JP2013096590A - Cooperative control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooperative control system that enables first and second control systems which operate independently to efficiently operate cooperatively with each other in an easy method when the first and second control systems are present.SOLUTION: The cooperative control system comprises the first control system and second control system having high energy efficiency, and second equipment to be controlled included in the second control system gives an influence, by its operation, on specific first equipment to be controlled included in the first control system. The first equipment to be controlled and second equipment to be controlled have information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other. When abnormality occurs, the first equipment to be controlled transmits change indication information on the control state of the second equipment to be controlled which is needed to remove the abnormal state to the second equipment to be controlled by the information transmission means, and the second equipment to be controlled when receiving the change indication information changes its own control state based upon the change indication signal.

Description

  The present invention includes a plurality of control systems such as a showcase system (first control system) and an air conditioner system (second control system) installed in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store and operated independently of each other. The present invention relates to a cooperative control system that controls in cooperation.

  Conventionally, a plurality of showcases (first control target devices) and air conditioner indoor units (second control target devices) are installed in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores. Refrigerant is distributed and supplied to each showcase from a refrigerator installed outside the store and constituting a showcase system together with each showcase. And the control of the internal temperature of each showcase is performed by controlling the expansion valve, but the compressor of the refrigerator is the low pressure set value of the cooling system (refrigerant circuit) of the showcase system (first control system). Controlled based on That is, the controller controls the suction pressure to the low pressure set value by adjusting the capacity of the compressor.

  In this case, if the low pressure set value is increased, the capacity of the compressor can be kept low, so that power consumption can be reduced. Therefore, the controller executes energy saving control for increasing the low pressure set value in a situation where the inside of the showcase is well cooled. Further, when the showcase falls into a state of insufficient cooling, the low pressure set value is lowered (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In particular, in the case of an open showcase, the cooling from the indoor unit of the air conditioner (the air conditioner system as the second control system) affects the internal cooling. In addition, since the air conditioner has higher thermal energy efficiency than the showcase, when the inside of the showcase falls under cooling, rather than lowering the low pressure set value of the compressor and increasing the cooling capacity of the showcase, It has also been found that reducing the heat load of the showcase by increasing the cooling capacity of the air conditioner can lower the temperature of the showcase efficiently, so there is an energy saving effect for the entire store. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP 2007-10232 A JP 2006-23069 A JP 2009-174734 A

  Here, in the energy saving control by the low pressure set value as described above, the low pressure set value is lowered even when some showcases (first control target devices) are in a state of insufficient cooling (abnormal state). As a result, the cooling capacity of the entire showcase cooling system increases, and energy-saving control operation cannot be continued.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the open / close state of the expansion valve (electromagnetic expansion valve) is confirmed, and if there is a fact that the expansion valve is closed, the interior is actually cooled, and some factor (temporary disturbance is detected by the temperature sensor). Is detected as being under-cooled due to lack of cooling, etc., but if some of the showcases are actually under-cooled due to customers, lighting, product delivery, etc., Eventually, the low pressure set value was lowered and the cooling capacity of the entire cooling system of the showcase was increased, so that there was still a problem that the energy saving control operation could not be continued.

  Therefore, when trying to assist the cooling of the showcase with the air conditioner, the positional relationship between the showcase and the indoor unit of the air conditioner is important for this purpose, and the position information (store layout) is used. Grouping information needs to be initialized. In Patent Document 3, the location information of these showcases and indoor units is set in an integrated controller in which the store user manually controls the entire store, or a GPS receiver is installed in each device to search for signals. Or since it set by the method of arrange | positioning and detecting several RFID tags on a floor, it caused complication and the remarkable increase in cost.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problems, and in the case where the first and second control systems that operate independently exist, the efficiency can be achieved through mutual cooperation by a simple method. It is intended to provide a cooperative control system that can realize efficient operation.

  In order to solve the above problem, the cooperative control system of the invention of claim 1 is composed of a first control system that operates independently of each other and a second control system that is higher in energy efficiency than the first control system, Any one of the second control target devices included in the second control system has a relationship that affects the specific first control target device included in the first control system by its operation. The device and the second control target device have information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other, and the first control target device is necessary for eliminating the abnormal state when an abnormal state occurs. When the control state change instruction information of the second control target device is transmitted to the second control target device by the information transmission means, and the second control target device receives the change instruction information. And changes its own control state based on the change instruction information.

  The cooperative control system according to the invention of claim 2 is composed of a showcase system and an air conditioner system that are operated independently from each other in a store, and any of the indoor units included in this air conditioner system is The showcase and the indoor unit are in a positional relationship that has a cooling effect on a specific showcase included in the system, and the showcase has an information transmission means that can transmit information only to each other. When the cooling state in the chamber deteriorates, the change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit is transmitted to the indoor unit by the information transmission means, and when the indoor unit receives the change instruction information, It is characterized by increasing its own cooling capacity given to the showcase based on the change instruction information.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooperative control system according to the first aspect, wherein the showcase has a degree of increase in the cooling capacity of the indoor unit given to the showcase according to the cooling state in the storage and / or the type of case or product. It is characterized by changing.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooperative control system according to the second or third aspect, wherein the showcase does not transmit change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit during busy hours of the store. Features.

  The cooperative control system according to the invention of claim 5 includes a showcase system and a store lighting system installed in a store, and any store lighting included in the store lighting system is included in the showcase system due to the lighting. In a positional relationship that illuminates a specific showcase, the showcase and the store lighting have an information transmission means that can transmit information only to each other, and the showcase has a deteriorated cooling state in the cabinet In order to reduce the illuminance of the interior lighting in order to reduce the heat load due to lighting, change instruction information for increasing the illuminance of the store lighting is transmitted to the store lighting by the information transmission means, and the store lighting is When the change instruction information is received, the illuminance is increased based on the change instruction information.

  The cooperation control system of the invention of claim 6 is characterized in that the showcase in the invention of claims 2 to 5 is an open showcase.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooperative control system according to any one of the above aspects, wherein the information transmission means transmits information by optical communication.

  According to the cooperative control system of the first aspect of the present invention, the cooperative control system includes a first control system that operates independently of each other, and a second control system that has higher energy efficiency than the first control system. Any of the second control target devices included has a relationship that affects the specific first control target device included in the first control system by its operation, and the first control target device and the second control target device The target device has information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other, and when the first control target device is in an abnormal state, the second control target is necessary to eliminate the abnormal state. The change instruction information on the control state of the device is transmitted to the second control target device by the information transmission means. When the second control target device receives the change instruction information, the second control target device is based on the change instruction information. Since change their control state Te, an abnormal state occurring in the first control target device eliminated efficiently by the second control target device, or, it is possible to alleviate the abnormal condition.

  In this case, since the first control target device can directly transmit information to the second control target device by the information transmission means such as optical communication according to the invention of claim 6, each control target device is connected to the cooperative control system. It is no longer necessary to set the installation position information as control information, and the work required for setting the installation position information can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

  According to the cooperation control system of the invention of claim 2, it is composed of a showcase system and an air conditioner system that operate independently in a store, and any indoor unit included in this air conditioner system is The showcase and the indoor unit are in a positional relationship that exerts a cooling effect on a specific showcase included in the showcase system, and the showcase has an information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other. When the cooling state in the warehouse deteriorates, the change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit is transmitted to the indoor unit by the information transmission means, and the indoor unit receives the change instruction information Because the cooling capacity given to the showcase is increased based on the change instruction information, the heat- It is possible to locally reduced by the indoor unit. As a result, the cooling state of the specific showcase in the showcase system can be efficiently improved by cooling from the indoor unit included in the energy efficient air conditioner system, or the deterioration can be mitigated. It becomes.

  In this case, since the showcase can directly transmit information to the indoor unit by means of information transmission means such as optical communication according to the invention of claim 6, the installation position information of each showcase and indoor unit is transmitted to the cooperative control system. Need not be set as control information, and the work required for setting the installation position information can be simplified and the cost of equipment such as GPS and RFIC tags can be reduced. This is particularly effective in the open showcase as in the invention of claim 6.

  According to the cooperative control system of the invention of claim 3, in addition to the above-mentioned invention, the showcase has the cooling capacity of the indoor unit given to itself depending on the cooling state in the warehouse and the type of case or product. Since the degree of increase is changed, it becomes possible to improve the cooling state of the showcase in the cabinet more effectively by cooling from the indoor unit.

  According to the cooperation control system of the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 2 or claim 3, the showcase does not transmit change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit during busy hours of the store. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that causes discomfort to the customer by performing local cooling.

  According to the cooperative control system of the invention of claim 5, the store control system includes a showcase system installed in a store and a store lighting system, and any store lighting included in the store lighting system is converted into a showcase system by the lighting. The showcase and the store lighting have information transmission means that can transmit information only to each other, and the showcase has a deteriorated cooling state in the cabinet. In this case, in order to reduce the illuminance of the interior lighting in order to reduce the thermal load due to the lighting, change instruction information for increasing the illuminance of the store lighting is transmitted to the store lighting by the information transmission means, and the store When the lighting receives the change instruction information, the illumination increases the illuminance based on the change instruction information. If the illuminance of the store interior deteriorates and the illuminance of its own interior lighting is reduced for improvement, the illumination of the store lighting, which is more energy efficient than the interior lighting, illuminates the showcase. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently improve or mitigate the decrease in brightness in and around the showcase.

  In this case, since the showcase can directly transmit information to the store lighting by the information transmission means such as optical communication according to the invention of claim 7, the installation position information of each showcase and store lighting can be transmitted to the cooperative control system. Need not be set as control information, and the work required for setting the installation position information can be simplified and the cost of equipment such as GPS and RFIC tags can be reduced. In this case, the optical communication uses light sources having different wavelengths so that information transmission is not hindered by illumination or the like.

It is a block diagram of the cooperation control system of one Example to which this invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the showcase and indoor unit of the cooperation control system of FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the cooperation control system of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the showcase system controller of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the air conditioner system controller of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The linkage control system 1 of the embodiment includes a showcase system 3 (first control system) including showcases 2A and 2B (first control target devices) installed in a store of a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, The air conditioner system 6 (second control system) includes a plurality of indoor units 4A and 4B (second control target devices) attached to the ceiling of the store. In addition, the showcase system 3 and the air conditioner system 6 are provided with independent refrigerant circuits and are operated independently of each other.

  The showcase system 3 includes a plurality of the showcases 2A and 2B installed in a store with a predetermined layout (actually, a larger number) and a store for distributing and supplying refrigerant to the showcases 2A and 2B. It is comprised from the refrigerator 7 installed outside. Each showcase 2A, 2B is provided with an evaporator 8, an expansion valve (electric expansion valve) 9 and the like, respectively, and the refrigerator 7 includes two compressors 11, 11 and a condenser 12, connected in parallel to each other. A condenser fan 13 and the like are provided. And the series circuit of the expansion valve 9 and the evaporator 8 of each showcase 2A, 2B is mutually connected in parallel, and is connected to the compressors 11 and 11 and the condenser 12 of the refrigerator 7 by the refrigerant pipe 14, and is well known. A refrigerant circuit is configured.

  A refrigerant such as ammonia or fluorocarbon gas is enclosed in the refrigerant circuit of the showcase system 3. When the compressors 11 and 11 of the refrigerator 7 are operated, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressors 11 and 11 flows into the condenser 12 and is air-cooled (even with water cooling) by the condenser fan 13. Good) and liquefy. The condensed liquid refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve 9 of each showcase 2A, 2B, and then flows into each evaporator 8 and evaporates. The temperature of the evaporator 8 is lowered by the endothermic action at this time. The cool air exchanged with the evaporator 8 is circulated in the cabinet by a cooling circulation fan (not shown), and the interior of each showcase 2A, 2B is cooled. And the gas refrigerant which evaporated with each evaporator 8 of showcases 2A and 2B repeats circulation which is sucked into compressors 11 and 11 of refrigerator 7 again.

  Each showcase 2A, 2B is equipped with a showcase controller (first control target device controller) 16 as a terminal controller composed of a microcomputer. Each showcase 2A, 2B has an internal temperature sensor 17 for detecting the internal temperature, a light emitting element 18A of an optical communication device (information transmission means) 18 attached to the upper part, an internal illumination (not shown) A cool air circulation fan or the like is provided, and these are connected to the showcase controller 16 to exchange information and control operations.

  The refrigerator 7 is equipped with a refrigerator controller 21 as a terminal controller composed of a microcomputer. Further, a discharge pressure sensor 22 and a suction pressure sensor 23 are attached to the refrigerant pipes 14 on the discharge side and the suction side of the compressors 11 and 11, and are connected to the refrigerator controller 21 together with the compressors 11 and 11 and the condenser fan 13. It is connected to exchange information and control operations.

  The showcase controllers 16 and 16 and the refrigerator controller 21 are connected to the showcase system controller 26 by wired or wireless communication to exchange information. This showcase system controller (which in the embodiment also constitutes the first control target device controller) 26 is constituted by a microcomputer, and integrates and manages the control of the entire showcase system 3, and each showcase 2A, Various control information (such as set temperature and low pressure set value in the cabinet) for controlling the operation of the 2B and the refrigerator 7 can be set, and these control information is sent from the showcase system controller 26 to the showcase controllers 16 and 16. Or delivered to the refrigerator controller 21. The showcase controller 16 and the refrigerator controller 21 control each device based on the control information received from the showcase system controller 26.

  Further, the showcase controller 16, 16 and the refrigerator controller 21 transmit information related to the operating state to the showcase system controller 26, whereby the showcase system controller 26 performs integrated management of the entire showcase system 3.

  Specifically, the refrigerator controller 21 has a predetermined low pressure setting value based on the control information transmitted from the showcase system controller 26 and the suction pressure of the compressors 11 and 11 detected by the suction pressure sensor 23. In this manner, the operation of the compressors 11 and 11 is controlled to adjust the compression capacity. Further, the operation of the condenser fan 13 is controlled based on the discharge pressure of the compressors 11 and 11 detected by the discharge pressure sensor 22 to cool the high-temperature refrigerant.

  The showcase controller 16 controls the amount of refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 8 by appropriately adjusting the opening of the expansion valve 9 based on the internal temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 17 so as to reach the set temperature. Further, the showcase system controller 26 executes the energy-saving control of the showcase system 3 based on the ON operation of “energy-saving control” by the user. This energy-saving control is to increase the low-pressure set value when the inside temperature of each showcase 2A, 2B is sufficiently cooled, that is, when the inside cooling state is good. If the low pressure set value is increased, the compression capacity of the compressors 11 and 11 of the refrigerator 7 is reduced, so that excessive operation is suppressed and power consumption is also suppressed.

  On the other hand, the air conditioner system 6 includes a plurality of the indoor units 4A and 4B and the outdoor unit 27, and a use side heat exchanger (not shown) provided in each of the indoor units 4A and 4B is provided in the outdoor unit 27. A heat source side heat exchanger (not shown) and a known refrigerant circuit are configured. Each indoor unit 4A, 4B is provided with a blower (not shown), a flap 28 for adjusting the air direction from the air outlet 30 (FIG. 2), a light receiving element 18B of the optical communication device (information transmission means) 18, and the like. The indoor unit 4A is equipped with an indoor unit controller (second control target device controller) 29 composed of a microcomputer, and the blower, the flap 28, and the light receiving element 18B are connected to the indoor unit controller 29.

  An outdoor unit controller 31 is mounted on the outdoor unit 27. The outdoor unit controller 31 and the indoor unit controllers 29 and 29 are connected to the air conditioner system controller 32 by wired or wireless communication to exchange information. . This air conditioner system controller (which in the embodiment also constitutes the second control target device controller) 32 is constituted by a microcomputer, and integrates and manages control of the entire air conditioner system 6, and each indoor unit 4A, Various control information (air conditioning set temperature, etc.) for controlling the operation of 4B and the outdoor unit 27 can be set. These control information is sent from the air conditioner system controller 32 to the indoor unit controllers 29 and 29 and the outdoor unit controller 31. be delivered. The indoor unit controller 29 and the outdoor unit controller 31 control each device based on the control information received from the air conditioner system controller 32.

  In addition, each of the indoor unit controllers 29 and 29 and the outdoor unit controller 31 transmits information related to the operation state to the air conditioner system controller 32, whereby the air conditioner system controller 32 performs integrated management of the entire air conditioner system 6.

  Specifically, the air conditioner system controller 32 transmits control information to the outdoor unit controller 31 in response to an air conditioning capability request from each indoor unit controller 29, and the outdoor unit controller 31 receives the control transmitted from the air conditioner system controller 32. The operation of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit 27 is controlled according to the information. Each indoor unit controller 29, 29 is based on the air conditioning set temperature and the intake air temperature transmitted from the air conditioner system controller 32 (the indoor temperature detected by an unillustrated intake air temperature sensor). The air volume of the blower and the flap 28 are controlled so as to reach the temperature.

  On the other hand, the optical communication device 18 uses a light source having a different wavelength or the like, for example, a highly directional LED or laser so that information transmission is not hindered by illumination, etc., and one-to-one communication with the light emitting elements 18A and 18B. Is to establish. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, a certain indoor unit 4A has a relationship of exerting a cooling effect on specific showcases 2A and 2B installed in a store near the lower side thereof. Therefore, the light emitting elements 18A attached to the upper portions of the showcases 2A and 2B are respectively connected to the light receiving elements 18B and 18B (two attached in the embodiment) of the indoor unit 4A that have a positional relationship that affects cooling. Install in advance so that it is oriented. As a result, the light emitting elements 18A of the showcases 2A and 2B are configured to transmit information by optical communication only with the light receiving elements 18B and 18B of the indoor unit 4A.

  Note that the information transmission means in the present invention is not limited thereto, and short-range wireless communication and the like are also conceivable. However, in that case, it is necessary to perform filtering using an ID or an address in order to specify a communication partner.

  Further, the air conditioner system controller 32 also exchanges information with the showcase system controller 26 to enable cooperative control, thereby enabling integrated control in the entire store. Further, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the controllers 26 and 32 may be used as a single integrated controller, and the entire store may be controlled by the integrated controller.

  Next, FIG. 3 shows a functional block diagram of the showcase system controller 26 and the air conditioner system controller 32. In this figure, the optical communication control units 38 and 44 of the showcase controller 16 and the indoor unit controller 29 are included in the showcase system controller 26 and the air conditioner system controller 32 to simplify the description.

  The showcase system controller 26 includes a main control unit 33, a storage unit 34, an external input / output I / F unit 36, and an energy saving control unit 37. The air conditioner system controller 32 includes a main control unit 39, a storage unit 41, an external input / output I / F unit 42, and a device control unit 43. The main control units 33 and 39 communicate with the controllers 16, 21, 29 and 31 and exchange data with peripheral devices such as the storage units 34 and 41 and the external input / output I / F units 36 and 42, and control programs. It manages the main functions of the controllers 26 and 32 such as execution. The storage units 34 and 41 are configured by a large-capacity storage device such as a ROM holding a control program, control constants, etc., a RAM for temporarily storing various data, and an HDD. The external input / output I / F units 36 and 42 are GUIs or the like for performing on / off of the “energy saving control” by the user and changing the temperature setting of each device.

  The energy saving control unit 37 of the showcase system controller 26 executes the energy saving control described above based on the energy saving control program stored in the storage unit 34. The device control unit 43 of the air conditioner system controller 32 executes an individual control program for each device stored in the storage unit 41. In addition to maintaining and managing the normal room temperature, this control program includes a cooling assist process for reducing the thermal load of the showcases 2A and 2B based on a cooling mode to be described later notified by optical communication from the showcase controller 16 Execute.

  The optical communication control unit 38 included in the showcase controller 16 is a light emitting element 18A of the optical communication device 18, and establishes communication only with the indoor unit 4A or 4B light receiving element 18B to which the light communication element 18A is directed. 29 controls the optical communication with 29. Further, the optical communication control unit 44 included in the indoor unit controller 29 establishes communication only with the showcase 2A or the 2B light emitting element 18A directed to the light receiving element 18B of the optical communication unit 18, and the showcase. Controls the optical communication with the controller 16.

  Next, the cooperative control of the cooperative control system 1 of the present invention performed between the showcase system 3 and the air conditioner system 6 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the showcase system controller 26, and FIG. 5 shows the operation of the air conditioner system controller 32. The showcase system controller 26 expands control information including set values such as set temperature stored in the ROM or the like as initialization processing for starting a control program such as an energy saving control program in step S1 of FIG. 4 on the RAM.

  Next, in step S2, the deviation between the set internal temperature and the set temperature of the showcases 2A and 2B, which are periodically transmitted from the showcase controller 16 and acquired, is confirmed. Next, in step S3, based on the deviation from the set temperature, control information for adjusting the opening of the expansion valve 9 is generated and transmitted to the showcase controller 16 to control the internal temperature. When the internal temperature is high, the opening degree of the expansion valve 9 is enlarged, and when it is low, the opening degree is reduced.

  Next, the cooling state in the store | warehouse | chamber of each showcase 2A, 2B is determined by step S4. This control is not performed every control loop, but is performed at a certain interval, or is determined based on the establishment of a condition at an arbitrary time. When the determination is skipped, the process proceeds to step S5. At the timing of determining the cooling state, the process proceeds to step S8, and it is determined whether or not the cooling state in the showcases 2A and 2B is good. If the interior is sufficiently cooled and the cooling state is good, the process proceeds to step S5, and if it is higher than the set temperature and the cooling state is bad, the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S9, the showcase system controller 26 determines a cooling mode (change instruction information). That is, when the showcase 2A and / or 2B is a refrigerated showcase, the cooling state in the warehouse is poor, and cooling assistance is performed by local cooling by the indoor unit 4A of the air conditioner system 6, the cooling mode is set to “1”. When the showcase 2A and / or 2B is a refrigeration showcase in which cooling is given priority over energy saving and the low pressure set value is lowered (low pressure control) in addition to such cooling assistance, the cooling mode is set to “2”. If only the low pressure set value is lowered without performing the above, the cooling mode is set to “0”. In addition to the above, the cooling modes “1” and “2” may be determined based on, for example, the degree of deterioration of the cooling state of the showcase 2A and the products displayed in the storage. For example, the cooling mode is “2” when the degree of deterioration of the internal cooling state is large, “1” when the cooling mode is smaller than that, and the cooling mode when the product is a frozen product or a product that emphasizes freshness. May be set to “2”, otherwise “1”, etc.

  The cooling mode “0” is not change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit 4A, but is change instruction information for resetting a cooling mode, which will be described later, to “0” and resetting the air direction and the air volume. For example, during busy hours when stores are crowded with customers, the cooling mode is set to “0” because there is a risk of discomfort if local cooling is performed. This busy time zone is set in the showcase system controller 26 by the user.

  Next, the showcase system controller 26 proceeds to step S10, determines the determined cooling mode, proceeds to step S5 in the case of the cooling modes “0” and “2”, and proceeds to step S6 in the case of mode 1. move on. In step S5, the low pressure set value increase / decrease control is executed according to the cooling state of the showcases 2A, 2B at that time. That is, if the cooling state of the showcases 2A and 2B is good in step S8 and the "energy saving control" is turned on, the low pressure set value is increased in step S5 to increase the compressor 11, Reduce the compression capacity of 11 to save energy.

  On the other hand, in the case of the cooling modes “0” and “2” in step S10, the cooling state in the showcases 2A and 2B is bad in step S8, so the low pressure set value is lowered in step S5, the compressor 11, 11 to increase the compression capacity of the showcases 2A and 2B.

  If the cooling state of the showcases 2A and 2B is poor in step S8, the compression capacity of the compressors 11 and 11 is increased by lowering the low pressure set value, and the cooling capacity of the showcases 2A and 2B is increased. Although it is necessary, when the cooling mode is “1” in step S10, step S5 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S6. Thereby, in the cooling mode “1”, the control for lowering the low pressure set value is suspended.

  The cooling mode (change instruction information) determined in this way is displayed in the showcase from the showcase system controller 26 together with information on the cooling state in the cabinet and information on the case (information on whether it is a refrigerated showcase or a refrigerated showcase, etc.). It is transmitted to the showcase controller 16 of 2A and 2B. And it outputs from the light emitting element 18A of the optical communication device 18 of each showcase 2A, 2B to the light receiving element 18B of the indoor unit 4A, and is directly transmitted by optical communication. Next, an end determination is made at step S7, and when continuing, the process returns to step S2.

  On the other hand, the air conditioner system controller 32 stores control information including set values such as the air conditioning temperature stored in the ROM or the like as initialization processing for starting the control program such as the air conditioner optical communication control program in step S11 of FIG. Expand to.

  Next, whether or not the light receiving element 18B of the optical communication device 18 of each indoor unit 4A, 4B has received optical communication from the showcase based on the information from the indoor unit controller 29 of the indoor units 4A, 4B in step S12. to decide. If not received, the process proceeds to step S13. For example, when optical communication is performed from the light emitting element 18A of the showcase 2A to the light receiving element 18B of the indoor unit 4A, the air conditioner system controller 32 proceeds from step S12 to step S14 and analyzes the communication command.

  That is, the air conditioner system controller 32 confirms the contents of the optical communication from the showcase 2A, and in addition to the cooling state in the storage of the showcase 2A, information on the above-described case (whether the showcase 2A is a frozen showcase) Get a refrigerated showcase). Next, the cooling mode (change instruction information) transmitted from the showcase 2A is determined in step S15.

  When the cooling mode of the showcase 2A directly transmitted from the light emitting element 18A of the showcase 2A to the light receiving element 18B of the indoor unit 4A is “0”, the air conditioner system controller 32 proceeds from step S15 to step S18. Information indicating that the airflow direction adjustment and the set temperature are reset and the cooling mode of the air conditioner 4A is set to “0” (reset) is transmitted to the indoor unit controller 29 of the machine 4A. That is, when the air conditioner 4A is in the cooling mode “0”, the special cooling assistance by the cooling for the showcase 2A is not performed.

  As described above, when stores are crowded with customers, the cooling mode of the showcase 2A is set to “0” by the showcase system controller 26 even in a situation where the cooling state of the showcase 2A is bad, so the indoor unit 4A This cooling mode is also set to “0” by the air conditioner system controller 32, and the inconvenience that causes discomfort to the customer is avoided by performing local cooling. However, since the low pressure set value is lowered on the showcase system 3 side, it does not save energy, but the cooling capacity inside the showcase 2A is increased.

  On the other hand, if the cooling mode of the showcase 2A is “1” or “2”, the air conditioner system controller 32 proceeds to step S16 and sets its own cooling mode. In this case, the air conditioner system controller 32 sets the cooling mode of the indoor unit 4A to “1” when the showcase 2A is a refrigerated showcase and the cooling state deteriorates and the transmitted cooling mode is “1”. When the showcase 2A is a frozen showcase and the cooling state is deteriorated and the transmitted cooling mode is “2”, the air conditioner system controller 32 also sets the cooling mode of the indoor unit 4A to “2”.

  Next, in step S17, it is determined whether the cooling mode is "1" or "2". If the cooling mode is "1", the process proceeds to step S20. In step S20, the flap 28 and the blower of the indoor unit 4A are controlled to increase the air volume of the cool air and adjust the air direction and the air volume so that the air direction is the direction of the showcase 2A (cooling mode “1”). Thereby, reduction of the heat load of showcase 2A is aimed at.

  On the other hand, if the cooling mode is “2”, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the cooling set temperature of the indoor unit 4A is temporarily reduced (while the cooling mode is “2”), and the process proceeds to step S20. Then, an end determination is made at step S13, and when continuing, the process returns to step S12.

  In other words, when the showcase 2A is a freezer showcase and the cooling state in the cabinet deteriorates, the heat load of the showcase 2A can be strongly reduced by adjusting the air temperature and the air volume as well as adjusting the cooling set temperature. To implement. In this way, the showcase system controller 26 is in the cool state of the showcase 2A, the type of showcase, or the type of product, in the embodiment, whether the showcase 2A is a frozen showcase or a refrigerated showcase. Accordingly, in the case of a refrigerated showcase, by adjusting the air direction and the amount of air, and in the case of a refrigerated showcase, in addition to adjusting the cooling set temperature, the cooling capacity of the indoor unit 4A given to the showcase 2A is adjusted. Since the degree of increase is changed, the cooling from the indoor unit 4A can extremely effectively improve the interior cooling state of the showcase 2A. The same applies to the showcase 2B and the indoor unit 4B.

  As described above, the showcase controller 16 of the showcase 2A (or 2B) has the light receiving element 18B to which the light emitting element 18A is directed in response to an instruction from the showcase system controller 26 when the cooling state in the warehouse deteriorates. Change instruction information (cooling mode) for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit 4A is transmitted to the indoor unit 4A by the optical communication device 18. When the indoor unit 4A receives the change instruction information (cooling mode), the indoor unit 4A has its own cooling capacity given to the showcase 2A (or 2B) based on the change instruction information according to the instruction from the air conditioner system controller 32. Therefore, the heat load of the showcase 2A (or 2B) in which the internal cooling state is deteriorated can be locally reduced by the indoor unit 4A. As a result, the internal cooling state of the specific showcase included in the showcase system 3 can be efficiently improved by cooling from the indoor unit included in the energy efficient air conditioner system 6, or the deterioration can be alleviated. Is possible.

  In this case, since the showcase 2A (or 2B) can directly transmit information to the indoor unit 4A by information transmission means such as optical communication, the showcase system controller 26 and the air conditioner system of the cooperative control system 1 It is no longer necessary to set the installation position information of each showcase 2A, 2B or indoor unit 4A, 4B as control information in the controller 32. Simplification of work necessary for setting the installation position information and the use of GPS, RFIC tags, etc. Equipment costs can be reduced. This is particularly effective in open showcases.

  In the above embodiment, the showcase system 3 is used as the first control system that operates independently of each other, and the air conditioner system 6 is used as the second control system. The showcase system is configured by the indoor units 4A and 4B of the air conditioner system 6. Although the present invention is applied to the cooperative control system 1 that realizes the interior cooling assistance of the showcases 2A and 2B of No. 3, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of store lights (second store) attached to the ceiling of the store as a second control system You may employ | adopt the store lighting system which consists of a control object apparatus.

  In this case, it is assumed that certain store lighting is in a positional relationship for illuminating the showcases 2A and / or 2B. Then, the showcase system controller 26 of the showcase system 3 shows the showcase controller 16 in order to reduce the heat load caused by the lighting when the cooling state in the cabinet deteriorates in the showcases 2A and 2B (first control target devices). Control to reduce the illuminance of the interior lighting (not shown) that becomes a thermal load is executed. Then, the store lighting (having a similar light receiving element 18B) in a positional relationship for illuminating the showcase 2A and / or 2B (having the same light emitting element 18A) by the information transmission means such as the optical communication device 18 described above. In addition, change instruction information for increasing the illuminance is directly transmitted.

  Each store lighting and store lighting system also has a similar store lighting controller and store lighting system controller.When the store lighting system controller receives the change instruction information with the light receiving element, the store lighting controller of the store lighting It is instructed to increase the illuminance, and the store lighting controller increases the illuminance of its own store lighting.

  By doing in this way, when the cool state of the showcase in the showcase of the showcase system 3 deteriorates, and the illuminance of its own interior lighting is reduced for the improvement, the showcase is illuminated. It is possible to locally increase the illuminance of store lighting, which is more energy efficient than internal lighting, to efficiently improve or mitigate the decrease in brightness in and around the showcase.

  Similarly in this case, since the showcase can directly transmit information to the store lighting by means of information transmission means such as optical communication, the installation position information of each showcase and store lighting is transmitted to the cooperative control system as control information. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the work necessary for setting the installation position information and reduce the cost of equipment such as GPS and RFIC tags.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooperation control system 2A, 2B Showcase 3 Showcase system 4A, 4B Indoor unit 6 Air conditioner system 16 Showcase controller 18 Optical communication device 18A Light emitting element 18B Light receiving element 26 Showcase system controller 29 Indoor unit controller 32 Air conditioner system controller

Claims (7)

A first control system that operates independently of each other, and a second control system that is more energy efficient than the first control system,
Any of the second control target devices included in the second control system is in a relationship that affects the specific first control target device included in the first control system by its operation,
The first control target device and the second control target device have information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other,
When an abnormal state occurs, the first control target device transmits, to the second control target, information indicating change instruction of the control state of the second control target device necessary for resolving the abnormal state. As well as to the equipment,
When the second control target device receives the change instruction information, the second control target device changes its control state based on the change instruction information. It consists of a showcase system and an air conditioner system that operate independently from each other in the store,
Any of the indoor units included in the air conditioner system is in a positional relationship that exerts a cooling effect on a specific showcase included in the showcase system by its operation,
The showcase and the indoor unit have information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other,
The showcase transmits change instruction information for increasing the cooling capacity of the indoor unit to the indoor unit by the information transmitting unit when the cooling state in the warehouse deteriorates,
When the indoor unit receives the change instruction information, the indoor unit increases its cooling capacity given to the showcase based on the change instruction information.   The cooperation according to claim 2, wherein the showcase changes a degree of increase in the cooling capacity of the indoor unit given to the showcase according to a cooling state in the cabinet and / or a type of the case or the product. Control system.   4. The cooperative control system according to claim 2, wherein the showcase does not transmit change instruction information for increasing a cooling capacity of the indoor unit during a busy time period of the store. It consists of a showcase system and store lighting system installed in the store,
Any store lighting included in the store lighting system is in a positional relationship of illuminating a specific showcase included in the showcase system with the lighting,
The showcase and the store lighting have information transmission means capable of transmitting information only to each other,
When the cooling state in the warehouse deteriorates, the showcase decreases the illuminance of its own interior lighting in order to reduce the heat load due to lighting, and changes the instruction information to increase the illuminance of the store lighting, While transmitting to the store lighting by a transmission means,
When the store lighting receives the change instruction information, the store lighting increases the illuminance based on the change instruction information.   The cooperation control system according to claim 2, wherein the showcase is an open showcase.   The cooperative control system according to claim 1, wherein the information transmission unit transmits information by optical communication.

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