JP2023128824A - Air conditioning control device and air conditioning control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning control device and an air conditioning control program capable of extending an operation period in an output range including a load factor with favorable energy consumption efficiency without calculating the energy consumption efficiency.SOLUTION: An air conditioning control device 10 comprises: a measuring section which measures a load factor from a current value of a measured outdoor unit 20 and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit 20 or from a power value of the measured outdoor unit 20 and a predetermined rated power value the outdoor unit 20; and a selection section which selects, when the measured load factor is out of an allowable range of the load factor set for each output level specifying a staged output range of an output value of the outdoor unit 20 for a certain period of time, the output level so that the measured load factor is within the allowable range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The disclosed technology relates to an air conditioning control device and an air conditioning control program.

There is a technology for air conditioning systems to operate within an output range with high energy consumption efficiency. Patent Document 1 describes a technology that calculates a load factor and energy consumption efficiency, and controls the output level so that the operating time in an output range with high energy consumption efficiency becomes longer.

JP2020-109331A

In the air conditioning system of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to calculate the energy consumption efficiency during operation. Here, the calculation accuracy of energy consumption efficiency during operation is not necessarily high, and therefore, in the air conditioning system of Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the operation time cannot be extended in an output range where energy consumption efficiency is high.

The disclosed technology aims to provide an air conditioning control device and an air conditioning control program that can operate for a long time in an output range including a load factor with good energy consumption efficiency without calculating energy consumption efficiency.

The air conditioning control device according to the first aspect is based on a measured current value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit, or a measured electric power value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated power of the outdoor unit. a measuring unit that measures a load factor from a value; and a measurement unit that measures a load factor from a value, and a measuring unit that measures a load factor when the measured load factor deviates from an allowable range of the load factor determined for each output level that defines an output range of an output value of the outdoor unit in stages for a certain period of time. a selection unit that selects the output level at which the measured load factor falls within the allowable range.

The air conditioning control device according to the second aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the first aspect, further including a first setting section that sets the certain time period, and the certain period of time is variable depending on the priority level of comfort. , and the load factor can be set separately for when the load factor exceeds the upper limit of the allowable range and when it falls below the lower limit of the allowable range, and the first setting section sets the comfort priority level. The certain time when the value exceeds the upper limit of the allowable range is set shorter when the value is high, or the certain time when the value falls below the lower limit of the allowable range is set longer than when it is low.

The air conditioning control device according to the third aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the first aspect or the second aspect, further including a second setting section that sets the tolerance range, and the tolerance range is determined according to the priority level of comfort. The second setting unit sets the upper limit or lower limit of the allowable range to be lower when the priority level of comfort is high than when it is low.

The air conditioning control device according to the fourth aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, in which the outside temperature is measured by an external sensor, and when the outside air temperature is high during cooling operation, compared to when it is low, the air conditioning control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect is provided. and a third setting unit that sets a higher priority level for comfort, and sets a higher priority level for comfort when the outside air temperature is low during heating operation than when it is high.

The air conditioning control device according to the fifth aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, and includes a calculation unit that calculates the discomfort index from the outside temperature and the outside humidity measured by the external sensor, and a calculation unit that calculates the discomfort index from the outside temperature and humidity measured by the external sensor. The priority of the comfort is set higher when the discomfort index is high than when it is low, and the priority of the comfort is set higher when the discomfort index calculated is low than when it is high during heating operation. and a third setting section for setting.

The air conditioning control device according to the sixth aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, which measures the number of people in the room using an external sensor, and during cooling operation, when the number of people is large, the number of people is The heating apparatus further includes a third setting section that sets a high priority level for comfort, and sets a high priority level for comfort when the number of people is small during heating operation compared to when there are many people.

The air conditioning control device according to the seventh aspect is the air conditioning control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, which measures the indoor carbon dioxide concentration with an external sensor, and compares when the carbon dioxide concentration is high during cooling operation with when it is low. and further includes a third setting unit that sets the priority level of the comfort to be high, and sets the priority level of the comfort to be higher when the carbon dioxide concentration is low during heating operation than when it is high.

The air-conditioning control program according to the eighth aspect is configured such that the air conditioning control program is configured such that the air conditioning control program is configured such that the computer inputs the measured current value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit, or the measured electric power value of the outdoor unit and the predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit. The load factor is measured from the rated power value of the outdoor unit, and the measured load factor deviates from the allowable range of the load factor determined for each output level that defines the output range of the output value of the outdoor unit in stages for a certain period of time. In this case, the output level at which the measured load factor falls within the allowable range is selected.

According to the first aspect and the eighth aspect, it is possible to operate for a long time in an output range including a load factor with good energy consumption efficiency without calculating energy consumption efficiency.

According to the second aspect, when the priority level of comfort is high, it is easy to increase the output when the output level exceeds the permissible range, and it is difficult to lower the output when the output level is below the permissible range. Further, according to the second aspect, when the priority level of comfort is low, it is difficult to increase the output when the output level exceeds the allowable range, and it is easy to lower the output when the output level falls below the allowable range.

According to the third aspect, when the priority level of comfort is high, it is easy to exceed the permissible range of the output level and increase the output, and it is difficult to fall below the permissible range of the output level, and it is difficult to lower the output. Further, according to the third aspect, when the priority level of comfort is low, it is difficult to exceed the permissible range of the output level, it is difficult to increase the output, and it is easy to fall below the permissible range of the output level, and the output can be easily lowered.

According to the fourth aspect, when the outside air temperature is high during cooling operation or when the outside air temperature is low during heating operation, the priority level of comfort can be set high, and when the outside air temperature is low during cooling operation or when the outside air temperature is low during heating operation. If it is high, the priority level of comfort can be set low. Thereby, the degree of priority for comfort can be set according to the outside temperature and the type of driving.

According to the fifth aspect, when the discomfort index is high during cooling operation or when the discomfort index is low during heating operation, the comfort priority level can be set high, and when the discomfort index is low during cooling operation or when the discomfort index is low during heating operation. If it is high, the priority level of comfort can be set low. Thereby, the priority level of comfort can be set according to the discomfort index and the type of driving.

According to the sixth aspect, when there are many people indoors during cooling operation or when there are few people indoors during heating operation, the priority level of comfort can be set high, and when there are few people indoors during cooling operation or when heating operation When there are many people in the room, comfort can be prioritized low. This allows the priority level of comfort to be set depending on the number of people in the room and the type of driving.

According to the seventh aspect, when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is high during cooling operation or when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is low during heating operation, the priority level of comfort can be set high, and the indoor carbon dioxide concentration during cooling operation is When the carbon dioxide concentration in the room is low or when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is high during heating operation, the priority level of comfort can be set low. Thereby, the priority level of comfort can be set according to the indoor carbon dioxide concentration and the type of driving.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning control system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an air conditioning control device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an air conditioning control device according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of air conditioning control processing of an air conditioning control device concerning this embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of the setting table in cooling operation of the air conditioning control device concerning this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of output level setting processing of the air conditioning control device concerning this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of output level setting processing of the air conditioning control device concerning this embodiment.

An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components and parts in each drawing. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

An outline of air conditioning control by the air conditioning control device 10 of the present disclosure will be described using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning control system. The air conditioning control system includes an air conditioning control device 10, an outdoor unit 20, an indoor unit 30, and an external sensor 40.

The outdoor unit 20 is connected to one or more indoor units 30 through a circulation path. The outdoor unit 20 operates the indoor unit 30 individually. The outdoor unit 20 cools and heats the room in which the indoor unit 30 is installed by circulating a heat medium between it and the indoor unit 30 via a circulation path. The outdoor unit 20 switches its output so that the indoor temperature approaches the set temperature. The outdoor unit 20 performs cooling and heating at an output level described below. Regarding the energy consumption efficiency of the outdoor unit 20, it has been found that the range of energy consumption efficiency is different depending on the output level.
Here, the output level is a setting item that defines the output range of the output value of the outdoor unit 20 in stages. The output level is determined in advance for each model of the outdoor unit 20, and there is no limit to the number of output levels. In the following description, output level stages are described by combinations of output levels OL and numbers. For example, when the set value of the output level OL2 is 40%, the outdoor unit 20 outputs the output within a range of 0% to 40% of the maximum output in response to a request from the indoor unit 30.

The external sensor 40 measures outside air temperature, outside air humidity, the number of people in the room, or the carbon dioxide concentration in the room. External sensor 40 includes a temperature sensor when measuring outside air temperature. Further, the external sensor 40 includes a humidity sensor when measuring outside air humidity. Furthermore, when measuring the number of people in the room, the external sensor 40 includes a camera and identifies the number of people through image processing. Alternatively, the external sensor 40 may include a thermosensor to identify the number of people. Further, the external sensor 40 includes a CO2 sensor when measuring carbon dioxide concentration.

The air conditioning control device 10 can communicate with an outdoor unit 20, an indoor unit 30, and an external sensor 40. The air conditioning control device 10 acquires measurement results from the external sensor 40. The air conditioning control device 10 sets, for each output level, a range with good energy consumption efficiency determined from the performance curve of the equipment specifications of the outdoor unit 20, etc. as an allowable range. When the load factor deviates from the allowable range of the current output level for a certain period of time, the air conditioning control device 10 sets an output level for the outdoor unit 20 at which the load factor falls within the allowable range.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the air conditioning control device 10. The air conditioning control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input section 15, a display section 16, and a communication interface 17. Each configuration is communicably connected to each other via a bus 19.

The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various parts. That is, the CPU 11 reads a program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14 and executes the program using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various arithmetic operations according to programs stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores an air conditioning control program.

The ROM 12 stores various programs and data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a work area. The storage 14 is constituted by a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs.

The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display section 16 may adopt a touch panel method and function as the input section 15.

The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices. For this communication, for example, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used.

Next, the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 10 will be explained.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 10. As shown in FIG. The air conditioning control device 10 has a measuring section 101, a selecting section 102, a calculating section 103, a first setting section 104, a second setting section 105, and a third setting section 106 as functional configurations. Each functional configuration is realized by the CPU 11 reading an air conditioning control program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14, loading it into the RAM 13, and executing it.

The measurement unit 101 measures the load factor from the measured current value of the outdoor unit 20 and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit 20. The rated current is a current that can be stably used by design. Furthermore, the measurement unit 101 may measure the load factor from the measured power value of the outdoor unit 20 and a predetermined rated power value of the outdoor unit 20. The rated power is the power that can be stably used by design. The rated power is, for example, the power consumed when the device operates stably when continuously operating under the JIS standard.

The selection unit 102 determines whether the measured load factor is acceptable if the measured load factor deviates from the allowable load factor range defined for each output level that defines the output range of the output value of the outdoor unit 20 in stages for a certain period of time. Select an output level that falls within the range.

The calculation unit 103 calculates a discomfort index from the outside temperature and outside humidity measured by the external sensor 40.

The first setting unit 104 sets a certain period of time. The certain period of time is variable depending on the level of priority of comfort, and can be set separately for when the load factor exceeds the upper limit of the allowable range and when it falls below the lower limit of the allowable range. The first setting section sets a certain time shorter when the priority level of comfort is higher than the lower limit of the tolerance range, or a certain time when the priority level of comfort is lower than the lower limit of the tolerance range. Set a longer time. Note that the certain period of time refers to elapsed times P1 to P7, which will be described later.

The second setting unit 105 sets an allowable range. The acceptable range is variable depending on the level of comfort priority. The second setting unit sets the upper limit or lower limit of the allowable range to be lower when the priority level of comfort is high than when it is low.

The third setting unit 106 measures the outside air temperature with the external sensor 40, and sets a higher priority for comfort when the outside air temperature is high during cooling operation than when it is low, and when the outside air temperature is low during heating operation. The priority level of comfort is set higher than when the comfort level is high.
Further, the third setting unit 106 sets the comfort priority higher when the calculated discomfort index is high during cooling operation than when it is low, and when the calculated discomfort index is low when it is high during heating operation. In comparison, set a higher priority for comfort.
Further, the third setting unit 106 measures the number of people in the room using the external sensor 40, and sets a higher priority for comfort when there are many people during cooling operation than when there are few people, and sets a higher priority for comfort when there are fewer people during heating operation. Set a higher priority for comfort than in many cases.
Further, the third setting unit 106 measures the indoor carbon dioxide concentration with the external sensor 40, sets a higher priority level for comfort when the carbon dioxide concentration is high during cooling operation than when it is low, and sets a higher priority level for comfort during heating operation. Sometimes comfort is given a higher priority when the carbon dioxide concentration is low than when it is high.

Next, the operation of the air conditioning control device 10 will be explained.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of air conditioning control processing by the air conditioning control device 10. Air conditioning control is performed by the CPU 11 reading an air conditioning control program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, loading it into the RAM 13, and executing it.

In step S101, the CPU 11 acquires the current value of the outdoor unit 20. The CPU 11 may acquire the current value from the outdoor unit 20 or may acquire the current value from an external device that measures the current value of the outdoor unit 20. The CPU 11 moves to step S102.

In step S102, the CPU 11 measures the load factor from the current value and the rated current value. The load factor is calculated, for example, from the ratio of the current value to the rated current value. For example, the CPU 11 measures the load factor as a percentage of the measured current value of the outdoor unit 20 with respect to the rated current value. The CPU 11 moves to step S103.

In step S103, the CPU 11 obtains the outside temperature from the external sensor 40. The CPU 11 moves to step S104.

In step S104, the CPU 11 acquires the outside air humidity from the external sensor 40. The CPU 11 moves to step S105.

In step S105, the CPU 11 calculates a discomfort index. That is, the CPU 11 calculates the discomfort index from the outside temperature and the outside humidity measured by the external sensor 40. The CPU 11 moves to step S106. There are well-known methods for calculating the discomfort index, and there are no particular limitations. For example, the discomfort index is calculated using the following equation (1).
Discomfort index = 0.81 x outside temperature + 0.01 x outside air humidity (0.99 x outside temperature - 14.3) + 46.3... Formula (1)
Note that the discomfort index may be calculated using either outside temperature or outside humidity.

In step S106, the CPU 11 obtains the number of people in the room from the external sensor 40. The CPU 11 moves to step S107.

In step S107, the CPU 11 obtains the indoor carbon dioxide concentration from the external sensor 40. The CPU 11 moves to step S108.

In step S108, the CPU 11 sets the priority level of comfort. The priority level of comfort is, for example, a setting that emphasizes energy saving or a setting that emphasizes comfort. The comfort priority level may be expressed numerically, for example. The CPU 11 sets the priority level of comfort based on the setting table. The CPU 11 may set the comfort priority level received from the input unit 15. In addition, in the following explanation, energy saving may be described as energy saving. The CPU 11 moves to step S109.
Here, an example of a setting table for cooling operation of the air conditioning control device 10 is shown in FIG. The setting table has, on the vertical axis, an outside air temperature item, an outside air discomfort index item, an indoor number of people item, and an indoor carbon dioxide concentration item. The horizontal axis is the priority level of comfort. When the outside temperature is low, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when the outside temperature is high, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort. Similarly, when the discomfort index of outside air is low, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when the discomfort index of outside air is high, it is set to emphasize comfort. Similarly, when the number of people in the room is small, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when there are many people in the room, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort. Similarly, when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is low, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is high, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort. Note that the CPU 11 may determine that the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is low when there are few people in the room, and may determine that the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is high when there are many people in the room.
Note that during the heating operation, the CPU 11 sets the setting to emphasize energy saving when the outside temperature is high, and sets the setting to emphasize comfort when the outside temperature is low. Similarly, when the discomfort index of the outside air is high, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when the discomfort index of the outside air is low, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort. Similarly, when there are many people in the room, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when there are few people in the room, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort. Similarly, when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is high, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize energy saving, and when the indoor carbon dioxide concentration is low, the CPU 11 is set to emphasize comfort.

In step S109, the CPU 11 sets elapsed times P1 to P7. The elapsed times P1 to P7 are used to determine whether to change the output limit. The CPU 11 may set the elapsed times P1 to P7 depending on the priority level of comfort. For example, the CPU 11 sets the elapsed times P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, and P7 to 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes, 5 minutes, and 15 minutes in this order. The CPU 11 moves to step S110.

In step S110, the CPU 11 sets determination load factors L1 to L5. The determination load factors L1 to L5 are values for comparison with the load factors, and are used to determine whether to change the output limit. For example, the CPU 11 sets the determination load rates L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5 to 10%, 40%, 40%, 70%, and 70% in this order. For example, the determination load factor L4 is set within a range from the same value as the output level OL3, which will be described later, to a value obtained by multiplying the output level OL3 by 0.9. The CPU 11 moves to step S111.

In step S111, the CPU 11 obtains the set values of the output levels OL0 to OL3. Output level OL0 is a state in which there is no output restriction. The output levels are in ascending order of OL1, OL2, and OL3. For example, output levels OL1, OL2, and OL3 are 0%, 40%, and 70%, respectively. The CPU 11 moves to step S112.

In step S112, the CPU 11 executes output level setting processing. The process of setting the output level of the outdoor unit 20 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The CPU 11 ends the air conditioning control process.

6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the flow of output level setting processing by the air conditioning control device 10.

In step S201, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T2. Timer T2 is a timer used to determine the change to output level OL1. Initialization of the timer T2 is, for example, to set the value of the timer T2 to 0 and start measuring time. The CPU 11 moves to step S202.

In step S202, the CPU 11 sets the output level of the outdoor unit 20 to OL3. The CPU 11 moves to step S203.

In step S203, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T1. Timer T1 is a timer used to determine a change to the output levels OL1 to OL3. Initialization of the timer T1 is, for example, to set the value of the timer T1 to 0 and start measuring time. The CPU 11 moves to step S204.

In step S204, the CPU 11 determines whether the load factor is lower than the determination load factor L2. If it is determined that the load factor is lower than the determination load factor L2 (step S204: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S205. If it is determined that the load factor is not lower than the determination load factor L2 (step S204: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S206.

In step S205, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P1. If it is determined that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P1 (step S205: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S213. If it is determined that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P1 (step S205: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S204.

In step S206, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T1. The CPU 11 moves to step S207.

In step S207, the CPU 11 determines whether the load factor exceeds the determination load factor L4. If it is determined that the load factor exceeds the determined load factor L4 (step S207: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S208. If it is determined that the load factor does not exceed the determined load factor L4 (step S207: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S203.

In step S208, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P2. If it is determined that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P2 (step S208: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S209. When determining that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P2 (step S208: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S207.

In step S209, the CPU 11 sets the output level of the outdoor unit 20 to OL0. In other words, the CPU 11 does not limit the output level of the outdoor unit 20. The CPU 11 moves to step S210.

In step S210, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T1. The CPU 11 moves to step S211.

In step S211, the CPU 11 determines whether the load factor is lower than the determination load factor L5. If it is determined that the load factor is lower than the determined load factor L5 (step S211: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S212. If it is determined that the load factor is not lower than the determined load factor L5 (step S211: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S210.

In step S212, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P3. If it is determined that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P3 (step S212: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S202. When determining that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P3 (step S212: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S211.

In step S213, the CPU 11 sets the output level of the outdoor unit 20 to OL2. The CPU 11 moves to step S214.

In step S214, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T1. The CPU 11 moves to step S215.

In step S215, the CPU 11 determines whether the load factor is lower than the determination load factor L1. If it is determined that the load factor is lower than the determined load factor L1 (step S215: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S216. If it is determined that the load factor is not lower than the determined load factor L1 (step S215: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S221.

In step S216, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P4. When determining that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P4 (step S216: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S217. When determining that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P4 (step S216: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S215.

In step S217, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T2 has exceeded the elapsed time P7. If it is determined that the timer T2 has exceeded the elapsed time P7 (step S217: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S218. When determining that the timer T2 has not exceeded the elapsed time P7 (step S217: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S215.

In step S218, the CPU 11 sets the output level of the outdoor unit 20 to OL1. The CPU 11 moves to step S219.

In step S219, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T2. The CPU 11 moves to step S220.

In step S220, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P5. If it is determined that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P5 (step S220: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S213. If it is determined that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P5 (step S220: NO), the CPU 11 waits until the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P5.

In step S221, the CPU 11 initializes the timer T1. The CPU 11 moves to step S222.

In step S222, the CPU 11 determines whether the load factor exceeds the determination load factor L3. If it is determined that the load factor exceeds the determined load factor L3 (step S222: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S223. If it is determined that the load factor does not exceed the determined load factor L3 (step S222: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S214.

In step S223, the CPU 11 determines whether the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P6. When determining that the timer T1 has exceeded the elapsed time P6 (step S223: YES), the CPU 11 moves to step S202. When determining that the timer T1 has not exceeded the elapsed time P6 (step S223: NO), the CPU 11 moves to step S222.

As described above, through the processes from step S202 to step S209 and step S213 described above, the CPU 11 sets the output level to OL2 when the output level is OL3 and the load factor is lower than the determined load factor L2 for a certain period of time. Further, when the output level is OL3 and the load factor exceeds the determination load factor L4 for a certain period of time, the CPU 11 sets the output level to OL0. In other words, in the allowable range of the load factor of the output level OL3, the lower limit value is the determined load factor L2, and the upper limit value is the determined load factor L4.
Further, through the processes from step S213 to step S218, step S221 to step S223, and step S202 described above, the CPU 11 controls the output level to Set to OL1. Further, when the output level is OL2 and the load factor exceeds the determination load factor L3 for a certain period of time, the CPU 11 sets the output level to OL3. In other words, in the allowable range of the load factor of the output level OL2, the lower limit value is the determined load factor L1, and the upper limit value is the determined load factor L3.
Further, through the processes from step S209 to step S212 and step S202 described above, the CPU 11 sets the output level to OL3 when the output level is OL0 and the load factor is lower than the determined load factor L5 for a certain period of time. In other words, the lower limit of the allowable load factor range for the output level OL0 is the determination load factor L5.
As described above, when the load factor deviates from the allowable range defined for each output level for a certain period of time, the CPU 11 sets an output level at which the load factor falls within the allowable range.

In addition, in the process of step S109 described above, the CPU 11 may set a certain period of time shorter when the priority of comfort exceeds the upper limit of the tolerance range than when the priority level of comfort is low. It is also possible to set a longer fixed period of time when the lower limit of is exceeded. For example, when the priority of comfort is low, the CPU 11 sets the elapsed times P3 and P4 to be shorter and sets the elapsed time P5 to be longer than when the priority of comfort is high. Note that when the priority level of comfort is low, in other words, it is the case where the priority level of energy saving is high.

In addition, in the process of step S109 described above, the CPU 11 sets the upper limit or lower limit of the allowable range lower when the priority level of comfort is high than when it is low. For example, when the priority level of comfort is low, the CPU 11 sets the determination load rates L1 and L5 higher than when the priority level of comfort is high.

Note that the CPU 11 may be configured to periodically execute the processes from step S101 to step S111. That is, the CPU 11 may execute the processes from step S101 to step S111 in parallel while executing the processes from step S201 to step S223. Further, the CPU 11 may measure the load factor by executing the processes of step S101 and step S102 in each process of step S204, step S207, step S211, step S215, and step S222.

[Modified example]
The air conditioning control device 10 of each embodiment has been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various improvements or modifications are possible.

The air conditioning control device 10 according to this embodiment may be configured to be integrated with the external sensor 40. That is, the air conditioning control device 10 may measure the outside air temperature, the outside air humidity, the number of people in the room, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the room. Further, the external sensor 40 may be configured to be integrated with the outdoor unit 20 or the indoor unit 30.

Note that the air conditioning control process that the CPU reads and executes the software (program) in the above embodiments may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. In this case, the processor includes a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Cipher). rcuit) to execute specific processing such as An example is a dedicated electric circuit that is a processor having a specially designed circuit configuration. In addition, the air conditioning control process may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). etc.). Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that is a combination of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

Further, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning control program is stored (installed) in advance in the computer-readable storage 14, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The program can be stored in non-temporary memory such as CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. (Non-transitory) stored on a storage medium It may be provided in the form of Further, the program may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

10 Air conditioning control device 20 Outdoor unit 30 Indoor unit 40 External sensor

Claims (8)

a measuring unit that measures a load factor from a measured current value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit or from a measured power value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated power value of the outdoor unit; ,
If the measured load factor deviates from the allowable range of the load factor defined for each output level that defines the output range of the output value of the outdoor unit in stages for a certain period of time, the measured load factor falls within the allowable range. and a selection unit that selects the output level that falls within the range. further including a first setting section for setting a certain period of time;
The certain period of time is variable depending on the level of priority of comfort, and can be set separately for when the load factor exceeds the upper limit of the allowable range and when it falls below the lower limit of the allowable range. and
The first setting section sets the certain time when the comfort level exceeds the upper limit of the tolerance range to be shorter when the priority level of comfort is high than when it is low, or sets the lower limit of the tolerance range to be shorter. The air conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is set longer when the temperature is lower than the specified time. further comprising a second setting section that sets the permissible range,
The permissible range is variable depending on the priority level of comfort,
The air conditioning control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second setting unit sets the upper limit value or the lower limit value of the allowable range to be lower when the priority level of comfort is high than when it is low. The outside temperature is measured by an external sensor, and the comfort level is set higher when the outside air temperature is high during cooling operation than when it is low, and when the outside air temperature is low during heating operation compared to when it is high, The air conditioning control device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a third setting section that sets the priority level of the comfort to be high. a calculation unit that calculates a discomfort index from outside air temperature and outside air humidity measured by an external sensor;
During cooling operation, the comfort index is set higher when the calculated discomfort index is high than when it is low, and when the calculated discomfort index is low during heating operation, the comfort level is set higher than when it is high. The air conditioning control device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a third setting section that sets a high priority level. An external sensor measures the number of people in the room, and during cooling operation, the comfort level is set higher when there are many people than when there are few people, and when heating operation is performed, the comfort level is set higher when there are fewer people than when there are many people. The air conditioning control device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a third setting section that sets a high priority level of comfort. The indoor carbon dioxide concentration is measured with an external sensor, and the comfort level is set higher when the carbon dioxide concentration is high during cooling operation than when it is low, and when the carbon dioxide concentration is low during heating operation. The air conditioning control device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a third setting unit that sets the priority level of the comfort to be higher than that in the case where the priority level of the comfort level is set higher. to the computer,
Measuring the load factor from the measured current value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated current value of the outdoor unit, or from the measured power value of the outdoor unit and a predetermined rated power value of the outdoor unit,
If the measured load factor deviates from the allowable range of the load factor defined for each output level that defines the output range of the output value of the outdoor unit in stages for a certain period of time, the measured load factor falls within the allowable range. An air conditioning control program for selecting the output level that falls within the range.