JP2014238179A - Air conditioner controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner controller capable of keeping comfortability in all air-conditioned locations with minimum required power consumption.SOLUTION: The air conditioner controller calculates a target condensation temperature of refrigerant in an indoor heat exchanger in a case of a heating operation and a target evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger in a case of a cooling operation on the basis of a set temperature and an intake air temperature of an indoor unit for each of a plurality of indoor units; sets a maximum value of the target condensation temperatures of the plurality of indoor units calculated by arithmetic means in the case of the heating operation and a minimum value of the target evaporation temperatures of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the arithmetic means in the case of the cooling operation as a control target value for controlling a compressor; and controls a frequency of the compressor so that a condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is equal to the control target value in the case of the heating operation, and controls the frequency of the compressor so that an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is equal to the control target value in the case of the cooling operation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that performs operation control of an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units.

  Conventionally, in an air conditioner including an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant circuit, an air conditioner including a control unit that controls the air conditioning capacity in accordance with the air conditioning load has been proposed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In the air conditioner, the condensation temperature obtained from the pressure value of the discharge pressure sensor in the heating operation is set so that the evaporation temperature obtained from the pressure value of the suction pressure sensor in the cooling operation matches the target evaporation temperature. The compressor frequency is controlled to match the condensation temperature.

  In addition, the air conditioner sets the indoor unit in which the temperature difference between the set temperature and the room temperature is the largest among the plurality of indoor units as the parent unit that is the indoor unit with the largest heat load, and newly creates a temperature difference. The largest indoor unit is set as a master unit candidate, and when the indoor unit set as the master unit is thermo-off, or when the temperature difference of the master unit candidate exceeds a predetermined value, a new master unit candidate is added. The maximum frequency of the compressor is controlled according to the temperature difference in the master unit.

JP 2012-233689 A

  However, in the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, the indoor unit having the maximum thermal load is always detected, but the magnitude of the thermal load is not detected, and the target condensation for controlling the compressor frequency is detected. The temperature (in the case of heating operation) and the target evaporation temperature (in the case of cooling operation) are controlled to be constant regardless of the actual air conditioning load. For this reason, in order not to impair the comfort, it is necessary to make the generation capacity larger than the air conditioning load, and thus the power consumption cannot be reduced sufficiently.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a control device for an air conditioner that solves the above-described problems and can maintain the comfort of all air-conditioning stations with a minimum amount of power consumption.

  In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioner control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outdoor unit having a compressor, and a plurality of units having an indoor heat exchanger connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant circuit. An air conditioner control apparatus comprising an indoor unit, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is provided for each of the plurality of indoor units in a heating operation based on a set temperature and an intake air temperature of the indoor unit. In the case of cooling operation, the target evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger is calculated. In the case of heating operation, the target condensation temperature of the plurality of indoor units is calculated. In the case of cooling operation, the maximum value of the target condensation temperature is set as the control target value for controlling the compressor, using the minimum value of the target evaporation temperature of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the calculation means. If set and heating operation, The frequency of the compressor is controlled so that the condensing temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger becomes the control target value. In the cooling operation, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger becomes the control target value. Thus, the frequency of the compressor is controlled.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the control apparatus of the air conditioner which can maintain the comfort of all the air-conditioning stations with required minimum electric power consumption can be provided.

It is a refrigerant circuit figure showing the structure of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the calculation process of the evaporation temperature Tecomp for compressor control at the time of air_conditioning | cooling operation of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention. It is a table showing the calculation result of the target evaporation temperature Te, the compressor control evaporation temperature Tecomp, and the target refrigerant superheat degree SH during the cooling operation of the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart showing the calculation process of the condensation temperature Tccomp for compressor control at the time of the heating operation of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention. It is the table showing the calculation result of target condensation temperature Tc at the time of heating operation of the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention, condensation temperature Tccomp for compressor control, and indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi.

  Hereinafter, the control apparatus of the air conditioner in embodiment of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 includes one outdoor unit 2 and a plurality of (seven in the present embodiment) indoor units 10A to 10G. The outdoor unit 2 and the indoor units 10A to 10G are connected to each other by a gas connection pipe and a liquid connection pipe to form a refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit 2 includes a compressor 3, a four-way valve 4, an outdoor heat exchanger 5, an outdoor expansion valve 6, an accumulator 7, a gas blocking valve 8, and a liquid blocking valve 9, which are connected to each other. Connected by. The outdoor unit 2 further includes a control device 20.

  The compressor 3 compresses the refrigerant and discharges the gaseous refrigerant to the pipe. By switching the four-way valve 4, the refrigerant flow changes, and the cooling operation and the heating operation are switched. The outdoor heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air. During the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 5 serves as a condenser, and during the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 5 serves as an evaporator. The outdoor expansion valve 6 reduces the temperature of the refrigerant to a low temperature. The accumulator 7 stores liquid refrigerant from the gas-liquid mixed state refrigerant and sends the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 3. The gas blocking valve 8 opens and closes the flow path between the outdoor unit 2 and the gas distribution pipe 21A. The liquid blocking valve 9 opens and closes the flow path between the outdoor unit 2 and the liquid distribution pipe 22A. The control device 20 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 3, the four-way valve 4, the outdoor heat exchanger 5, and the outdoor expansion valve 6.

  Each of the indoor units 10A to 10G includes indoor heat exchangers 11A to 11G and indoor expansion valves 12A to 12G, which are connected to each other by piping. Each of the indoor units 10A to 10G is further provided with intake air temperature sensors 13A to 13G and heat exchanger temperature sensors 14A to 14G. Each of the indoor units 10A to 10G is connected to the gas blocking valve 8 of the outdoor unit 2 through the gas distribution pipes 21A to 21F, and the liquid blocking valve 9 of the outdoor unit 2 through the liquid distribution pipes 22A to 22F. It is connected to the.

  The indoor heat exchangers 11A to 11G exchange heat between the refrigerant and the inside air. During the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchangers 11A to 11G serve as evaporators, and during the heating operation, the indoor heat exchangers 11A to 11G serve as condensers. The indoor expansion valves 12A to 12G can change the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchangers 11A to 11G by changing the throttle amount (opening degree).

  Each suction air temperature sensor 13A-13G detects the temperature of the air which flows into each indoor heat exchanger 11A-11G, and outputs the detected temperature to the control apparatus 20 via signal line 23A-23G. Each heat exchanger temperature sensor 14A-14G detects the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, detects the condensing temperature of the refrigerant during the heating operation, and outputs the detected temperature to the control device 20 via the signal lines 24A-24G. To do.

  Next, the operation in the cooling mode in the air conditioner 1 will be described. A solid line arrow shown in FIG. 1 indicates a direction in which the refrigerant flows in the cooling mode. In addition, in the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish each element by the alphabet following a number in the symbols of the indoor units 10A to 10G and other configurations, the alphabet may be omitted.

  First, the cooling action of the air conditioner 1 will be described. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 of the outdoor unit 2 passes through the four-way valve 4 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 5. The gas refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the air introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and dissipates heat to the air, thereby becoming a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Thereafter, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 5, flows out of the outdoor unit 2 through the outdoor expansion valve 6 and the liquid blocking valve 9.

  The high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the outdoor unit 2 is diverted to each indoor unit 10 via the liquid connection pipe and each liquid distributor 22. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing into each indoor unit 10 is decompressed by each indoor expansion valve 12 to become low temperature and low pressure, flows into each indoor heat exchanger 11, and exchanges heat with air introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 11. As a result, the air cools and absorbs heat from the room air and evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing out from each indoor heat exchanger 11 flows into the outdoor unit 2 through the gas distributor 13 and the gas connection pipe. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows into the accumulator 7 through the gas blocking valve 8 and the four-way valve 4, adjusted to a predetermined refrigerant clearance by the accumulator 7, sucked into the compressor 3, and compressed again by the compressor 3, thereby refrigeration cycle. Is formed.

  Next, control of the cooling capacity during operation in each indoor unit 10 will be described. The cooling capacity in each indoor unit 10 is determined by the temperature and air volume of air flowing into each indoor heat exchanger 11 and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant generated in each indoor heat exchanger 11. That is, when the temperature and the air volume of the air flowing into each indoor heat exchanger 11 are constant, the cooling capacity can be controlled by the evaporation temperature. If the evaporation temperature is lowered, the cooling capacity is increased and the evaporation temperature is increased. If it does, cooling capacity will fall. For this reason, if the refrigerant | coolant evaporation temperature in each indoor heat exchanger 11 can be controlled according to the air-conditioning load of each indoor unit 10, it can control to the optimal cooling capacity in each indoor unit 10.

  However, since the indoor units 10 are connected to each other by piping, the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11 from the outdoor unit 2 cannot be freely controlled individually. The evaporation temperature becomes almost constant. For this reason, in order to satisfy the comfort of the air conditioning field in all the indoor units 10, the air conditioner 1 is controlled so that the evaporating temperature of the indoor unit 10 having the largest air conditioning load among all the indoor units 10 is obtained. Just do it. Further, the evaporation temperature can be controlled in accordance with the circulation amount of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3, and when the refrigerant circulation amount from the compressor 3 increases, the evaporation temperature decreases, and when the refrigerant circulation amount decreases, the evaporation temperature evaporates. The temperature rises.

  Next, the control method of the air conditioner 1 required in order to maintain the comfort of all the air-conditioning places in which the indoor unit 10 is installed is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a calculation process of the compressor control evaporating temperature Tecomp during the cooling operation in the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment.

  This calculation process is performed by the control device 20 of the outdoor unit 2, and a predetermined time interval or constant process is performed while the air conditioner 1 is operating. First, the control device 20 initializes the minimum evaporation temperature Temin (S10). For example, the highest temperature is set as the lowest evaporation temperature Temin among the indoor temperatures of all air-conditioning stations where the indoor units 10 are installed.

Next, the control device 20 detects the intake air temperature Ti (I) detected by the intake air temperature sensor 13 and the indoor unit I from one indoor unit I (I is 1 to the number of connected units) of all the indoor units 10. The set temperature Ts (I) is received (S11). Based on the received intake air temperature Ti (I) and the set temperature Ts (I), the control device 20 calculates the target evaporation temperature Te (I) necessary for the indoor unit I using Equation 1 (S12). Here, the target evaporation temperature is a target value of the evaporation temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11.
(Formula 1)
Te = Ti − (− 0.09 × (Ti−Ts) ^ 2 + 1.6 × (Ti−Ts) +9)

  Next, the control device 20 compares the calculated target evaporation temperature Te (I) with the lowest evaporation temperature Temin (S13). When the target evaporation temperature Te (I) is lower than the minimum evaporation temperature Temin (S13: YES), the control device 20 substitutes the value of the target evaporation temperature Te (I) as the minimum evaporation temperature Temin (S14). On the other hand, when the target evaporation temperature Te (I) is higher than or equal to the minimum evaporation temperature Temin (S13: NO), the control device 20 proceeds to step S15.

  Next, the control device 20 determines whether or not the processing of S11 to S13 has been performed on all the indoor units 10 (S15). When it is determined that the processing has been performed on all the indoor units 10 (S15: YES), the control device 20 substitutes the value of the minimum evaporation temperature Temin into the compressor control evaporation temperature Tecomp (S16), and the compressor control evaporation. The calculation process of the temperature Tecomp ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the processing is not performed on all the indoor units 10 (S15: NO), the control device 20 performs the processing of S11 to S14 on the indoor units 10 that are not selected.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a table representing calculation results of the target evaporation temperature Te and the compressor control evaporation temperature Tecomp during the cooling operation in the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment. Indoor unit No. in table 10A to 10G correspond to the indoor units 10A to 10G shown in the refrigerant circuit diagram of FIG.

  As shown in the table of FIG. 3, the intake air temperature Ti of the indoor unit 10A is 24 ° C., and the intake air temperature Ti is increased by 2 ° C. in order from the indoor unit 10A to the indoor unit 10D, and the indoor units 10D to 10G. The intake air temperature Ti is 30 ° C. Further, the set temperature Ts of the indoor unit 10A is 18 ° C., and the set temperature Ts is set higher by 2 ° C. in order from the indoor unit 10A to the indoor unit 10F. The set temperature Ts of the indoor unit 10G is set to 29 ° C.

  Therefore, the temperature difference between the intake air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts is 6 ° C. for the indoor units 10A to 10D, 4 ° C. for the indoor unit 10E, 2 ° C. for the indoor unit 10F, and 1 ° C. for the indoor unit 10G. The difference between Ti and the set temperature Ts decreases from the indoor unit 10D to the indoor unit 10G.

  With respect to such indoor units 10A to 10G, the target evaporation temperature Te is calculated using Equation 1 above. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the target evaporation temperature Te of the indoor unit 10 </ b> A is the lowest and is calculated as 8.6 ° C. The indoor unit 10A is an indoor unit having the lowest suction air temperature Ti and the largest temperature difference between the suction air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts.

  The fact that the target evaporation temperature Te of the indoor unit 10A is the lowest indicates that the larger the temperature difference between the intake air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts, the greater the air conditioning load, and the lower the intake air temperature Ti is. This represents that the target evaporation temperature Te is set low.

  Then, the compressor control evaporating temperature Tecomp becomes 8.6 ° C. by the calculation process of the compressor control evaporating temperature Tecomp shown in FIG. The control device 20 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 2 so that the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11 becomes the compressor control evaporation temperature Tecomp. As a result, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11 of all the indoor units 10 is equal to or lower than the target evaporation temperature required for each indoor unit 10. Therefore, it becomes possible to generate necessary and sufficient capacity for the air conditioning load of the air conditioning field where all the indoor units 10 are installed, and the comfort of all the indoor units 10 is maintained. Further, since the set value of the compressor control evaporating temperature Tecomp is calculated in accordance with the indoor unit 10A having the lowest target evaporating temperature Te, the air conditioner can be operated with the minimum necessary power consumption.

  Here, since the indoor units 10B to 10G that are indoor units other than the indoor unit 10A are operated at an evaporation temperature lower than the required evaporation temperature, the generation capability is too large for the air conditioning load as it is. Therefore, in this embodiment, capacity control is performed to suppress the cooling capacity generated in the indoor units 10B to 10G. The capacity control of the cooling capacity generated in the indoor units 10B to 10G is performed by changing the refrigerant superheat degree in the indoor heat exchangers 11B to 11G during the cooling operation. As a result, the effective heat transfer areas of the indoor heat exchangers 11B to 11G are changed, and the generation capacity of the indoor units 10B to 10G is suppressed.

In the present embodiment, in order to control the operating capacity of the indoor unit 10, as a method for setting the refrigerant superheat degree of the indoor heat exchanger 11, the target evaporation temperature Te of each indoor unit 10, the evaporation temperature Tecomp for compressor control, the suction From the air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts, the control device 20 calculates the target refrigerant superheat degree SH in the indoor heat exchanger 11 of each indoor unit 10 using Equation 2.
(Formula 2)
SH = 1 + (Te−Tecomp) / ((Ti−Ts) /1.2)

  FIG. 3 shows the calculation result of the target refrigerant superheat degree SH. In the indoor unit 10A having a target evaporation temperature equivalent to the compressor control evaporation temperature Tecomp, the target refrigerant superheat degree SH is set to 1 so that the performance of the indoor heat exchanger can be maximized. Other indoor units About 10B-10G, it sets so that target refrigerant superheat degree SH may become large, so that the temperature difference of suction air temperature Ti and preset temperature Ts is so small that suction air temperature Ti is high.

  By setting the target refrigerant superheat degree SH to be large, the control device 20 reduces the heat transfer area that effectively acts in the indoor heat exchanger 11 and reduces the opening of the indoor expansion valve 12. As a result, since the amount of refrigerant circulating through the indoor heat exchanger 11 is reduced, the generation capacity of the indoor unit 10 can be suppressed, and the air conditioning load and generation capacity of each indoor unit 10 are balanced (matched). ) To be controlled. Therefore, the operation | movement which repeats useless thermo ON-OFF can be reduced, and since the cooling operation of each indoor unit 10 can be made into a continuous operation, the comfort of an air-conditioning field can be maintained further favorably.

  Next, the operation in the heating mode in the air conditioner 1 will be described. The dotted line arrows shown in FIG. 1 indicate the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the heating mode.

  First, the heating effect | action of the air conditioner 1 is demonstrated. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 of the outdoor unit 2 flows out of the outdoor unit 2 through the four-way valve 4 and the gas blocking valve 8, and passes through the gas connection pipe and each gas distributor 21 to each room. It is diverted to the machine 10.

  The high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into each indoor unit 10 flows into each indoor heat exchanger 11 and heats the air by exchanging heat with the air introduced into each indoor heat exchanger 11, and itself becomes indoor air. Dissipates heat and liquefies to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out from each indoor heat exchanger 11 passes through each indoor expansion valve 12, exits each indoor unit 10, and flows into each outdoor unit 2 through each liquid distributor 22 and the liquid connection pipe.

  Thereafter, it passes through the liquid blocking valve 9 and flows into the outdoor expansion valve 6, and is decompressed by the outdoor expansion valve 6 to become low temperature and low pressure, flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 5, and air introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 5 It becomes a low-pressure gas refrigerant by exchanging heat and absorbing heat from the air. The low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 5 flows into the accumulator 7 through the four-way valve 4, adjusted to a predetermined refrigerant clearance by the accumulator 7, sucked into the compressor 3, and again in the compressor 3. A refrigeration cycle is formed by compression.

  Next, control of the heating capacity during operation in each indoor unit 10 will be described. The heating capacity in each indoor unit 10 is determined by the temperature and air volume of air flowing into each indoor heat exchanger 11 and the condensation temperature of the refrigerant generated in each indoor heat exchanger 11. That is, when the temperature and air volume of the air flowing into each indoor heat exchanger 11 are constant, the heating capacity can be controlled by the condensation temperature. If the condensation temperature is increased, the heating capacity is increased, and the condensation temperature is decreased. If this is done, the heating capacity will decrease. For this reason, if the condensing temperature of the refrigerant | coolant which generate | occur | produces in each indoor heat exchanger 11 can be controlled according to the air-conditioning load of each indoor unit 10, heating capacity can be controlled in the optimal state in each indoor unit 10.

  However, since each indoor unit 10 is connected by piping, the condensation temperature of the refrigerant generated in each indoor heat exchanger 11 from the outdoor unit 2 cannot be freely controlled individually. Condensation temperature is almost constant. For this reason, in order to satisfy the comfort of the air conditioning field in all the indoor units 10, the air conditioner 1 is controlled so as to have the condensation temperature of the indoor unit 10 having the largest air conditioning load among all the indoor units 10. Just do it. Further, the condensing temperature can be controlled according to the refrigerant circulation amount discharged from the compressor 3, and when the refrigerant circulation amount from the compressor 3 increases, the condensation temperature increases, and when the refrigerant circulation amount decreases, the condensation temperature. Becomes lower.

  Next, the control method of the air conditioner 1 required in order to maintain the comfort of all the air-conditioning places in which the indoor unit 10 is installed is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a calculation process of the compressor control condensing temperature Tccomp during the heating operation in the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment.

This calculation process is performed by the control device 20 of the outdoor unit 2, and a predetermined time interval or constant process is performed while the air conditioner 1 is operating. First, the control device 20 initializes the maximum condensing temperature Tcmax (Tcmax = 0) (S20). Next, the control device 20 receives the intake air temperature Ti (I) and the set temperature Ts (I) from one indoor unit I (I is 1 to the number of connected units) of all the indoor units 10 (S21). Based on the received intake air temperature Ti (I) and the set temperature Ts (I), the control device 20 calculates the target condensing temperature Tc (I) necessary for the indoor unit I using Equation 3 (S22). Here, the target condensation temperature is a target value of the condensation temperature of the gas refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11.
(Formula 3)
Tc = Ti + (− 0.09 × (Ts−Ti) ^ 2 + 2 × (Ts−Ti) +16)

  Next, the control device 20 compares the calculated target condensation temperature Tc (i) with the maximum condensation temperature Tcmax (S23). When the target condensation temperature Tc (I) is higher than the maximum condensation temperature Tcmax (S23: YES), the control device 20 substitutes the value of the target condensation temperature Tc (I) as the maximum condensation temperature Tcmax (S24). On the other hand, when the target condensation temperature Tc (I) is lower than or equal to the maximum condensation temperature Tcmax (S23: NO), the control device 20 proceeds to Step S25.

  Next, the control device 20 determines whether or not the processing of S21 to S23 has been performed on all the indoor units 10 (S25). When it is determined that the processing has been performed on all the indoor units 10 (S25: YES), the control device 20 substitutes the value of the maximum condensing temperature Tcmax into the condensing temperature Tccomp for compressor control (S26), and the condensing for compressor control. The calculation process of the temperature Tccomp ends. On the other hand, when it is determined that the processing has not been performed for all the indoor units 10 (S25: NO), the control device 20 performs the processes of S21 to S24 for the indoor units 10 that are not selected.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a table representing calculation results of the target condensation temperature Tc and the compressor control condensation temperature Tccomp during the heating operation in the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment. The indoor unit No. in the table is the same as in FIG. 10A to 10G correspond to the indoor units 10A to 10G shown in the refrigerant circuit diagram of FIG.

  As shown in the table of FIG. 5, the intake air temperature Ti of the indoor unit 10A is 20 ° C., and the intake air temperature Ti is increased by 2 ° C. in order from the indoor unit 10A to the indoor unit 10D, and the indoor units 10D to 10G. The intake air temperature Ti is 26 ° C. Further, the set temperature Ts of the indoor unit 10A is 26 ° C., and the set temperature Ts is set higher by 2 ° C. in order from the indoor unit 10A to the indoor unit 10D. Further, the set temperature Ts of the indoor unit 10E is 30 ° C., and the set temperature Ts is set lower by 2 ° C. in order from the indoor unit 10E to the indoor unit 10G.

  Therefore, the temperature difference between the intake air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts is 6 ° C. for the indoor units 10A to 10D, 4 ° C. for the indoor unit 10E, 2 ° C. for the indoor unit 10F, and 0 ° C. for the indoor unit 10G. The difference between Ti and the set temperature Ts decreases from the indoor unit 10D to the indoor unit 10G.

  For such indoor units 10A to 10G, the target condensing temperature Tc is calculated using Equation 3 above. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the target condensation temperature Tc of the indoor unit 10D is the highest and is calculated to be 50.8 ° C. The indoor unit 10D is an indoor unit having the highest suction air temperature Ti and the largest temperature difference between the suction air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts.

  The fact that the target condensing temperature Tc of the indoor unit 10D is highest indicates that the air conditioning load is larger as the temperature difference between the suction air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts is larger, and further, the higher the suction air temperature Ti is. This indicates that the target condensation temperature Tc is set high.

  Then, the compressor control condensing temperature Tccomp becomes 50.8 ° C. by the calculation process of the compressor control condensing temperature Tccomp shown in FIG. The operation frequency of the compressor 2 is controlled by the control device 20 so that the condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 11 becomes the compressor control condensation temperature Tccomp. As a result, the condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor exchangers 11 of all the indoor units 10 is equal to or higher than the target condensation temperature required for each indoor unit 10. Therefore, it becomes possible to generate necessary and sufficient capacity for the air conditioning load of the air conditioning field where all the indoor units 10 are installed, and the comfort of the air conditioning field where all the indoor units 10 are installed is maintained. The Further, since the set value of the compressor control condensing temperature Tccomp is calculated according to the indoor unit 10D having the highest target condensing temperature Tc, the air conditioner can be operated with the minimum necessary power consumption.

  Here, the indoor units 10A to 10C and 10E to 10F, which are indoor units other than the indoor unit 10D, are operated at a condensing temperature higher than the necessary condensing temperature, and thus the generation capability becomes too large for the air conditioning load. Therefore, in this Embodiment, the capacity | capacitance control which suppresses the heating capability which generate | occur | produces with indoor unit 10A-10C, 10E-10F is performed. The capacity control of the heating capacity generated in the indoor units 10A to 10C, 10E to 10F is performed by controlling the refrigerant circulation amount flowing into the indoor heat exchanger. For example, the calculation is performed by calculating the opening of the indoor expansion valve 12 in each indoor unit 10 and controlling the indoor expansion valve 12 so that the calculated opening of the indoor expansion valve 12 is obtained.

In the present embodiment, as a method for setting the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve 12 that controls the operating capacity of the indoor unit 10, Formula 4 is used from the target condensation temperature Tc of each indoor unit 10 and the compressor control condensation temperature Tccomp. The controller 20 calculates the indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi. The indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi represents a ratio when the indoor expansion valve 12 is fully closed and set to 0 and the indoor expansion valve 12 is fully open. In Equation 4, when Tccopm = Tc, plsi = 100.
(Formula 4)
plsi = INT (−55 × Ln (Tccomp−Tc) +135)

  FIG. 5 shows the calculation result of the indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi. The indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi is set to 100 so that the indoor unit 10D having the target condensation temperature equivalent to the compressor control condensation temperature Tccomp can maximize the performance of the indoor heat exchanger. For the indoor units 10A to 10C, 10E to 10F other than the indoor unit 10D, the lower the intake air temperature Ti is, the smaller the temperature difference between the intake air temperature Ti and the set temperature Ts is, the smaller the indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi is. Is set to be

  By setting the indoor expansion valve opening ratio plsi to be small, the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve 12 is reduced by the control device 20 and the amount of refrigerant circulating into the indoor heat exchanger 11 is reduced. Therefore, the air conditioning load and the generation capacity of each indoor unit 10 are controlled so as to be balanced (matched). Therefore, the operation | movement which repeats useless thermo ON-OFF can be reduced, and since the heating operation of each indoor unit 10 becomes a continuous operation, the comfort of an air-conditioning field can be maintained further favorably.

  The embodiments and examples of the present invention described above are examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those embodiments or examples. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various other modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, as a target value for controlling the operation frequency of the compressor 3, the heat exchanger temperature sensor 14 is provided in each indoor unit 10 in order to detect the evaporation temperature during the cooling operation and the condensation temperature during the heating operation. However, a discharge pressure sensor (not shown) or a suction pressure sensor (not shown) attached to the outdoor unit 2 may be set as a target value for controlling the operating frequency of the compressor 3.

1: Air conditioner, 2: Outdoor unit, 3: Compressor, 10A-10G: Indoor unit, 11A-11G: Indoor heat exchanger, 12A-12G: Indoor expansion valve, 20: Control device

Claims (4)

An air conditioner control apparatus comprising: an outdoor unit having a compressor; and a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant circuit and having an indoor heat exchanger,
For each of the plurality of indoor units, based on the set temperature and the intake air temperature of the indoor unit, in the case of heating operation, the target condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, in the case of cooling operation, the indoor temperature Calculate the target evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger,
In the case of heating operation, the maximum value of the target condensing temperature of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the calculation means, and in the case of cooling operation, the maximum value of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the calculation means. Set a minimum value of the target evaporation temperature as a control target value for controlling the compressor,
In the case of heating operation, the frequency of the compressor is controlled so that the condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger becomes the control target value. In the case of cooling operation, the evaporation of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger. An air conditioner control device that controls the frequency of the compressor so that the temperature becomes the control target value. An air conditioner control device comprising: an outdoor unit having a compressor; and a plurality of indoor units connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant circuit and having an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve,
For each of the plurality of indoor units, based on the set temperature and the intake air temperature of the indoor unit, in the case of heating operation, the target condensation temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, in the case of cooling operation, the indoor temperature Calculate the target evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger,
In the case of heating operation, the maximum value of the target condensing temperature of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the calculation means, and in the case of cooling operation, the maximum value of the plurality of indoor units calculated by the calculation means. Set a minimum value of the target evaporation temperature as a control target value for controlling the compressor,
In the case of heating operation, based on the difference between the target condensation temperature for each of the plurality of indoor units and the control target value, the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve for each of the plurality of indoor units is calculated, and cooling operation is performed. In this case, based on the difference between the target evaporation temperature for each of the plurality of indoor units and the control target value, the target refrigerant superheat degree for each of the plurality of indoor units is calculated,
In the case of heating operation, the indoor expansion valve is controlled based on the calculated opening of the indoor expansion valve, and in the case of cooling operation, the indoor expansion valve is controlled based on the target refrigerant superheat degree. Control device.   In the case of heating operation, the higher the intake air temperature, the higher the difference between the set temperature and the intake air temperature, the higher the target condensation temperature, and in the case of cooling operation, the intake air temperature. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1, wherein the target evaporation temperature is calculated to be lower as the difference between the set temperature and the intake air temperature is smaller as the difference is lower. In the case of heating operation, the larger the difference between the control target value and the target condensing temperature, the smaller the opening value of the indoor expansion valve, and in the case of cooling operation, the control target value and The control device for an air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the control is performed so that the value of the target refrigerant superheat degree increases as the difference in the target evaporation temperature increases.

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