JP2014212635A - Equivalent operation time calculation method of power unit and equivalent operation time calculation device of power unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a function for calculating the equivalent operation time or remaining life of a power unit and the components thereof.SOLUTION: In an equivalent operation time calculation method of a power device including a power unit, an information communication device, and a communication device for monitoring the situation of the information communication device, the power device detects the ambient temperature of a component constituting the power unit, calculates the equivalent operation time on the basis of the ambient temperature thus detected, and transfers the equivalent operation time thus calculated and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device. The communication device integrates the equivalent operation time thus transferred, extracts a predetermined life time corresponding to the ID of the information communication device thus transferred from a storage unit, compares the predetermined design operation time thus extracted with the equivalent operation time thus integrated, generates the comparison result and displays the comparison result.

Description

  The present invention relates to an equivalent operation time calculation method for a power supply apparatus that supplies power to an information communication apparatus, and an equivalent operation time calculation apparatus for a power supply apparatus.

  In recent years, with the progress of the information society, one or more information communication devices are installed in many ordinary houses and offices. The information communication apparatus refers to, for example, an ONU (Optical Network Unit) and an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modem.

  An information communication device installed in a general home or a small office is applied and connected to a power supply device (for example, an AC adapter) including a power conversion device that converts alternating current into direct current or converts alternating current into alternating current. The life of the power supply device depends on the deterioration state and the life of the components of the power supply device. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately grasp the deterioration status and life of components of the power supply device, and it is difficult to clearly understand the deterioration status and life of the power supply device.

  The components of the power supply device are composed of, for example, a rectifying electrolytic capacitor, and the deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor is directly related to the deterioration of the power supply device. The deterioration of the electrolytic capacitor starts from the time when the electrolytic capacitor is manufactured. Further, the electrolytic capacitor is deteriorated when the impregnated electrolytic solution permeates through the sealing rubber and the internal electrolytic solution evaporates with time. When the electrolytic capacitor is deteriorated, the capacitance is reduced and the tangent of the loss angle is increased (see Non-Patent Document 1).

The expected life of the AC adapter, which is a power supply device, mainly depends on the expected life of the electrolytic capacitor, and the expected life Lx of the electrolytic capacitor is derived by the following equation.
Lx = L ₀ × f (T) × f (I) × f (U) (Formula 1)
f (T) = 2 ^ (T ₀ -Tx) / 10 (Formula 2)
f (I) = 2 ^ α (ΔT-ΔTx) / β (Formula 3)

In (Equation 1), Lx represents the expected life of the electrolytic capacitor (upper limit is 15 years), and L ₀ represents the specified life when the rated ripple current flows at the upper limit temperature of the category and the peak value is the same as the rated voltage. . The category upper limit temperature refers to the maximum ambient temperature at which each electrolytic capacitor product can be used continuously. If an electrolytic capacitor is used at an ambient temperature higher than the category upper limit temperature, the category upper limit temperature is more likely to deteriorate. The ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor is the temperature of the outside air that touches the surface of the electrolytic capacitor. F (T) represents the coefficient due to the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, f (I) represents the coefficient due to the ripple current flowing in the electrolytic capacitor, and f (U) represents the applied voltage (electrolytic capacity relative to the rated voltage of the electrolytic capacitor). This represents a coefficient (usually set to about 1 to 1.1) by the ratio of the actual voltage actually applied to the capacitor. In (Equation 2), T ₀ represents the electrolytic capacitor rated upper limit temperature. The electrolytic capacitor rated upper limit temperature T ₀ is the maximum ambient temperature at which the electrolytic capacitor can be used continuously. If the electrolytic capacitor is used at an ambient temperature higher than the electrolytic capacitor rated upper limit temperature, the electrolytic capacitor rated upper limit temperature T ₀ is more likely to deteriorate. Tx represents the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor. In (Equation 3), α represents a coefficient depending on the specification, shape, size, and rated voltage of the electrolytic capacitor, and β represents an acceleration coefficient depending on temperature. ΔT ₀ represents a temperature rise when a rated ripple current is passed, and ΔTx represents a temperature rise due to actual self-heating.

  As a method of estimating the expected life of the electrolytic capacitor, the expected life of the electrolytic capacitor is estimated from the difference from the reference value with an ambient temperature of 40 ° C. as a reference value by (Expression 1), (Expression 2), and (Expression 3). Is already known. In general, the constants α and β are different for each part and manufacturer, and the characteristics of the component drifts depending on the ambient temperature. Therefore, the manufacturer know-how is indispensable for the expected life calculation.

  Information communication devices and power supply devices are often rented to users from ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and are utilized after being rented back. Conventionally, however, there is no information for determining how the power supply device is in use, and utilization is determined only by the date of manufacture of the power supply device. Therefore, even if the power supply device is in a good use state and can sufficiently withstand reuse and utilization, it has been discarded because the use state of the power supply device until the utilization decision is not known. Also, depending on the usage conditions of the power supply device, the parts will deteriorate earlier than the specified life or expected life, resulting in the power supply device reaching the end of its life and being unable to properly supply power to the information communication device. In some cases, however, the service was interrupted.

JP 05-056629 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-223904 Japanese Patent No. 3666680

“Technical note: How to use aluminum electrolytic capacitors well”, Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation, http://www.chemi-con.co.jp/catalog/pdf/al-j/al-sepa-j/001-guide/al -technote-j-130101.pdf

  Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, an expected life setting circuit that corrects an expected life of a component with a signal indicating an operation state such as an ambient temperature of the component of the power supply or an output current of the power supply, and an operation time of each component A time integration circuit that integrates time, a circuit that compares the expected life of the component after correction and the integrated value of the operation time of the component, and resets the integration value of the time integration circuit to zero each time the component is replaced A reset circuit, and when the integrated value of the operating time of the component exceeds the expected life of the component corrected with the signal indicating the operating state of the component, a signal prompting the replacement of the component A component deterioration detection circuit that outputs to an information display has been proposed.

  The prior art described in Patent Document 1 is a mechanism that time-integrates the operation time of each component in the operating state of the power supply device and promotes replacement of the component when the integrated value of the operation time exceeds the expected life. However, since it is a large-sized device that is applied to a medium to large capacity device of several hundred watts to several hundred kW such as UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply), there is a problem that it takes a large mounting space. Further, the cost per device is high, and there is a problem that it is not practical to apply to a compact and inexpensive power supply device such as an AC adapter.

  On the other hand, in Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3, the means for detecting the factor that affects the deterioration of the components of the power conversion device is a factor that affects the deterioration of the power conversion device itself and the components of the power conversion device due to operation. The means for detecting the physical quantity and calculating the substantial deterioration amount calculates the actual deterioration amount of the power conversion device based on the physical quantity that causes the detected deterioration, and calculates the total actual deterioration amount. The means accumulates the calculated substantial deterioration amount to calculate the total substantial deterioration amount, and the means for storing the maintenance management information stores at least the power converter and the expected life for each component of the power conversion device. The comparison means compares the total substantial deterioration amount with the expected life, and when the display means exceeds the expected life, the life of the power conversion device and the components of the power conversion device is calculated as the life of the power conversion device. Power converter to notify the use who have been proposed.

  However, in the prior art described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, since the lifetimes of the power converter and the components of the power converter are integrated in units of one hour, the expected lifetime of the power converter is accurately calculated. There was a problem that I could not.

  The prior art described in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 is a mechanism for calculating the deterioration amount of the electrolytic capacitor by paying attention to the substantial deterioration amount of components such as the electrolytic capacitor in the power supply device. However, since it is necessary to measure the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor in order to improve the accuracy, there is a problem that it may be expensive to improve the accuracy of the calculation of the actual deterioration amount.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and calculates the equivalent operation time and remaining life of the power supply device and the components of the power supply device, and adopts a simple temperature detection method to save space and cost. An equivalent operation time calculation method for a power supply device and an equivalent operation time calculation device for a power supply device are provided.

  As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, there are means for detecting the ambient temperature of a part that affects the life in the power supply device (AC adapter), and equivalent operation time (details will be described later) from the obtained temperature data. Comparing the means for calculating, the means for transmitting the calculated equivalent operation time to the center device via NW (network), and the equivalent operation time and the life time (the specified life or the expected life, details will be described later) And means for outputting to the user or service provider when the equivalent operation time exceeds the lifetime. In addition, by mounting a plurality of temperature measuring means on a plurality of components, the standard temperature difference in the normal use state is recorded by the center device and deviates from the recorded value range (inside the power supply device) In the case where the heat balance is different from the design value, it is possible to determine that the component is out of order.

  Further, in one embodiment of the present invention, the equivalent operation time for the specified life is calculated from the ambient temperature transition data of the actual electrolytic capacitor, and converted into the equivalent operation time when operating at the upper limit of the AC adapter operating temperature, Calculate the specified remaining life as described below. By continuously measuring the temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, the load factor and temperature drift can also be collectively measured, so that the specified remaining life can be accurately estimated.

  Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined calculation formula (details will be described later) is obtained by continuously measuring the temperature of the electrolytic capacitor to determine the effect on the equivalent operation time and the expected life due to the change in the use state of the AC adapter. ) Is accurately reflected in the equivalent operating time calculation value and the expected life estimation value. Since the calculated value can be accurately reflected, the equivalent operation time of the AC adapter can be calculated without depending on the manufacturer know-how, and the equivalent operation time can be compared with the estimated expected life.

  Further, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the measured data is transmitted to the center apparatus via the NW, and the expected operating life is estimated by calculating the equivalent operation time based on the measured data. It is possible to determine whether or not the AC adapter can be used while suppressing an increase.

  One embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that subtraction processing from a reference value such as expected life and notification to a user or service operator are performed via a network. Continuous signal (analog signal such as impedance) from electronic parts is processed continuously through ADC (Analog-to-digital converter) and subtracted from the reference value such as expected life It is characterized by performing.

  In addition, an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the power supply device is realized in a compact and economical function by processing information in the center device via the information communication device and the communication network and determining the lifetime. To do.

  In order to achieve such an object, the invention according to claim 1 is a power supply device, an information communication device electrically connected to the power supply device, and connected to the information communication device. An equivalent operation time calculation method for a power supply device comprising a communication device that monitors the status of the information communication device, wherein the power supply device detects an ambient temperature of a component that constitutes the power supply device, and the detected An equivalent operation time is calculated by multiplying an actual operation time by a coefficient calculated based on the ambient temperature, and the calculated equivalent operation time and the ID of the information communication device are transferred to the communication device. Integrates the transferred equivalent operation time, extracts a predetermined life time corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device from the storage unit, and integrates the extracted predetermined life time with the integrated equivalent time Driving time and And compare, to generate a comparison result, and displaying the comparison result.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the method for calculating the equivalent operation time of the power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply device transmits the detected ambient temperature and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device. The communication device extracts a predetermined component temperature corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device from the storage unit, and extracts the extracted predetermined component temperature and the detected ambient temperature. It compares with temperature and produces | generates a comparison result, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to calculate the equivalent operation time and remaining life of the power supply device and the components of the power supply device, and adopt a simple temperature detection method to realize space saving and cost saving. Is possible.

It is a block diagram which shows the equivalent operation time calculation apparatus of a power supply device concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the temperature detection part of AC adapter concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the resistance temperature characteristic in an NTC thermistor. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the ambient temperature of the capacitor | condenser which comprises AC adapter, actual operation time, and equivalent operation time concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the equivalent operating time calculation method of a power supply device concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

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

(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an equivalent operation time calculation device for a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. An AC adapter 1 that supplies AC power from an AC power input to the information communication device 2 is connected to the information communication device 2. The information communication device 2 is connected to a communication NW3 via a communication line, and the communication NW3 is connected to a center device (communication device) 4 via a communication line.

  The AC adapter 1 has a switching power supply configuration, the rectifying unit 101 and the first capacitor 102 rectify the supplied AC power, and the SW (Switch) unit 103 controls ON / OFF of the rectified power. To do. The driver 104 drives the SW unit 103, and the transformer unit 105 transforms the power that is ON / OFF controlled. And the rectifier 106 and the 2nd capacitor | condenser 107 convert the transformed electric power into DC electric power. As the first capacitor 102 and the second capacitor 107, electrolytic capacitors can be used.

  In the information communication apparatus 2, the power supply circuit 201 is connected to the AC adapter 1 that supplies power. The communication NW 3 is connected between the information communication device 2 and the center device 4 by a communication line. In the center device 4, the communication control unit 401 receives information transmitted from the information communication device 2.

  An equivalent operation time calculation device for a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a calculation unit 11 that calculates an equivalent operation time from the ambient temperatures of the first capacitor 102, the SW unit 103, and the second capacitor 107 of the AC adapter 1. And a determination unit 41 that compares the calculated equivalent operation time with a predetermined lifetime and determines the deterioration status of the information communication device 2, and a warning display unit 21 that receives and displays the determined result. .

  In FIG. 1, the AC adapter 1 further includes a calculation unit 11, the information communication device 2 further includes a warning display unit 21, and the center device 4 further includes a determination unit 41.

  The calculating unit 11 detects the ambient temperature of the first capacitor 102, converts the detected ambient temperature into a voltage signal that is an analog signal, calculates impedance by an ADC unit (described later), and calculates a digital signal (N-bit digital). Output), and the ambient temperature of the SW unit 103 is detected, and the detected ambient temperature is converted into a voltage signal that is an analog signal. The second temperature detection unit 112 that converts and converts the impedance into a digital signal by the ADC unit (described later) and transmits the converted digital signal to the equivalent operation time unit 114, and the periphery of the second capacitor 107 The temperature is detected, the detected ambient temperature is converted into a voltage signal that is an analog signal, impedance is calculated by an ADC unit (described later), A digital signal output from the first to third temperature detectors 111, 112, 113, and a third temperature detector 113 that converts the digital signal into a digital signal and transmits the converted digital signal to the equivalent operation time unit 114, and The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 that receives the voltage signal output from the AC adapter output terminal to which the information communication device 2 is connected and calculates the equivalent operation time, the calculated equivalent operation time information, and the information communication device And an information transfer unit 115 that transfers the ID (eg, serial number) of 2 to the center device 4 via the information communication device 2.

  The warning display unit 21 has a signal including the information on the equivalent operation time calculated by the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 in the AC adapter 1 and the ID of the information communication device 2 (hereinafter referred to as an operation time information signal) as a power supply line. An information separation unit 211 that separates the supplied power and the operation time information signal, and a control unit 212 that receives the operation time information signal, the information communication device generated in the center device 4 2 includes a control unit 212 that receives a warning relating to the deterioration status of No. 2 and a first display unit 213 that displays a warning relating to the deterioration status of the information communication device 2.

  The determination unit 41 receives an operation time information signal and integrates an equivalent operation time, and a predetermined specified life or an estimated expected life of the AC adapter 1 corresponding to the received ID of the information communication device 2. A stored setting unit 413, a comparison unit 412 that compares the stored predetermined specified life or estimated expected life with the accumulated equivalent operation time, and a warning that is displayed based on the comparison result in the comparison unit 412 2 display part 414 and DB (database) 415 which stores a comparison result. The estimated expected life is, for example, the life of the capacitor calculated and estimated from the ambient temperature of the capacitor detected by the first to third temperature detectors 111, 112, and 113 and the specified life of the capacitor. The estimation method will be described later.

  In addition, the information transfer unit 115 of the AC adapter 1 is arranged such that the operation time information signal is i) a power supply line that is electrically connected between the AC adapter 1 and the information communication device 2, and ii) a power supply line. The data is transmitted to the control unit 212 of the information communication apparatus 2 by communication line or iii) wirelessly. When using a power supply line as a communication path, an information signal can be superimposed on the power signal fed to the information communication apparatus 2 by the information transfer unit 115 and the superimposed signal can be separated by the information separation unit 211.

  The operation time information signal may include ambient temperature information of the components of the AC adapter 1.

(Judgment based on the specified life of the capacitor)
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the first to third temperature detectors 111, 112, and 113 of the AC adapter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. One end of the resistor 1102 is connected to the voltage source 1104, and one end of the NTC thermistor 1101 is connected to the other end of the resistor 1102. The other of the NTC thermistors 1101 is grounded. An input terminal of the ADC unit 1103 is connected to a connection point between the resistor 1102 and the NTC thermistor 1101. Therefore, the resistance value of the NTC thermistor 1101 is changed by a change in ambient temperature _{T X} of the electrolytic capacitor, the voltage value _{V TH} changes at the connection point between the resistance 1102 and the NTC thermistor 1101. The changed voltage value V _TH is input to the ADC unit 1103 as an analog signal. ADC unit 1103, changed voltage value _{V TH,} calculates a voltage value _{V P,} the resistance _{R TH} of the NTC thermistor 1101 from resistance _{R P} of the resistor 1102 of the voltage source 1104. The ADC unit 1103 converts the calculation result into a digital signal, and transmits the converted digital signal to the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114. Equivalent operating time calculating unit 114 receives the digital signal containing the resistance value _{R TH} of the NTC thermistor 1101, using the following equation from the resistance value _{R TH} of the NTC thermistor 1101, to derive the ambient temperature _{T X} of the electrolytic capacitor .

R _TH [Ω] represents the thermistor resistance value at the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor, B [K] represents the B constant, R _ref [Ω] represents the reference resistance value of the thermistor at T _ref , T _ref [K] represents the reference temperature, and Tx [K] represents the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor detected by the thermistor.

FIG. 3 shows the resistance temperature characteristics of the NTC thermistor. The resistance temperature characteristic is expressed by R _TH / R _ref . In the graph of FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents temperature, the vertical axis represents resistance-temperature characteristics, and curves of resistance-temperature characteristics when B constants are B = 3450, 3900, and 4100, respectively. In FIG. 3, the reference temperature T _ref [K] is 298.15 [K] (25 degrees Celsius).

The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 derives the equivalent operation time Hx from the derived ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor and the operation time Δhx using the following expression.
Ax = 2 ^ ((Tx- T 0) / 10) ( Equation 5)
Hx = Ax · Δhx (Formula 6)

  Ax represents an equivalent operation time coefficient. The operation time Δh is an actual measurement time Δh from when the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 receives an output voltage signal of a certain level or more from the output terminal of the AC adapter 1 to when it is no longer received.

  The equivalent operation time Hx is an operation time necessary for calculating the life of the electrolytic capacitor, and is an operation time that expands and contracts depending on the operation environment of the electrolytic capacitor. When the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor is 30 ° C., which is relatively low, the equivalent operation time Hx calculated by (Equation 6) is shorter than the actual operation time Δh.

  The derived equivalent operation time Hx is transferred to the information communication device 2 by the information transfer unit 115. The control unit 212 transmits the equivalent operation time Hx and ID to the communication control unit 401. The communication control unit 401 inputs the transmitted equivalent operation time Hx and ID to the integrating unit 411.

The accumulating unit 411 accumulates the equivalent operation time Hx. The accumulated equivalent operation time Le is expressed by the following equation.
Le = A ₁ · Δh ₁ + A ₂ · Δh ₂ + · · · + An · Δhn (Formula 7)
The comparison unit 412
L _r = L ₀ −Le (Formula 8)
The expression, the specified lifetime remaining time L _r of up to 15 years in an electrolytic capacitor rated based calculate, for L _r ≦ 0, a warning is generated.

In another embodiment, the comparison unit 412 is based on the AC adapter operating temperature upper limit.
L _r−adp = AN · (L ₀ −Le) (Formula 9)
The specified remaining life time L _r-adp on the basis of the AC adapter operating temperature upper limit is calculated by the following formula. If L _r-adp ≦ 0, a warning is issued. AN represents an equivalent operation time coefficient at the upper limit of the operating temperature of the AC adapter 1.

(Determining the estimated expected life of a capacitor)
The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114
L'x = L ₀ × 2 ^ (T ₀ -Tx) / 10 (Formula 10)
The expected life L′ x is calculated by the following formula, and the expected life L′ x is transferred to the information communication device 2 by the information transfer unit 115. Expected life L'x is a maximum of 15 years.

  The control unit 212 transmits the expected life L′ x to the communication control unit 401, and the communication control unit 401 transmits the expected life L′ x to the comparison unit 412 via the integration unit 411.

The comparison unit 412
L ′ _r = L′ x−Le (Formula 11)
To calculate an expected remaining life time L ′ _r of 15 years at the maximum based on the electrolytic capacitor rating, and issue a warning if L ′ _r ≦ 0.

In another embodiment, the comparison unit 412 is based on the AC adapter operating temperature upper limit.
L' _r-adp = AN. (L'x-Le) (Formula 12)
By calculating the expected remaining life L ′ _r-adp on the basis of the AC adapter operating temperature upper limit, a warning is issued if L ′ _r-adp ≦ 0.

  FIG. 4 shows an example when the estimated expected life L′ x of the electrolytic capacitor is 7 years (70,000 h), and the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor of the AC adapter 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, The relationship with the operation time Δh of the capacitor is shown. The figure shows the association between the electrolytic capacitor lifetime preset for each ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor and the equivalent operating time integrated value Le calculated from the actual ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor.

  In FIG. 4, the left vertical axis represents the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor, the horizontal axis represents the electrolytic capacitor operating time Δh, and the right vertical axis represents the equivalent operating time integrated value Le of the electrolytic capacitor.

The dotted line graph (A) in FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the electrolytic capacitor operating time Δh and the equivalent operating time integrated value Le when the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor is 40 ° C. Here, when the electrolytic capacitor rated upper limit temperature T _{0 is set} to 40 ° C., the specified life L ₀ of the electrolytic capacitor is equal to the estimated expected life L′ x of the electrolytic capacitor from (Equation 5). The capacitor operating time Δh and the equivalent operating time integrated value Le are the same value.

  (Equation 5) follows the Arrhenius rule, and when the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor is lowered by 10 ° C., the lifetime is doubled. Therefore, the lifetime (B) of the electrolytic capacitor at an ambient temperature of 30 ° C. of the electrolytic capacitor is twice as long as the lifetime (A) of the electrolytic capacitor at an ambient temperature of 40 ° C. The life (C) of the electrolytic capacitor at an ambient temperature of 20 ° C. of the electrolytic capacitor is twice that of the electrolytic capacitor at an ambient temperature of 30 ° C. (B).

A one-dot chain line graph (D) shown in FIG. 4 shows an actual ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor. The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 calculates the equivalent operation time Hx from the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor, and the integration unit 411 adds up the equivalent operation time Hx to generate an equivalent operation time integration value Le (F). E shown in FIG. 4 indicates an equivalent operation time integrated value Le. The setting unit 413 estimates the expected life remaining time L ′ _r of the electrolytic capacitor from the ambient temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor (G).

(Operation)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an equivalent operation time calculation method for a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The determination unit 41 determines whether the components of the AC adapter 1 have been shipped for 15 years based on the ID of the information communication device 2 (S101). When 15 years have passed since shipment, it is determined that the component of the AC adapter 1 has a life and the use of the AC adapter 1 is impossible.

  When 15 years have not passed since the shipment, the first to third temperature detectors 111, 112, and 113 detect the ambient temperature of the capacitor of the AC adapter 1 and convert it into impedance. In addition, the first to third temperature detection units 111, 112, and 113 convert the analog signal that is the converted impedance into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114. The first to third temperature detectors 111, 112, and 113 detect, as impedance, a temperature that is a factor that affects the deterioration of the capacitor of the AC adapter 1 due to operation. In some cases, temperatures at multiple points are detected as impedance.

  When the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 receives an output voltage signal from the output end of the AC adapter 1, the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 calculates the equivalent operation time based on the received digital signal (S102). The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 converts the information into temperature information based on a digital signal including impedance information. The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 also receives information on the output voltage from the output end of the AC adapter 1 and calculates the equivalent operation time only when there is an output voltage. Further, the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 accumulates a certain amount of the calculated equivalent operation time.

  The information transfer unit 115 transfers the accumulated equivalent operation time to the information communication device 2. The information communication device 2 transfers the received equivalent operation time to the center device 4 via the communication NW3. The communication control unit 401 inputs the received equivalent operation time to the integrating unit 411. The integration unit 411 integrates the input equivalent operation time. The setting unit 413 sets a target time such as an expected life and stores the set time data. The comparison unit 412 calculates the difference between the accumulated equivalent operation time and a preset time (S103). The comparison unit 412 stores the calculation result in the DB 415. As a result of the calculation (S104), when there is no remaining time, it is determined that the capacitor of the AC adapter 1 is at the end of its life, and it is determined that the AC adapter 1 cannot be used. If there is no remaining time as a result of the calculation (S104), the comparison unit 412 transmits the determination result to the second display unit 414 and the communication control unit 401. The second display unit 414 displays information received from the comparison unit 412. The communication control unit 401 transmits the information received from the comparison unit 412 to the control unit 212 of the information communication device 2 via the communication NW3. The control unit 212 transmits the received information to the first display unit 213. The first display unit 213 displays the received information.

  If there is a remaining time as a result of the calculation (S104), the information transfer unit 115 uses the information communication device 2 to communicate the information about the ambient temperature detected by the components of the AC adapter 1 generated by the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114. The data is transmitted to the comparison unit 412 via the NW 3, the communication control unit 401 of the center device 4, and the integration unit 411.

  The comparison unit 412 calculates a difference between the actual ambient temperature of the detected component and a predetermined component temperature set in advance (S105). As a result of the calculation (S106), if the temperature difference is not within the set value, it is determined that the AC adapter 1 may have a component failure (S107), and it is determined that the AC adapter 1 cannot be used. As a result of the calculation (S106), if the temperature difference is not within the set value, the comparison unit 412 transmits the determination result to the second display unit 414 and the communication control unit 401. The second display unit 414 displays information received from the comparison unit 412. The communication control unit 401 transmits the information received from the comparison unit 412 to the control unit 212 of the information communication device 2 via the communication NW3. The control unit 212 transmits the received information to the first display unit 213. The first display unit 213 displays the received information.

  As a result of the calculation (S106), when the temperature difference is within the set value, the use of the AC adapter 1 can be continued.

An outline of a method for calculating an equivalent operation time of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
(1) An NTC thermistor 1101 is disposed in the vicinity of the first capacitor 102 and the second capacitor 107 of the AC adapter 1 to convert temperature information into impedance.
(2) The converted impedance is converted into a digital signal by the ADC unit 1103 and sent to the equivalent operation time calculation unit 114.
(3) The equivalent operation time calculation unit 114 detects the output voltage and recognizes that it is in operation, converts the impedance into temperature information, calculates the life calculation, and multiplies the operation time to calculate the equivalent operation time. Is calculated.
(4) The calculated equivalent operation time is periodically sent to the information communication device 2 via the information transfer unit 115 and transferred to the center device 4.
(5) In the center device 4, the received equivalent operation time is integrated and stored in the database 415 in comparison with the predetermined lifetime, and if the equivalent operation time integrated value exceeds the predetermined lifetime, the second A warning is displayed on the display unit 414.
(6) The warning is transferred to the information communication device 2 via the network and displayed on the first display unit 213 of the information communication device 2.
(7) When there are a plurality of NTC thermistors in the AC adapter 1 and there is a large difference in the temperature rising tendency of each NTC thermistor, a warning that there is a possibility of an internal failure can be given.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the equivalent operation time and remaining life of the power supply device and the components of the power supply device, and adopt a simple temperature detection method to realize space saving and cost saving. It becomes.

1 AC adapter 2 Information communication device 3 Communication NW
4 Center device 11 Calculation unit 21 Warning display unit 41 Judgment unit 101 Rectification unit 102 First capacitor 103 SW unit 104 Driver 105 Transformer 106 Rectifier 107 Second capacitor 111 First temperature detection unit 112 Second temperature detection unit 113 Third temperature detection unit 114 Equivalent operation time calculation unit 115 Information transfer unit 201 Power supply circuit 211 Information separation unit 212 Control unit 213 First display unit 401 Communication control unit 411 Integration unit 412 Comparison unit 413 Setting unit 414 Second Display unit 415 DB
1101 Thermistor 1102 Resistor 1103 ADC 1104 Voltage source

Claims (4)

A method for calculating an equivalent operating time of a power supply device, comprising: a power supply device; an information communication device electrically connected to the power supply device; and a communication device connected to the information communication device and monitoring the status of the information communication device. Because
The power supply device
Detect the ambient temperature of the parts that make up the power supply,
Multiplying the actual operation time by a coefficient calculated based on the detected ambient temperature to calculate the equivalent operation time,
Transferring the calculated equivalent operation time and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device;
The communication device
Accumulating the transferred equivalent operation time,
Extracting the predetermined lifetime corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device from the storage unit, comparing the extracted predetermined lifetime with the accumulated equivalent operation time, and generating a comparison result; A method for calculating an equivalent operation time of a power supply device, wherein the comparison result is displayed. The power supply device
Transferring the detected ambient temperature and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device;
The communication device
A predetermined component temperature corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device is extracted from the storage unit, the extracted predetermined component temperature is compared with the detected ambient temperature, and a comparison result is generated. The method for calculating an equivalent operation time of the power supply device according to claim 1. Equivalent operation time calculation of a power supply device comprising: a power supply device; an information communication device electrically connected to the power supply device; and a communication device connected to the information communication device and monitoring the status of the information communication device. A device,
The power supply device
A temperature detection unit for detecting an ambient temperature of components constituting the power supply device;
A calculation unit for calculating an equivalent operation time by multiplying an actual operation time by a coefficient calculated based on the detected ambient temperature;
An information transfer unit that transfers the calculated equivalent operation time and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device;
The communication device
An integration unit for integrating the transferred equivalent operation time;
A comparison for extracting a predetermined lifetime corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device from a storage unit, comparing the extracted predetermined lifetime with the accumulated equivalent operation time, and generating a comparison result And
An equivalent operating time calculation device for a power supply device, comprising: a second display unit that displays the comparison result. The power supply device
A plurality of the temperature detectors;
The information transfer unit further transfers the detected ambient temperature and the ID of the information communication device to the communication device,
The communication device
A predetermined component temperature corresponding to the transferred ID of the information communication device is extracted from the storage unit, the extracted predetermined component temperature is compared with the detected ambient temperature, and a comparison result is generated. The equivalent operating time calculation device for a power supply device according to claim 3, further comprising:

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