JP2007085673A - Address setting method and program for air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately detect a connection state of a refrigerant system of indoor units and outdoor units, and to automatically set an address responding to refrigerant connection to the indoor unit in an air conditioning system comprised by connecting a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units through one communication network. <P>SOLUTION: In a state of operating only one outdoor unit, opening and closing operation of an expansion valve of the indoor unit is carried out one by one, and by change of quantities of state of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, it is determined whether or not each indoor unit is connected by the same refrigerant system to the outdoor unit being operated. In such manner, it is judged whether or not an indoor unit corresponds to a slave unit of the outdoor unit by operating the indoor units one by one, and address setting is carried out while positively confirming its connection state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an address setting method and program for an air conditioning system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, an air conditioning system in which a multi-air conditioner in which one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units are connected by the same refrigerant system is connected by a communication network is known.
In the conventional address control, when there is only one refrigerant system, the address of the outdoor unit is fixed, and the address control is performed by automatically assigning the indoor address in the network. However, when there are a plurality of refrigerant systems, since the outdoor address cannot be fixed, the address setting becomes complicated.
To solve this problem, a method has been proposed in which a specific outdoor unit is operated with the electronic expansion valve of the indoor unit being opened, and the detected temperature change of the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is registered as a connection unit. (See Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent No. 3219568

However, the above method has a problem that it takes time to complete the address setting because it takes time to detect the temperature.
Furthermore, since the temperature of the heat exchanger changes depending on the outdoor air temperature, pipe length, connection capacity, etc., the temperature change cannot be detected accurately, and false detection occurs, resulting in a refrigerant connection state between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. There is a problem that it cannot be detected with high accuracy.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and in an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are An object of the present invention is to provide an address setting method and program for an air conditioning system that can detect a connection state of a refrigerant system with high accuracy and can automatically set an address corresponding to refrigerant connection to an indoor unit.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
The present invention is an address setting method for an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, with the expansion valves of all the indoor units closed, An outdoor unit operating process for operating one outdoor unit, an expansion valve operating process for opening an expansion valve of one indoor unit to a predetermined opening in a state in which the one outdoor unit is operated, Based on at least one of the temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit and the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit, the one indoor unit is the same refrigerant system as the one outdoor unit. An address is set for the one indoor unit when it is determined that the connection is made in the same refrigerant system and the determination process for determining whether or not they are connected. Providing an address setting process, the address setting method of the air conditioning system comprising a sequentially switching the switching process of an indoor unit for operating the expansion valve.

  In this way, in the state where only one outdoor unit is operated, the expansion valve of the indoor unit is opened and closed one by one, and each indoor unit is in operation due to the change in the state quantity of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit at this time. It is determined whether it is connected by the same refrigerant system as the outdoor unit. Thereby, even when the amount of refrigerant is uncertain, the connection state of the refrigerant system between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the pipe length, the outside air temperature, the connection capacity, and the like. .

Further, according to the address setting method of the present invention, address setting and address change can be performed after the air conditioner is installed, so that address setting work at the time of air conditioner installation can be omitted and the construction cost can be reduced. You can plan. Furthermore, since an outdoor address switch or the like is not required, the number of parts of the indoor / outdoor unit can be reduced.
In the address setting method, for example, the determination process may be performed when the temperature of the heat exchanger is equal to or lower than a specified value after a predetermined time has elapsed after operating the expansion valve of the one indoor unit, or When the suction side pressure of the compressor is equal to or less than the specified value, it is determined that one indoor unit is connected to the one outdoor unit through the same refrigerant system.

  Similarly, when setting an address during the heat pump operation, it is possible to determine whether or not they are connected in the same refrigerant system by operating the expansion valve. In other words, during operation of the heat pump, the expansion valve is generally used in a fully open state and does not function as an expansion valve. However, even in this case, the heat exchanger is cooled by opening and closing the expansion valve. By controlling the gas supply amount, the address can be set by the same method as described above.

  The address setting method of the air conditioning system is configured such that when the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit falls below an allowable operation value, the operation of the one outdoor unit is stopped and the compression of the one outdoor unit is performed. There may be provided a pressure recovery process for recovering the suction side pressure of the machine and then operating the one outdoor unit again.

  Thus, when the suction side pressure of the compressor of the outdoor unit falls below the allowable operating value, the operation of one outdoor unit is stopped and the suction side pressure of the compressor is recovered, so that the compressor failure Etc. can be prevented.

  The present invention is an address setting method for an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, with the expansion valves of all the indoor units closed, One outdoor unit is operated, and the outdoor unit operation control process for stopping the operation when the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit becomes equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure, and the one outdoor unit is stopped. The expansion valve operating process of opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening in a state of being operated, and the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit within a predetermined time from the operation of the expansion valve And the one indoor unit is connected to the one outdoor unit in the same refrigerant system based on at least one of the temperatures of the heat exchanger of the one indoor unit. A determination process for determining that there is a connection, an address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit when it is determined that they are connected by the same refrigerant system, and the one room for operating the expansion valve An address setting method for an air conditioning system including a switching process for sequentially switching units.

Thus, in a state where the suction side pressure of the compressor of one outdoor unit is reduced, one expansion valve of each indoor unit is opened one by one, and the expansion valve is set according to the state quantity of the indoor / outdoor unit at this time. It is determined whether the indoor unit being operated is connected to the one outdoor unit through the same refrigerant system. Thereby, even when the amount of refrigerant is uncertain, the connection state of the refrigerant system between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the pipe length, the outside air temperature, the connection capacity, and the like. .
Further, according to the address setting method of the present invention, address setting and address change can be performed after the air conditioner is installed, so that address setting work at the time of air conditioner installation can be omitted and the construction cost can be reduced. You can plan. Furthermore, since an outdoor address switch or the like is not required, the number of parts of the indoor / outdoor unit can be reduced.

  In the address setting method of the air conditioning system, the differential pressure between the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit and the suction side pressure of the compressor before the start of the one outdoor unit is less than a determinable value. In this case, the operation of the one outdoor unit may be resumed, and a forced operation process may be provided to stop the operation of the one outdoor unit when the suction side pressure of the compressor becomes equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure. .

  As described above, by providing the forced operation process, it is possible to perform address setting while maintaining the detection accuracy of the connection state of the refrigerant system.

  When the suction side pressure of the compressor of another outdoor unit changes during the operation of the one outdoor unit, an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the one outdoor unit with respect to the other outdoor unit May be set.

  Even if it is recognized as an outdoor unit, it may actually operate as a slave unit of another outdoor unit. In such a case, by operating one outdoor unit and monitoring the state quantities of the other outdoor units, it is possible to reliably identify the outdoor unit that operates as a slave unit. Thereby, the connection state of the refrigerant | coolant system | strain of outdoor units can also be detected with a high precision.

  The present invention relates to an address setting program for performing address setting of an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, and expansion valves for all the indoor units An outdoor unit operation process for operating one outdoor unit in a closed state, and an expansion valve operation for opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening degree while operating the one outdoor unit The one indoor unit is the one outdoor unit based on at least one of processing, the temperature of the heat exchanger included in the one indoor unit, and the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit. When the determination process for determining whether or not the unit is connected in the same refrigerant system, and the determination that the unit is connected in the same refrigerant system, the one indoor unit Providing an address setting process for setting an address to dot and air conditioning system address setting program for executing the sequential switching switching process the one of the indoor units operating the expansion valve to the computer.

  The present invention relates to an address setting program for performing address setting of an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, and expansion valves for all the indoor units One outdoor unit is operated in a closed state, and the outdoor unit operation control process for stopping the operation when the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit is equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure; An expansion valve operation process for opening the expansion valve of one indoor unit to a predetermined opening degree while the outdoor unit is stopped, and the one outdoor unit within a predetermined time from the operation of the expansion valve. The one indoor unit is based on at least one of the suction side pressure of the compressor of the unit and the temperature of the heat exchanger of the one indoor unit. A determination process for determining that the external unit is connected by the same refrigerant system; an address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit when it is determined that the external unit is connected by the same refrigerant system; and An address setting program for an air conditioning system is provided for causing a computer to execute switching processing for sequentially switching the one indoor unit that operates an expansion valve.

  According to the present invention, in an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network, the connection state of the refrigerant system between the indoor units and the outdoor units is detected with high accuracy. This is advantageous in that an address corresponding to the refrigerant connection can be automatically set for the indoor unit.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an air conditioning system.
As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of outdoor units 1a and 1b and a plurality of indoor units 2a to 2f. The outdoor units 1a and 1b and the indoor units 2a to 2f are connected by a single communication network 3. Furthermore, an address setting device 100 according to the present embodiment is connected to the communication network 3.
The outdoor unit 1a and the indoor units 2a to 2c are connected by the same refrigerant system 10a. The outdoor unit 1b and the indoor units 2d to 2f are connected by the same refrigerant system 10b.

Different temporary addresses 5a, 5b, 6a to 6f are set in the outdoor units 1a and 1b and all the indoor units 2a to 2f, respectively. In FIG. 1, the temporary address 5a of the outdoor unit 1a is “46”. For example, the temporary address 6c of the indoor unit 2c is “46/03”. As described above, the indoor units 2a to 2f are preliminarily set with temporary addresses associated with the outdoor units 1a and 1b corresponding to the master unit. That is, the first two digits “46” or “47” of the temporary address indicate the temporary address of the outdoor unit corresponding to the master unit. For example, the indoor unit 2a whose temporary address is “46/01” is temporarily registered as a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a whose temporary address is “46”, and the indoor unit whose temporary address is “47/03”. 2f is provisionally registered as a slave unit of the outdoor unit 2a whose provisional address is “47”.
In this embodiment, in the outdoor unit and the indoor unit connected to each other by the same refrigerant system, the parent device refers to the outdoor unit, and the child device refers to the indoor unit.

  FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner including the outdoor unit 1a and the indoor units 2a to 2c. In this figure, the outdoor unit 1a includes an outdoor control device 30a and an outdoor unit 31a, and each indoor unit 2a includes an indoor control device 40a and an indoor unit 41a. The air conditioner having such a configuration includes a compressor 12 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser (heat exchanger) 13 that condenses the compressed refrigerant, and a receiver 15 that stores the condensed liquid refrigerant. An expansion valve 17 that expands the liquid refrigerant from the liquid receiver 15 and an evaporator (heat exchanger) 19 that evaporates the liquid refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 17 are provided.

Among the above-described configurations, the compressor 12, the condenser 13, and the liquid receiver 15 are provided in the outdoor unit 31a that constitutes the outdoor unit 1a. On the other hand, the evaporator 19 and the expansion valve 17 are provided in the indoor units 41a to 41c constituting the indoor units 2a to 2c, respectively.
In addition, in this embodiment, although the compressor 12 and the liquid receiver 15 are provided in the outdoor unit 31a, these do not necessarily need to be provided in the outdoor unit 31a.

  The compressor 12 compresses the low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant from the evaporator 19 to produce a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, and a scroll compressor is preferably used. A low pressure sensor 51 is provided in the refrigerant system on the suction side of the compressor 12, and a high pressure sensor 52 is provided in the refrigerant system on the discharge side. The outputs of these pressure sensors 51 and 52 are output to the input unit 32 in the outdoor control device 30a of the outdoor unit 1a. The refrigerant pipe is provided with a bypass pipe that bypasses the compressor 23. This bypass pipe operates when the differential pressure between the pressure sensors 51 and 52 exceeds a predetermined value, and is a pressure control valve for maintaining the suction side pressure and the discharge side pressure of the compressor 12 at a substantially constant pressure. 60 is provided. The opening degree of the pressure control valve 60 is adjusted by the control unit 31 of the outdoor control device 30a. Further, a temperature sensor 27 is provided in the refrigerant pipe on the discharge side of the compressor 12, and this output is sent to the input unit 32.

The condenser 13 is a heat exchanger that condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant from the compressor 12 by exchanging heat with air that is outside air. An outdoor fan 13a is disposed opposite to the condenser 13, and heat exchange is promoted by forced convection by air sent by the outdoor fan 13a. The outdoor fan 13a is started and stopped by the control unit 32a of the outdoor control device 30a, or the rotation speed is controlled.
A temperature sensor 23 is provided in the refrigerant pipe on the upstream side of the condenser 13, and a temperature sensor 24 is provided on the downstream side. The outputs of these temperature sensors 23 and 24 are sent to the input unit 32 of the outdoor control device 30a.
The outdoor unit 31 a is provided with an outdoor temperature sensor 26, and this output is sent to the input unit 32.

The liquid receiver 15 is a container in which the liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser 13 is stored. At a normal outside air temperature that is not a low outside air temperature, surplus refrigerant that has been surplus in the system is stored.
A liquid receiver temperature sensor 28 is provided on the side wall of the liquid receiver 15. The output of the receiver temperature sensor 28 is sent to the input unit 32 of the outdoor control device 30a, and the liquid level position in the receiver 15 is estimated based on this output value.

Next, the internal configuration of the indoor units 2a to 2c will be described. Here, since all the indoor units 2a to 2c have the same configuration, only the indoor unit 2a will be described, and description of the indoor units 2b and 2c will be omitted.
The expansion valve 17 expands the liquid refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit 31a side substantially in enthalpy. The expansion valve 17 is preferably an electronic expansion valve (EEV), and the opening degree thereof is controlled by the control unit 41 of the indoor control device 40a. The amount of circulating refrigerant circulating in the system is determined by the opening of the expansion valve 17. Moreover, it is controlled by the control unit 41 so that a predetermined degree of superheat (for example, 3 deg) is maintained.

  The evaporator 19 is a heat exchanger that evaporates the low-pressure liquid refrigerant from the expansion valve 17 by exchanging heat with room air. A temperature sensor 21 is provided in the refrigerant pipe on the upstream side of the evaporator 19, and a temperature sensor 22 is provided in the refrigerant pipe on the downstream side. The outputs of these temperature sensors 21 and 22 are sent to the input unit 42 of the indoor control device 40a. The degree of superheat is determined by the temperature obtained by subtracting the temperature sensor 21 from the temperature sensor 22.

  An indoor fan 29 is disposed opposite to the evaporator 19, and heat exchange is promoted by forced convection by air sent by the indoor fan 29. The indoor fan 29 is activated / stopped by the control unit 41 of the indoor control device 40a, or the rotational speed is controlled.

A heat exchange temperature sensor 25 is provided at an intermediate position of the evaporator 19 of the indoor unit 41 a, and the output is sent to the input unit 42. Based on the temperature obtained by the temperature sensor 25, a command issued from the control unit 41 is sent to the input unit 32 of the outdoor control device 30a. Based on the command, the indoor intake air temperature, the set indoor temperature, etc., the control unit 31 of the outdoor control device 30a adjusts the refrigerating capacity by controlling the start / stop of the compressor 12 or the rotational speed thereof, and controls the indoor air temperature. I do.
The outdoor control device 30a includes a microcomputer, and controls the outdoor unit 31a based on commands from the sensors in the outdoor unit 31a and the indoor control devices 40a to 40c.
The indoor control devices 40a to 40c are provided with a microcomputer and control the indoor units 41a to 41c based on data from the sensors in the indoor units 2a to 2c and the outdoor control device 30a.

An air conditioner having such a configuration operates as follows, for example, at a normal outside temperature such as in summer.
The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor 12 is condensed in the condenser 13 to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant is depressurized approximately in enthalpy after being sent to the expansion valve 17 after a part of the excess refrigerant is stored in the liquid receiver 15. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 19 and takes heat from the indoor air sent by the indoor fan 29. The air which has been deprived of heat and sent to the room is sent into the room, and cooling is realized by lowering the room temperature. The low-pressure gas refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 19 is guided to the suction side of the compressor 12 and is compressed again.

  Here, the outdoor unit 31a and the indoor units 41a to 41c constituting the air conditioner are not only the single cooling unit described above, but also a single cooling / heating unit that performs heating operation by heat pump operation as shown in FIG. A multi air conditioner as shown in FIG. 5, a multi combination multi air conditioner as shown in FIG. 5, a cooling / heating free multi air conditioner as shown in FIG. 6, and a combined cooling / heating free multi air conditioner as shown in FIG. It may be said.

Next, the operation of the address setting device that automatically sets an address in the air conditioning system shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The address setting device 100 according to the present embodiment has a computer system therein. A series of processing procedures relating to the address setting method shown below is stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and the program (address setting program) is read and executed by the computer, whereby the processing described later is performed. Done.
That is, the address setting device is realized when a central processing unit such as a CPU reads the above program into a main storage device such as a ROM or RAM and executes information processing / calculation processing. Here, the computer-readable recording medium means a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like. Alternatively, the computer program may be distributed to the computer via a communication line, and the computer that has received the distribution may execute the program.

Hereinafter, an address setting method by this address setting device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, it is assumed that each outdoor unit and each indoor unit constituting the air conditioning system are configured by the cooling only machine shown in FIG. Note that the present invention is not limited to this example, and the address setting device according to the present embodiment can be applied to an air conditioning system configured by a combination of other air conditioning units as well as a dedicated cooling unit as described above. it can.

[First Embodiment]
The address setting method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, when the power of the address setting device 100 is turned on, in step SA1, the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) is fully closed with respect to the control units 41 (see FIG. 2) of all the indoor units 2a to 2f. A control command (for example, 0 pulse) is output.
Subsequently, in step SA2, one outdoor unit is selected from the plurality of outdoor units 1a and 1b, and the operation is started. In this embodiment, the outdoor unit 1a with a small temporary address is selected, and an operation command is output to the selected outdoor unit 1a.

Next, in step SA3, in a state where the outdoor unit 1a is operated, it is determined whether there is another outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor has decreased below a specified value. As a result, when there is another outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor 12 is lower than the specified value, the process proceeds to step SA4, where the other outdoor unit and the outdoor unit 1a currently in operation are connected. It is determined that they are connected by the same cooling pipe 10a, the other outdoor unit is determined as a slave unit of the currently operating outdoor unit, and an address indicating that this outdoor unit is a slave unit is set. For example, when it is determined as a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a, an address in which the first two digits of the address are “46” is registered.
On the other hand, when there is no other outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor 12 is lower than the specified value, the process proceeds to step SA5.

  In step SA5, one indoor unit is selected from the indoor units 2a to 2f, and the expansion valve 17 of the selected indoor unit is opened to a predetermined opening degree. Here, the indoor unit 2a having the smallest temporary address is selected from the indoor units 2a to 2c temporarily registered as slave units of the outdoor unit 1a, and the control unit 41 (see FIG. 2) of this indoor unit is selected. Then, an opening command for the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) is output. Here, the opening degree based on the opening command is set to a value that can reliably open the expansion valve 17 in consideration of variations in the product of the expansion valve 17. For example, when a command of 500 pulses is required to change the expansion valve 17 from the fully closed state to the fully open state, about 10% of the pulses are given as the open command.

Next, in step SA6, as shown in FIG. 2, the measured value T1 from the temperature sensor 25 or 21 (preferably the downstream temperature sensor 25) provided in the indoor unit 2a is monitored, and this measurement is performed. It is determined whether or not the value T1 is equal to or less than the determination value Tref, and the measurement value P1 from the low-pressure sensor 51 provided in the refrigerant pipe on the suction side of the compressor 12 of the outdoor unit 1a is monitored, and this measurement value P1 Is determined to be equal to or less than the determination value Pref.
In the present embodiment, the determination value Tref is set to a value lower by a predetermined value (for example, 10 ° C.) than the temperature T0 before the expansion valve 17 of the indoor unit 2a is opened. That is, when the temperature T0 before the opening operation is 28 ° C., the determination value Tref is set to “28 ° C.−10 ° C. = 18 ° C.”. The determination value Pref is set to 0.4 MPa, for example.

  As a result, when the measured value T1 becomes equal to or less than the determination value Tref, or when the measured value P1 becomes equal to or less than the determination value Pref, the process proceeds to step SA7, that is, here, the indoor unit that outputs the open command Then, it is determined that the indoor unit 2a is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a that is currently in operation, and an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a is set for the indoor unit 2a (step SA7).

  Here, if the temporary address “46/01” preset in the indoor unit 2a is an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a, the temporary address is registered as the main address.

  On the other hand, if the above condition is not satisfied and it is not determined that the indoor unit 2a is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a, the process proceeds to step SA8, and the real address of the indoor unit 2a is not registered. Then, the process proceeds to the next step SA9.

In step SA9, a full-close command for the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) is output to the control unit 41 (see FIG. 2) of the indoor unit 2a that opened the expansion valve 17 in step SA5.
Subsequently, in step SA10 (see FIG. 9), it is determined whether or not the measured value P1 of the low-pressure sensor 51 of the outdoor unit 1a is equal to or less than an allowable operation value (0.3 MPa in this embodiment) (step SA12). . As a result, when it is below the operation allowable value, the process proceeds to step SA11 and pressure recovery processing is performed.

  In this pressure recovery process, first, the operation of the outdoor unit 1a that is currently operating is temporarily stopped, and then the pressure control valve provided in the bypass pipe that bypasses the compressor 12 (see FIG. 2) of the outdoor unit 1a. By operating 60 (see FIG. 2), the suction side pressure and the discharge side pressure of the compressor 12 are made substantially constant. When it is confirmed that the differential pressure between the two has become substantially zero, the address setting device 100 gives a signal for fully closing the pressure control valve 60 to the control unit 31 (see FIG. 2), and then the outdoor unit 1a. Drive again. In this manner, by periodically monitoring the suction side pressure of the compressor 12, the intake side pressure P1 of the compressor 12 is excessively increased by repeatedly closing and opening the expansion valve 17 of the indoor unit. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the above. Thereby, failure of the compressor 12 is prevented.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step SA10 described above that the measured value P1 of the low pressure sensor 51 of the outdoor unit 1a is not less than the allowable operation value (0.3 MPa in the present embodiment), the pressure recovery process described above is performed. Without moving to step SA12.
In step SA12, it is determined whether or not the processing in steps SA5 to SA9 described above has been performed for all indoor units 2a to 2f for which addresses are not registered. As a result, since the processing is performed only on the indoor unit 2a, the process proceeds to step SA5, and the indoor unit with the next temporary address selected in the indoor unit whose address is not permanently registered is selected. In response to this, an opening command for the expansion valve 17 is output. As a result, the processing from step SA5 to step SA9 described above is performed for the indoor unit 2b having the next smallest temporary address.

  As described above, when step SA5 to step SA12 are repeatedly performed, it is determined in step SA12 that the above-described processing has been performed for all the indoor units 2a to 2f, that is, all the indoor units 2a to 2f. If it is determined that the refrigerant system connection state between the outdoor unit 1a and the outdoor unit 1a has been determined, the process proceeds to step SA13 to stop the operation of the outdoor unit 1a currently in operation.

  In subsequent step SA14, it is determined whether or not all the outdoor units 1a and 1b have been operated. As a result, since the outdoor unit 1b is not operated, the process returns to step SA2 to operate the outdoor unit 1b. Subsequently, in step SA3, an indoor unit whose address has not yet been determined, that is, one indoor unit selected from the indoor units determined not to be connected to the outdoor unit 1a in the same refrigerant system, is selected. An opening command for the expansion valve 17 is output to the control unit 41 (see FIG. 2) of the indoor unit.

  In this way, when the processing for all the indoor units for which the addresses have not yet been determined for the outdoor unit 1b is completed, “YES” is determined in step SA12 and step SA14, and the process proceeds to step SA15.

  In step SA15, it is determined whether there is an indoor unit whose address is not yet registered. As a result, if there is no indoor unit whose address is not yet registered, the process ends. On the other hand, if there is an indoor unit whose address is not registered, the process proceeds to step SA16, where it is determined that there is an indoor unit that is not connected to the pipe, and an abnormality is notified. The notification may be visually appealed by display or the like, or may be appealed auditorily by a buzzer or the like.

  As described above, when there is an indoor unit that is not connected to a pipe, the abnormality is notified, so that an external operator can recognize the fact and take appropriate measures at an early stage.

As described above, the address setting apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has the following operational effects.
When one outdoor unit is in operation, the expansion valve of each indoor unit is opened one by one, and it is determined whether this indoor unit is connected to the one outdoor unit in the same refrigerant system. Even if it is fixed, the connection state of the refrigerant system of the indoor / outdoor unit can be detected with high accuracy without being affected by the pipe length, the outside air temperature, the connection capacity, and the like.
Further, according to the address setting device according to the present embodiment, address setting and address change after installation of the air conditioner can be performed, so that address setting work at the time of air conditioner installation can be omitted and the construction cost can be reduced. Reduction can be achieved. Furthermore, since an outdoor address switch or the like is not required, the number of parts of the indoor / outdoor unit can be reduced.
Furthermore, when the inlet pressure of the compressor of the outdoor unit falls below the allowable operating value, the operation of one outdoor unit is stopped to restore the compressor inlet pressure, thereby preventing the compressor from being broken.
In addition, referring to the temporary address, commands are issued to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in the order corresponding to the temporary address, so that the time required for address setting can be shortened. That is, since it is possible to prioritize and determine outdoor units and indoor units that are likely to be connected by the same refrigerant system, it is possible to set addresses efficiently.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an address setting method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, in step SB1, the expansion valves 17 (see FIG. 2) of the indoor units 2a to 2f are fully closed. In step SB2, one outdoor unit (for example, the outdoor unit 1a) is selected from the plurality of outdoor units 1a and 1b. ) And the intake side pressure P1 (t = 0) of the compressor 12 (see FIG. 2) of the selected outdoor unit 1a is stored.
In the following step SB3, the operation of the one outdoor unit (for example, the outdoor unit 1a) selected in step SB2 is started, and the operation is stopped when the suction side pressure P1 of the compressor 12 is reduced to the operation stop pressure Pstop. . For example, the operation stop pressure Pstop is set to 0.3 MPa.

In subsequent step SB4, it is determined whether or not there is another outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor has decreased due to the start of operation of one outdoor unit 1a. As a result, when there is another outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor is reduced, it is determined that the outdoor unit and the outdoor unit 1a currently in operation are connected by the same cooling pipe 10a. In step SB5, an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a is set for another outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor has decreased.
On the other hand, if there is no outdoor unit in which the suction side pressure of the compressor is lower than the specified value in step SB4, the process proceeds to step SB6 as it is.

  In Step SB6, one indoor unit (for example, the indoor unit 2a) is selected from the indoor units 2a to 2f, and the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) of the selected indoor unit 2a is opened to a predetermined opening degree. . Also in this case, it is preferable to select an indoor unit that has been temporarily registered as a slave unit of the one outdoor unit 1a from the one having a small temporary address. This opening operation is the same as that in the first embodiment.

Next, in step SB7, the measured value T1 of the temperature sensor 25 or 21 of the indoor unit 2a that has opened the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) and the measured value P1 from the low pressure sensor 51 of the outdoor unit 1a are monitored, Within a predetermined period (for example, after 2 minutes) from when the expansion valve 17 is opened to a predetermined opening degree, the measured value T1 has decreased to the determination value Tref ′, or the measured value P1 has reached the determination value Pref ′. Determine if it has increased.
In the present embodiment, the determination value Tref ′ is set to a value lower by a predetermined value (for example, 10 ° C.) than the temperature T0 before opening the expansion valve 17 of the indoor unit 2a. That is, when the temperature T0 before the opening operation is 28 ° C., the determination value Tref is set to “28 ° C.−10 ° C. = 18 ° C.”. Further, for example, the determination value Pref ′ is set to a value obtained by adding a predetermined value (for example, 0.1 MPa) to the pressure P1 before opening the expansion valve 17 of the indoor unit 2a.

  As a result, when the measured value T1 decreases to the determination value Tref ′ within the predetermined period, or when the measured value P1 increases to the determination value Pref ′, the room in which the opening command is output in step SB8. The unit 2a determines that it is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a currently in operation, and sets an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a for the indoor unit 2a. This address setting is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, in step SB7, if the above condition is not satisfied and the indoor unit 2a cannot be determined to be a slave unit of the outdoor unit 1a, the process proceeds to step SB9, where the real address of the indoor unit 2a is registered. Without moving to the next step SB10.

In step SB10, the expansion valve 17 (see FIG. 2) of the indoor unit 2a is fully closed.
Subsequently, in step SB11 shown in FIG. 11, the differential pressure between the suction side pressure P1 (t = 0) of the compressor and the current suction side pressure P1 of the compressor when the outdoor unit 1a stored in step SB2 is started. It is determined whether or not ΔP (P1 (t = 0) −P1 = ΔP) is maintained at a differential pressure sufficient to determine whether or not it is connected to the same refrigerant system. For example, it is determined whether or not the differential pressure ΔP is greater than or equal to a determinable value Pg (for example, 0.1 MPa). As a result, when the differential pressure ΔP is less than the determinable value Pg, the process proceeds to step SB12 to perform forced operation processing.

In this forced operation process, first, the operation of the outdoor unit 1a that is currently stopped is restarted, and the operation is stopped when the suction side pressure P1 of the compressor 12 (see FIG. 2) becomes equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure. Let As a result, the differential pressure ΔP is maintained at a sufficient differential pressure to determine whether or not it is connected to the same refrigerant system, and the address setting process can be continued.
In step SB11, if the differential pressure ΔP is equal to or greater than a determinable value, the process proceeds to step SB13 without performing the forced operation process.
In step SB13, it is determined whether or not the processing in steps SB6 to SB10 described above has been performed for all indoor units 2a to 2f for which the addresses are not permanently registered. As a result, since the processing is performed only on the indoor unit 2a, the process proceeds to step SB6, and the indoor unit having the next temporary address selected in the indoor unit whose address is not permanently registered is selected. In response to this, an opening command for the expansion valve 17 is output. As a result, the processing from step SB6 to step SB13 described above is performed on the indoor unit 2b having the next smallest temporary address.

In this way, when step SB6 to step SB13 are repeatedly performed, it is determined in step SB13 that the above-described processing has been performed on all the indoor units 2a to 2f, that is, all the indoor units 2a to 2f. If it is determined that the connection state of the refrigerant system between the outdoor unit 1a and the outdoor unit 1a has been determined, the process proceeds to step SB14, where it is determined whether or not the connection determination of the refrigerant system has been performed for all the outdoor units 1a and 1b. As a result, since the outdoor unit 1b is not performed, the process returns to step SB2, and the connection determination of the refrigerant system for the outdoor unit 1b is performed.
And the connection relationship of the refrigerant | coolant system | strain with the outdoor unit 1b is judged by operating the expansion valve 17 (refer FIG. 2) of the indoor unit in which the address is not yet decided also in order with respect to the outdoor unit 1b. When the processing for all the indoor units for which the addresses are unconfirmed is completed for the outdoor unit 1b, “YES” is determined in Steps SB13 and SB14, and the process proceeds to Step SB15.

  In step SB15, it is determined whether there is an indoor unit whose address is not yet registered. As a result, if there is no indoor unit whose address is not yet registered, it is determined that all the indoor units are connected to the same refrigerant system as any one of the outdoor units, and the process ends. On the other hand, if there is an indoor unit whose address is not registered, it is determined that the pipe is not connected, an abnormality is notified, and then the present process is completed.

  As described above, according to the address setting method according to the present embodiment, one expansion valve of each indoor unit is opened one by one in a state where the suction side pressure of the compressor of one outdoor unit is lowered. Depending on the state quantity of the indoor / outdoor unit, it is determined in order whether the indoor unit operating the expansion valve is connected in the same refrigerant system as one outdoor unit, so even if the refrigerant amount is uncertain, It is possible to reliably grasp the connection state of the refrigerant system of the indoor / outdoor unit without being affected by the pipe length, the outside air temperature, the connection capacity, and the like.

Further, according to the address setting method of the present embodiment, address setting and address change after installation of the air conditioner can be performed, so that address setting work at the time of air conditioner installation can be omitted and the construction cost can be reduced. Can be achieved.
Furthermore, since an outdoor address switch or the like is not required, the number of parts of the indoor / outdoor unit can be reduced.
Also, by opening and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit, the suction side pressure P1 of the compressor of the outdoor unit rises, and when the differential pressure ΔP from the start becomes equal to or less than the specified value Pg, By restarting the operation of the unit and performing the forced operation process, the compressor suction side pressure P1 is reduced to the operation stop pressure. Therefore, the connection relationship between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is always determined in a good state. It becomes possible. Thereby, the connection relationship between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can be grasped with high accuracy.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes design changes and the like within a scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of an air conditioning system. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. 1 are configured by a dedicated cooling unit. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. 1 are configured by an air conditioner. It is a refrigerant circuit diagram which shows the refrigerating cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. 1 are configured by an air conditioning free multi air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner when the outdoor unit and the indoor unit in FIG. 1 are configured by an air conditioning free combination multi air conditioner. It is the flowchart shown about the process sequence of the address setting method which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart shown about the process sequence of the address setting method which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart shown about the process sequence of the address setting method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart shown about the process sequence of the address setting method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1a, 1b Outdoor units 2a to 2f Indoor units 10a, 10b Refrigerant system 12 Compressor 17 Expansion valve 19 Evaporator 100 Address setting device 25 Temperature sensor 51 Pressure sensor 60 Pressure control valve

Claims (7)

An address setting method for an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network,
An outdoor unit operation process in which one outdoor unit is operated with expansion valves of all indoor units closed,
An expansion valve operation process of opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening while operating the one outdoor unit;
The one indoor unit is the same as the one outdoor unit based on at least one of the temperature of the heat exchanger provided in the one indoor unit and the suction side pressure of the compressor provided in the one outdoor unit. A determination process for determining whether or not the refrigerant system is connected;
When it is determined that the same refrigerant system is connected, an address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit;
A switching process of sequentially switching the one indoor unit that operates the expansion valve. An address setting method for an air conditioning system.   When the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit falls below an allowable operation value, the operation of the one outdoor unit is stopped, and the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit is recovered, The address setting method for an air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure recovery process for operating the one outdoor unit again. An address setting method for an air conditioning system in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by a single communication network,
An outdoor unit that operates one outdoor unit with the expansion valves of all indoor units closed, and stops the operation when the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit is equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure. Operation control process,
An expansion valve operation process for opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening in a state where the operation of the one outdoor unit is stopped,
Based on at least one of the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit and the temperature of the heat exchanger of the one indoor unit within a predetermined time from the operation of the expansion valve, the one indoor unit A determination process for determining that the unit is connected to the one outdoor unit in the same refrigerant system;
An address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit and a switching process for sequentially switching the one indoor unit for operating the expansion valve when it is determined that the same refrigerant system is connected. How to set the address of the air conditioning system.   When the pressure difference between the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit and the suction side pressure of the compressor before the start of the one outdoor unit is less than a determinable value, The address setting method for an air conditioning system according to claim 3, further comprising a forcible operation process in which operation is resumed and operation of the one outdoor unit is stopped when the suction side pressure of the compressor becomes equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure.   When the suction side pressure of the compressor of another outdoor unit changes during operation of the one outdoor unit, an address indicating that it is a slave unit of the one outdoor unit with respect to the other outdoor unit The address setting method for an air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the address is set. An address setting program for performing address setting of an air conditioning system formed by connecting a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units through a single communication network,
Outdoor unit operation processing for operating one outdoor unit with the expansion valves of all indoor units closed,
An expansion valve operation process for opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening while operating the one outdoor unit;
The one indoor unit is the same as the one outdoor unit based on at least one of the temperature of the heat exchanger provided in the one indoor unit and the suction side pressure of the compressor provided in the one outdoor unit. A determination process for determining whether or not the refrigerant system is connected;
When it is determined that the same refrigerant system is connected, an address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit;
An air conditioning system address setting program for causing a computer to execute switching processing for sequentially switching the one indoor unit that operates the expansion valve. An address setting program for performing address setting of an air conditioning system formed by connecting a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units through a single communication network,
An outdoor unit that operates one outdoor unit with the expansion valves of all indoor units closed, and stops the operation when the suction side pressure of the compressor included in the one outdoor unit is equal to or lower than the operation stop pressure. Operation control processing,
An expansion valve operation process for opening the expansion valve of the one indoor unit to a predetermined opening in a state where the operation of the one outdoor unit is stopped,
Based on at least one of the suction side pressure of the compressor of the one outdoor unit and the temperature of the heat exchanger of the one indoor unit within a predetermined time from the operation of the expansion valve, the one A determination process for determining that the indoor unit is connected in the same refrigerant system as the one outdoor unit;
An address setting process for setting an address for the one indoor unit and a switching process for sequentially switching the one indoor unit for operating the expansion valve when it is determined that they are connected by the same refrigerant system; An address setting program for the air conditioning system to be executed.

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