JP2920156B2 - Temperature detection method for thermal environment control - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of forming a comfortable environment when a occupant is at a fixed position, such as desk work, and more specifically, detects a occupant's skin temperature in a non-contact manner. And a method for controlling a thermal environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in offices and factories, occupants often work at fixed positions due to individualization and specialization of work. Hotel rooms, hospital wards, passengers in vehicles, cabs of automobiles, etc. are forced to stay in fixed locations.

In a conventional air-conditioning system, the room temperature is determined without much consideration of individual differences such as the behavior of the occupant, the state of clothing, gender, age, and work content. Usually, the operating state of the air conditioner is automatically controlled so that That is, in the conventional control of the comfortable thermal environment, the comfortable range is empirically determined by physical quantities such as the temperature, humidity, airflow, and radiation of the atmosphere, and control is performed such that the value of the physical quantity becomes a target value.

[0004]

However, it is impossible to fixedly define the thermal conditions that are regarded as the comfortable range in the following points.

(1) The human body temperature has a diurnal characteristic, and the comfortable range may slide depending on the time. (2) The level of mental tension (arousal) also changes over time,
The preferred comfort range (physical quantity) may differ depending on the level of arousal. (3) Clothes change daily, and therefore the black value changes. If the black value changes, the comfortable range (physical quantity) will be different. (4) Metabolic rate also changes over time. Therefore, the comfortable range (physical quantity) differs depending on the metabolic rate.

In the conventional air-conditioning system, the heat condition is fixedly determined without taking such changes into account. Therefore, there is a possibility that the temperature is controlled to a temperature range deviating from the actual comfortable range.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a new method of appropriately detecting a comfortable condition preferred by a person and controlling a comfortable thermal environment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an infrared radiation thermometer for automatically controlling the thermal environment of a work area where a seating work or a similar fixing work is performed by a heat source device. And the ambient temperature of the working area is detected by a normal thermometer, and when the difference between the detected object temperature and the ambient temperature is within a certain range, the temperature of the object is reduced to the skin of the living body. Temperature, and in some cases, comparing the average value of several previously measured skin temperatures with the current object temperature to determine that the object temperature is skin temperature And operating the heat source equipment based on the detection value of the infrared radiation thermometer to control the thermal environment of the work area to a comfortable range.

[0009]

As is well known, the infrared radiation thermometer can detect the surface temperature of an object in a non-contact manner, but does not have the ability to identify the object to be measured. Taking desk work as an example, if an infrared radiation thermometer is installed so that the temperature of an object on the desk can be detected, the temperature of articles such as documents on the desk and the living body temperature of the back, fingers, and palms of the hands working on the desk can be detected. , As it is,
It cannot be determined whether the detected temperature is the temperature of the living body or the temperature of the article. This is possible according to the invention.

When the ambient temperature in the office is known, the surface temperature of an article such as a document on a desk is close to the ambient temperature.
On the other hand, the back and palms of the hands doing deskwork are close to the skin temperature in the periphery and show relatively large changes due to the influence of the environment. When the environmental temperature is detected by another thermometer and the temperature of the object detected by the infrared radiation thermometer differs from the temperature of the object by more than several degrees, the detected value is the temperature of the exposed part of the human hand or arm. Can be determined. The temperature of the clothing section is considered to be an intermediate temperature between these.

That is, the ambient temperature in the office is detected by a normal thermometer, and when the difference between the ambient temperature detected by the infrared radiation thermometer and the ambient temperature is within a certain range, the temperature of the object is detected by the hand. Skin temperature can be predicted. Then, the heat source device is controlled using the detected temperature (skin temperature) of the infrared radiation thermometer as the current value.

[0012] The skin temperature of the peripheral part (hand part) also changes depending on the metabolic rate and the history of the amount of work, the chroma value, and the level of arousal. A true comfortable thermal environment can be formed by controlling the skin temperature.

Generally, in order for human body temperature to be constantly maintained, heat production in the body and heat release to the outside must be in physiological equilibrium. Some of the metabolizable energy is used for work, but most of it is heat. Heat exchange with the surrounding environment takes place by radiation, convection and evaporation,
When the heat storage amount S in the body represented by the following equation (1) is 0, the heat storage in the human body and the heat dissipation to the environment are balanced, and the body temperature is maintained at a constant temperature.

S = M− (± W) −E−RC (1) where, S: heat storage in the body, M: metabolism, W: work done by work (+),: work by work Is added (+), E: heat release by evaporation, R: radiation heat exchange, C: convection heat exchange.

The working temperature at which the heat storage amount S becomes 0 is $ 25 to 29 ° C. in the clothing state and $ 29 to 31 ° C. in the naked body. In this temperature range, heat exchange is regulated exclusively by changing the skin surface temperature, which occurs by regulating the blood flow between the deep body and the skin surface by vasodilation. In the operating temperature range where the heat storage amount S becomes zero, there must be an external condition in which heat dissipation to the environment is in equilibrium with metabolic heat storage even without such blood flow adjustment, and this must be neutralized. Called a point. On the higher side, there is an evaporative heat zone where heat is released by sweating, and on the lower side, heat metabolism is increased by muscle tension, shaking, exercise, etc. Enter the cold zone where the behavior is adjusted by strengthening the behavior. In the high-temperature and low-temperature regions, the physiological response for body temperature regulation is considered to be a kind of strain, and the factor that evokes such an environment can be regarded as environmental stress. Such an environment where the environmental stress is small is a so-called comfortable range.

From the above, it can be seen that the thermal environment for giving a neutral point differs depending on the metabolic rate of a person. It also shows that changes in skin temperature are involved in regulating body temperature, and this determines the comfortable range.

Fanger published the derivation of the comfort equation in 1967, linking the thermal load of the human body with the thermal sensation of the human,
(Predicted Mean Voto). Among them, the skin temperature T _s = 35.7−0.032 (H / A) H = M (1−η) M: metabolic rate (kcal / h) η: efficiency of external work A: human body surface area (M ² ). Here, the skin temperature is the average value of each part of the human body. Therefore, if the skin temperature and metabolic rate are determined and the temperature and humidity are adjusted based on them, the human body can be given an environment that maintains the neutral point.

On the other hand, the metabolic rate (M) is as follows: M = α (T _S −T _R ) (a) T _S : human skin temperature (° C.) T _R : indoor temperature (° C.) α: proportional coefficient It can be estimated by the formula. α may vary slightly depending on the gender, age, and work content of the occupants, but may be used after being corrected to an appropriate value according to the occupants.

According to the present invention, the temperature of the exposed skin is detected in a non-contact manner and is used as a control amount for controlling the thermal environment. By adopting the skin temperature of the part,
A truly comfortable thermal environment can be created.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a desk 1 for controlling the individual's comfortable thermal environment with respect to the personal work area of the desk work.
3 shows a state in which the object temperature is detected by the infrared radiation thermometer 2. The infrared radiation thermometer 2 is installed using a stand 4 at a position where the skin temperature of the hand 3 of the worker can be detected. The stand 4 can be moved as appropriate, and the operator's hand 3 is set at a position where light can be collected most easily.

As the infrared radiation thermometer 2, a well-known infrared radiation thermometer using a ceramic sensing element can be used. For example, a commercially available current-collecting infrared sensor module is convenient.

FIG. 2 illustrates a control mode according to the present invention when such an infrared radiation thermometer 2 is used. The infrared radiation thermometer 2 includes a condenser lens 6, an infrared sensor 7, an amplifier 8, and a filter 9.
The infrared light condensed by the sensor is converted into an electric signal (a voltage corresponding to the amount of received light energy) by the sensor 7 and then enters the skin temperature estimating device 10 via the amplifier 8 and the filter 9.

The skin temperature estimating device 10 receives the detection signal of the infrared radiation thermometer 2 and the detection signal of the ordinary thermometer 11 for detecting the indoor atmosphere temperature. The skin temperature prediction device 10 measures the difference between the surface temperature of the article detected by the infrared radiation thermometer 2 and the ambient temperature detected by the thermometer 11 from both the detection signals, and this difference falls within a predetermined setting range. The temperature of the article detected by the infrared radiation thermometer 2 is determined to be the skin temperature if the temperature is within the set range. If it is determined that the temperature is the skin temperature, the detection signal of the infrared radiation thermometer 2 is output as an instruction signal for controlling the thermal environment.

At this time, the instruction signal is input to the memory 12 once and the value is stored. If the stored data before the previous time is stored, the average value is compared with the input value, and if the difference is within a certain range, it is confirmed that the instruction signal is the skin temperature. Thereby, the skin temperature can be confirmed again.
If the accuracy of the skin temperature prediction device 10 is improved,
2 can be omitted.

FIG. 3 shows a control flow of the infrared radiation thermometer 2, the skin temperature prediction device 10 and the memory meter 12.

When the skin temperature is detected in this way,
The skin temperature is input as an instruction signal to the control device 13 for controlling the thermal environment of the environment. When the instruction signal is out of the comfortable range in that state, the control device 13 operates the heat source device 14 to control the thermal environment of the work area so as to fall within the comfortable range. As the heat source device 14, an air conditioner can be normally used, but a cool air or hot air supply device or heaters using radiant heat may be used. Further, the heat source device 14 may be a personal air conditioner or a cool / hot air supply device provided separately from a main air conditioner for air conditioning of the entire room.

In the above embodiment, the work area is a desk work area. However, a work area in which a position in a factory is specified, a specific area such as a seat of a vehicle or a car, a sickbed, a guest room, a reception counter, and the like. Even in this case, the same control can be performed, and a comfortable environment suitable for a person existing in these specific areas can be formed. Further, the present invention can be applied to an incubator and, in some cases, an animal breeding room.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the skin temperature of a person can be detected in a non-contact manner by an infrared radiation thermometer, and the heat can be controlled so as to provide a comfortable environment adapted to the metabolism of the person. . The ability to detect the skin temperature in a non-contact manner means that compared to using a thermometer in close contact with the skin, there is no uncomfortable feeling associated with wearing and no need to remove or attach, and the infrared radiation thermometer itself is a small device. It does not disturb the work and does not cause discomfort. From this, it is possible to greatly contribute to the development of comfortable thermal environment control technology for humans and the improvement of work efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the surface temperature of an object on a desk is detected by an infrared radiation thermometer.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a control mode of the present invention for controlling a heat source device by detecting skin temperature with an infrared radiation thermometer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the control in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Desk 2 Infrared radiation thermometer 3 Hand part 4 Stand 6 Condensing lens 7 Infrared sensor 8 Amplifier 9 Filter 10 Skin temperature prediction device 11 Thermometer for detecting ambient temperature 12 Storage device 13 Control device 14 Heat source device

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] When automatically controlling the thermal environment of a work area where a seating work or a similar fixing work is performed by a heat source device, a temperature of an object present in the work area is detected in a non-contact manner by an infrared radiation thermometer. At the same time, the ambient temperature of the work area is detected by a normal thermometer, and when the difference between the detected object temperature and the ambient temperature is within a certain range, the object temperature is predicted to be the skin temperature of the living body. Further, a temperature detecting method for controlling a thermal environment, wherein the thermal source device is operated based on a detection value of the infrared radiation thermometer to control a thermal environment of a work area to a comfortable range. 2. A method for automatically controlling a thermal environment in a work area where a seating work or a fixing work similar to the work is performed by a heat source device, the temperature of an object present in the work area being detected in a non-contact manner by an infrared radiation thermometer. At the same time, the ambient temperature of the work area is detected by a normal thermometer, and when the difference between the detected object temperature and the ambient temperature is within a certain range, the object temperature is predicted to be the skin temperature of the living body. Furthermore, the average value of several previously measured skin temperatures is compared with the current object temperature to determine that the object temperature is the skin temperature. A temperature detection method for controlling a thermal environment, wherein the thermal source device is operated based on the control to control a thermal environment of a work area to a comfortable range. 3. The temperature detecting method for controlling a thermal environment according to claim 1, wherein the infrared radiation thermometer is installed at a position for detecting an object temperature on the desk.