JP5016894B2 - Air conditioning / power generation apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning / power generation apparatus that drives an air conditioning compressor and a power generation apparatus with an engine to perform air conditioning and power generation simultaneously, and a control method thereof.

Conventionally, in an engine-driven air conditioner, an air-conditioning compressor provided in an air-conditioning refrigerant circuit is driven by a gas engine to perform an air-conditioning operation, and a power generator is driven by the gas engine to generate generated power. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
This type of air conditioning and power generation device includes a control device that variably controls the operation capacity by controlling the gas engine based on the air conditioning load. When the control device reaches the target temperature, the gas engine The operation of is stopped.
JP 2004-309087 A

  However, in the conventional configuration, in the middle period such as spring and autumn when the air conditioning load is relatively low, the target temperature is reached in a relatively short time after the start of operation, and the operation of the gas engine is stopped. The operation time is shortened, and the supply of generated power to the commercial system cannot be continued.

  Therefore, the present embodiment is to provide an air conditioning / power generation apparatus and a control method thereof that can continue power generation and effectively use generated power even in a situation where the air conditioning load is relatively small.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an air conditioning / power generation device including an engine, an air-conditioning compressor and a power generation device driven by the engine, and a control device that variably controls the operation capacity by controlling the engine. When the engine is driven, the air-conditioning compressor and the power generator are driven together to perform an operation of simultaneously performing air-conditioning and power generation corresponding to engine surplus power, and the control device drives the engine. A first operation mode for controlling the engine so as to achieve a reference operating capacity corresponding to an air conditioning load while performing the operation for performing air conditioning and power generation at the same time, and performing the air conditioning and power generation by driving the engine at the same time. A second operation mode for controlling the engine so as to achieve an operation capacity that is limited in capacity rather than the reference operation capacity in accordance with an air conditioning load during operation Wherein the first and the operation mode to the operation mode and the second operation mode can be switched, the engine has an engine characteristic that margin of the engine output is maximized when the air conditioning load is in a middle load range, the In the second operation mode, the control device determines whether or not the air conditioning load is in an intermediate load range, and controls the power generation output amount of the power generation device to a maximum output amount in the intermediate load range. It is characterized by.
According to this invention, if the operation mode is switched to the second operation mode when the air-conditioning load is relatively small, the continuous operation time of the engine can be extended, and the power generation by the power generation device can be continued for a long time.

Further, the power generation output of power generation unit, the air conditioning load is controlled to the maximum output quantity when the middle load range, in the second operation mode, the lower operating capacity than the reference operating capacity corresponding to the air conditioning load Therefore, when operating in the second operation mode with relatively little air conditioning load, there is a high possibility that the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range. Can continue for a long time.
In the above configuration, the control device may control the output amount to be lower than the maximum output amount when the air conditioning load is not within the intermediate load range in the second operation mode.

  Further, in the above configuration, the engine is a gas engine, and the control device is lower than the reference operation capacity by limiting a consumption amount of gas supplied to the engine in the second operation mode. It is preferable to control the driving ability. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily perform the limit control of the driving ability.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the control device switches the operation mode between the first operation mode and the second operation mode according to a time including a season. According to this configuration, the operation mode can be automatically switched between the first operation mode and the second operation mode depending on whether the time when the air conditioning load is high is low.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the air conditioning / power generation device is configured as a power storage type air conditioning / power generation device including a storage battery that stores power generated by the power generation device. In this case, the air conditioning / power generation device includes a power failure detection unit that detects a power failure of the commercial system to which the air conditioning / power generation device is connected, and when power is supplied to the commercial system, When starting, and when the power failure detection part is detecting the power failure of a commercial system, it is preferable to start with the electric power stored in the storage battery. According to this structure, it becomes possible to use a storage battery as a backup power supply at the time of a power failure.

Further, the present invention includes an engine and, and the air conditioning compressor and power generator driven by the engine, the control method of the air conditioner, power generating device and a control device for variably controlling the operating capacity by controlling the engine, air-conditioning When the engine whose engine output has the maximum engine output surplus when the load is in the intermediate load range is driven, the air-conditioning compressor and the power generator are driven together to correspond to air conditioning and engine surplus power. The control device controls the engine so as to have a reference operating capacity corresponding to an air conditioning load while performing the operation of simultaneously performing air conditioning and power generation by driving the engine. While performing the first operation mode and the operation in which the engine is driven to perform air conditioning and power generation at the same time, the capacity is higher than the reference operation capacity according to the air conditioning load. Switch the operation mode to either of the second operating mode for controlling the engine so as to have limited operating capacity and, in the case of the second operating mode, the air conditioning load is determined whether the medium load range The power generation output amount of the power generator is controlled to the maximum output amount when the load is within the intermediate load range .
According to this invention, if the operation mode is switched to the second operation mode when the air-conditioning load is relatively small, the continuous operation time of the engine can be extended, and the power generation by the power generation device can be continued for a long time.

If the present invention is switched to the second operation mode, it is possible to continue the power generation and effectively use the generated power even in a situation where the air conditioning load is relatively small.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an engine-driven air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the air conditioning and power generation apparatus of the present invention. This figure mainly shows the electrical system of the engine-driven air conditioner 10, where the solid line shows the power line and the wavy line shows the control line.
The engine-driven air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 20 and a plurality of (in this example, three) indoor units 30. These units 20 and 30 are provided with refrigerant pipes connected to heat exchangers and various valve bodies constituting refrigerant circuits (not shown) by being connected to each other by unit pipes (not shown). The refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is compressed by a compressor (air conditioning compressor) 21 in the outdoor unit 20 and circulates in the refrigerant circuit, thereby cooling the conditioned room in which the indoor unit 30 is disposed. And heating operation to heat the conditioned room.

  The outdoor unit 20 is driven by burning gas fuel in addition to various components constituting the refrigerant circuit such as the compressor 21 and the outdoor heat exchanger, as well as an electric blower fan 22 that blows outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger. A gas engine 23 that generates power, a power generation device 24, a circulation pump 25, a grid interconnection inverter 26, a power storage unit 40, and a main controller 27 are provided.

A compressor 21 and a power generator 24 are connected to the gas engine 23 via transmission mechanisms 23A and 23B. When the gas engine 23 is driven, the compressor 21 and the power generator 24 are driven. . Therefore, the rotational speed of the compressor 21 is determined by the rotational speed of the gas engine 23, that is, the operating capability of the engine-driven air conditioner 10 is determined. The operation of the gas engine 23 is controlled by a main controller 27.
In the present embodiment, the case where the number of the compressors 21 is one is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of compressors 21 can be connected in parallel to the gas engine 23 via a clutch mechanism such as an electromagnetic clutch. The combination and the number of compressors 21 driven by the gas engine 23 may be variable.

  Further, a water-cooled engine is applied to the gas engine 23, that is, a cooling circuit (not shown) for circulating cooling water through the gas engine 23 is configured. The cooling water in the cooling circuit is circulated by the electric circulation pump 25 under the control of the main controller 27, thereby absorbing the waste heat of the gas engine 23 and constituting a part of the cooling circuit (not shown). ) To dissipate heat.

The power generator 24 is driven by the gas engine 23 to generate three-phase AC power and outputs the generated power to the grid interconnection inverter 26.
The grid interconnection inverter 26 incorporates a power generation control controller for variably controlling the power generation output amount of the power generation device 24, and outputs the generated power variably controlled by this controller to the commercial system 50. Specifically, the grid interconnection inverter 26 converts the three-phase AC power from the power generator 24 into DC power via an AC / DC converter, and then converts it into various AC / 100V power. Output to the commercial system 50.

The commercial system 50 includes a commercial power source 51 and a consumer load (electric power load) 52. The consumer load 52 includes an illumination load 52A and an OA (office automation) load 52B connected to the power line of the commercial system 50. Moreover, the electric power load by the outdoor unit 20 or the indoor unit 30 of the air conditioner 10 is included.
In addition, an ammeter (power detector) 55 installed in the commercial system 50 is connected to the grid interconnection inverter 26 via a communication line. The ammeter 55 acquires the current value flowing through the power line of the commercial grid 50 in real time, outputs the acquired data to the grid interconnection inverter 26, and is notified from the grid interconnection inverter 26 to the main controller 27.

  The power storage unit 40 includes a storage battery 41, a charger 42 that charges the storage battery 41, and a power storage controller (power storage control device) 43. Under the control of the power storage controller 43, the power of the commercial system 50 is controlled by the charger 42. To charge the storage battery 41. As a result, when the generated power of the power generator 24 is output to the commercial system 50, the storage battery 41 is charged by the generated power, and the generated power can be stored in the storage battery 41.

  The power stored in the storage battery 41 is supplied as operating power to each part of the outdoor unit 20 such as the main controller 27 under the control of the power storage controller 43 when a power failure occurs in the commercial system 50 and It is converted into AC power by the system inverter 26 and output to the commercial system 50. Thereby, the consumer load 52 (in this example, the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30 of the engine-driven air conditioner 10, the lighting load 52A, and the OA device 52B) connected to the commercial system 50 can be driven. That is, the storage battery 41 can be used as a backup power source during a power failure.

In order to detect a power failure in the commercial system 50, the main controller 27 or the controller in the system interconnection inverter 26 may function as a power failure detection unit that detects a power failure from the detection result of the ammeter (power detector) 55. Alternatively, the power storage controller 43 of the power storage unit 40 may have a function of detecting a power failure.
Further, in the present embodiment, the main controller 27 or the power storage controller 43 is provided with a schedule function for outputting the power stored in the storage battery 41 to the commercial system 50 at a predetermined time. Thus, for example, by causing the commercial grid 50 to output the power stored in the storage battery 41 during the power peak time period such as 12:00 to 17:00, the power peak can be cut.

  The main controller 27 functions as a control device for controlling the engine-driven air conditioner 10 as a whole, and can be broadly classified as air conditioning operation according to a user instruction from a remote controller (not shown) connected to the indoor unit 30. Air conditioning control for starting / stopping, etc., and power generation control for variably controlling the power generation output amount of the power generation device 24 while the gas engine 23 is driven are performed.

An outline of the operation at the time of air conditioning control will be described. When the main controller 27 inputs an operation start instruction from a remote controller connected to the indoor unit 30 via a communication line, the indoor controller (not shown) in the indoor unit. The air conditioning load (indicated by 0 to 100% with respect to the rated capacity) is acquired in real time from the information acquired from the above), and the rotation speed of the gas engine 23 is set so that the air conditioning priority operating capacity corresponding to this air conditioning load is obtained. The rotational speed of the gas engine 23 is controlled so as to be the specific rotational speed.
Thus, for example, when the air conditioning load is 100%, the rotational speed is controlled to have the operating capacity as the rated capacity, and when the air conditioning load is 50%, the rotational speed is controlled to have the operating capacity as 50% of the rated capacity. . Hereinafter, the air-conditioning-priority operating capacity is referred to as the standard operating capacity.

Further, the main controller 27 stops the gas engine 23 when the room temperature of the conditioned room reaches the target temperature. Thereafter, when a difference occurs between the room temperature and the target temperature of the conditioned room again, the main controller 27 restarts the gas engine 23 and restarts the air-conditioning operation with the reference operation capacity corresponding to the air-conditioning load.
During this air conditioning operation, the main controller 27 also performs valve control of the refrigerant circuit (switching to cooling operation or heating operation, control of the expansion valve, etc.), drive control of the blower fan 22 and the circulation pump 25, and the like. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the power generation output amount of the power generator 24 is the power used for air conditioning with respect to the engine output XA (output on the characteristic curve L1 shown in FIG. 2) set according to the air conditioning load. It is variably controlled to a power generation output amount corresponding to the remaining power XC excluding (power consumed for driving the compressor 21) XB (output on the characteristic curve L2 shown in FIG. 2). Specifically, table data in which the air conditioning load is associated with the power generation output amount corresponding to the remaining power XC is set in advance, and the main controller 27 refers to this table data so that the remaining power XC of the gas engine 23 can be obtained. It is configured to be able to set a substantially maximum power generation output amount that can generate power.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the gas engine 23 of the present embodiment has an engine output XA when the air conditioning load is in the intermediate load range AR3 (for example, 40% to 80% (corresponding to the “medium” region in FIG. 2)). The engine characteristics have the largest remaining power XC.
For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the air conditioning load is within the range corresponding to the intermediate load range AR3, the power generation output amount is set to the maximum output WA, and the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range AR3. In the lower limit value vicinity range AR2 and the upper limit value vicinity range AR4, the power generation output amount is set to the intermediate output WB, and the lower range AR1 (for example, 0% to about 40%) and the higher high range AR5 (for example, about 80% to 100%), the power generation output amount is set to the minimum output WC, and the power generation output amount corresponding to the remaining power XC of the engine output XA can be easily set.

By the way, as described above, in the operation mode (hereinafter referred to as the air conditioning load main operation mode (first operation mode)) in which the air conditioning operation is performed with the air conditioning priority operation capability (reference operation capability) corresponding to the air conditioning load, In the intermediate periods such as spring and autumn when the air conditioning load is low, the room temperature reaches the target temperature in a relatively short time after the operation starts, so the continuous operation time of the gas engine 23 is shortened and the generated power is supplied to the commercial system 50. Will not be able to continue for a long time.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, an operation mode in which the gas engine 23 is controlled so as to have an operation capacity that is more limited than the reference operation capacity in accordance with the air conditioning load (hereinafter referred to as a power load main operation mode (second operation mode)). And the main controller 27 sets the operation mode to the air-conditioning load main operation mode in the time corresponding to summer and winter by the scheduler function, and the operation mode in the case where the season corresponds to spring and autumn. Is set to the power load main operation mode, and the operation mode is switched based on the time information.

With the above configuration, during summer and winter, the main controller 27 sets the air-conditioning load-dominated operation mode, so that the air-conditioning operation is controlled by operating the gas engine 23 so as to achieve the reference operation capacity according to the air-conditioning load. Do. In this way, when the air conditioning load is relatively large such as summer or winter, even if the air conditioning operation is performed with the air conditioning priority operation capacity, the duration time of the air conditioning operation, that is, the continuous operation time of the gas engine 23 can be increased. High nature. Therefore, the power generation by the power generation device 24 can be continued for a long time, and the generated power supply to the commercial system 50 can be continued for a long time.
For this reason, when this engine-driven air conditioner 10 is used during the daytime, the gas engine 23 can be continuously operated during the peak hours of power demand to continue supplying generated power to the commercial system 50. The peak power consumption of the commercial power supply 51 can be cut by the amount of the generated power.

  In addition, during the spring and autumn, the main controller 27 is set to the power load main operation mode, so that the operation of the gas engine 23 is controlled so that the operation capacity is limited to the standard operation capacity according to the air conditioning load. Then, air conditioning operation is performed. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the power load main operation mode. In this figure, both air conditioning control and power generation control are shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the power load main operation mode, the main controller 27 limits the consumption amount of gas supplied to the gas engine 23, thereby restricting the amount of limited capacity (for example, about 20%) from the standard operation capacity. ) To lower the ability (step S1). Subsequently, the main controller 27 determines whether or not the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range AR3 (for example, 40% to 80%) (step S2). If the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range AR3 (step S2: YES). The power generation output amount is set to the maximum output WA (step S3).

  On the other hand, when the air conditioning load is not within the intermediate load range AR3 (step S2: NO), the main controller 27 indicates that the air conditioning load is in the low range AR1 (for example, 0% to about 40%) or the high range AR5 (for example, about 80%). It is determined whether it is within ˜100%) (step S4). In this case, if the main controller 27 determines that it is within one of the ranges AR1 and AR5 (step S4: YES), it sets the power generation output amount to the minimum output WC (step S5) and determines that it is not within the ranges AR1 and AR5. (Step S4: NO), the power generation output amount is set to the intermediate output WB (Step S6). During this power load main operation mode, every time the air conditioning load is specified, the processing of steps S1 to S6 is repeatedly executed, and the driving capability and the power generation output amount are variably controlled.

In this way, when the air conditioning load is relatively small, such as spring and autumn, the air conditioning operation is performed with the operation capacity limited to the standard operation capacity, so that the air conditioning operation is performed as compared with the case where the air conditioning operation is performed with the standard operation capacity. , That is, the continuous operation time of the gas engine 23 can be increased.
Therefore, compared with the case of operating in the air-conditioning load main operation mode at the same time, the gas engine 23 can be continuously operated for a long time to continue supplying generated power to the commercial system 50, and effective use of generated power can be achieved. Can be planned.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the air conditioning load main operation mode (first operation mode) in which the air conditioning operation is performed with the air conditioning priority operation capacity (reference operation capacity) corresponding to the air conditioning load, and the air conditioning load main operation. Power load-dominated operation mode (second operation mode) in which air-conditioning operation is performed with an operation capability that is more limited than the standard operation capability set in the mode. If the air-conditioning operation is performed, the continuous operation time of the gas engine 23 can be lengthened, the power generation by the power generation device 24 can be continued for a long time, and the generated power supply to the commercial system 50 can be continued for a long time. it can.
That is, the power load main operation mode corresponds to an operation mode in which power generation is prioritized, and when it is desired to prioritize power generation, switching to this operation mode allows the supply of generated power to the commercial system 50 to be continued for a long time.

Further, in the present embodiment, the power generation output amount of the power generation device 24 is controlled to the maximum output amount when the air conditioning load is in the intermediate load range AR3, so that the operation is performed in the second operation mode with a relatively small air conditioning load. In this case, there is a high possibility that the air conditioning load is in the intermediate load range AR3, and the continuous operation time of the gas engine 23 in such a state can be increased to continue power generation for a longer time.
Further, in the present embodiment, in the power load main operation mode, the gas consumption is limited and the operation capability is made lower than the reference operation capability, so that it is possible to easily control the operation capability.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the storage battery 41 that stores electric power is provided, and the electric power stored in the storage battery 41 can be output to the commercial system 50 at the time of a power failure of the commercial system 50. Can be used as

The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention. .
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the engine-driven air conditioner 10 including the power storage unit 40 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and is applied to an engine-driven air conditioner that does not include the power storage unit 40. May be. Further, the present invention may be applied to an engine-driven air conditioner that uses an engine other than a gas engine. In short, an air-conditioning / power-generation device that simultaneously performs air-conditioning and power generation by driving an air-conditioning compressor and power generation device with the engine. Widely applicable to.

1 is a block diagram showing an engine-driven air conditioner according to an embodiment of an air conditioning / power generation device of the present invention. It is a characteristic curve figure which shows the relationship between an air conditioning load and an engine output. It is a characteristic curve figure which shows the relationship between an air conditioning load and the electric power generation output amount of an electric power generating apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows electric power load main body operation mode.

Explanation of symbols

10 Engine-driven air conditioner (air conditioner / power generator)
20 Outdoor unit 21 Compressor (Air conditioning compressor)
22 Blower fan 23 Gas engine 24 Power generation device 25 Circulation pump 26 Grid interconnection inverter 27 Main controller (control device)
30 indoor unit 40 power storage unit 41 storage battery 42 charger 43 power storage controller (power storage control device)
50 Commercial system 51 Commercial power supply 52 Customer load (electric power load)

Claims (7)

In an air-conditioning / power generation device comprising an engine, an air-conditioning compressor and a power generation device driven by the engine, and a control device that variably controls the operation capacity by controlling the engine,
When the engine is driven, the air conditioning compressor and the power generation device are driven together to perform an operation of simultaneously performing air conditioning and power generation corresponding to engine surplus power,
The control device drives the engine and performs the operation of simultaneously performing air conditioning and power generation, while controlling the engine to have a reference operating capacity corresponding to an air conditioning load, and the engine. A second operation mode for controlling the engine so as to have an operation capacity that is limited to the reference operation capacity according to an air-conditioning load while performing the operation to drive and perform air conditioning and power generation simultaneously; The operation mode can be switched between the first operation mode and the second operation mode ,
The engine has an engine characteristic such that when the air-conditioning load is in an intermediate load range, the remaining power of the engine output is maximized,
In the second operation mode, the control device determines whether or not the air conditioning load is within an intermediate load range. If the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range, the control device controls the power generation output amount of the power generation device to a maximum output amount. This is an air conditioning and power generation device. In the air conditioning and power generation device according to claim 1,
In the second operation mode, the control device controls the output amount to be lower than the maximum output amount when the air conditioning load is not within an intermediate load range . In the air-conditioning / power generation device according to claim 1 or 2,
The engine is a gas engine;
In the second operation mode, the control device controls the operation capacity to be lower than the reference operation capacity by limiting a consumption amount of gas supplied to the engine. In the air-conditioning and power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The said control apparatus switches an operation mode to the said 1st operation mode and 2nd operation mode according to the time including a season, The air-conditioning and electric power generation apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the air-conditioning and power generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The air conditioning / power generation device is configured as a storage type air conditioning / power generation device including a storage battery that stores power generated by the power generation device. In the air conditioning and power generation device according to claim 5,
The air conditioning / power generation device includes a power failure detection unit that detects a power failure in a commercial system to which the air conditioning / power generation device is connected, and when power is supplied to the commercial system, When the commercial power failure is detected by the power failure detection unit, the air conditioning / power generation device is started with the power stored in the storage battery. In a control method of an air conditioner / power generation device including an engine, an air conditioning compressor and a power generation device driven by the engine, and a control device that variably controls the operation capacity by controlling the engine,
When the engine is driven to have the engine characteristics with the largest engine output surplus when the air conditioning load is in the intermediate load range, the air conditioning compressor and the power generation device are driven together to correspond to air conditioning and engine surplus power. To perform power generation at the same time,
The control device drives the engine and performs the operation of simultaneously performing air conditioning and power generation, while controlling the engine to have a reference operating capacity corresponding to an air conditioning load, and the engine. Any one of the second operation modes in which the engine is controlled so as to have an operation capacity that is more limited than the reference operation capacity according to an air-conditioning load while performing the operation to drive and perform air conditioning and power generation at the same time. In the second operation mode, it is determined whether or not the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range. If the air conditioning load is within the intermediate load range, the power generation output amount of the power generator is controlled to the maximum output amount. A control method for an air conditioner / power generator.

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