JP2010014364A - Air conditioning system, and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an individually distributed air conditioning system and a control method thereof that can increase operation efficiency and save energy by determining operating conditions. <P>SOLUTION: The air conditioning system 10 includes a plurality of indoor units 14 for delivering conditioned air into a room 12, an outdoor unit 16 connected to the plurality of indoor units 14 via refrigerant circuits 18, and a control device 24 for calculating a processing load on each of the plurality of indoor units 14, comparing the calculated processing load value with a processing load set point set to provide predetermined or higher operation efficiency according to a relationship of each indoor unit 14 between processing load and operation efficiency, and if the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load set point, stopping the corresponding indoor unit 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning system and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an individually distributed air conditioning system employed in building air conditioning and a control method thereof.

  For medium-sized and larger buildings, a central air-conditioning system is generally used that produces cold water and hot water in one place and circulates them in each room. However, in recent years, from the viewpoint of low cost, good enforcement, and ease of use for residents, an indoor unit is installed in each air conditioning zone, and the multiple indoor units are connected to a single outdoor unit. Package air conditioning (multi air conditioning system for buildings) is increasing. In addition, from the viewpoint of energy saving, there is an increasing need to monitor the operating state of the air conditioning system.

From such a background, grasping the operating state of package air conditioning (hereinafter also referred to as PAC) has become an important issue. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that an abnormality of equipment is managed by a remote monitoring system. According to this Patent Document 1, facility equipment management is performed using a facility equipment management system, a management apparatus, a facility equipment management method, and a facility equipment management program. Send data.
JP 2006-101493 A

  However, since Patent Document 1 does not allow the building manager and the remote monitoring manager to grasp how the current PAC operation state and operation performance are changing, or what kind of operation state it is, It is impossible to save energy in the air conditioning system.

  In particular, in an individually distributed air conditioning system, the capacity of the equipment, the outlets, and the arrangement of indoor units differ depending on the floor, and the operating performance of each PAC changes due to various factors, so that the operating efficiency can be improved on all floors. difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides an individually distributed air conditioning system and a control method thereof that can improve the operation efficiency by grasping the operation state and can save energy. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a plurality of indoor units that blow out air-conditioned air into the room, and an outdoor unit that is connected to the plurality of indoor units through a refrigerant circulation path. In the control method of the air conditioning system, the processing load of each of the plurality of indoor units is calculated, and the processing load calculation value is determined based on a relationship between the processing load and the operating efficiency for each indoor unit. An air conditioning system characterized in that the corresponding indoor unit is stopped when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value. Provide a control method.

  According to the present invention, the processing load is calculated for each indoor unit, the calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit setting value (or range) for each indoor unit, and when the calculated value is smaller than the set value, the indoor unit To stop. Therefore, since the indoor unit with low operation efficiency is stopped, the operation efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved, and energy saving can be achieved.

  The relationship between the processing load and the operation efficiency in each indoor unit may be obtained in advance by a test or the like, or the relationship may be obtained by accumulating data on the processing load and the operation efficiency while operating.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the processing load calculation value is smaller than the processing load lower limit set value simultaneously in a plurality of indoor units that blow out the air-conditioned air to an adjacent area, The remaining indoor units are stopped while operating at least one of the plurality of indoor units.

  According to the present invention, when the processing load calculation value becomes smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value simultaneously in a plurality of adjacent indoor units, not all the indoor units to be targeted are stopped, but at least one The remaining indoor units are stopped while one of them is operating. As a result, energy can be saved as much as the stopped indoor units, while the indoor units that are still in operation will increase the processing load and improve operating efficiency, and operate within the range of high operating efficiency. Become. Therefore, it is possible to improve the operation efficiency of the entire system and save energy. Moreover, it is possible to prevent a sudden temperature change from occurring when all the target indoor units are stopped, and stable temperature control can be performed.

  In addition, it is preferable that the target indoor units stop the indoor units having the largest difference between the processing load calculation value and the processing load lower limit setting value.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outdoor unit is provided with a compressor of the refrigerant, and the processing load includes refrigerant pressure and refrigerant temperature at an inlet / outlet of the compressor, The frequency is determined by any one of a frequency, a rotation speed, and a refrigerant mass flow rate in the compressor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, a temperature sensor is provided for each indoor unit in the blowing direction of the conditioned air of the indoor unit, and a measured value of the temperature sensor The stopped indoor unit is operated based on the above.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature of the air sucked by the indoor unit is measured, the processing load is estimated from the measured temperature, and the estimated processing load is The operation mode of the indoor unit is switched.

  According to the present invention, more efficient operation can be performed by controlling the indoor unit using the estimated processing load value. As for the operation mode, a combination of the set temperature and the set air volume in the indoor unit is input in advance, and the relationship between the suction temperature and the processing load is obtained for each operation mode.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the processing according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the outdoor unit is provided with a compressor of the refrigerant and is set to be within the predetermined high-efficiency operating range. When the processing load calculation value is larger than the load upper limit setting value, the rotation speed of the compressor of the corresponding outdoor unit is fixed.

  According to the present invention, control can be performed so as to be within the high-efficiency operation range, and the operation efficiency of the entire system can be improved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 7 includes a plurality of air conditioning units including an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into a room and an outdoor unit that is connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path. In the control method for an air conditioning system, the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units is calculated, and the calculated processing load value is calculated based on the relationship between the processing load and the operating efficiency for each air conditioning unit. An air conditioning system that stops the corresponding air conditioning unit when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value as compared with a processing load lower limit setting value that is set to be within a range. A control method is provided.

  According to the present invention, the processing load is calculated for each air conditioning unit, the calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit setting value (or range) for each air conditioning unit, and if the calculated value is smaller than the set value, the air conditioning unit To stop. Therefore, since the air conditioning unit with low operating efficiency is stopped, the operating efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved, and energy saving can be achieved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 8 includes a plurality of air conditioning units including an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into the room and an outdoor unit that is connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path. In the control method for an air conditioning system, the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units is calculated, the total processing load is calculated by adding the respective processing load calculations, and the calculated total processing load and the air conditioning Based on the relationship between the processing load and power consumption for each unit, obtain the total power consumption for each unit of air conditioning unit operation, and based on the relationship between the calculated number of air conditioning unit units and total power consumption, Provided is a method for controlling an air conditioning system, wherein the number of units is determined and controlled.

  According to the present invention, since the number of operating air conditioning units is controlled based on the relationship between the number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption, the operation efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 9 provides a plurality of indoor units that blow out air-conditioned air into the room, an outdoor unit connected to the plurality of indoor units via a refrigerant circulation path, and the plurality of units. The processing load calculated for each indoor unit is calculated, and the calculated processing load calculation value is set to be within a predetermined high-efficiency operating range based on the relationship between the processing load for each indoor unit and the operating efficiency. Provided with an air conditioning system comprising: a control means for stopping the corresponding indoor unit when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value compared to a load lower limit setting value To do.

  According to the present invention, the processing load is calculated for each indoor unit, the calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit setting value (or range) for each indoor unit, and when the calculated value is smaller than the set value, the indoor unit To stop. Therefore, since the indoor unit with low operation efficiency is stopped, the operation efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved, and energy saving can be achieved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 10 includes a plurality of air conditioning units each having an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into a room and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path. And calculating the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units so that the calculated processing load calculated value falls within a predetermined high-efficiency operating range based on the relationship between the processing load and the operating efficiency for each air conditioning unit. And a control means for stopping the corresponding air conditioning unit when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value compared with a set processing load lower limit setting value. Provide air conditioning system.

  According to the present invention, the processing load is calculated for each air conditioning unit, the calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit setting value (or range) for each air conditioning unit, and if the calculated value is smaller than the set value, the air conditioning unit To stop. Therefore, since the air conditioning unit with low operating efficiency is stopped, the operating efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved, and energy saving can be achieved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 11 includes a plurality of air conditioning units each having an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into the room and an outdoor unit that is connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path. And calculating the total processing load by calculating the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units, adding the calculated processing load values, and the processing load for each of the air conditioning units. Control for determining the total power consumption for each operating number of the air conditioning units from the relationship between the power consumption and the power consumption, and controlling the number of operating air conditioning units based on the relationship between the calculated number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption And an air conditioning system characterized by comprising the means.

  According to the present invention, since the number of operating air conditioning units is controlled based on the relationship between the number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption, the operation efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the processing load calculated value and the processing load lower limit setting value (or range) are compared for each indoor unit or air conditioning unit, and the operation and stop of each indoor unit or air conditioning unit are controlled. Therefore, the operation efficiency of the entire air conditioning system can be improved, and energy saving can be achieved.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioning system and a control method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of the air conditioning system of the first embodiment in FIG. 1. An air conditioning system 10 shown in the figure is a system for adjusting the temperature and humidity in a room 12, and includes a plurality of indoor units 14 arranged on the ceiling surface of the room 12 at predetermined intervals, and outdoor units installed outside the room. 16. Although only two indoor units 14 are shown in FIG. 1, three or more indoor units 14 may be provided and connected to one outdoor unit 16. A plurality of outdoor units 16 may be provided, and a plurality of indoor units 14 may be connected to each outdoor unit 16.

  The indoor unit 14 and the outdoor unit 16 are connected via a refrigerant circulation line 18. The circulation line 18 is branched and connected from the outdoor unit 16 toward the plurality of indoor units 14, and a flow rate adjusting valve 20 for controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant is provided at the branched portion. The flow rate adjusting valve 20 is connected to the control device 24 via a data acquisition device 22 described later, and data such as the opening degree (flow rate) is output to the control device 24.

  Each indoor unit 14 is provided with an unillustrated expansion valve and an evaporator (coil), and the refrigerant liquid supplied through the refrigerant circulation line 18 is expanded through the expansion valve. Evaporates inside the evaporator. Each indoor unit 14 is provided with a fan (not shown). By driving this fan, air-conditioned air cooled around the evaporator is blown out into the room.

  A condenser and a compressor (not shown) are provided inside the outdoor unit 16, and the refrigerant gas supplied through the refrigerant circulation line 18 is compressed by the compressor and then condensed by the condenser. Is done. In addition, a fan (not shown) is provided inside the outdoor unit 16, and heat radiated from the condenser is removed by driving the fan. The compressor is connected to the control device 24 via the data acquisition device 22, and data such as the rotation speed of the compressor and the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant at the inlet / outlet of the compressor is output to the control device 24. The configurations of the indoor unit 14 and the outdoor unit 16 are not limited to the above. For example, the compressor and the fan may be combined, or the compressor and the condenser may be combined. Further, although the present embodiment has been described with an example of an air-cooled condenser, a water-cooled condenser may be used.

  Inside the chamber 12, a temperature sensor 26 is provided below the indoor unit 14 (that is, in the blowing direction of the air-conditioning air blown out from the indoor unit 14). The temperature sensor 26 is connected to the control device 24 via the data acquisition device 22, and data of the temperature sensor 26 is output to the control device 24.

  Each indoor unit 14 and outdoor unit 16 is provided with a power meter (not shown). The wattmeter is connected to the control device 24 via the data acquisition device 22, and power consumption data is output to the control device 24.

  The control device 24 is a device (such as a PC) having an analysis function, and calculates the processing load of each indoor unit 14 based on the data from the flow rate control valve, the compressor, and the temperature sensor 26 described above. An example of how to determine the processing load is shown below.

The refrigerant enthalpy method and the indoor dry bulb temperature method are used as methods for determining the processing load. The refrigerant enthalpy method uses the inverter frequency of the compressor of the outdoor unit 16, the refrigerant pressure at the inlet / outlet of the compressor, and the refrigerant temperature (pipe temperature). The calculation method of the processing load of the refrigerant enthalpy method is
q (kW) = G (kg / s) x (h2 (kJ / kg)-h1 (kJ / kg))
Is required. Here, q: processing load, G: refrigerant mass flow rate, h1: inlet enthalpy of cooling coil of indoor unit 14, and h2: outlet enthalpy of cooling coil of indoor unit 14.

  Further, the control device 24 obtains power consumption data from the power meter, and obtains the operation efficiency (that is, COP = processing load / power) by dividing the above-described processing load by the power consumption.

  The relationship between the operation efficiency and the processing load thus determined is determined for each indoor unit 14. The relationship between the operation efficiency and the processing load is obtained by a graph as shown in FIG. 4, for example. And the control apparatus 24 determines the setting range (For example, the range of +/- 10% of the processing load factor from which operating efficiency becomes the maximum) of the processing load used as the operating efficiency more than predetermined. Here, the lower limit value of the processing load setting range is set as the processing load lower limit setting value. The relationship between the operation efficiency and the processing load may be obtained by performing a test before operating the air conditioning system 10, or may be obtained by accumulating data while operating the air conditioning system 10. When accumulating data while operating the air conditioning system 10, for example, operation data of each indoor unit 14 for one season (June to October for cooling) is accumulated to obtain operation characteristics. The method for obtaining the processing load is not limited to the above method, and the air enthalpy method in the indoor unit 14 or the outdoor unit 16 may be used.

  The control device 24 calculates the processing load of each indoor unit 14 during operation of the air conditioning system, and compares this value (hereinafter referred to as a processing load calculation value or a processing load calculation value) with a processing load lower limit set value. Then, when the processing load calculation value falls below the processing load lower limit set value, the corresponding indoor unit 14 is controlled to stop. In the present embodiment, an example in which the indoor unit 14 is stopped will be described. However, the indoor unit 14 may be switched to a fan-only operation.

  Further, the control device 24 performs on / off control of the indoor unit 14 based on measurement values (hereinafter, referred to as temperature measurement values) of the temperature sensors 26. That is, a lower limit (on set value) and an upper limit (off set value) are previously input to the control device 24 as the temperature setting range, and when the measured temperature value exceeds the off set value, the target indoor unit 14 is stopped. When the measured temperature value falls below the ON set value, the target indoor unit 14 is driven. In the present embodiment, the on set value and the off set value are set, but the control may be performed based on the acceleration of the temperature measurement value.

  The data acquisition device 22 and the control device 24 described above are connected to the remote monitoring room 30 via the communication line 28. In the remote monitoring room 30, the data acquired by the data acquisition device 22 can be monitored, and various operations can be performed. It is preferable that a plurality of buildings be configured to be operated in one remote monitoring room 30.

  Next, a control method of the air conditioning system 10 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control during cooling.

  As shown in the figure, first, operation data is acquired (step S1). For obtaining the operation data, a preliminary test is performed in the air-conditioning system 10 after execution, or data is accumulated during normal air-conditioning operation.

  Next, the processing load of each indoor unit 14 is obtained from the obtained data (step S2). And operation efficiency is calculated | required from the calculated | required processing load and power consumption, and the relationship with a processing load is calculated | required (step S3). Next, an operating range (that is, a processing load lower limit set value) that is highly efficient is determined (step S4).

  The above is the preparatory operation for control, and then the normal operation of air conditioning is performed. During normal operation, the operating load is measured, and the indoor temperature is measured by the temperature sensor 26 (steps S5 and S6).

  Then, the processing load calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit set value (step S7). If the processing load calculated value is lower than the processing load lower limit set value, the operation of the corresponding indoor unit 14 is stopped (step S7). S10). On the other hand, when the processing load calculation value is higher than the processing load lower limit setting value, the temperature measurement value and the off setting value are compared (step S8), and this corresponds to the case where the temperature measurement value is lower than the off setting value. The operation of the indoor unit is stopped (step S10).

  When the temperature measurement value is higher than the off set value, the operation of the indoor unit 14 is continued (step S9).

  When the operation of the indoor unit 14 is stopped (step S10), temperature measurement value data is acquired from the temperature sensor 26 (step S11). Then, the measured temperature value and the on set value are compared (step S12). If the measured temperature value is lower than the on set value, the indoor unit 14 is kept stopped (step S10). The indoor unit 14 is operated (step S13).

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control during heating. As shown in the figure, first, operation data is acquired (step S21). For obtaining the operation data, a preliminary test is performed in the air-conditioning system 10 after execution, or data is accumulated during normal air-conditioning operation.

  Next, the processing load of each indoor unit 14 is obtained from the obtained data (step S22). And operation efficiency is calculated | required from the calculated | required processing load and power consumption, and the relationship with a processing load is calculated | required (step S23). Next, an operating range (that is, a processing load lower limit set value) that is highly efficient is determined (step S24).

  The above is the preparatory operation for control, and then the normal operation of air conditioning is performed. During normal operation, the operating load is measured, and the indoor temperature is measured by the temperature sensor 26 (steps S25 and S26).

  Then, the processing load calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit set value (step S27). When the processing load calculated value is lower than the processing load lower limit set value, the operation of the corresponding indoor unit 14 is stopped (step S27). S30). On the other hand, when the processing load calculation value is higher than the processing load lower limit setting value, the temperature measurement value is compared with the off setting value (step S28), and this corresponds to the case where the temperature measurement value is higher than the off setting value. The operation of the indoor unit is stopped (step S30).

  If the temperature measurement value is lower than the off set value, the operation of the indoor unit 14 is continued (step S29).

  When the operation of the indoor unit 14 is stopped (step S30), temperature measurement value data is acquired from the temperature sensor 26 (step S31). Then, the measured temperature value and the on set value are compared (step S32). If the measured temperature value is higher than the on set value, the indoor unit 14 is kept stopped (step S30). The indoor unit 14 is operated (step S33).

  Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 10 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 4 (A), FIG. 4 (B), and FIG.

  4A and 4B show an example of the relationship between the processing load and the operation efficiency. 4A shows the processing load and operating efficiency in the left indoor unit 14 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B shows the processing load and operating efficiency in the right indoor unit 14 in FIG. And Note that although the same characteristics are shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B in this embodiment, they may be different. Moreover, a characteristic changes for every air conditioning system 10, and is acquired by taking data after enforcement. On the other hand, FIG. 5 shows a change with time of the measured value of the temperature sensor 26. In FIG. 5, A sensor indicates the measurement value of the temperature sensor 26 on the left side of FIG. 1, and B sensor indicates the measurement value of the temperature sensor 26 on the right side of FIG.

  In FIGS. 4A and 4B, the highest operating efficiency is obtained when the processing load factor is approximately 50%. Therefore, 40% to 60% is set as the range of the processing load factor that can obtain high operation efficiency. That is, the processing load lower limit set value is 40%. In the present embodiment, ± 10% is set as a range with respect to the processing load factor of the maximum operating efficiency, but the present invention is not limited to this. However, as the range is narrowed, the operating efficiency of the air conditioning system 10 can be improved, but on the other hand, the switching increases and the control tends to become unstable.

  Here, consider a case where the processing load factor falls below 40% during cooling (that is, when the processing load calculation value falls below the processing load lower limit set value). When the processing load factor is less than 40%, the air conditioner is overcooled and the operation efficiency is lowered.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the calculated processing load value falls below the processing load lower limit set value, the corresponding indoor unit 14 is stopped. For example, when the calculated processing load value is lower than the processing load lower limit set value in the left indoor unit 14 in FIG. 1, the left indoor unit 14 is stopped. Thereby, the operating energy of this indoor unit 14 can be reduced.

  By stopping the indoor unit 14, the temperature rises below the stopped indoor unit 14, and the measured value of the temperature sensor 26 rises. Then, when the measured value of the temperature sensor 26 exceeds the ON set value, the stopped indoor unit 14 is operated. Thereby, since air-conditioning air is supplied again below the indoor unit 14, it is possible to cope with a cooling load.

  Thus, according to this Embodiment, since driving | operation and a stop were controlled for every indoor unit 14, the operating efficiency of the air conditioning system 10 whole can be improved, and energy saving can be aimed at.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the adjacent indoor units 14 satisfy the processing load calculation value <the processing load lower limit setting value, all the indoor units 14 that are the targets may be stopped. The rest may be stopped while at least one indoor unit 14 is operating. For example, when the processing load calculation value <the processing load lower limit set value simultaneously satisfies the two indoor units 14 in FIG. 1, the other indoor unit 14 is stopped while the one indoor unit 14 is operating. . As a result, energy can be saved by the amount of the stopped indoor unit 14, and the other indoor unit 14 increases the processing load and operates in a range with good operating efficiency. Therefore, also in the other indoor unit 14, the operation efficiency can be improved and energy saving can be achieved. Moreover, temperature fluctuation can be suppressed compared with the case where both the indoor units 14 are stopped simultaneously, and stable temperature control can be performed.

  In the above case, the method of selecting the indoor unit 14 to stop the operation is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to stop the processing load that is farthest from the processing load setting range that provides high operating efficiency. For example, there are three indoor units 14 to be processed, and the processing load lower limit setting value is 40% for all three units, the first unit has a processing load factor of 30%, and the second unit has a processing load factor of 33. %, When the third unit has a processing load factor of 20%, the third indoor unit 14 is stopped. When all three units are separated from the processing load lower limit set value by the same ratio, the temperature in the room 12 is compared, the indoor unit 14 is stopped from the side closer to the off set value, and the room temperature is set to off. If it is higher than the value, the operation is continued.

  Moreover, when all the room temperatures are the same, it is determined by the direction in which the indoor unit 14 is arranged. For example, stop driving from the west in the morning and stop from the east in the afternoon. This is to keep the indoor unit 14 that is considered necessary for high-load operation while stopping from the side where the influence of solar radiation is small. If you are lined up from north to south, basically stop from the north side. If the room has a window only on the north side, stop from the south side where there is little influence of solar radiation. In this way, the off setting may be determined in the direction by giving direction information and the load factor and the room temperature are the same.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of the air conditioning system of the second embodiment. In addition, the member which has the same structure and an effect | action as the air conditioning system 10 of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 1 attaches | subjects the same code | symbol, and abbreviate | omits the description.

  The air conditioning system 40 according to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 includes a plurality of air conditioning units including the indoor unit 14 and the outdoor unit 16 as compared with the air conditioning system 10 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. Is different. Here, the left air conditioning unit in FIG. 6 is 42A, and the right air conditioning unit is 42B. In addition, although this Embodiment demonstrates by the example of air conditioning unit 42A, 42B of two systems, three or more systems may be sufficient. Further, as each of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B, an example of one outdoor unit 16 and two indoor units 14 will be described, but the configuration of each of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B is not limited to this, A single type in which the outdoor unit 16 is provided for every 14 may be used.

Each of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B is composed of one outdoor unit 16 and two indoor units 14, and the outdoor unit 16 and the indoor unit 14 are connected by a refrigerant circulation line 18, and the circulation line 18 Is provided with a flow control valve 20. A temperature sensor 26 is provided below each indoor unit 14. Furthermore, the air conditioning units 42A and 42B are connected to the control device 24 via the data acquisition device 22, and various data (for example, data such as the opening degree of each flow rate adjustment valve 20, the compressor of each outdoor unit 16). Rotational speed data and refrigerant temperature and pressure data at the inlet / outlet of the compressor of each outdoor unit 16 are output to and accumulated in the data acquisition device 22. The control device 24 calculates the processing load of each air conditioning unit 42A, 42B (that is, the processing load of each outdoor unit 16) based on the data from the flow control valve, the compressor, and the temperature sensor 26 described above. This processing load calculation method is a calculation formula for the processing load of the indoor unit 14 in the first embodiment.
q (kW) = G (kg / s) x (h2 (kJ / kg)-h1 (kJ / kg))
At the time of cooling (h1: enthalpy of the outlet of the condenser of the outdoor unit 16, h2: enthalpy of the inlet of the compressor of the outdoor unit 16), during heating (h1: enthalpy of the outlet of the condenser of the outdoor unit 16, h2: outdoor unit 16 Enthalpy at the compressor outlet). It can also be calculated by calculating the total processing load of the indoor unit 14.

  In addition, the control device 24 acquires power consumption data from a power meter attached to the outdoor unit 16, and divides the processing load described above by the power consumption to thereby operate the air conditioning units 42A and 42B at the operating efficiency (that is, COP = processing load). / Power).

  The relationship between the operation efficiency and the processing load thus determined is created for each air conditioning unit 42A, 42B. And the control apparatus 24 determines the setting range (For example, the range of +/- 10% of the processing load factor from which operating efficiency becomes the maximum) of the processing load used as the operating efficiency more than predetermined. Here, the lower limit value of the processing load setting range is set as the processing load lower limit setting value. The relationship between the operation efficiency and the processing load may be obtained by performing a test before operating the air conditioning system 40, or may be obtained by accumulating data while operating the air conditioning system 40. In the case of accumulating data while operating the air conditioning system 40, for example, operation data of each indoor unit 14 for one season (June to October for cooling) is accumulated to obtain operation characteristics.

  The control device 24 calculates the processing load of each of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B during operation of the air conditioning system, and compares this value (hereinafter referred to as a processing load calculated value) with a processing load lower limit set value. Then, when the processing load calculation value falls below the processing load lower limit setting value, the corresponding air conditioning units 42A and 42B are controlled to stop.

  Further, the control device 24 obtains an average value (hereinafter referred to as a temperature measurement value) of the measurement values of the temperature sensor 26 for each of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B, and controls the air conditioning units 42A and 42B on and off based on the temperature measurement values. It is supposed to be. That is, a lower limit (on set value) and an upper limit (off set value) are previously input to the control device 24 as the temperature setting range, and when the measured temperature value exceeds the off set value, the target air conditioning units 42A and 42B are controlled. When the temperature measurement value falls below the ON set value, the target air conditioning units 42A and 42B are driven. In the present embodiment, the on set value and the off set value are set, but the control may be performed based on the acceleration of the temperature measurement value.

  In the air conditioning system 40 configured as described above, control is performed using the processing loads of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B instead of the processing loads of the indoor units 14 in the flows shown in FIGS. For example, during cooling, the processing load of each air conditioning unit 42A, 42B is obtained. And after calculating | requiring an operation efficiency from the calculated | required processing load and power consumption and calculating | requiring the relationship with a processing load, the driving | operation range (namely, processing load lower limit setting value) used as high efficiency is determined. Next, the processing load calculated value is compared with the processing load lower limit set value. If the processing load calculated value is lower than the processing load lower limit set value, the operation of the corresponding air conditioning units 42A and 42B is stopped. Conversely, when the processing load calculation value is higher than the processing load lower limit setting value, the temperature measurement value is compared with the off setting value, and when the temperature measurement value is lower than the off setting value (when heating is high), The operation of the corresponding air conditioning units 42A and 42B is stopped. Further, when the measured temperature value is higher than the off-set value (when it is low during heating), the operation of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B is continued.

  When the operation of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B is stopped, the temperature measurement value data is acquired from the temperature sensor 26, the temperature measurement value is compared with the ON set value, and the temperature measurement value is lower than the ON set value. The air conditioning units 42A and 42B are kept stopped, and the corresponding air conditioning units 42A and 42B are operated if they are high.

  By controlling as described above, the air conditioning units 42A and 42B are individually controlled, and the air conditioning units 42A and 42B having low operation efficiency are stopped. Thereby, the operation efficiency of the whole air conditioning system 10 can be improved, and energy saving can be aimed at.

  In addition, in 2nd Embodiment, arrangement | positioning of each air conditioning unit 42A, 42B is not limited to the same room or the same floor of a building, You may divide and install in a different room or a floor.

  In the second embodiment described above, when the adjacent air conditioning units 42A and 42B simultaneously satisfy the processing load calculation value <the processing load lower limit setting value, all the air conditioning units 42A, 42B may be stopped, but the rest may be stopped while at least one of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B is operated. At that time, the method of selecting the air conditioning units 42A and 42B for stopping the operation is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to stop the one having the processing load farthest from the processing load in the high efficiency range. Moreover, you may determine by the direction by which air-conditioning unit 42A, 42B is arrange | positioned.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the processing load is calculated based on acquired data from the indoor unit 14, the outdoor unit 16, the temperature sensor 26, and the like, and control is performed based on the calculated processing load value. The control may be performed using the estimated value of the processing load. For example, the temperature of the intake air in the indoor unit 14 (hereinafter referred to as “suction temperature”) is measured, the processing load is estimated from this suction temperature to obtain the processing load estimated value, and this processing load estimated value is used as the processing load calculated value described above. It may be used instead of. When the setting temperature and the set air volume of the air-conditioning air from the indoor unit 14 are fixed, the suction temperature and the processing load are in a proportional relationship, so that the processing load can be accurately estimated, and the air conditioning control is accurate. It can be performed. The set temperature and the set air volume may be input in advance as a plurality of combinations as operation modes, and the relationship between the suction temperature and the processing load may be obtained for each operation mode. Thereby, the processing load can be accurately estimated only by selecting the operation mode.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, control is performed so that the corresponding indoor unit 14 and the air conditioning units 42A and 42B are stopped when the processing load is small, but the processing load falls within the high-efficiency operation range. When it is larger than the upper limit value of the processing load range (that is, the processing load upper limit set value), it is preferable to perform control to fix the rotation speed of the compressor of the corresponding outdoor unit 16. That is, when the compressor 16 is provided with an inverter function, and the processing load calculation value (or processing load estimation value) exceeds the upper limit value of the processing load range that becomes the high efficiency operation range, the rotation speed at the upper limit value. Control the compressor to be fixed at. Thereby, it can control so that it may be settled in a highly efficient operation range, and the operation efficiency of the whole system can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
The air conditioning system of the third embodiment obtains the relationship between the number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption of the entire air conditioning system, and controls the number of air conditioning units to be operated. That is, in the first and second embodiments described above, control is performed so that high efficiency operation is performed for each indoor unit 14 or for each system of the air conditioning units 42A and 42B. In the embodiment, the entire air conditioning system is controlled to be highly efficient. The configuration of the air conditioning system is the same as that of the second embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 7 shows a control flow of the third embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the third embodiment, first, a processing load is calculated for each air conditioning unit (step S41). Next, the total processing load is calculated by adding the obtained processing loads (step S42).

  Next, by assuming the number of operating units, the total power consumption of the entire air conditioning system is obtained for each operating unit. Specifically, the total processing load is divided by the number of operating units, and the processing load per unit is calculated (steps S43 to S46).

  Then, the operation efficiency per unit is obtained from the relationship between the processing load and operation efficiency in each air conditioning unit that has been obtained in advance (see FIG. 4) and the processing load per unit (step S47). Then, by dividing the processing load per unit by the power consumption per unit, the total power consumption per unit of operation is obtained (steps S48 to S51). Thereby, the relationship between the number of operating units and the total power consumption as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

  In general, the relationship between the number of operating units and the total power consumption increases when the number of operating units is increased or the number of operating units is decreased. Therefore, there is a range of the number of operating units in which the power consumption of the entire system is the lowest. In other words, there is a range of the number of operating units that increases the operating efficiency of the entire system. Therefore, by comparing the total power consumption by the number of operating units (step S52), the number of operating units that will increase the operating efficiency of the entire system is determined (step S53), and the air conditioning units 42A and 42B are set so as to have the operating number. Operation and stop are controlled (step S54). Thereby, the operation efficiency of the whole system can be improved.

  In the third embodiment described above, the number of operating air conditioning units 42A and 42B is controlled, but the number of indoor units 14 may be controlled. In addition to the third embodiment described above, the control of the first embodiment or the second embodiment may be performed. That is, after determining the number of operating indoor units 14 and air conditioning units 42A and 42B, the indoor units 14 and air conditioning units 42A and 42B to be stopped may be determined based on the calculated processing load values.

The system diagram which shows typically the structure of the air conditioning system of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the flowchart of the control at the time of air_conditioning | cooling The figure which shows the flowchart of the control at the time of heating Explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the air conditioning system of this embodiment Explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the air conditioning system of this embodiment Explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the air conditioning system of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the control flow of 3rd Embodiment. Diagram showing an example of the relationship between the number of operating units and total power consumption

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Air conditioning system, 12 ... Room, 14 ... Indoor unit, 16 ... Outdoor unit, 18 ... Circulation line, 20 ... Flow control valve, 22 ... Data acquisition device, 24 ... Control device, 26 ... Temperature sensor, 28 ... Communication circuit 30 ... Remote monitoring room

Claims (11)

In a control method of an air conditioning system comprising a plurality of indoor units that blow out air-conditioned air into a room, and an outdoor unit connected to the plurality of indoor units via a refrigerant circulation path,
Calculate the processing load of each of the plurality of indoor units,
The processing load calculation value is compared with a processing load lower limit setting value set to be within a predetermined high-efficiency operation range based on the relationship between the processing load for each indoor unit and the operation efficiency,
A control method for an air conditioning system, wherein the corresponding indoor unit is stopped when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit set value.   When the processing load calculation value is smaller than the processing load lower limit set value at the same time in a plurality of indoor units that blow out the air-conditioned air to an adjacent area, at least one of the plurality of indoor units is left in operation The method for controlling an air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the indoor unit is stopped.   The outdoor unit is provided with a compressor for the refrigerant, and the processing load is determined by any one of a refrigerant pressure and a refrigerant temperature at an inlet / outlet of the compressor, and a frequency, a rotation speed, and a refrigerant mass flow rate in the compressor. The method of controlling an air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2.   A temperature sensor is provided for each indoor unit in a direction in which the conditioned air is blown from the indoor unit, and the stopped indoor unit is operated based on a measurement value of the temperature sensor. The control method of the air conditioning system any one of these.   The temperature of the air which the said indoor unit inhales is measured, processing load is estimated from the measured temperature, and the operation mode of the said indoor unit is switched by this processing load estimated value. The control method of the air conditioning system of Claim 1. The outdoor unit is provided with a compressor of the refrigerant,
The rotation speed of the compressor of the corresponding outdoor unit is fixed when the processing load calculation value is larger than the processing load upper limit set value set to be within the predetermined high efficiency operation range. The control method of the air conditioning system of any one of Claims 1-5. In a control method for an air conditioning system including a plurality of air conditioning units including an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into a room and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path,
Calculate the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units,
The processing load calculation value is compared with a processing load lower limit setting value set to be within a predetermined high-efficiency operation range based on the relationship between the processing load for each air conditioning unit and the operation efficiency,
A control method for an air conditioning system, wherein the corresponding air conditioning unit is stopped when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit set value. In a control method for an air conditioning system including a plurality of air conditioning units including an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into a room and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path,
Calculate the processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units,
Calculate the total processing load by adding the respective processing load calculations,
From the calculated total processing load and the relationship between the processing load and power consumption for each air conditioning unit, the total power consumption for each operating number of the air conditioning units is obtained, and the calculated number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption A control method for an air conditioning system, wherein the number of operating air conditioning units is determined and controlled based on the relationship. A plurality of indoor units that blow out air-conditioned air into the room;
An outdoor unit connected to the plurality of indoor units via a refrigerant circulation path;
The processing load of each of the plurality of indoor units is calculated, and the calculated processing load calculation value is set to be within a predetermined high-efficiency operating range based on the relationship between the processing load and the operating efficiency for each indoor unit. Control means for stopping the corresponding indoor unit when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value.
An air conditioning system characterized by comprising A plurality of air conditioning units having an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into the room, and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path,
The processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units is calculated, and the calculated processing load calculation value is set to be within a predetermined high-efficiency operating range based on the relationship between the processing load and the operating efficiency for each air conditioning unit. A control means for stopping the corresponding air conditioning unit when the calculated processing load value is smaller than the processing load lower limit setting value.
An air conditioning system characterized by comprising A plurality of air conditioning units having an indoor unit that blows out air-conditioned air into the room, and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit via a refrigerant circulation path,
The processing load of each of the plurality of air conditioning units is calculated, the total processing load is calculated by adding the respective processing load calculation values, the calculated total processing load, the processing load and the consumption for each of the air conditioning units. A control means for obtaining a total power consumption for each operating number of the air conditioning units from the relationship with the power, and controlling the operating number of the air conditioning units based on the relationship between the calculated number of operating air conditioning units and the total power consumption; ,
An air conditioning system characterized by comprising

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