JP6971400B2 - Air conditioning system, air conditioning method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system or the like.

Regarding air conditioning by an air conditioner, it is known that not only the temperature of the indoor air (space subject to air conditioning) but also the humidity of the indoor air affects the comfort of the air conditioning. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner in which a temperature / humidity sensor is provided in an indoor unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-150764

The technique described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to perform highly comfortable air conditioning based on the detection value of the temperature / humidity sensor. However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the manufacturing cost increases because the sensor element for detecting each of the temperature and the humidity is provided. In consideration of such a situation, if the configuration is such that only the temperature of the indoor air is detected without detecting the humidity of the indoor air, the comfort of the air conditioning may be lowered.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system or the like having high comfort and low manufacturing cost.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, when the amount of heat exchange on the air side is smaller than the amount of heat exchange on the refrigerant side, the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger and the air exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger. The control unit estimates the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger based on the temperature, the amount of heat exchange on the refrigerant side, and the amount of heat exchange on the air side, and performs air conditioning control based on the humidity. And.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system or the like having high comfort and low manufacturing cost.

It is a schematic block diagram including the air conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which includes the air conditioner of the air conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the air-conditioning management apparatus of the air-conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows _{the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air when the heat exchange of air in an indoor heat exchanger is only a sensible heat load in the air conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. .. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part provided in the air-conditioning management apparatus of the air-conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example _{of the point (Q ref} , Q _air ) when latent heat is included in the heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger in the air conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the time transition of the ratio (Q air / Q _{ref ) in the air-} conditioning system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an air diagram regarding the temperature and humidity of the air on the suction side and the blow side of the indoor heat exchanger in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram including the air-conditioning system which concerns on the modification of this invention.

<< Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram including an air conditioning system W according to an embodiment.
In FIG. 1, the illustration of the pipe J is simplified, and the pipe that guides the refrigerant from the outdoor unit Uo to the four indoor units Ui and the pipe that guides the refrigerant from the four indoor units Ui to the outdoor unit Uo are common. It is illustrated by a solid line (pipe J).

The air conditioning system W is a system for performing air conditioning, and includes an air conditioner 100 and an air conditioning management device 200. The air conditioning management device 200 may be configured to include a plurality of servers. The mobile terminal 300 shown in FIG. 1 is a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a mobile phone owned by a user of the air conditioner 100, and can communicate with the air conditioning management device 200 via the network N. ing.

<Composition of air conditioner>
The air conditioner 100 is a device that performs air conditioning such as cooling operation and heating operation. FIG. 1 illustrates, as an example, a multi-type air conditioner 100 in which a top-blowing type outdoor unit Uo and four ceiling-embedded type indoor units Ui are connected via a pipe J. .. As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit Uo is connected to the indoor unit Ui via the communication line M, and is also connected to the air conditioning management device 200 via the communication line M.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram including a refrigerant circuit F of the air conditioner 100.
In FIG. 2, two of the four indoor units Ui (see FIG. 1) are shown, and the remaining two units are not shown. Further, in FIG. 2, the air flow in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 16 is indicated by white arrows.

The air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 12, an outdoor fan 13, an outdoor expansion valve 14, and a four-way valve 15 as devices provided in the outdoor unit Uo.
The compressor 11 is a device that compresses a low-temperature low-pressure gas refrigerant and discharges it as a high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant. As such a compressor 11, for example, a scroll type compressor or a rotary type compressor is used.

The outdoor heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the refrigerant passing through the heat transfer tube (not shown) and the outside air sent from the outdoor fan 13. One end g1 of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is connected to the suction side or the discharge side of the compressor 11 by switching the four-way valve 15, and the other end g2 is connected to the liquid side pipe J1.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that sends outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12. The outdoor fan 13 includes an outdoor fan motor 13a as a drive source, and is arranged in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger 12.
The outdoor expansion valve 14 is an electronic expansion valve that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant when the outdoor heat exchanger 12 functions as an evaporator. It is provided in.
The four-way valve 15 is a valve that switches the flow path of the refrigerant according to the operation mode during air conditioning.

Further, the air conditioner 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 16, an indoor fan 17, an air filter 18, and an indoor expansion valve 19 as equipment provided in the indoor unit Ui.
The indoor heat exchanger 16 is a heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the refrigerant passing through the heat transfer tube (not shown) and the indoor air (air in the air conditioning target space) sent from the indoor fan 17. Is. One end h1 of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is connected to the gas side pipe J2, and the other end h2 is connected to the liquid side pipe J3.

The indoor fan 17 is a fan that sends indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 16. The indoor fan 17 has an indoor fan motor 17a as a drive source, and is arranged in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 16.
The air filter 18 is a filter that collects dust from the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 as the indoor fan 17 is driven, and is arranged in the vicinity of the indoor heat exchanger 16 (air suction side).

The indoor expansion valve 19 is an electronic expansion valve that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 16 and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant when the indoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator, and is a liquid side pipe J3. It is provided in. The other indoor unit Ui also has a similar configuration.

The liquid side connection portion K1 connects a plurality of liquid side pipes J3 connected to each indoor unit Ui on a one-to-one basis and a liquid side pipe J1 connected to the other end g2 of the outdoor heat exchanger 12. Is.
The gas side connection portion K2 connects a plurality of gas side pipes J2 connected to each indoor unit Ui on a one-to-one basis and a gas side pipe J4 connected to the four-way valve 15 of the outdoor unit Uo. ..

Then, the refrigerant circulates in the well-known heat pump cycle in the refrigerant circuit F according to the operation mode at the time of air conditioning. For example, during the cooling operation, the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the outdoor expansion valve 14 (expansion valve), the indoor expansion valve 19 (expansion valve), and the indoor heat exchanger 16 (evaporator) are sequentially arranged. The refrigerant circulates through the air.
On the other hand, during the heating operation, the compressor 11, the indoor heat exchanger 16 (condenser), the indoor expansion valve 19 (expansion valve), the outdoor expansion valve 14 (expansion valve), and the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (evaporator) are sequentially arranged. The refrigerant circulates through the air.

That is, the air conditioning system W includes a refrigerant circuit F in which the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor 11, the “condenser”, the “expansion valve”, and the “evaporator”, and the above-mentioned “condenser” and “evaporation”. One of the "vessels" is the outdoor heat exchanger 12, and the other is the indoor heat exchanger 16.

In addition, the outdoor unit Uo is provided with a suction pressure sensor 21, a suction temperature sensor 22, a discharge pressure sensor 23, and a discharge temperature sensor 24.
The suction pressure sensor 21 is a sensor that detects the pressure (suction pressure) of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11. The suction temperature sensor 22 is a sensor that detects the temperature (suction temperature) of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11.

The discharge pressure sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the pressure (discharge pressure) of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 11. The discharge temperature sensor 24 is a sensor that detects the temperature (discharge temperature) of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 11.
Each detected value of the suction pressure sensor 21, the suction temperature sensor 22, the discharge pressure sensor 23, and the discharge temperature sensor 24 is output to the air conditioning management device 200 via the outdoor control circuit 31.

On the other hand, the indoor unit Ui is provided with refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26, a suction air temperature sensor 27, and a blowout air temperature sensor 28.
The refrigerant temperature sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the vicinity of one end h1 of the indoor heat exchanger 16. The other refrigerant temperature sensor 26 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the vicinity of the other end h2 of the indoor heat exchanger 16.

The suction air temperature sensor 27 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the air on the air suction side (inlet side) of the indoor heat exchanger 16. The blown air temperature sensor 28 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the air on the air blown side (outlet side) of the indoor heat exchanger 16.
The detected values of the refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26, the suction air temperature sensor 27, and the blowout air temperature sensor 28 are output to the outdoor control circuit 31 and the air conditioning control device 200 via the indoor control circuit 32.

Further, the outdoor unit Uo is provided with an outdoor control circuit 31, and the indoor unit Ui is provided with an indoor control circuit 32. Although not shown, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 include electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces. .. Then, the program stored in the ROM is read out and expanded in the RAM, and the CPU executes various processes.

The outdoor control circuit 31 controls the compressor 11, the outdoor fan 13, the outdoor expansion valve 14, and the like based on the detection values of each sensor and the command from the air conditioning management device 200, and sends a predetermined signal to the indoor control circuit 32. Send. On the other hand, the indoor control circuit 32 controls the indoor fan 17 and the indoor expansion valve 19 based on the signal received from the outdoor control circuit 31 and the command from the air conditioning management device 200.

The remote controller Re exchanges predetermined information with the indoor control circuit 32 by infrared communication or the like. For example, signals related to the start / stop of air conditioning, the setting of the operation mode, the timer, the change of the set temperature, and the like are transmitted from the remote controller Re to the indoor control circuit 32. On the other hand, as a signal transmitted from the indoor control circuit 32 to the remote controller Re, for example, information on the temperature and humidity of the indoor air can be mentioned.

<Configuration of air conditioning management device>
The air conditioning management device 200 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of managing air conditioning by the air conditioner 100 and, as described later, estimating the humidity of the indoor air based on the detection value of each sensor. .. Although not shown, the air conditioning management device 200 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and various interfaces, and is connected to the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 via a communication line.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioning management device 200 (see FIG. 2 as appropriate).
As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioning management device 200 includes a storage unit 210, a control unit 220, and a notification unit 230.
In addition to the predetermined program, the storage unit 210 stores the rotation speed-design air volume information 211, the design volumetric efficiency information 212, and the sensible heat load information 213. The rotation speed-design air volume information 211 is information indicating a predetermined design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. The above-mentioned "design air volume" is the air volume of the indoor unit Ui obtained in a preliminary experiment or the like based on the specifications of the indoor fan 17 and the indoor heat exchanger 16.

The higher the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17, the larger the design air volume. Then, a mathematical formula or the like for calculating the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 is stored in the storage unit 210 in advance as the rotation speed-design air volume information 211.

The design volumetric efficiency information 212 shown in FIG. 3 is information indicating the design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 (see FIG. 2). The above-mentioned "design volumetric efficiency" is the volumetric efficiency based on the specifications of the compressor 11, and is calculated based on the rotation speed of the motor (not shown) of the compressor 11 or the like.
The sensible heat load information 213 stored in the storage unit 210 will be described later.

The control unit 220 executes a predetermined process based on the detection value of each sensor, the data of the storage unit 210, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 220 includes a refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation unit 221, an air side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222, a learning unit 223, a comparison unit 224, a determination unit 225, and a humidity estimation unit. It includes a 226 and an air conditioning control unit 227.

_{The refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation unit 221 estimates the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} in the indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the detected values such as the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The "refrigerant side" of the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref means that the heat exchange amount is estimated based on the detected values such as the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant.

The air side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222 is based on the temperature of the air on the suction side and the blow side of the indoor heat exchanger 16, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17, and the above-mentioned rotation speed-design air volume information 211. It is estimated as the _{amount of heat exchange Q air} on the air side in the heat exchanger 16. The "air side" of the air side heat exchange amount Q _air means that the heat exchange amount is estimated based on the temperature of the air or the like.

By the way, if the cooling operation is performed when the humidity of the indoor air is high, the temperature of the heat transfer tube (not shown) of the indoor heat exchanger 16 may be lower than the dew point. As a result, a latent heat load that changes the state of water vapor in the air into water is generated. _{Since this latent heat load is not reflected in the temperature change of the air, the heat exchange amount Q air} (sensible heat) on the air side based on the temperature difference between the air on the suction side and the air on the blow side is _{higher than the heat exchange amount Q ref} (total heat) on the refrigerant side. Also becomes smaller. In the present embodiment, the presence or absence of latent heat is determined based on the magnitude relationship between the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air.

When it is known that the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 does not include latent heat (only sensible heat), the learning unit 223 shown in FIG. 3 has air with respect to the _{heat exchange amount Q ref on the refrigerant side.} Learn the ratio of side heat exchange amount Q _{air (Q air} / Q _ref ).

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing _{the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air when the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger is only a sensible heat load.
_{The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 is the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} estimated by the refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation unit 221 (see FIG. 3). _{The vertical axis of FIG. 4 is the air side heat exchange amount Q air} estimated by the air side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222 (see FIG. 3).

The plurality of points shown in FIG. 4 are data obtained during a known learning period in which the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is only a sensible heat load and there is almost no latent heat load. Examples of the operation mode in such a learning period include a heating operation and a cooling operation in which the set temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

The learning unit 223 (see FIG. 3) uses a plurality of refrigerant-side heat exchange amounts Q _ref and air-side heat exchange amounts Q _air obtained during a predetermined learning period, for example, based on the least squares method, as shown in FIG. The formula of the straight line L1 shown is derived. Instead of the mathematical formula of the straight line L1, the learning unit 223 may calculate the moving average of the _{ratio (Q air} / Q _{ref) obtained in time series.}

During the learning period, as described above, since latent heat is hardly included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16, the total heat is substantially equal to the sensible heat. As a result, the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref (total heat) and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air (sensible heat) become substantially equal, and the slope of the straight line L1 becomes a value close to “1”.

Assuming that the slope of the straight line L1 is a, the learning unit 223 has, for example, a predetermined range below the straight line L11 having the slope (a + b1) and above the straight line L12 having the slope (a-b1). To learn. From another point of view, the learning unit 223 has (ab1) ≤ (Q _air / _{) with respect to the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) when the heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is almost only sensible heat. The sensible heat load information 213 (see FIG. 3) indicating the range of _{Q ref) ≦ (a + b1) is stored in the storage unit 210.}

Comparing section 224 shown in FIG. 3, during the air conditioning operation, it compares the magnitude between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air.
The determination unit 225 determines the presence or absence of latent heat with respect to the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 224.

The humidity estimation unit 226 estimates the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 when the heat exchange of the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 includes latent heat.
The air conditioning control unit 227 executes a predetermined air conditioning control based on the estimation result of the humidity estimation unit 226 and the like.

The notification unit 230 notifies the estimation result of the humidity estimation unit 226 and the like. Examples of such a notification unit 230 include a display. In addition, the notification unit 230 may have a predetermined communication function and notify the estimation result of the humidity estimation unit 226 to the remote controller Re (see FIG. 2) or the user's mobile terminal 300 (see FIG. 1).

<Processing of air conditioning management device>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the control unit 220 included in the air conditioning management device 200 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 as appropriate).
At the time of "START" in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the above-mentioned sensible heat load information 213 has already been learned. Further, it is assumed that the air conditioner 100 is executing the cooling operation based on the command from the remote controller Re during the process of FIG.

Further, when estimating the humidity of the indoor air (that is, when processing S101 to 106), the control unit 220 includes latent heat in the heat exchange of the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 (indoor heat exchanger 16). It is preferable to perform a process of allowing the indoor heat exchanger 16 to function as an evaporator so that the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is lower than the dew point). For example, the control unit 220 may start the cooling operation at a set temperature lower than a predetermined temperature based on a command from the remote controller Re. This is because, as will be described later, the humidity of the indoor air can be estimated without a humidity sensor (not shown) (S106).

In step S101, the control unit 220 estimates the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref of the indoor heat exchanger 16 by the refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation unit 221 (refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation step). Specifically, the control unit 220 first determines the compressor 11 based on the detection value of the suction pressure sensor 21, the detection value of the suction temperature sensor 22, and the degree of refrigerant superheat on the suction side of the compressor 11. Calculate the refrigerant density on the suction side of. It is assumed that a predetermined value of the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11 is stored in advance based on a prior experiment.

The control unit 220 is based on the refrigerant density on the suction side of the compressor 11, the stroke volume of the compressor 11, the rotation speed of the compressor motor (not shown), and the design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11. Then, the amount of refrigerant circulation per unit time in the refrigerant circuit F is calculated. It is assumed that the stroke volume of the compressor 11 is known. Further, the design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is estimated based on the above-mentioned design volumetric efficiency information 212 (see FIG. 3).

Further, the control unit 220 is based on the detection values of the discharge pressure sensor 23 and the detection values of the refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26, and the control unit 220 is located on one end side / other end side (that is, the inlet side / outlet side) of the indoor heat exchanger 16. Calculate the specific enthalpy difference of the refrigerant on the side).

Then, the control unit 220 has a refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q of the indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the specific enthalpy difference of the refrigerant between one end side and the other end side of the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the above-mentioned refrigerant circulation amount. Estimate the _ref. In this way, the control unit 220 estimates the _{refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} in the indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the information including the temperature of the refrigerant on one end side and the other end side of the indoor heat exchanger 16.

Next, in step S102, the control unit 220 estimates the air side heat exchange amount Q _air of the indoor heat exchanger 16 by the air side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222 (air side heat exchange amount estimation step). Specifically, the control unit 220 first refers to the rotation speed-design air volume information 211, and calculates the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. _{Then, the control unit 220 determines the air side heat exchange amount Q air of the} indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the above-mentioned design air volume, the detection value of the suction air temperature sensor 27, and the detection value of the blowout air temperature sensor 28. To estimate.

As described above, the control unit 220 is based on the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16, the temperature of the air exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 16, and the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. _{The amount of heat exchange Q air} on the air side in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is estimated.

Next, in step S103, the control unit 220 determines, by the comparison unit 224, whether or not the air side heat exchange amount Q _{air is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref.}

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example _{of points (Q ref} , Q _air ) when latent heat is included in heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger.
The horizontal axis of FIG. 6 is the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref , and the vertical axis is the air side heat exchange amount Q _air . Further, the shaded area shown in FIG. 6 is a range in which it is assumed that the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is only a sensible heat load.

For example, when attention is focused on the point P1, smaller towards the air side heat exchange amount Q1 _air than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q1 _ref, further points (Q1 _ref, Q1 _air) deviates from a predetermined range of the shaded portion. This is because latent heat was included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16. That is, latent heat is generated when the water vapor contained in the air sucked into the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 2) condenses on the indoor heat exchanger 16 (see FIG. 2). The same applies to the other points shown in FIG.

If the air side heat exchange amount Q _{air is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} in step S103 of FIG. 5 (S103: Yes), the process of the control unit 220 proceeds to step S104.
In step S104, the control unit 220 _{determines whether or not the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) is out of the predetermined range.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the temporal transition of _{the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref).
The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 is the time, and the vertical axis is the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ). In the example of FIG. 7, α ≦ (Q _air / Q _ref ) ≦ β is set _{as the range of the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) when the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is only the sensible heat load. It is set. This is the above-mentioned sensible heat load information 213 (see FIG. 3). Further, in the example of FIG. 7, the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is smaller than the predetermined value α at each of the times t1, t2, and t3.

The control unit 220 calculates a moving average of _{a plurality of ratios (Q air} / Q _ref ) calculated in time series, and whether _{this moving average deviates from the predetermined range α ≦ (Q air} / Q _ref ) ≦ β. It may be determined whether or not (S104).
In addition, _{when the control unit 220 calculates the ratio (Q air} / Q _{ref ), the approximate straight line L2 of a plurality of points (Q ref} , Q _air ) shown in FIG. 6 is calculated by the least squares method, and the approximate straight line L2 is calculated. It may be determined whether or not the inclination is out of the predetermined range α ≦ (Q _air / Q _{ref) ≦ β (S104).}

_{When the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) is out of the predetermined range in step S104 of FIG. 5 (S104: Yes), the process of the control unit 220 proceeds to step S105.
In step S105, the control unit 220 determines by the determination unit 225 that latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 (“latent heat”).

Next, in step S106, the control unit 220 estimates the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 by the humidity estimation unit 226 (humidity estimation step).

FIG. 8 is a psychrometric chart relating to the temperature and humidity of the air on the suction side and the blow side of the indoor heat exchanger.
The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 is the dry-bulb temperature of air, and the vertical axis is the absolute humidity of air. Further, the curve R is a curve showing a state where the relative humidity is 100 [%]. Further, the point P2 is an example of the temperature and humidity of the suction air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16, and the point P3 indicates the temperature and humidity of the blown air after the suction air exchanges heat with the indoor heat exchanger 16. There is.

If latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 during the cooling operation, the temperature of the air on the outlet side is lower than the dew point. That is, on the psychrometric chart, the point P3 indicating the state of the blown air is on the curve R having a relative humidity of 100%. Therefore, based on the detected value of the blown air temperature sensor 28 (see FIG. 2) (dry-bulb temperature of 10 ° C. at point P3) and the determination result (S105) of "latent heat", on the psychrometric chart. The position of the point P3 is fixed.

On the other hand, regarding the air on the suction side, it can be seen that the point P2 exists on the broken line L3 based on the detected value of the suction air temperature sensor 27 (see FIG. 2) (at the point P2, the dry-bulb temperature is about 27 ° C.). .. Therefore, the control unit 220 sucks in air based on _{the ratio (Q air} / Q _{ref ) of the air side heat exchange amount Q air} (sensible heat) to the _{refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} (total heat: sensible heat + latent heat). Estimate the humidity (position of point P2). It is assumed that the data corresponding to the psychrometric chart of FIG. 8 is stored in advance in the storage unit 210 (see FIG. 3) as a data table, for example.

As described above, when the heat exchange of the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 includes latent heat (S105 in FIG. 5), the control unit 220 estimates the humidity of the indoor air (S106). That is, the control unit 220 is based on the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16, the temperature of the air exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 16, the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref , and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air. , Estimate the humidity of the air towards the indoor heat exchanger 16 (S106). As a result, the humidity of the indoor air can be estimated even if the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 2) is not provided with the humidity sensor, so that the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 can be reduced.

In step S107 of FIG. 5, the control unit 220 determines whether or not the humidity (for example, relative humidity) calculated in step S106 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. This predetermined value is a threshold value that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not to perform the dehumidifying operation (S108), and is set in advance. When the humidity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (S107: Yes), the process of the control unit 220 proceeds to step S108.

In step S108, the control unit 220 executes the dehumidifying operation (air conditioning control step). For example, when the dehumidifying operation is performed, the control unit 220 generates a command signal for reducing the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve 19 and transmits it to the air conditioner 100. As a result, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 16 (evaporator) becomes low, and the degree of superheat of this refrigerant becomes large, so that the dehumidifying operation can be performed.

In addition, when performing the dehumidifying operation, the control unit 220 may generate a command signal for reducing the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 and transmit it to the air conditioner 100. Even with such control, the degree of superheat of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 16 (evaporator) becomes large, so that the dehumidifying operation can be performed. After performing the dehumidifying operation (S108) for a predetermined time, the control unit 220 may perform the cooling operation again.

Further, when the humidity is less than a predetermined value in step S107 (S107: No), the control unit 220 ends a series of processes without performing the dehumidifying operation (END). That is, the control unit 220 continues the cooling operation without performing the dehumidifying operation. This is because it is not particularly necessary to perform dehumidification operation when the humidity is low.

Further, when Q _ref ≤ Q _air is satisfied in step S103 (S103: No), or when the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is within a predetermined range in step S104 (S104: No), the processing of the control unit 220 is performed. The process proceeds to step S109.

In step S109, the control unit 220 determines by the determination unit 225 that the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 does not include latent heat (“no latent heat”). In this case, since the humidity of the indoor air is not so high, it is not particularly necessary to perform the dehumidifying operation.
After performing the process of step S109, the control unit 220 ends a series of processes (END).

Although omitted in FIG. 5, the humidity history information estimated in step S106 may be stored in the storage unit 210 (see FIG. 3). Then, it is preferable that the control unit 220 transmits the humidity history information stored in the storage unit 210 to the remote controller Re (see FIG. 2) or the mobile terminal 300 (terminal: see FIG. 1). As a result, the user can easily grasp the change in the humidity of the indoor air over time. Further, the control unit 220 may _{transmit the history information of the humidity and ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) of the indoor air to the remote monitoring center (not shown). The computer (not shown) of this remote monitoring center is also included in the "terminal".

<Effect>
According to the present embodiment, based on the magnitude relationship between the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref and the air side heat exchange amount Q _air (S103, S104 in FIG. 5), the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 The control unit 220 determines whether or not the heat exchange includes latent heat (S105, S109). Then, when it is determined that the heat exchange includes latent heat (S105), the control unit 220 estimates the humidity of the indoor air (S106).

As a result, even if the indoor unit Ui is not provided with a humidity sensor (not shown), the humidity of the indoor air can be accurately estimated, so that the manufacturing cost of the air conditioner 100 can be reduced. Further, by appropriately performing the dehumidifying operation by the control unit 220 based on the humidity of the indoor air (S108 in FIG. 5), highly comfortable air conditioning can be performed. In particular, when the air conditioner 100 is provided in a hot and humid area, the control of the present embodiment is effective.

≪Variation example≫
Although the air conditioning system W according to the present invention has been described above in the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and various modifications can be made.
For example, in the embodiment, the air side heat exchange amount Q _{air is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref} (S103: Yes in FIG. 5), and the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is out of the predetermined range. In the case (S104: Yes), the process (S106) in which the control unit 220 estimates the humidity has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, to omit the determination process of step S105, if smaller in the air side heat exchange rate Q _air than the refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref, the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 control unit 220 estimates You may do so. Even with such processing, it is possible to appropriately calculate the humidity of the indoor air.

Further, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the control unit 220 (see FIG. 3) includes the learning unit 223 (see FIG. 3) has been described, but the learning unit 223 may be omitted. Then, when air conditioning is performed under operating conditions such that the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 does not include latent heat, control is performed when the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is substantially equal to "1". The unit 220 may estimate the humidity of the indoor air. Specifically, during the heating operation, or, in the cooling operation set temperature is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, when the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air are substantially equal, after which the set temperature When the cooling operation is performed, which is less than the predetermined value described above, the control unit 220 estimates the humidity of the indoor air. This makes it possible to further reduce the error in estimating the humidity of the indoor air.

Further, for example, if dust adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18, the actual air volume becomes smaller than the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. As a result, the direction of the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air is greater than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref.
Further, when the sealing property of the compression chamber (not shown) deteriorates in the compressor 11, the refrigerant tends to leak from the compression chamber, so that the air side heat exchange amount Q _air is smaller _{than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q ref.} It may become.
Therefore, when the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is within the “predetermined range”, the control unit 220 may further perform the following processing regarding the processing for estimating the humidity of the indoor air. That is, during the heating operation, or, in the cooling operation set temperature is a predetermined value or more, when one of the refrigerant heat exchange quantity Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air is greater than the other, the control unit 220, The above-mentioned "predetermined range" may be corrected. That is, the control unit 220 corrects (learns) the "predetermined range" based on _{the ratio (Q air} / Q _ref ) when it is assumed that latent heat is not included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16. You may try to do it. As a result, even if dust adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 16 or the like or the compressor 11 deteriorates, the control unit 220 can estimate the humidity of the indoor air with high accuracy.

Further, in the embodiment, the configuration in which the air conditioning control device 200 outputs a command signal to the air conditioner 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as described below, the air conditioning control device 200 may be configured to output a command signal to both the air conditioner 100 and the dehumidifier 400 (see FIG. 9).

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram including the air conditioning system WA according to the modified example.
As shown in FIG. 9, the air conditioning system WA includes an air conditioner 100, an air conditioning management device 200, and a dehumidifier 400. The air conditioning management device 200 is connected to the outdoor unit Uo and the indoor unit Ui via the communication line M, and is also connected to the dehumidifier 400 via the communication line M. That is, the dehumidifier 400 provided in the air-conditioned space where the air-conditioned air is blown out when the indoor fan 17 is driven, and the control unit 220 (see FIG. 3) of the air-conditioning management device 200 can communicate with each other. It has become. The dehumidifier 400 shown in FIG. 9 is a device that mainly dehumidifies. Since the configuration of the dehumidifier 400 is well known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In such a configuration, the control unit 220 (see FIG. 3) of the air conditioning control device 200 outputs a signal for performing the dehumidifying operation to the dehumidifier 400 when the humidity of the indoor air is less than a predetermined value. As described above, when the humidity of the indoor air is not so high, the efficiency of air conditioning can be improved by causing only the dehumidifier 400 to perform the dehumidifying operation. In the above case, the air conditioner 100 may be in a stopped state, or may be in a cooling operation or the like.
On the other hand, when the humidity of the indoor air is equal to or higher than the above-mentioned predetermined value, the control unit 220 outputs a signal for performing the dehumidifying operation to the dehumidifying machine 400, and performs the dehumidifying operation using the refrigerant circuit F (see FIG. 2). conduct. As a result, the dehumidification that is insufficient in the dehumidifier 400 can be supplemented by the operation of the air conditioner 100.

Further, during the process of making the indoor heat exchanger 16 function as an evaporator so that the heat exchange of air includes latent heat, when the history information of the humidity of the indoor air is stored in the storage unit 210, the control unit 220 is next. May be processed. That is, the control unit 220 predicts the future humidity based on the history information of the humidity of the indoor air, and determines the set temperature of the cooling operation when the above-mentioned processing is performed in the future based on the prediction result. You may. As an example, the control unit 220 calculates the moving average of the humidity of the indoor air estimated in the last few days, and based on this moving average, the set temperature during the cooling operation when the humidity is estimated next time. To decide. This makes it possible to prevent the set temperature of the cooling operation when estimating the humidity from being too high or too low.

Further, when performing a process of making the indoor heat exchanger 16 function as an evaporator so that latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air, the control unit 220 either makes the air volume smaller than that during normal cooling operation, or indoors. It is preferable that the vertical wind direction of the machine Ui (see FIG. 2) is closer to horizontal than during normal cooling operation. As a result, when estimating the humidity of the indoor air, it is possible to suppress the cold air from being blown down downward, which in turn enhances the comfort for the user.

Further, when performing a process of making the indoor heat exchanger 16 function as an evaporator so that latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air, the control unit 220 causes the indoor heat exchanger 16 to function as an evaporator, and this indoor heat exchange. It is preferable to freeze the vessel 16. More specifically, in response to a command from the control unit 220, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 drive the compressor 11, and further, the opening degree of the indoor expansion valve 19 is increased as compared with the normal cooling operation. Make it smaller. As a result, the refrigerant having a low pressure and a low evaporation temperature flows into the indoor heat exchanger 16, so that the moisture in the air frosts on the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the frost and ice are likely to grow. At this time, since latent heat is surely included in the heat exchange of the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16, the humidity of the indoor air can be estimated with high accuracy.

Then, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 freeze the indoor heat exchanger 16 and then thaw the indoor heat exchanger 16. For example, when the compressor 11 and the indoor fan 17 are stopped, the frost and ice in the indoor heat exchanger 16 are naturally thawed at room temperature, and a large amount is transmitted through the fins (not shown) of the indoor heat exchanger 16. Water runs down. As a result, the dust in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is washed away. Such a cleaning method of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is called "freezing cleaning".
Instead of the above-mentioned "freezing and washing", the indoor heat exchanger 16 may function as an evaporator and the indoor heat exchanger 16 may condense dew. The dust of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is also washed away by such "condensation washing". Further, it is preferable that the control unit 220 estimates the humidity of the indoor air during the "dew condensation cleaning". Even with such a method, the humidity of the indoor air can be estimated with high accuracy.

Further, the control unit 220 may start the process of estimating the humidity of the indoor air in response to the command of the remote controller Re or the mobile terminal 300. Thereby, when the user wants to confirm the humidity of the air conditioner 100, the estimation result of the humidity of the indoor air can be displayed on the remote controller Re or the like.

Further, in each embodiment, the configuration in which the air conditioning system W (see FIG. 2) includes the air conditioning management device 200 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the air conditioning control device 200 may be omitted, and a series of processes related to humidity estimation may be performed by the outdoor control circuit 31 (control unit) or the indoor control circuit 32 (control unit).

Further, in each embodiment, the multi-type air conditioner 100 provided with a plurality of indoor units Ui (see FIG. 1) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each embodiment can be applied to various types of air conditioners, in addition to a wall-mounted air conditioner (not shown) in which one indoor unit and one outdoor unit are provided.

It is possible to provide a program for causing a computer to execute processing such as humidity estimation (see FIG. 5) via a communication line, and to write and distribute it on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Is also possible.

Further, each embodiment is described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and is not necessarily limited to the one including all the configurations described. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.
In addition, the above-mentioned mechanism and configuration show what is considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the mechanisms and configurations in the product.

11 Compressor 12 Outdoor heat exchanger (condenser / evaporator)
13 Outdoor fan 14 Outdoor expansion valve (expansion valve)
15 Four-way valve 16 Indoor heat exchanger (evaporator / condenser)
17 Indoor fan 18 Air filter 19 Indoor expansion valve (expansion valve)
31 Outdoor control circuit (control unit)
32 Indoor control circuit (control unit)
53 Filter cleaning unit 100 Air conditioner 200 Air conditioning management device 210 Storage unit 220 Control unit 230 Notification unit 300 Mobile terminal (terminal)
400 Dehumidifier F Refrigerant circuit Re remote control W, WA Air conditioning system

Claims (4)

It is equipped with a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates sequentially through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.
One of the condenser and the evaporator is an outdoor heat exchanger and the other is an indoor heat exchanger.
An indoor fan located near the indoor heat exchanger and
A storage unit that stores a predetermined design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan, and
Further equipped with a control unit that controls air conditioning,
The control unit
Based on the information including the temperature of the refrigerant on one end side and the other end side of the indoor heat exchanger, the amount of heat exchange on the refrigerant side in the indoor heat exchanger is estimated and the amount of heat exchange is estimated.
The air side of the indoor heat exchanger is based on the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger, the temperature of the air heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger, and the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan. Estimate the amount of heat exchange,
When the air side heat exchange amount is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount, the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger, the temperature of the air heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant side heat exchange amount. , And an air conditioning system that estimates the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger based on the amount of heat exchange on the air side and controls air conditioning based on the humidity. The control unit is characterized in that when estimating the humidity, the indoor heat exchanger functions as the evaporator so that latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioning system according to claim 1. With the refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimation step in which the control unit estimates the refrigerant side heat exchange amount in the indoor heat exchanger based on the information including the temperature of the refrigerant on one end side and the other end side of the indoor heat exchanger of the air exchanger. ,
To a predetermined design air volume corresponding to the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger, the temperature of the air exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger, and the rotation speed of the indoor fan arranged near the indoor heat exchanger. Based on the air side heat exchange amount estimation step in which the control unit estimates the air side heat exchange amount in the indoor heat exchanger,
When the air side heat exchange amount is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount, the temperature of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger, the temperature of the air heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant side heat exchange amount. , And a humidity estimation step in which the control unit estimates the humidity of the air toward the indoor heat exchanger based on the amount of heat exchange on the air side.
An air conditioning method including an air conditioning control step in which the control unit performs air conditioning control based on the humidity. A program for causing a computer to execute the air conditioning method according to claim 3.

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