JP2023170595A - Pump device and management device - Google Patents

Abstract

To smoothly equalize an integrated operation time of each pump.SOLUTION: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a pump device acquires an integrated operation time and an integrated number of operations of each pump machine. The pump device acquires a total operation time which is obtained by totaling the integrate operation time of each pump machine, and a total number of operations which is obtained by totaling the integrated number of operations at each prescribed time zone of one day. The pump device calculates an average operation time of each pump machine on the basis of the total operation time and the total number of operations at each prescribed time zone. The pump device selects at least one first time zone in descending order of the average operation time, and selects at least one second time zone in ascending order of the average operation time, out of the average operation time at each prescribed time zone. The pump device drives each pump machine so as to equalize the integrated operation time of each pump machine during a first time zone. The pump device drives each pump machine so as to equalize the integrated number of operations of each pump machine during a second time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a pump device and a management device.

Generally, pump devices are known that perform alternate operation in which a plurality of pumps are driven alternately and parallel operation in which a plurality of pumps are simultaneously driven. In this type of pump device, since a plurality of pumps are switched and operated, the cumulative operating time of each pump varies over a long period of time. On the other hand, there is a known operation time smoothing control in which the switching order of each pump is changed so that the operation is not concentrated on a specific pump and the wear and tear of parts is dispersed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-045982

Normally, there is no particular problem with the operation time smoothing control as described above, but according to the study of the present inventor, when the operation time of each pump is short, it is necessary to smooth out the dispersion in the cumulative operation time of each pump. There is room for improvement in that it requires repeated operations. Therefore, it is desirable to efficiently smooth the cumulative operating time, rather than performing smoothing randomly throughout the day.

An object of the present invention is to efficiently smooth out the cumulative operating time of each pump.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a pump device includes a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other. The pump device includes an integration section, a summation section, a calculation section, a time period selection section, a time smoothing section, and a frequency smoothing section. The integration unit calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of times each pump in the plurality of pumps is operated. The totalizing section calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, a total operating time that is the sum of the cumulative operating times of the pumps, and a total number of operating times that is the sum of the cumulative operating times of the pumps. The calculation unit calculates an average operating time of each pump based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. The time slot selection unit selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each of the predetermined time slots in descending order of the average driving time, and selects at least one second time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Select obi. The time smoothing unit drives each pump during the first time period so as to smooth the cumulative operating time of each pump. The number smoothing unit drives each pump during the second time period so as to smooth the cumulative number of times the pump is operated.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the pump device includes a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other. The pump device includes a sensor, a setting section, and a control section. The sensor is provided at each pump in the plurality of pumps, and measures the flow rate of the fluid based on the rotation of an impeller that rotates in response to fluid discharged from each pump. The setting section sets a stop flow rate for each pump number. The control unit controls driving and stopping of each pump based on the measurement result of the sensor and the stop flow rate.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the management device is a device capable of communicating with a pump device including a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other. The management device includes a receiving section, a totalizing section, a calculating section, a time slot selecting section, a first transmitting section, and a second transmitting section. The receiving unit receives, from the pump device, operation data regarding the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump unit in the plurality of pumps. The totalizing unit sums up the total operating time of each of the pump units and the cumulative number of operating times of each pump unit, based on the received operation data, for each predetermined time period of the day. Find the total number of operations. The calculation unit calculates an average operating time of each pump based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. The time slot selection unit selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each of the predetermined time slots in descending order of the average driving time, and selects at least one second time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Select obi. The first transmitting unit transmits a start time of the first time period for causing the pump device to drive each pump unit during the first time period so as to smooth out the cumulative operating time of each pump unit. and an end time to the pump device. The second transmitting unit transmits a start time of the second time period for causing the pump device to drive each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period. and an end time to the pump device.

According to the present invention, the cumulative operating time of each pump can be efficiently smoothed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the management device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pump device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining step S20 in FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart for explaining step S40 in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining step S42 in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining step S42 in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining steps S41 to S47 in FIG. 6. 5 is a flowchart for explaining step S60 in FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart for explaining step S80 in FIG. 4. 7 is a flowchart for explaining step S60 in the operation example of the second embodiment. 7 is a flowchart for explaining step S80 in the operation example of the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of operation in the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, a pump device and a management device according to each embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, hereinafter, elements that are the same or similar to elements that have already been explained will be given the same or similar numerals, and overlapping explanations will basically be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common code may be used to explain each element without distinction, and a common code may be used to distinguish and explain each element. In addition, branch numbers may be used.

<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system including a pump device and a management device according to the first embodiment. This management system includes a management device 1 and a plurality of pump devices 5-n (n is an index). Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which n is 2, there is no need to limit it to this, and n may be any number as long as it is 1 or more. Hereinafter, when no particular distinction is made, the pump device 5 will simply be referred to as the pump device 5. The management system is a computer system that uses the management device 1 to manage operational data and the like measured regarding the pump device 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 1 and the pump device 5 are connected via a network NW, such as a mobile communication network such as 4G or 5G, or a relatively long-distance wireless communication line such as Wimax. That is, the management device 1 and the pump device 5 can communicate with each other.

The management device 1 is a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), a display device, an input device, and a communication device. The management device 1 has a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an integrated circuit storage device for managing various data related to the plurality of pump devices 5. The mass storage device will be referred to as a database. For example, the management device 1 stores various data regarding the pump device 5 in a database, and manages the operating status of the pump device 5.

The pump device 5 is, for example, a mechanical device (water supply device) that supplies water to a building. The pump device 5 is, for example, a so-called direct connection pressure increase type water supply device that is directly connected to a water main, directly increases the pressure of water flowing through the water main, and supplies water to a supply destination such as a faucet or shower head installed in a building. shall be. Note that the type of the pump device 5 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the direct connection pressure increase type, and any types such as a direct connection direct pressure type, a water receiving tank water supply type, an elevated water tank water supply type, etc. can be used as appropriate. It has become.

Next, the management device 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2.

The management device 1 includes an operation section 11, a display section 12, a storage section 13, a database 14, a communication section 15, and a control section 16.

The operation unit 11 is a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and receives requests and instructions from an administrator, and transmits them to the control unit 16.

The display unit 12 is a display device using devices such as a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (electroluminescence) panel, a 7-segment LED (light-emitting diode), and an LED lamp, and displays information given from the control unit 16 to the administrator. This is a visual indication of the The display unit 12 may display log data under control from the control unit 16.

The storage unit 13 uses semiconductor memory such as SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), NAND (inverted AND) flash memory, and EEPROM (registered trademark) (electrically erasable programmable ROM), and stores the control program of the control unit 16 and Stores control data, etc.

The database 14 is a storage device with a relatively larger storage capacity than the storage unit 13, and may include a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Database 14 is used to store log data.

The log data is log data received from the pump device 5, and is stored so that it can be aggregated for each pump device 5. The log data includes various data such as operation status data of the pump device 5 and abnormality notification when the pump device 5 is in an abnormal state.

The communication unit 15 communicates with the pump device 5 through the network NW.

The control unit 16 includes a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a memory. The processor may be configured with a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The control program and control data read from the storage unit 13 are stored in the memory, and the processor executes the control program to realize the function as a management device. The management function is a function that stores data received from the pump device 5 in the database 14 as log data and manages the state of the pump device 5 based on the log data.

Next, the pump device 5 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 3.

The pump device 5 includes a control device 50 and a pump section 60. In the pump section 60, the three pumps 61a to 61c arranged in parallel are, for example, pump No. 1, pump No. 2, and pump No. 3 from the left side. Note that the number of pumps is not limited to three as long as it is plural. The suction parts of these pumps 61a to 61c are connected to a water supply pipe extending from a water supply source, for example, a water receiving tank, through a branch part 64 and suction pipes 63a to 63c in which on-off valves 62a to 62c are interposed, for example. . Further, the discharge portions of the pumps 61a to 61c are connected to demand pipes extending from the demand side, for example, buildings or apartment complexes, through discharge pipes 67a to 67c in which, for example, check valves 65a to 65c and on-off valves 66a to 66c are interposed. 68. This constitutes a pump section 60 in which three pumps 61a to 61c are connected in parallel. However, an accumulator 70, flow rate sensors 71a, 71b, 71c, and a pressure sensor 72 are provided on the discharge side of the pumps 61a to 61c. Further, an inverter 54 is provided to variably control the power frequency (of the motor) of the pumps 61a to 61c. The inverter 54, flow rate sensors 71a to 71c, pressure sensor 72, and the like are connected to the control device 50. The control device 50 operates the pumps 61a to 61c alternately according to the demand detected by the flow rate signals of the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c and the pressure signal of the pressure sensor 72, for example, according to a pump control algorithm such as constant target pressure control. and parallel operation. Further, the control device 50 drives the pumps 61a to 61c so as to smooth out the total cumulative operation time and the total cumulative number of operations of the pumps 61a to 61c.

The control device 50 includes a communication device 51, an input device 53, an inverter 54, an interface 55, a display device 56, a storage device 57, and a control section 58 that are connected to each other via a bus.

The communication device 51 performs long-distance communication using a mobile communication network or wireless communication standards such as Wimax and Wi-Fi. The communication device 51 sends and receives various data to and from the management device 1 via a long-distance communication line.

Regarding the establishment of a wireless connection by the communication device 51, for example, in the case of Wi-Fi, the wireless connection is established by inputting the SSID (service set identifier) and password set in advance to the Wi-Fi access point. That's fine.

Input device 53 converts user instructions into electrical signals. As the input device 53, for example, an operation panel, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, various switches, etc. may be used. Note that a voice input device may be used as the input device 53. Electrical signals from the input device 53 are supplied to the control unit 58 via the bus.

Inverter 54 generates power to operate pumps 61a to 61c. Specifically, the inverter 54 supplies AC power at a predetermined frequency to (the motors of) the pumps 61a to 61c. Inverter 54 also receives an inverter control signal from control section 58 . Inverter 54 operates according to the inverter control signal. For example, the inverter 54 stops or starts operation in response to an inverter control signal corresponding to an operation stop signal or an operation start signal. Further, the inverter 54 controls the rotation speed of the motor according to an inverter control signal corresponding to the rotation speed control signal.

Specifically, inverter 54 includes a converter circuit, a smoothing capacitor, and an inverter circuit (not shown). A converter circuit takes in AC power from an AC power source, rectifies it, and converts it into DC power. The smoothing capacitor smoothes the voltage of the DC power output by the converter circuit to obtain DC power with a substantially constant voltage. Then, the inverter circuit converts the DC power obtained by the smoothing capacitor into AC power of a predetermined frequency according to an inverter control signal (corresponding to a rotational speed control signal) from the control device 50, and supplies the AC power to the motor.

The interface 55 is, for example, an input/output interface such as a port. The interface 55 connects the control device 50 and the pump section 60, for example, and transmits and receives various signals.

The display device 56 displays various data. As the display device 56, any display such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, or a plasma display may be used. Note that a projector may be used as the display device 56.

The storage device 57 is a memory device such as a ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD (solid state drive), or integrated circuit storage device that stores various data. The storage device 57 may be realized by one physical memory device, or may be realized by a plurality of physically separated memory devices within the pump device 5. Here, the storage device 57 stores the driving time and the number of driving times for each time. Although it is preferable that the operating time and number of operations be stored for each pump number, it is not necessary to store them for each pump number if the memory capacity is small. The storage device 57 stores the average driving time, maximum driving time, and minimum driving time determined by the control unit 58 from the driving time and the number of driving times stored for each time. Since driving trends may differ depending on the day of the week, it is better to store one week's worth of driving data. However, if the memory capacity is small, there is no need to store it. Note that there is a possibility that the operation will be different depending on the month or season, but if the memory capacity is small, you can always review the subsequent processing based on the previous day's and last week's operation data. There is no need to retain any data.

The control unit 58 is a processor (arithmetic device) such as a CPU or a microprocessor. The control unit 58 may be configured by a dedicated circuit such as ASIC or FPGA. The control unit 58 realizes the function of the pump device 5 by executing various programs stored in the storage device 57. The functions of the pump device 5 include, in addition to general operation functions and communication functions, an integration function related to smoothing, a total function, a calculation function, a time zone selection function, a time smoothing function, a frequency smoothing function, It has a smoothing stop function, a re-execution control function, etc. The integration function, summation function, calculation function, time period selection function, time smoothing function, frequency smoothing function, smoothing stop function, and re-execution control function are respectively an integration section, a summation section, a calculation section, a time period selection section, This is an example of a time smoothing unit, a number of times smoothing unit, a smoothing stop unit, and a re-execution control unit.

The integration function of the control unit 58 calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump in the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c.

The totalization function of the control unit 58 calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, the total operating time obtained by summing up the cumulative operating time of each pump machine, and the total number of operating times obtained by summing the cumulative operating number of each pump machine. Further, as the cumulative driving time for each predetermined time period of the day, a value obtained by averaging driving data for a predetermined number of days (for example, seven days) for each predetermined time period may be used. Similarly, for the cumulative number of operations, a value obtained by averaging over a predetermined number of days may be used.

The calculation function of the control unit 58 calculates the average operating time of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. Note that the average driving time is the value obtained by dividing the total driving time by the total number of driving times.

The time slot selection function of the control unit 58 selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each predetermined time slot in descending order of the average driving time, and selects at least one first time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Select 2 time periods. As a supplement, when correcting the variation in cumulative driving time, select the time period with the longest average driving time (first time period), and if there are multiple such time periods, select the time period with the shortest driving time. It is preferable to choose. For example, in a time zone where one driving time is short, variations in driving time are less likely to occur, and in a time zone where one driving time is long, there is a tendency for variation in driving time to occur easily. In order to utilize this tendency, the pump device 5 is made to store the daily operation tendency as an operation table. Based on this operation table, the control unit 58 does not select for time smoothing the "time period in which one operation time is short," which is the cause of variations in the cumulative number of operations in time smoothing, and Only the "long driving time period" (first time period) is selected for time smoothing. Furthermore, the control unit 58 selected the "time period in which one operation time is long" for time smoothing, but selected the "time period in which one operation time is short" (second time period) for frequency smoothing. It is recommended to select ``Obi''. For example, in a commercial building, automatic flushing of toilets at night always starts, although the startup time is short because the amount of water is low. In this case, it is preferable to smooth out the number of pumps by operating the pump with a small cumulative number of operations.

The time smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump during the first time period so as to smooth the cumulative operating time of each pump. For example, the time smoothing function does not drive the pump corresponding to the maximum cumulative operating time when the difference between the maximum and minimum cumulative operating time of each pump is greater than a predetermined time, and Each pump number may be driven in rotation.

The number smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump machine during the second time period so as to smoothen the cumulative number of times the pump machine is operated. For example, the frequency smoothing function does not drive the pump corresponding to the maximum cumulative number of operations, and the remaining Each pump number may be driven in rotation.

In addition, each of the time smoothing function and the frequency smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured to control the time smoothing function and the number smoothing function of the control unit 58 when two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps are reduced during parallel operation. The number of pumps that have been increased may be reduced.

The re-execution control function of the control unit 58 causes the summation function, calculation function, and time slot selection function to be re-executed at regular intervals. Accordingly, the re-execution control function of the control unit 58 updates the first time period used for the time smoothing function and the second time period used for the frequency smoothing function at regular intervals. As a supplement, the total function and calculation function calculate the average driving time for each time period in a schedule for a certain period, and the time selection function, time smoothing function, and frequency smoothing function calculate the time period from each average driving time. Select and perform smoothing operation. Here, the re-execution control function re-executes the total function, calculation function, and time selection function so that the average driving time to be calculated and the time period to be selected are re-calculated and re-selected at regular intervals. As a result, in the case of housing complexes such as apartments and condominiums, for example, if the time of day when a large amount of water is used changes due to changes in residents or changes in residents' daily rhythms, etc. Depending on the change, the time period in which smoothing control is performed can be changed. In addition, in the case of a factory, for example, if water is used for products, changes in the factory's operating status such as changes in products over a certain period of time or changes in the amount of water used for other reasons. , the time period during which smoothing control is performed can be changed. For example, if cooling water is used for air conditioning, the amount of water used changes depending on the season. For example, if water is used for cooling the device in addition to air conditioning, the amount of water used will be changed depending on the operating status of the device. Therefore, it is effective to periodically review and update (reselect) the first time period and the second time period in which smoothing control is performed, from the viewpoint of adjusting to changes in the time period in which the pump device 5 is used.

Note that the number of boards constituting the control device 50 can be arbitrarily designed, and each board can accommodate one of the communication device 51, input device 53, inverter 54, interface 55, display device 56, storage device 57, and control section 58. It is also possible to arbitrarily design which equipment is physically equipped. Further, each function of the control unit 58 is not limited to one control unit 58, but may be shared by a plurality of physically separated processors.

Next, an example of the operation of the pump device 5 and the management device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 11. In the following description, in order to avoid complexity, each function of the control section 58 will be described with the control section 58 as the main operating body.

(Step S10)
As shown in FIG. 4, the pump device 5 operates each pump number in rotation. Note that, as described above, pump No. 1, pump No. 2, and pump No. 3 are pump 61a, pump 61b, and pump 61c, respectively. At this time, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 stores operation data Ta to Tc including the operation time per operation, the number of operations per operation, the cumulative operation time, and the cumulative number of operations for each pump machine at each time. The data is stored in the device 57. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation data Ta of pump No. 1, the operation data Tb of pump No. 2, and the operation data Tc of pump No. Contains the number of operations, cumulative operating time, and cumulative number of operations. Further, the pump device 5 periodically transmits the operation data Ta to Tc of each pump unit to the management device 1. The management device 1 stores and manages the received operational data Ta to Tc in a database 14.

(Step S20)
Returning to FIG. 4, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 totals the cumulative operating time of each pump unit. Note that the control unit 58 may transmit the total cumulative operating time of each pump unit to the management device 1 together with the operating data Ta to Tc.

(Step S30)
The control unit 58 determines whether or not the total value exceeds a threshold value in step S20, and if it does not, the process returns to step S10. Here, the threshold value is, for example, 10 hours, and indicates the time corresponding to the trial run of the pump. That is, step S30 is a process in which the process returns to step S10 when the threshold value is not exceeded so as not to perform smoothing control during the trial run period when the operating time has a large variation. On the other hand, if the threshold value is exceeded, the trial operation period of the pumps 61a to 61c has ended, and the process moves to step S40.

(Step S40)
The control unit 58 creates or updates a smoothing table. Step S40 includes steps S41 to S47, as shown in FIG.

(Step S41)
The control unit 58 determines whether the current time is the table creation time or not, and if it is the table creation time (S41: Yes), the process moves to step S42. For example, if the operation table and smoothing table have not been created immediately after the test run period ends, the process moves to step S42. Further, for example, although the operation table T1 and the smoothing table T2 have been created as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the process also moves to step S42 when a predetermined creation time has arrived as shown in FIG. It is determined that the predetermined creation time has arrived, for example, when a predetermined creation cycle (certain period) has passed from the creation date of the operation table T1 and the smoothing table T2. In FIG. 9, the predetermined creation cycle is 12 weeks (expressed as three times 1w to 4w). That is, in the example of FIG. 9, the process moves to step S42 every 12 weeks. Further, the control unit 58 creates a table on the first day of the first 1w, and performs smoothing from the second day of the first 1w. However, the creation cycle and smoothing timing are not limited to these. For example, the creation cycle may be every week, or may be defined by a fixed rule such as every first week of every month, every season (every three months), or the like. For example, in the first 1w, create a table for each day of the week, in the 2nd w, change the table for each day of the week and perform smoothing, and in the 1st w 12 weeks later, create a new table and smooth the old table. You may also perform smoothing using the new table in the 2nd w. A new table is created by re-executing the summation function, calculation function, and time period selection function at regular intervals.

(Step S42)
The control unit 58 creates an operation table T1 and a smoothing table T2 based on the operation data Ta to Tc of each pump number.

First, the control unit 58 creates an operation table T1. For example, the control unit 58 calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, the total operating time that is the sum of the cumulative operating times of each pump machine, and the total number of operating times that is the sum of the cumulative operating times. Further, the control unit 58 calculates the average operating time (=total operating time/total number of operating times) of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. Further, the control unit 58 ranks the average driving times in descending order of average driving time for each predetermined time slot. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 58 creates a driving table T1 in which the average driving time, the total driving time, the total number of driving times, and the average time ranking are associated for each predetermined time period of the day.

After creating the operation table T1, the control unit 58 creates a smoothing table T2, as shown in FIG. For example, the control unit 58 selects at least one first time period from among the average driving times for each predetermined time period described above in order of increasing average driving time, and selects at least one second time period in order of decreasing average driving time. Select a time zone. Specifically, for example, the control unit 58 selects five first time slots in descending order of average time ranking in the driving table T1, and selects three second time slots in descending order of average time ranking. Note that the number of first time slots (five) and the number of second time slots (three) are examples, and are not limited thereto. The first time zone is a time range in which time smoothing control is performed, and is indicated in FIG. 8 by the name of the time smoothing time and the range of time values. The second time period is a time range in which the number smoothing control is performed, and is indicated by the name of the number smoothing time and the range of time values. As a result, the control unit 58 creates the first to fifth rows of the smoothing table T2 by associating each of the first to fourth average time rankings, the time smoothing time name, and the time value range. do. However, the average time ranking "1st" is associated with a valid flag "1" (valid), and the average time rankings "2nd," "3rd," and "4th" are associated with a valid flag "0" (invalid). is associated. Similarly, the control unit 58 creates the 4th to 6th rows of the smoothing table T2 by associating each of the 22nd to 24th average time rankings with the name of the number smoothing time and the time value range. do. Similarly, the average time rank "24th place" is associated with a validity flag "1" (valid), and the average time rank "22nd place" is associated with a validity flag "0" (invalid). Thereby, the control unit 58 creates a smoothing table T2 that associates the driving mode, valid flag, average time ranking, name, and range, as shown in FIG. Supplementally, step S42 is a process of setting smoothing parameters in the smoothing table T2 when the operation mode is "automatic setting". In the smoothing table T2, the smoothing parameters (valid flag and time smoothing start/end time, valid flag and frequency smoothing start/end time) when the operation mode is "manual setting" are determined by the operator's operation. It can be set according to the In any case, upon completion of step S42, step S40 is ended and the process moves to step S50.

On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S41 is that it is not the table creation time (S41: No), the process moves to step S43.

(Step S43)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is time to calculate the difference in cumulative driving time and the cumulative number of driving times. For example, when calculating the difference every week from the creation of the smoothing table T2 (step S42), in FIG. Determine whether it is the first day of each week. As a result of the determination, if it is not the time to calculate the difference (S43: No), step S40 is ended and the process moves to step S50. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S43, if it is the time to calculate the difference (S43: Yes), the process moves to step S44.

(Step S44)
The control unit 58 determines the difference in cumulative driving time and the difference in cumulative driving times. That is, the control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative operating time of each pump, and calculates the time difference between the two (=maximum value of cumulative operating time−minimum value). Similarly, the control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump, and calculates the difference between the two times (=maximum value - minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation).

(Step S45)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is time to compare the time difference and the number of times difference. For example, when comparing the difference every week from the time when the difference was calculated last time (step S44), in FIG. 9, every 3w (4th w,... ) is the first day of the month. As a result of the determination, if it is not the time to compare the differences (S45: No), step S40 is ended and the process moves to step S50. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S45 is that it is time to compare the differences (S45: Yes), the process moves to step S46-1.

(Step S46-1)
In order to confirm whether or not the smoothing control based on the smoothing table T2 is effective, the control unit 58 determines whether the difference in the cumulative operating time or the cumulative number of driving times has increased. For example, the control unit 58 determines whether the time difference calculated in step S44 this time (e.g., the first day of the 3w) is larger than the time difference calculated in step S44 the previous time (e.g., the first day of the 2w). . Similarly, the control unit 58 determines whether the difference in the number of times calculated in the current step S44 is larger than the difference in the number of times calculated in the previous step S44. As a result of the determination, if the time difference and the number of times difference are not wide (S46-1: No), since the smoothing control is effective, step S40 is ended and the process moves to step S50. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S46-1, if the time difference or the number of times difference has increased (S46-1: Yes), the smoothing control has no effect, so the process moves to step S47 via step S46-2. .

(Step S46-2)
The control unit 58 checks the upper limit of the smoothing control before increasing the smoothing control. For example, there are some sites where smoothing operations are prohibited for more than 1/4 of the day. In this case, the upper limit number of times is set to "6", and time smoothing and frequency smoothing are shared within the upper limit number of times. For example, the control unit 58 determines whether the number of smoothing control times has reached a predetermined upper limit number of times. Specifically, the control unit 58 determines the number of valid flags "1" for the time smoothing time corresponding to "automatic setting" in the smoothing table T2, and the number of valid flags "1" for the frequency smoothing time. sum up. Further, the control unit 58 determines whether the number of smoothing control times corresponding to the total number of the obtained valid flags "1" has reached the upper limit number of times (threshold value). As a result of the determination, if the upper limit time number has been reached (S46-2: Yes), the smoothing control cannot be strengthened any more, so step S40 is ended and the process moves to step S50. On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S46-2 is that the upper limit time has not been reached (S46-2: No), there is room to strengthen the smoothing control, so the process moves to step S47.

(Step S47)
If the smoothing control has no effect (S46-1: Yes) and the upper limit time has not been reached (S46-2: No), the control unit 58 changes the smoothing table T2 to increase the smoothing time. Update. For example, if the time difference has increased as a result of the determination in step S46-1, the control unit 58 sets the valid flag associated with the time smoothed time of "2nd place" in the average time ranking to "1" in FIG. Update. As a result, the time range in which temporal smoothing control is performed increases by one hour, so it can be expected that the effects of temporal smoothing control will increase. Similarly, for example, if the difference in the number of times has increased as a result of the determination in step S46-1, the control unit 58 flags the valid flag associated with the time smoothed time of one average time ranking "22nd place" in FIG. is updated to "1". As a result, the time range for performing the number smoothing control increases by one hour, so it can be expected that the effect of the number smoothing control will increase.

Specifically, for example, in FIG. 8, the control unit 58 performs the smoothing control at two times: the time smoothing time for the average time ranking "1st" and the frequency smoothing time for the average time ranking "24th". Suppose it has started.

After that, if the time difference and the number of times difference are not wide in the first step S46-1, the control unit 58 sets the time smoothed time of the "2nd" average time ranking and the "22nd" average time ranking. The valid flag for one of the frequency smoothing times (1:00 to 2:00) is further validated. As a result, the control unit 58 controls the four time points of the time smoothing times for the average time rankings "1st" and "2nd" and the frequency smoothing times for (one of) the average time rankings "24th" and "22nd". Continue smoothing control. In this case, it can be expected that the effects of both time smoothing control and frequency smoothing control will increase.

Further, in the second step S46-1, if the time difference has increased but the number of times difference has not increased, the control unit 58 further enables the validity flag of the time smoothed time of the "3rd place" average time ranking. As a result, the control unit 58 calculates the time smoothed times for the average time rankings "1st", "2nd", and "3rd" and the frequency smoothed times for (one of) the average time rankings "24th" and "22nd". Smoothing control is continued at time 5. In this case, it can be expected that the effect of frequency smoothing control will increase.

Further, in the third step S46-1, if the time difference has opened and the number difference has not opened, the control unit 58 controls one of the time smoothed times (9:00 to 10:00) of the average time ranking "4th place". 00) is further enabled. As a result, the control unit 58 controls the time smoothed times of the average time rankings "1st", "2nd", "3rd", and "4th" and the average time rankings "24th" and "22nd" (one of them). Smoothing control is continued at time 6, which is the number smoothing time. In this case, it can be expected that the effect of frequency smoothing control will increase. Furthermore, since the upper limit of 6 hours has been reached, the process will not proceed from the fourth step S46-2 to step S47.

In any case, after step S47 ends, step S40 ends and the process moves to step S50.

(Step S50)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is time to start time smoothing based on the smoothing table T2 created or updated in step S40. That is, based on the valid flag "1" in the smoothing table T2 and the range "12:00 to 13:00" associated with the "time smoothing time", the current time is set to the time smoothing start time "12:00". 00". As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the start time (S50: No), step S60 is skipped and the process moves to step S70. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S50, if the current time is the start time (S50: Yes), the process moves to step S60.

(Step S60)
In step S60, the control unit 58 performs smoothing control of the cumulative operating time. That is, the control unit 58 smoothes the cumulative operating time of each pump in the valid time smoothing time range "12:00 to 13:00" (during the first time period) in the smoothing table T2. Each pump is driven so as to Such step S60 is executed including steps S61 to S68, as shown in FIG. 10, for example.

(Step S61)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is time to start up or increase the number of units based on the operator's operation, the flow rate signals from the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c, the pressure signal from the pressure sensor 72, etc. In this case (S61: Yes), the process moves to step S62. Moreover, in the case of no (S61: No), the process moves to step S66.

(Step S62)
The control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative operating time of each pump, and calculates the time difference between the two (=maximum value of cumulative operating time−minimum value). This time difference is an index indicating the magnitude (range) of variation in cumulative operating time, and if it is equal to or greater than a predetermined time (threshold), it needs to be reduced.

(Step S63)
The control unit 58 determines whether the time difference obtained in step S62 is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, and if not (S63: No), skips step S64 and proceeds to step S65. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S63, if the time difference is greater than or equal to the predetermined time (S63: Yes), the process moves to step S64.

(Step S64)
The control unit 58 causes the pumps to operate except for the pump whose cumulative operating time is the maximum value (maximum cumulative operating time). For example, when the pump with the maximum accumulated operating time is pump No. 1, the control unit 58 does not use pump No. 1, but uses pump No. 2 and pump No. 3 to perform alternate operation or parallel operation. That is, the control unit 58 excludes the pump with the maximum accumulated operating time from the operation targets in step S65.

(Step S65)
The control unit 58 controls each pump number so that the number of pumps is started and increased from the number next to the number operated previously. For example, when starting pump No. 1, pump No. 2, pump No. 3, pump No. 1, pump No. 2, pump No. 3, etc., if the last operating pump was pump No. 2, then the next pump Start pump No. 3 and increase the amount. Furthermore, if the last operating unit was pump No. 3, the next operating unit is pump No. 1, but if pump No. 1 is excluded in step S64 (S63: Yes), it is skipped and the next pump is Start pump No. 2 and increase the amount. Note that the control unit 58 associates and stores the pump numbers and the order in which they were started and increased. From Yes in step S63 to step S65, if the difference between the maximum and minimum cumulative operating times of each pump is equal to or greater than a predetermined time, the pump corresponding to the maximum cumulative operating time is driven. This is an example of a process in which each of the remaining pumps is driven in rotation instead of the other pumps. After step S65 ends, the process moves to step S68.

(Step S66)
On the other hand, if it is not the time of startup or addition of units, the control unit 58 determines whether or not the number of units is being reduced based on the operator's operation, the flow rate signals of the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c, the pressure signals of the pressure sensors 72, etc. is determined, and if the number of units is reduced (S66: Yes), the process moves to step S67. If it is not time to reduce the number of units (S66: No), the process moves to step S68.

(Step S67)
When reducing one of the pumps during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps, the control unit 58 reduces the pump that was added most recently. For example, the control unit 58 decreases the number of pumps in the reverse order of the number of pumps added, and stops the remaining one pump from producing a small amount of water. For example, if pump No. 2 is started and pump No. 3 is increased, the number of pump No. 3 is reduced, and then pump No. 2 is stopped for a small amount of water.

(Step S68)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is the end time of temporal smoothing based on the smoothing table T2. That is, based on the valid flag "1" in the smoothing table T2 and the range "12:00 to 13:00" associated with the "time smoothing time", the current time is set to the time smoothing end time "13:00". 00". As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the end time (S68: No), the process returns to step S61 and the time smoothing control is continued. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S68, if the current time is the end time (S68: Yes), step S60 is ended and the process moves to step S70.

(Step S70)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is the start time of frequency smoothing based on the smoothing table T2. That is, based on the valid flag "1" in the smoothing table T2 and the range "23:00 to 0:00" associated with the "number smoothing time", the current time is set to the start time "23:00" of the number smoothing. 00". As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the start time (S70: No), step S80 is skipped and the process returns to step S10. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S70, if the current time is the start time (S70: Yes), the process moves to step S80.

(Step S80)
In step S80, the control unit 58 performs smoothing control of the cumulative number of operations. In other words, the control unit 58 smoothes the cumulative number of operations of each pump in the range of effective number smoothing times "23:00 to 0:00" (during the second time period) in the smoothing table T2. Each pump is driven so as to Such step S80 is executed including steps S81 to S88, as shown in FIG. 11, for example.

(Step S81)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is time to start up or increase the number of units based on the operator's operation, the flow rate signals from the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c, the pressure signal from the pressure sensor 72, etc. In this case (S81: Yes), the process moves to step S82. Moreover, in the case of no (S81: No), the process moves to step S86.

(Step S82)
The control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump, and calculates the difference between the two times (=maximum value - minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation). This difference in number of times is an index indicating the magnitude (range) of variation in the cumulative number of times of operation, and if it is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times (threshold value), it needs to be reduced.

(Step S83)
The control unit 58 determines whether the difference in the number of times obtained in step S82 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (for example, two times), and if not (S83: No), skips step S84 and moves to step S85. do. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S83, if the difference in the number of times is greater than or equal to the predetermined number of times (S83: Yes), the process moves to step S84.

(Step S84)
The control unit 58 causes the pumps to operate except for the pump whose cumulative number of times of operation is the maximum value (maximum number of times of cumulative operation). For example, when the pump with the maximum cumulative number of operations is pump No. 1, the control unit 58 performs alternate operation or parallel operation using pump No. 2 and pump No. 3 instead of using pump No. 1. That is, the control unit 58 excludes the pump number having the maximum cumulative number of operations from the operation targets in step S85.

(Step S85)
The control unit 58 controls each pump number so that the number of pumps is started and increased from the number next to the number operated previously. Note that, as described above, the control unit 58 associates and stores the pump numbers and the order in which they were started and increased. Similarly, from Yes in step S83 to step S85, if the difference between the maximum and minimum cumulative number of operations of each pump is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the pump corresponding to the maximum number of cumulative operations is selected. This is an example of a process in which the remaining pumps are driven in rotation without being driven. After step S85 ends, the process moves to step S88.

(Step S86)
On the other hand, if it is not the time of startup or addition of units, the control unit 58 determines whether or not the number of units is being reduced based on the operator's operation, the flow rate signals of the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c, the pressure signals of the pressure sensors 72, etc. is determined, and if the number of units is reduced (S86: Yes), the process moves to step S87. If it is not time to reduce the number of units (S86: No), the process moves to step S88.

(Step S87)
When reducing one of the pumps during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps, the control unit 58 reduces the pump that was added most recently. For example, the control unit 58 decreases the number of pumps in the reverse order of the number of pumps added, and stops the remaining one pump from producing a small amount of water. For example, if pump No. 2 is started and pump No. 3 is increased, the number of pump No. 3 is reduced, and then pump No. 2 is stopped for a small amount of water.

(Step S88)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is the end time of the number of times smoothing based on the smoothing table T2. That is, based on the valid flag "1" in the smoothing table T2 and the range "23:00 to 0:00" associated with the "number of times smoothing time", the current time is the end time of the number of times smoothing "0:00:00". 00". As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the end time (S88: No), the process returns to step S81 and the number smoothing control is continued. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S88, if the current time is the end time (S88: Yes), step S80 is ended and the process returns to step S10.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, in the pump device 5, the integration function of the control unit 58 calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump number in the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c. The totalization function of the control unit 58 calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, the total operating time obtained by summing up the cumulative operating time of each pump machine, and the total number of operating times obtained by summing the cumulative operating number of each pump machine. The calculation function of the control unit 58 calculates the average operating time of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. The time slot selection function of the control unit 58 selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each predetermined time slot in descending order of the average driving time, and selects at least one first time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Select 2 time periods. The time smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump during the first time period so as to smooth the cumulative operating time of each pump. The number smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump machine during the second time period so as to smoothen the cumulative number of times the pump machine is operated.

Therefore, by using a configuration that smoothes the cumulative operating time during the first time period in which the average operating time is long, the cumulative operating time of each pump can be efficiently smoothed. In addition, with the configuration that smoothes the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump during the second time period when the average operating time is short, it is possible to efficiently smooth the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump. As a supplement, even if the purpose of the building where the pump device 5 is installed, the daily rhythm of the residents of the apartment, the operating status of the factory, etc. change, variations in the cumulative operating time can be smoothed out without changing the pump settings. , it is possible to extend the life of the pump device.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured to control the maximum cumulative operating time when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative operating time of each pump unit is a predetermined time or more. The pump number corresponding to the value may not be driven, and the remaining pump numbers may be driven in rotation. The frequency smoothing function of the control unit 58 does not drive the pump corresponding to the maximum value of the cumulative number of operations when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times, The remaining pumps may be driven in rotation. In this case, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, it is possible to smooth the cumulative operation time and the cumulative number of times of operation while driving each pump in rotation.

Further, according to the first embodiment, each of the time smoothing function and the frequency smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured to control one of the pump units during parallel operation of two or more pump units among the plurality of pump units. When reducing the number of pumps, the number of pumps that were added most recently may be reduced. In this case, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the cumulative operating time of the pump units started first can be longer compared to the pump units that are recently increased or decreased, so the cumulative operating time can be adjusted efficiently. Can be done.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the re-execution control function of the control unit 58 may cause the control unit 58 to re-execute the total function, calculation function, and time slot selection function at regular intervals. In this case, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, even if the time period in which the pump device 5 is used changes due to changes in the living rhythm of residents such as apartments or the operating status of factories, the , the time period during which smoothing control is performed can be changed.

(Modified example of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the control unit 58 creates and exchanges the smoothing table T2 for one day at each creation cycle as shown in FIG. 9, but the invention is not limited to this. As a supplement, the pump device 5 is used in general buildings and apartments, or used to supply water to factory equipment. When used in a typical building or apartment, water is often used during the day, water is often used in the evening, and less water is used at night than during the day. When supplying water to factory equipment, the pump may supply the same amount of water throughout the day (supplying water without stopping), or there may be no difference between day and night. That is, depending on the environment in which the pump device 5 is installed, the operating tendency may be the same every day or may be different every day. If the driving tendency is the same every day, it is sufficient to repeatedly use the smoothing table T2 for one day, but if the driving tendency changes every day, it is preferable to replace the smoothing table T2 as appropriate. Therefore, when the driving tendency changes every day, for example, the control unit 58 may create and replace the smoothing table T2 for one day every day. Even in this case, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the first embodiment, the control unit 58 uses the smoothing table T2 for one day, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 58 may have a calendar function, and may switch and use a plurality of smoothing tables T2 created for each day of the week. Specifically, for example, the control unit 58 uses the smoothing table T2 for 7 days for each day, and on the 8th day, refers to the smoothing table T2 for the 1st day. Table T2 may be used repeatedly. In this case, the total function of the control unit 58 calculates the total driving time and the total number of driving times for each day of the week and for each predetermined time period. The calculation function of the control unit 58 calculates the average driving time for each day of the week and for each predetermined time period. The time slot selection function of the control unit 58 selects a first time slot and a second time slot for each day of the week. The time smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump unit during a first time period selected for each day of the week so as to smoothen the cumulative operating time of each pump unit. The number smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump unit during the second time period selected for each day of the week so as to smooth the cumulative number of times the pump unit has been operated. According to such a modification, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, even when the pump operation tendency changes greatly depending on the day of the week, such as weekdays and holidays in a commercial facility, efficiency can be improved according to the usage tendency for each day of the week. smoothing can be achieved. At this time, each of the total function, calculation function, time zone selection function, time smoothing function, and frequency smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured to perform operations for each day of the week, regarding holidays and substitute holidays as Sundays. It's okay. In this case, in addition to the effects of the modified example, if the pump usage trends are similar, such as holidays, substitute holidays, and Sundays in commercial facilities, operations can be combined into Sunday operations. Therefore, when a weekday is a public holiday or a weekday is a substitute holiday, when selecting the first time zone or the second time zone based on the average driving time that includes a mixture of holidays, substitute holidays, and weekdays. , it is possible to suppress a decrease in accuracy in the first time period and the second time period.

Further, in the first embodiment, the inspection work mode was not described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 58 may have a smoothing stop function that stops the operations of the time smoothing function and the frequency smoothing function and performs normal operation in which each pump number is driven in rotation during execution of the inspection work mode. . In this case, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, even a pump corresponding to the maximum cumulative operating time or cumulative number of operations can be driven and inspected during the inspection work mode.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, before the process of increasing the number of smoothing control times, it is determined whether the number of smoothing control times has reached the upper limit number of times, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sum of the number of rows (e.g., 3) of "time smoothing time" corresponding to "auto setting" in the smoothing table T2 and the number of rows (e.g., 3) of "number of times smoothing time" is the upper limit time. It may be limited to a number (eg, 6). In this case, even if all the "time smoothing times" and "number of times smoothing times" in the smoothing table T2 are set to the valid flag "1" (valid), the total number of smoothing control times (for example, 6 ( =3+3)) does not exceed the upper limit number of times (eg, 6). Therefore, according to such a modification, in addition to the same effects as in the first embodiment, it is possible to omit the determination as to whether or not the number of smoothing control times has reached the upper limit number of times.

Each modification of the first embodiment as described above can be applied to each of the following embodiments to obtain similar effects.

<Second embodiment>
The second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, in which, during smoothing control, pumps with a small cumulative operating time or cumulative number of operations are started and increased preferentially, rather than by rotation. be.

Accordingly, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 prioritizes each pump unit in order of decreasing cumulative operating time when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative operating time of each pump unit is a predetermined time or more. to drive. For example, when reducing one of the pumps during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 may reduce the number of pumps among the pumps operating in parallel. Reduce the number of pumps with the maximum cumulative operating time.

Similarly, the number smoothing function of the control unit 58 preferentially selects each pump unit in order of decreasing cumulative number of operations when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times. drive For example, when the number of pumps smoothing function of the control unit 58 is to reduce the number of pumps operating in parallel, the number of pumps with the largest cumulative number of operations is reduced among the pumps operating in parallel. let

Other configurations are similar to the first embodiment.

Next, an example of the operation of the pump device 5 configured as described above will be explained using the flowcharts of FIGS. 12 and 13. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the step numbers of processes different from those in FIGS. 11 and 12 are appended with a capital letter "A" at the end or in the middle.

Now, it is assumed that steps S10 to S50 are executed as described above, and step S60 is executed based on the determination result of step S50.

(Step S60)
In step S60, the control unit 58 performs smoothing control of the cumulative operating time. Step S60 is executed including steps S62 to S68, as shown in FIG. 12, for example. Note that step S61 described above is executed as step S64A2, which will be described later.

(Step S62)
The control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative operating time of each pump, and calculates the time difference between the two (=maximum value of cumulative operating time−minimum value).

(Step S63)
The control unit 58 determines whether the time difference obtained in step S62 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, and if not (S63: No), the control unit 58 skips the time smoothing control and moves to step S64A1. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S63, if the time difference is greater than or equal to the predetermined time (S63: Yes), the process moves to step S64A2.

(Step S64A1)
If the time difference between the cumulative operating times is small (S63: No), the control unit 58 operates each pump number in a normal rotation. After step S64A1 ends, the process moves to step S68.

(Step S64A2)
Similarly to step S61 described above, the control unit 58 determines whether it is startup time or addition time, and if it is startup time or addition time (S64A2: Yes), the process moves to step S65A. Moreover, in the case of no (S64A2: No), the process moves to step S66.

(Step S65A)
The control unit 58 controls each pump machine so that the pump machine whose accumulated operating time is the minimum value (minimum accumulated operating time) is preferentially started and increased. Specifically, the control unit 58 controls each pump number so that the pumps are activated and increased in order of priority in order of cumulative operating time. From Yes in step S63 to step S65A, if the difference between the maximum and minimum cumulative operating time of each pump is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, each pump is prioritized in descending order of cumulative operating time. This is an example of driving processing. After step S65A ends, the process moves to step S68.

(Step S66)
On the other hand, if it is not the time of startup or addition of machines, the control unit 58 determines whether or not it is time to reduce the number of machines, as described above, and if it is the time of decrease of machines (S66: Yes), the control section 58 moves to step S67A. . If it is not time to reduce the number of units (S66: No), the process moves to step S68.

(Step S67A)
The control unit 58 controls each pump machine so that the pump machine whose accumulated operating time is the maximum value (maximum accumulated operating time) is preferentially reduced and stopped for small water flow. For example, when reducing any of the pumps operating in parallel, the control unit 58 reduces the pump with the maximum accumulated operating time among the pumps operating in parallel.

(Step S68)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is the end time of temporal smoothing based on the smoothing table T2. As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the end time (S68: No), the process returns to step S62 and the time smoothing control is continued. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S68, if the current time is the end time (S68: Yes), step S60 is ended and the process moves to step S70.

(Step S70)
As described above, the control unit 58 determines whether it is the start time of frequency smoothing. As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the start time (S70: No), step S80 is skipped and the process returns to step S10. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S70, if the current time is the start time (S70: Yes), the process moves to step S80.

(Step S80)
In step S80, the control unit 58 performs smoothing control of the cumulative number of operations. Step S80 is executed including steps S82 to S88, as shown in FIG. 13, for example. Note that step S81 described above is executed as step S84A2, which will be described later.

(Step S82)
The control unit 58 extracts the maximum value and the minimum value from the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump, and calculates the difference between the two times (=maximum value - minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation).

(Step S83)
The control unit 58 determines whether the difference in number of times obtained in step S82 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, and if not (S83: No), skips the number of times smoothing control and moves to step S84A1. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S83, if the difference in the number of times is greater than or equal to the predetermined number of times (S83: Yes), the process moves to step S84A2.

(Step S84A1)
If the difference in the number of times obtained in step S82 is small (S83: No), the control unit 58 operates each pump machine in a normal rotation. After step S84A1 ends, the process moves to step S88.

(Step S84A2)
Similarly to step S81 described above, the control unit 58 determines whether it is startup time or addition time, and if it is startup time or addition time (S84A2: Yes), the process moves to step S85A. Moreover, in the case of no (S84A2: No), the process moves to step S86.

(Step S85A)
The control unit 58 controls each pump machine so that the pump machine whose accumulated number of operations is the minimum value (minimum accumulated number of operations) is preferentially started and increased. Specifically, the control unit 58 controls each pump number so that the pumps are started up and increased in order of decreasing cumulative number of operations. From Yes in step S83 to step S85A, if the difference between the maximum and minimum cumulative number of operations of each pump is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, each pump is prioritized in descending order of cumulative number of operations. This is an example of driving processing. After step S85A ends, the process moves to step S88.

(Step S86)
On the other hand, if it is not the time of startup or the time of adding machines, the control unit 58 determines whether or not it is time to reduce the number of machines, as described above, and if it is the time of reducing machines (S86: Yes), the control section 58 moves to step S87A. . If it is not time to reduce the number of units (S86: No), the process moves to step S88.

(Step S87A)
The control unit 58 controls each pump machine so that the pump machine whose accumulated number of operations is the maximum value (maximum accumulated number of operations) is preferentially reduced and stopped at a small water volume. For example, when reducing any of the pumps operating in parallel, the control unit 58 reduces the pump with the largest cumulative number of operations among the pumps operating in parallel.

(Step S88)
The control unit 58 determines whether it is the end time of the number of times smoothing based on the smoothing table T2. As a result of the determination, if the current time is not the end time (S88: No), the process returns to step S82 and the number smoothing control is continued. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S88, if the current time is the end time (S88: Yes), step S80 is ended and the process returns to step S10.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the cumulative operation time of each pump is smoothed during the first time period in which the average operation time is large, so that the cumulative operation of each pump is smoothed. Time smoothing can be performed efficiently. Similarly, by smoothing the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump during the second time period when the average operating time is short, it is possible to efficiently smooth the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump.

Further, according to the second embodiment, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured such that when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative operating time of each pump unit is equal to or more than a predetermined time, Each pump is driven in order with priority. The number smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump machine preferentially in the order of the smallest cumulative number of operations when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump machine is a predetermined number of times or more. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the configuration in which each pump number is driven preferentially in the order of decreasing cumulative operating time allows smoothing of the cumulative operating time to be performed even more efficiently. Similarly, by the configuration in which each pump is driven preferentially in the order of the cumulative number of operations, the cumulative number of times of operation can be smoothed out even more efficiently.

Further, according to the second embodiment, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 is configured such that when one of the pumps is reduced during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 Among the pump units in the system, the pump unit with the maximum cumulative operating time will be reduced. In addition, when reducing any of the pump units operating in parallel, the number smoothing function of the control unit 58 reduces the pump unit with the largest cumulative number of operations among the pump units operating in parallel. . Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the cumulative operating time and the cumulative number of operations can be efficiently adjusted by the configuration in which the pump number having the maximum cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations is reduced.

<Third embodiment>
The third embodiment is a modification of the first or second embodiment, and is a pump device 5 having a structure that can reduce variations in cumulative operating time.

Specifically, in the configuration of the pump device 5 shown in FIG. 3, the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c are provided to each pump number of the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c. Here, each of the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c measures the flow rate of the fluid based on the rotation of an impeller that rotates in response to receiving the fluid discharged from each pump.

On the other hand, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 includes a setting function for setting a stop flow rate for each pump number. Further, the control unit 58 controls each pump to stop based on the flow rate signals from the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c and the stop flow rate.

Furthermore, in the pump device 5, functions related to creation/update processing of the operation table T1 and the smoothing table T2 (the above-mentioned total function, calculation function, and time period selection function of the control unit 58) are omitted. However, in the pump device 5, the rows associated with the manual setting mode (valid flag, time smoothing start/end time, frequency smoothing start/end time) in the smoothing table T2 shown in FIG. It has become. That is, the time smoothing function and the number smoothing function of the control unit 58 are provided in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment. However, in the third embodiment, the first time period in which the time smoothing control is performed is a time period specified by the start time and end time that are manually set according to the operator's operation, and the average driving time does not mean those selected in descending order of . Similarly, in the third embodiment, the second time period in which the number smoothing control is performed is a time period specified by the start time and end time that are manually set according to the operator's operation, and It does not mean that the items are selected in order of decreasing time.

Other configurations are similar to those of the first or second embodiment.

According to the above configuration, in the pump device 5, the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c are provided in each pump unit of the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c, and the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c are blades that rotate in response to fluid discharged from each pump unit. The flow rate of the fluid is measured based on the rotation of the car. The control unit 58 sets a stop flow rate for each pump number, and controls the stop flow of each pump number based on the flow rate signals from the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c and the stop flow rate.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the actual flow rate can be measured based on the rotation of the impeller for each pump unit, and the stop flow rate can be set for each pump unit, so smoothing control can be performed. Even in a state where there is no pump, the variation in the cumulative operating time of each pump is reduced. Therefore, the cumulative operating time of each pump can be efficiently smoothed.

As a supplement, the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c of each pump unit measure the flow rate of the fluid based on the rotation of the impeller that receives the fluid discharged from each pump unit, so it is possible to measure the flow rate of the fluid that changes continuously. It can be detected according to the rotation speed of the impeller. In other words, the flow rate can be detected in an analog manner.

On the other hand, as a comparative example, a pump device using a paddle-type flow sensor that is turned on (open) at a flow rate exceeding a certain flow rate and turned off (closed) at a flow rate below a certain flow rate will be described. In the pump device of the comparative example, the flow rate sensor turns on or off the output by being moved by receiving water discharged from the pump. That is, the flow rate sensor of the pump device of the comparative example has a structure in which the paddle moves to turn off the output when the flow rate exceeds the stop flow rate, and does not detect a continuously changing flow rate.

On the other hand, generally, a flow rate sensor of a pump device is provided for each pump, and at least one is provided in the discharge piping of each pump. To put it simply, a flow rate below a certain level detected by the flow rate sensor means that the faucet changes from an open state to a closed state. Pumps normally rotate clockwise. The pump sucks in water from the suction pipe and discharges it to the discharge pipe, but the impeller that pressurizes the water rotates clockwise. The structure in which the discharge piping of each pump is connected to the combined discharge piping may be completely symmetrical, but it may not be symmetrical due to circumstances such as a narrow pump installation area. If the pump is not symmetrical, the flow of water discharged from the pump will be different, creating an error in the operation of the flow sensor. This error creates an error in the time it takes for each pump to stop, causing the cumulative operating time to vary over many years.

Variations in the cumulative operating time due to the non-symmetrical structure in which the discharge piping of each pump is connected cannot be reduced with a paddle-type flow sensor that turns on and off after a constant flow rate, as in the comparative example. This is because differences in the water flow discharged from each pump due to the non-symmetrical structure tend to cause errors in the on/off operation of the paddle type flow sensor.

On the other hand, according to the third embodiment, since the flow rate sensors 71a to 71c can measure the actual flow rate, the stop flow rate can be set individually for each pump number, so that when the faucet is actually closed, The difference in stop flow rate can be corrected. By performing this correction, it is possible to correct the conventional cause of variations in the time until stopping even when using the same water, so it is possible to minimize variations in the cumulative operating time.

Note that if the third embodiment corrects the variations caused by the non-symmetrical structure and the variations still become large, the smoothing control described in the first or second embodiment can be executed to achieve the most efficient Variations can be suppressed. This modification will be described below.

(Modification of third embodiment)
Although the third embodiment does not perform the smoothing control in the first and second embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 may include the integration function, totalization function, calculation function, time slot selection function, time smoothing function, and frequency smoothing function described in the first or second embodiment. . For example, the integration function of the control unit 58 calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of times each pump is operated. The totalization function of the control unit 58 calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, the total operating time obtained by summing up the cumulative operating time of each pump machine, and the total number of operating times obtained by summing the cumulative operating number of each pump machine. The calculation function of the control unit 58 calculates the average operating time of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. The time slot calculation function of the control unit 58 selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each predetermined time slot in descending order of the average driving time, and selects at least one first time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Select 2 time periods. As shown in FIG. 10 or 12, for example, the time smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump unit during the first time period so as to smoothen the cumulative operating time of each pump unit. As shown in FIG. 11 or 13, for example, the frequency smoothing function of the control unit 58 drives each pump during the second time period so as to smooth the cumulative number of times the pump is operated. According to such a modification, in addition to the effects of the third embodiment, the effects of the first or second embodiment can be obtained. Therefore, as described above, variations can be suppressed most efficiently.

<Fourth embodiment>
The fourth embodiment is a modification of the first to third embodiments, and is a mode in which the smoothing time is determined on the management device 1 side and the smoothing time is manually set in the pump device 5 from the management device 1 side. It is.

Accordingly, in the pump device 5, functions related to creation/update processing of the operation table T1 and the smoothing table T2 (the above-mentioned total function, calculation function, and time period selection function of the control unit 58) can be omitted. However, in the pump device 5, the rows associated with the manual setting mode (valid flag, time smoothing start/end time, frequency smoothing start/end time) in the smoothing table T2 shown in FIG. It has become. That is, the time smoothing function and the number smoothing function of the control unit 58 are provided in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment.

On the other hand, the control unit 16 of the management device 1 has, in addition to the functions of the management device 1, a reception function, a totalization function, a calculation function, a time slot selection function, a first transmission function, and a second transmission function. These receiving function, summation function, calculation function, time period selection function, first transmission function, and second transmission function are the reception section, summation section, calculation section, time period selection section, first transmission section, and second transmission section. This is an example.

The reception function of the control unit 16 receives from the pump device 5 operation data Ta to tc regarding the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of times of operation of each pump in the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c. Here, as the operation data regarding the cumulative operating time and the cumulative number of operations, for example, (a) operational data including the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations of each pump unit, and (b) the operation start time of each pump unit. and/or operation data including operation end time. In the case of (b) above, the control unit 16 calculates one driving time by subtracting the driving start time from one set of driving end times, and calculates one driving time by subtracting the driving start time and driving end time. It is counted as the number of times of one operation. The control unit 16 can obtain the cumulative driving time by integrating the driving time for each operation, or can calculate the total driving time from the calculated cumulative driving time. Similarly, the control unit 16 can calculate the cumulative number of driving operations by summing up the number of driving operations each time, or can calculate the total number of driving operations from the calculated cumulative number of driving operations. In the fourth embodiment, the above case (a) (the case of operation data Ta to tc including the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations of each pump) will be described as an example.

The totalization function of the control unit 16 sums up the total operating time of each pump unit and the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit for each predetermined time period of the day based on the received operation data. Find the total number of operations.

The calculation function of the control unit 16 calculates the average operating time of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period.

The time slot selection function of the control unit 16 selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each predetermined time slot in order of increasing average driving time, and selects at least one first time slot in order of decreasing average driving time. Select 2 time periods.

The first transmission function of the control unit 16 causes the pump device 5 to transmit information during the first time period for driving each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative operation time of each pump unit during the first time period. Send the start time and end time.

The second transmission function of the control unit 16 causes the pump device 5 to transmit information during the second time period for driving each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period. Send the start time and end time.

The other configurations are the same as in each of the first to third embodiments.

Next, an example of the operation of the pump device 5 and the management device 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 14.

(Step S10)
The pump device 5 operates each pump number in rotation, as described above. Similarly, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 generates operation data Ta to Tc including the operation time per operation, the number of operations per operation, the cumulative operation time, and the cumulative number of operations for each pump unit at each time. It is saved in the storage device 57.

(Step S25)
The pump device 5 periodically transmits the operation data Ta to Tc of each pump unit to the management device 1.

(Step S27)
The control unit 16 of the management device 1 stores and manages the received operation data Ta to Tc in the database 14. Step S27 is an example of a process of receiving operation data Ta to tc regarding the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations of each pump number in the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c from the pump device 5.

(Step S30B)
The control unit 16 of the management device 1 determines whether or not the total operating time obtained by adding up the cumulative operating time of each pump number exceeds a threshold value, and if the total operating time does not exceed the threshold value, the process returns to step S27. Here, the threshold value is, for example, 10 hours, and indicates the time corresponding to the trial run of the pump. That is, in step S30B, the process returns to step S27 if the threshold value is not exceeded so that the smoothing table creation/updating process is not performed during the trial run period when the operating time has a large variation. On the other hand, if the threshold value is exceeded, the trial operation period of the pumps 61a to 61c has ended, and the process moves to step S40.

(Step S40)
The control unit 16 of the management device 1 executes step S40 including steps S41 to S47, as described above. Here, in the description of step S40 mentioned above, the control section 58 of the pump device 5 will be read as the control section 16 of the management device 1 as appropriate. In addition, in step S42, the process of creating the operation table T1 is based on the received operation data, the total operation time that is the sum of the cumulative operation time of each pump number, and the total operation time of each pump number, for each predetermined time period of the day. An example of a process for calculating the total number of operations, which is the sum of the cumulative number of operations of Contains. In addition, in step S42, the process of creating the smoothing table T2 includes selecting at least one first time period from among the average driving times for each predetermined time period in descending order of the average driving time, and It includes an example of a process of selecting at least one second time period in descending order. In addition, when a predetermined creation cycle (certain period) has arrived at step S41, the process moves to step S42 and a new table is created at step S42. Contains an example of a process to be re-executed. Furthermore, after step S47 ends, step S40 ends and the process moves to step S48.

(Step S48)
The control unit 16 of the management device 1 transmits the created/updated smoothed time to the pump device 5. The smoothing time to be transmitted includes the item and value of the time smoothing start time, the item and value of the time smoothing end time, the item and value of the number smoothing start time, and the item and value of the number smoothing end time. There is. Step ST48 instructs the pump device 5 at the start time and end time of the first time slot for driving each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative operating time of each pump unit during the first time slot. This is an example of a process for sending. Step S48 also includes the start time and end time of the second time period for causing the pump device 5 to drive each pump unit so as to smooth the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period. This is an example of a process for transmitting time.

(Step S49-1)
When the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 receives the smoothing time from the management device 1, the control unit 58 uses the smoothing time as the “time smoothing start time”, “time smoothing end time”, and “number of times smoothing” in the smoothing table T2. "Start time" and "Number smoothing end time" are set in association with each item. In addition, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 controls each of the "time smoothing start time", "time smoothing end time", "number of times smoothing start time", and "number of times smoothing end time" of the smoothing table T2. A valid flag "1" indicating validity is set in association with the item. Note that the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 similarly sets the smoothing time in the smoothing table T2 (manual setting) even when the smoothing time is inputted by the operator's operation. That is, in step S49-1, the smoothing time that is manually set in the smoothing table T2 is set from the management device 1 side.

(Step S49-2)
Periodically or irregularly, the control unit 58 of the pump device 5 determines whether a smoothing time has been set. This determination is made, for example, whether or not values are set in association with each of the following items: "Time smoothing start time", "Time smoothing end time", "Number of times smoothing start time", and "Number of times smoothing end time". The determination may be made based on whether the value of the valid flag is "1" or not. In any case, if the result of the determination in step S49-2 is negative, the process returns to step S10, and if the smoothing time has been set, the process moves to step S50.

(Steps S50 to S80)
Steps S50 to S80 are executed in the same manner as described above based on the time smoothing start time, time smoothing end time, number smoothing start time, and number smoothing end time transmitted and set from the management device 1. Note that the smoothing control of the cumulative operating time in step S60 may be performed as shown in either FIG. 10 or FIG. 12. Similarly, the smoothing control of the cumulative number of operations in step S80 may be performed as shown in either FIG. 11 or FIG. 13.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, in the management device 1, the receiving function of the control unit 16 receives from the pump device 5 the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump number in the plurality of pumps 61a to 61c. Operation data Ta to tc related to are received. The totalization function of the control unit 16 sums up the total operating time of each pump unit and the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit for each predetermined time period of the day based on the received operation data. Find the total number of operations. The calculation function of the control unit 16 calculates the average operating time of each pump unit based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period. The time slot selection function of the control unit 16 selects at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each predetermined time slot in order of increasing average driving time, and selects at least one first time slot in order of decreasing average driving time. Select 2 time periods. The first transmission function of the control unit 16 causes the pump device 5 to transmit information during the first time period for driving each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative operation time of each pump unit during the first time period. Send the start time and end time. The second transmission function of the control unit 16 causes the pump device 5 to transmit information during the second time period for driving each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period. Send the start time and end time.

On the other hand, in the pump device 5, based on the start time and end time of the first time period received from the management device 1, the cumulative operation time of each pump unit is smoothed during the first time period. Drive the pump unit. In addition, in the pump device 5, based on the start time and end time of the second time period received from the management device 1, the pump device 5 smoothes the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period. Drive the pump unit.

Therefore, even if the management device 1 transmits the start time and end time of time smoothing control to the pump device 5, it is possible to smooth the accumulated operating time during the first time period when the average operating time is large. , it is possible to efficiently smooth the cumulative operating time. In addition, a configuration in which the management device 1 transmits the start time and end time of the number smoothing control to the pump device 5 may also be used. , the cumulative number of operations can be smoothed efficiently.

As a supplement, if the pump device 5 has a calendar function, smoothing can be performed more effectively, but in order to accurately maintain the calendar function, it is necessary to continue counting even if the pump device 5 is powered off. You will need batteries for this. When the power to the pump device 5 is cut off, there is maintenance or a power outage. If it is maintenance, it would be fine to readjust the date and time of the calendar function after maintenance, but because it is a hassle, readjustment is often not done. If there is a power outage, there are no people on site, so it is necessary to go to the site to set the date and time of the calendar function, but I would like to do it without going there. Therefore, a backup battery is attached. This battery needs to have a lifespan equal to the lifespan of the pump, making it an expensive battery. On the other hand, in recent years, as communication technology has developed and communication equipment and communication costs have become cheaper, there is often a need for life-or-death monitoring through remote monitoring. In this case, the time can be corrected via an NTP (network time protocol) server, and neither a calendar function nor batteries are required. The timekeeping function of the pump device 5 has been used to store the time of failure or to control starting and stopping at fixed times, but it can now be replaced by remote control. Therefore, the timekeeping function of the pump device 5 itself becomes unnecessary. In the case of a pump device that can communicate remotely, the operating time and operation number information may be sent to the management device 1 for each operation, or may be periodically sent as one hour's worth of data or one day's worth of data. The latter is preferable in that the fewer the number of communication sessions, the lower the server's ability and the lower the cost of the configuration. Furthermore, when using the cloud, the latter is preferable as the fewer the number of accesses, the cheaper the management and maintenance costs. The management device 1 stores the operating time at each time for each day of the week, and based on the information, sets the start time and end time of smoothing control in the pump device 5, and performs smoothing. As described above, it is desired to use the smoothing control setting function of the management device 1 in a model in which the pump device 5 has an asymmetric structure. For example, it is desirable not only to set the start/end time of the smoothing control but also to enable or disable the validity flag for each site, or to freely change the settings depending on the situation. Therefore, if the pump device 5 is remotely controllable from the management device 1, smoothing can be performed in a manner desired by the user by setting parameters related to smoothing control from the management device 1.

Further, according to the fourth embodiment, in the management device 1, the re-execution control function of the control unit 16 may cause the control unit 16 to re-execute the total function, calculation function, and time slot selection function at regular intervals. good. In this case, as in the first embodiment, even if the time period in which the pump device 5 is used changes due to changes in the daily rhythm of residents of an apartment or the like or the operating status of a factory, the time period may change. The time period in which smoothing control is performed can be changed depending on the situation.

(Modification of the fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, the pump device 5 transmits the operation data including the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of times of operation of each pump (Step S25), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pump device 5 may transmit the operation start time to the management device 1 at the timing when each pump starts operating, and transmit the operation end time to the management device 1 at the timing when each pump ends. Alternatively, the pump device 5 may transmit the operation start time and operation end time to the management device 1 together. In any case, the management device 1 calculates one driving time as the difference between the driving end time and driving start time, and considers the pair of driving start time notification and driving end time notification as one driving count. Accumulate. Thereby, the management device 1 may obtain the cumulative driving time and the cumulative number of driving times. Even with this modification, the same effects as in the fourth embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the summation function, calculation function, and time slot selection function of the control unit 58 are omitted in the pump device 5, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the pump device 5, when the automatic setting mode in the first and second embodiments and the manual setting mode in the fourth embodiment are used together as shown in FIG. , calculation function and time zone selection function are not omitted. Even with this modification, the same effects as in the fourth embodiment can be obtained in the manual setting mode in which the smoothing table T2 is manually set.

Further, in the fourth embodiment, the pump device 5 determines whether the current time is the smoothing control time, whether the cumulative operating time is a predetermined time or more, and whether the cumulative operating number is a predetermined number or more. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the management device 1 determines whether the current time is the start time of time smoothing control and whether the cumulative operating time is longer than a predetermined time, and in the case of a positive determination result, The pump device 5 may be notified to change to the time smoothing control mode. The time smoothing control mode referred to here is a mode in which steps S64 and S65 (or S65A) are performed when starting up or increasing the number of machines, and step S67 (or S67A) is performed when the number of machines is reduced. Similarly, the management device 1 determines whether the current time is the start time of frequency smoothing control and whether the cumulative number of operations is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times, and in the case of a positive determination result, , the pump device 5 may be notified to change to the frequency smoothing control mode. The frequency smoothing control mode referred to here is a mode in which steps S84 and S85 (or S85A) are performed when starting or increasing the number of machines, and step S87 (or S87A) is performed when the number of machines is reduced. Even with this modification, the same effects as in the fourth embodiment can be obtained.

In each of the embodiments and modifications described above, the control unit 16 and the control unit 58 that execute several processes have been described, but this is only an example of implementation. For example, a plurality of processes described as being executed by one control unit 16 and control unit 58 may be implemented across a plurality of separate control units or processors.

The various control units 16 described in the present embodiment and modified examples may be realized using circuits. The circuit may be a dedicated circuit that implements a specific function, or may be a general-purpose circuit such as a processor. Similarly, the functions of the control unit 58 may be realized by a dedicated circuit that realizes a specific function.

At least a part of the processing of the present embodiment and the modified example described above can also be realized by using, for example, a processor installed in a general-purpose computer as the basic hardware. A program that implements the above processing may be provided while being stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The program is stored on a recording medium as an installable file or an executable file. Examples of the recording medium include magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD, Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc, etc.), magneto-optical disks (MO etc.), semiconductor memories, and the like. The recording medium may be any medium as long as it can store the program and is readable by a computer. Further, a program for realizing the above processing may be stored on a computer (server) connected to a network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer (client) via the network.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified at the implementation stage without departing from the gist thereof. Moreover, each embodiment may be implemented in combination as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effect can be obtained. Furthermore, the embodiments described above include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combinations selected from the plurality of constituent features disclosed. For example, if a problem can be solved and an effect can be obtained even if some constituent features are deleted from all the constituent features shown in the embodiment, the configuration from which these constituent features are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Management device, 5... Pump device, 11... Operating unit, 12... Display unit, 13... Storage unit, 14... Database, 15... Communication unit, 16... ...Control unit, 50...Control device, 51...Communication device, 53...Input device, 54...Inverter, 55...Interface, 56...Display device, 57...Storage Device, 58... Control unit, 60... Pump unit, 61a to 61c... Pump, 62a to 62c... Open/close valve, 63a to 63c... Suction pipe, 64... Branch part, 65a ~65c...Check valve, 66a~66c...Opening/closing valve, 67a~67c...Discharge pipe, 68...Demand pipe, 70...Accumulator, 71a~71c...Flow rate sensor, 72 ...pressure sensor

Claims (13)

A pump device comprising a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other,
an integration unit that calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative number of operations of each pump unit in the plurality of pumps;
a totalizing unit that calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, a total operating time that is the cumulative operating time of each pump unit, and a total operating number that is the cumulative operating number of each pump unit;
a calculation unit that calculates an average operating time of each pump based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period;
Time slot selection of selecting at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each of the predetermined time slots in descending order of the average driving time, and selecting at least one second time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Department and
a time smoothing unit that drives each pump unit so as to smooth the cumulative operating time of each pump unit during the first time period;
A pump device comprising: a number smoothing unit that drives each pump number so as to smooth the cumulative number of times each pump number is driven during the second time period. When the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative operating time of each of the pump units is equal to or more than a predetermined time, the time smoothing unit does not drive the pump unit corresponding to the maximum cumulative operating time, and operates the remaining pump unit. Drive each pump number in rotation,
When the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump number is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times, the number smoothing unit does not drive the pump number corresponding to the maximum value of the number of cumulative number of times of operation, and smooths the remaining number of times of operation. Drive each pump number in rotation,
The pump device according to claim 1. Each of the time smoothing section and the number of times smoothing section is configured to reduce the number of pumps that were added most recently when one of the pumps is reduced during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps. The pump device according to claim 2, wherein the number of units is reduced. The time smoothing unit drives each pump unit preferentially in the order of decreasing cumulative operating time when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative operating time of each pump unit is a predetermined time or more,
The number smoothing unit drives each pump machine preferentially in the order of the smallest cumulative number of operations when the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the cumulative number of times of operation of each pump machine is equal to or more than a predetermined number of times.
The pump device according to claim 1. When reducing one of the pumps during parallel operation of two or more pumps among the plurality of pumps, the time smoothing unit calculates the cumulative operating time of each of the pumps operating in parallel. The largest pump unit was reduced,
When reducing any of the pump units operating in parallel, the number smoothing unit reduces the pump unit with the largest accumulated number of operations among the pump units operating in parallel.
The pump device according to claim 4. The totalizing unit calculates the total driving time and the total number of driving times for each day of the week and for each predetermined time period,
The calculation unit calculates the average driving time for each day of the week and for each predetermined time period,
The time slot selection unit selects the first time slot and the second time slot for each day of the week, and the time smoothing unit selects the first time slot and the second time slot for each day of the week, and the time smoothing unit selects the first time slot and the second time slot for each day of the week. Drive each pump unit so as to smooth out the cumulative operating time of each pump unit,
The number smoothing unit drives each pump unit during the second time slot selected for each day of the week so as to smooth the cumulative number of times the pump unit is operated.
A pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. Each of the summation unit, the calculation unit, the time slot selection unit, the time smoothing unit, and the number of times smoothing unit performs operations for each day of the week, regarding holidays and substitute holidays as Sundays.
The pump device according to claim 6. a smoothing stop unit that stops the operations of the time smoothing unit and the number of times smoothing unit and performs a normal operation of driving each pump in rotation during execution of the inspection work mode;
The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: The pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a re-execution control unit that re-executes the summation unit, the calculation unit, and the time period selection unit at regular intervals. A pump device comprising a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other,
a flow rate sensor that is provided in each pump unit of the plurality of pumps and measures the flow rate of the fluid based on the rotation of an impeller that rotates in response to fluid discharged from each pump unit;
a setting unit that sets a stop flow rate for each pump number;
A pump device comprising: a control unit that controls the stoppage of each of the pumps based on the flow rate signal of the flow rate sensor and the stop flow rate. an integrating unit that calculates the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump;
a totalizing unit that calculates, for each predetermined time period of the day, a total operating time that is the cumulative operating time of each pump unit, and a total operating number that is the cumulative operating number of each pump unit;
a calculation unit that calculates an average operating time of each pump based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period;
Time slot selection of selecting at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each of the predetermined time slots in descending order of the average driving time, and selecting at least one second time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Department and
a time smoothing unit that drives each pump unit so as to smooth the cumulative operating time of each pump unit during the first time period;
The pump device according to claim 10, further comprising: a number smoothing unit that drives each pump number so as to smooth the cumulative number of times each pump number is driven during the second time period. A management device capable of communicating with a pump device including a plurality of pumps arranged in parallel with each other,
a receiving unit that receives operation data regarding the cumulative operating time and cumulative operating number of each pump unit in the plurality of pumps from the pump device;
Based on the received operation data, for each predetermined time period of the day, calculate the total operation time that is the sum of the cumulative operation time of each pump unit and the total number of operations that is the sum of the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit. The total part you want,
a calculation unit that calculates an average operating time of each pump based on the total operating time and the total number of operating times for each predetermined time period;
Time slot selection of selecting at least one first time slot from among the average driving times for each of the predetermined time slots in descending order of the average driving time, and selecting at least one second time slot in descending order of the average driving time. Department and
Sending to the pump device the start time and end time of the first time period for driving each pump device so as to smooth out the cumulative operating time of each pump device during the first time period; a first transmitting section to
Sending to the pump device the start time and end time of the second time period for driving each pump unit so as to smooth the cumulative number of operations of each pump unit during the second time period; A management device comprising: a second transmitter for transmitting information; The management device according to claim 12, further comprising a re-execution control unit that re-executes the summation unit, the calculation unit, and the time slot selection unit at regular intervals.