JP5761887B2 - Air conditioning charge calculator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit.

There is known a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit. For example, in a large multi-type air conditioner that can connect 20 or more indoor units to one outdoor unit, indoor units are often used by a plurality of tenants. In such cases, it has been proposed that the electricity charge used by the outdoor unit is apportioned based on the operation time of each indoor unit, etc., and the electricity charge for each tenant is determined based on this. Yes.
Patent Document 1 discloses a method for calculating a charge for an air conditioner driven using a plurality of powers.
JP 2006-125734 A

By the way, in recent years, there are various requests such as changing the unit price of electricity charges between regular and non-regular hours, and changing the regular time zone for each day of the week. It has been proposed that the control device sets in advance a time zone that is fixed and non-regular, and changes the unit price of the electricity bill according to the time zone.
However, if the centralized controller tries to manage and calculate the unit price of the electricity bill, there are various problems such as complicated software, complicated processing, and a large memory capacity. This could only be achieved with high-grade and expensive products.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning fee calculation device that can eliminate the complexity of software and can calculate the air conditioning usage fee by simple processing.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
The present invention is the air conditioning billing system for calculating the air-conditioning charge of the air conditioning system including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, having a schedule information, a timer means for output the output signal based on the schedule information When, the output from the timer means includes a charging table in which the output signal and the billing factor is associated with the charging coefficient the charging table associated with the output signal inputted from said timer means Charge calculation means for calculating an air conditioning usage charge of the connected air conditioning system using the acquired charging coefficient and power consumption information, and the schedule information includes a plurality of days. Dividing into time zones, and the different output signals for selecting the charging coefficient corresponding to each of the divided time zones, and the divided time zones Attached communication, the time zone division in accordance with a day of the week has been registered, the timer means has the billing unit, is connected via a network to the air conditioning system, the air conditioning system Air conditioning charge calculation that outputs the output signal according to the current time zone when connected to an external contact provided in a central control device having an operation schedule management function or a communication port provided in the central control device Providing equipment.

According to the above configuration, since the timer unit and the charge calculation unit are connected and the charging coefficient is changed based on the signal input from the timer unit, the charge calculation unit does not perform complicated processing. Thus, it is possible to calculate the air conditioning usage charge with simple processing and a relatively small memory capacity.
The air conditioning system only needs to have at least one outdoor unit and at least one indoor unit.

In the air conditioning charge calculation device, the charge calculation means may be provided in a device connected to the air conditioning system via a communication medium.
In the air-conditioning charge calculation device, the different output signals output from the timer means are digital signals that are switched on or off , and the schedule information includes a time zone that is a fixed time and a time zone that is not a fixed time. The output signals corresponding to the regular time and the non-regular time may be registered on or off.

  In this way, since the switching of the time zone is notified by the digital signal, the time zone can be easily determined.

In the air conditioning charge calculation device, the charge calculation means is connected via a network to a multi-type air conditioner to which the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units are connected, and operates the multi-type air conditioner. it may be provided in the central control unit having a management function schedules.

  As described above, since the central control device includes the charge calculation means, it is possible to calculate the air-conditioning use charge using existing equipment without requiring an additional device.

The present invention is a central control that is connected via a network to a multi-type air conditioner to which one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units are connected, and has a function of managing the operation schedule of the multi-type air conditioner an apparatus includes a schedule information, when connected via a timer unit and external contacts for outputting an output signal based on the schedule information, or if it is connected via the communication port, when the current The output signal corresponding to the time zone is input from the timer means, and the schedule information is used to divide a day into a plurality of time zones and select a charging coefficient corresponding to each of the divided time zones. The output signals different from each other and the divided time zones are associated with each other, and the time zone divisions are registered according to the day of the week. The charging type associated with the output signal input from the timer means is acquired from the charging table associated with the multi-type connected using the acquired charging coefficient and power consumption information providing a central controller having a charge calculation means for calculating the air-conditioning use rates of the air conditioner.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the complexity of software and to calculate the air conditioning usage fee by a simple process.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus according to the present embodiment and a multi-type air conditioner to which the air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus is applied.
As shown in FIG. 1, a central control device (center console) 3 is connected to an air conditioning system including a plurality of sets of multi-type air conditioning devices including a single outdoor unit 1 and a plurality of indoor units 2. Yes. Each outdoor unit 1, each indoor unit 2, and central controller 3 are connected via a common network.
Although FIG. 1 shows a case where eight indoor units 2 are provided, the number of connected indoor units 2 can be arbitrarily determined within the range of the maximum number of connected units (for example, 128 units). Is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the central control device 3 includes a display unit 31 and a touch panel type input unit 32. For example, the manager of the building where the multi-type air conditioner is installed operates the touch panel type input unit 32 while confirming the information displayed on the display unit 31 of the central control device 3, thereby 2 operation / operation stop, operation mode, air volume, wind direction, etc. can be set. In addition, the building manager can input and set an operation schedule, grouping of indoor units, and the like. The operation schedule may be common to all the indoor units, or may be set for each group.

  The central control device 3 has at least two external input contacts (not shown). The timer device 4 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to one external input contact, and the other external input contact is connected to the other external input contact. Is connected to the watt-hour meter shown in FIG. 1, and measures the amount of power. Originally, the external input contact for the former timer device is for emergency stop control input to stop all air conditioners in case of emergency, or to implement control to lower the power amount when the power amount exceeds the specified value It is provided in the central controller 3 for demand input, and in the present embodiment, this external contact is used for charge calculation. In other words, in the present embodiment, the external contacts of the central control device 3 provided in advance for different uses are substituted for the charge calculation.

  Specifically, when the external contact changes from the open state to the closed state, in other words, when the input signal is switched from off to on, the special control start input is determined. When the external contact changes from the open state to the closed state by changing the software, it is determined that the time zone has been switched from a regular time zone to a non-regular time zone, as will be described later.

  The timer device 4 is configured to switch a signal to be output according to a time zone. Specifically, the timer device 4 has schedule information in which a time zone and an output signal are associated with each other, and the output signal is switched based on the schedule information. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the timer device 4 is registered with a time zone for outputting an off signal (first signal) and a time zone for outputting an on signal (second signal) in one day. Schedule information. Here, scheduling is performed such that an off signal is output during a regular time period and an on signal is output during a non-regular time period.

  In the example of FIG. 3, the schedule information is provided in three patterns on weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays. On weekdays, the schedule is from 8:00 to 17:00, Saturday is from 8:00 to 14:00, and the holidays are Schedule information that is not scheduled for all day is registered. The on signal and the off signal may be set in reverse.

  Further, the central control device 3 according to the present embodiment has a function (fee calculation means) for calculating the air conditioning usage fee of each indoor unit 2 based on the signal input from the timer device 4. Moreover, the power consumption of the multi-type air conditioner is input to the central controller 3 via an external input terminal.

  Specifically, the central control device 3 has a charging coefficient K1 yen / kWh corresponding to a fixed time slot and a charging coefficient K2 yen / kWh corresponding to a non-fixed time slot, and these charging coefficients K1 , K2 is selected based on the signal input from the timer 4, and the air-conditioning usage charge is calculated by multiplying the selected charging coefficients K1, K2 by the amount of power consumption in that time zone.

  For example, the central controller 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. For example, the ROM is based on a signal input from the timer device 4. The processing procedure for calculating the air conditioning usage charge is stored in the form of a program. When the CPU reads this program into the RAM or the like and executes it, the fee calculation described later is realized.

Next, a method for calculating an air conditioning charge in the multi-type air conditioner having the above configuration will be described.
First, the timer device 4 outputs a signal corresponding to the current time zone to the central control device 4 based on the schedule information shown in FIG. As a result, an off signal is output during a regular time period, and an on signal is output during a non-regular time period.

Based on the signal from the timer device 4, the central control device 3 determines whether or not it is a regular time zone, and acquires a charging coefficient corresponding to the determination result. Then, the air conditioning usage fee is calculated by multiplying the acquired charging coefficient by the power consumption of the multi-type air conditioner input through the external input terminal.
FIGS. 4A to 4C are diagrams respectively showing power consumption amounts on weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays that are divided into a regular time zone and a non-regular time zone.

  Thus, for example, the power consumption in the regular time zone on weekdays is Ci1 kWh, the power consumption in the non-regular time zone is Co1 kWh, the power consumption in the regular time zone on Saturday is Ci2 kWh, and the power consumption in the non-regular time zone is Co2 kWh. Assuming that the power consumption during non-regular holidays is Co3 kWh, the electricity charges for the regular hours and the non-regular hours during the week are calculated as follows.

Electricity charges during regular hours: K1 x (Ci1 + Ci2) yen Electricity charges during non-regular hours: K2 x (Co1 + Co2 + Co3) yen

  In this way, after the electricity fee is determined, the electricity fee is apportioned according to the usage time of each indoor unit, etc. The price will be fixed.

As described above, according to the air conditioning charge calculation device according to the present embodiment, the timer device 4 is connected to the existing external contact of the central control device, and the open / close signal (ON / OFF) input from the timer device 4 is connected. Since it is determined whether or not it is a fixed time period based on the off signal), the air conditioning usage charge is calculated with simple processing and relatively small memory capacity without performing complicated processing in the central control unit. be able to.
Further, by substituting an external contact provided in advance for the purpose of being used for an emergency stop or the like, the calculation of the air conditioning usage fee can be realized in the central control device 3 by simply changing the software. . Thereby, the time and labor accompanying a design change can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, for the purpose of different applications, the signal from the timer device 4 is input via an external contact provided in the central control device 3 in advance. Communication between the central control device 3 and the timer device 4 may be performed via a communication port or another communication medium. Further, the function of the timer device 4 may be provided in the central control device 3.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the charging coefficient is switched depending on whether or not it is a regular time zone. However, the time zone is subdivided, and different output signals corresponding to the subdivided time zones are registered in the schedule information. In addition, it is possible to perform more detailed charging by registering the charging coefficient corresponding to each time zone in the charging table.
As the different output signals, for example, digital signals having different frequencies can be used.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the central controller has a function for calculating the air conditioning usage charge has been described. However, a device that is connected to the multi-type air conditioner via a communication medium is newly provided. It is also possible to have the function for calculating the air conditioning usage charge described above to function as a charge calculation means.
In the present embodiment, the case where the watt hour meter 5 is connected to the central controller 3 has been described. However, when the air conditioner is a gas heat pump, a gas flow meter is connected instead of the watt hour meter 5. Also good.

It is the block diagram which showed the whole structure of the air conditioning charge calculation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the multi-type air conditioning system to which this air conditioning charge calculation apparatus is applied. It is the figure which showed schematic structure of the central controller shown in FIG. It is the figure which showed an example of schedule information. It is the figure which divided electric power consumption into regular time and non-regular time based on the signal from a timer apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outdoor unit 2 Indoor unit 3 Central controller 4 Timer apparatus 5 Electricity meter 31 Display part 32 Input part

Claims (6)

An air conditioning charge calculation device for calculating an air conditioning charge of an air conditioning system including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit,
Timer means having schedule information and outputting an output signal based on the schedule information;
A charging table in which the output signal output from the timer means is associated with a charging coefficient, and the charging coefficient associated with the output signal input from the timer means is acquired from the charging table; A charge calculating means for calculating an air conditioning usage charge of the connected air conditioning system using the acquired charging coefficient and power consumption information;
The schedule information divides a day into a plurality of time zones, and the different output signals for selecting the charging coefficient corresponding to each of the divided time zones, and the divided time zones, The time zone classification is registered according to the day of the week,
The timer means includes
An external contact provided in a central control device having the charge calculation means, connected to the air conditioning system via a network, and having a function of managing an operation schedule of the air conditioning system, or communication provided in the central control device An air conditioning charge calculation device that outputs the output signal corresponding to the current time zone when connected to a port. The different output signals output by the timer means are digital signals that are switched on or off,
Said schedule information, by dividing the daily and time zone time zone and outside scheduled scheduled, said output signal corresponding to said scheduled outside and the scheduled is to claim 1 which is registered in the on or off The air conditioning charge calculation device described. 2. The air conditioning charge calculation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the different output signals output from the timer means are digital signals having different frequencies. The timer means is provided in the central control unit, and is used for an emergency stop control input for stopping the air conditioning system in an emergency, or for performing control for reducing the power amount when the power amount exceeds a specified value. The air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus is connected to the central controller via the existing external contact provided for input. The billing unit is connected via a network to a multi-type air conditioning apparatus and the outdoor unit and a plurality of said indoor units are connected, said having a management function of the operating schedule of the multi-type air conditioner The air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the air-conditioning charge calculation apparatus is provided in the central control device. A central controller that is connected via a network to a multi-type air conditioner to which one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units are connected, and has a function of managing an operation schedule of the multi-type air conditioner. ,
A schedule information, when connected via a timer unit and external contacts for outputting an output signal based on the schedule information, or if it is connected via the communication port, corresponding to between bands when the current The output signal is input from the timer means;
In the schedule information, one day is divided into a plurality of time zones, and the different output signals for selecting charging coefficients corresponding to the divided time zones are associated with the divided time zones. The time zone classification is registered according to the day of the week,
The charging coefficient associated with the output signal input from the timer means is acquired from a charging table in which the output signal and the charging coefficient are associated, and the acquired charging coefficient and power consumption information are obtained. used, the central controller having a charge calculation means for calculating the air-conditioning use fee of the multi-type air conditioner to be connected.

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