JP7219392B2 - air conditioning control system - Google Patents

Description

air conditioning control system

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 5-71793), when the target value of the comfort index relating to the thermal environment of the room is changed, the target value of the temperature of the room is automatically set. Therefore, there is known a method of controlling the amount of blown air from an air conditioner according to a set target value. As a result, a state in which people in the room feel comfortable can be realized in a short time.

There is a problem that it is difficult to maintain a state in which people in the room feel comfortable for a long period of time only with control based on the target value of the comfort index related to the thermal environment of the room.

An air conditioning control system of the first aspect is a system that controls an air conditioner having at least a cooling function. The air conditioning control system includes an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires an index indicating a thermal sensation felt by a person in the room. The calculation unit calculates the human body exergy consumption of people in the room based on at least the temperature and humidity of the room. The control unit controls the air conditioner such that the index acquired by the acquisition unit becomes the first target value and the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit is reduced to the second target value.

The air conditioning control system of the second aspect is the air conditioning control system of the first aspect, wherein the control unit changes at least one of the first target value and the second target value after the operation of the air conditioner is started.

The air conditioning control system of the third aspect is the air conditioning control system of the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the control unit first controls the air conditioner so that the index acquired by the acquisition unit becomes the first target value. After the index reaches the first target value, the air conditioner is controlled so that the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculator decreases to the second target value.

An air-conditioning control system according to a fourth aspect is the air-conditioning control system according to any one of the first aspect to the third aspect, wherein the calculation unit performs human body Excel for each of a plurality of environmental conditions including at least room temperature and humidity. Calculate ghee consumption. The control unit sets priorities for the plurality of environmental conditions based on the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit, and controls the air conditioner according to the priorities.

The air-conditioning control system of the fifth aspect is the air-conditioning control system of the fourth aspect, wherein the control unit controls the air conditioner based on the environmental conditions with the lowest human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit.

An air-conditioning control system according to a sixth aspect is the air-conditioning control system according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, wherein the first target value is a value that makes the thermal sensation felt by a person in the room neutral. is.

An air conditioning control system according to a seventh aspect is the air conditioning control system according to any one of the first aspect to the sixth aspect, wherein the control unit further controls the temperature and humidity of the room to fall within a predetermined range. to control.

An air-conditioning control system according to an eighth aspect is the air-conditioning control system according to any one of the first aspect to the seventh aspect, wherein the air conditioner works in conjunction with equipment for adjusting the environmental conditions of the room.

An air conditioning control system of a ninth aspect is a system that controls an air conditioner having at least a cooling function. The air conditioning control system includes an acquisition unit and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires an index indicating a thermal sensation felt by a person in the room. The control unit controls the air conditioner. The control unit performs first control for controlling the air conditioner so that the temperature and humidity of the room reach the first target values, and after the temperature and humidity of the room reach the first target values, the temperature and humidity of the room and second control for controlling the air conditioner to achieve the second target value. The controller controls the humidity of the room when the index obtained by the obtaining unit through the first control reaches the predetermined target value, rather than the room humidity when the index obtained by the obtaining unit through the second control reaches the predetermined target value. Control the air conditioner to increase the humidity in the room.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an air conditioning control system 100 according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioning control system 100. FIG. It is an example of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40 . It is a graph showing the change of the human body exergy balance with respect to environmental temperature. 4 is a flow chart of control of the air conditioning control system 100. FIG. 9 is a flow chart of control of the air conditioning control system 100 according to the second embodiment. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between temperature and relative humidity, which are environmental conditions of room R. FIG.

-First Embodiment-
An air conditioning control system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an air conditioning control system 100. As shown in FIG. The air-conditioning control system 100 is a system for controlling the air-conditioned environment of the room R in order to realize a thermal environment in which a person in the room R (hereafter referred to as "occupant P") feels comfortable.

The air-conditioning control system 100 controls the air-conditioned environment of the room R by controlling the air conditioner 110 installed in the room R. Air conditioner 110 has at least a cooling function. In addition, the person P in the room can control the air conditioner 110 by using the remote control 120, for example.

Air conditioner 110 includes a microcomputer and a memory that stores software for operating the microcomputer. Remote controller 120 has a function of transmitting and receiving data to and from air conditioner 110 using infrared rays or the like.

The air conditioning control system 100 includes software stored in the memory of the air conditioner 110 and hardware such as sensors provided in the air conditioner 110 . The operation and function of the air conditioning control system 100 when the air conditioner 110 performs the cooling operation will be described below.

(1) Overall Configuration FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the air conditioning control system 100. As shown in FIG. The air conditioning control system 100 mainly includes a thermal sensation acquisition unit 10, a target value setting unit 20, an environment condition generation unit 30, an environment condition storage unit 40, a heat load calculation unit 50, and an environment condition selection unit 60. , and an air conditioner control unit 70 .

(1-1) Thermal sensation acquisition unit 10
The thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 acquires an index indicating the thermal sensation felt by the person P in the room. PMV (predicted average thermal sensation) is known as such an index. In this embodiment, PMV is used as an index indicating thermal sensation. In this case, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 acquires the current value of PMV.

The PMV is calculated from a total of six elements, including four environmental elements of air temperature, radiant temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, and two human body elements of clothing amount and work amount. The air temperature is the temperature of the air inside the room R. The radiation temperature is the temperature of an object in the room R that emits infrared rays, visible light, etc. Specifically, it is the surface temperature of the floor, walls, ceiling, etc. inside the room R. Relative humidity is the ratio of the water vapor pressure of the air inside room R to the saturated water vapor pressure. The wind speed is, for example, the speed of the airflow at the position of the person P in the room. The amount of clothing is the thermal resistance of the clothing of the person P in the room. The unit of clothing amount is clo. The amount of work is the energy metabolic rate of the person P in the room. The unit of work is Met. The thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 acquires parameters relating to these six elements and substitutes them into a predetermined formula to calculate PMV.

Of the six elements, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 can use values acquired by a sensor or the like included in the air conditioner 110 as parameters related to the four environment-side elements. For example, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 may acquire current values of the air temperature, radiation temperature, and relative humidity of the room R from the temperature sensor, radiation thermometer, and humidity sensor of the air conditioner 110, respectively. Also, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 may acquire the current value of the air velocity in the room R based on the amount of air blown from the air conditioner 110 .

Of the six elements, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 may use predetermined values assuming a standard environment as parameters relating to the two elements on the human body side. For example, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 may adopt 0.8 clo as the value of the amount of clothing and 1.2 Met as the value of the amount of work. Note that the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 may use different clothing amount values depending on the season. In addition, instead of using predetermined values, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 calculates and uses values of the amount of clothing and the amount of work based on the state of the occupant P acquired from the camera or the like of the air conditioner 110. may

The PMV is a parameter representing the degree of comfort regarding the thermal sensation of the person P in the room. PMV can range from -3 to +3. PMV has seven levels of comfort: -3 (very cold), -2 (cold), -1 (mildly cold), 0 (neutral), +1 (mildly hot), +2 (hot) and +3 (very hot). is determined by In general, the PMV is -0.5 to +0.5 when the occupant P feels comfortable.

(1-2) Target value setting unit 20
The target value setting unit 20 sets a target value of thermal sensation. Specifically, the thermal sensation target value is a PMV target value. The air conditioner 110 controls the air-conditioned environment of the room R through cooling operation, thereby changing the PMV. The target value setting unit 20 sets a value or range of PMV to be achieved by controlling the air-conditioned environment of the room R by the air conditioner 110 .

The target value setting unit 20 may set the PMV target value to a range from −0.5 to +0.5, which is generally considered to be a comfortable range for the person P in the room. Further, the target value setting unit 20 may set 0, which is a neutral value, as the PMV target value. In the following, it is assumed that the target value setting unit 20 sets 0 as the PMV target value.

(1-3) Environmental condition generator 30
The environmental condition generating unit 30 generates environmental conditions for satisfying the target value of thermal sensation (PMV) set by the target value setting unit 20 . Environmental conditions are conditions related to the air-conditioned environment of the room R that can be realized by the control of the air conditioner 110 . Specifically, the environmental conditions include at least one of the four environmental factors out of the six factors for calculating the PMV. In the following, the environmental conditions are assumed to consist of the air temperature, radiant temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed of the room R.

The environmental condition generation unit 30 generates a plurality of environmental conditions necessary for setting the current PMV value acquired by the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 to 0, which is the target value set by the target value setting unit 20 .

(1-4) Environmental condition storage unit 40
The environmental condition storage section 40 stores a plurality of environmental conditions generated by the environmental condition generation section 30 . FIG. 3 shows an example of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a database having a plurality of records composed of IDs for uniquely identifying environmental conditions and parameters constituting the environmental conditions. The parameters that make up the environmental conditions are the values of the air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed of the room R, which are the four environmental elements among the six elements for calculating the PMV.

(1-5) Heat load calculator 50
The heat load calculator 50 calculates an estimated value of the heat stress load applied to the body of the person P in the room. Heat stress load is the degree of activity of the body's thermoregulatory functions. Even if the thermal sensation is the same under environmental conditions, the greater the degree of activity of the human body's thermoregulatory function, the more likely the expansion and contraction of blood vessels will occur due to the action of the autonomic nerves. For example, in an environment where the air conditioner 110 is in cooling operation, the thermal stress load applied to the body of the person P in the room makes the blood vessels of the person P in the room more likely to constrict. And if the constriction of blood vessels continues for a long time, poor blood circulation may be caused. Therefore, even in an environment where the thermal sensation felt by the occupant P is appropriately maintained (environment in which the PMV is a neutral value), the occupant P may , you may not feel comfortable.

The heat load calculation unit 50 calculates the body exergy consumption of the person P in the room as a parameter representing the estimated value of the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room. Human body exergy consumption is included in the following formula for the body exergy balance.
[Human body exergy input] - [Human body exergy consumption] = [Human body exergy accumulation] + [Human body exergy output]

In the above formula, the human body exergy input, the human body exergy consumption, the human body exergy accumulation and the human body exergy output are the rates of generation, consumption, accumulation and release of exergy per 1 m ² of the body surface of the human body. It is a parameter that represents the degree of The unit of each parameter is W/ ^m2 .

Human body exergy input is exergy generated inside the body and exergy taken into the body from the outside. Human body exergy input mainly consists of exergy generated by metabolism, exergy by inhalation, exergy by metabolic water, and exergy by radiant heat absorbed by clothes. Exergy generated by metabolism is exergy generated in the body as a result of consumption of exergy stored in glucose taken into the human body by eating and drinking for cell activity. Exergy due to intake air is exergy generated by heat diffusion of intake air, diffusion of water vapor contained in intake air, and the like. Exergy due to metabolic water is exergy generated by heat diffusion of metabolic water, diffusion of metabolic water to the outside of the body, and the like. Metabolic water is water produced by metabolism in the body, for example, water produced by burning glucose in the body.

Human body exergy consumption is exergy consumed in the body. Exergy consumption in the human body is caused by heat diffusion due to the temperature difference inside the human body, heat diffusion due to the temperature difference between the human body and clothes, and mutual diffusion between sweat and air due to the water vapor pressure difference between the human body and clothes. do.

Human body exergy accumulation is exergy accumulated in the body according to the surrounding environment. Exergy accumulation in the human body tends to increase as the temperature of the surrounding environment increases.

Human body exergy output is exergy emitted from the body to the outside of the body. Human body exergy output is mainly exergy exhaled, exergy generated by diffusion of moist air generated after evaporation of sweat, exergy generated by radiant heat emitted by clothing, and exergy generated by convection heat emitted by clothing. consists of Exergy due to exhalation is exergy generated by diffusion of heat in exhalation, diffusion of water vapor contained in exhalation, and the like.

Human body exergy consumption is correlated with the degree of expansion and contraction of blood vessels of the human body in an environment where the person P feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation (for example, a suitable temperature environment such as a PMV of 0). In an environment where the occupant P feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation, the lower the human body exergy consumption, the smaller the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the human body, and the smaller the heat stress load applied to the human body. As will be described later, the exergy consumption of the human body tends to be higher in cold and hot environments and lower in neither cold nor hot environments. The environment in which the exergy consumption of the human body is minimized is the heat diffusion due to the temperature difference inside the human body, the heat diffusion due to the temperature difference between the human body and the clothes, and the heat diffusion between the human body and the clothes, which are the factors of the exergy consumption of the human body. It is an environment in which the ratio of the third item among the three items of interdiffusion between sweat and air due to the difference in water vapor pressure is small. The environment in which the exergy consumption of the human body is minimized is the environment in which the heat stress load applied to the human body is the smallest.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing changes in human body exergy balance with respect to environmental temperature. The horizontal axis of the graph is the environmental temperature (° C.), for example, the temperature of the room R in which the person P is present. The vertical axis of the graph is exergy (W/m ² ). In FIG. 4, the graphs of the four parameters included in the formula of the human body exergy balance, the human body exergy input, the human body exergy consumption, the human body exergy accumulation, and the human body exergy output, are respectively shown as "input", " It is shown labeled "Consume", "Accumulate" and "Output". The human body exergy input and the human body exergy output tend to increase as the difference between the body temperature of the occupant P and the environmental temperature increases, that is, as the environmental temperature decreases. Human body exergy accumulation tends to increase as the environmental temperature increases. However, when the environmental temperature reaches a predetermined value or higher, it becomes difficult for exergy to accumulate in the body due to perspiration, so the human body exergy accumulation becomes almost constant. The human body exergy consumption is calculated from the human body exergy balance formula, and takes the minimum value around 23.5° C., as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 . The minimum exergy consumption of the human body is 2.2 W/m ² to 2.5 W/m ² , depending on environmental conditions.

In addition, as a reference about the human body exergy balance, "The theory of exergy and the environment - What is the design of flow and circulation [revised edition]" (Edited by Masanori Shukutani) can be mentioned.

The heat load calculator 50 calculates the human exergy consumption of the person P in the room based on the environmental conditions of the room R where the person P is in the room. The environmental conditions used by the heat load calculator 50 to calculate the human exergy consumption are a plurality of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage 40 .

A method of calculating the human body exergy consumption based on the environmental conditions to which the heat load calculator 50 is input is not particularly limited. For example, the heat load calculator 50 may directly calculate the human body exergy consumption by substituting the parameters (temperature, relative humidity, etc.) included in the input environmental conditions into a predetermined formula. Moreover, the thermal load calculation part 50 may calculate human body exergy consumption from the input environmental conditions using a predetermined algorithm. For example, the heat load calculation unit 50 calculates the human body exergy input, the human body exergy accumulation, and the human body exergy output from the input environmental conditions, and calculates the human body exergy consumption using the above formula of the human body exergy balance. can be calculated. Also, the heat load calculation unit 50 may create in advance a table or database that associates environmental conditions with human body exergy consumption, and may calculate human body exergy consumption based on the input environmental conditions.

(1-6) Environmental condition selection unit 60
The environmental condition selection unit 60 selects an appropriate environmental condition from a plurality of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40 based on the human body exergy consumption calculated by the heat load calculation unit 50 .

Specifically, the environmental condition selection unit 60 evaluates each of the plurality of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40 based on the human body exergy consumption calculated by the heat load calculation unit 50, and determines the priority order. set. For example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 sets priorities to a plurality of environmental conditions such that the lower the exergy consumption of the human body, the higher the priority. Then, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects one environmental condition from among the plurality of environmental conditions based on the set priority. For example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects the environmental condition with the highest priority among the plurality of environmental conditions. Information about the environmental conditions selected by the environmental condition selection unit 60 is sent to the air conditioner control unit 70 .

(1-7) Air conditioner control section 70
The air conditioner controller 70 controls the air conditioner 110 based on the environmental conditions selected by the environmental condition selector 60 . Specifically, first, the air conditioner control unit 70 sets the air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed included in the environmental conditions selected by the environmental condition selection unit 60 as target values. Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 detects the current environmental conditions of the room R. FIG. Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 generates a control signal for shifting from the current environmental condition of the room R to the environmental condition set as the target value, and transmits the control signal to the air conditioner 110 . The air conditioner 110 controls the air environment of the room R based on the control signal received from the air conditioner controller 70 .

(2) Operation FIG. 5 is a flow chart of control of the air conditioning control system 100 . FIG. 5 shows how the air conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 based on the environmental conditions selected based on the human body exergy consumption of the person P in the room.

After the air conditioner 110 is activated, first, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 acquires the current value of PMV, which is an index indicating the thermal sensation felt by the person P in the room R (step S1). . Next, the target value setting unit 20 sets the target value of PMV (step S2). Next, the environmental condition generation unit 30 generates a plurality of environmental conditions that satisfy the PMV target value (step S3). A plurality of generated environmental conditions are stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40 . Next, the heat load calculator 50 calculates the human body exergy consumption of the person P in the room for each of the plurality of generated environmental conditions (step S4). Next, the environmental condition selection unit 60 sets priorities for the plurality of environmental conditions in consideration of the calculated human body exergy consumption (step S5). The order of priority is set based on the degree of thermal stress load applied to the human body. Next, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects from a plurality of environmental conditions based on the order of priority an environmental condition that causes a small thermal stress load on the human body, and based on the selected environmental condition, sets the target value of the control parameter. Set (step S6). A control parameter is a parameter to be controlled by the air conditioner 110, and is specifically at least one of air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 detects the current environmental conditions of the room R and acquires the current values of the control parameters (step S7). Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 generates a control signal for the air conditioner 110 for shifting the control parameter from the current value acquired in step S7 to the target value set in step S6 (step S8). . Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 transmits the control signal generated in step S8 to the air conditioner 110 to control the air conditioner 110 (step S9).

After that, when the air conditioner 110 receives an OFF signal, which is a signal to stop the operation, while the air conditioner 110 is operating, the operation of the air conditioner 110 is stopped. On the other hand, when the air conditioner 110 does not receive the OFF signal, the process proceeds to step S1 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S10).

(3) Features (3-1)
The air conditioning control system 100 not only controls the air conditioning apparatus 110 to achieve the target value of the PMV regarding the thermal sensation of the person P in the room, but also achieves an environmental condition that reduces the thermal stress load of the person P in the room. It also controls the air conditioner 110 for

When only controlling the air conditioner to achieve the target value of PMV, only the degree of comfort regarding the thermal sensation of the person in the room is taken into consideration. Therefore, in the case of the cooling operation, the room in which the occupant is present is cooled in a short period of time, and control is performed to quickly make the occupant comfortable. In this case, excessive air-conditioning may apply heat stress to the occupants of the room, causing, for example, constriction of blood vessels. When the constriction of blood vessels continues for a long time, poor blood circulation is caused, and people in the room are likely to feel stiff shoulders, headaches, and fatigue, and stop or weaken the cooling operation. As a result, the temperature of the room R rises, and problems such as a decrease in the efficiency of the work performed by the person in the room and the onset of heat stroke occur.

The air conditioning control system 100 estimates the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person P in the room based on the human body exergy consumption, and controls the air conditioner 110 so as to reduce the thermal stress load on the person P in the room. I do. The air conditioning control system 100 uses human body exergy consumption calculated based on environmental conditions as a parameter representing the degree of heat stress load. In an environment where the occupant P feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation, the lower the human body exergy consumption, the lower the heat stress load on the occupant P.

Specifically, the air conditioning control system 100 is set based on the human body exergy consumption of the person P from among a plurality of environmental conditions that satisfy the target value of the thermal sensation (PMV) of the person P in the room. Priorities are used to select the appropriate environmental conditions. The air conditioning control system 100 then controls the air conditioner 110 to achieve the selected environmental conditions. That is, the air conditioning control system 100 controls the thermal sensation (PMV) of the occupant P to a predetermined first target value, and also controls the body exergy consumption of the occupant P to a predetermined second target value. Control to lower. The first target value is -0.5 to +0.5, preferably -0.1 to +0.1, more preferably -0.1 to +0.1 when the index representing the thermal sensation of the occupant P is PMV. 0. The second target value is 2.2 W/m ² to 2.5 W/m ² , preferably 2.2 W/m ² to 2.46 W/m ² , more preferably 2.2 W/m ² be.

As a result, the air-conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 during the cooling operation so that not only the environment in which the person P in the room feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation but also the heat stress load on the person P in the room is reduced. environment can also be realized. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 can maintain a state in which the person P in the room can feel comfortable for a long time by reducing the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room.

(3-2)
The air conditioning control system 100 selects an appropriate environmental condition from among a plurality of environmental conditions that satisfy the PMV target value based on the human body exergy consumption of the occupant P, and the selected environmental condition is realized. The air conditioner 110 is controlled as follows. The human body exergy consumption is calculated based on the environmental conditions of the room R in which the person P is present, for example. At this time, the air conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 to suppress the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room by selecting an environmental condition that reduces the calculated human body exergy consumption. can be done.

The human body exergy consumption of the person P in the room can be calculated from parameters relating to the environmental conditions of the room R. Parameters relating to environmental conditions are, for example, air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, which are also used for PMV calculation. In this case, for example, by substituting these parameters into a predetermined formula, the human body exergy input, the human body exergy accumulation, and the human body exergy output are obtained, and these values are substituted into the exergy balance formula to obtain the human body exergy Consumption can be calculated.

In this way, the air conditioning control system 100 uses the human body exergy consumption calculated based on the environmental conditions of the room R, so that the predicted value of the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room can be obtained relatively easily. Therefore, it is not necessary to use special equipment to acquire the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room or its predicted value.

In addition, the body exergy consumption of the person P in the room is correlated with the degree of expansion and contraction of the person P's blood vessels. Specifically, during cooling operation, the lower the human body exergy consumption, the smaller the degree of constriction of the blood vessels of the person P in the room. Therefore, by controlling the air conditioner 110 so that the human body exergy consumption becomes lower than a predetermined value, the air conditioning control system 100 can reduce the heat stress load on the occupant P to a predetermined level. A reduced environment can be achieved.

(4) Modification (4-1) Modification A
The air conditioning control system 100 not only controls the air conditioning apparatus 110 to achieve the target value of the PMV regarding the thermal sensation of the person P in the room, but also achieves an environmental condition that reduces the thermal stress load of the person P in the room. It also controls the air conditioner 110 for In this case, the air conditioner control unit 70 sets the thermal sensation (PMV) of the occupant P to a predetermined first target value, and also controls the body exergy consumption of the occupant P to a predetermined second target value. Control to decrease to the value. Therefore, the air conditioner control unit 70 controls the air conditioner 110 by a method of performing these two types of control substantially simultaneously, thereby maintaining a state in which the occupant P can feel comfortable for a long time. .

However, the air conditioning control system 100 may control the air conditioner 110 by another method to maintain a state in which the person P in the room can feel comfortable for a long time. In the method described below, the control of the air conditioner 110 consists of two steps. In the first stage, only control for satisfying the target value of PMV, which is an index of thermal sensation of person P in the room, is performed. Here, the target value of the PMV is, for example, 0 at which the thermal sensation of the occupant P is neutral. In the first-stage control, a state in which the thermal sensation of the occupant P is neutral, that is, a state that is neither hot nor cold is realized in a short period of time. Then, after a state in which the thermal sensation is neutral is achieved, the second stage of control is performed. In the second stage control, steps S1 to S10 shown in FIG. 5 are performed.

In this method, the air conditioning control system 100 only performs control to set the PMV to 0 in the first stage. As a result, in the case of the cooling operation, the temperature of the room R is lowered in a short period of time to the extent that the occupant P feels comfortable. Next, in the second stage, the air-conditioning control system 100 performs not only control to achieve the target value of PMV, but also control to achieve environmental conditions that reduce the heat stress load of the person P in the room.

In such a two-step control method, the air conditioner control unit 70 sets the PMV target value and the human exergy consumption at least one of the target values of For example, the PMV target value may be set to 0 in the first stage, and the PMV target value may be set to −0.5 to +0.5 in the second stage.

(4-2) Modification B
The air conditioning control system 100 uses human body exergy consumption, which is correlated with the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person P, as an index of the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room. Control the air conditioner 110 to achieve environmental conditions that reduce the load.

However, the air conditioning control system 100 may use other parameters that are correlated with the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person P in the room, instead of the human body exergy consumption. For example, the air conditioning control system 100 may use a parameter representing the balance between the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve instead of exergy consumption of the human body. As such a parameter, LF/HF, which is the ratio of the low frequency (LF) component and the high frequency (HF) component of the respiration or heartbeat fluctuation of the person P, can be used. The ratio LF/HF correlates with the degree of expansion and contraction of blood vessels. In this case, the air conditioning control system 100 acquires the LF/HF values of the person P in the room, for example, using a device that measures the pulse wave of the person P in the room. Note that the parameters representing the balance between the sympathetic nerves and the parasympathetic nerves are greatly affected by disturbances such as mental stress of the person P in the room. may be unreliable as an indicator of

In this modified example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects, from among a plurality of environmental conditions, an environmental condition that causes a small heat stress load on the human body, based on the priority based on the LF/HF value of the occupant P, for example. can do.

The air conditioning control system according to this modification is
A system for controlling an air conditioner having at least a cooling function,
an acquisition unit (thermal sensation acquisition unit 10) that acquires an index indicating a thermal sensation felt by a person in the room;
a calculation unit (heat load calculation unit 50) that calculates the heat stress load applied to the person based on at least the temperature and humidity of the room;
a control unit (air conditioner control unit 70) that controls the air conditioner so that the index acquired by the acquisition unit becomes the first target value and the heat stress load calculated by the calculation unit decreases to the second target value; ,
Prepare.

The thermal stress load is a parameter that correlates with the degree of expansion and contraction of blood vessels of the person. The parameter is, for example, LF/HF representing the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves of the person. LF/HF is the ratio of the low frequency (LF) to high frequency (HF) components of the person's breathing or heart rate variability.

Moreover, the thermal stress load is a value obtained by directly measuring the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person.

(4-3) Modification C
The air conditioning control system 100 uses human body exergy consumption, which is correlated with the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person P, as an index of the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room. Control the air conditioner 110 to achieve environmental conditions that reduce the load. The human body exergy consumption is calculated based on the environmental conditions of the room R.

However, instead of calculating the human body exergy consumption, the air conditioning control system 100 may directly measure the degree of expansion and contraction of the blood vessels of the person P in the room with a sensor. In this case, the air conditioning control system 100 uses a parameter representing the degree of constriction of blood vessels in the case of cooling operation, and determines that the greater the parameter, the higher the heat stress load imposed on the person P in the room.

(4-4) Modification D
The air conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 based on the index of the thermal sensation of the person P in the room and the index of the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room. However, the air-conditioning control system 100 is further configured based on the environmental conditions set in consideration of the impact on the building materials used in the building having the room R and the household goods placed in the room R. The air conditioner 110 may be controlled.

If the temperature and relative humidity of the room R are not properly controlled, building materials, household goods, and the like tend to deteriorate. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 may control the air conditioner 110 so that the temperature and relative humidity are maintained within a predetermined range in order to suppress adverse effects on building materials, household goods, and the like. For example, it is generally said that the relative humidity at which mold does not grow easily in the room R is 60% or less. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 so that the environmental condition that the relative humidity is 60% or less is satisfied regardless of the target values of the control parameters acquired in step S6 of FIG. good too.

(4-5) Modification E
The air conditioning control system 100 may adjust the environmental conditions of the room R by controlling not only the air conditioner 110 but also an interlocking device that is interlocked with the air conditioner 110 . Here, the interlocking device is a device capable of controlling the environmental conditions of the room R, such as air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Interlocking devices include, for example, a heater/air conditioner for adjusting the temperature of the room R, a humidifier/dehumidifier for adjusting the relative humidity of the room R, and a floor or wall for adjusting the radiation temperature of the room R. They are an embedded heater/air conditioner and a fan/blower for adjusting the air velocity in the room R.

(4-6) Modification F
In the air conditioning control system 100, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects an environmental condition with a small heat stress load applied to the human body from a plurality of environmental conditions based on the priority based on the exergy consumption of the human body. Based on this, the air conditioner 110 is controlled. However, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may further consider the feasibility of the environmental conditions by the air conditioner 110 and select environmental conditions that cause less heat stress load on the human body. In this case, for example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 first extracts environmental conditions that can be realized by the air conditioner 110 from among the plurality of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40, and then extracts The environmental conditions are selected from among the environmental conditions provided so that the heat stress load applied to the human body is small.

(4-7) Modification G
In the air conditioning control system 100, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects an environmental condition with a small heat stress load applied to the human body from a plurality of environmental conditions based on the priority based on the exergy consumption of the human body. Based on this, the air conditioner 110 is controlled. However, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may further consider the power saving effect of the air conditioner 110 and select an environmental condition that causes less heat stress load on the human body. In this case, for example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 first selects environmental conditions such that the power saving effect of the air conditioner 110 satisfies a predetermined standard from among the plurality of environmental conditions stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40. Next, from among the extracted environmental conditions, an environmental condition that causes a small heat stress load on the human body is selected.

(4-8) Modification H
In the air conditioning control system 100, the target value setting unit 20 sets 0, which is a value at which the thermal sensation of the occupant P is neutral, as the PMV target value. However, there are individual differences in the PMV of the environment in which the occupant P feels comfortable. Therefore, the target value setting unit 20 may use the value or range set by the person P as the PMV target value. In this case, the occupant P may operate the remote control 120 to directly input the target value of the PMV, or may input the current thermal sensation. When the occupant P inputs the current thermal sensation, the target value setting unit 20 or the microcomputer built in the remote control 120 automatically sets the PMV target value based on the input of the occupant P. good too. In this case, remote controller 120 has, for example, a plurality of buttons for inputting the current thermal sensation. These buttons are a button to be pushed when the person P feels cold, a button to be pushed when the person P feels hot, and a button to be pushed when the person P feels neither hot nor cold. A button or the like to be pressed to The target value setting unit 20 or the microcomputer built into the remote controller 120 automatically sets the PMV target value according to the button pressed by the person P in the room.

(4-9) Modification I
In the air-conditioning control system 100, the environmental condition selector 60 sets priorities for a plurality of environmental conditions based on the calculated human body exergy consumption. Priorities are taken into account in the selection of environmental conditions. However, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may classify a plurality of environmental conditions instead of setting priority to the plurality of environmental conditions. For example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may classify a plurality of environmental conditions into "fast environmental conditions" and "slow environmental conditions". “Fast environmental conditions” are environmental conditions in which moisture evaporates, releases heat, and absorbs heat quickly from the body surface of person P in the room. The "slow environmental conditions" are environmental conditions in which water evaporation, heat dissipation, and heat absorption from the body surface of the person P in the room are slow. The "slow environmental conditions" are environmental conditions in which the heat stress load applied to the human body is smaller than that of the "fast environmental conditions" because the exergy consumption of the human body is lower.

In this case, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may select the optimum environmental condition from among the environmental conditions classified as "slow environmental conditions" using other criteria. For example, the environmental condition selection unit 60 may select the environmental condition whose PMV is closest to 0 from among the environmental conditions classified as "slow environmental conditions".

In this modification, the control unit (air conditioner control unit 70) classifies a plurality of environmental conditions into a plurality of groups based on the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit (heat load calculation unit 50), The air conditioner is controlled based on the environmental conditions selected from among the environmental conditions included in the group based on criteria other than human body exergy consumption.

(4-10) Modification J
The air conditioning control system 100 not only controls the air conditioning apparatus 110 to achieve the target value of the PMV regarding the thermal sensation of the person P in the room, but also achieves an environmental condition that reduces the thermal stress load of the person P in the room. It also controls the air conditioner 110 for However, the air conditioning control system 100 may only control the air conditioner 110 to achieve the target value of the PMV regarding the thermal sensation of the person P in the room according to the selection of the person P in the room.

In this case, for example, the occupant P can use the remote control 120 to select either one of the following first operation mode and second operation mode. In the first operation mode, only control is performed to set the thermal sensation (PMV) of the person P in the room to a predetermined first target value. That is, the first operation mode is an operation mode for efficiently realizing an environment in which the occupant P feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation. Therefore, in the first operation mode during the cooling operation, air conditioning control is performed such that the temperature of the room R drops in a short period of time. In the second operation mode, in addition to controlling the thermal sensation (PMV) of the occupant P to a predetermined first target value, the body exergy consumption of the occupant P is reduced to a predetermined second target value. control is performed. That is, the second operation mode is an environment in which the person P in the room feels comfortable in terms of thermal sensation, and is an operation mode for efficiently realizing an environment in which the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room is low. Therefore, in the second operation mode during the cooling operation, air conditioning control is not performed so that the temperature of the room R drops in a short period of time, but gentle air conditioning control is performed so that the occupant P can feel comfortable for a long time. done.

(4-11) Modification K
The operation and functions of the air conditioning control system 100 when the air conditioner 110 performs the cooling operation have been described above. However, the air conditioning control system 100 can also be applied when the air conditioner 110 performs heating operation.
-Second Embodiment-
The air conditioning control system 100 according to the first embodiment selects an appropriate environmental condition from among a plurality of environmental conditions that satisfy the PMV target value based on the human body exergy consumption of the person in the room P, and selects The air conditioner 110 is controlled so that the environmental conditions are achieved. One of the reasons for selecting the environmental conditions based on the human body exergy consumption is to realize the environmental conditions in which the thermal stress load applied to the person P in the room is low. There is a tendency that the lower the human body exergy consumption, the smaller the thermal stress load applied to the person P in the room.

The air-conditioning control system 100 according to the present embodiment can select an environmental condition that reduces the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room without calculating the human body exergy consumption after starting operation. This air conditioning control system 100 does not have the heat load calculator 50 shown in FIG. Instead, air conditioner control unit 70 selects at least two environmental conditions according to predetermined criteria, and controls air conditioner 110 so that the selected environmental conditions are realized in a predetermined order.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the control of the air conditioning control system 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 6 shows how the air conditioning control system 100 controls the air conditioner 110 based on two environmental conditions selected according to predetermined criteria.

After the air conditioner 110 is activated, first, the thermal sensation acquisition unit 10 acquires the current value of PMV, which is an index indicating the thermal sensation felt by the person P in the room R (step S1). . Next, the target value setting unit 20 sets the target value of PMV (step S2). Next, the environmental condition generation unit 30 generates a plurality of environmental conditions that satisfy the PMV target value (step S3). A plurality of generated environmental conditions are stored in the environmental condition storage unit 40 . Next, the environmental condition selection unit 60 selects two environmental conditions from a plurality of environmental conditions. One of the two environmental conditions is an environmental condition (first environmental condition) in which the person P feels comfortable, and the other is an environmental condition (second environmental condition) in which the heat stress load applied to the human body is small. (step S4). Next, the environmental condition selection unit 60 sets target values of control parameters for each of the first environmental condition and the second environmental condition (step S5). A control parameter is a parameter to be controlled by the air conditioner 110, and is specifically at least one of air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 detects the current environmental conditions of the room R and acquires the current control parameter values (step S6). Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 controls the air conditioner 110 to shift the control parameter from the current value acquired in step S6 to the first target value based on the first environmental condition set in step S5. A signal is generated (step S7). Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 transmits the control signal generated in step S7 to the air conditioner 110 to perform control (first control) of the air conditioner 110 (step S8). Next, after the control parameter reaches the target value based on the first environmental condition, the air conditioner control unit 70 shifts the control parameter to the second target value based on the second environmental condition set in step S5. , a control signal is generated for the air conditioner 110 (step S9). Next, the air conditioner control unit 70 transmits the control signal generated in step S9 to the air conditioner 110 to control the air conditioner 110 (second control) (step S10).

After that, when the air conditioner 110 receives an OFF signal, which is a signal to stop the operation, while the air conditioner 110 is operating, the operation of the air conditioner 110 is stopped. On the other hand, when the air conditioner 110 does not receive the OFF signal, the process proceeds to step S1 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (step S11).

Thus, in this embodiment, the air conditioner control unit 70 performs a plurality of controls including the first control and the second control in a predetermined order. In the first control, the air conditioner 110 is controlled so that the environmental conditions (air temperature, radiation temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) of the room R reach first target values based on the first environmental conditions. In the second control, the air conditioner 110 is controlled so that the environmental condition of the room R reaches the second target value based on the second environmental condition after the environmental condition of the room R reaches the first target value. Both the first control and the second control are controls in which a predetermined target value of PMV is satisfied.

The air conditioner control unit 70 causes the environmental condition of the room R to achieve the second target value by the second control rather than the relative humidity of the room R when the environmental condition of the room R achieves the first target value by the first control. The air conditioner 110 may be controlled so that the relative humidity in the room R becomes higher when the That is, the air conditioner control section 70 may perform the second control to increase the relative humidity of the room R after the first control is completed for reasons described later.

FIG. 7 is a graph of temperature and relative humidity, which are control parameters included in the environmental conditions of room R. FIG. Each point included in the graph represents an environmental condition that is a combination of temperature and relative humidity. FIG. 7 shows a first group G1 and a second group G2, which are collections of a plurality of environmental conditions. The environmental conditions belonging to the first group G1 satisfy the condition that PMV is -0.1 to +0.1 and human body exergy consumption is 2.46 W/m ² or more. The environmental conditions belonging to the second group G2 satisfy the condition that PMV is -0.1 to +0.1 and human body exergy consumption is less than 2.46 W/m ² . Since the environmental conditions belonging to the second group G2 consume less human body exergy than the environmental conditions belonging to the first group G1, the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room is also smaller.

As shown in FIG. 7, the relative humidity of the environmental conditions belonging to the second group G2 is higher than the relative humidity of the environmental conditions belonging to the first group G1. Therefore, the exergy consumption of the human body is lower in an environment with a high relative humidity (for example, an environment with a relative humidity of 40%) than in an environment with a low relative humidity (for example, an environment with a relative humidity of 40%). The thermal stress load on P is also small.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the first control is completed, the air conditioner control unit 70 performs the second control to increase the relative humidity of the room R, thereby reducing the heat stress load on the person P in the room. be able to. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 can maintain a state in which the person P in the room can feel comfortable for a long time.

Further, in the present embodiment, the air conditioner control unit 70 controls the environmental condition of the room R by the second control to be higher than the relative humidity of the room R when the environmental condition of the room R achieves the first target value by the first control. The relative humidity in the room R is higher when the second target value is achieved, and the temperature in the room R is higher than the temperature in the room R when the environmental condition of the room R achieves the first target value by the first control. The air conditioner 110 may be controlled such that the temperature of the room R becomes lower when the environmental condition of the room R achieves the second target value by the second control. That is, the air conditioner control section 70 may perform the second control to increase the relative humidity of the room R and decrease the temperature of the room R after the first control is completed.

As shown in FIG. 7, the temperature of the environmental conditions belonging to the second group G2 is lower than the temperature of the environmental conditions belonging to the first group G1, and the relative humidity of the environmental conditions belonging to the second group G2 is It is higher than the relative humidity of the environmental conditions belonging to 1 group G1. Therefore, an environment with a low temperature and a high relative humidity (e.g., an environment with a high temperature and a low relative humidity (e.g., an environment with a temperature of 25.5 degrees and a relative humidity of 40%)) environment), the body exergy consumption is lower, so the heat stress load applied to the person P in the room is also smaller.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the first control is completed, the air conditioner control unit 70 performs the second control of decreasing the temperature of the room R and increasing the relative humidity of the room R, The thermal stress load applied to the person P can be reduced. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 can maintain a state in which the person P in the room can feel comfortable for a long time.

Modifications D to K of the first embodiment are also applicable to this embodiment. In the present embodiment, the control for realizing environmental conditions in which the thermal stress load applied to the person P in the room is low corresponds to the second control for increasing the relative humidity of the room R after the first control is completed.

- Conclusion -
Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it will be appreciated that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. .

Air conditioning control systems can keep people in a room feeling comfortable for an extended period of time.

10 thermal sensation acquisition unit (acquisition unit)
50 heat load calculation unit (calculation unit)
70 Air conditioner control unit (control unit)
100 air conditioning control system 110 air conditioner

JP-A-5-71793

Claims (10)

A system for controlling an air conditioner (110) having at least a cooling function,
an acquisition unit (10) for acquiring an index indicating a thermal sensation felt by a person in the room;
a calculation unit (50) for calculating the human exergy consumption of the person based on at least the temperature and relative humidity of the room;
a control unit (70) that controls the air conditioner based on the index and the human body exergy consumption;
A climate control system (100) comprising: The control unit controls the air conditioner so that the index acquired by the acquisition unit becomes a first target value and the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit decreases to a second target value. do,
The air conditioning control system according to claim 1. The control unit changes at least one of the first target value and the second target value after the operation of the air conditioner is started.
The air conditioning control system according to claim 2. The control unit first controls the air conditioner so that the index acquired by the acquisition unit becomes the first target value, and after the index becomes the first target value, the calculation unit controls the air conditioner so that the calculated human body exergy consumption is reduced to the second target value,
The air conditioning control system according to claim 2 or 3. The first target value is a value such that the thermal sensation felt by the person is neutral.
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The calculation unit calculates the human body exergy consumption for each of a plurality of environmental conditions including at least the temperature and relative humidity of the room,
The control unit sets a priority order for the plurality of environmental conditions based on the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit, and controls the air conditioner according to the priority order.
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The control unit controls the air conditioner based on the environmental condition in which the human body exergy consumption calculated by the calculation unit is the lowest,
The air conditioning control system according to claim 6. The control unit further controls the air conditioner so that the temperature and relative humidity of the room are within predetermined ranges.
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The air conditioning device works in conjunction with equipment for adjusting the environmental conditions of the room.
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A system for controlling an air conditioner (110) having at least a cooling function,
an acquisition unit (10) for acquiring an index indicating a thermal sensation felt by a person in the room;
a control unit (70) that controls the air conditioner;
with
The control unit
a first control that controls the air conditioner so that the temperature and relative humidity of the room reach first target values;
a second control for controlling the air conditioner so that the temperature and relative humidity of the room reach second target values after the temperature and relative humidity of the room reach first target values;
and
The index acquired by the acquisition unit through the second control reaches a predetermined target value rather than the relative humidity of the room when the index acquired by the acquisition unit through the first control reaches a predetermined target value. controlling the air conditioner so that the relative humidity in the room is high when the
A climate control system (100).

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