JP2949060B2 - Remote monitoring system for combustion equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system for a combustion apparatus, and more particularly, to an abnormality detected in a combustion apparatus by a detection means, and the detection abnormality is detected by a communication control means provided on the combustion apparatus side. The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system for a combustion apparatus, which is configured to transmit to a monitoring unit on a monitoring center side via a communication unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a remote monitoring system for a combustion apparatus as described above, all of the abnormalities detected by the detecting means are
Each time it is detected, the data is transmitted to the monitoring center.

[0003]

However, in the conventional system, abnormal transmissions to the monitoring center are performed more often than necessary, so that the work of the monitoring center becomes complicated and the communication cost increases. .

That is, in general, even if an abnormality is detected once and an alarm is issued to the user and an abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center, the combustion device generally performs an appropriate operation such as turning off the operation switch once and then turning it on again. When a reset operation is performed, the device is reset and the alarm is released. Therefore, even if the monitoring center receives an abnormality and dispatches maintenance personnel in response, the reset operation is performed by the user before the maintenance personnel arrives, and the combustion device is restarted without repair As a result, an abnormality having the same content due to the same cause as described above reoccurs, and as a result, abnormal transmission to the monitoring center is repeated more than necessary.

[0005] Further, depending on the type of abnormality, there are two types of occurrence of the same abnormality, one occurring due to a device failure and the other occurring only temporarily due to a temporary disturbance factor which is not a device failure. Therefore, in the case of a temporary disturbance, there is an abnormality that does not require device repair and requires only a reset operation.However, in the conventional system, this kind of abnormality is temporarily stopped by a temporary disturbance. Until the case where the repair is unnecessary, the abnormal transmission is performed to the monitoring center as in the case of the equipment failure, and the monitoring center is subjected to maintenance, which is a useless abnormal transmission.

[0006] In view of the above situation, a main object of the present invention is to reduce unnecessary abnormal transmission to a monitoring center.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the communication control means on the combustion device side detects a certain abnormality by the detection means and monitors the detected abnormality on the monitoring center side via the communication means. Once sent to the means, after that, during the predetermined grace period, even if the same abnormality is detected again, this same abnormality is excluded from the transmission target and the abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center. do not do.

In other words, according to the first aspect of the present invention, as the predetermined grace time, an appropriate time required for the monitoring center to deal with abnormal reception, such as the time required for the dispatched personnel from the monitoring center to arrive, is used. By setting, unnecessary repetitive transmission of the same abnormality caused by the reset operation by the user can be suppressed, thereby simplifying the operation of the monitoring center and avoiding waste of communication costs.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the communication control means on the combustion device side does not transmit a specific kind of abnormality among the abnormalities to the monitoring center side only once by the detecting means. When the same abnormality including this first detection is repeatedly detected a predetermined upper limit number of times before the elapse of a predetermined standby period, this detection is performed only after this detection. The abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring means on the monitoring center side.

That is, when the invention of claim 2 is implemented, the above-mentioned specific type of abnormality may be caused not only by a device failure but also by a temporary disturbance factor other than a device failure. A certain abnormality is set in advance, and an appropriate period and number of times are set as the predetermined standby period and the predetermined upper limit number according to the probability of occurrence of the abnormality due to the temporary disturbance factor.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the same kind of abnormality is detected by a predetermined upper limit before the elapse of a predetermined standby period from the first detection. If the error is detected repeatedly and transmitted about the abnormality, the monitoring center judges that the abnormality is not a mere temporary abnormality due to a temporary disturbance factor but that the abnormality has occurred due to equipment failure, and While it is possible to appropriately deal with reception, it is possible to suppress transmission to the monitoring center only to those that have only occurred temporarily due to temporary disturbance factors that are not device failures. The business can be simplified and communication costs can be avoided.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, similar to the first aspect of the present invention, once a certain abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center, the same abnormality is thereafter transmitted for a predetermined grace period. Even if is detected again, the same same abnormality is excluded from transmission targets and the abnormality transmission to the monitoring center is not performed.

[0013] In addition, in the same manner as in the second aspect of the present invention, for an abnormality of a specific type among the abnormalities, after the abnormality is detected, the same abnormality is detected after the elapse of a predetermined standby period. This abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center only when the detection is repeatedly performed a predetermined upper limit number of times before reaching.

As a result, in addition to the device functions individually obtained according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the same abnormality is detected from the first detection with respect to a specific type of abnormality. Before the elapse of the standby period, the detection is repeatedly performed for a predetermined upper limit number of times, and the transmission of the abnormality is performed once (the device function according to the second aspect of the present invention). Is detected again repeatedly for a predetermined upper limit number of times in a short time before the elapse of the predetermined standby period from the next initial detection, the detection of the predetermined upper limit number of times is repeated. ,
If the predetermined grace time has not passed since the first transmission, the detection of the predetermined upper limit number of times is not a transmission target (the device function according to the first aspect of the invention), and the second detection for the same abnormality is performed. There is an additional function that the second transmission is not performed.

That is, according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the device function obtained by each of the first and second aspects of the present invention, the same type of abnormality is provided in the same manner. If an abnormality is a temporary occurrence due to a temporary disturbance factor other than a device failure, but is detected repeatedly for a number of times in a short period of time, the fact that the occurrence has occurred once is The transmission of the same abnormality can be prevented from being repeated unnecessarily for a large number of repeated detections in a short period of time while transmitting the abnormality, thereby simplifying the operation of the monitoring center. And prevention of waste of communication costs can be achieved more effectively.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the implementation of the first or second aspect of the present invention, when setting the grace period, for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities, their importance or urgency, or In addition, it is possible to individually set an appropriate grace time according to a necessary time for a response.

That is, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to individually set an appropriate grace time for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities in consideration of their importance, urgency, time required for handling, and the like. Thus, unnecessary transmission can be suppressed more precisely in actual use, for example, by shortening the grace time for abnormalities with a high degree of urgency compared to other abnormalities.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the implementation of the first or third aspect of the invention, when setting the standby period and the upper limit number, each of a plurality of types of abnormalities set as specific types of abnormalities is set. In addition, it is possible to individually set an appropriate waiting period and an upper limit number according to the probability of temporary occurrence due to those temporary disturbance factors.

That is, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities set as specific types of abnormalities,
The appropriate waiting period and upper limit number can be set individually considering the probability of temporary occurrence.For example, among abnormalities of a specific type, abnormalities with a high probability of temporary occurrence due to temporary disturbance factors are excluded. In this case, unnecessary transmission can be suppressed more precisely in actual use, for example, by shortening the standby period or increasing the upper limit number of times as compared with the abnormal state.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a water heater as an example of a combustion apparatus, 2 denotes a heat exchanger for heating water, 3 denotes a gas burner for the heat exchanger 2, and 4 denotes a heat burner. 5 is a hot water supply path from the heat exchanger 2, 6 is a bypass water path from the water supply path 4 to the hot water supply path 5, 7 is a fuel gas supply path for the gas burner 3, and 8 is a supply fan of combustion air.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a water flow sensor for detecting a flow rate per unit time, 10 denotes a water temperature sensor for detecting a supply water temperature,
11 is a hot water temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the hot water discharged from the heat exchanger 2, GV is a gas valve, and WV is a water valve for adjusting the distribution ratio between the amount of water supplied to the heat exchanger 2 and the amount of water supplied to the bypass passage 6. , 12
Denotes a spark plug, 13 denotes a frame rod for detecting whether or not the fuel is in a combustion state, and 14 denotes a hot water tap disposed in a kitchen, a bathroom, or a washroom.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a water heater controller mounted on the water heater main body, and reference numeral 16 denotes a kitchen or bathroom together with the hot water tap 14, or
A remote controller provided in a washroom or the like.
7, and equipped with hot water temperature setting switch 18,
A display panel 19 for displaying device information such as a set hot water temperature and an alarm is provided.

The water heater controller 15 operates the ignition plug 12 and each valve GV, WV based on various detection information from the above-mentioned sensors and other equipment sensors and a command from the remote controller 16 to supply hot water. Automatic ignition with opening of the tap 14 and automatic extinguishing with the closing of the hot water tap 14,
In addition to performing hot water supply operation control such as automatic hot water temperature adjustment with the target hot water temperature as a target, various occurrence abnormalities (for example, non-firing, mid-fire, Fan abnormality, valve operation failure, incomplete combustion, overheating, sensor failure, etc.), and the occurrence abnormality is displayed on the display panel 19 of the remote controller 16 as an alarm.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a communication controller provided as a communication control means together with the water heater 1 in a hot water supply facility such as an ordinary house or an office building.
When the water heater controller 15 detects an abnormality in the water heater, it receives information on the occurrence of the abnormality from the water heater controller 15 and transmits the detected abnormality to the monitoring center 22 using the telephone network 21.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a monitoring computer as monitoring means for receiving the abnormality transmitted by the communication controller 20 at the monitoring center 22, displaying the received abnormality on the terminal 23a, and storing it as data. When the monitoring center 22 receives the water heater abnormality, it takes measures such as dispatching maintenance personnel.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a terminal connector used for connecting the communication controller 20 and the telephone network 21 on the water heater side and for connecting the monitoring computer 23 and the telephone network 21 on the monitoring center side. .

When the communication controller 20 on the water heater side transmits an abnormality to the monitoring center 22, as a first function (see FIG. 2), a certain abnormality is detected by the water heater controller 15,
Once the detected abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center 22, the same abnormality is transmitted again for a predetermined delay time T1 (for example, 24 hours) even if the same abnormality is detected again. Surveillance Center 2 excluding from the target
2 is configured not to perform abnormal transmission.

As a second function, the communication controller 20 determines that a predetermined kind of abnormality among the abnormalities is detected by the water heater controller 15 only once by the water heater controller 15, Side, and waits for the same abnormality, including this first detection, before the predetermined standby period T2 (for example, one month) elapses. This abnormality is transmitted to the monitoring center 22 only when it is repeatedly detected N times (for example, three times).

It should be noted that the above-mentioned specific type of abnormality includes, besides occurrence due to a device failure, an abnormality that may occur only temporarily due to a temporary disturbance factor other than a device failure, for example,
Among the abnormalities of the various detection targets described above, abnormalities such as non-firing and fire interruption are set. That is, in addition to the occurrence of misfiring due to a device failure such as a failure of the ignition plug 12, and the occurrence of a misfire in addition to the occurrence of device failure such as a burner failure or a fan failure, an LPG cylinder is also provided. It may occur temporarily due to a decrease in gas pressure at the time of replacement, or due to a strong wind or the like, except for a failure.

In the communication controller 20, reference numeral 20a denotes a storage unit for recording a history of abnormalities detected by the water heater controller 15 and transmission to the monitoring center 22, and 20b.
Is based on the information stored in the storage unit 20a.
And a control unit for performing transmission control in the second function.

In short, the communication controller 20 on the water heater side
Is configured as described above, after an alarm is transmitted and transmitted to the monitoring center 22 for a certain abnormality, the same abnormality is re-established due to the user performing the water heater reset operation while the water heater is not repaired. The first function prevents the occurrence of the same abnormality from being unnecessarily repeated to the monitoring center in a short time.

As for the above-mentioned specific kind of abnormality, the same abnormality is repeatedly detected a predetermined upper limit N times before the elapse of the predetermined standby period T2 from the initial detection, and the abnormality is transmitted. In this case, the monitoring center will judge that the abnormality is not a mere temporary abnormality due to a temporary disturbance factor, but that the abnormality has occurred due to a device failure, and will be able to appropriately respond to the abnormality reception, The above-mentioned second function is used to prevent unnecessary transmission to the monitoring center side up to a temporary disturbance factor that is not a device failure and is caused only temporarily.

Further, regarding the above-mentioned specific type of abnormality, the same abnormality is a temporary occurrence due to a temporary disturbance factor other than a device failure, but is repeated many times in a short time for some reason. (For example, if the typhoon continues the strong wind and the temporary non-ignition or fire interruption is repeated many times)
Once the fact that the repetition occurred once, the transmission about the same abnormality was performed unnecessarily for the detection of many repetitions in a short time while transmitting the same abnormality. This is prevented by a combination of the first function and the second function.

[Another Embodiment] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be listed. -The target combustion device is not limited to a water heater, but the present invention can be applied to other various combustion devices such as a combustion type heater.

In the above-described embodiment, an embodiment in which the invention described in claim 1 and the invention described in claim 2 are combined is described. However, even when only one of the inventions is implemented, it is unnecessary. The effect of suppressing transmission can be obtained.

The grace time T1 may be set to an appropriate time according to the necessary time of the monitoring center.
It is not limited to 24 hours. In the configuration of the communication control means 20, for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities,
An appropriate grace time T1 may be individually set according to the degree of importance, the degree of urgency, or the time required for coping.

The standby period T2 and the upper limit number N may be set to appropriate times and numbers in accordance with the probability of occurrence of a temporary abnormality due to a temporary disturbance, and are limited to one month and three times. is not. In the configuration of the communication control means 20, for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities set as specific types of abnormalities, an appropriate standby period T2 and upper limit number N according to the probability of temporary occurrence due to the temporary disturbance factor are set. You may enable it to set individually.

Various kinds of abnormalities can be selected as the abnormalities to be detected and transmitted in accordance with the type of the target combustion device, and which abnormality is set as a specific type of abnormality among the abnormalities. Regarding the above, an appropriate one may be set as a specific type of abnormality from both the importance of each abnormality and the viewpoint of preventing unnecessary communication.

In the above-described embodiment, the telephone line network 21 is employed as the communication means, but various communication means may be employed regardless of a wired or wireless communication means.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the attached drawings.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control mode of abnormal transmission.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 combustion device 15 detection means 20 communication control means 21 communication means 22 monitoring center 23 monitoring means T1 predetermined grace time T2 predetermined standby period N predetermined upper limit number

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] An abnormality occurring in a combustion device (1) is detected by a detection means (15), and the detected abnormality is detected by a communication control means (20) provided on a side of the combustion device (1). 21) A remote monitoring system for a combustion device configured to transmit to a monitoring means (23) on a monitoring center (22) side via 21), wherein the communication control means (20) performs the same operation after the abnormal transmission. The abnormality monitoring system of the combustion device, wherein the abnormality is excluded from transmission targets regardless of the detection during a predetermined grace period (T1). 2. An abnormality occurring in the combustion device (1) is detected by a detection means (15), and the detection abnormality is detected by a communication control means (20) provided on the side of the combustion device (1). 21) A remote monitoring system for a combustion device configured to transmit to a monitoring means (23) on a monitoring center (22) side via 21). Is configured to transmit the abnormality only when the same abnormality is repeatedly detected a predetermined upper limit number (N) before the predetermined standby period (T2) elapses after the abnormality is detected. There is a remote monitoring system for combustion equipment. 3. The communication control means (20) excludes, from the transmission target, the same abnormality after the abnormal transmission for a predetermined grace period (T1) regardless of the detection, and As for a specific kind of abnormality among the abnormalities, it is the first time that the same abnormality is repeatedly detected a predetermined upper limit number (N) before the predetermined standby period (T2) elapses after the abnormality is detected. 3. The remote monitoring system for a combustion device according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality is transmitted. 4. The communication control means (20) is capable of setting a desired grace time (T1) for each of a plurality of types of abnormalities as the setting of the grace time (T1). The remote monitoring system for a combustion device according to claim 1 or 3. 5. The communication control means (20) sets a desired standby period for each of the plurality of types of abnormalities set as the specific type of abnormalities as the setting of the standby period (T2) and the upper limit number (N). The remote monitoring system for a combustion device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein (T2) and the upper limit number (N) can be set.