JP7022892B2 - Gas appliance discriminator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for discriminating a gas appliance that has started to be used by detecting a change in the flow rate of gas and integrating the amount of gas used in the discriminated appliance.

Gas meter devices have been proposed that identify what gas appliance is in use based on changes in the flow rate of gas flowing through the pipe. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, the gas flow rate is measured at regular time intervals, the obtained flow rate pattern is acquired as a difference value for each measurement, and the difference corresponding to the flow rate pattern of the gas appliance registered in advance for each gas appliance. It discloses a gas meter device that determines a gas appliance that has started to be used by comparing it with a value.

Further, as a method for integrating the amount of gas used, for example, in Patent Document 2 below, a gas meter device that calculates a flow rate category by averaging the flow rate values for a predetermined period and regards the category of the corresponding appliance as the gas flow rate of the appliance and integrates the gas meter device. Is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-107208 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-133158

However, when the type of gas appliance such as a water heater, fan heater, stove, etc. is discriminated by the conventional gas meter device and the gas usage amount of a specific gas appliance is integrated, a gas in which a large flow rate change occurs like a water heater. In the case of appliances, by treating a large change in flow rate as the rise of another gas appliance, the amount of gas used that is determined to be another gas appliance is deducted even though only the water heater is operating. There is a problem that it is difficult to accurately calculate the amount of gas used in the water heater because the total is calculated.

As described above, the conventional configuration has a problem that it is difficult to accurately integrate the gas usage amount of the gas appliance, and particularly when there is one gas appliance, the total flow rate and the gas appliance The deviation of the integrated value sometimes appeared remarkably.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and even for a gas appliance such as a water heater in which a large change in flow rate occurs, the amount of the gas appliance used can be accurately calculated and integrated accurately. It is an object of the present invention to provide a gas appliance discriminating device capable of being capable.

The exemplary flow rate measuring device according to the present specification collects a predetermined number of flow rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of the fluid flowing in the flow path at regular time intervals and the flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means, and calculates the average flow rate. The average flow rate calculating means to be calculated, the gas instrument discriminating means for discriminating the gas appliance from the flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means, the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means, and the discriminating result by the gas instrument discriminating means. When the gas appliance is determined to be a specific gas appliance by the instrument flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate of the gas appliance from the above and the gas appliance discriminating means, the instrument flow rate calculating means integrates the flow rate of the specific gas appliance. The instrument flow rate integrating means and the gas appliance in-use determining means for determining whether or not the specific gas appliance is in use from the discrimination result by the gas appliance discriminating means are provided, and the instrument flow rate calculating means is the gas appliance discriminating means. When the determination of the gas appliance is executed, it is determined that the specific gas appliance is in use by the gas appliance in use determining means, and the discrimination result by the gas appliance determining means is a predetermined result. It is characterized in that the flow rate of the specific gas appliance is recognized as a change in the flow rate of the specific gas appliance and is registered.
This makes it possible to accurately integrate even an appliance with a large change in flow rate, such as a water heater.

According to the gas appliance determination device of the present invention, even when a gas appliance such as a water heater that generates a large change in flow rate that can be determined to be the start of operation of another gas appliance is used, the amount of gas used in the gas appliance. Can be accurately integrated.

A block diagram showing an exemplary configuration of the gas meter 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Processing flowchart in Embodiment 1 of the present invention (A) A graph showing an example of a flow rate change when using a water heater, (b) (a) A graph showing an example of an appliance flow rate calculated by an appliance flow rate calculating means in the flow rate in the figure. Embodiment 1 Block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the gas meter

The first invention is a flow rate measuring means for measuring the flow rate of a fluid flowing in a flow path at regular time intervals, and an average flow rate calculating means for collecting a predetermined number of flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means and calculating an average flow rate. , The flow rate of the gas appliance is calculated from the gas appliance discriminating means for discriminating the gas appliance from the flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means, the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means, and the discrimination result by the gas instrument discriminating means. The instrument flow rate calculating means, the instrument flow rate integrating means for integrating the flow rate of the specific gas appliance by the appliance flow rate calculating means when the gas appliance is determined to be a specific gas appliance by the gas appliance discriminating means, and the above. A gas appliance in-use determining means for determining whether or not the specific gas appliance is in use from the discrimination result by the gas appliance discriminating means is provided, and the instrument flow rate calculating means discriminates the gas appliance by the gas appliance discriminating means. When it is determined by the gas appliance in-use determination means that a specific gas appliance is in use and the determination result by the gas appliance discrimination means is a predetermined result, the specific gas appliance is used. It is characterized by recognizing it as a change in flow rate and setting the flow rate of the device to be registered to that of the specific gas device. Is possible.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the gas appliance discriminating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment described below, a gas meter will be given as an example of the gas appliance discriminating device, and its processing will be described. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the components already described will be omitted again. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

(Embodiment 1)
(Example configuration of flow rate measuring device)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a gas meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the gas meter 100 uses a flow path 101, a flow rate measuring means 102, a gas appliance discriminating means 110, an average flow rate calculating means 121, an instrument flow rate calculating means 122, an instrument flow rate integrating means 123, and a gas appliance. It is provided with the medium discrimination means 124. Further, the gas meter 100 is connected to the gas pipe 1, and gas appliances 10 to 12 are connected to the downstream side of the gas meter 100 via the gas pipe 2.

The ultrasonic flow meter as the flow rate measuring means 102 emits ultrasonic waves at regular time intervals (for example, every 0.5 seconds or 2 seconds) to measure the flow rate of the gas as a fluid flowing in the flow path 101. It is a thing, and a general thing can be used.

The gas appliance discriminating means 110 is a type of gas appliance (water heater) that has been started to be used based on the flow rate change pattern obtained at the start of operation of the gas appliances 10 to 12 based on the flow rate value acquired by the flow rate measuring means 102. , Fan heater, stove, etc.). If the start of use of the gas appliance is detected but the gas appliance cannot be identified, it is assumed that the use of some appliance has started and the discrimination result is an unknown appliance.

The average flow rate calculating means 121 collects a predetermined number of measured flow rate values measured by the flow rate measuring means 102 and calculates them as an average flow rate. Therefore, the average flow rate is calculated for each time calculated by multiplying the fixed time interval, which is the measurement interval in the flow rate measuring means 102, by a predetermined number.

The instrument flow rate calculating means 122 calculates the flow rate (apparatus flow rate) of the corresponding gas appliance from the increase / decrease in the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means 121 and the result determined by the gas appliance discriminating means 110.

The instrument flow rate integrating means 123 integrates the instrument flow rate calculated by the instrument flow rate calculating means 122 for each specific gas appliance or all gas appliances among the gas appliances determined by the gas appliance discriminating means 110. ..
The gas appliance in-use discriminating means 124 determines whether or not a specific gas appliance is in use from the discrimination result by the gas appliance discriminating means 110.

Hereinafter, the processing flow of the gas appliance discriminating means 110, the average flow rate calculating means 121, the instrument flow rate calculating means 122, the instrument flow rate integrating means 123, and the gas appliance in-use discriminating means 124 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the process S10, the gas appliance discriminating means 110 detects the start of use of the gas appliance, discriminates the gas appliance when the start of use is detected, and shifts to the process S20 when the gas appliance is discriminated. Then, the instrument flow rate Q1 for the newly registered device is calculated, and the process proceeds to the process S30. If the gas appliance is not discriminated in the process S10, the process proceeds to the process S50.

In the process S30, it is determined whether or not the result determined by the gas appliance determining means 110 is the gas appliance A. In the case of the gas appliance A, the process proceeds to the process S40, and the gas appliance A is in use by the gas appliance in-use determining means 124. If it is not the gas appliance A, it shifts to S50.

In the process S50, the flow rate M of the gas appliance A is calculated by the instrument flow rate calculating means 122 from the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means 121 and the discrimination result of the gas appliance discriminating means 110.

Here, the instrument flow rate calculating means 122 calculates the flow rate (apparatus flow rate) for each gas instrument, stores the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means 121, and determines the average flow rate as compared with the previous value. When the above flow rate changes, the flow rate change amount is increased or decreased with respect to the currently set instrument flow rate and updated as a new instrument flow rate.

In this embodiment, an ultrasonic flow meter capable of measuring an instantaneous flow rate is used as the flow rate measuring means 102 in order to discriminate the device based on the change in the flow rate due to the gas consumption of the gas appliance. Is constantly fluctuating due to the influence of flow rate fluctuations due to combustion control of the gas appliance itself and pressure fluctuations generated outside (upstream from the meter). Therefore, the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means 121 also fluctuates, and if the instrument flow rate is updated according to this average flow rate, the processing becomes complicated. Therefore, when a flow rate change exceeding a predetermined determination flow rate occurs. I am trying to update the flow rate of the equipment.

In addition, this instrument flow rate is also used to monitor the continuous use time determined according to the gas appliance, and when it is updated due to a change in the flow rate, the timer for measuring the continuous use time is initialized. Therefore, frequent updates are not preferable, and such conditions are set.

The determined flow rate may be a predetermined flow rate value, but may be a flow rate value obtained by a predetermined ratio of the current instrument flow rate.

In the processing S60, it is determined whether or not the gas appliance A is in use by the gas appliance in use discriminating means 124, and if the gas appliance A is in use, the process proceeds to the processing S70, and the gas appliance discriminating means 110 determines whether or not the gas appliance A is in use. It is determined whether or not the discrimination result is an unknown instrument. In the case of an unknown instrument, the process proceeds to the process S80, and the instrument flow rate calculation means 122 adds the newly registered instrument flow rate Q1 calculated in the process S20 to the flow rate of the gas instrument A calculated in the process S50, and the instrument flow rate. The flow rate M of the gas appliance A is integrated by the integration means 123. If the gas appliance A is not in use, or if the gas appliance A is in use and is not an unknown instrument, the flow rate of the gas appliance A is the flow rate calculated in the process S50, and the flow rate of the gas appliance A is calculated by the instrument flow rate integrating means 123. The flow rate M is integrated. The unknown instrument determination process of the process S70 may be a predetermined identification result and may be arbitrarily changed. Further, when the flow rate M of the gas appliance A calculated in the process S80 or the process S81 becomes less than a predetermined value, the gas appliance A in-use information of the gas appliance in-use determining means 124 may be cleared.

Next, the operation based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3A is a graph showing an example of a flow rate change when only a water heater (specific gas appliance A) is used and the timing of instrument discrimination by the gas appliance discriminating means 110, and FIG. 3B is a graph. It is a graph which shows an example of the flow rate value (equipment flow rate) for each gas appliance obtained by the discrimination result of the average flow rate and a gas appliance at that time.

The vertical axis of the graph is the flow rate [L / h], and the horizontal axis is the serial number assigned to the flow rate data measured at regular time intervals (0.5 seconds in this embodiment) by the flow rate measuring means 102. ..

In the case of the water heater (specific gas appliance A) shown in FIG. 3, in the determination of the gas appliance at the start of use by the gas appliance determining means 110, it is determined that the water heater is a water heater, and when the average flow rate is calculated, FIG. 3 (b). ), The average flow rate q1 at that time is registered as the initial value of the water heater's equipment flow rate, and this equipment flow rate is integrated by the equipment flow rate integrating means 123 as the gas usage amount of the water heater.

After that, when a sudden flow rate decrease C1 occurs and the average flow rate is updated to a new average flow rate q2, this average flow rate q2 is registered as the equipment flow rate of the water heater.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3A, when a rapid increase in flow rate C2 and C3 occurs thereafter and the result of instrument discrimination by the gas appliance discriminating means 110 is determined to be an unknown instrument, the increased flow rate at this time is It is registered as an unknown instrument flow rate shown in FIG. 3 (b), and as an appliance flow rate of the water heater, the average flow rate q2 remains registered as the appliance flow rate (water heater flow rate).

Therefore, since the average flow rate q2 is integrated as the amount of gas used in the water heater, the amount of unknown equipment flow rate is small and integrated.

However, in the present embodiment, when the water heater, which is a specific gas appliance, is in use, and if it is an unknown appliance for which the start of use of some gas appliance is determined, the process S80 is executed. By adding the newly registered instrument flow rate Q1 to the flow rate M of the water heater, an accurate instrument flow rate can be obtained without causing an error due to flow fluctuation, and the integration can be performed accurately. If the water heater, which is a specific gas appliance, is not in use, or if it is determined that some gas appliance has started to be used and it is not an unknown appliance, Q1 will not be added to the flow rate value of gas appliance A. ..

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to accurately grasp the amount of gas used even in a gas appliance having a high frequency of change in flow rate, such as a water heater, and to accurately integrate the amount. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the error of the integrated amount of the specific gas appliance A from becoming large.

Although the specific gas appliance A has been described as a water heater in the present embodiment, it is said that it is possible to obtain an integrated flow rate with a small error in the same manner with another gas appliance having a large flow rate change, for example, a fuel cell. Not even.

(Hardware configuration)
FIG. 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the gas meter 100. In the configuration exemplified in FIG. 4, the gas meter 100 has a central processing unit (CPU) 210, a memory 220, and a flow meter 204. The flow meter 204 is an example of the flow rate measuring means 102 shown in FIG. 1, and may be a known flow meter, for example, an ultrasonic flow meter.

The CPU 210 executes the computer program 221 stored in the memory 220. The computer program 221 describes various processes described above. The CPU 210 executes, for example, various processes of the gas appliance discriminating means 110, the average flow rate calculating means 121, the instrument flow rate calculating means 122, the instrument flow rate integrating means 123, and the gas appliance in-use discriminating means 124 shown in FIG. 1 or 2. The memory 220 typically includes a RAM and a ROM, and corresponds to, for example, the number of gas appliances, the information in use of the appliances. The gas appliance discriminating means 110, the average flow rate calculating means 121, the instrument flow rate calculating means 122, the instrument flow rate integrating means 123, and the gas appliance in-use determining means 124 may include the memory 220 as a part thereof.

The gas appliance discriminating means 110, the average flow rate calculating means 121, the instrument flow rate calculating means 122, the instrument flow rate integrating means 123, and the gas appliance in-use determining means 124 may be a part of a single processor (CPU 210). The control means 130 may be realized by a set of a plurality of processors. The control means 130 may include one or more memories, peripheral circuits, and the like. One or more memories may be arranged outside the control means 130. For example, the gas appliance discriminating means 110 may be arranged outside the control means 130. By executing the above-mentioned various processes using the CPU 210 and the memory 220, the instrument can be accurately discriminated.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The above description of the embodiments is an example of the present invention and does not limit the present invention. Further, an embodiment in which each component described in the above-described embodiment is appropriately combined is also possible. The present invention can be modified, replaced, added, omitted, etc. within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof.

As described above, since the gas appliance discriminating device according to the present invention can calculate the integrated amount of the instrument having a large flow rate change, the industrial flow meter and the water meter are similarly downstream of the flow rate measuring device. It can also be applied to the identification of the equipment used connected to the side and its grouping.

10-12 Gas appliances 100 Gas meters (Gas appliances discrimination device)
101 Flow path 102 Flow rate measuring means 110 Gas appliance discriminating means 121 Average flow rate calculating means 122 Instrument flow rate calculating means 123 Instrument flow rate integrating means 124 Gas appliance in use discriminating means 130 Control means

Claims (1)

A flow rate measuring means that measures the flow rate of the fluid flowing in the flow path at regular time intervals,
An average flow rate calculating means that collects a predetermined number of flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means and calculates an average flow rate,
A gas appliance discriminating means for discriminating a gas appliance that has started to be used from the flow rate data measured by the flow rate measuring means, and a gas appliance discriminating means.
An instrument flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate of a gas appliance from the average flow rate calculated by the average flow rate calculating means and the discrimination result by the gas appliance discriminating means, and
When the gas appliance is determined to be a specific gas appliance by the gas appliance discriminating means, the instrument flow rate integrating means for integrating the flow rate of the gas appliance calculated by the appliance flow rate calculating means as the flow rate of the specific gas appliance, and the instrument flow rate integrating means.
A gas appliance in-use discriminating means for determining whether or not the specific gas appliance is in use from the discrimination result by the gas appliance discriminating means is provided.
If the gas appliance cannot be discriminated, the gas appliance discriminating means shall be an unknown instrument.
The instrument flow rate calculation means is
When it is determined by the gas appliance in use discriminating means that a specific gas appliance is in use , a gas flow rate change occurs, and the gas appliance discriminating means is started to be used from the flow rate data of this flow rate change. A gas appliance discriminating device characterized in that when it is determined that the appliance is an unknown appliance, it is recognized as a change in the flow rate of the specific gas appliance and the calculated flow rate of the gas appliance is that of the specific gas appliance.

Images