JP2020177555A - Support system - Google Patents

Abstract

To disclose an example of a support system capable of accurately calculating a "degree of power saving."SOLUTION: A support system includes: a switching device for switching between a case where facilities are operated by a new system and a case where the facilities are operated by an old system when a control system subjected to sale or operation is the new system and a control system other than the new system is the old system; a first operation information detecting unit for detecting operation information of the facilities when the facilities are operated in the new system; and a second operation information detecting unit for detecting the operation information of the facilities when the facilities are operated in the old system. As a result, in the present support system, since operation information at the time of actual operation is detected, it is possible to obtain an accurate "degree of power saving" for a person who uses the business model.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a support system used when selling or operating a control system for controlling equipment including an electric actuator.

For example, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, a person who provides measures for realizing power saving (hereinafter referred to as a provider) improves a customer's equipment or provides it to a new equipment. If power saving is achieved, a business model is disclosed in which the profit from power saving is distributed between the provider and the customer according to the degree of power saving.

Japanese Patent No. 3976988

In the above business model, profits are distributed according to the "degree of power saving", so it is necessary to accurately calculate the "degree of power saving". In view of the points on the left, this disclosure discloses an example of a support system capable of accurately calculating the "degree of power saving".

It is desirable that the support system used at the time of selling or operating the control system for controlling at least the equipment including the electric actuator includes, for example, at least one of the following constituent requirements.

That is, the constituent requirements are that when the control system to be sold or operated is the new system and the control system other than the new system is the old system, the equipment is operated by the new system and the equipment is the old system. A switching device (11) that switches between operating and operating, a first operation information detection unit (12) that detects the operation information of the equipment when the equipment operates in the new system, and the equipment operates in the old system. It is provided with a second operation information detection unit (13) for detecting the operation information of the equipment at the time of the operation.

As a result, in the support system, the driving information at the time of actual operation is detected, so that the person who uses the above business model can obtain an accurate "degree of power saving".

Incidentally, the reference numerals in the parentheses are examples showing the correspondence with the specific configurations and the like described in the embodiments described later, and the present disclosure is limited to the specific configurations and the like shown in the symbols in the parentheses. It's not something.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the sewage treatment facility which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline of the support system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline operation of the switching device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

The following "embodiments of the invention" show an example of embodiments belonging to the technical scope of the present disclosure. That is, the matters specifying the invention described in the claims are not limited to the specific configuration, structure, etc. shown in the following embodiments.

At least one member or part described with a reference numeral is provided unless otherwise specified such as "one". That is, if there is no notice such as "one", two or more of the members may be provided. The assistive system presented in the present disclosure comprises at least the functional elements illustrated and described.

(First Embodiment)
1. 1. Equipment to which the support system is applied In this embodiment, an example of the support system according to the present disclosure is applied to the support system used when selling or operating the oxidation ditch type sewage treatment equipment. The sewage treatment facility is the same as the sewage treatment facility described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-164875.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the sewage treatment facility 1 includes at least a sewage tank 2, a stirrer 3, a blower 4, a first oxygen amount detector 5A, and the like. Sewage to be treated flows into the sewage tank 2. The sewage tank 2 constitutes a substantially elliptical or oval water channel 2A. Sewage circulates in the channel 2A. In the sewage tank 2 shown in FIG. 1, the sewage circulates counterclockwise.

The stirring device 3 stirs the sewage in the sewage tank 2 and adjusts the stirring flow rate of the sewage. In this embodiment, a plurality of stirring devices 3 are provided. Each stirring device 3 includes an axial fan-shaped propeller, an electric motor (not shown), a drive inverter (not shown), and the like.

An electric motor is provided for each propeller to rotate the propeller. That is, each electric motor is an example of an electric actuator. The drive inverter is a drive circuit that drives each electric motor. The drive inverter continuously changes the rotation speed of the propeller by continuously changing the drive current frequency within a predetermined range.

The blower 4 supplies air for aeration to the sewage in the sewage tank 2. The blower 4 includes a blower 4A, an air diffuser 4B, and the like. The blower 4A sucks the air in the atmosphere and blows it to the sewage tank 2. The air diffuser 4B atomizes the air blown by the blower 4A and promotes the dissolution of oxygen into the sewage.

The drive inverter 4C (hereinafter referred to as a blower inverter 4C) drives an electric motor (not shown) that rotates the blower 4A. The blower inverter 4C continuously changes the drive current frequency within a predetermined range, thereby continuously changing the rotation speed of the blower 4A, that is, the amount of supply air supplied to the sewage. The electric motor for the blower 4A is also an example of the electric actuator.

<Old system>
The first oxygen amount detector 5A detects the amount of oxygen dissolved in the sewage before the air is supplied by the blower 4. The control device 6 uses the amount of dissolved oxygen detected by the first oxygen amount detector 5A to control the operation of the stirring device 3 and the blower device 4, that is, the stirring flow velocity and the supply air amount. Hereinafter, the control system is referred to as an old system.

<New system>
In addition to the above configuration, the new system includes at least a second oxygen amount detector 5B, a water quality analyzer 7, and the like. The second oxygen amount detector 5B detects the amount of oxygen dissolved in the sewage after the air is supplied by the blower 4.

In the sewage tank 2 according to the present embodiment, sewage circulates in the water channel 2A. Therefore, the second oxygen amount detector 5B detects the dissolved oxygen amount in the zone where air (oxygen) is supplied by the blower 4 in the water channel 2A, that is, on the downstream side of the sewage flow from the air diffuser 4B. The first oxygen amount detector 5A detects the dissolved oxygen amount on the upstream side of the sewage flow from the air diffuser 4B.

The water quality analyzer 7 detects the concentration of a predetermined substance contained in the sewage. The water quality analyzer 7 is provided on the downstream side of the sewage flow from the air diffuser 4B. The "substance" is a substance such as ammonia nitrogen that forms a parameter indicating the "degree of water contamination". The higher the concentration of ammonia nitrogen, the more polluted the water, that is, the polluted water.

The second control device 8 controls the stirring flow rate and the supply air amount in cooperation with the control device 6. That is, in the new system according to the present embodiment, the amount of dissolved oxygen detected by the first oxygen amount detector 5A and the second oxygen amount detector 5B, and the value detected by the water quality analyzer 7 (in this embodiment, the value detected by the water quality analyzer 7). It is the control of the stirring flow velocity and the amount of supplied air using (concentration of ammonia nitrogen).

The control device 6 and the second control device 8 are composed of a computer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. Software (program) for controlling the operation of the stirring device 3 and the blowing device 4 is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM.

2. Support system configuration (see Fig. 2)
The support system according to the present embodiment operates by the cooperation of the second control device 8 (hereinafter referred to as the equipment control device 8), the external control device 9, and the like. The external control device 9 is a computer (arithmetic unit) installed in a place other than the sewage treatment facility 1 (for example, a monitoring center or a sales headquarters).

The equipment control device 8 and the external control device 9 can send and receive information to and from each other via wired communication or wireless communication. The storage device 10 is a device capable of storing and outputting information in response to a command from the equipment control device 8 or the external control device 9.

The storage device 10 according to the present embodiment is provided at a place where information can be transmitted and received between the equipment control device 8 and the external control device 9 via wired communication or wireless communication. The physical installation location of the storage device 10 does not matter.

The support system according to the present embodiment includes a switching device 11, a first operation information detection unit 12, a second operation information detection unit 13, a transmission unit 14, a comparison information output unit 15, and the like. The switching device 11 is a device for switching between the case where the sewage treatment facility 1 is operated by the new system and the case where the sewage treatment facility 1 is operated by the old system.

The switching device 11 according to the present embodiment is a manual type switching device provided in the equipment control device 8. That is, the switching device 11 is manually operated by a person who uses the support system (hereinafter, referred to as a user) according to, for example, a predetermined schedule.

The first operation information detection unit 12 detects the operation information of the sewage treatment facility 1 when the sewage treatment facility 1 operates in the new system. The second operation information detection unit 13 detects the operation information of the sewage treatment facility 1 when the sewage treatment facility 1 operates in the old system.

The above-mentioned "operation information" in the present embodiment is, for example, "information including at least the power consumption of the sewage treatment facility 1." The first operation information detection unit 12 and the second operation information detection unit 13 according to the present embodiment are composed of the equipment control device 8 and software. The software is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM.

The transmission unit 14 transmits the operation information detected by the first operation information detection unit 12 and the second operation information detection unit 13 to the storage device 10. The transmission unit 14 according to the present embodiment is composed of an equipment control device 8 and software or the like. The software is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM.

The comparison information output unit 15 uses the operation information stored in the storage device 10 to compare the new system and the old system with respect to predetermined items, and outputs comparative information about the items. The comparison information output unit 15 according to the present embodiment is composed of an external control device 9, software, and the like.

The software is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM. The output format of the output comparison information, such as electronic data and printed matter, does not matter. Then, the output comparison information is stored and stored in the non-volatile storage unit (not shown) for at least a predetermined period of time.

The "predetermined items" are, for example, "energy saving rate", "energy saving amount", "energy saving amount" and the like. That is, the "predetermined item" is an item meaning the "degree of power saving" in the above business model.

3. 3. Operation and Features of the Support System According to the Present Embodiment The equipment control device 8 is detected by the operation information (hereinafter referred to as new system information) detected by the first operation information detection unit 12 and the second operation information detection unit 13. The operation information (hereinafter referred to as the old system information) is transmitted to the storage device 10.

That is, when the sewage treatment facility 1 is operating in the new system, the new system information is transmitted to the storage device 10. When the sewage treatment facility 1 is operating in the old system, the old system information is transmitted to the storage device 10.

The storage device 10 stores the transmitted new system information or old system information. The external control device 9 outputs the above comparison information when a command is input from the user or according to a predetermined schedule.

As a result, in the support system, the driving information at the time of actual operation is detected, so that the person who uses the above business model can obtain an accurate "degree of power saving".

(Second Embodiment)
The switching device 11 according to the above-described embodiment has a configuration in which the user manually switches the control system. On the other hand, the support system according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the switching device 11 automatically switches the control system.

The following description is a description of the differences between the support system according to the above-described embodiment and the support system according to the present embodiment. The same constituent requirements and the like as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the duplicate description is omitted.

<Approximate operation of switching device, etc.>
The switching device 11 according to the present embodiment automatically switches the control system according to a predetermined schedule. The "predetermined schedule" means, for example, that the sewage treatment facility 1 is operated by the new system in the first and third weeks of the month, and the sewage is sewage by the old system in the second and fourth weeks of the month. This is the case where the processing facility 1 is operated.

The "predetermined schedule" is, of course, (a) the "predetermined fixed schedule" as described above, and (b) for example, the external control device 9 sets the "cause index". It may be a schedule automatically created using an algorithm (for example, artificial intelligence) that operates as a parameter.

Further, the support system has a comparison output stop function for stopping the output of comparison information when the difference between the old system operation index and the new system operation index exceeds a predetermined difference.

The comparative output stop function is realized by the equipment control device 8, the external control device 9, software, or the like. The software is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM.

The old system operating index means a cause index when the sewage treatment facility 1 is operated in the old system. The new system operating index refers to a cause index when the sewage treatment facility 1 is operated in the new system.

The cause index refers to a predetermined parameter among the parameters that cause the power consumption of the electric actuator such as the electric motor to fluctuate. In this embodiment, "rate of change in ammonia nitrogen concentration" is adopted as a cause index.

That is, as the concentration of ammonia nitrogen increases, the degree of water contamination increases, so that the stirring flow velocity and the amount of supplied air increase in both the old system and the new system. Therefore, when the rate of change in the ammonia nitrogen concentration changes, the power consumption also changes accordingly.

<Detailed operation of switching device, etc.>
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of automatic switching control of the control system by the switching device 11. The automatic switching control is executed by the cooperation of the equipment control device 8 and the external control device 9 (hereinafter, referred to as control devices 8 and 9).

The software for executing the automatic switching control is stored in advance in a non-volatile storage unit (not shown) such as a ROM. The sewage treatment facility 1 is operating in the new system in the standard (normal) operation state.

The control devices 8 and 9 determine whether or not the comparison target period has started after acquiring the concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen using the water quality analyzer 7 (S1) (S3). The comparison target period is a period based on the above-mentioned "predetermined schedule".

When it is determined that the comparison target period has not started (S3: NO), the control devices 8 and 9 acquire the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (S1). When the control devices 8 and 9 determine that the comparison target period has started (S3: YES), the control devices 8 and 9 switch the control system from the new system to the old system (S5).

Next, the control devices 8 and 9 determine whether or not the comparison target period has ended after acquiring the concentration of ammoniacal nitrogen (S7) (S9). When it is determined that the comparison target period has not ended (S9: NO), the control devices 8 and 9 acquire the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (S7).

When the control devices 8 and 9 determine that the comparison period has expired (S9: YES), the old system operating index (change rate of ammonia nitrogen concentration during the old system operating) and the new system operating index (S11) is compared with (rate of change in ammonia nitrogen concentration during operation of the new system).

When the control devices 8 and 9 determine that the absolute value of the difference between the new system operation index and the new system operation index is within a predetermined range (S11: YES), the control devices 8 and 9 Outputs comparison information using the operation information acquired within the comparison target period (S13).

When the control devices 8 and 9 determine that the absolute value of the difference between the new system operation index and the new system operation index exceeds a predetermined range (S11: NO), the control devices 8 and 9 No. 9 stops the output of comparison information based on the operation information acquired within the comparison target period (S15).

After the end of S13 or S15, the control devices 8 and 9 execute S1 again after switching the control system to the new system (S17).
<Characteristics of the support system according to this embodiment>
The switching device 11 according to the present embodiment stops the output of comparison information when the difference between the old system operating index and the new system operating index exceeds a predetermined difference. As a result, in the support system, the driving information at the time of actual operation is detected, so that the person who uses the above business model can obtain an accurate "degree of power saving".

(Other embodiments)
The storage device 10 according to the above-described embodiment was connected to the control devices 8 and 9 via a communication line. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the disclosure may have, for example, a configuration in which the storage device 10 is directly connected to the equipment control device 8 or the external control device 9.

In the transmission unit 14 of the support system according to the above configuration, the first operation information detection unit 12 and the second operation information detection unit 13 are connected to the storage device 10 directly connected to the equipment control device 8 or the external control device 9. Send the detected driving information.

In the support system according to the above-described embodiment, the transmission unit 14 and the comparison information output unit 15 are provided. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the disclosure may have a configuration in which at least one of the transmission unit 14 and the comparison information output unit 15 is abolished, for example.

In the support system in which at least one of the transmission unit 14 and the comparison information output unit 15 is abolished, the operation information detected by the first operation information detection unit 12 and the second operation information detection unit 13 is obtained by the user. It is processed.

The switching device 11 according to the second embodiment switches the control system according to a predetermined schedule. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the disclosure may be configured to switch the control system using, for example, a cause index.

In the above-described embodiment, the support system according to the present disclosure is applied to the sewage treatment facility 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the disclosure can be applied to, for example, (1) water and sewage facilities, (2) air conditioning facilities for large buildings such as buildings, and (3) manufacturing facilities.

In the above-described embodiment, an electric motor is assumed as the electric actuator. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the disclosure can be applied to, for example, equipment in which an electric device other than an electric motor is used as an electric actuator.

In the above-described embodiment, the ammonia nitrogen concentration was used as a causative index for the sewage treatment facility. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, in the case of the sewage treatment facility 1, for example, (1) sewage water temperature, (2) outside air temperature, (3) nitrite nitrogen concentration or nitrate nitrogen concentration, (4) total nitrogen concentration , (5) Phosphorus concentration, (6) Dissolved oxygen concentration, (7) COD concentration, (8) MLSS concentration, (9) Oxygen consumption rate, etc. may be used as causative indicators.

The causative indicators of air conditioning equipment include, for example, (1) outside air temperature, (2) humidity, (3) carbon dioxide concentration, (4) cleanliness, (5) air flow, (6) flow rate, and (7) pressure. And (8) the state of water volume and so on. Examples of the cause index of the manufacturing equipment include demand, inventory amount, and the like.

As the cause index according to the above-described embodiment, the value directly detected and measured was used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, in the disclosure, for example, another index may be detected, and a value calculated or predicted from the detection index, that is, a value indirectly measured may be used as the cause index.

Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as it conforms to the purpose of the disclosure described in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, either the configuration in which at least two embodiments of the plurality of embodiments described above are combined, or the configuration requirements shown in the illustration or the configuration requirements described with reference numerals in the above-described embodiment are abolished. It may be a configured configuration.

1 ... Sewage treatment equipment 2 ... Sewage tank 2A ... Waterway 3 ... Stirring device 4 ... Blower 5A ... 1st oxygen amount detector 5B ... 2nd oxygen amount detector 6 ... Control device 7 ... Water quality analyzer 8 ... Control device 9 … External control device 10… Storage device 11… Switching device 12… First operation information detection unit 13… Second operation information detection unit 14… Transmission unit 15… Comparison information output unit

Claims (5)

At least in support systems used when selling or operating control systems for controlling equipment, including electric actuators.
When the control system to be sold or operated is a new system and the control system other than the new system is an old system, the equipment is operated by the new system and the equipment is operated by the old system. A switching device that switches between cases and
A first operation information detection unit that detects operation information of the equipment when the equipment operates in the new system, and
A support system including a second operation information detection unit that detects operation information of the equipment when the equipment is operated in the old system. The support system according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits the operation information detected by the first operation information detection unit and the second operation information detection unit to a predetermined storage device. 2. Claim 2 including a comparison information output unit that compares the new system with the old system for predetermined items by using the operation information stored in the storage device and outputs comparison information about the item. The support system described in. Among the parameters that cause the power consumption of the electric actuator to fluctuate, a predetermined parameter is used as a cause index.
When the cause index when the equipment is operated in the old system is used as the old system operating index and the cause index when the equipment is operated in the new system is used as the new system operating index.
The support according to claim 3, further comprising a comparison output stop unit for stopping the output of the comparison information when the difference between the old system operating index and the new system operating index exceeds a predetermined difference. system. The support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the switching device switches the control system according to a predetermined schedule.

Images