JP2007058500A - Power controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a power controller capable of reducing power supplied to a cooling apparatus when starting a compressor, and preventing simultaneous start-up of the compressors of the respective cooling apparatuses when connecting the plurality of cooling apparatuses to one power supply device. <P>SOLUTION: This power controller has: an internal power detection part 120 detecting supply power of an outlet 1 for supplying the power to a heater 14 and the compressor 12; and a control part 150 calculating a supply allowable value of the power on the basis of a difference between a rated power of the outlet 1 and the detection power of the internal power detection part 120, and controlling the power supplied to the heater 14 such that the power supplied to the heater 14 and the compressor 12 becomes the supply allowable value or below when starting the compressor 12. Thereby, the power supplied to the cooling apparatus when starting the compressor can be reduced, so that it is not necessary to set the rated power of the power supply device to be high more than necessary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a power control device that controls power supply to a heater that heats a product or a refrigeration circuit that cools the product in a cooling device such as a vending machine or a showcase that heats or cools the product such as a canned beverage. Is.

  Conventionally, as a power control device of this type, by setting the current supply to the compressor of the heater or refrigeration circuit in the refrigeration equipment, the refrigeration equipment is set even if inrush power is generated when the compressor is started. It is known that a chiller can be operated within a range of rated power.

  However, since such a device does not perform control based on the rated power of the power supply device that supplies power to the cooling device, for example, when a plurality of cooling devices are connected to one power supply device, the compressor of each cooling device May exceed the rated power of the power feeder when they are activated at the same time. As a result, there is a problem that the breaker is shut off and the power supply to each cooling device connected to the power supply device is stopped, so that the product cannot be heated or cooled.

  Furthermore, when connecting a plurality of cooling / heating devices to one power supply device, the rated power of the power supply device is changed according to the rated power set for each cooling / heating device. Moreover, since the rated power of each cooling / heating device is set high in consideration of the inrush power generated when the compressor of each cooling / heating device is started, it is necessary to set the rated power of the power feeding device to be excessively high. Therefore, there has been a problem that costs associated with a change in the rated power of the power supply device and a power supply device in which the rated power is set high are generated.

As another conventional example, when the total use current of a plurality of loads to be operated exceeds the rated current capacity of its own power outlet, one or more predetermined loads among the loads to be operated In addition to switching the power supply path to the power supply path from another vending machine that has a sufficient rated current capacity of its own power outlet, the load that should be operated, excluding the predetermined load, may be changed as necessary. A device that performs load reduction is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-131550

  However, in the conventional example, since a plurality of vending machines are connected to different power outlets, for example, when installing a plurality of vending machines in one place, a plurality of vending machines corresponding to each vending machine are used. It is necessary to install a power outlet. Therefore, there has been a problem that the cost of installing the vending machine becomes high.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said problem, The place made into the 1st objective provides the electric power control apparatus which can reduce the electric power supplied to the refrigeration equipment at the time of starting a compressor. There is. A second object of the present invention is to provide a power control device in which the compressor of each cooling / heating device does not start simultaneously when a plurality of cooling / heating devices are connected to one power supply device. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a power control device that controls power supplied from an external power supply device to a refrigeration apparatus including a heater that heats a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit that cools the product. The internal power detection means for detecting the supply power supplied from the power supply device to the heater and the compressor, and the allowable power supply value based on the difference between the rated power of the power supply device and the detection power of the internal power detection means. Calculation means for calculating, and control means for controlling the power supplied to the heater so that the power supplied to the heater and the compressor is less than the allowable supply value when the compressor is started.

  According to the power control device of the present invention, the allowable power supply value is calculated based on the difference between the rated power of the power feeding device and the detection power of the internal power detection means, and the heater and the compressor are activated when the compressor is started. Since the power supplied to the heater is controlled so that the power supplied to the heater is equal to or less than the supply allowable value, the power supplied to the cooling / heating device when starting the compressor can be reduced.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention also provides power for controlling power supplied from an external power supply device to a refrigeration apparatus including a heater for heating a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit for cooling the product. In the control device, based on the internal power detection means for detecting the supply power of the power supply device that supplies power to the heater and the compressor, the supply power to the other cooling equipment of the power supply device and the detection power of the internal power detection means, The controller includes a control unit that obtains a timing at which a compressor of another cooling / heating device is activated and activates the compressor by shifting the timing.

  According to the power control device of the present invention, the compressor of the other cooling / heating device starts the compressor at different timings based on the power supplied to the other cooling / heating device and the detection power of the internal power detection means. Therefore, the compressors of the respective cooling / heating devices do not start at the same time.

  Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides power for controlling power supplied from an external power supply device to a cooling / heating device including a heater for heating a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit for cooling the product. In the control device, the communication device for network connection and the data on the allowable start time of the compressor set differently for each cooling / heating device are received from the predetermined management server via the communication device, and the compressor is started. And a control means for limiting within the allowable start time.

  According to the power control apparatus of the present invention, the predetermined information including the allowable start time of the compressor set differently for each cooling / heating device is received from the predetermined management server via the communication device, and the start of the compressor Therefore, the compressor of each cooling / heating device is not started at the same time.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the power supplied to the refrigeration equipment when starting up the compressor, so that it is not necessary to set the rated power of the power supply device higher than necessary. Accordingly, it is possible to operate the cooling / heating device within the range of the rated power of the power supply apparatus, and it is possible to suppress the setting change of the rated power of the power supply apparatus and the cost related to the power supply apparatus.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the compressors of the respective cooling / heating devices connected to the power feeding device do not start at the same time, the respective cooling / heating devices can be operated within the rated power range of the feeding device. Therefore, even when a plurality of cooling / heating devices are installed in one place, each cooling / heating device can be stably operated.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the power control apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a control circuit diagram of the power control apparatus.

  The power control apparatus 100 is provided in the vending machine 10 and controls the amount of power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 of the vending machine 10 via the outlet 1.

  Along with the power control device 100, the vending machine 10 switches energization to the thermistor 11 that detects the temperature of the product storage (not shown), the compressor 12 of the refrigeration circuit that cools the product, and the heater 14. A heater relay 13 and a heater 14 for heating a product are provided, and the cooling device referred to in the claims of the present application is configured. In addition to the vending machine 10, a showcase may be used as a cooling / heating device.

  The thermistor 11 detects an electrical resistance that changes according to the temperature of the commodity storage as a detection signal, and outputs the detection signal to the control unit 150 of the power control apparatus 100.

  The compressor 12 includes an inverter and a motor. When the frequency of the alternating current supplied from the outlet 1 is converted by the inverter, the number of rotations of the motor can be controlled to change the cooling efficiency of the product. Further, when the motor speed increases, the power consumption increases, and when the motor speed decreases, the power consumption also decreases.

  The heater relay 13 includes a diode 13a, a coil 13b, and a contact 13c, and closes the contact 13c when a direct current 3 flows through the coil 13b. Thereby, the alternating current 2 flows through the heater 14. The diode 13a is for preventing a back electromotive voltage from being generated when the flow of the DC current 3 is stopped.

  The heater 14 is a resistor made of a metal such as iron or nickel, and generates heat by the alternating current 2 flowing from the outlet 1. The power supplied to the heater 14 varies depending on the time for which the heater 14 is energized, and the energization time for the heater 14 is controlled by a control unit 150 of the power control apparatus 100 described later.

  The power control apparatus 100 includes a conversion unit 110 that converts alternating current into direct current, an internal power detection unit 120 that detects power supplied from the outlet 1 to the vending machine 10, a storage unit 130 that stores information, A switching control circuit 140 that switches on / off of energization to the heater relay 13 and a control unit 150 that controls these units are provided. In addition, the power control device 100 is provided with an external power detection unit 160 that detects power supplied from the outlet 1 to an electrical device such as a cooling / heating device other than the vending machine 10.

  The conversion unit 110 includes a filter and a converter, converts the alternating current 2 flowing from the outlet 1 into a direct current 3, and supplies the direct current 3 to each unit such as the control unit 150 and the heater relay 13.

  The internal power detection unit 120 is a power sensor that detects a signal related to the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 of the vending machine 10 and transmits the detected signal to the control unit 150. The internal power detection unit 120 constitutes a first power detection means in the claims of the present application.

  The storage unit 130 is a rewritable storage element such as an EEPROM, and stores control information 131 indicating the power detected by the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160.

  The switching control circuit 140 is composed of resistors 141 and 142 and a transistor 143 as shown in FIG. The transistor 143 is configured as an open collector by connecting the collector of the transistor 143 to the coil of the heater relay 13. When the electrical signal output from the control unit 150 flows to the base of the transistor 143 via the resistor 141, the switching control circuit 140 can flow current from the collector of the transistor 143 to the emitter. The resistor 142 is provided to surely switch on / off of energization to the base of the transistor 143.

  The control unit 150 is configured by a CPU or the like, and activates the compressor 12 or the heater 14 by controlling energization to the compressor 12 or the heater 14 according to the temperature of the product storage detected by the thermistor 11. Stop. Further, when starting the compressor 12, the control unit 150 calculates a power value from signals detected by the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160, and energizes the heater 14 based on the power value. Control. Furthermore, the control unit 150 always outputs each power value obtained from the signals detected by the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160 and the compressor 12 and the heater 14 after the power control device 100 is started. The supplied power is stored in the storage unit 130 as control information 131.

  The external power detection unit 160 is a power sensor provided in the outlet 1, detects a signal related to the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the refrigeration equipment other than the vending machine 10, and transmits the detected signal to the control unit 150. To do. The external power detection unit 160 constitutes a second power detection means referred to in the claims of the present application.

  Next, the operation | movement which concerns on the power control of the power control apparatus 100 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, and the wave form diagram of FIG. In FIG. 4, (a) shows the power supplied to the vending machine 10, (b) shows the power supplied to the compressor 12, and (c) shows the power supplied to the heater 14. First, the external power detection unit 160 detects a signal related to the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the refrigeration equipment other than the vending machine 10, and transmits the detected signal to the control unit 150 (step S1). Further, the internal power detection unit 120 detects a signal related to the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the vending machine 10, and transmits the detected signal to the control unit 150 (step S2). The control unit 150 obtains an allowable amount of power supplied from the outlet 1 based on the signals received from the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160 (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 150 converts each signal received from the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160 into a power value based on the output characteristics of the internal power detection unit 120 and the external power detection unit 160. After the conversion, the converted power value is subtracted from the rated power of the outlet 1. Then, the control unit 150 sets a predetermined ratio (for example, 90%) of the subtracted value as the power supply allowable amount. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when a value obtained by subtracting the converted power value from the rated power of the outlet 1 is A1, the power supply allowable value is A2.

  Next, if the power supplied to the vending machine 10 is less than the power supply allowable value (step S4), the control unit 150 turns on the heater relay 13 by energizing the switching control circuit 140 to turn on the heater 14. Start (step S5). For example, as shown in FIG. 4C, the power supplied to the heater 14 increases to C1. Next, the control unit 150 converts the detection signal related to the temperature of the commodity storage detected by the thermistor 11 into a temperature based on the output characteristics of the thermistor 11, and determines whether to start the compressor 12 (step S6). ). And when the temperature which starts the compressor 12 is reached in time t1, the control part 150 reduces the electric power supplied to the heater 14 to C2 (step S7). Here, the value of C2 (= A6) is a value obtained by subtracting the value of the inrush power generated when the compressor 12 is started from A1 at the maximum.

  Next, the controller 150 starts the compressor 12 by starting energization of the compressor 12 at time t2 (step S8). At this time, inrush power is generated in the compressor 12, but the value of the power supplied to the compressor 12 is then stabilized at B2. If the power supplied to the heater 14 is less than the maximum power (= C1) that can be received by the heater 14 at time t3 (step 9), the control unit 150 sets the value of the power supplied to the heater 14 to C1. Increase (step S10). In addition, when the value of power supplied to the heater 14 is C1 at time t4, the control unit 150 does not supply power to the vending machine 10 below the allowable power supply value (= A2) (step S11). ) Increase the power supplied to the compressor 12 (step S12). And the control part 150 stabilizes the electric power supplied to the compressor 12 when the sum of the electric power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 becomes A2 (step S13). At this time, the value of the electric power supplied to the compressor 12 is B1.

  If the conditions are not satisfied in steps S4 and S11, the process is interrupted. Further, although not shown in the flowchart, when the temperature obtained based on the signal related to the temperature detected by the thermistor 11 reaches the temperature at which the compressor 12 or the heater 14 is stopped, the control unit 150 Then, the supply of power to the compressor 12 or the heater 14 is stopped.

  Thus, according to the power control apparatus of the present embodiment, the internal power detection unit 120 that detects the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the heater 14 and the compressor 12, the rated power of the outlet 1 and the internal power detection unit The power supply allowable value is calculated based on the difference between the detected power of 120 and the heater 14 so that the power supplied to the heater 14 and the compressor 12 is less than the supply allowable value when the compressor 12 is started. Since the control unit 150 that controls the power supplied to the compressor is provided, the power supplied to the cooling equipment when starting the compressor can be reduced. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to set the rated power of the power supply device higher than necessary, it is possible to operate the refrigeration equipment within the range of the rated power of the power supply device and to change the setting of the rated power of the power supply device and to the power supply device. Such costs can be reduced.

  Furthermore, when the controller 150 supplies the heater 14 with the maximum power that can be received by the heater 14, the power supplied to the heater 14 and the compressor 12 is less than the allowable supply value when the power supplied to the outlet 1 is less than the allowable supply value. Since the power supply to the compressor 12 is increased until the supply allowable value is reached, the heater 14 can be operated at the rated power, and the power supply to the compressor 12 can be increased and operated. . Therefore, it is possible to efficiently supply power and warm and cool the product in a short time.

  Furthermore, since the control unit 150 is configured to set the supply allowable value to a value that is equal to or less than a predetermined value (90%) from the supply allowable value, the supply allowable value can be set low. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the power supplied to the refrigeration equipment from exceeding the rated power of the power supply device due to the inrush power when the compressor 12 is activated.

  Furthermore, the external power detection part 160 which detects the power supplied to the other cold-heating equipment of the outlet 1 is provided, and the control part 150 adds the detection power of the external power detection part 160 to the detection power of the internal power detection part 120. Since the supply allowable value is obtained based on the difference between the power supply and the rated power of the supply device, the supply allowable value can be obtained based on the power supplied to all devices connected to the outlet 1. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the power supplied to each device from exceeding the rated power of the power supply device, and thus each device can be operated stably.

  Further, since the heater relay 13 for switching on / off of energization to the heater 14 is provided with a switching control circuit 140 for turning on / off by a signal output from the control unit 150, the control unit 150 includes the switching control circuit 140. Only by controlling, the heater relay 13 can be switched on and off to control the energization of the heater 14. Therefore, it is possible to perform power control without significantly modifying an existing vending machine simply by connecting the output of the heater relay 13 to the switching control circuit 140.

  Further, since the switching control circuit 140 is constituted by the open collector transistor 143, a large collector current can be switched with a small base current. Therefore, since power supply to the heater 14 can be controlled with power saving, the cost for using power can be reduced.

  A power control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that control information 131 is transmitted and received between the vending machine 10 and another vending machine 20 electrically connected to the outlet 1, and the vending machine 10 However, the power supply to the heater 24 of the other vending machine 20 is controlled. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, only the differences will be described here.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the power control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a conversion unit 110, an internal power detection unit 120, a storage unit 130, a switching control circuit 140, and a control unit 150 that controls these units, as well as other automatic units. A communication control unit 170 that transmits / receives data to / from the vending machine 20 and a power supply control circuit 180 that controls power supply to the heaters 24 of the other vending machines 20 are provided. The other vending machine 20 includes a power control device 200, a thermistor 21, a compressor 22, a heater relay 23, and a heater 24. Furthermore, the power control apparatus 200 includes a conversion unit 210, an internal power detection unit 220, a storage unit 230, a switching control circuit 240, and a control unit 250 that controls these units. In addition, about operation | movement of each part and each apparatus, since it is the same as that of the vending machine 10 and the power control apparatus 100, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The communication control unit 170 can transmit and receive signals using infrared rays, converts the digital signal received from the control unit 150 into infrared rays and transmits the infrared signals to the other vending machines 20 and receives the infrared signals received from the other vending machines 20. Is converted into a digital signal and transmitted to the control unit 150. Note that the communication control unit 170 may use a communication method such as Bluetooth, power line carrier communication, or wireless LAN.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply control circuit 180 is provided between the control unit 250 and the switching control circuit 240 in the power control apparatus 200 of another vending machine 20, and includes a diode 181, a coil 182, and a contact 183. It consists of and. The feed control circuit 180 is configured to close the contact 183 when a current controlled by the control unit 150 of the power control apparatus 100 flows through the coil 182. At this time, when the current controlled by the control unit 250 of the power control device 200 flows to the base of the transistor 243 via the resistor 241 of the switching control circuit 240, the direct current 3 flows to the coil 23b of the heater relay 23. As a result, the contact 23 c of the heater relay 23 is closed, and the alternating current 2 flows through the heater 24. The diode 181 is for preventing a back electromotive voltage from being generated when the flow of the direct current 3 is stopped.

  The control unit 150 according to the present embodiment can communicate with another vending machine 20 via the communication control unit 170, and when the compressor 12 or the heater 14 is activated, the control unit 150 can communicate with the other vending machine 20. The transmission request signal of the control information 231 stored in the storage unit 230 of the power control apparatus 200 is transmitted. The control unit 150 controls energization to the power supply control circuit 180 based on the control information 231 received from the vending machine 20 and the control information 131 stored in the storage unit 130.

  Below, the operation | movement which concerns on the electric power supply by the power control apparatus 100 at the time of starting the compressor 12 is demonstrated with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 7, and the wave form diagram of FIG. In FIG. 8, (a) shows the power supplied from the outlet 1, (b) shows the power supplied to the vending machine 10, and (c) shows the power supplied to the other vending machines 20. . First, at time 0, the heater 14 of the vending machine 10 is supplied with electric power E2, and the heaters 24 of the other vending machines 20 are supplied with electric power F1. The rated power of the outlet 1 is D1.

  First, the control unit 150 converts a signal related to the power detected by the internal power detection unit 120 into a power value and stores it as control information 131 in the storage unit 130 (step S21). Similarly, the control unit 250 on the vending machine 20 side converts the signal related to the power detected by the internal power detection unit 220 into a power value and stores it as control information 231 in the storage unit 230 (step S22). Next, before starting the compressor 12, the control unit 150 transmits a transmission request signal for the control information 231 to the other vending machine 20 via the communication control unit 170 at time t21 (step S23). When the control unit 250 on the other vending machine 20 side receives the transmission request signal of the control information 231 from the vending machine 10 via the communication control unit 270, the control unit 231 stores the control information 231 stored in the storage unit 230. It transmits to the vending machine 10 via 270 (step S24).

  Next, the control unit 150 on the vending machine 10 side adds the power values included in the control information 131 stored in the storage unit 130 and the control information 231 received from the vending machine 20 from the outlet 1. The supplied power is obtained, and the power supply allowable value is obtained by subtracting the obtained power from the rated power (= D1) of the outlet 1 (step S25). Here, when the power supplied to the outlet 1 exceeds the rated power of the outlet 1 when the compressor 12 is started, the control unit 150 performs energization control to the power supply control circuit 180 to thereby change the vending machine 20. The power supplied to the heater 24 on the side is reduced (step S26). For example, by reducing the power supplied to the heater 24 on the vending machine 20 side at time t22, the power supplied to the vending machine 20 is reduced from F1 to F2. Thereby, the power supplied to the outlet 1 is reduced to D3. The power value F2 is obtained by subtracting the value of power supplied to the vending machine 10 (= E2) and the value of the inrush power generated when the compressor 12 is started from the rated power (= D1) of the outlet 1. Is required.

  Next, the control unit 150 on the vending machine 10 side starts the compressor 12 by starting energizing the compressor 12 at time t23 (step S27). At this time, when the rush power is generated in the compressor 12, the power supplied to the outlet 1 temporarily rises to the vicinity of the rated power, but then stabilizes at the power value D2.

  As described above, according to the power control apparatus of the present embodiment, the power supply control circuit 180 that switches on / off of energization to the heater 24 provided in the other vending machine 20 by the electric signal output from the control unit 150. Therefore, the controller 150 can control the energization of the heaters 24 of the other vending machines 20. Therefore, since the power supply to the other vending machines 20 can be controlled when the compressor 12 is started, the vending machines 10 and 20 can be operated within the rated power range of the outlet 1.

  Furthermore, a communication control unit 270 for performing data communication with the vending machine 10 is provided, and the control unit 250 automatically sells the power value detected by the internal power detection unit 220 via the communication control unit 270. Since it is configured to transmit to the machine 10, the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the vending machine 20 can be transmitted to the vending machine 10. Therefore, the vending machine 10 can reliably detect the power supplied to the vending machine 20.

  Furthermore, a communication control unit 170 for performing data communication with another vending machine 20 is provided, and the control unit 150 receives the value of the power received from the other vending machine 20 via the communication control unit 170, and Since the supply allowable value is obtained based on the value of the power detected by the internal power detection unit 120, the supply allowable value is determined based on the supply power to the other vending machines 20 and the supply power to the vending machine 10. The value can be determined. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the power supplied to the vending machines 10 and 20 from exceeding the rated power of the power supply device, and thus the vending machines 10 and 20 can be stably operated.

  A power control apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that the compressors of the other vending machines 20 and 30 are activated based on the power supplied to the vending machine 10 and the other vending machines 20 and 30. It is in the point which asked the timing to do. As a result, starting the compressor 12 with the obtained timing shifted, the compressors of the vending machines 10, 20, and 30 are not started at the same time, and within the rated power range of the outlet 1. Vending machines 10, 20, 30 can be operated. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, only differences will be described here.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the power control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a conversion unit 110, an internal power detection unit 120, a storage unit 130, a switching control circuit 140, and a control unit 150 that controls these units, And a communication control unit 170 that transmits and receives data to and from the vending machine 20.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the storage unit 130 stores control information 131 that records the power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 detected by the internal power detection unit 120 for a predetermined period (for example, one day). It is remembered. The control information 131 includes control information received from another vending machine 20 as shown in FIG. 10 (b) and control information received from another vending machine 30 as shown in FIG. 10 (c). And are recorded.

  The control unit 150 can communicate with the other vending machines 20 and 30 via the communication control unit 170, and the control information received from the other vending machines 20 and 30 via the communication control unit 170, respectively. The information is recorded in the control information 131 stored in the storage unit 130. Further, the control unit 150 obtains a timing at which the rated power of the outlet 1 is exceeded when the compressor 12 is started based on the power supplied to the vending machines 20 and 30 recorded in the control information 131.

  The operation in the case of obtaining the timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1 when the compressor 12 is started will be described below. First, the control unit 150 adds the power supplied to the other vending machine 30 to the power supplied to the other vending machine 20, and the other vending machines 20, 30 as shown in FIG. Find the power supplied to the.

  Next, the control unit 150 obtains the maximum value of the power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 and adds to the power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30 while shifting the time. The time when the supplied power exceeds the rated power (= G1) of the outlet 1 is detected. For example, when the maximum value of the power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 is G1-G2, the power supplied after the addition at time t31, t32, t33, t34, t35, and t36 is the rated power of the outlet 1. Exceed.

  Next, the control unit 150 activates the compressor 12 based on the cycle (= T) of power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and the cycle (= T) of power supplied to the other vending machines 30. Sometimes the timing of exceeding the rated power of outlet 1 is obtained. For example, since the times t31, t33, and t35 are shifted by a period T, the time obtained by adding an integer multiple of the period T to the time t31 exceeds the rated power of the outlet 1 when the compressor 12 is started. Become. Furthermore, since the times t32, t34, and t36 are also shifted by the period T, the time obtained by adding an integral multiple of the period T to the time t32 is also determined as the timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1.

  When the temperature detected by the thermistor 11 reaches the temperature at which the compressor 12 is activated, the control unit 150 determines that the time measured by the timer circuit is a timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1. The compressor 12 is not energized.

  As described above, according to the power control apparatus of the present embodiment, the internal power detection unit 120 that detects the supply power of the outlet 1 that supplies power to the heater 14 and the compressor 12, and the other vending machines 20 and 30 of the outlet 1. Based on the supply power to the power supply and the supply power detected by the internal power detection unit 120, when the compressor 12 is started, the timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1 is obtained, and the compressor 12 is started by shifting the timing. Therefore, the compressors 12 of the vending machines 10, 20, and 30 do not start at the same time. Therefore, when the compressor 12 is started, the rated power of the outlet 1 is not exceeded, so that each of the vending machines 10, 20, and 30 can be stably operated.

  In addition, a communication control unit 170 for performing data communication with other vending machines 20 and 30 receiving power from the outlet 1 is provided, and the control unit 150 is configured to supply power to the other vending machines 20 and 30. Since the value is received from the other vending machines 20 and 30 via the communication control unit 170, the value of the power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30 can be received by data communication. Accordingly, since the value of the supplied power is not artificially collected, the accurate timing can be obtained by reliably receiving the value of the supplied power from the other vending machines 20 and 30.

  A power control apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that other vending machines are based on the power supplied to the vending machine 10 and the other vending machines 20 and 30 as in the third embodiment. It is in the point which calculated | required the timing which the compressors of 20 and 30 start. The present embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that an external power detection unit 160 that detects power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30 is provided. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first to third embodiments, only differences will be described here.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the power control apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a conversion unit 110, an internal power detection unit 120, a storage unit 130, a switching control circuit 140, and a control unit 150 that controls these units, as well as external power. And a detection unit 160.

  The storage unit 130 stores control information 131 in which the power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30 detected by the external power detection unit 160 is recorded for a predetermined period (for example, one hour).

  The external power detection unit 160 detects a signal related to the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the vending machines 20 and 30 and transmits the detected signal to the control unit 150. The detected signal is shown as in FIG.

  First, the control unit 150 according to the present embodiment converts the signal received from the external power detection unit 160 into a power value and supplies the signal to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 when the compressor 12 of the vending machine 10 is started. Find the maximum value of power supply. And it adds, shifting time with respect to the electric power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30, and the time when the electric power after addition exceeds the rated electric power (= G1) of the outlet 1 is detected. For example, when the maximum value of the power supplied to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 is G1-G2, the power supplied after the addition at time t31, t32, t33, t34, t35, and t36 is the rated power of the outlet 1. Exceed. Then, the control unit 150 stores a time when the supplied power after the addition exceeds the rated power (= G1) of the outlet 1 in the predetermined period in which the power is detected by the external power detection unit 160 as one cycle. Store in the unit 130. When the temperature detected by the thermistor 11 reaches the temperature at which the compressor 12 is activated, the control unit 150 determines that the time measured by the timer circuit is a timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1. The compressor 12 is not energized.

  As described above, according to the power control apparatus of the present embodiment, the internal power detection unit 120 that detects the supply power of the outlet 1 that supplies power to the heater 14 and the compressor 12, and the other vending machines 20 and 30 of the outlet 1. Based on the supply power to the power supply and the supply power detected by the internal power detection unit 120, when the compressor 12 is started, the timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1 is obtained, and the compressor 12 is started by shifting the timing. Therefore, the compressors 12 of the vending machines 10, 20, and 30 do not start at the same time. Therefore, when the compressor 12 is started, the rated power of the outlet 1 is not exceeded, so that each of the vending machines 10, 20, and 30 can be stably operated.

  Further, since the external power detection unit 160 that detects the power supplied to the other vending machines 20 and 30 of the outlet 1 is provided, the power supplied from the outlet 1 to the other vending machines 20 and 30 can be detected. it can. Therefore, since it is not necessary to equip the other vending machines 20 and 30 with a device for detecting power, the timing exceeding the rated power of the outlet 1 can be accurately obtained even when an existing vending machine is used.

  A power control apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment is different from the first to fourth embodiments in that control information between a plurality of vending machines 10 and 20 electrically connected to the outlet 1 and the management server 400 connected to the network 300 is different. 131 and activation information 132 are transmitted and received. Thereby, the management server 400 can collectively manage the energization time to the compressor 12 and the heater 14 of the vending machines 10 and 20. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first to fourth embodiments, only differences will be described here.

  The storage unit 130 stores control information 131, activation information 132, and a vending machine ID 133. In the activation information 132, as shown in FIG. 13, the allowable activation time of the compressor 12 is set for each unique vending machine ID 133 assigned to each of the vending machines 10 and 20. The allowable start time of the compressor 12 indicates that the start of the compressor 12 is permitted during a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) from the time recorded in the start information 132.

  The management server 400 includes a control unit 410, a storage unit 420, and the like, and can communicate with the power control device 100 of each vending machine 10, 20 that is electrically connected to the outlet 1 via the network 300. Yes. Control information 131 and activation information 132 are stored in the storage unit 420, and the control unit 410 sends a transmission request for the activation information 132 stored in the storage unit 420 from the power control devices 100 of the vending machines 10 and 20. When received, after authenticating that the power control apparatus 100 is a valid terminal using a public key cryptosystem or the like, the activation information 132 stored in the storage unit 420 is transmitted to the power control apparatus 100. In addition, the control unit 410 receives the control information 131 from the vending machines 10 and 20 at any time, and stores the control information 131 in the storage unit 420. The administrator of the management server 400 refers to the control information 131 and the activation information 132 stored in the storage unit 420 using a monitor, a keyboard, and the like (both not shown) provided in the management server 400, The activation information 132 can be updated.

  The control unit 150 of the vending machine 10 according to the present embodiment includes a timer circuit that measures time, and can communicate with the management server 400 via a communication device 190 that can be connected to the network 300. The control unit 150 connects to the management server 400 at any time, detects the activation information 132 stored in the storage unit 420 of the management server 400, and transmits a transmission request related to the detected activation information 132 to the management server 400. The control unit 150 also includes the compressor 12 and the heater 14 corresponding to the vending machine ID stored in the storage unit 130 among the vending machine ID stored in the storage unit 130 and the activation information 132 received from the management server 400. Detect startup time of. Then, the control unit 150 includes the time measured by the timer circuit in the allowable start time of the compressor 12 when the temperature of the commodity storage detected by the thermistor 11 has reached the temperature at which the compressor 12 is started. If it is, power supply to the compressor 12 is started.

  As described above, according to the power control apparatus of this embodiment, the communication apparatus 190 for connecting the network 300 and the start-up including the start-up allowable time of the compressor 12 set differently for each of the vending machines 10 and 20 are performed. Since the information 132 is received from the management server 400 via the communication device 190 and the control unit 150 restricts the start of the compressor 12 within the allowable start time, the compressor 12 of each of the vending machines 10 and 20 is provided. Will not start at the same time. Therefore, each vending machine 10 and 20 can be stably operated within the range of the rated power of the power feeding device.

Functional block diagram of the power control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention Control circuit diagram of power control device Flow chart explaining operation of power control device Waveform diagram showing power supply to heater and compressor Functional block diagram of the power control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention Control circuit diagram of power control device Sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the power control apparatus Waveform diagram showing power supply to each vending machine Functional block diagram of a power control apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention Waveform diagram showing power supply to each vending machine Functional block diagram of a power control apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention Functional block diagram of a power control apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention The figure which shows an example of the data structure of starting information

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outlet, 10 ... Vending machine, 11 ... Thermistor, 12 ... Compressor, 13 ... Heater relay, 14 ... Heater, 20, 30 ... Other vending machines, 100 ... Power control device, 120 ... Internal power detection , 130, storage unit, 131, control information, 132, activation information, 140, switching control circuit, 143, transistor, 150, control unit, 160, external power detection unit, 170, communication control unit, 180, power supply control circuit , 190 ... communication device, 300 ... network, 400 ... management server.

Claims (13)

In a power control device that controls power supplied from an external power supply device to a refrigeration apparatus including a heater that heats a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit that cools the product,
Internal power detection means for detecting supply power supplied from a power supply device to the heater and the compressor;
Calculation means for calculating a power supply allowable value based on a difference between the rated power of the power supply device and the detected power of the internal power detection means;
A power control apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls power supplied to the heater so that the power supplied to the heater and the compressor is less than or equal to a supply allowable value when the compressor is started. When the controller supplies the maximum power that can be received by the heater to the heater and the supply power of the power supply apparatus is less than or equal to the supply allowable value, the supply power to the heater and the compressor becomes the supply allowable value. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power control apparatus is configured to increase power supplied to the compressor. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set a value that is equal to or less than a predetermined value from a supply allowable value as the supply allowable value. Comprising external power detection means for detecting power supplied to other cooling devices of the power supply device;
The control means is configured to obtain a supply allowable value based on a difference between a power obtained by adding a detection power of the external power detection means to a detection power of the internal power detection means and a rated power of the supply device. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3. 5. A switching control circuit for turning on / off a heater relay for switching on / off of energization to the heater by an electric signal output from the control means. Power control device. The power control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the switching control circuit is configured by an open collector transistor. The power supply control circuit which switches ON / OFF of electricity supply to the heater provided in the other cooling-heat apparatus with the electric signal output from the said control means was provided, The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Or the electric power control apparatus of 6. Provided with a communication control unit for data communication with other refrigeration equipment,
The said control means is comprised so that the value of the electric power detected by the internal electric power detection means may be transmitted to a predetermined | prescribed cooling / heating device via a communication control part, The 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Alternatively, the power control device according to 7. Provided with a communication control unit for data communication with other refrigeration equipment,
The calculation unit is configured to calculate a supply allowable value based on a value of power received from another cooling device via the communication control unit and a value of power detected by the first power detection unit. The power control apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7. In a power control device that controls power supplied from an external power supply device to a refrigeration apparatus including a heater that heats a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit that cools the product,
Internal power detection means for detecting the supply power of a power supply device for supplying power to the heater and the compressor;
Control for starting the compressor by shifting the timing while obtaining the timing for starting the compressor of the other cooling / heating device based on the power supplied to the other cooling / heating device and the detected power of the internal power detection means of the power supply device And a power control apparatus. A communication control unit for performing data communication with other refrigeration equipment receiving power from the power supply device,
The power control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to receive a value of power supplied to another cooling device from another cooling device through a communication control unit. The power control device according to claim 10, further comprising an external power detection unit that detects power supplied to another cooling device of the power feeding device. In a power control device that controls power supplied from an external power supply device to a refrigeration apparatus including a heater that heats a product and a compressor of a refrigeration circuit that cools the product,
A communication device for network connection;
Control unit that receives data of allowable start time of the compressor set differently for each cooling / heating device from a predetermined management server via a communication device, and restricts start of the compressor within the allowable start time A power control device characterized by that.

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