes dominant when the room temperature Ti approaches the set temperature Tm.
The latent heat load is classified into an unstable latent heat load Pl expressed by the following expression (5) and a stable latent heat load Ql expressed by the following expression (6). The sum of the unsteady latent heat load Pl and the steady latent heat load Ql corresponds to latent heat capacity for the air conditioner 1 to change the humidity RHi of the indoor space 71 and maintain the set humidity RHm, as represented by the following expression (7).
Unsteady latent heat load Pl ═ latent heat capacity/unit time × (indoor absolute humidity-target absolute humidity) … (5)
Stable latent heat load Ql ═ α' (outdoor absolute humidity-indoor absolute humidity) + internal evaporation … (6)
Latent heat capacity Pl + load Ql … (7)
In the above equation (5), the latent heat capacity is a heat capacity related to latent heat possessed by the walls, floors, furniture, and the like of the indoor space 71. In the above expression (6), α' is a coefficient indicating the ease of inflow of moisture from the outdoor space 72 to the indoor space 71. That is, the first term of the above equation (6) represents the amount of moisture that enters the indoor space 71 from the outdoor space 72 by ventilation. The internal evaporation amount is an amount of moisture evaporated in the indoor space 71 by a human body, cooking, or the like. These values are set in advance and stored in the storage unit 102.
As shown in the above equation (5), the unsteady latent heat load Pl is determined by the difference between the indoor absolute humidity and the target absolute humidity. The target absolute humidity is an absolute humidity when the room temperature Ti is equal to the set temperature Tm and the indoor humidity RHi, which is the relative humidity of the indoor space 71, is equal to the set humidity RHm, which is the target humidity. That is, the unsteady latent heat load Pl corresponds to the amount of heat for changing the indoor humidity RHi to the set humidity RHm when the room temperature Ti is equal to the set temperature Tm. The unsteady latent heat load Pl becomes the dominant first latent heat load when the indoor absolute humidity is far from the target absolute humidity.
On the other hand, as shown in the above expression (6), the stable latent heat load Ql is determined by the difference between the outdoor absolute humidity and the indoor absolute humidity and the internal evaporation amount. The steady latent heat load Ql is a latent heat load generated mainly by a difference between the environment of the indoor space 71 and the environment of the outdoor space 72, and corresponds to heat for maintaining the indoor humidity RHi at the set humidity RHm when the indoor absolute humidity is equal to the target absolute humidity. The steady latent heat load Ql is the second latent heat load that becomes dominant when the indoor absolute humidity approaches the target absolute humidity.
The estimation unit 520 calculates the unsteady sensible heat load Ps, the steady sensible heat load Qs, the sensible heat capacity, the unsteady latent heat load Pl, the steady latent heat load Ql, and the latent heat capacity from the values of the temperature, the humidity, and the like acquired by the acquisition unit 510 based on the above equations (2) to (7). Thus, the estimation unit 520 estimates the heat load of the indoor space 71. The estimation unit 520 is realized by the control unit 101 cooperating with the storage unit 102. The estimating unit 520 functions as an estimating means.
Determination unit 530 determines the operation mode of the air conditioner based on the heat load estimated by estimation unit 520. Fig. 6 shows the relationship between the heat load and the operation mode. As shown in fig. 6, when the air conditioner 1 air-conditions the indoor space 71 in the "(E) automatic" operation mode, the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is determined based on the magnitude of the steady sensible heat load Qs and the magnitude of the steady latent heat load Ql. Determination unit 530 determines the operation mode based on the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql estimated by estimation unit 520.
Here, there are several problems with switching the operation mode at an appropriate timing. For example, if the switching from the cooling mode to the blowing mode is too fast, temperature recovery or humidity recovery occurs in a short time, and comfort is reduced. If the switching from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode is too fast, the efficiency of lowering the room temperature Ti deteriorates and the power consumption increases. On the other hand, if the switching from the cooling mode to the blowing mode is too slow, the power consumption increases and the cooling is too high. If the switching from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode is too slow, supercooling and a rise in humidity are caused. To avoid such a problem, determination unit 530 determines the operation mode so that the modes of cooling, dehumidification, and air blowing can be automatically switched at an appropriate timing.
< example of determination of operation mode >
First, the determination unit 530 determines the magnitude relationship between the steady latent heat load Ql estimated by the estimation unit 520 and the latent heat thresholds Ql1 and Ql 2. When the steady latent heat load Ql is larger than the first latent heat threshold Ql1, for example, a case where a "high humidity condition" in which the outside air humidity RHo is relatively high is satisfied, such as a rainy day or a cloudy day, is equivalent. On the other hand, when the steady latent heat load Ql is smaller than the second latent heat threshold Ql2, for example, it corresponds to a case where a "low humidity condition" in which the outside air humidity RHo is relatively low is satisfied as in a dry day.
When the steady latent heat load Ql is larger than the first latent heat threshold Ql1, that is, when the high humidity condition is satisfied, the second determination unit 530 determines the magnitude relationship between the steady sensible heat load Qs and the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 to Qs 3. The three sensible heat thresholds Qs1 to Qs3 are set in advance so that Qs1 > Qs2 > Qs 3.
(high humidity Condition 1)
In the high humidity condition, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is greater than the first sensible heat threshold Qs1, it is said that the room temperature Ti is likely To increase because the outside air temperature To or the window temperature Tw is relatively high. In this case, in order to maintain the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm, the cooling capacity is mainly required as compared with the dehumidification capacity. Therefore, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is "(a) cooling".
(high humidity 2)
In the high humidity condition, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is smaller than the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 and larger than the second sensible heat threshold Qs2, the cooling capacity is not required as in the high humidity condition 1. Therefore, in this case, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is the first dehumidification mode "(a) weak cooling dehumidification". Thus, determination unit 530 improves the dehumidification capability instead of reducing the cooling capability as compared to high humidity condition 1.
(high humidity 3)
In the high humidity condition, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the second sensible heat threshold Qs2 and greater than the third sensible heat threshold Qs3, the cooling capacity is less required than in the high humidity condition 2. Therefore, in this case, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is the second dehumidification mode. Here, the second dehumidification mode is "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification", or "(C5) extended dehumidification". Thereby, determination unit 530 further reduces the cooling capacity and further improves the dehumidification capacity as compared to high humidity condition 2.
To explain in more detail, in the case where the stable latent heat load Ql is relatively low under the high humidity condition 3, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(C2) two-fan dehumidification". In the high humidity condition 3, when the stable latent heat load Ql is relatively high and the stable sensible heat load Qs is relatively high, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification". In the high humidity condition 3, when the stable latent heat load Ql is relatively high and the stable sensible heat load Qs is relatively low, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(C4) partial cooling and dehumidification". In the vicinity of the boundary among the three operation modes, the determination unit 530 determines "(C5) extended dehumidification" in which at least two of the three operation modes are combined as the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1. In this way, in the high humidity condition 3, the operation mode is continuously switched according to the stable sensible heat load Qs and the stable latent heat load Ql.
(high humidity 4)
In the case where the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the third sensible heat threshold Qs3 in the high humidity condition, if the indoor space 71 is cooled, the indoor space is overcooled and comfort is reduced. Therefore, in this case, determination unit 530 determines that compressor 21 should be stopped to stop air conditioning.
When the steady latent heat load Ql is smaller than the second latent heat threshold Ql2, that is, when the low humidity condition is satisfied, the second determination unit 530 determines the magnitude relationship between the steady sensible heat load Qs and the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs 4. The fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4 is set to 0kW or a value obtained by adding 0kW to a value obtained by converting the amount of decrease in sensible temperature obtained in the air blowing mode into heat.
(Low humidity Condition 1)
In the low humidity condition, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is greater than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4, this corresponds to a situation where the room temperature Ti is likely to rise. In this case, in order to maintain the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm, the cooling capacity is mainly required as compared with the dehumidification capacity. Therefore, similarly to the high humidity condition 1, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(a) cooling".
(Low humidity 2)
In the low humidity condition, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is smaller than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4, the cooling capacity is not required as in low humidity condition 1, and a large dehumidification capacity is not required. In this case, in order to suppress power consumption, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is "(D) blowing".
In this way, determination unit 530 determines the operation mode of the air conditioner based on the stable sensible heat load Qs and the stable latent heat load Ql estimated by estimation unit 520. The latent heat thresholds Ql1 and Ql2 and sensible heat thresholds Qs1 to Qs4 are set to appropriate values in advance and stored in the storage unit 102. The determination unit 530 is implemented by the control unit 101 cooperating with the storage unit 102. The determination unit 530 functions as a determination unit.
The first latent heat threshold Ql1 is 0kW or more and is set to a value larger than the second latent heat threshold Ql 2. Accordingly, the dehumidification mode is used to sufficiently reduce the humidity when the humidity is high, and the cooling mode is used when the humidity is low, thereby improving the energy saving performance. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing the operation mode from being frequently switched, it is also preferable that the first latent heat threshold Ql1 is slightly larger than the second latent heat threshold Ql 2. However, for simplification, when energy saving performance can be obtained even in the dehumidification mode, the first latent heat threshold Ql1 may be set to 0 kW. The second latent heat threshold Ql2 may be a value that is larger than 0kW by an amount obtained by converting the decrease in sensible temperature obtained in the air blowing mode into humidity, but may be 0 kW. The first latent heat threshold Ql1 and the second latent heat threshold Ql2 may be 0 kW.
Returning to fig. 5, the air conditioning control unit 540 controls the air conditioning unit 110 to air-condition the indoor space 71 by the air conditioning unit 110. The air conditioning unit 110 includes a compressor 21, a four-way valve 22, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, an expansion valve 24, and an outdoor blower 31 in the outdoor unit 11, and an indoor heat exchanger 25 and indoor blowers 33a and 33b in the indoor unit 13, and functions as an air conditioning unit that air-conditions the indoor space 71.
The air conditioning control unit 540 communicates with the indoor unit control unit 53 via the communication unit 104, and causes the air conditioning unit 110 to air condition the indoor space 71 in cooperation with the indoor unit control unit 53. Specifically, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the flow path of the four-way valve 22 in accordance with the instructed operation mode, adjusts the opening degree of the expansion valve 24, and drives the compressor 21, the outdoor fan 31, and the indoor fans 33a and 33b. Thus, the air conditioning control unit 540 executes the processes of "(a) cooling", "(B) heating", "(C1) weak cooling dehumidification", "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification", "(C5) extended dehumidification", "(C6) reheat dehumidification", or "(D) blowing" described in the above < operation mode >. The air conditioning control unit 540 is realized by the control unit 101 cooperating with the communication unit 104. The air conditioning control unit 540 functions as an air conditioning control unit.
In the case of the operation mode in which the "(E) automatic" instruction is given, air-conditioning control unit 540 causes air-conditioning unit 110 to air-condition indoor space 71 in the operation mode determined by determination unit 530. Specifically, when any one of the high humidity conditions 1, 2, and 3 and the low humidity conditions 1 and 2 is satisfied, the air conditioning control unit 540 causes the air conditioning unit 110 to air condition the indoor space 71 in an operation mode of "(a) cooling", "(C1) weak cooling and dehumidification", "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", "(C4) partial cooling and dehumidification", "(C5) extended dehumidification", or "(D) air blowing" in accordance with the satisfied conditions. When the high humidity condition 4 is established, the air conditioning control unit 540 stops the operation of the compressor 21.
When the determination unit 530 newly determines an operation mode different from the current operation mode based on the load information such as the temperature and humidity acquired by the acquisition unit 510, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches from the current operation mode to the newly determined operation mode to air-condition the indoor space 71.
Specifically, when the high humidity condition is satisfied, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the first dehumidification mode if the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the cooling mode. When the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the second sensible heat threshold Qs2 when the air conditioning unit 110 is performing air conditioning in the first dehumidification mode, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the second dehumidification mode, and when the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the third sensible heat threshold Qs3 when the air conditioning unit 110 is performing air conditioning in the second dehumidification mode, stops the compressor 21. Conversely, if the steady sensible heat load Qs is greater than each sensible heat threshold Qs1 to Qs3, the air conditioning controller 540 switches the operation mode to the opposite of the above.
On the other hand, when the low humidity condition is satisfied, if the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4 when the air conditioner 110 performs air conditioning in the cooling mode, the air conditioning controller 540 switches the operation mode to the air blowing mode. Conversely, if the steady sensible heat load Qs is greater than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4 when the air conditioner 110 is performing air conditioning in the blowing mode, the air conditioner controller 540 switches the operation mode to the cooling mode.
When the low humidity condition is satisfied, if the stable latent heat load Ql is greater than the first latent heat threshold Ql1 when the air conditioner 110 performs air conditioning in the blowing mode, the air conditioning controller 540 switches the operation mode to any one of the high humidity conditions 1 to 4 in accordance with the stable sensible heat load Qs at that time. Conversely, when the high humidity condition is satisfied, the operation mode is switched to the air blowing mode when the stable latent heat load Ql is smaller than the second latent heat threshold Ql2 and the stable sensible heat load Qs is smaller than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs 4.
Hereinafter, a process in which the air-conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode and air-conditions the indoor space 71 will be described, taking a case in which a high humidity condition is established and a case in which a low humidity condition is established as an example.
< high humidity Condition >
Fig. 7 (a) to (f) and fig. 8 (g) to (j) show, as a first example, changes in various parameters in a cloudy day in which a high-humidity condition is established. As shown in fig. 7 (a), the amount of sunshine varies depending on the amount of cloud, but increases from approximately 6 to 12 points and decreases from 12 to 18 points. The window temperature Tw is not shown, but changes in the same manner as the increase and decrease in the amount of solar radiation. The outside air temperature To shown in fig. 7 (b) changes with a delay from the solar radiation amount due To the solar radiation temperature rise, and reaches a peak around point 13. The outside air humidity RHo shown in fig. 7 (c) is relatively shifted higher under high humidity conditions. If it is assumed that the rain does not fall and the absolute humidity of the outside air hardly changes, the outside air humidity RHo does not decrease as much as during daytime when the outside air temperature To is high.
Fig. 7 (d) shows a change in the steady sensible heat load Qs when the room temperature Ti is the set temperature Tm and is constant. When the room temperature Ti is the set temperature Tm and is constant, the steady sensible heat load Qs is estimated by the estimating unit 520 according to the above expression (3). As shown in fig. 7 (d), the steady sensible heat load Qs gradually increases from 6 o' clock with the increase in the amount of solar radiation and the outside air temperature To, reaches a peak around noon, and then gradually decreases.
Fig. 7 (e) shows the steady latent heat load Ql when the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi are constant. The stable latent heat load Ql is estimated by the estimating unit 520 based on the above expression (6). When the outdoor absolute humidity and the ventilation amount are constant and the internal evaporation amount is also constant, the steady latent heat load Ql becomes constant as shown in fig. 7 (e).
Fig. 7 (f) and fig. 8 (g) to 8 (j) show an operation mode, sensible heat capacity, latent heat capacity, room temperature Ti, and changes in room humidity RHi when air conditioning is started at 16 points in the "automatic" mode by the air conditioner 1. Determination unit 530 determines the operation mode based on the steady sensible heat load Qs shown in fig. 7 (d) and the steady latent heat load Ql shown in fig. 7 (e). Air conditioning control unit 540 performs air conditioning in the air conditioning mode determined by determination unit 530.
Specifically, at the start of air conditioning at 16 points, the steady latent heat load Ql is greater than the first latent heat threshold Ql1, and the steady sensible heat load Qs is greater than the first sensible heat threshold Qs 1. Therefore, the air conditioning controller 540 starts air conditioning in the "cooling" operation mode as shown in fig. 7 (f). Thereafter, when the outside air temperature To decreases with the passage of time, the steady sensible heat load Qs decreases. For example, at point 17, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is lower than the first sensible heat threshold Qs1, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode from "cooling" to "weak cooling dehumidification" which is the first dehumidification mode. Further, for example, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is lower than the second sensible heat threshold Qs2 at point 23, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode from "weak cooling dehumidification" to "two-fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", or "extended dehumidification", which is the second dehumidification mode.
Since the room temperature Ti shown in (i) of fig. 8 is higher than the set temperature Tm at the time when air conditioning is started in the "cooling" mode at 16 points, the sensible heat capacity shown in (g) of fig. 8 is large. Thereafter, the sensible heat capacity decreases as the room temperature Ti approaches the set temperature Tm, and is controlled by the air conditioning control unit 540 such that the room temperature Ti is stabilized at the set temperature Tm. After the room temperature Ti is stabilized at the set temperature Tm, the night time outside air temperature To decreases, and therefore the steady sensible heat load Qs shown in fig. 7 (d) gradually decreases. Accordingly, the sensible heat capacity shown in (g) of fig. 8 is approximately equal to the steady sensible heat load Qs, and as a result, the room temperature Ti shown in (i) of fig. 8 is approximately equal to the set temperature Tm.
Since the sensible heat capacity is controlled so that the room temperature Ti becomes the set temperature Tm in the "cooling" mode, the latent heat capacity shown in (h) of fig. 8 naturally changes. During a period of time when air conditioning is started, as sensible heat capacity becomes larger, latent heat capacity also becomes larger, and therefore, the indoor humidity RHi shown in (j) of fig. 8 decreases. However, in the case of maintaining the "cooling" mode operation, the latent heat capacity decreases as the sensible heat capacity decreases as shown by the dashed line in fig. 8 (h). Therefore, the dehumidification amount decreases, and the indoor humidity RHi is increased as indicated by a dashed line in fig. 8 (j).
In order to avoid an increase in the indoor humidity RHi, the air conditioning control unit 540 sequentially switches from the "cooling" mode to the "weak cooling and dehumidification" mode, and from the "weak cooling and dehumidification" mode to the "extended dehumidification" mode. Since the latent heat capacity changes to the same extent as the steady latent heat load Ql by switching the operation mode in this way, the indoor humidity RHi is stabilized to the same extent as the set humidity RHm as shown by the solid line in fig. 8 (j).
< Low humidity Condition >
Fig. 9(a) to (f) and fig. 10(g) to (j) show, as a second example, changes in various parameters on a sunny day in which a low humidity condition is established. As shown in fig. 9(a), the amount of sunshine varies depending on the amount of cloud, but increases from approximately 6 to 12 points and decreases from 12 to 18 points. The window temperature Tw changes in the same manner as the increase and decrease in the amount of solar radiation, although not shown. The outside air temperature To shown in fig. 9(b) changes with a delay from the solar radiation amount because of the solar radiation temperature rise, and reaches a peak around point 13. The outside air humidity RHo shown in fig. 9(c) is relatively low in the low humidity condition as compared with the high humidity condition shown in fig. 7 (c).
Fig. 9 (d) shows a change in the steady sensible heat load Qs when the room temperature Ti is the set temperature Tm and is constant. As shown in fig. 9 (d), the steady sensible heat load Qs gradually increases from 6 o' clock with the increase in the amount of solar radiation and the outside air temperature To, and gradually decreases after reaching a peak around noon.
Fig. 9 (e) shows the steady latent heat load Ql when the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi are constant. When the outdoor absolute humidity and the ventilation amount are constant and the internal evaporation amount is also constant, the steady latent heat load Ql becomes constant as shown in fig. 9 (e). In addition, under low humidity conditions, the stable latent heat load Ql is smaller than that under high humidity conditions shown in fig. 7 (e).
Fig. 9 (f) and fig. 10(g) to 10 (j) show an operation mode, sensible heat capacity, latent heat capacity, room temperature Ti, and change in room humidity RHi when air conditioning is started at 16 points in the "automatic" mode by the air conditioner 1.
At the start of air conditioning at 16 points, the steady latent heat load Ql is smaller than the second latent heat threshold Ql2, and the steady sensible heat load Qs is larger than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs 4. Therefore, the air conditioning controller 540 starts air conditioning in the "cooling" operation mode as shown in fig. 9 (f). Thereafter, when the outside air temperature To decreases with the passage of time, the steady sensible heat load Qs decreases. For example, if the steady sensible heat load Qs is lower than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4 at point 17, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode from "cooling" to "blowing".
Since the room temperature Ti shown in (i) of fig. 10 is higher than the set temperature Tm at the time when air conditioning is started in the "cooling" mode at 16 points, the sensible heat capacity shown in (g) of fig. 10 is large. Thereafter, the sensible heat capacity decreases as the room temperature Ti approaches the set temperature Tm, and is controlled by the air conditioning control unit 540 such that the room temperature Ti is stabilized at the set temperature Tm. After the room temperature Ti is stabilized at the set temperature Tm, the night time outside air temperature To decreases, and therefore the steady sensible heat load Qs shown in fig. 9 (d) gradually decreases. Accordingly, the sensible heat capacity shown in (g) of fig. 10 is about the same as the steady sensible heat load Qs, and as a result, the room temperature Ti shown in (i) of fig. 10 is maintained at the set temperature Tm.
Since the sensible heat capacity is controlled so that the room temperature Ti becomes the set temperature Tm in the "cooling" mode, the latent heat capacity shown in (h) of fig. 10 naturally changes. During a period of time when air conditioning is started, as sensible heat capacity is larger, latent heat capacity also progresses, and thus the indoor humidity RHi shown in (j) of fig. 10 decreases. With operation maintained in the "cooling" mode, as sensible capacity decreases, latent capacity also decreases. However, under low humidity conditions, the indoor humidity RHi is likely to decrease, and therefore, even if the latent heat capacity is small, the effect on comfort is small. Therefore, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode from "cooling" to "blowing" in accordance with the decrease in sensible heat capacity.
Since the "cooling" is switched to the "blowing" on the condition that the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the fourth sensible heat threshold Qs4, the room temperature Ti is less likely to increase more than the set temperature Tm even if the sensible heat capacity is insufficient after the switching to the "blowing". In addition, since the air conditioner is in a low humidity condition, the increase of the indoor humidity RHi due to the re-evaporation of the moisture adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 25 by the air blowing is unlikely to occur even after the air conditioner is switched to the "air blowing". Therefore, by switching to "air blowing", both comfort and energy saving can be achieved.
Although not shown, when the high humidity condition and the low humidity condition are switched during one day, as in the case where the external air humidity RHo changes due to sudden rain, various parameters indicate transitions in which the changes under the high humidity condition shown in fig. 7 and 8 and the changes under the low humidity condition shown in fig. 9 and 10 are mixed.
For example, in the case where the outside air humidity RHo increases and the high humidity condition is satisfied during air conditioning with "blowing" under the low humidity condition, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to "two-fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", or "extended dehumidification". Conversely, when the outside air humidity RHo decreases and the low humidity condition is satisfied during dehumidification by "two-fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", or "extended dehumidification" under the high humidity condition, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to "air blowing". Thus, under high humidity conditions, when the operation mode of "dehumidification" is switched to improve the comfort of the indoor space 71 and the comfort of the indoor space 71 can be ensured even without dehumidification, the operation mode of "air blowing" can be switched to suppress power consumption.
< Notification function >
The notification unit 550 notifies the user of first notification information relating to the environment of the indoor space 71 and second notification information relating to control of the air conditioning unit 110 by the air conditioning control unit 540 by display or sound. When the air-conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode of the air conditioner, the notification unit 550 displays the notification screen shown in fig. 11 to 13 on the display unit 130 such as the remote controller 55, the smartphone, and the tablet. The notification unit 550 is realized by the control unit 101 cooperating with the communication unit 104. The notification unit 550 functions as a notification means.
As shown in fig. 11 to 13, the notification unit 550 notifies the trend information 131 indicating the trend of the temperature or humidity of the indoor space 71 as the first notification information, and notifies the operation mode information 132 indicating the operation mode as the second notification information. The trend information 131 is first image information indicating whether the room temperature Ti or the room humidity RHi acquired by the acquisition unit 510 is in an upward trend, a downward trend, or a maintaining trend.
For example, as shown in fig. 11, when the indoor humidity RHi is in an upward trend, the notification unit 550 displays an upward arrow together with a picture of water droplets indicating humidity as the trend information 131. On the other hand, as shown in fig. 12, when both the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi are in the maintenance trend, the notification unit 550 displays a horizontal arrow as the trend information 131 together with the picture of the water droplet and the picture of the thermometer indicating the temperature. As shown in fig. 13, when the room temperature Ti is in an upward trend, the notification unit 550 displays an upward arrow together with a picture of the thermometer as the trend information 131. Such a tendency of the room temperature Ti or the room humidity RHi is determined by whether the room temperature Ti or the room humidity RHi rises or falls or whether the variation width is within the error range in the period of the latest predetermined length.
When the operation mode is switched by the air conditioning control unit 540, the notification unit 550 notifies information indicating the trend of the room temperature Ti or the room humidity RHi immediately before the operation mode is switched as the trend information 131. By notifying the information immediately before the switching of the operation mode, there is an effect of making it easy for the user to recognize the reason why the operation mode is switched, for example, when the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode.
On the other hand, when receiving a request from the user, the notification unit 550 notifies information indicating the trend of the current room temperature Ti or room humidity RHi as the trend information 131. When a request is received from a user, the current information is notified, so that the user can grasp the future trend of temperature and humidity.
When the operation mode is switched by the air-conditioning control unit 540, the operation mode information 132 is second image information indicating which mode the operation mode is switched from. When the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode from the first mode to the second mode, the notification unit 550 notifies both the first mode, which is the operation mode before switching, and the second mode, which is the operation mode after switching, as the operation mode information 132.
For example, as shown in fig. 11, when the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode, the notification unit 550 displays the dehumidification mode, which is the operation mode after the switching, as the operation mode information 132 so that the dehumidification mode becomes more obvious than the cooling mode, which is the operation mode before the switching. Similarly, as shown in fig. 12, when the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the air blowing mode, the notification unit 550 displays the air blowing mode, which is the operation mode after the switching, as the operation mode information 132 so that the air blowing mode is more conspicuous than the cooling mode, which is the operation mode before the switching.
Note that the notification unit 550 is not limited to notifying both the operation modes before and after switching as the operation mode information 132, and may notify only the operation mode after switching for the sake of simplicity. Wherein, the operation mode is automatically switched by informing both the operation modes before and after switching together, thereby making it easy for the user to recognize that the operation mode is automatically switched.
In this way, by displaying the trend information 131 and the operation mode information 132, the user can easily recognize the current air conditioning situation. In this case, the image in which the picture and the character are mixed is displayed clearly through the display unit 130 of the full dot system, and is displayed adjacent to the trend information 131 and the operation mode information 132, so that the user can more easily recognize the switching of the operation mode and the reason thereof.
In addition to the trend information 131 and the operation mode information 132, the notification unit 550 notifies the judgment information 133 indicating the judgment content of the operation mode as the first notification information, and notifies the control information 134 indicating the control content by the air conditioning control unit 540 as the second notification information. The determination information 133 is first character information indicating the determination content of the operation mode determined by the determination unit 530. As described above, the determination unit 530 determines whether or not the criterion for switching the operation mode and the operation mode to be switched are satisfied based on the room temperature Ti, the room humidity RHi, the steady sensible heat load Qs, the steady latent heat load Ql, and the like acquired by the acquisition unit 510. The determination information 133 is information of the operation mode determined by the determination unit 530. On the other hand, the control information 134 is second character information indicating the control content when the air conditioning is executed by the air conditioning control unit 540 and when the operation mode is switched.
For example, as shown in fig. 11, the notification unit 550 displays "although the temperature reaches the target, the humidity is still high. "character information" indicates "the mode has been switched to the dehumidification mode" as the determination information 133. "as the control information 134. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 12, the notification unit 550 displays, as the determination information 133, character information "it is predicted that the temperature and humidity will not increase even when the air flow is changed," and displays "the air flow is switched. "as the control information 134. As shown in fig. 13, the notification unit 550 displays "the air becomes hot due to outside air and sunlight. "as the determination information 133, and" heating has been released in advance "is displayed. "as the control information 134. By such notification, the user can grasp the content of the control automatically performed. In addition, for example, when the cooling mode is switched to the dehumidification mode, the user can easily recognize the reason why the operation mode is switched.
The notification unit 550 displays the text information in a sentence by concatenating the text information. Thereby, the user easily reads the determination information 133 and the control information 134, making it easier to recognize. In addition, display space can be saved.
As shown in fig. 11 to 13, the notification unit 550 displays the trend information 131 and the operation mode information 132 on the upper part of the screen, and displays the judgment information 133 and the control information 134 on the lower part of the screen. By displaying the respective pieces of information at the same time in this way, the user's visibility is further improved. Further, the arrangement of each information within the screen is not limited to this.
By the function of the notification unit 550, the user can easily recognize the current air conditioning status. That is, in the automatic mode, the user can easily enjoy each of the cooling mode, the dehumidification mode, and the air blowing mode without performing his or her operation. On the other hand, although the automatic mode is convenient, it is difficult to grasp the control content, and therefore, there is a possibility that a sense of security or a sense of reliability of the user cannot be obtained, and there is a possibility that there is a sense of incongruity. In particular, automation has been advanced due to recent popularization of ai (intellectual intelligence) functions, and on the other hand, improvement of content recognition of users and quality of user-to-device conversation has been desired. In embodiment 1, the user can easily recognize the current status of the air conditioner by the function of the notification unit 550, and thus the user can use the air conditioner in the automatic mode more conveniently.
Next, the flow of the control process in the automatic mode executed by the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in fig. 14.
When the operation in the automatic mode is instructed, the control unit 101 functions as the acquisition unit 510 To acquire sensor information such as the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature To, the window temperature Tw, the room humidity RHi, and the outside air humidity RHo detected by the sensors (step S101). The control unit 101 functions as the estimation unit 520 to estimate the heat load of the indoor space 71 (step S102). Specifically, the control unit 101 calculates the unsteady sensible heat load Ps, the steady sensible heat load Qs, the sensible heat capacity, the unsteady latent heat load Pl, the steady latent heat load Ql, and the latent heat capacity based on the above equations (2) to (7) and the acquired sensor information.
When the heat load is estimated, the control unit 101 functions as the determination unit 530, and determines the operation mode of the air conditioner based on the estimated heat load (step S103). Then, the control unit 101 functions as the air conditioning control unit 540, and performs air conditioning in the determined operation mode (step S104). Specifically, the control unit 101 compares the magnitude relationship between the steady sensible heat load Qs and the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 to Qs4, and compares the magnitude relationship between the steady latent heat load Ql and the latent heat thresholds Ql1 and Ql 2. Then, the control unit 101 selects an operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 from among the plurality of operation modes based on the determination criterion shown in fig. 6, and causes the air conditioner 110 to air-condition the indoor space 71 in the selected operation mode.
Then, the control unit 101 notifies, as necessary, information about switching of the operation mode or information about the operation mode during execution, as shown in fig. 11 or 12, for example (step S105). For example, the control unit 101 functions as the notification unit 550, and displays the notification screen shown in fig. 11 to 13 on the display unit 130. Thereafter, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S101. While the control unit 101 instructs the automatic mode operation, the process from step S101 to step S105 is repeated.
As described above, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 switches the operation mode between the stable sensible heat load Qs required to maintain the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm and the stable latent heat load Ql required to maintain the indoor humidity RHi at the set humidity RHm, and air-conditions the indoor space 71. Thus, the operation mode can be switched by predicting the change in the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi, as compared with the case where the operation mode is switched only by the unstable heat load caused by the temperature difference Δ T between the room temperature Ti and the set temperature Tm or the humidity difference Δ RH between the room humidity RHi and the set humidity RHm. Therefore, a reduction in comfort due to supercooling of the indoor space 71 can be suppressed, and improvement in comfort can be achieved. In addition, an increase in power consumption can be suppressed.
In the case where the sensible heat load required after switching from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode is insufficient due to the sensible heat load applied to the dehumidification mode, the temperature change causing discomfort due to the temperature recovery occurs, and it is necessary to return to the cooling mode again. The same applies to the case where the first dehumidification mode having higher sensible heat capacity is switched to the second dehumidification mode having lower sensible heat capacity, and the case where the cooling mode is switched to the air blowing mode, among the plurality of dehumidification modes. Similarly, when the operation mode is switched to the blowing mode using only the determination of the humidity difference Δ RH, even if the current humidity is low, the humidity recovery occurs when the stable latent heat load Ql remains. The air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1 switches the operation mode according to the stable sensible heat load Qs and the stable latent heat load Ql, and can estimate whether or not the temperature and humidity have increased after the switching of the operation mode before the switching of the operation mode, and therefore can suppress the operation mode from being frequently switched, and as a result, can switch with high accuracy without selecting three operation modes, i.e., the cooling mode, the dehumidification mode, and the air blowing mode, by pressing a button.
The air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 includes the operation modes of "two-fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", and "partial cooling dehumidification", which are capable of dehumidifying with a latent heat capacity higher than that of "weak cooling dehumidification". The air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1 is configured to switch the plurality of dehumidification modes in accordance with the steady sensible heat load Qs in the "automatic" operation mode, thereby dehumidifying the indoor space 71. Accordingly, sensible heat capacity related to temperature control and latent heat capacity related to humidity control can be continuously outputted, and therefore, fluctuation of temperature and humidity is small at the time of switching of the operation mode according to various conditions such as weather conditions, building conditions, and living conditions, and comfortable air conditioning can be provided. Further, under the condition that sensible heat capacity or latent heat capacity of a plurality of operation modes overlap, by selecting a more energy-saving operation mode, power consumption can be reduced.
The air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1 has an operation mode of "air blowing" in which cooling and air blowing are combined. In the "automatic" operation mode, when the low humidity condition is satisfied and the steady sensible heat load Qs is relatively small, the air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 1 switches the operation mode to "air blowing" to air-condition the indoor space 71. As a result, the comfort of the indoor space 71 can be ensured, and the energy saving performance can be improved.
(embodiment mode 2)
Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained. In embodiment 1, the determination unit 530 determines the operation mode of the air conditioner to be executed by the air conditioner 1, based on the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql. In contrast, in embodiment 2, determination unit 530 determines the operation mode based on temperature difference Δ T between room temperature Ti and set temperature Tm and humidity difference Δ RH between room humidity RHi and set humidity RHm.
In embodiment 2, the estimating unit 520 calculates the temperature difference Δ T between the room temperature Ti and the set temperature Tm based on the room temperature Ti acquired by the acquiring unit 510. Further, the estimation unit 520 calculates a humidity difference Δ RH between the indoor humidity RHi and the set humidity RHm based on the indoor humidity RHi acquired by the acquisition unit 510. The temperature difference Δ T is an index of the unsteady sensible heat load Ps as shown in the above expression (2). The humidity difference Δ RH is a difference between the outdoor absolute humidity and the indoor absolute humidity used in the above equation (5), but can be said to be approximate to an index of the unsteady latent heat load Pl.
Fig. 15 shows a relationship among temperature, humidity, and operation mode. As shown in fig. 15, when the air conditioner 1 air-conditions the indoor space 71 in the "(E) automatic" operation mode, the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is determined based on the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH. Determining unit 530 determines the operation mode based on temperature difference Δ T and humidity difference Δ RH calculated by estimating unit 520.
The operation mode determination process performed by determination unit 530 in embodiment 2 can be described in the same manner as in embodiment 1 by replacing unstable sensible heat load Qs in embodiment 1 with temperature difference Δ T and replacing stable latent heat load Ql with humidity difference Δ RH.
Specifically, first, determining unit 530 determines the magnitude relation between humidity difference Δ RH calculated by estimating unit 520 and humidity thresholds Δ RH1 and Δ RH 2. The case where the humidity difference Δ RH is larger than the first humidity threshold Δ RH1 corresponds to the case where the high humidity condition is established. On the other hand, the case where the humidity difference Δ RH is smaller than the second humidity threshold Δ RH2 corresponds to the case where the low humidity condition is established.
When the high humidity condition is satisfied, determination unit 530 determines the magnitude relationship between temperature difference Δ T and first to third temperature thresholds Δ T1 to Δ T3. When temperature difference Δ T is greater than first temperature threshold value Δ T1, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is "(a) cooling". When the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the first temperature threshold Δ T1 and larger than the second temperature threshold Δ T2, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(C1) weak cooling and dehumidification". When the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the second temperature threshold Δ T2 and larger than the third temperature threshold Δ T3, the determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by the air conditioner 1 is "(C2) two-fan dehumidification", "(C3) dew point temperature dehumidification", or "(C4) partial cooling dehumidification". When the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the third temperature threshold value Δ T3, the determination unit 530 determines that the compressor 21 should be stopped.
When the low humidity condition is satisfied, determination unit 530 determines the magnitude relationship between temperature difference Δ T and fourth temperature threshold value Δ T4. When temperature difference Δ T is smaller than fourth temperature threshold value Δ T4, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is "(a) cooling". When temperature difference Δ T is smaller than fourth temperature threshold Δ T4, determination unit 530 determines that the operation mode to be executed by air conditioner 1 is "(D) blowing". The fourth temperature threshold value DeltaT 4 is set to a value obtained by adding 0 ℃ to 0 ℃ or about 1-2 ℃ that is the amount of decrease in sensible temperature obtained in the air blowing mode.
As in embodiment 1, air conditioning control unit 540 causes air conditioning unit 110 to air condition indoor space 71 in the operation mode determined by determination unit 530. When determining unit 530 redetermines an operation mode different from the current operation mode based on the load information such as temperature and humidity acquired by acquiring unit 510, air conditioning control unit 540 switches from the current operation mode to the redetermined operation mode to air condition indoor space 71.
Specifically, when the high humidity condition is satisfied, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the first dehumidification mode if the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the first temperature threshold Δ T1 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the cooling mode. The air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the second dehumidification mode if the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the second temperature threshold Δ T2 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the first dehumidification mode, and stops the compressor 21 if the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the third temperature threshold Δ T3 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the second dehumidification mode. Conversely, if the temperature difference Δ T is greater than the temperature thresholds Δ T1 to Δ T3, the air-conditioning controller 540 switches the operation mode to the opposite of the above.
On the other hand, when the low humidity condition is satisfied, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the air blowing mode if the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the fourth temperature threshold Δ T4 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the cooling mode. Conversely, if the temperature difference Δ T is greater than the fourth temperature threshold value Δ T4 when the air conditioning unit 110 is performing air conditioning in the blowing mode, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to the cooling mode.
When the low humidity condition is satisfied, if the humidity difference Δ RH is greater than the first humidity threshold Δ RH1 when the air conditioning unit 110 performs air conditioning in the blowing mode, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode to any one of the high humidity conditions 1 to 4 in accordance with the steady sensible heat load Qs at that time. Conversely, when the high humidity condition is satisfied, the operation mode is switched to the air blowing mode when the humidity difference Δ RH is smaller than the second humidity threshold Δ RH2 and the temperature difference Δ T is smaller than the fourth temperature threshold Δ T4.
In this way, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2 switches the operation mode in accordance with the temperature difference Δ T between the room temperature Ti and the set temperature Tm and the humidity difference Δ RH between the room humidity RHi and the set humidity RHm. Although switching between the cooling mode and the dehumidification mode can be determined only by determining the temperature difference Δ T, it cannot be determined whether to switch from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode or to the air blowing mode. In contrast, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 2 can determine whether to switch from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode or to the air blowing mode by adding the determination of the humidity difference Δ RH in addition to the determination of the temperature difference Δ T. Accordingly, after the temperature is decreased in the cooling mode, the comfort can be suppressed from being decreased by switching to the air blowing mode although the humidity is high, and unnecessary power consumption can be suppressed by switching to the dehumidification mode although the humidity is low. As a result, comfort for both room temperature Ti and room humidity RHi can be easily obtained.
Further, although the stagnation of humidity in which the room temperature Ti is immediately decreased but the indoor humidity RHi is not easily decreased is likely to occur by the recent improvement of the heat insulating performance and the ventilation performance of the building, the air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 2 can suppress the stagnation of humidity by switching the operation mode according to both the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH.
By using the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH, it is not necessary To acquire information of the outside air temperature To, the window temperature Tw, and the outside air humidity RHo for determination and switching of the operation mode. Therefore, the operation mode can be switched with a simpler configuration to air-condition the indoor space 71. In particular, when the unsteady sensible heat load Ps and the unsteady latent heat load Pl dominate over the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql, the air conditioner can be configured to appropriately switch the operation mode by determining the operation mode based on the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH.
The determination unit 530 may perform a determination process based on the stable sensible heat load Qs and the stable latent heat load Ql shown in fig. 6 and a determination process based on the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH shown in fig. 15 under a combination of conditions and/or conditions. In this case, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode between the cooling mode and the dehumidification mode and between the cooling mode and the air blowing mode based on both the temperature difference Δ T and the steady sensible heat load Qs, and switches the operation mode between the dehumidification mode and the air blowing mode based on both the humidity difference Δ RH and the steady latent heat load Ql. Alternatively, the determination unit 530 may determine the operation mode based on the sensible heat capacity that is the sum of the unsteady sensible heat load Ps and the steady sensible heat load Qs or the latent heat capacity that is the sum of the unsteady latent heat load Pl and the steady sensible heat load Ql. By switching the operation mode by appropriately combining the determination process based on the temperature difference Δ T and the humidity difference Δ RH and the determination process based on the stable sensible heat load Qs and the stable latent heat load Ql, frequent switching of the operation mode, variation in the room temperature Ti, and variation in the room humidity RHi can be suppressed. Therefore, both comfort and energy saving can be achieved.
(embodiment mode 3)
Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be explained. In embodiment 1, the estimating unit 520 estimates the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql based on the temperature, humidity, and the like at the current time acquired by the acquiring unit 510. In contrast, in embodiment 3, estimation unit 520 estimates the heat load after a predetermined time from the current time based on the trend of change in the period of a predetermined length before the current time for each of the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql.
Specifically, the estimating unit 520 calculates the estimated sensible heat load Qs' based on the following expression (8) after the room temperature Ti approaches the set temperature Tm. After the indoor humidity RHi approaches the set humidity RHm, the estimation unit 520 calculates an estimated latent heat load Ql' according to the following expression (9).
Estimated sensible heat load Qs + predicted amount of change Δ Qs … (8)
Estimated latent heat load Ql + estimated variation Δ Ql … (9)
In the above equation (8), the predicted fluctuation amount Δ Qs is the fluctuation amount of the steady sensible heat load Qs in the latest predetermined time. For example, when the current time is 18 o' clock, the estimation unit 520 estimates that the steady sensible heat load Qs continues to decrease for a long time, and thus the tendency of the steady sensible heat load Qs to decrease is maintained in the future. In this way, when the environment of the outdoor space 72 changes similarly to before after a predetermined time from the present time, the trend of the change of the steady sensible heat load Qs in the latest period is extended, so that the steady sensible heat load Qs can be read in advance.
Specifically, the estimation unit 520 estimates the predicted fluctuation amount Δ Qs by calculating the difference between the steady sensible heat load Qs at the present time and the steady sensible heat load Qs before a predetermined time from the present time. For example, if the steady sensible heat load Qs increases by 10% within 1 hour before the current time, the estimation unit 520 estimates that the predicted fluctuation amount Δ Qs1 hour after the current time is also 10%. Then, the estimation unit 520 adds the predicted fluctuation amount Δ Qs to the current steady sensible heat load Qs to calculate an estimated sensible heat load Qs'. The same applies to the estimated latent heat load Ql' represented by the above expression (9).
Instead of the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql in embodiment 1, the determination unit 530 determines the operation mode based on the estimated sensible heat load Qs 'and the estimated latent heat load Ql' after a predetermined time from the current time estimated by the estimation unit 520. Air conditioning control unit 540 air-conditions indoor space 71 in the operation mode determined by determination unit 530.
As described above, the air conditioner 1 according to embodiment 3 estimates a future value from the recent trend of change for each of the steady sensible heat load Qs and the steady latent heat load Ql, and switches the operation mode based on the estimated value. As a result, the previous situation of the heat load in the indoor space 71 can be predicted with higher accuracy while suppressing the influence of the variation in the sensor information in a short time as compared with the case where only the sensor information at the current time is used.
By obtaining the estimated sensible heat load Qs', even in a dehumidification mode in which the maximum sensible heat capacity is reduced compared to the cooling mode after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the dehumidification mode, it can be determined from before switching whether the temperature can be maintained or whether the maximum sensible heat capacity is insufficient and the temperature is increased. Further, after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the air blowing mode, even in the air blowing mode, it can be determined whether the temperature can be maintained or the temperature can be increased even in the air blowing mode before the switching.
By obtaining the estimated latent heat load Ql', if the operation mode is not switched from the cooling mode or the blowing mode to the dehumidification mode, it can be determined whether or not the latent heat capacity is insufficient and the humidity is increased from before the switching. Further, even after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the air blowing mode, it is possible to determine whether the humidity can be maintained or the humidity is increased even in the air blowing mode by pre-reading before the switching.
By obtaining the estimated sensible heat load Qs 'and the estimated latent heat load Ql' in this way, the heat load for maintaining the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi is obtained from before the temperature approaches the set temperature Tm to after the temperature approaches the set temperature Tm. By comparing the obtained heat load with sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity that can be exhibited in the current operation mode, it is possible to determine whether the operation mode should be switched. As a result, the room temperature Ti and the room humidity RHi can be maintained at the set temperature Tm and the set humidity RHm with higher accuracy, and comfort can be improved.
(embodiment mode 4)
Next, embodiment 4 of the present invention will be explained. In embodiment 1, when the estimation unit 520 calculates the steady sensible heat load Qs according to the above expression (3), α indicating the heat insulating performance, β indicating the ease of sunlight entering, and the internal heat generation amount Qn are known. In contrast, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4 learns the values of α, β, and Qn based on the past information detected by the sensors.
Fig. 16 shows a functional configuration of an outdoor unit control unit 51a provided in the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4. The outdoor unit control unit 51a has the same hardware configuration as that of embodiment 1, and therefore, description thereof is omitted.
As shown in fig. 16, the outdoor unit control unit 51a functionally includes an acquisition unit 510, an estimation unit 520, a determination unit 530, an air conditioning control unit 540, a notification unit 550, an information update unit 560, and a learning unit 570. The functions of acquisition unit 510, estimation unit 520, determination unit 530, air-conditioning control unit 540, and notification unit 550 are the same as those of embodiment 1, and therefore, description thereof is omitted.
The information updating unit 560 updates the history information 150 stored in the storage unit 102 based on the detection information of each sensor acquired by the acquisition unit 510. The history information 150 is information indicating the history of the room temperature Ti, the window temperature Tw, the outside air temperature To, the air conditioning capability, and the like.
Fig. 17 shows a specific example of the history information 150. As shown in fig. 17, the history information 150 stores, in time series, information detected by sensors including the room temperature Ti detected by the temperature sensor 41, the window temperature Tw detected by the infrared ray sensor 43, and the outside air temperature To detected by the outside air temperature sensor. The history information 150 stores a value indicating the air conditioning capacity controlled by the air conditioning control unit 540 in time series. The history information 150 stores the operation modes controlled by the air conditioning control unit 540 in time series.
The information update unit 560 stores information newly detected by each sensor in the history information 150 in association with the air conditioning capacity at predetermined intervals. Thereby, the information updating unit 560 updates the history information 150. The information update unit 560 is realized by the control unit 101 cooperating with the storage unit 102. The information update unit 560 functions as information update means.
The learning unit 570 learns the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71. The thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71 are properties related to the thermal energy of the indoor space 71, specifically, heat insulating performance of the indoor space 71, ease of sunlight entering the indoor space 71, and the like. The learning unit 570 learns the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71 based on the past room temperature Ti, the window temperature Tw, the outside air temperature To, and the air conditioning capability recorded in the history information 150. The learning unit 570 is realized by the control unit 101. The learning unit 570 functions as learning means.
< learning function >
The learning function of the learning unit 570 will be described in more detail below. As shown in fig. 18, the heat energy moves between the indoor space 71 and the outdoor space 72 through the wall, the window, the gap, the ventilator, and the like of the housing 3. Therefore, the steady sensible heat load Qs, which is the amount of heat required by the air conditioner 1 to maintain the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm, depends on the characteristics of the housing 3, such as the thickness of the wall and the size of the window.
More specifically, the steady sensible heat load Qs includes a through-flow load, a ventilation load, an internal heat generation amount, and a solar load. The through-flow load is a thermal load transmitted through the sheath by the temperature difference Δ Tio between the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ti. Further, the outer skin is a wall that separates the indoor space 71 from the outdoor space 72. The ventilation load is a thermal load caused by ventilation or air inflow of a gap wind. The ventilation load is proportional to the temperature difference Δ Tio. The internal heat generation amount Qn is a heat load caused by illumination, home appliances, and people existing in the indoor space 71. The solar load is divided into a first solar load as a heat load transmitted through the window glass to heat the interior of the room and a second solar load as a heat load transmitted from the outer cover to the interior space 71.
The learning unit 570 learns the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71 based on the load information on the thermal load of the indoor space 71 acquired by the acquisition unit 510. Specifically, the learning unit 570 learns the relationship between the steady sensible heat load Qs, the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature To, and the window temperature Tw as the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71, and estimates the values α, β, and Qn in the above expression (3). The estimation unit 520 estimates the steady sensible heat load Qs by the above equation (3) using the values of α, β, and Qn learned by the learning unit 570. For easy understanding, it is assumed that the room temperature Ti coincides with the set temperature Tm, and the steady sensible heat load Qs coincides with the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner 1.
In the above equation (3), α is a coefficient α representing the heat insulating performance of the housing 3, and is a proportional coefficient relating To the through-flow load and the ventilation load, which are thermal loads required in proportion To the temperature difference Δ Tio between the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ti. However, since the second solar load is also a heat load transmitted through the outer skin, it is preferable to perform the processing in the same manner as the through-flow load. Therefore, the learning unit 570 regards the increase amount Δ To of the outside air temperature To as a parameter corresponding To the second solar load, and estimates the heat load Q using the apparent outside air temperature To2 (To + Δ To) instead of the outside air temperature To.
In addition, the average heat flow rate UA of the outer skin and the surface area a of the outer skin can be theoretically estimated for α without considering the ventilation load by the following equation (10). In the formula (10), the unit of α is W (Watt)/K (Kelvin), and the unit of the average heat flux UA of the outer skin is W/(m)2K) surface area A of the outer skin in m2. Further, 1.000 is equivalent to the through-flow loadThe corresponding coefficient, 0.034, is a coefficient corresponding to the second solar load. However, information on the average heat flow rate UA of the skin and the surface area a of the skin cannot be obtained in many cases, and α cannot be accurately obtained by the following equation (10) due to the influence of the ventilation load. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the learning unit 570 obtains the value of α from the actual values of the various values using the above expression (3).
α＝UA×A×(1.000+0.034)…(10)
In the above equation (3), the coefficient β indicating the ease of entrance of solar radiation into the indoor space 71 is a proportionality coefficient relating to the first solar radiation load which is a heat load required in proportion to the amount of solar radiation. The value of β depends on the size of window 75, the type of glass constituting window 75, and the like.
Learning unit 570 refers To history information 150 stored in storage unit 102, and analyzes the relationship between room temperature Ti, window temperature Tw, outside air temperature To, and air conditioning capacity. Then, the learning unit 570 estimates α, β, and Qn based on the analysis result.
First, a method of learning the coefficient α representing the heat insulating performance of the indoor space 71 will be described. The learning unit 570 learns the coefficient α based on the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature To, and the air conditioning capacity data acquired when the amount of solar radiation is sufficiently small. Specifically, when the amount of solar radiation is sufficiently small, the first solar radiation load and the second solar radiation load can be ignored as compared with the through-flow load and the ventilation load. In this case, in the above formula (3), β may be approximated To 0, and Δ To may be approximated To 0, that is, To 2. Therefore, the above expression (3) can be approximated to the following expression (11). The learning unit 570 learns the coefficient α based on the relationship between the air conditioning capacity and the temperature difference Δ Tio between the room temperature Ti and the outside air temperature To expressed by the following expression (11).
Qs＝α(To–Ti)+Qn…(11)
Fig. 19(a) shows a relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tio between the room temperature Ti and the outside air temperature To and the air conditioning capacity. Fig. 19(a) shows an example in which a plurality of data points corresponding To the actual value of the temperature difference Δ Tio and the actual value of the air conditioning capacity are plotted on a coordinate plane having the abscissa axis representing the temperature difference Δ Tio between the room temperature Ti and the outside air temperature To and the ordinate axis representing the air conditioning capacity. Since the through-flow load and the ventilation load are proportional to the temperature difference Δ Tio, the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity can be expressed by a first order approximation equation. The learning unit 570 obtains an approximate straight line L0 representing the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity by applying an appropriate regression method such as the least square method to a plurality of data points plotted on the coordinate plane. From the correspondence between the approximate straight line L0 and equation (11), the slope of the approximate straight line L0 corresponds to the coefficient α representing the heat insulating performance, and the intercept of the approximate straight line L0 corresponds to the internal heat generation amount Qn.
Here, the better the performance of the heat insulating material for the outer skin of the housing 3, and the smaller the area of the outer skin, the smaller the through-flow load. Further, the smaller the gap of the outer skin separating the indoor space 71 and the outdoor space 72, the smaller the ventilation load. Therefore, the smaller the flow load and the smaller the ventilation load, the smaller the slope of the approximate straight line. Specifically, fig. 19(b) shows a case where the slope of the approximate straight line differs depending on the heat insulating performance of the housing 3. As shown in fig. 19(b), the slope of the approximate straight line L11 obtained for the housing 3 with poor heat insulating performance is larger than the slope of the approximate straight line L12 obtained for the housing 3 with good heat insulating performance. Therefore, the learning unit 570 obtains the heat insulating performance of the indoor space 71 from the slope of the approximate straight line.
Further, the smaller the internal heat generation amount Qn, the smaller the intercept of the approximate straight line. Specifically, fig. 19(c) shows a case where the intercept of the approximate straight line differs depending on the internal heat generation amount Qn. As shown in fig. 19(c), the intercept of the approximate straight line L21 obtained for the house 3 with the large internal heat generation amount Qn is larger than the intercept of the approximate straight line L22 obtained for the house 3 with the small internal heat generation amount Qn. Therefore, the learning unit 570 obtains the internal heat generation amount Qn of the indoor space 71 from the intercept of the approximate straight line. In this way, the learning unit 570 refers To the history information 150 stored in the storage unit 102, and obtains the coefficient α representing the heat insulating performance and the internal heat generation amount Qn based on the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tio between the room temperature Ti and the outside air temperature To and the air conditioning performance.
Here, in order to improve the accuracy and speed of learning, it is necessary to collect a plurality of pieces of history information 150 in a short time. Therefore, even when the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ti are different, the learning unit 570 regards the required air conditioning capacity as the same when the temperature difference Δ Tio is the same, and plots data points of the same temperature difference Δ Tio on the coordinate plane. In the above configuration, since it is not necessary To obtain the thermal characteristic expression for each of the outside air temperature To and the room temperature Ti, the accuracy and speed of learning can be improved. Further, by repeating the update and learning of the history information 150 during the air conditioning operation, it is possible to grasp the change in the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71, and the accuracy of the control can be improved. The change in the thermal characteristics is caused by, for example, increasing the internal heat generation Qn by using an electric blanket in winter and reducing the through-flow load by partitioning the rooms.
Second, a method of learning the coefficient β indicating the ease of sunlight entering the indoor space 71 will be described. Learning unit 570 learns coefficient β based on data of room temperature Ti, window temperature Tw, and air conditioning capacity, which are acquired when temperature difference Δ Tio between room temperature Ti and outside air temperature To is the same.
When the temperature difference Δ Tio is the same, the term α (To 2-Ti) in the above expression (11) can be treated as a constant. In this case, the learning unit 570 can estimate the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tiw between the room temperature Ti and the window temperature Tw and the air conditioning capacity based on the term β (Tw-Ti) in the above expression (11). Specifically, when a plurality of data points corresponding to the actual value of the temperature difference Δ Tiw and the actual value of the air conditioning capacity are plotted on a coordinate plane having a horizontal axis, which is a coordinate axis representing the temperature difference Δ Tiw between the room temperature Ti and the window temperature Tw, and a vertical axis, which is a coordinate axis representing the air conditioning capacity, the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tiw and the air conditioning capacity can be expressed by a first order approximation equation, as in fig. 19 (a).
Here, the more likely the sunshine enters the indoor space 71, the larger the slope of the approximate straight line, the less likely the sunshine enters the indoor space 71, and the smaller the slope of the approximate straight line. Therefore, in fig. 19(b), the explanation can be made similarly by replacing the "housing with poor heat insulating performance" with the "housing in which sunlight easily enters" and replacing the "housing with good heat insulating performance" with the "housing in which sunlight does not easily enter". The learning unit 570 obtains an approximate straight line representing the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Tiw and the air conditioning capacity by applying an appropriate regression technique such as the least square method to a plurality of data points plotted on the coordinate plane. The learning unit 570 learns the coefficient β indicating the difficulty of sunlight entering the indoor space 71 from the slope of the approximate straight line.
Hereinafter, a method of improving the learning accuracy will be described. The learning unit 570 learns the heat insulating performance based on the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature To, and the air conditioning performance when the solar radiation amount is equal To or less than the threshold value. Specifically, the plurality of data points plotted on the coordinate plane having the abscissa axis which is the coordinate axis representing the temperature difference Δ Tio and the ordinate axis which is the coordinate axis representing the air conditioning capacity are limited to data points obtained when the amount of solar radiation is equal to or less than the threshold value. Before drawing data points corresponding to the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity on the coordinate plane, the learning unit 570 determines whether or not the data of the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity corresponding to the drawn data points is acquired when the amount of solar radiation is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. When it is determined that the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity data corresponding to the plotted data points are obtained when the solar radiation amount is equal to or less than the threshold value, the learning unit 570 plots the data points on the coordinate plane. On the other hand, when it is determined that the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity data corresponding to the plotted data point are acquired when the amount of solar radiation is greater than the threshold value, the learning unit 570 does not plot the data point on the coordinate plane.
That is, the learning unit 570 plots, on the coordinate plane, data points obtained when the solar radiation amount is equal to or less than the threshold value among the plurality of data points corresponding to the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity. For example, the learning unit 570 determines that the solar radiation amount is equal to or less than the threshold value when the window temperature Tw is less than the room temperature Ti, and determines that the solar radiation amount is greater than the threshold value when the window temperature Tw is greater than the room temperature Ti.
In this way, when learning the correlation between the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity, it is preferable to determine the correlation between the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity from data acquired when the influence of sunlight is small. According to the above configuration, the variation of data due to the influence of the solar load is suppressed. Therefore, the coefficient α representing the heat insulating performance represented by the slope and the internal heat generation amount Qn represented by the intercept can be obtained with high accuracy. That is, when data acquired when the solar radiation amount is equal to or less than the threshold value is used, α can be easily obtained by using equation (11) instead of equation (3). The learning unit 570 may obtain the slope and intercept of the approximate straight line from the temperature difference Δ Tio and the data of the air conditioning capacity, and may not actually draw data points on a certain coordinate plane.
The learning unit 570 may learn the heat insulating performance based on the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature To, and the air conditioning performance when the variation amount of the room temperature Ti is equal To or less than the reference value. The learning unit 570 may learn the degree of difficulty of the sunlight entering based on the room temperature Ti when the variation amount of the room temperature Ti is equal to or less than the reference value, the window temperature Tw, and the air conditioning capacity.
Specifically, in a transient state where the room temperature Ti is unstable, the air conditioning performance exerted is generally unstable. For example, the air conditioning capacity includes the amount of heat capacity of the treatment room immediately after the start of the air conditioner and during a period in which the room temperature Ti changes greatly, and therefore the air conditioning capacity in appearance is large. Therefore, the learning unit 570 may limit the plurality of data points plotted on the coordinate plane to data points obtained when the variation of the room temperature Ti in a predetermined time is equal to or smaller than the reference value. Thus, the learning unit 570 can obtain an approximate straight line using the data obtained when the room temperature Ti is stable. Therefore, the heat insulating performance or the ease of sunlight entering, which is indicated by the slope of the approximate straight line, and the internal heat generation amount Qn, which is indicated by the intercept, can be accurately obtained.
The learning unit 570 calculates the air conditioning capacity for sensible heat by, for example, an ∈ -ntu (number of Transfer unit) method. The total heat capacity, sensible heat capacity, and latent heat capacity are expressed by the following expressions (12) to (14).
Total heat capacity enthalpy efficiency air density air volume (suction air enthalpy of the indoor unit 13-saturated air enthalpy of the pipe temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 25) … (12)
Sensible heat capacity (temperature efficiency, air density, air specific heat, air volume) (intake air temperature of indoor unit 13 — pipe temperature of indoor heat exchanger 25) … (13)
Latent heat capacity-sensible heat capacity … (14)
Next, a data processing method for improving the learning accuracy will be described with reference to fig. 20. Actually, in the case where the learning unit 570 performs learning based on the history information 150, the data points are not limited to being uniformly plotted on the coordinate plane. For example, in the example shown in fig. 20, data points are distributed collectively in a region where the temperature difference Δ Tio is large, specifically, a region between T3 and T4. Furthermore, all plotted data points are represented by black circles. Here, when the approximate straight line is obtained using all the data points, the slope and intercept of the approximate straight line may not be accurately obtained due to the influence of the region in which a plurality of data points exist. Fig. 20 shows an example in which the slope of the approximate straight line L31 obtained using all the data points is small and the intercept is large. That is, in this case, it is considered that the housing 3 having good heat insulation performance and a large internal heat generation amount Qn has a large error.
Therefore, the learning unit 570 preferably finds the approximate straight line using representative data points indicated by white circles, rather than all data points indicated by black circles. Fig. 20 shows an example in which the regions of the temperature difference Δ Tio are classified into a plurality of regions by a predetermined temperature width, and one representative data point is obtained for each classified temperature width. The representative data point is, for example, a data point representing an average of all data points belonging to one partition. The average value is found for each of the temperature difference Δ Tio and the air conditioning capacity. In other words, the learning unit 570 averages the actual value of the temperature difference Δ Tio and the actual value of the air conditioning capacity for each of the plurality of blocks on the coordinate plane, thereby unifying the plurality of data points included in the one block into one representative data point. Then, the learning unit 570 obtains an approximate straight line from the unified representative data points.
In the example of fig. 20, the slope of the approximate straight line L32 obtained using the representative data points is larger than the slope of the approximate straight line L31 obtained using all the data points. In addition, the intercept of the approximate straight line L32 is smaller than the intercept of the approximate straight line L31. By using the representative data points obtained for each of the sections in this manner, the slope and intercept of the approximate straight line can be obtained with higher accuracy than when all the data points are used. Further, according to the above method, for example, as in the start of use of the air conditioner 1, even when the number of data is small or the conditions are unbalanced, it is possible to learn with high accuracy.
In this way, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4 learns the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71, and estimates the steady sensible heat load Qs based on the learning result. This makes it possible to estimate the steady sensible heat load Qs for maintaining the room temperature Ti at the set temperature Tm with high accuracy. For example, when the room temperature Ti is 27 ℃, air conditioning is generally performed in the cooling mode, but in a situation where the steady sensible heat load Qs is small as in a house with high heat insulation performance, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 25 in the cooling mode becomes high, and sufficient dehumidification cannot be performed. In such a case, comfort is improved when switching to the dehumidification mode. Since the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 4 estimates the thermal characteristics of the indoor space 71 by learning, it is possible to provide comfortable air conditioning with little variation in the room temperature when switching between various operation modes under various weather conditions, building conditions, and living conditions.
(embodiment 5)
Next, embodiment 5 of the present invention will be explained. In the above embodiment, the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 to Qs4 or the temperature thresholds Δ T1 to Δ T4 are fixed to predetermined values. In contrast, in embodiment 5, the air conditioner 1 corrects the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 according to the situation.
Fig. 21 shows a functional configuration of an outdoor unit control unit 51b provided in the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to embodiment 5. The outdoor unit control unit 51b has the same hardware configuration as that of embodiment 1, and therefore, description thereof is omitted.
As shown in fig. 21, the outdoor unit control unit 51b functionally includes an acquisition unit 510, an estimation unit 520, a determination unit 530, an air conditioning control unit 540, a notification unit 550, an information update unit 560, and a learning unit 570. The functions of acquisition unit 510, estimation unit 520, determination unit 530, air-conditioning control unit 540, and notification unit 550 are the same as those of embodiment 1.
Specifically, the acquiring unit 510 acquires load information such as the room temperature Ti, the external air temperature tpo, and the window temperature Tw. The air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode according to the steady sensible heat load Qs based on the index values such as the room temperature Ti, the outside air temperature T o, and the window temperature Tw acquired by the acquisition unit 510, and causes the air conditioning unit 110 to air condition the indoor space 71. More specifically, when the steady sensible heat load Qs is less than the threshold value when the air conditioner 110 air-conditions the indoor space 71 in the first mode, the air conditioning controller 540 switches the operation mode to the second mode in which the maximum sensible heat capacity of the air conditioner 110 is lower than that in the first mode. Here, the first mode and the second mode correspond to the cooling mode and the first dehumidification mode, respectively, when the threshold is the first sensible heat threshold Qs1, and correspond to the first dehumidification mode and the second dehumidification mode, respectively, when the threshold is the second sensible heat threshold Qs 2.
The correcting unit 580 corrects the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 based on the room temperature Ti acquired by the acquiring unit 510. Specifically, the correcting unit 580 corrects the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 in accordance with a change in the room temperature Ti after the operation mode is switched by the air conditioning control unit 540. The correction unit 580 is implemented by the control unit 101. The correction unit 580 functions as a correction unit.
When the room temperature Ti rises after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the first dehumidification mode, the sensible heat capacity in the first dehumidification mode is smaller than the sensible heat load, which corresponds to a case where the room temperature Ti cannot be maintained. In this case, the correcting unit 580 decreases the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 so that the sensible heat capacity in the first dehumidification mode is not lower than the sensible heat load. Similarly, when the room temperature Ti increases after the operation mode is switched from the first dehumidification mode to the second dehumidification mode, the correction unit 580 decreases the second sensible heat threshold Qs 2.
In contrast, when the room temperature Ti does not rise although the outside air temperature tpo rises after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode to the first dehumidification mode, the sensible heat capacity in the first dehumidification mode is larger than the sensible heat load, which corresponds to a case where there is a margin in maintaining the room temperature Ti. In this case, the correcting unit 580 increases the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 to expand the coverage in the first dehumidification mode. Similarly, when the room temperature Ti does not rise although the external air temperature T o rises after the operation mode is switched from the first dehumidification mode to the second dehumidification mode, the correction unit 580 increases the second sensible heat threshold Qs 2.
Here, the initial value of the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 is set to, for example, the maximum sensible heat capacity Qs1max that the air conditioner 110 can exhibit in the first dehumidification mode. The initial value of the second sensible heat threshold Qs2 is set to, for example, the maximum sensible heat capacity Qs2max that the air conditioner 110 can exhibit in the second dehumidification mode. The initial value of the threshold value is set to the maximum sensible heat capacity in this way so that the sensible heat capacity necessary for the air conditioner 110 to maintain the room temperature Ti can be exhibited after the switching of the operation mode. When the room temperature Ti increases after the operation mode is switched, the correction unit 580 corrects the maximum sensible capacity in the decreasing direction by decreasing the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs 2. On the other hand, when the room temperature Ti does not rise although the outside air temperature T o rises after the operation mode is switched, the correction unit 580 increases the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 to correct the maximum sensible heat capacity in the increasing direction.
More specifically, the correction unit 580 corrects the first sensible threshold Qs1 in accordance with a deviation between the sensible capacity of the air conditioner 110 and the first sensible threshold Qs1 when the room temperature Ti increases or when the room temperature Ti does not increase despite an increase in the outside air temperature To after the operation mode is switched from the cooling mode To the first dehumidification mode. When the room temperature Ti rises in the first dehumidification mode after the switching, there is a high possibility that the sensible heat capacity is smaller than the first sensible heat threshold Qs 1. In this case, the correction unit 580 decreases the first sensible threshold Qs1 more greatly as the difference between the sensible capacity and the first sensible threshold Qs1 increases.
In contrast, in the first dehumidification mode after switching, when the room temperature Ti does not increase although the outside air temperature To increases, there is a margin in sensible heat capacity, and therefore there is a high possibility that the sensible heat capacity is greater than the first sensible heat threshold Qs 1. In this case, the correction unit 580 increases the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 more greatly as the difference between the sensible heat capacity and the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 increases.
The correcting unit 580 corrects the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 according to the number of times the sensible heat capacity deviates from the first sensible heat threshold Qs 1. The number of occurrence of the deviation is the number of times when the maximum value of the degree of deviation of the sensible heat capacity from the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 is greater than a predetermined value when the room temperature Ti increases or when the room temperature Ti does not increase despite the increase in the outside air temperature To after the switching of the operation mode. The correcting unit 580 stores the number of times of occurrence of the deviation in the storage unit 102 in advance, and corrects the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 to be larger as the number of times of occurrence of the deviation is larger.
In this way, the correction unit 580 corrects the sensible heat threshold Qs1 according to the degree of deviation of the sensible heat capacity from the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 and the number of deviations. The same applies to the second sensible heat threshold Qs 2. After the first sensible threshold Qs1 or the second sensible threshold Qs2 is corrected by the correcting unit 580, the air conditioner controlling unit 540 controls the air conditioner using the corrected first sensible threshold Qs1 or second sensible threshold Qs 2. Specifically, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches the operation mode according to whether or not the room temperature Ti is greater than the corrected first sensible heat threshold Qs1 or second sensible heat threshold Qs2, and causes the air conditioning unit 110 to air-condition the indoor space 71.
By correcting the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 in this way according to the situation, sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 can be obtained that are more suitable for the thermal characteristics of the house 3 and the environment around the house 3. Therefore, switching of the operation mode at a timing at which comfort is reduced, such as a timing at which a temperature recovery occurs or a timing at which an early timing is early, can be suppressed. As a result, the operation mode can be switched at an appropriate timing to air-condition the indoor space 71, and comfort can be improved. Further, since air conditioning can be performed in an appropriate operation mode, energy saving performance can be improved.
< learning of sensible threshold >)
In embodiment 5, the learning unit 570 learns the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Ti o between the room temperature Ti and the external air temperature T o acquired by the acquisition unit 510 and the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 corrected by the correction unit 580. Specifically, when the correction unit 580 corrects the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 or the second sensible heat threshold Qs2, the information update unit 560 stores the corrected sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 in the history information 150 in association with the temperature difference Δ Ti o at that time. The history information 150 stores the correspondence relationship between the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 corrected by the correction unit 580 and the temperature difference Δ Tio at that time as a past history. The learning unit 570 refers to the history information 150 to learn the relationship between the temperature difference Δ Ti o and the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs 2. In addition, in the case where the maximum frequency of the compressor 21 is different for each environmental condition, the history information 150 may be stored in association with the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 instead of the temperature difference Δ Tio.
An example in which the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 is plotted per temperature difference Δ Ti o is shown in fig. 22. In fig. 22, black circles indicate the initial value of the first sensible heat threshold Qs1, and white circles indicate the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 corrected from the initial value by the correction unit 580. The learning unit 570 approximates the correspondence relationship between the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 and the temperature difference Δ Tio by using a method such as the least squares method for such a plotting, for example, as a correlation line indicated by a broken line in fig. 22. At this time, the learning unit 570 uses a linear expression as a correlation line in order to simplify the calculation.
When the correction unit 580 corrects the first sensible heat threshold Qs1, the learning unit 570 updates the map in association with the temperature difference Δ Tio at that time. Then, the learning unit 570 updates the learning result by approximating the updated curve with a new correlation line. In this way, the learning unit 570 learns the correspondence relationship between the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 corrected by the correction unit 580 and the temperature difference Δ Tio. The learning unit 570 learns the correspondence relationship between the second sensible heat threshold Qs2 and the temperature difference Δ Tio for the second sensible heat threshold Qs2, similarly to the first sensible heat threshold Qs 1.
When the acquiring unit 510 acquires the room temperature Ti and the external air temperature T anew, the correcting unit 580 corrects the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 based on the temperature difference Δ Ti o between the room temperature Ti and the external air temperature T acquired anew and the relationship learned by the learning unit 570. The air conditioner controller 540 uses the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 corrected by the corrector 580 to switch the operation mode of the air conditioner. In this way, by learning the correspondence between the temperature difference Δ Ti o and the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 and correcting the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 according to the current temperature difference Δ Tio, the sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2 can be corrected with higher accuracy according to the situation. In particular, in the case where the second dehumidification mode is the reheat dehumidification mode, if the temperature difference Δ Ti o is changed, the sensible heat threshold tends to be more varied than in the other dehumidification modes, and thus it is more effective.
In addition, as in embodiment 2, air conditioning control unit 540 may switch the operation mode according to the temperature difference Δ T between room temperature Ti and set temperature Tm. In this case, instead of correcting the first and second sensible heat thresholds Qs1 and Qs2, the correcting unit 580 corrects the first and second temperature thresholds Δ T1 and Δ T2.
The first sensible heat threshold Qs1 when the cooling mode is shifted to the first dehumidification mode may be smaller by about 1 γ to2 γ than the first sensible heat threshold Qs1 when the first dehumidification mode is returned to the cooling mode. The same applies to the second to fourth sensible heat thresholds Qs2 to Qs 4. By providing a delay in the switching of the operation mode in this way, it is possible to suppress the operation mode from being frequently switched in a short time. Here, the value of γ is, for example, the amount of heat required to raise the room temperature Ti by 1 ℃. In addition, the value of γ can also be obtained by learning. Thus, precise operation equivalent to 1-2 ℃ can be performed, frequent switching can be prevented, and the operation mode can be switched at an appropriate timing.
(modification example)
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified and applied in various ways when the present invention is implemented.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the air conditioner 1 air-conditions the indoor space 71 in each of the operation modes of "weak cooling dehumidification", "double fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", "extended dehumidification", "reheat dehumidification", and "air blowing". However, in the present invention, the air conditioner 1 may not have a function of performing air conditioning in any of these operation modes. When the air conditioning apparatus 1 does not have the "reheat and dehumidification" function, the indoor unit 13 may include one indoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the air in the indoor space 71 and the refrigerant, instead of the two heat exchangers 25a and 25b and the expansion valve 26. In the case where the air conditioner 1 does not have the "two-fan dehumidification" function, the indoor unit 13 may include only one indoor fan that blows air to the indoor heat exchanger 25, instead of the two indoor fans 33a and 33b.
In the above-described embodiment, the first dehumidification mode is described as "weak cooling dehumidification", and the second dehumidification mode is described as "double-fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", or "extended dehumidification". However, if the maximum sensible heat capacity is higher in the first dehumidification mode than in the second dehumidification mode, the first dehumidification mode and the second dehumidification mode may be any operation mode. For example, the first dehumidification mode may be "weak cooling dehumidification", "double fan dehumidification", "dew point temperature dehumidification", "partial cooling dehumidification", or "extended dehumidification", and the second dehumidification mode may be "reheat dehumidification". The controllable dehumidification mode may be only one of the first dehumidification mode and the second dehumidification mode.
The automatic mode may also include a heating mode. The heating mode and the cooling mode can be switched based on the outside air temperature To or the set temperature Tm. For example, the air conditioning control unit 540 switches to the heating mode if the external air temperature T o or the set temperature Tm is lower than a predetermined value, and switches to the cooling mode if the external air temperature T o or the set temperature Tm is higher than a predetermined value.
In the above embodiment, the acquisition unit 510 acquires the window temperature Tw detected by the infrared sensor 43 as an index indicating the amount of solar radiation. However, in the present invention, the acquisition unit 510 may acquire any information as an index indicating the solar radiation amount as long as it is information directly or indirectly indicating the solar radiation amount, and is not limited to the window temperature Tw. For example, the acquiring unit 510 may acquire the illuminance of the indoor space 71 detected by an illuminance sensor or an image of the indoor space 71 captured by a camera, and estimate the amount of solar radiation incident on the indoor space 71 from the illuminance or the image. The acquisition unit 510 may acquire information on the amount of power generated by the solar photovoltaic power generation system via an external communication network, or may acquire information on weather data including information on the amount of solar radiation via an external communication network.
In the above embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 51 has the functions of the respective units shown in fig. 5, 16, or 21, and functions as a control device for controlling the air conditioner 1. However, in the present invention, the indoor unit control unit 53 may have some or all of these functions, or may be provided as an external device of the air conditioner 1.
For example, as shown in fig. 23, in an air conditioning system S including an air conditioner 1 and a control device 100, the control device 100 connected to the communication network N via the air conditioner 1 may have the functions of each unit shown in fig. 5, 16, or 21. For example, the communication network N may be a home network based on ECHONET Lite, and the control device 100 may be a controller of hems (home Energy Management system) that manages electric power in the house 3. Alternatively, the communication network N may be a wide area network such as a network, and the control device 100 may be a server that controls the air conditioner 1 from outside the housing 3.
When the control device 100 has the above-described functions, the air conditioning system S may include a plurality of air conditioners 1 as the control targets of the control device 100. In this case, the number of the air conditioners 1 is not limited. The control target of the control device 100 is not limited to the detailed configuration as long as it is a device provided with a refrigeration cycle, like the air conditioner 1.
In the above embodiment, the housing 3 is described as an example of the object for installing the air conditioner 1. However, in the present invention, the object to which the air conditioner 1 is installed may be a collective home, an office building, a facility, a factory, or the like. The air-conditioned space is not limited to the room in the housing 3, and may be any space as long as it is a space to be air-conditioned by the air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 is not limited to having 1 outdoor unit 11 and 1 indoor unit 13, and may have 1 outdoor unit 11 and a plurality of indoor units 13, or may be operated so that a cooling indoor unit 13 and a heating indoor unit 13 can be mixed in a plurality of indoor units 13.
In the above embodiment, the user inputs the numerical values of the set temperature Tm and the set humidity RHm by operating the remote controller 55. However, the user may set the intensity/intensity of cooling or dehumidification by the remote controller 55 to determine the corresponding set temperature Tm or set humidity RHm. Further, a user interface other than the remote controller 55 may be used to receive an input from the user, and the notification information of the notification unit 550 may be output.
In the above-described embodiment, the CPU of the control unit 101 functions as each unit shown in fig. 5, 16, or 21 by executing a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 102. However, in the present invention, the control unit 101 may be dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware includes, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an asic (application Specific Integrated circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. When the control unit 101 is dedicated hardware, the functions of each unit may be realized by separate hardware, or the functions of each unit may be collectively realized by single hardware.
Further, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and the other may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the control unit 101 can realize the above-described functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.
By applying a program for specifying the operation of the control unit 101 according to the present invention to an existing computer such as a personal computer or an information terminal device, the computer can be made to function as the air conditioner 1 or the control device 100 according to the present invention.
Such a program may be distributed by any method, and may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-rom (compact Disk rom), a dvd (digital Versatile Disk), an mo (magnetic Optical Disk), or a memory card, or may be distributed via a communication network such as a network.
The present invention is susceptible to various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is not represented by the embodiments, but by the scope of the claims. Further, various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the equivalent invention are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
Industrial applicability
The present invention can be applied to an air conditioner.
Description of the reference numerals
An air conditioning apparatus; housing; an outdoor unit; an indoor unit; a compressor; a four-way valve; an outdoor heat exchanger; 24. an expansion valve; an indoor heat exchanger; 25a, 25b. An outdoor blower; 33a, 33b. A temperature sensor; a humidity sensor; an infrared sensor; 51. 51a, 51b.. the outdoor unit control unit; 53.. an indoor unit control part; a remote controller; 61.. refrigerant tubing; 63.. a communication line; 71.. an indoor space; an outdoor space; a window; a control device; a control section; a storage portion; a timing portion; a communication portion; an air conditioning section; a display portion; trend information; operating mode information; determining information; control information; history information; an acquisition unit; an estimating part; a judging part; 540.. air conditioner control; a notification portion; an information update section; a learning section; a correction section; a communication network; an air conditioning system.

Claims (11)

1. An air conditioning apparatus is characterized by comprising:
an air conditioning unit having a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air in an air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe, and a blower that sends the air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger, the air conditioning unit air-conditioning the air-conditioned space;
an acquisition unit that acquires the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space; and
and an air conditioning control unit that switches an operation mode among a cooling mode in which the air conditioning unit cools the air-conditioned space, a dehumidification mode in which the air conditioning unit dehumidifies the air-conditioned space, and an air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping air blowing by the air blower, based on the temperature and the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1,
the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode to the dehumidification mode if a temperature difference between the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and a set temperature of the air-conditioned space when the air conditioning unit air-conditions the air-conditioned space in the cooling mode is smaller than a first temperature threshold value when a humidity difference between the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit and the set humidity of the air-conditioned space is larger than the first humidity threshold value.
3. Air conditioning unit according to claim 2,
when the humidity difference is greater than the first humidity threshold, the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode to a second dehumidification mode in which the sensible heat capacity is smaller than the dehumidification mode if the temperature difference is smaller than a second temperature threshold smaller than the first temperature threshold when the air conditioning unit air-conditions the air-conditioned space in the dehumidification mode.
4. Air conditioning unit according to claim 3,
when the humidity difference is greater than the first humidity threshold, the air-conditioning control unit stops the compressor if the temperature difference is less than a third temperature threshold that is less than the second temperature threshold when the air-conditioning unit air-conditions the air-conditioned space in the second dehumidification mode.
5. An air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode to the air blowing mode if a temperature difference between the temperature acquired by the acquisition unit and a set temperature of the air-conditioned space when the air conditioning unit air-conditions the air-conditioned space in the cooling mode is smaller than a fourth temperature threshold value when a humidity difference between the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit and the set humidity of the air-conditioned space is smaller than a second humidity threshold value.
6. Air conditioning unit according to claim 5,
and if the humidity difference is greater than a first humidity threshold when the air conditioning unit performs air conditioning on the air-conditioned space in the air supply mode under the condition that the temperature difference is less than the fourth temperature threshold, the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode to the dehumidification mode.
7. An air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
the obtaining unit also obtains the temperature of the outside of the conditioned space,
the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode between the cooling mode and the dehumidification mode based on a temperature difference between the temperature of the air-conditioned space acquired by the acquisition unit and a set temperature of the air-conditioned space and a sensible heat load of the air-conditioned space determined based on the temperature of the external space acquired by the acquisition unit.
8. An air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
the obtaining unit also obtains humidity of an outside space outside the conditioned space,
the air conditioning control unit switches the operation mode between the dehumidification mode and the air blowing mode based on a humidity difference between the humidity of the air-conditioned space acquired by the acquisition unit and a set humidity of the air-conditioned space and a latent heat load of the air-conditioned space determined based on the humidity of the external space acquired by the acquisition unit.
9. A control device for controlling an air conditioning device having a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and circulating the refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air in an air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe, and a blower for sending the air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger, the air conditioning device air-conditioning the air-conditioned space,
the control device is characterized by comprising:
an acquisition unit that acquires the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space; and
and an air conditioning control unit that switches an operation mode among a cooling mode in which the air conditioning device cools the air-conditioned space, a dehumidification mode in which the air conditioning device dehumidifies the air-conditioned space, and an air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping air blowing by the air blower, based on the temperature and the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit.
10. An air conditioning method for air conditioning an air-conditioned space by using a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and circulating the refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air in the air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe, and a blower for sending air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger,
the air-conditioning method is characterized in that,
the temperature and the humidity of the air-conditioned space are obtained,
the operation mode is switched among a cooling mode for cooling the air-conditioned space, a dehumidifying mode for dehumidifying the air-conditioned space, and an air blowing mode for stopping the compressor without stopping air blowing by the air blower, based on the acquired temperature and humidity.
11. A program, characterized in that,
the program causes a computer that controls an air conditioning apparatus to function as an acquisition unit and an air conditioning control unit, wherein,
the air conditioning apparatus includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air in an air-conditioned space and the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant pipe, and a blower that sends air in the air-conditioned space to the heat exchanger, the air conditioning apparatus air-conditions the air-conditioned space,
the acquiring unit acquires the temperature and humidity of the air-conditioned space,
the air conditioning control unit switches an operation mode among a cooling mode in which the air conditioning device cools the air-conditioned space, a dehumidification mode in which the air conditioning device dehumidifies the air-conditioned space, and an air blowing mode in which the compressor is stopped without stopping air blowing by the air blower, based on the temperature and the humidity acquired by the acquisition unit.
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