JP2015068547A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner having a function for changing a priority order so as to adapt for an actual operating state.SOLUTION: This invention relates to an air conditioner in which a controller comprising a communication part for performing a wire-less communication and a controlling part for controlling an operation output of each of indoor units on the basis of a predetermined priority order when a plurality of indoor units are operated simultaneously under a state that an upper limit value of total current values consumed by the indoor units and outdoor units is set is installed at either the indoor units or the outdoor unit. The controller has indoor unit operating state understanding means for understanding operation load states of all the indoor units being operated simultaneously and operation history storing means for storing the past operation histories, and changes over the priority order of the indoor units when the controller judges that changing-over of the priority order of the indoor units can adapt for a request of operation output of each of the indoor units on the basis of an operation load state and/or operation history information of all the indoor units being simultaneously operated that are collected by the indoor unit operation state understanding means and/or the operation history storing means.

Description

  The present invention is an air having a control function for switching the priority order based on the driving load status and the driving history information when the driving output is limited based on a predetermined priority order to a plurality of indoor units that are operated simultaneously. It is about a harmony machine.

  When operating a plurality of indoor units at the same time, it may be necessary to restrict the operation. For example, if the total maximum capacity of multiple indoor units is connected to a single outdoor unit that exceeds the capacity of the outdoor unit when used with reduced power consumption, The operation status of indoor units is limited. Moreover, when it is assumed that the upper limit of the contracted amperage with the electric power company is reached, it is necessary to limit the operation of each indoor unit.

In the case of restricting the operation of each indoor unit, it is conceivable to operate with priorities, for example, Patent Document 1 has already been proposed. The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 operates with priority given to an indoor unit that has been previously requested to operate, with the object of efficiently driving a plurality of indoor units to achieve comfortable air conditioning. A first-priority priority indoor unit operation permission method, a second-priority priority indoor unit operation permission method that prioritizes the indoor unit requested to be operated later, and a room that operates the indoor unit based on the priority set for the indoor unit. Any one of the indoor unit operation permission systems based on the priority order of the units is configured to be settable.
JP 2000-193288 A

  Like the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to limit the operation of each indoor unit by setting priorities to the indoor units in advance, but the indoor units grasp the total current value mutually. Since there is no means, there is a problem that just because the vehicle is operated according to the priority order, the upper limit of the contract amperage is not reached. In addition, there is a problem that driving according to the priority set by the user does not always lead to comfortable driving.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner having a function of changing the priority order of indoor units so as to be adapted to actual operating conditions. .

  Claim 1 of the present invention is a situation in which an upper limit of a total current value consumed by the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is set, and a communication unit responsible for wired or wireless communication with the connected indoor unit and outdoor unit A control device having a control unit for controlling the operation output of each indoor unit based on a predetermined priority when a plurality of indoor units are operated simultaneously is provided for the indoor unit or the outdoor unit. In any one of the air conditioners, the control device includes an indoor unit operation state grasping unit that grasps operation load states of all the indoor units that are simultaneously operated, and an operation that stores past operation history. History storage means, and based on the operation load status and / or operation history information of all the indoor units during simultaneous operation collected by the indoor unit operation status grasping means and / or operation history storage means, Previous If the person who has interchanged the priority of the indoor unit is determined to be corresponding to the operating power requirements of each indoor unit is an air conditioner which is characterized in that changing enter the priority of the indoor unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, the operation history storage means includes, as operation history information, a room temperature at the start of operation, a set temperature, and each indoor unit when operated at the room temperature and the set temperature. Control of switching the priority of indoor units based on room temperature, set temperature and average power consumption value as past operation history information corresponding to the current room temperature and set temperature. The air conditioner is performed in the control unit.

  According to the invention of claim 1, based on the operation load status and / or operation history information of all the indoor units during simultaneous operation collected by the indoor unit operation status grasping means and / or operation history storage means, When it is determined that the priority order of the indoor units is more compatible with the operation output request of each indoor unit, the priority order of the indoor units is changed, so that the actual operation status is changed. It is possible to change the priority order so as to suit.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control for switching the priorities of the indoor units is performed based on the room temperature, the set temperature, and the average power consumption value as past operation history information corresponding to the current room temperature and the set temperature. As a result, for example, by lowering the priority of indoor units with a low average power consumption value and increasing the priority of indoor units with a high average power consumption value, the overall comfort of the user is improved. It is possible to perform simple control.

It is a block diagram showing the structure of the control apparatus 10 in the air conditioner by this invention. It is a block diagram showing the connection relation of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, (a) is an example in which an outdoor unit is connected to each of three indoor units, and (b) is for three indoor units. This is an example in which one outdoor unit is connected in common. It is a flowchart showing the control for priority order change in the air conditioner by this invention. It is explanatory drawing showing the output distribution based on a priority.

  The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a communication unit that performs wired or wireless communication with a connected indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and a situation in which an upper limit of a total current value consumed by the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is set. A control device having a control unit for controlling the operation output of each indoor unit based on a predetermined priority when a plurality of indoor units are operated simultaneously is provided for the indoor unit or the outdoor unit. In any one of the air conditioners, the control device includes an indoor unit operation state grasping unit that grasps operation load states of all the indoor units that are simultaneously operated, and an operation that stores past operation history. Based on the operation load status and / or operation history information of all the indoor units during simultaneous operation collected by the indoor unit operation status grasping means and / or the operation history storage means. , When the person who has interchanged the priority of the indoor unit is determined to be corresponding to the operating power requirements of each indoor unit is characterized in that the changing input the priority of the indoor unit. Details will be described below.

  An embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the outdoor unit 4 is individually connected to the indoor units 1 to 3, or in the indoor units 1 to 3, as shown in FIG. It is assumed in any case where one common outdoor unit 4 is connected, and the indoor units 1 to 3 are in a state where they can perform wireless or wired communication with each other. And the control apparatus for implement | achieving control of this invention shall be provided in the indoor units 1 thru | or 3 or the outdoor unit 4. FIG. In the following embodiments, the indoor units 1 to 3 will be described as having control devices 10 respectively.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control device 10 in an air conditioner according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a control device 10 includes a control unit 11 that performs various controls, a communication unit 12 that communicates with other connected indoor units and outdoor units, and a memory 13 that stores necessary information. Configured. Furthermore, the indoor units 1 to 3 have a host function that collects information on other indoor units and performs overall control. In order to realize this host function, the following various means are provided in the control unit 11. Have.

[Understanding indoor unit operating status]
The control unit 11 includes an indoor unit operation status grasping unit 14 that grasps the operation load status of all indoor units that may be used simultaneously. In the indoor unit in which the host function is functioning, the current operation status of other indoor units is collected and grasped via the communication unit 12. Specifically, not only whether or not the vehicle is in operation, but also the content of the operation output request and the output state of the current operation are specifically grasped by the host.

[Total current value grasping means]
The control unit 11 includes a total current value grasping unit 15 that collects current consumption values of all indoor units that are operating at the same time via the communication unit 12 and grasps a total current value during the simultaneous operation. Each of the indoor units 1 to 3 has a means for grasping its own current consumption value, which is collected in the indoor unit in which the host function is functioning and grasped as a total current value at the time of simultaneous operation. When a change occurs in the operation status in each indoor unit, the current value also changes. Therefore, the current value is transmitted to the host each time and the total current value at that time is grasped.

[Current limit value setting means]
The control unit 11 includes current limit value setting means 16 for setting an upper limit of the total current value during simultaneous operation. A user inputs and sets in any of the indoor units, and is set in consideration of the contracted amperage or considering power saving. The set current limit value is stored in the memory 13 of each indoor unit by sharing data in all the indoor units.

[Operation history storage means]
The control unit 11 includes an operation history storage unit 17 that stores past operation history. The operation history storage means 17 stores the operation status of the indoor unit in the memory 13 as operation history information. Examples of how to take a history include, for example, the room temperature at the start of operation, the set temperature, the average current consumption from start to stop (hereinafter referred to as average current consumption), and the average power consumption from start to stop (hereinafter referred to as The average power consumption value) is stored. This history is stored for each indoor unit so that the indoor unit functioning as a host can refer to the operation history information of other indoor units.

[Priority setting means]
The control unit 11 has priority order setting means 18 for setting the priority order of the indoor units that are used simultaneously. The priority order can be arbitrarily set by the user. For example, in the indoor units 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 2A, the priority order is indoor unit 1> indoor unit 2> indoor unit 3. To do. This priority setting is based on the issue of contract amperage, or when you want to limit power using the demand function, the indoor unit with higher priority gives priority to permitting higher output. An indoor unit with a lower rank is used to perform control such as limiting the output. Further, it has a function of temporarily assigning different priorities by changing the priorities described later, and in this case, it is stored in the memory 13 as a temporary priority different from the default priority.

Next, operation | movement of the air conditioner of this invention in the above structures is demonstrated. For the sake of explanation, it is assumed that the indoor units 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 2 (a) are operated at the same time. The indoor units 1 to 3 can exhibit completely the same air conditioning operation capability. It is assumed that the output level can be changed to 10 levels from 1 to 10. In this case, if the maximum output level of the three indoor units is assigned to 10: 5: 3, the three indoor units can be operated within the range of the current limit value set by the current limit value setting means 16. And
Each indoor unit can function as a host, but it is assumed that an indoor unit with a higher priority is responsible for the host function. In this embodiment, description will be made on the assumption that the indoor unit 1 functions as a host.
In the situation where the present invention basically controls the driving output based on the priority order, it is possible to judge that the user's comfort is higher when the priority order is switched with reference to the past driving history. Further, the present invention is characterized in that control for changing the priority order is performed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control for changing the priority order in the air conditioner according to the present invention. First, it is assumed that the indoor unit that performs control functions as a host (S301). For example, it is assumed that the indoor unit 1 has activated the host function. At this time, the operation status of other indoor units is confirmed (S302). Then, it is confirmed whether there is an operating indoor unit other than the own unit (S303). If there is no indoor unit in operation other than the own unit, the operation is performed without considering the priority order without considering the priority order (S304). However, when there is an indoor unit in operation other than the own unit, the operation output of each indoor unit is limited based on the priority set in advance by the priority setting means 18 (S305).

Next, the operation load status of another indoor unit is acquired (S306). The operation load status of other indoor units can be acquired by the indoor unit operation status grasping means 14 and is based not only on the current operation output status (whether the operation is being performed in one of the 10 levels) but also on the priority order. If there is no output adjustment, information on the operation output request that the user wants to operate at which output level is also acquired. The operation output request indicates the output level required by the indoor unit from the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature.
Further, the operation history information of other indoor units is acquired (S307). Information on the operation history of other indoor units can be acquired by collecting the operation histories stored by the operation history storage means 17 of each indoor unit.

  Here, it is determined whether or not the priority order of the indoor units needs to be changed based on the obtained operation load status and operation history information of the other indoor units (S308). Here, FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing output distribution based on the initial priority. In the initial stage of operation, the operation is started with output distribution based on a preset priority order regardless of the load request from the indoor unit. As an example, the indoor unit 1 with the highest priority rank allows full power and can output from a minimum output of 1 to a maximum output of 10; Can be output, and the indoor unit 3 with the third highest priority is allowed to output in the range of 1 to 3 with a small power.

In this situation, when the output request of the indoor unit 1 to which full power is allocated is settled in the range of 1 to 3, it is not necessary to keep the priority of the indoor unit 1 at 1, so that In consideration of the load situation, it is determined that the priority order of the indoor units needs to be changed (S308). In that case, the priority order is changed and stored in the priority order setting means as a temporary change item (S309). In this case, the indoor unit 3 and the indoor unit 1 notify other indoor units of the operation output in the past and the contents of this temporary priority change (S310). Thereafter, the operation output is adjusted according to the changed priority (S311). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4B, the indoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 are changed by changing the priority of the indoor unit 1 to the lowest 3 and increasing the priority of the other indoor units. It is possible to respond to an output request that could not be satisfied by restricting the output.

  Further, when determining the necessity of changing the priority order in (S308), the driving history information is also used as a material for the determination. As the operation history information, a history that the average current consumption value of the indoor unit 3 is larger than that of the indoor unit 2 during the cooling operation period (for example, August) in midsummer can be considered. As a normal priority, the indoor unit 3 has a lower priority than the indoor unit 2, but as a result of referring to the operation history information and the operation load status, the indoor unit 3 has a current consumption value. If it is determined that the output request of the indoor unit 2 can be handled even with medium power, the priority order of the indoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 is shown in FIG. , The indoor unit 3 is set to priority level 1, the indoor unit 2 is set to priority level 2, and the indoor unit 1 whose output request has settled in the range of 1 to 3 is changed to priority level 3.

  As another usage example of the operation history information, the stored room temperature at the start of operation, the set temperature, and the operation status (for example, average power consumption value) at the room temperature / set temperature are used as the operation history information. You may do it. Specifically, the priority set by the user is indoor unit 2> indoor unit 3, but refer to past room temperature, set temperature, and operation status as past operation history information corresponding to the current room temperature and set temperature. Then, when the indoor unit 2 has a low average power consumption value at the referenced room temperature / set temperature, the indoor unit 3 has a large average power consumption value at the referenced room temperature / set temperature. The priority may be temporarily changed so that the indoor unit 2 <the indoor unit 3 with reference to the information.

  If it is determined in (S308) that it is not necessary to change the priority order, the priority order is not changed, and the operation output is limited according to the current priority order (S311), and the other priority level is changed again. The process proceeds to confirmation of the operation status of the indoor unit (S302).

  As described above, according to the air conditioner of the present invention, in addition to the function of distributing the operation output according to the priority set in advance by the user, the priority is switched with reference to the operation history information and the operation load situation. If the situation is determined to be good, the priority is temporarily changed and the operation output distribution is changed, so the upper limit of the total current value is limited based on changes in the operation load status and operation history. It is possible to realize more comfortable driving for the user while operating within the range.

  In the above-described embodiment, the setting is described in which the maximum output level of the three indoor units is assigned to 10: 5: 3 from the highest priority, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as it is within the range of the set current limit value, it may be allocated at a ratio other than this. In addition to the method of allocating with a fixed value, the control may be performed by always referring to the current consumption value of each indoor unit and varying the maximum output value within a range equal to or less than the current limit value.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Indoor unit, 2 ... Indoor unit, 3 ... Indoor unit, 4, 4a-4c ... Outdoor unit, 10 ... Control apparatus, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Communication part, 13 ... Memory, 14 ... Comprehension of indoor unit operation condition Means 15 ... Total current value grasping means 16 ... Current limit value setting means 17 ... Operation history storage means 18 ... Priority order setting means.

Claims (2)

A communication unit that performs wired or wireless communication with the connected indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and a plurality of indoor units simultaneously in a situation where an upper limit of the total current value consumed by the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is set. Air having either a control device provided with a control unit for performing operation output control of each indoor unit based on a predetermined priority when operated, either in the indoor unit or in the outdoor unit In the harmony machine,
The control device has an indoor unit operation status grasping means for grasping operation load situations of all the indoor units that are operated simultaneously, and an operation history storage means for storing past operation history,
Based on the operation load status and / or operation history information of all the indoor units during simultaneous operation collected by the indoor unit operation status grasping means and / or the operation history storage means, the priority order of the indoor units was changed. The air conditioner is characterized in that when it is determined that the system can respond to the operation output request of each indoor unit, the priority order of the indoor units is changed.   The operation history storage means stores, as operation history information, the room temperature at the start of operation, the set temperature, and the average power consumption value of each indoor unit when operated at the room temperature and the set temperature, The control unit performs control for changing the priority order of the indoor units based on room temperature, set temperature, and average power consumption value as past operation history information corresponding to the set temperature. Air conditioner.

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