JPH034817B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a so-called air conditioner that connects a plurality of indoor units in parallel to one outdoor unit so that multiple rooms can be individually air-conditioned. The present invention relates to multi-model air conditioners, and in particular to countermeasures against abnormalities such as when a room temperature sensor that detects the temperature in each room breaks down.

(Prior art) Conventionally, in this type of multi-model air conditioner, since the air conditioning load in each room is different, a room temperature sensor is installed in each room, and the room temperature obtained from each room temperature sensor is By individually controlling the air conditioning capacity of the indoor units according to the signal value, the air conditioning load and air conditioning capacity in each room are made to correspond well, thereby improving indoor comfort.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, if there is an abnormality in the detection and transmission system of the room temperature signal, such as one of the multiple room temperature sensors malfunctioning or the transmission wiring for the room temperature signal being disconnected, etc. If this occurs, the room temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor belonging to this abnormal system will be the reference value of "0" ℃, which will cause a large imbalance in the air conditioning load between each room, and the temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor belonging to this abnormal system will be The disadvantage is that comfort cannot be ensured.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to detect one room temperature signal in a multi-type air conditioner, and when an abnormality occurs in the transmission system, to detect the room temperature signal of the room temperature sensor belonging to the abnormal system. By replacing the signal value with the room temperature signal value of another room, the air conditioning loads in each room are considered to be the same, and the air conditioning capacity in the room corresponding to the abnormal system is made to correspond approximately to the air conditioning load in the room. The objective is to ensure good indoor comfort in response to abnormal systems.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the solving means of the present invention is a multi-type system that individually controls the air conditioning capacity of each indoor unit according to the room temperature signal value of each room temperature sensor, as described above. Targets air conditioners. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, each of the room temperature sensors (TH _A ),
Detection of room temperature signal from (TH _B ), transmission system 22, 2
An abnormality detection means 24 detects the abnormality of No. 3, and when the abnormality detection means 24 detects an abnormality, the room temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor (TH _A or TH _B ) of the detection and transmission system (22 or 23) in an abnormal state is detected. The configuration includes room temperature substitution means 25 that replaces the room temperature signal value with the room temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor (TH _B or TH _A ) of the other normal detection and transmission system (23 or 22).

(Function) With the above configuration, in the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in one room temperature signal detection and transmission system, the room temperature sensor (TH _A or TH _B ) belonging to this abnormal system is detected.
Since the room temperature signal value is replaced by the room temperature signal value of another normal detection and transmission system room temperature sensor (TH _B or TH _A ) by the room temperature substitution means 25, there is not much change in the air conditioning capacity in the room to which the abnormal system belongs. As a result, the room corresponding to the abnormal system continues to be air-conditioned with an air-conditioning capacity that approximately corresponds to the air-conditioning load, and the indoor comfort is ensured as much as possible.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the schematic configuration of the refrigerant piping system of a multi-type air conditioner, where A is an outdoor unit and B and C are two indoor units installed in different rooms. includes first and second compressors 1 and 2,
An outdoor heat exchanger 3 having an outdoor blower fan 3a is built in, and each indoor unit B, C includes a first heat exchanger section 4a, 5a and a second heat exchanger section 4b, 5b, respectively. an indoor heat exchanger 4 which is divided into two parts and has one blower fan 4c, 5c;
5 is built-in. The first heat exchanger sections 4a and 5a of each indoor heat exchanger 4 and 5 are connected to refrigerant pipes 6
... are mutually connected in series to the first compressor 1 and outdoor heat exchanger 3 of the outdoor unit A to form a first refrigerant circulation circuit 7, and each second heat exchanger section 4b, 5b. Similarly, the second compressor 2 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 of the outdoor unit A are sequentially connected in series through refrigerant piping 8 to form a second refrigerant circulation circuit 9.

The outdoor unit A has a built-in control circuit 15 that includes a CPU and the like that controls the operation of the air conditioner. The control circuit 15 includes the second
An inverter 16 that controls the capacity of the compressor 2 is connected so as to be able to send and receive signals, and as shown in FIG. 2, a first room temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the room where one indoor unit B is installed. (TH _A ) and a second room temperature sensor (TH _B ) that detects the temperature in the room where another indoor unit C is installed are connected to the transmission wiring 17,
18 so that signals can be exchanged.

Also, inside the control circuit 15, a first control section 2 is provided.
0 and a second control section 21, and the first control section 20 controls each of the above-mentioned room temperature sensors (TH _A ), (TH _B ).
The room temperature signal values T _{A and} T _B are received, and the room temperature target value (room temperature set value) for each room _is calculated.
The deviations ( _TA − T _AS ) and (T _B − T _BS ) from T _AS and T _BS are calculated, and the first compressor 1 is operated/stopped at a fixed capacity with commercial power supply according to each deviation. It also has a function of controlling the capacity of the second compressor 2 with the inverter 16 to control the room temperature capacity step by step, for example, in 10 steps. Further, the second control unit 21 is provided between each of the room temperature sensors (TH _A ), (TH _B ) and the first control unit 20, and the second control unit 21 is provided between each of the room temperature sensors (TH _A ), (TH _B ) and its transmission. Detection of the first and second room temperature signals formed by the wirings 17 and 18, respectively, and the room temperature signal values T _{A and} T of each room temperature sensor (TH _A ) and (TH _B ) when the transmission systems 22 and 23 are abnormal. _B is subjected to data processing based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

That is, in the data processing flow shown in FIG. 3, the process starts and in step _S1 the room temperature signal value _TA from the first room temperature sensor (TH _A ) is set to a predetermined value (for example, 0.5°C) near the reference value (0°C). At step _S2 , the room temperature signal value T _B from the second room temperature sensor (TH _B ) is compared with a predetermined value (for example, 0.5° C.) in the same way as described above. And both T _A
≧0.5℃, T _B ≧0.5℃, if YES, the above 1st
and second room temperature signal detection and transmission systems 22 and 23
In step _S3 , each room temperature signal value is determined to be normal.
While T _A and T _B are output as they are to the first control unit 20, in the case of NO (T _B <0.5°C), there is a problem such as a failure of the second room temperature sensor (TH _B ) or a disconnection of its transmission wiring 18. Detection of the second room temperature signal, determining that there is an abnormality in the transmission system, and detecting the normal first room temperature signal value in step _S4 .
While T _A is left as is, the abnormal second room temperature signal value T _B (that is, the "0" value) is changed to the above normal first room temperature signal value T _B
(T _B = T _A ), and each value is sent to the first control unit 20.
After that, in step _S5 , a second room temperature signal is detected, and an abnormality in the transmission system is indicated by lighting the starting diode.

In addition, when the first room temperature signal T _A <0.5°C is detected in step S ₁ and the transmission system 22 is abnormal, the second room temperature signal value T _B is determined to be greater than or equal to a predetermined value (for example, 0.5°C) in step S ₆ . Determine whether T _B ≧0.5℃.
If YES, that is, if only the first detection or transmission system 22 is abnormal, the normal second room temperature signal value T _B is left as is in step _S7 , and the abnormal first room temperature signal value T _{A is}
is replaced with the above normal second room temperature signal value T _B (T _A =
T _B ) and outputting each value to the first control section 20, the first detection is performed in step _S8 , and a light emitting diode or the like is used to indicate an abnormality in the transmission system. On the other hand, in step _S6 , the first and second detections of NO at T _B <0.5°C,
If both transmission systems 22 and 23 are abnormal, step _S9
The first and second room temperature signal values are set to stop operation at
The abnormality processing for T _A and T _B is performed, and the respective values T _A and T _B are outputted to the first control section 20, and the process ends.

Therefore, in _the processing flow _{shown in FIG .}
8 to the first control section 20 of the control circuit 15, and an abnormality detection means 24 configured to detect abnormalities in the transmission systems 22 and 23.
Further, in steps S ₄ and S ₇ , when the abnormality detection means 24 detects an abnormality, the detection and transmission system 22 or 23 detects the room temperature signal value T of the room temperature sensor (TH _A ) or (TH _B ) belonging to the transmission system 22 or 23. _A or T _B is other normal detection, room temperature signal value T B or _{T A} of room temperature sensor (TH _B ) or (TH _A ) of transmission system 23 or 22
This constitutes a room temperature replacement means 25 which replaces the temperature with the room temperature.

Therefore, in the above embodiment, during normal operation when there is no abnormality in the detection of the first and second room temperature signals and in the transmission systems 22 and 23, the room temperature T from each room temperature sensor (TH _A ), (TH _B ) is _{The A} and T _B signals pass through the transmission lines 17 and 18, respectively, and are transmitted to the first control unit 20 with their values unchanged by the second control unit 21 of the control circuit 15, thereby controlling the first and second compressors. The total capacity of 1 and 2 is _calculated by _the first control unit ₂₀ based on each _deviation (T _A
-T _AS ), (T _B -T _BS ), that is, the capacity values are controlled to correspond to the air conditioning load in each room, so the air conditioning in each room is performed satisfactorily.

Now, in this state, if an abnormality occurs in the first room temperature signal detection and transmission system 22, for example, if the first room temperature sensor (TH _A ) fails or its transmission wiring 17 is disconnected, is control circuit 1
5, the abnormal first room temperature signal value is detected by the second control unit 21.
T _A is replaced with the normal second room temperature signal value T _B , and as a result, the total capacity of the compressors 1 and 2 is determined by the first control unit 20 to be the first room temperature signal value T _A and the second room temperature signal value T B. Although it is controlled to increase or decrease by the deviation from T _B (T _B − T _A ), the deviation between these room temperature values T _A and T _B (T _B − T A ) is controlled.
Since T _A ) is originally a small value due to air conditioning operation, the first detection point where an abnormality has occurred and the transmission system 22
The interior of the vehicle is still well-conditioned, and the interior comfort is maintained as well as possible. Above is the first
Although the case where the second detection of the room temperature signal and the transmission system 22 is abnormal has been described, the same operation as described above is performed in the second detection and the transmission system 23 is abnormal, and the indoor comfort is ensured well.

In addition, with this configuration that replaces the abnormal room temperature signal value with the normal room temperature signal value, there is a demand for controlling multiple rooms at once using the representative room temperature signal value of one room temperature sensor (for example, TH _A ). In such a case, this can be easily handled by simply removing the other room temperature sensor (TH _B ). Therefore, in this case,
There is no need to make initial settings for individual control or collective control for each model of air conditioner.

In the above embodiment, each room temperature sensor (TH _A ),
The room temperature signal values T _A and T _B from (TH _B ) are set to a predetermined value of 0.5°C.
Detection of a first or second room temperature signal by comparing the magnitude with
Although an abnormality in the transmission systems 22 and 23 has been detected, if the air conditioner is installed in a severely cold region where the room temperature is below zero, the abnormality may be detected using another configuration. Further, the number of indoor units is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, in a multi-type air conditioner, the same number of room temperature signals as the number of indoor units can be detected, and when an abnormality occurs in any of the transmission systems, The system detects other normal room temperature signals and replaces the room temperature signal value belonging to this abnormal system with the room temperature signal value of the transmission system to continue the indoor air conditioning operation corresponding to the abnormal system. It is possible to satisfactorily ensure the comfort of the room corresponding to the situation. Moreover, it becomes easy to deal with cases where multiple rooms are represented by one room temperature sensor and air-conditioned all at once.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant piping system, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the control circuit, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second control section. It is a diagram. A... Outdoor unit, B, C... Indoor unit, 1, 2...
Compressor, 15...Control circuit, 16...Inverter, 17, 18...Transmission wiring, 20...First control section, 21...Second control section, 22...Detection and transmission of first room temperature signal System, 23... Second room temperature signal detection, transmission system, 24... Abnormality detection means, 25... Room temperature substitution means, (TH _A ), (TH _B )... Room temperature sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Multiple indoor units B for one outdoor unit A,
A room temperature sensor (TH _A ) which connects C in parallel and detects the temperature in the room where each of the indoor units B and C is installed;
(TH _B ), which individually air-conditions multiple rooms, detects room temperature signals from the room temperature sensors (TH _A ) and (TH _B ), and detects abnormalities in the transmission systems 22 and 23. Abnormality detection means 24 to detect
When an abnormality is detected by the abnormality detection means 24, the room temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor (TH _A or TH _B ) of the transmission system (22 or 23) is detected as being in an abnormal state by other normal detection, transmission system (23 or 23). 22) Room temperature substitution means 25 for replacing the room temperature signal value of the room temperature sensor (TH _B or TH _A ) with the room temperature signal value.