JP7249266B2 - Water supply device with learning function, Water supply system with learning function - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a water supply device with a learning function and a water supply system with a learning function.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose water supply apparatuses that use pumps to supply water to buildings such as collective housing and office buildings. This water supply device comprises a pump, a low water level detection means and a pressure detection means provided on the discharge side of the pump, and a pump control means. is generated and held for a certain small amount of water detection time (hereinafter referred to as a wait-and-see operation time), and after the pump is operated for pressure accumulation, the pump is stopped, and while the pump is stopped and a function of starting the pump when the pressure signal from the pressure detecting means becomes equal to or lower than the pump starting pressure set value.

JP-A-7-71060 JP-A-9-96278

The purpose of the small water amount stopping operation is to prevent the motor from overheating due to the shut-off operation of the pump and to reduce wasted operating time. However, if this low water flow stop operation is performed too frequently (increasing the frequency of starting and stopping the pump), a rapid pressure rise due to pressure accumulation before the low water flow stop will occur frequently, and the mechanical life of the water supply system will be a problem. At the same time, problems such as pressure fluctuations on the load (water supply end) side also occur. Conversely, if the low water flow stop operation is performed too infrequently (reducing the frequency of starting and stopping the pump), power consumption will increase due to the continuous operation of the pump during that time.

The frequency of starting and stopping the pump depends on the length of the wait-and-see operation time of the small water flow stop operation. In the above conventional technology, the wait-and-see operation time for the small water amount stop operation is determined based on data on the most recent operation status of the water supply device, such as the previous pump stop time, the previous pump operation time, and the like. However, the frequency of water use (water supply pattern) at the water supply end varies widely according to people's lifestyles. Therefore, the water supply pattern may change suddenly, and it may not be possible to determine an appropriate wait-and-see operation time at the current time based on the most recent operating condition data.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has a learning function that can determine the wait-and-see operation time at the current time according to people's lifestyles, enhance the energy saving effect, and prevent the pump from starting too frequently. The purpose is to provide a water supply device with a learning function and a water supply system with a learning function.

A water supply device with a learning function according to one aspect of the present invention includes a pump that discharges water, a pressure sensor that measures pressure on the discharge side of the pump, a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump, and When the pressure on the discharge side of the pump is lowered, the pump is started, and a water supply operation for increasing the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure, and a small amount of water in which the amount of water used on the discharge side of the pump is reduced. When the state is detected, through a wait-and-see operation of the pump to confirm that the low water amount state continues, and after a pressure accumulation operation of the pump to increase the pressure on the discharge side of the pump to a predetermined pressure. and a control device for executing a small water amount stop operation for stopping the pump, wherein the control device determines the state of the pump in the small water amount stop operation based on the frequency of use of water on the discharge side of the pump. The wait-and-see driving time is determined based on a learning unit that learns the necessity or length of wait-and-see driving time for each time zone, the learning result of the learning unit, and the input current time. and a decision unit that decides whether or not the length of the

In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit performs the learning for each day of the week, and the determination unit performs the learning based on the learning result, the current time, and the input day of the week. , whether or not the wait-and-see operation time is necessary or its length may be determined.
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit detects the number of times the output of the flow rate sensor switches from OFF to ON, that is, an increase in the flow rate of the water used, as the state variable representing the frequency of use of the water. You may acquire the frequency|count of having performed for every time slot|zone.
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit determines the duration of the output of the flow rate sensor being OFF (in a state where the flow rate is low) as a state variable representing the frequency of use of the water for each time period. may be obtained at
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit may acquire the accumulated wait-and-see operation time per day as a state variable representing the frequency of use of the water.
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit may acquire the number of times the pump is started per unit time as a state variable representing the frequency of use of the water for each time zone.
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit uses a preset maximum number of times that the pump can be started per unit time as a constraint so that the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time per day is minimized. In addition, whether or not the wait-and-see driving time is necessary or its length may be learned for each time period.
In the water supply device with a learning function, the learning unit further sets the pressure accumulation target pressure upper limit value and pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit value in the pressure accumulation operation set in advance as constraints, and the wait-and-see operation time per day The pressure accumulation target value in the pressure accumulation operation may be learned so that the cumulative total of is minimized.

A water supply system with a learning function according to one aspect of the present invention includes a pump that discharges water, a pressure sensor that measures pressure on the discharge side of the pump, a flow rate sensor that measures the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump, and When the pressure on the discharge side of the pump is lowered, the pump is started, and a water supply operation for increasing the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure, and a small amount of water in which the amount of water used on the discharge side of the pump is reduced. When the state is detected, through a wait-and-see operation of the pump to confirm that the low water amount state continues, and after a pressure accumulation operation of the pump to increase the pressure on the discharge side of the pump to a predetermined pressure. a control device for executing a low water flow stop operation for stopping the pump; and a water supply device, wherein the pump is wait-and-see during the low water flow stop operation based on the frequency of use of water on the discharge side of the pump. a learning device for learning the necessity or length of wait-and-see operation time for each time period, and the water supply device is based on the result of learning by the learning device and the input current time. to determine the necessity or length of the wait-and-see operation time.

According to the above aspect of the present invention, a water supply device with a learning function that can determine the wait-and-see operation time at the current time according to people's lifestyles, enhance the energy saving effect, and prevent the pump from starting too frequently, and the water supply device with the learning function. A water supply system can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram which shows the water supply apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 4 is a graph showing the operating state of the pump according to the first embodiment; 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing learning input parameters, learning restrictions, and learning output parameters that are input to the control device according to the first embodiment; It is an explanatory view showing an example of starting frequency standard of a water supply device concerning a 1st embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of learning results according to the first embodiment; It is a graph which shows the operating state of the pump which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and is the example which set the wait-and-see operation time to (long). It is a graph which shows the operating state of the pump which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and is an example which set the wait-and-see operation time to (short). 4 is a flow chart showing a learning process in a learning section according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between input parameters (state variables) and learning according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing learning input parameters, learning restrictions, and learning output parameters that are input to the control device according to the second embodiment;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a water supplying device 1 with a learning function according to the first embodiment.
The suction side of the water supplying device 1 with a learning function shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the water pipe 4 . Also, the discharge side of the water supply device 1 with a learning function is connected to the water supply pipe 7 . The water supply pipe 7 communicates with a water supply end (for example, a faucet) on each floor of the building (not shown). A water supply device 1 with a learning function increases the pressure of water in a water pipe 4 and supplies water to each water supply end of a building.

The water supply device 1 with a learning function includes a pump 2, a motor 3 as a driving device for driving the pump 2, an inverter 20 as a frequency converter for variable speed driving of the motor 3, and a suction side of the pump 2. a backflow prevention device 25, a pressure sensor 21 arranged on the suction side of the backflow prevention device 25, a check valve 22 arranged on the discharge side of the pump 2, and a pressure sensor arranged on the discharge side of the check valve 22 A sensor 26 , a flow switch 24 (flow rate sensor), and a pressure tank 28 are provided. These components are accommodated in the cabinet 30 of the water supply apparatus 1 with a learning function. There is also a type of water supply device that does not include the cabinet 30 . Also, an inverter-integrated motor in which the inverter 20 and the motor 3 are integrated may be used.

A suction pipe 5 is connected to the suction port of the pump 2 , and a discharge pipe 32 is connected to the discharge port of the pump 2 . The bypass pipe 8 is a pipe for supplying water only by the pressure of the water pipe 4 and connects between the suction pipe 5 and the discharge pipe 32 . The bypass pipe 8 is provided with a check valve 23 .

The water supplying apparatus 1 with a learning function shown in FIG. 1 is provided with two sets of a pump 2, a motor 3, a check valve 22, and a flow switch 24, which are provided in parallel. In addition, the water supply apparatus 1 with a learning function may be provided with one set, or three or more sets of the pump 2, the motor 3, the check valve 22, and the flow switch 24. FIG.

Further, the water supply device 1 with a learning function shown in FIG. 1 is a direct water supply device in which the pump 2 is connected to the water pipe 4 via the suction pipe 5, but it may be a water receiving tank type water supply device. . In the case of the water tank type, the pump 2 is connected to the water tank via the suction pipe 5 . In the case of this water tank type, the backflow prevention device 25, the pressure sensor 21 on the suction side, and the bypass pipe 8 shown in FIG. 1 may not be provided.

The check valve 22 is provided in the discharge pipe 32 and prevents backflow of water when the pump 2 is stopped. The flow switch 24 is a flow rate detector that detects when the flow rate of water flowing through the discharge pipe 32 has decreased to a predetermined value. The pressure sensor 26 is a water pressure measuring device for measuring the discharge side pressure (that is, the back pressure applied to the water supplying apparatus 1 with a learning function). The pressure tank 28 is a pressure retainer for retaining the discharge side pressure while the pump 2 is stopped.

The water supply device 1 with learning function includes a control device 40 that controls the operation of the pump 2 . The inverter 20, the flow switch 24, the pressure sensor 21, and the pressure sensor 26 are connected to the control device 40 via signal lines. When the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 drops, the control device 40 starts the pump 2 to increase the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure. When the low water quantity state is detected, the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 is increased to a predetermined pressure through a wait-and-see operation of the pump 2 to confirm that the low water quantity state continues. After the pressure accumulating operation, a small water amount stop operation for stopping the pump 2 is executed.

That is, when water is used in the building while the pump 2 is stopped, the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 decreases. When the discharge side pressure, that is, the output value of the pressure sensor 26 is lowered to a predetermined starting pressure value, the control device 40 starts the pump 2 . While the pump 2 is in operation, pressure control such as estimated terminal pressure constant control and discharge side pressure constant control is performed based on the output value of the pressure sensor 26 .

When the use of water in the building is stopped, the flow rate of water discharged from the pump 2 is reduced. When the flow switch 24 detects that the flow rate of water from the pump 2 has decreased to a predetermined value, it sends a low flow signal to the controller 40 . The control device 40 receives this flow rate decrease signal and issues a command to the inverter 20 to increase the rotation speed of the pump 2 until the discharge side pressure reaches a predetermined stop pressure, and then stop the pump 2 .

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the operating state of the pump 2 according to one embodiment. In FIG. 2, the vertical axis represents the rotation speed of the pump 2, and the horizontal axis represents time.
When the discharge side pressure of the pump 2 decreases and reaches a predetermined starting pressure value, the control device 40 starts the pump 2 (time T1). The control device 40 controls the rotation speed of the pump 2 based on the output value of the pressure sensor 26 so that the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 increases to the target pressure.

When the water usage at the water supply end decreases and the water flow rate reaches a predetermined value, the flow switch 24 sends a flow rate reduction signal to the controller 40 (T2). That is, the pump 2 performs the water supply operation from time T1 to time T2. The control device 40 does not perform the pressure accumulation operation immediately after receiving the flow rate reduction signal, but performs the wait-and-see operation for a predetermined time (from T2 to T3).

This wait-and-see operation is an operation for confirming that the state of low water usage continues, and for avoiding frequent stop and start of the pump 2, is done to increase

During this wait-and-see operation, if the discharge side pressure is kept substantially constant, the control device 40 temporarily increases the target pressure of the pump 2 and accumulates it in the pressure tank 28 (from T3 to T4). Then, a pressure holding operation is performed to keep the target pressure of the pump 2 constant for a predetermined time (from T4 to T5), and then the pump 2 is stopped (T5).

In this way, the small water amount stop operation includes a wait-and-see operation for monitoring the discharge side pressure, a pressure accumulation operation for increasing the speed of the pump 2 and accumulating pressure in the pressure tank 28, and a constant target pressure for the pump 2 after accumulating pressure in the pressure tank 28. and the pump 2 is stopped. As shown in FIG. 8, which will be described later, the pressure holding operation is not essential in the small water amount stopping operation, and may be omitted.

By the way, it takes a certain amount of time to perform such a small water amount stop operation, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of energy saving. In particular, it is not preferable to perform the low water amount stop operation over a long period of time during a period of time when the frequency of water usage is low.

Therefore, based on the frequency of use of water on the discharge side of the pump 2, the control device 40 determines whether or not a wait-and-see operation time t1 (from T2 to T3) during which the pump 2 performs a wait-and-see operation in the small water amount stop operation is necessary or not. The length is learned for each time zone, and the necessity or length of wait-and-see operation time t1 is determined based on the learning result and the input current time.
The configuration of the control device 40 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 40 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3 , the control device 40 has a command section 41 , a learning section 42 and a determination section 43 . The control device 40 includes a CPU, a memory, an interface, and the like. The CPU executes arithmetic processing for executing various functions of the control device 40 . The memory includes ROM, RAM and non-volatile memory. The ROM stores programs for controlling the functions of the control device 40 . The RAM is used to temporarily store output values of various sensors, calculation results of the CPU, and the like. The memory stores a control program for creating commands for the inverter 20 (pump 2), various parameters, and the like.

Command unit 41 outputs an operation command to inverter 20 (pump 2). Command unit 41 creates an operation command according to the operation program and parameters stored in the memory. The operation command generated by the command unit 41 includes the necessity or length of the wait-and-see operation time t1 in the above-described small water amount stop operation. is corrected by the correction process determined by

The learning unit 42 learns whether or not the wait-and-see operation time t1 in the above-described small water amount stop operation is required or not, or its length, based on the frequency of use of the water on the discharge side of the pump 2 . The learning unit 42 uses, as state variables representing the frequency of water use, the number of times the output of the flow switch 24 is switched from OFF to ON, the duration that the output of the flow switch 24 is OFF, and the wait-and-see operation time per day. The cumulative total of t1 and the number of times the pump 2 is started per unit time are acquired.

The decision unit 43 decides whether or not the wait-and-see operation time t1 is necessary or its length, based on the result of learning by the learning unit 42 and the input current time. In the present embodiment, the learning unit 42 performs learning separately for each day of the week. Whether or not t1 is necessary or its length is determined.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing learning input parameters, learning restrictions, and learning output parameters input to the control device 40 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the input parameters for learning are "time", "day of the week", "flow SW OFF→ON count", "flow SW OFF duration", and "accumulated wait-and-see operation time (24 hours)". )” and “start count”. Also, the learning constraint is the "maximum possible number of start-up times" of the pump 2 per unit time, and the learning output parameter is the "wait-and-see operation time."

“Time” is an input parameter of the clock function that the control device 40 has.
The “day of the week” is an input parameter for the calendar function of the control device 40 .

“Flow SW OFF→ON count” is the number of times the flow switch 24 detects an increase in the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump 2, and is an input parameter associated with the day of the week and the time period.
"Flow SW OFF duration" is the duration of a state in which the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump 2 is small or there is no flow on the discharge side of the pump 2, and is an input parameter linked to the day of the week and time period. .

“Total wait-and-see driving time (24 hours)” is the total wait-and-see driving time t1 per day, and is an input parameter associated with the day of the week.
The "start count" is the number of times the pump 2 is started per unit time by the water supply operation described above, and is an input parameter associated with the day of the week and the time slot.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the maximum number of times the pump 2 can be activated according to one embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the maximum number of times the pump 2 can be started is set to 6 times/h for 7.5 kW or less, 4 times/h for 11 to 15 kW, and 3 times/h for 26 kW or more. It is If the starting frequency is excessive, wear of the key of the main shaft of the pump 2, fatigue due to torsion of the main shaft, and deterioration of the motor 3, bearings, etc. will be accelerated. That is, the mechanical life of the pump 2 is shortened. In addition, in the case where the inverter 20 is mounted and the soft start is performed as in the present embodiment, deterioration is reduced, so the speed is set to 6 times/h regardless of the output.

For example, when the maximum number of times the pump 2 can be started is 6 times/h, the maximum number of times the pump 2 can be started will not be exceeded if the wait-and-see operation time t1 is 10 minutes. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 is learned within a range that does not exceed the maximum number of times the pump 2 is started. As a result, it is possible to prevent the mechanical life of the water supplying device 1 with a learning function from being shortened. It should be noted that the maximum number of times the pump 2 can be started may be set based on tests and many years of practical experience.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of learning results according to the first embodiment.
The learning results shown in FIG. 6 are divided according to the day of the week, and further divided into a weekday category of Monday to Friday and a holiday category of Saturday and Sunday. Also, the wait-and-see operation time t1 of the learning result is set in three stages of (long), (middle), and (short). This learning result is learned, for example, by the water supply device 1 with a learning function installed in an office building (which may be a school or the like).

The hours from 6 to 8 o'clock from Monday to Friday are morning commuting hours, and the number of people in the office building is still small, and the frequency of water usage is low. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 in this time period is set to (short).
The hours from 9:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday are working hours, and there are many people in the office building, so the frequency of water usage is high. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 in this time zone is set to (long).

The time period from 19:00 to 21:00 from Monday to Friday is nighttime, but there are a certain number of people in the office building due to overtime work, etc., and the frequency of water usage is moderate. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 in this time zone is set to (middle).
During the hours from 00:00 to 05:00 and from 22:00 to 24:00 from Monday to Friday, the number of people in the office building is small and the frequency of water usage is low. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 in this time period is set to (short).

On the other hand, on Saturdays and Sundays, there are few people in the office building because they are holidays, and the frequency of water usage is low during the previous hours. Therefore, the wait-and-see operation time t1 for all time slots on Saturdays and Sundays is set to (short).

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the operating state of the pump 2 according to the first embodiment, and is an example in which the wait-and-see operation time t1 is set to (long). The wait-and-see operation time t1 (long) shown in FIG. 7 is longer than the wait-and-see operation time t1 (medium) shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 is a graph showing the operating state of the pump 2 according to the first embodiment, and is an example in which the wait-and-see operation time t1 is set to (short). FIG. 8 shows an example in which the wait-and-see operation time t1 is extremely shortened, and the wait-and-see operation time t1 (short) is zero. Note that the wait-and-see operation time t1 (short) should be shorter than the wait-and-see operation time t1 (medium) shown in FIG.

The determining unit 43 of the control device 40 determines the above-mentioned time zone from 6:00 to 8:00 from Monday to Friday, from 0:00 to 5:00 from Monday to Friday, from 22:00 to 24:00, and in all the time zones of Saturday and Sunday. , the frequency of use of water is low, the learning result shown in FIG. 6 is referred to, and wait-and-see operation time t1 is set to (short) (see FIG. 8). According to this configuration, the pump 2 is stopped immediately during the period when the frequency of starting the pump 2 is low. Energy saving effect is obtained.

Further, the determination unit 43 of the control device 40 refers to the learning result shown in FIG. is determined to be (long) (see FIG. 7). According to this configuration, since the pump 2 does not stop immediately during the period when the frequency of starting the pump 2 increases, a sudden pressure rise due to pressure accumulation before stopping the small amount of water does not occur frequently, and the pressure fluctuation on the water supply end side does not occur. can be suppressed. Moreover, the mechanical life of the water supplying device 1 with a learning function can be extended.

Next, an example of the learning process in the learning section 42 will be described.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the learning process in the learning section 42 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, when learning is started, the learning unit 42 updates a preset action-value function (step S1). An arbitrary initial value is input to the action value function. Next, the learning unit 42 determines the correction amount of the operation command according to the input state variables. At the initial stage of learning, the determination unit 43 may randomly determine the correction amount of the operation command.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between input parameters (state variables) and learning according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, the learning unit 42 shortens the wait-and-see operation time t1 when the input state variable "flow SW OFF→ON count" is equal to or less than the above-described "maximum possible activation count." Further, the learning unit 42 increases the wait-and-see operation time t1 when the "number of times the flow switch is turned off and then on" exceeds the "maximum number of times that activation is possible".

The amount of correction for the wait-and-see operation time t1 described above is determined according to the difference between the "maximum number of possible activations" and the "number of times the flow switch is turned off and then on." Therefore, when the "maximum possible start count" and the "flow switch OFF→ON count" match, the correction amount is 0 and the wait-and-see operation time t1 remains unchanged.

In addition, the learning unit 42 increases the wait-and-see operation time t1 if the input state variable “flow SW OFF duration” is shorter than the preset “reference time”. Further, the learning unit 42 shortens the wait-and-see operation time t1 if the above-described "flow SW OFF duration" is longer than the "reference time." The "reference time" is a reference time for judging whether the frequency of water use is high or low, and may be set based on tests or many years of practical experience.

The amount of correction for the wait-and-see operation time t1 described above is determined according to the difference between the "flow switch OFF duration" and the "reference time." Therefore, when the "flow SW OFF duration" and the "reference time" match, the correction amount is 0 and the wait-and-see operation time t1 remains unchanged.
It should be noted that the weight of the correction amount based on "the number of times the flow SW is turned off and then on" is set to be greater than the weight of the correction amount based on the "off duration time of the flow switch".

In addition, the learning unit 42 uses the input state variable "accumulated wait-and-see operation time (24 hours)" to adjust the weight when shortening the wait-and-see operation time t1 described above. That is, if the "total wait-and-see operation time (24 hours)" is longer than the preset "reference total time", the learning unit 42 increases the weight for shortening the wait-and-see operation time t1.

Further, if the "cumulative wait-and-see driving time (24 hours)" is shorter than the "reference cumulative time", the learning unit 42 reduces the weight for shortening the above-described wait-and-see driving time t1. The "reference cumulative time" is a cumulative time that serves as a reference for judging whether the cumulative wait-and-see operation time t1 is long or short, and may be set based on tests or many years of practical experience.

In addition, the learning unit 42 uses the input state variable "startup count" to adjust the weight when increasing the wait-and-see operation time t1 described above. That is, the learning unit 42 increases the weight when increasing the above-described wait-and-see operation time t1 as the "startup count" increases.

Returning to FIG. 9, after determining the correction amount according to the state variables as described above, next, the learning unit 42 determines whether or not the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time t1 per day is shorter than the previous time. (step S3). For example, when learning is performed for each day of the week, the "previous time" refers to the accumulated wait-and-see operation time t1 per day on the same day of the week one week before.

When the accumulated wait-and-see driving time t1 per day is shortened, the reward for the action is increased (step S4). On the other hand, if the total wait-and-see driving time t1 per day is extended, the reward for the action is decreased (step S5).

After calculating the rewards in steps S4 and S5, the process returns to step S1 to update the action value function. The processing described above is repeatedly executed until the learning effect of the learning unit 42 is sufficiently obtained.

In this way, the water supply device 1 with a learning function is made to learn the water usage frequency (water supply pattern) according to people's lifestyles for each time zone, and based on the water supply pattern, the optimum low water amount stop operation at the current time. A wait-and-see operation time t1 is determined. As a result, it is possible to prevent pressure fluctuations at the water supply end and to prevent unnecessary operation of the pump 2. - 特許庁

Thus, according to the present embodiment described above, the pump 2 for discharging water, the pressure sensor 26 for measuring the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2, and the flow switch 24 for measuring the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump 2 are provided. , when the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 drops, the pump 2 is started and the water supply operation is performed to increase the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure; When the water volume state is detected, after the wait-and-see operation of the pump 2 to confirm that the low water volume state continues, and after the pressure accumulation operation of the pump 2 to increase the pressure on the discharge side of the pump 2 to a predetermined pressure. , and a control device 40 for executing a small water quantity stop operation for stopping the pump 2 , and the control device 40 performs the small water quantity stop operation based on the frequency of use of the water on the discharge side of the pump 2 . Wait-and-see operation is performed based on a learning unit 42 that learns whether or not wait-and-see operation time t1 for wait-and-see operation is necessary or length for each time period, the learning result of the learning unit 42, and the input current time. and a determining unit 43 for determining whether or not the time t1 is necessary or its length, and by adopting a configuration in which an appropriate wait-and-see driving time t1 for the current time is determined according to people's lifestyles, It is possible to provide the water supply device 1 with a learning function that can enhance the energy saving effect and prevent the pump 2 from being started too frequently.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent configurations as in the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing learning input parameters, learning restrictions, and learning output parameters input to the control device 40 according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 11, in the second embodiment, "accumulated target pressure upper limit" and "accumulated target pressure lower limit" are added as learning constraints, and "accumulated target pressure ” has been added.

The “accumulated target pressure upper limit value” is the target pressure upper limit value for the pressure accumulation operation shown in FIG. 2 described above. When the accumulated pressure in the pressure accumulation operation exceeds the "accumulated target pressure upper limit", the service life of the discharge pipe 32 shown in FIG. 1 and the equipment attached to the discharge pipe 32 is shortened. However, increasing the pressure accumulation target value within a range that does not exceed the "accumulation target pressure upper limit" lengthens the time during which water can be supplied only by the pressure tank 28, so the frequency of starting the pump 2 can be reduced.

"Pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit" is the pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit in the above-described pressure accumulation operation shown in FIG. When the accumulated pressure in the pressure accumulation operation falls below the "accumulated target pressure lower limit", the pump 2 starts too frequently, wear of the main shaft key of the pump 2, fatigue due to twisting of the main shaft, deterioration of the motor 3, bearings, etc. is hastened.

In addition to the learning according to the first embodiment, the learning unit 42 of the second embodiment further sets the pressure accumulation target pressure upper limit value and the pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit value in the pressure accumulation operation set in advance as constraints. The pressure accumulation target value in the pressure accumulation operation is learned so that the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time t1 is minimized. Specifically, when the above-described “startup count” is equal to or less than the “maximum possible startup count,” the learning unit 42 sets the “accumulation target value” so that the “total wait-and-see operation time (24 hours)” is minimized. increase or decrease For such learning, it is preferable to adjust the output parameters so that the "accumulated wait-and-see operation time (24 hours)" is minimized and the "accumulated pressure target value" is minimized.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and described, it is to be understood that they are illustrative of the invention and should not be considered limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should not be viewed as limited by the foregoing description, but rather by the claims appended hereto.

For example, the learning function (learning unit 42) of the control device 40 described above may be provided as a separate learning device at a location isolated from the control device 40 (water supply device). In this case, this learning device is connected to the control device 40 via a network. Alternatively, the learning device may reside on a cloud server. In this way, a water supply system with a learning function in which the water supply device and the learning device are separated may be used. When using an inverter-integrated motor that integrates the inverter 20 and the motor 3, the function of the control device 40 is also installed in the inverter unit and communicates with the cloud server, so that the pump can be used as an inverter-integrated motor with a learning function. good. In this case, it is possible to make the inverter-integrated motor-using pump compact and to have an advanced learning function via the network.

Also, for example, the learning unit 42 described above may use learning models such as known "supervised learning", "unsupervised learning", and "reinforcement learning". A neural network may also be used as a value function approximation algorithm in "supervised learning," "unsupervised learning," and "reinforcement learning." Learning may also be performed according to other known methods, such as genetic programming, functional logic programming, support vector machines, and the like. In addition, when using "reinforcement learning" as a learning model of the water supply apparatus mentioned above, you may use algorithms, such as Q-learning, Sarsa, and a Monte Carlo method.

Further, for example, the above-described learning unit 42 may set "flow SW OFF→ON count", "flow SW OFF duration", "accumulated wait-and-see operation time (24 hours )” and “number of times of activation”, at least one of these may be acquired as the state variable representing the water usage frequency.

1 Water supply device with learning function 2 Pump 3 Motor 4 Water pipe 5 Suction pipe 7 Water supply pipe 8 Bypass pipe 20 Inverter 21 Pressure sensor 22 Check valve 23 Check valve 24 Flow switch (flow rate sensor)
25 Backflow prevention device 26 Pressure sensor 28 Pressure tank 30 Cabinet 32 Discharge pipe 40 Control device 41 Instruction unit 42 Learning unit 43 Decision unit t1 Wait-and-see operation time

Claims (8)

a pump for discharging water;
a pressure sensor that measures the pressure on the discharge side of the pump;
a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump;
When the pressure on the discharge side of the pump is lowered, the pump is started and a water supply operation is performed to increase the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure, and when the amount of water used on the discharge side of the pump is reduced. When the water volume state is detected, the pressure accumulating operation of the pump is performed to increase the pressure on the discharge side of the pump to a predetermined pressure through a wait-and-see operation of the pump to confirm that the low water volume state continues. Later, a control device for executing a small water amount stop operation for stopping the pump,
The control device is
a learning unit that learns whether or not a wait-and-see operation time for the pump to perform a wait-and-see operation in the small water amount stop operation or the length of the wait-and-see operation time is necessary for each time period, based on the frequency of use of water on the discharge side of the pump; ,
a decision unit that decides whether or not the wait-and-see operation time is necessary or its length based on the result of learning by the learning unit and the input current time ;
The learning unit further uses a preset pressure accumulation target pressure upper limit value and pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit value in the pressure accumulation operation as constraints so that the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time per day is minimized, A water supply device with a learning function , wherein the pressure accumulation target value in the pressure accumulation operation is learned . The learning unit performs the learning separately for each day of the week,
2. The determining unit determines whether or not the wait-and-see driving time is necessary or its length based on the learning result, the current time, and the input day of the week. Water supply device with learning function. 3. The learning unit according to claim 1, wherein the learning unit acquires the number of times the output of the flow rate sensor is switched from OFF to ON for each time period as the state variable representing the frequency of use of the water. Water supply device with learning function. 4. The learning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, as the state variable representing the frequency of use of the water, the duration during which the output of the flow rate sensor is OFF is obtained for each time zone. or a water supply device with a learning function according to 1. 5. The learning function according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the learning unit acquires a cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time per day as a state variable representing the frequency of use of the water. with water supply. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the learning unit acquires, for each time period, the number of times the pump is started per unit time as the state variable representing the frequency of use of the water. A water supply device with a learning function as described. The learning unit determines the wait-and-see operation time requirement so that the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time per day is minimized, using a preset maximum number of times that the pump can be started per unit time as a constraint. The water supply device with a learning function according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein whether or not or the length thereof is learned for each time period. a pump for discharging water;
a pressure sensor that measures the pressure on the discharge side of the pump;
a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate on the discharge side of the pump;
When the pressure on the discharge side of the pump is lowered, the pump is started and a water supply operation is performed to increase the pressure on the discharge side to a predetermined pressure, and when the amount of water used on the discharge side of the pump is reduced. When the water volume state is detected, the pressure accumulating operation of the pump is performed to increase the pressure on the discharge side of the pump to a predetermined pressure through a wait-and-see operation of the pump to confirm that the low water volume state continues. a water supply device, comprising:
a learning device for learning whether or not a wait-and-see operation time for the pump to perform a wait-and-see operation in the small water amount stop operation or its length is required for each time period, based on the frequency of use of water on the discharge side of the pump; , and
The water supply device determines the necessity or length of the wait-and-see operation time based on the result of learning by the learning device and the input current time,
Further, the learning device is configured in such a manner that the accumulation target pressure upper limit value and the pressure accumulation target pressure lower limit value in the pressure accumulation operation are set in advance as constraints, so that the cumulative total of the wait-and-see operation time per day is minimized. A water supply system with a learning function , wherein a pressure accumulation target value in the pressure accumulation operation is learned .

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