JP2008241153A - Air conditioning control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning control system considering users' characteristics such as users' feelings of big anticipation when a system is introduced, and the user's feelings of disappointment on the system with the lapse of time after introduction. <P>SOLUTION: A server device 4 acquires demand information Inf by a demand information acquiring means 41 from an input device 3, stores the demand information Inf in a demand storage means 42, derives a target temperature To based on the demand information Inf by a control plan making means 45, and sets the target temperature To to an air conditioning control device 2. When the number of demand information Inf for a predetermined period is an adaptation reference value or less, an adaptive determining means 43 determines that the users are adapted to the system, and when determined that the users are adapted, a start temperature determining means 46 determines a new start temperature based on the added number of demands per day of the demand information Inf for increasing energy consumption. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning control system.

  In recent years, social demands for energy conservation due to global warming are increasing. The current energy conservation law obliges the consumer sector not only to improve the energy conservation performance of individual devices, but also to conserve energy in terms of management using BEMS (Building and Energy Management System).

  However, as the actual situation of building management, the building manager does not always operate air conditioning devices such as cooling and heating appropriately from the viewpoint of comfort and energy saving. In particular, with regard to thermal environment management (for example, temperature management) of living spaces where energy saving and comfort are intricately related, a customary target temperature is set for ease of management, and it is received from users who enjoy the thermal environment. Generally, the set value is changed according to a claim.

  In other words, because temperature management is performed without fully considering the characteristics of the building or occupants, the living space is not necessarily kept in a comfortable state for the user, and furthermore, waste of energy consumed by the air conditioner occurs. There is. In addition, some users are dissatisfied with being unable to control their own thermal environment because they are in a thermal environment managed by the building manager.

  In response to the problems caused by temperature management of air conditioning control, users' requests for thermal environment are collected in real time from personal computer terminals (hereinafter referred to as personal computers) operated by each individual. There is an air conditioning control system that sets the target temperature based on the relationship between the thermal environment desired by the user and the target temperature in real time, the user characteristics that change from moment to moment, the actual temperature of the living space and the detected temperature It makes it possible to change the thermal environment according to the characteristics of each building, such as differences. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

In addition, in order to save energy with the air conditioning control system, if the target temperature at the start of operation is increased during cooling and the target temperature at the start of operation is decreased during heating, the user can start after the start of air conditioning operation. Since you can adjust your thermal environment by sending your own request, you will be more convinced of the thermal environment, and will be more aware of energy conservation, and will be able to save more energy.
JP 2004-205202 A

  However, although the energy saving effect by increasing the target temperature at the start of operation is great, the psychological resistance to the system is large at the beginning of introducing such an air conditioning control system. In particular, for users who expect that dissatisfaction with the thermal environment they usually feel can be resolved through the introduction of such an air conditioning control system, forced energy-saving operation that disappoints the expectation is expected to meet user expectations. It can easily lead to distrust in the system resulting from a large gap.

  Also, at the time of system introduction, users tend to send requests frequently due to the magnitude of their expectations, but after a certain amount of time, users adapt to the system and the number of requests sent decreases. Tend to.

  In other words, it is necessary to perform air conditioning control that takes into account the user's characteristics, that is, a great sense of expectation of the user at the time of system introduction and a sense of expectation of the system that fades with time after introduction.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and its purpose is that the user has a great sense of expectation at the time of introduction of the system and a sense of expectation for the system that fades with the passage of time after introduction. It is to provide an air conditioning control system that takes into account the characteristics of the above.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning equipment that varies the temperature of a space to be air-conditioned, an air conditioning controller that controls the operation of the air conditioning equipment based on the target temperature, and a central control that sets a target temperature in the air conditioning controller A device and an input device that provides the central control device with request information on the temperature of the space input from a user existing in the space, and the central control device acquires request information from the input device. Means, a request storage means for storing a history of demand information, and an adaptation determination means for determining that the user has adapted to the system when the number of pieces of demand information for a predetermined period is equal to or less than an adaptation reference value; And a control planning means for deriving a target temperature based on the request information and the adaptive determination result.

  According to the present invention, it is determined whether or not the user has adapted to the present system based on the number of pieces of desired information in a predetermined period, and by using this adaptation determination result, a large number of users at the time of system introduction can be obtained. It is possible to perform air-conditioning control that takes into account the user's characteristics, that is, expectation and expectation of a system that fades with time after introduction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the central control device further includes a start temperature determining unit that determines a start temperature that is a target temperature set in the air conditioning control device when the control planning unit starts a next operation. The start temperature determination means determines that the adaptation determination means has been adapted, and if the number of request information for increasing the consumption energy in the unit period is equal to or less than the first request reference value, the next start temperature is determined as the consumption energy. When the number of request information for increasing the energy consumption in the unit period is equal to or greater than the second desired reference value greater than the first desired reference value, the next start temperature is changed. Is changed by a second predetermined temperature in the direction of increasing energy consumption.

  According to the present invention, when the user adapts to this system, the start temperature can be changed in the energy saving direction based on the history of the request information, and energy saving can be achieved while suppressing user dissatisfaction. it can.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the central control device includes operation information storage means for storing a previous start temperature, and the start temperature determination means includes the first and second desired reference values and The first and second predetermined temperatures are set based on the previous start temperature.

  According to the present invention, the next start temperature can be easily changed in a comfortable direction in accordance with a thermal environment in which the user feels uncomfortable, and user dissatisfaction can be suppressed.

  As described above, there is an effect that it is possible to consider user characteristics such as a great sense of expectation of the user at the time of system introduction and a sense of expectation of the system that fades with the passage of time after introduction.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an air conditioning control system according to the present embodiment, in which one or a plurality of users exist and a thermal environment is constructed by the system (for example, a floor in a building, each room, or a wide area). Public area) On the air-conditioning equipment 1 and air-conditioning control device 2 installed in A, and on a communication network NT (Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.) in which each user in the space A inputs desired information Inf for the temperature of the space A A plurality of input devices 3 composed of personal personal computer terminals, and a central point connected to each input device 3 via a communication network NT and setting a target temperature To of space A based on the desired information Inf input by each user It is comprised by the control apparatus (henceforth a server apparatus) 4.

  The server device 4 includes a request information acquisition unit 41 that acquires the request information Inf from the input device 3 via the communication network NT, a request storage unit 42 that stores a history of the acquired request information Inf, and a user who uses this system. The target temperature of the space A based on the total content and the judgment criteria registered in the judgment criteria database 44 by summing up the request information Inf. The control plan drafting means 45 that derives To and passes it to the air conditioning control device 2 via the communication network NT, and the start temperature Ts that is the target temperature To that the control plan drafting means 45 sets in the air conditioning control device 2 when the next operation starts. A start temperature determination means 46 for determining the target temperature To, a history of the start temperature Ts, and an operation information storage means 47 for storing an introduction start temperature Ts0 described later. It is made.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the air conditioning equipment 1 used in the system of the present embodiment is installed in the air conditioning equipment room 100 in the form of cold / hot water from a heat source (not shown) composed of a refrigerator (cooling tower) or a boiler. It consists of an air conditioner consisting of an installed air conditioner 101, a duct 102 disposed in the space A, and an outlet 104, and heats and cools air (heat exchange with air) in the air conditioner 101, The heat-exchanged air is supplied into the space A from the dozen or more outlets 104 provided in the space A that is the floor of the environment control target through the duct 102. As for the return air, an air conditioner is used that secures a return air path 105 indicated by a broken line from the central passage of the space A toward the air conditioning equipment room 100, mixes the outside air at the same time, and performs air conditioning. In this air conditioning equipment, the air conditioner 101 changes the supply air temperature and controls the room temperature.

  Here, the thermal environment control target space A of the present embodiment is an office floor, for example, and a large number of desks 106 are arranged in the space A as shown in FIG. It has come to be used. In such a space A, the input device 3 which is a personal computer on the desk used by the user who enjoys the thermal environment accesses a WEB server (not shown) in the server device 4 and inputs content for inputting environmental information to the WEB. The information input means 31 is realized by obtaining from the server. In the illustrated example, it is assumed that a system capable of communicating with the server device 4 is constructed for all the input devices 3 via the communication network NT, and information input means 31 is provided between the server device 4 and the input device 3. The general browser software to be realized operates. When each input device 3 inputs environmental information, the air-conditioning number of the target air-conditioning equipment device 1 (number specifying the air-conditioning area of the air-conditioning equipment device 1) and unique identification information (for example, an individual name or The e-mail address and the like are input, and the environment information Inf is delivered to the server device 4 together with the unique identification information and the air conditioning number.

  The server device 4 constitutes the core of the system of the present embodiment, has data acquisition timing, etc., and when each input device 3 is activated and content for entering environment information is automatically started, A function of providing necessary data to the input device 3 corresponding to the rising is provided.

  That is, the content for inputting the environment information is set to automatically start when the input device 3 is activated, and the input device 3 accesses the server device 4 at the same time when the input device 3 is activated, and a signal ( Identification information) is sent, and necessary information such as a question format is acquired from the server apparatus 4 side. Note that the configuration in which the input device 3 transmits a signal indicating its activation to the server device 4 is not limited to the above configuration.

  FIG. 3 shows a monitor screen after the input device 3 is activated. The user of the input device 3 inputs request information Inf indicating a request for the temperature of the current space A. This is a screen for selecting and inputting a request for temperature such as “I want you to lower the temperature”, and check the check fields C1 and C2 corresponding to the request using a pointing device such as a mouse. When the transmission button B1 is clicked, the request information Inf of the specific user at that time is uploaded to the server device 4 together with the self identification information and the air conditioning number. Further, the screen for inputting the request information Inf can be displayed on the input device 3 at an arbitrary timing not only when the input device 3 is started but also by a user operation or an instruction from the server device 4. it can.

  The request information acquisition means 41 of the server device 4 collects the request information Inf transmitted to the server device 4 side by using browser software installed in each input device 3 used by the user. A process of writing the information Inf into the request storage means 42 is performed. As for the information transmitted from the user input device 3 through the communication network NT, the external storage device indicates which user has transmitted at what position in the space A from the identification information of the input device 3 transmitted. Is specified based on the personal information and identification information stored in the ID, and the arrangement information of the input device 3 associated with the identification information, and the above-mentioned request information Inf is associated with the identification information and the air conditioning number. In addition, it is stored in the request storage means 42.

  For the request information Inf collected from the input device 3 in this way, the control plan drafting means 45 of the server device 4 is stored in the request information Inf stored in the request storage means 42 and in the database 44. And calculate the ratio (request rate) to the total number of users of the two conflicting demand information such as “I want you to raise the temperature” and “I want you to lower the temperature”. The target temperature To is determined by comparing the ratio with the judgment criterion rule, and the history of the target temperature To is stored in the operation information storage unit 47. The total number of users is determined by the number of activated input devices 3 and the number of users in the space A counted by an entrance / exit management device (not shown).

  Specifically, the processing is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. First, it is assumed that the air conditioning management system is introduced and the operation is started first, and the initial mode is set. When the air conditioning operation is started, the start temperature determination unit 46 reads the introduction start temperature Ts0 stored in advance in the operation information storage unit 47 and passes it to the control plan drafting unit 45. This introduction start temperature Ts0 is a start temperature used in the initial mode, and is set to a temperature that can provide a comfortable thermal environment (a relatively low temperature during cooling and a relatively high temperature during heating). Therefore, the control planning means 45 transmits the introduction start temperature Ts0 as information of the target temperature To to the air conditioning control device 2 and performs a process of setting the start temperature (step S1). That is, in the initial mode, the temperature is set so that a comfortable thermal environment can be provided from the start of operation, so that the great expectation of the user when the system is introduced is not betrayed.

  After the air conditioning equipment 1 starts operation at the start temperature Ts0, the request information acquisition unit 41 sequentially stores the request information Inf from each input device 3 in the request storage unit 42, and the control plan planning unit 45 For each user, the latest request information Inf is extracted from the request storage means 42 as effective data (step S2), a request rate is calculated from the effective data of these request information Inf, and an agreement is formed based on this request rate. A logic process is performed (step S3). The consensus building logic performed by the control planning means 45 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, it is assumed that the request information Inf of the users H1 to H3 is “I want you to raise the temperature”, whereas the request information Inf of the user H4 is “I want you to lower the temperature”. The request rate calculated by the control plan drafting unit 45 in step S31 of the flowchart is 3/4 of the request rate of “I want to raise the temperature”, and the request rate of “I want you to lower the temperature” is 1/4. The target temperature To is determined by the logic based on the request rate and the criterion area shown in FIG. In other words, the region that meets the conditions is determined in step S32, and the above calculated request rate is plotted on the criterion of FIG. 5B. If the plotted position is in the range of □, the current target temperature To In the case of ▽, the temperature that is lower than the current target temperature To by a predetermined value (for example, Δt = 0.5 ° C.) is set as a new target temperature To. (Set temperature) A temperature that is a predetermined value (for example, Δt = 0.5 ° C.) higher than To is set as a new target temperature To (steps S33 to S35). The target temperature To is determined by this plot (step S36).

  In this way, the new target temperature To (target temperature To = target temperature To ± Δt) is obtained from FIG. 5B (step S4), the target temperature To is determined, and this target temperature To is stored in the operation information storage means. 47 (step S5).

  Thereafter, the information of the determined target temperature To is transmitted to the air conditioning control device 2, and a process of setting a new target temperature To in the air conditioning control device 2 is performed (step S6). The consensus formation process for the target temperature To described above is repeated until the operation is stopped. The air conditioning control device 2 includes a room temperature sensor 2a that measures the temperature in the space A, and the air conditioning equipment device 1 is adjusted so that the temperature measurement data measured by the room temperature sensor 2a matches the determined target temperature To. Control.

  After the operation of the day is completed, the adaptation determination means 43 collects the number of requests received on the day (step S11). At the time of introduction of the system, the user requests from the sense of expectation to the system. Tend to be transmitted frequently, and the number of requests for integration per day is large. Then, it is determined whether the current mode is an initial mode or an energy saving mode which will be described later (step S12). Since the current mode is still the initial mode, the adaptation determination unit 43 determines the number of requests for integration per day as the adaptation standard. Compared with the value Na (step S13), if the number of requests for integration per day is greater than the adaptation reference value Na (see FIG. 6), the number of days has not yet elapsed since the introduction of the air conditioning control system. It is determined that the initial introduction is not adapted to the present system, and the initial mode is continued (step S14). At the start of the next operation, the start temperature determination means 46 in the initial mode reads the introduction start temperature Ts0 stored in advance in the operation information storage means 47 in the same manner as the previous time, and delivers it to the control plan drafting means 45 ( In step S1), the control plan drafting means 45 starts consensus formation processing of the target temperature To from the introduction start temperature Ts0.

  The operation in the initial mode is performed from the time of introduction of the system, but when the number of days elapses, the user's interest gradually fades and the number of requests for integration per day decreases (see FIG. 6). And after the driving | operation of 1st is complete | finished, if the number of accumulation requests received on that 1st becomes below adaptation reference value Na, the adaptation determination means 43 will determine with the user having adapted to this system, and will be in initial mode. Is switched to the energy saving mode (step S13). In addition, when the weather changes by chance or many people go on a business trip, the number of requests for integration may accidentally fall below the adaptation reference value Na even though the user has not yet adapted. There is. Therefore, as a method for determining adaptation, it is determined that the user has adapted to this system only when the number of requests for integration becomes equal to or less than the adaptation reference value Na for a predetermined number of days or more, and the user enters the energy saving mode from the initial mode. You may switch.

  In this energy saving mode, the start temperature determining means 46 obtains the previous start temperature Ts (the introduction start temperature Ts0 for the first time when switching to the energy saving mode) from the operation information storage means 47 (step S15), and increases the energy consumption. A new start temperature Ts is determined by adding a value determined based on the number of accumulated requests per day of the desired information Inf to be added to the previous start temperature Ts. Here, the air-conditioning equipment 1 is cooling the space A, and the request “I want to lower the temperature” is request information Inf that increases the energy consumption, and the request “I want to raise the temperature” This is demand information Inf to be reduced.

  First, the start temperature determining means 46 sets a first reference value N1, a second reference value N2, a first predetermined temperature Δt1, and a second predetermined temperature Δt2 for determining a new start temperature Ts (step S1). S16). The first reference value N1, the second reference value N2, the first predetermined temperature Δt1, and the second predetermined temperature Δt2 for the first time after switching to the energy saving mode are stored in advance in the start temperature determining means 46. Set to a value. The first reference value N1 is set to a value smaller than the second reference value N2, and the desired number of integrations per day for “I want to lower the temperature” is set to the first and second reference values N1. , N2 (step S17). When the number of accumulated daily requests for “I want to lower the temperature” is less than or equal to the first reference value N1, the temperature is raised by the first predetermined temperature Δt1 from the previous start temperature Ts (step S18). On the other hand, if the number of daily requests for “I want to lower the temperature” is equal to or greater than the second reference value N2, the temperature is lowered by the second predetermined temperature Δt2 from the previous start temperature Ts (step S19). In addition, when the cumulative number of requests per day for “I want to lower the temperature” is greater than the first reference value N1 and less than the second reference value N2, the previous start temperature Ts is maintained. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the start temperature Ts in the energy saving mode indicates that if there is a large number of requests per day for request information Inf for increasing energy consumption (“request to lower the temperature”), the energy consumption If the number of requests per day for request information Inf (request for “reducing the temperature”) to increase energy consumption is small, the energy consumption will be reduced. It fluctuates in the direction (direction to weaken the cooling).

  Thus, when the new start temperature Ts is determined (step S20), it is stored in the operation information storage means 47, and the start temperature determination means 46 in the energy saving mode is stored in the operation information storage means 47 at the start of the next operation. The stored new start temperature Ts is read out and transferred to the control plan drafting unit 45 (step S1), and the control plan drafting unit 45 starts a consensus formation process for the target temperature To from the new start temperature Ts.

  In this way, when the air conditioning control system is initially installed, it is operated in the initial mode, the start temperature is set to a temperature that can provide a comfortable thermal environment, and when it is determined that the user has adapted to the system, the system shifts to the energy saving mode. Therefore, the start temperature is controlled in the direction of energy saving as much as possible while suppressing user dissatisfaction, so the user's great expectation at the time of system introduction and the expectation of the system that fades with the passage of time after introduction, It becomes an air conditioning control system capable of saving energy while taking into account user characteristics.

  After the one-day operation in the energy saving mode is completed, in step S16, the start temperature determining means 46 determines the first reference value N1, the second reference value N2, the second reference value N2 for determining a new start temperature Ts. A predetermined temperature Δt1 and a second predetermined temperature Δt2 are set based on the previous start temperature Ts.

  FIG. 8 shows a method of setting the first reference value N1 and the second reference value N2 during cooling. The first reference value N1 and the second reference value N2 have a previous start temperature Ts of 24. If the previous start temperature Ts is 28 ° C. or higher, it is the lower limit value. If the previous start temperature Ts is 24 ° C. to 28 ° C., a straight line that decreases from the upper limit value to the lower limit value. Or the value on the curve. The upper limit value, the lower limit value, and the corresponding previous start temperature Ts can be arbitrarily set in accordance with the characteristics of the system. For example, the corresponding previous start temperature Ts is set between 18 ° C. and 30 ° C. The

  FIG. 9 shows a method of setting the first predetermined temperature Δt1 and the second predetermined temperature Δt2 during cooling, and the first predetermined temperature Δt1 is an upper limit value if the previous start temperature Ts is 24 ° C. or less. If the previous start temperature Ts is 28 ° C. or more, the lower limit value (for example, 0 ° C.), and if the previous start temperature Ts is 24 ° C. to 28 ° C., the upper limit value to the lower limit It becomes a value on a straight line or curve that decreases to a value. The second predetermined temperature Δt2 is a lower limit value (for example, 0 ° C.) if the previous start temperature Ts is 24 ° C. or lower, and an upper limit value (for example, 0. 0 ° C.) if the previous start temperature Ts is 28 ° C. or higher. If the previous start temperature Ts is 24 ° C. to 28 ° C., it becomes a value on a straight line or curve that increases from the lower limit value to the upper limit value. The upper limit value, the lower limit value, and the corresponding previous start temperature Ts can be arbitrarily set in accordance with the characteristics of the system. For example, the corresponding previous start temperature Ts is set between 18 ° C. and 30 ° C. The

  As described above, as the thermal environment is felt uncomfortable for the user (as the start temperature Ts increases during cooling), the next start temperature Ts is in a comfortable direction (the direction where the start temperature Ts decreases during cooling). By making it easy to change, users' dissatisfaction is suppressed.

  In addition, in the said embodiment, although mainly illustrating about the case where the air conditioning equipment 1 is cooling the space A, when the air conditioning equipment 1 heats the space A, "I want you to raise temperature." The request becomes request information Inf for increasing the energy consumption, and the request “I want to lower the temperature” becomes the request information Inf for reducing the energy consumption, and can be processed in the same manner as during cooling.

It is a figure showing the composition of the air-conditioning control system of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the space of air-conditioning control object same as the above, Comprising: (a) is the example of arrangement | positioning of the air-conditioning equipment in space, (b) is the example of arrangement | positioning of the input device and server apparatus in space. It is a figure which shows the monitor screen of an input device same as the above. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the air-conditioning control process by a server apparatus same as the above. (A) is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control plan drafting means, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the logic of consensus building. It is a figure which shows switching from the initial mode same as the above to energy saving mode. It is a figure which shows the setting of the starting temperature same as the above. It is a figure which shows the setting method of the 1st, 2nd reference value same as the above. It is a figure which shows the setting method of the 1st, 2nd predetermined temperature same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air-conditioning equipment 2 Air-conditioning control apparatus 3 Input device 4 Server apparatus 41 Request information acquisition means 42 Request storage means 43 Adaptation determination means 45 Control plan drafting means 46 Start temperature determination means A Space NT Communication network

Claims (3)

An air conditioning equipment that varies the temperature of the air conditioning target space, an air conditioning controller that controls the operation of the air conditioning equipment based on the target temperature, a central controller that sets the target temperature in the air conditioning controller, and the space An input device that provides the central controller with request information for the temperature of the space input by the user.
The central control unit uses request information acquisition means for acquiring request information from the input device, request storage means for storing a history of request information, and when the number of pieces of request information for a predetermined period falls below the adaptation reference value An air conditioning control system comprising: an adaptation determination unit that determines that the person has adapted to the system; and a control plan creation unit that derives a target temperature based on the desired information and the adaptation determination result. The central control device includes a start temperature determining means for determining a start temperature that is a target temperature set in the air conditioning control device when the control plan drafting means starts the next operation,
The start temperature determination means determines that the adaptation determination means has been adapted, and if the number of request information for increasing the consumed energy in the unit period is equal to or less than the first desired reference value, the next start temperature is reduced by the consumed energy. When the number of request information for increasing the energy consumption in the unit period is equal to or greater than the second desired reference value greater than the first desired reference value, the next start temperature is consumed. The air conditioning control system according to claim 1, wherein the energy is changed by a second predetermined temperature in a direction in which the energy increases.   The central controller includes operation information storage means for storing a previous start temperature, and the start temperature determination means sets the first and second desired reference values and the first and second predetermined temperatures to the previous start. The air conditioning control system according to claim 2, wherein the air conditioning control system is set based on temperature.

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