JPWO2020110275A1 - Control device, control program and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The control device determines the priority <9> from the priority <1> with respect to the divided space (301A) to the divided space (301I) in which the indoor space (300) to be air-conditioned is divided. Priority <1> to priority <9> are priorities for starting air conditioning. The indoor unit (20a) to the indoor unit (20i) correspond to the divided space (301A) to the divided space (301I), respectively. The control device controls the indoor unit (20a) to the indoor unit (20i) before the target time so that the temperature of the indoor space (300) becomes the target temperature at the target time indicating the time when the target temperature should be reached. In addition, the division space (301A) starts from the division space (301I) according to the priority order <1> to the priority order <9>.

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system. The present invention relates to a control device, a control program, and a control method of an air conditioning system that starts a heating operation or a cooling operation before the target time so that the room temperature becomes the target temperature at the target time.

Conventionally, for the purpose of suppressing peak power and reducing power consumption, the air conditioning system operates the air conditioner by suppressing the air conditioning capacity before the room start time, and the room temperature is set in advance at a preset time. There is a technique for pre-cooling operation or pre-warming operation so that the temperature reaches the set temperature.

The start time of the air conditioning system is set before the start time of staying in the room. If the set startup time is earlier than the optimum startup time, the operating time of the air conditioning system will be longer than necessary. In that case, since the cumulative invading heat load increases, the power consumption increases by performing extra heat treatment. On the other hand, if the set start-up time is later than the optimum start-up time, the room temperature does not reach the target temperature at the start time of the room, and the comfort is lowered.

As a technique for suppressing power consumption during precooling or prewarming operation and maintaining comfort, there is a technique for determining the start time of an air conditioner according to the load of air conditioning (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 mentions that power consumption can be suppressed by setting the start-up time during pre-cooling or pre-warming operation according to the load of air conditioning. However, it is not considered to reduce the power consumption by reducing the air conditioning load itself.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-61487

An object of the present invention is to reduce the power consumption of an air conditioning system by reducing the load of air conditioning.

The control device of the present invention
The indoor space to be air-conditioned is a plurality of divided spaces, and each of the divided spaces is a plurality of spaces in which at least one indoor unit corresponds to each of the above-mentioned spaces. With a ranking unit that determines the priority to start
The control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces is performed before the target time so that the temperature of the indoor space becomes the target temperature at the target time indicating the time when the target temperature should be reached. It includes a control start unit that starts according to the priority of the divided space.

The control device of the present invention can suppress the power consumption of the air conditioning system by reducing the load of air conditioning.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioning system 1000 in the figure of the first embodiment. In the figure of Embodiment 1, the figure which shows the structure of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 100 in the diagram of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100 in the figure of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the indoor space 300 is divided into a plurality of divided spaces 301 in the figure of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an XX cross section of the divided space 301A of FIG. 5 in the figure of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a control flow diagram in the diagram of the first embodiment. The figure which supplements the flowchart of FIG. 4 with the figure of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100 of the first modification in the figure of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit 20 of the second modification in the figure of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 100 of the second modification. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an indoor space 300 of a modification 2 in the diagram of the first embodiment. The figure which explains the modification 3 in the figure of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the effect of the control device 100 in the diagram of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a modified example of the control device 100 in the figure of the first embodiment.

Embodiment 1
The air conditioning system 1000 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. The air conditioning system 1000 sequentially changes the air temperature from the area of the indoor space far from the outer wall or the window in order to reduce the invading heat load. As a result, the heat load invading from the outer wall or the window can be suppressed as compared with the case where the temperature of the entire room is uniformly controlled, so that the air conditioning system 1000 can improve energy saving.
Assuming an air-conditioning load before the start time of staying in the room, the internal heat generation of people and office equipment is expected to be small, and the effect of the heat load due to ventilation is also expected to be small. large. Here, the room start time is, for example, the start time of work. The intrusive heat load depends on the temperature difference between the outdoor and indoor areas, and the smaller the temperature difference, the smaller the intrusive heat load. The air-conditioning system 1000 can suppress the load at the time of air-conditioning and improve energy saving by air-conditioning the room in order from the area far from the outer wall or the window.

The air conditioning system 1000 starts the pre-cooling or pre-warming operation before the room start time. The air conditioning system 1000 controls the indoor space so that it reaches the target temperature at the target time. The heating operation or cooling operation is hereinafter referred to as air conditioning. Further, the target time is described as the target time 501, and the target temperature is described as the target temperature 502.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of the air conditioning system 1000 according to the first embodiment. The air conditioning system 1000 includes an outdoor unit 10, a plurality of indoor units 20, a refrigerant pipe 30 that connects the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20, and a control device 100. The plurality of indoor units 20 are arranged in the indoor space 300. The interior space 300 is formed by the outer member 200. FIG. 1 shows three indoor units 20. The indoor unit 20 may be one unit or two or more units. The indoor unit 20 has a temperature sensor 24 that detects the air temperature in the room. The temperature sensor 24 may be incorporated in the indoor unit 20 or may be arranged outside the indoor unit 20. In FIG. 1, a plurality of indoor units 20 are connected to one outdoor unit 10. However, one indoor unit 20 may be connected to one outdoor unit 10. Alternatively, one or more indoor units 20 may be connected to each of the plurality of outdoor units 10.

When it is necessary to distinguish between the plurality of indoor units 20, they are distinguished as in the indoor unit 20a and the indoor unit 20b. The components of the indoor unit 20a and the indoor unit 20b are also distinguished as described later in the expansion valve 21a and the expansion valve 21b.

FIG. 2 shows the configurations of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20. In FIG. 2, two indoor units 20 are shown for convenience. As shown in FIG. 2, the outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 11, a four-way valve 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor unit fan 14, and a control device 100. It is not essential that the control device 100 is arranged in the outdoor unit 10. The control device 100 may be installed anywhere, or may be installed in the indoor space 300. The indoor unit 20 includes an expansion valve 21, an indoor heat exchanger 22, an indoor unit fan 23, and a temperature sensor 24.

The refrigeration cycle 31 is configured by connecting the compressor 11, the four-way valve 12, the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the expansion valve 21, and the indoor heat exchanger 22 in an annular shape by the refrigerant pipe 30.
(1) The compressor 11 compresses a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant to a high temperature and high pressure.
The compressor 11 is driven by an inverter and its capacity is controlled. The capacity is the amount of refrigerant discharged by the compressor 11 per unit time. The control start unit 113, which will be described later, controls the compressor 11.
(2) The four-way valve 12 switches the flow of the refrigerant according to the operation mode of the cooling operation or the heating operation of the air conditioning system 1000. The control start unit 113 switches the four-way valve 12.
(3) The outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cycle 31 and the outdoor air. An outdoor unit fan 14 is arranged in the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The outdoor unit fan 14 blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The amount of air blown can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the outdoor unit fan 14. The control start unit 113 controls the rotation speed of the outdoor unit fan 14.
(4) The expansion valve 21 is an electronic valve whose opening degree can be controlled. The expansion valve 21 controls the amount of reduced pressure of the refrigerant by controlling the opening degree. The control start unit 113 controls the opening degree of the expansion valve 21.
(5) The indoor heat exchanger 22 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cycle 31 and the indoor air. An indoor unit fan 23 is arranged in the indoor heat exchanger 22. The indoor unit fan 23 blows air to the indoor heat exchanger 22. The amount of air blown can be adjusted by controlling the rotation speed of the indoor unit fan 23. The control start unit 113 controls the rotation speed of the indoor unit fan 23.

*** Explanation of configuration ***
FIG. 3 shows the hardware configuration of the control device 100. The control device 100 is a computer. The control device 100 includes a processor 110 and other hardware such as a main storage device 120, an auxiliary storage device 130, an input interface 140, an output interface 150, and a communication interface 160. In FIG. 3, the interface is referred to as IF. The processor 110 is connected to other hardware via the signal line 170 and controls these other hardware.

The control device 100 includes a division unit 111, a ranking determination unit 112, and a control start unit 113 as functional elements. The functions of the division unit 111, the ranking determination unit 112, and the control start unit 113 are realized by the control program 101. The control program 101 is stored in the auxiliary storage device 130.

The processor 110 is a device that executes the control program 101. The control program 101 is a program that realizes the functions of the division unit 111, the ranking determination unit 112, and the control start unit 113. The processor 110 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) that performs arithmetic processing. Specific examples of the processor 110 are a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

The main storage device 120 is a storage device that temporarily stores data. Specific examples of the main storage device 120 are SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The main storage device 120 holds the calculation result of the processor 110.
The auxiliary storage device 130 is a storage device that stores data in a non-volatile manner. A specific example of the auxiliary storage device 130 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The auxiliary storage device 130 is a portable recording medium such as an SD (registered trademark) (Secure Digital) memory card, a NAND flash, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disc, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, or a DVD (Digital Versaille Disc). There may be.

The input interface 140 is a port to which various devices are connected and data of various devices are input. The measurement data of the temperature sensor 24 of each indoor unit 20 is input to the input interface 140, and the processor 110 acquires the measurement data.
The output interface 150 is a port to which various devices are connected and a control signal is output to the various devices by the processor 110. A control signal is output from the output interface 150 to each of the compressor 11, the four-way valve 12, and the outdoor unit fan 14 of the outdoor unit 10. Further, from the output interface 150, control signals are output to the expansion valve 21 of the indoor unit 20 and the indoor unit fan 23, respectively.
The communication interface 160 is a communication port through which various devices and the processor 110 communicate with each other.

The processor 110 loads the control program 101 from the auxiliary storage device 130 into the main storage device 120, and reads and executes the control program 101 from the main storage device 120. Not only the control program 101 but also the OS (Operating System) is stored in the main storage device 120. The processor 110 executes the control program 101 while executing the OS.

The control device 100 may include a plurality of processors that replace the processor 110.
The plurality of processors share the execution of the control program 101. Each processor is a device that executes the control program 101 in the same manner as the processor 110.

The data, information, signal values and variable values used, processed or output by the control program 101 are stored in the main storage device 120, the auxiliary storage device 130, or the register or cache memory in the processor 110. In the control program 101, each process, each procedure, or each process in which the "unit" of each unit of the division unit 111, the order determination unit 112, and the control start unit 113 is read as "process", "procedure", or "process" is transmitted to the computer. It is a program to be executed.

The control method is a method performed by the control device 100, which is a computer, executing the control program 101. The control program 101 may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium and provided, or may be provided as a program product.

*** Explanation of operation ***
The operation of the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 14.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100. The operation of the control device 100 corresponds to the control method. Further, the operation of the control device 100 corresponds to the processing of the control program 101.

<Split processing>
As a preliminary step of step S11, the indoor space 300 is divided into a plurality of areas. Hereinafter, each area obtained by dividing the indoor space 300 will be referred to as a divided space 301. When distinction is required, the individual divided spaces 301 are divided spaces 301A, 301B ,. .. .. Write as.
The interior space 300 may be divided by a person or by the control device 100. The indoor space 300 is divided according to the installation position of the indoor unit 20. Each of the divided spaces 301 is associated with the indoor unit 20 that is responsible for air conditioning of the divided space 301.
When the control device 100 divides, the division portion 111 of the control device 100 divides the indoor space 300 into a plurality of division spaces 301. The division unit 111 divides the indoor space 300 into a plurality of division spaces 301 based on the arrangement of the plurality of indoor units 20 arranged in the indoor space 300. For example, the dividing unit 111 detects the high-temperature or low-temperature blown air of the surrounding indoor unit 20 by the infrared sensor attached to the indoor unit 20 and recognizes the positional relationship of the surrounding indoor unit. The division unit 111 divides the indoor space 300 based on the positional relationship of the surrounding indoor units. Alternatively, the auxiliary storage device 130 stores the CAD data of the indoor space 300 and the arrangement information of the indoor unit 20, and the division unit 111 divides the indoor space 300 into a plurality of units using the information stored in the auxiliary storage device 130. It can be divided into space 301.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the indoor space 300 is divided into a plurality of divided spaces 301.
FIG. 6 shows an XX cross section of the divided space 301A of FIG. FIG. 5 schematically shows a state of the indoor space 300 transmitted in the direction from the ceiling to the floor. In FIG. 5, one indoor unit 20 is in charge of one divided space 301. That is, one indoor unit 20 is associated with one divided space 301. Specifically, the indoor space 300 is as follows. The interior space 300 is formed by the outer member 200. The outer member 200 is composed of an outer wall 210, a window 220, an inner wall 230, a ceiling material 240, and a floor material 250. The inner wall 230 is a wall surface facing another room or a corridor. The indoor space 300 is divided from the divided space 301A into the divided space 301I. The indoor unit 20a to the indoor unit 20i correspond to the divided space 301A to the divided space 301I. The broken line 401 is a virtual line forming the divided space 301.
The indoor unit 20a to the indoor unit 20i includes a temperature sensor 24a to a temperature sensor 24i.

<Step S11>
In step S11, the ranking determination unit 112 determines the priority based on the magnitude of the invading heat load that invades each of the divided spaces 301 from the outside of the indoor space 300.
In step S11, the ranking determination unit 112 calculates the intrusion heat load of each divided space 301. In step S12, the ranking determination unit 112 determines the priority of the plurality of division spaces 301 according to the magnitude of the intrusion heat load from the division space 301A to the division space 301I. The ranking determination unit 112 raises the priority of the divided space 301 as the invading heat load becomes smaller. The method of calculating the intrusion heat load performed by the ranking determination unit 112 in step S11 will be described below.

The ranking determination unit 112 calculates the intrusion heat load that is expected to invade from the outer wall 210, the window 220, the inner wall 230, the ceiling material 240, and the floor material 250 as the intrusion heat load for each divided space 301.
The invading heat load Lw from the exodermis can be calculated by the following equation 1.
In Equation 1, * indicates multiplication.
Lw = A * K * △ T (Equation 1)
The meaning of Equation 1 is as follows.
A: Exodermis area,
K: Thermal transmission rate of the exodermis,
ΔT: Air temperature difference between indoor and outdoor.
The outer skin corresponds to the outer wall 210, the window 220, the inner wall 230, the ceiling material 240, or the floor material 250.

The invading heat load Lw from the outer skin of the divided space 301 can be calculated from the outer wall 210, the window 220, the inner wall 230, the ceiling material 240, and the floor material 250 facing the divided space 301. Specifically, the ranking determination unit 112 includes an intrusion heat load Lw1 from the outer wall 210, an intrusion heat load Lw2 from the window 220, an intrusion heat load Lw3 from the inner wall 230, an intrusion heat load Lw4 from the ceiling material 240, and a floor. The intrusion heat load Lw5 is calculated and these are totaled.

<Air temperature difference ΔT>
The temperature difference ΔT between the indoor temperature T _in and the outdoor temperature T _{OUT is calculated as follows.} Indoor temperature _{T in} is the target temperature 502. The outdoor temperature T _OUT is the air temperature of the adjacent space. When calculating the invading heat load Lw1 from the outer wall 210 or the invading heat load Lw2 from the window 220, the air temperature in the adjacent space is the outside air temperature. When calculating the intrusion heat load Lw3 from the inner wall 230, the air temperature of the adjacent space is the air temperature of another room or corridor separated by the inner wall 230. When calculating the intrusion heat load Lw4 from the ceiling material 240, the air temperature of the adjacent space is the air temperature behind the ceiling separated by the ceiling material 240. When calculating the invading heat load Lw5 from the floor material 250, the air temperature of the adjacent space is the air temperature of the back of the floor separated by the floor material 250.
For the air temperature in the adjacent space, any of the following values (1) to (4) can be used.
(1) For the air temperature in the adjacent space, the value acquired by the temperature sensor installed in the adjacent space is used.
(2) For the air temperature of the adjacent space, the value obtained by measuring the temperature of the exodermis with a temperature sensor is used.
(3) For the air temperature in the adjacent space, the value estimated by a general estimation method is used.
(4) As the air temperature in the adjacent space, a value prepared in advance is used as a general value.

As described above, the ranking determination unit 112 determines the magnitude of the invading heat load for each divided space 301, the heat insulating performance of the forming member forming the divided space, the area of the forming member, and the temperature of the region outside the forming member. Calculate based on. The heat insulating performance of the forming member forming the divided space is the thermal transmission rate K of the exodermis described above. The area of the forming member is the area A of the exodermis described above. The temperature of the region outside the forming member is the outdoor temperature T _OUT described above.

A specific example of the calculation of the intrusion heat load Lw is shown. The divided space 301A of FIG. 5 will be described as an example. In the divided space 301A, the outer skin is an outer wall 210, a window 220, a ceiling material 240, and a floor material 250. In the divided space 301A, the inner wall 230 does not exist as an outer skin. Therefore, the ranking determination unit 112 calculates the total of the intrusion heat load Lw1, the intrusion heat load Lw2, the intrusion heat load Lw4, and the intrusion heat load Lw5 as the intrusion heat load Lw of the divided space 301A.
Next, the divided space 301E of FIG. 5 will be described as an example. The divided space 301E does not have an outer wall 210, a window 220, and an inner wall 230. In the divided space 301E, the outer skin is a ceiling material 240 and a floor material 250. Therefore, the ranking determination unit 112 calculates the total of the intrusion heat load Lw4 and the intrusion heat load Lw5 as the intrusion heat load Lw of the divided space 301E.

The ranking determination unit 112 does not necessarily have to calculate the invading heat load for all the outer skins facing the divided space 301. The ranking determination unit 112 depends on the degree of influence on the invading heat load.
The invading heat load of at least one exodermis may be calculated. Taking the divided space 301A as an example, it is as follows. In the above description, the total of the intrusion heat load Lw1, the intrusion heat load Lw2, the intrusion heat load Lw4, and the intrusion heat load Lw5 is used as the intrusion heat load Lw of the divided space 301A. However, when the influence of the invading heat load of the outer wall 210 and the window 220 is large, the ranking determination unit 112 may calculate only the invading heat load of the outer wall 210 and the window 220.

<Step S12>
The ranking determination unit 112 is a plurality of divided spaces in which the indoor space 300 to be air-conditioned is divided, and the plurality of divided spaces 301 which are a plurality of spaces in which at least one indoor unit 20 is associated with each space. The priority for starting the air conditioning of each divided space 301 is determined.
The ranking determination unit 112 prioritizes air conditioning in the divided space 301 in ascending order of the heat load entering the divided space 301. The priority is higher as the intrusion heat load is smaller.

<Step S13>
After step S13, the control start unit 113 operates. In step S13, the control start unit 113 determines the start time of the outdoor unit 10. The control start unit 113 determines the start time so that the temperatures of all the divided spaces 301 reach the target temperature 502 at the target time 501.

The following method (1) or (2) can be adopted as a method for determining the start time of the outdoor unit 10 by the control start unit 113.
(1) The control start unit 113 uses data such as the outside air temperature predicted at the target time 501 and the outside air temperature predicted at the candidate time to be determined as the start time, and sets the target temperature 502 at the target time 501. Calculate the air conditioning load required to become. The control start unit 113 calculates the time required to process the calculated air-conditioning load based on the calculated air-conditioning load and the air-conditioning capacity of all the indoor units 20. The control start unit 113 adopts a time retroactive from the target time 501 by a required time as the start time of the outdoor unit 10.
(2) The control start unit 113 learns the start time of the outdoor unit 10 by using machine learning so that the difference between the air temperature of the indoor space 300 at the target time 501 and the target temperature 502 becomes small.
The control start unit 113 determines the start time of the outdoor unit 10 in advance at midnight on the day before the start of the outdoor unit 10 or at a time such as early morning on the day when the target time 501 is held.

<Step S14 and Step S15>
When the determined start time is reached (YES in step S14), the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the outdoor unit 10 (step S15). The start of operation of the outdoor unit 10 means that the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the compressor 11 and the outdoor unit fan 14.

<Step S16 to Step S20>
The control start unit 113 shifts the operation start time of the indoor unit 20 based on the priority determined by the order determination unit 112 in step S12.
The control start unit 113 targets control of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to each divided space 301 so that the temperature of the indoor space 300 becomes the target temperature 502 at the target time 501 indicating the time when the target temperature 502 should be reached. It starts before the time 501 according to the priority of each divided space 301. The control start unit 113 starts the operation of the indoor unit 20 according to the priority order as the control of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to each of the divided spaces 301.

A specific description will be given with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, the priorities are indicated by <1> to <9>. Priority <1> has the highest priority, and priority <9> has the lowest priority.
(1) In step S16, the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the indoor unit 20f corresponding to the division space 301F of the priority <1>. The operation start of the indoor unit 20f means that the control start unit 113 starts controlling the opening degree of the expansion valve 21f of the indoor unit 20f and controlling the rotation speed of the indoor unit fan 23f.
(2) In step S17, the control start unit 113 determines whether or not the temperature of the divided space 301F has reached the target temperature 502. The control start unit 113 can determine by acquiring the temperature of the divided space 301F from the temperature sensor 24f. When the temperature of the divided space 301F reaches the target temperature 502 (YES in step S17),
(A) The control start unit 113 determines whether the current time is the target time 501 or not.
Or
(B) Whether or not the temperatures of all the divided spaces 301 have reached the target temperature 502.
Is determined (step S18).
(3) When at least one of (a) and (b) is applicable (YES in step S18), the control start unit 113 starts the operation of all the indoor units 20 (step S).
(4) When neither (a) nor (b) is applicable (NO in step S18), the control start unit 113 corresponds to the division space 301H having the priority <2>. Prepare to start the operation of the indoor unit 20h (step S19). After that, the same process is repeated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram supplementing the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the priority of the divided space 301. In FIG. 7, the shaded area indicates that the indoor unit 20 is in operation.
(1) The control start unit 113 starts operation from the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space having the highest priority of air conditioning (step S16).
(2) The control start unit 113 acquires the room temperature from the temperature sensor 24 installed in the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the partition space 301 of priority 1 via the input interface 140.
(3) When the indoor temperature of the divided space 301 of priority 1 reaches the target temperature 502, the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 2 (step S17). Yes, in step S18 NO).
(4) The processes (1) to (3) are repeated until the air temperature of all the divided spaces 301 reaches the target temperature 502 of the divided space 301 or the time reaches the target time 501.

The target temperature of the divided space 301 may be set for each divided space 301. That is, in the example of FIG. 5, the target temperature of the divided space 301A to the divided space 301I uses the same target temperature 502, but the target temperature of the divided space 301A to the divided space 301I uses different temperatures. Is also good.

In FIG. 7, the control start unit 113 operates only the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 1 at the start time of the outdoor unit 10, and stops the other indoor units 20.
(1) When the room temperature of the divided space 301 of priority 1 reaches the target temperature, the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 2.
(2) At this time, with respect to the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 1, the control start unit 113 intermittently operates so as to maintain the room temperature of the divided space 301 of priority 1.
(3) When the room temperature of the divided space 301 of priority 2 reaches the target temperature, the control start unit 113 starts the operation of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 3.
(4) At this time, with respect to the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 of priority 2, the control start unit 113 intermittently operates so as to maintain the room temperature of the divided space 301 of priority 2.
(5) The control start unit 113 repeats (1) to (4) to finally operate all the indoor units 20 so that the target temperature 502 is reached in all the divided spaces 301.

FIG. 8 shows the temperature change of each divided space 301 under the control of FIG. 7. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the room temperature of the indoor space 300. The room temperature of each of the prioritized divided spaces 301 changes as shown in FIG. At the target time 501, the room temperature of all the divided spaces 301 reaches the target temperature 502.

*** Effect of Embodiment 1 ***
The control device 100 adjusts the temperature of the room in order from the divided space far from the outer wall and the member such as the window having a large intrusion heat load. Therefore, the control device 100 can suppress the invading heat load and improve the energy saving property.

<Modification example 1>
A modified example 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the first modification, the ranking determination unit 112 obtains the intrusion heat load Lw of each of the divided spaces 301 by operating the indoor unit 20.
In the first modification, the ranking determination unit 112 calculates the magnitude of the invading heat load for each divided space 301 based on the temperature change of the divided space 301 when the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the divided space 301 is operated. To do. Specifically, it is as follows.
In step S11 of FIG. 4, the ranking determination unit 112 calculates the magnitude of the intrusion heat load for each divided space 301, and the intrusion heat load amount Lw for the outer skin such as the outer wall 210, the window 220, and the inner wall 230. In the first modification, the ranking determination unit 112 determines the intrusion heat load Lw from the change tendency of the air temperature in each of the divided spaces 301 when all the indoor units 20 are operated.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 100 in the first modification. FIG. 9 differs from the flowchart of FIG. 4 only in step S11a. Since step S12 and subsequent steps are the same as those in FIG. 4, the description of step S12 and subsequent steps will be omitted.
Step S11a will be described below. The ranking determination unit 112 operates all the indoor units 20 at the same time under the same operating conditions before performing precooling or preheating air conditioning control for shifting the start time of the indoor units 20. At this time, the ranking determination unit 112 detects the rate of change in room temperature from the temperature sensor 24 of the indoor unit 20 installed in each of the divided spaces 301. The faster the rate of change, the smaller the intrusion heat load Lw can be considered as the divided space 301. The ranking determination unit 112 determines a higher priority in the divided space 301 in which the room temperature reaches the target temperature 502 faster. As a result, the ranking determination unit 112 can determine the priority in ascending order of the heat load Lw of the exodermis. Other operations are the same as in FIG.

*** Effect of Modification 1 ***
In the first modification, the ranking determination unit 112 does not need to perform a complicated calculation because the intrusion heat load Lw is obtained with respect to the step S11 in FIG. Further, the ranking determination unit 112 can determine the priority of the divided space 301 without using data such as the outer skin performance and the wall area. Further, since the ranking determination unit 112 obtains the intrusion heat load from the actual temperature change, it is possible to obtain a highly accurate priority.

<Modification 2>
A modification 2 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. In the second modification, the control start unit 113 shifts the air conditioning start time of each of the divided spaces 301 by changing the wind direction of the blown air of the indoor unit 20 according to the priority determined by the order determination unit 112. In step S16 of FIG. 4, in order to shift the start time of air conditioning in each of the divided spaces 301, the operation start time of each indoor unit 20 is shifted. On the other hand, in the second modification, the start time of the air conditioning of the divided space 301 is shifted by changing the wind direction of the blown air of the indoor unit 20.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the indoor unit 20 of the modified example 2, and corresponds to FIG. The indoor unit 20 has a louver 25 whose wind direction can be changed by control. The control start unit 113 controls the louver 25.
FIG. 11 shows the hardware configuration of the control device 100 in the second modification, and corresponds to FIG. FIG. 11 shows that the control start unit 113 can control the louver 25 by the control signal.
FIG. 12 shows the indoor space 300 of the modified example 2. FIG. 12 shows six divided spaces 301J, 301K, 30lL, 301M, 301N, and 301O. An indoor unit 20j is associated with the divided space 301J and the divided space 301M. An indoor unit 20k is associated with the divided space 301K and the divided space 301N. An indoor unit 20l corresponds to the divided space 301L and the divided space 301O. The priority of each division space 301 is from priority <1> to priority <6>. Temperature sensors 24j to 24o are arranged in the divided space 301J to the divided space 301O, respectively. The indoor unit 20j is connected to the temperature sensors 24j and 24m. The indoor unit 20k is connected to the temperature sensors 24k and 24n. The indoor unit 20l is connected to the temperature sensors 24l and 24o.

The operation of the control device 100 of the second modification is the same as that of the flowchart of FIG. 4, but step S16 of FIG. 4 is step S16a shown below. Note that step S16a is not shown. In step S16a, the control start unit 113 starts, as the control of the indoor unit 20 corresponding to each divided space 301, directs the wind direction of the wind blown out by the indoor unit 20 to the corresponding divided space in order of priority. To do.

<Step S16a: 1st time>
In the first step S16a, the control start unit 113 adjusts the air conditioning of the divided space 301N by changing the wind direction of the blown air of the indoor unit 20k corresponding to the divided space 301N of the priority <1> in FIG. Start. It should be noted that even when the indoor unit 20k blows out air from a state in which air is not blown out as in the case where the operation is stopped, it corresponds to changing the wind direction of the blown out air. This is because, in this case, the state changes from a state without a wind direction to a state with a wind direction. In FIG. 12, the indoor unit 20k starts blowing air from a state in which air is not blown out. By controlling the louver 25 of the indoor unit 20k by the control start unit 113, the indoor unit 20k can change the wind direction of the blown air. The same applies to the other indoor units 20.

<Step S16a: Second time>
In the second step S16a, the control start unit 113 adjusts the air conditioning of the divided space 301K by changing the wind direction of the blown air of the indoor unit 20k corresponding to the divided space 301K of the priority <2> in FIG. Start. Hereinafter, the process proceeds in the same manner as the flowchart of FIG.

*** Effect of variant 2 ***
In the second modification, it is easy to associate a plurality of divided spaces 301 with one indoor unit 20, so that the divided spaces 301 can be flexibly set for the indoor unit 20 as compared with the first embodiment.

<Modification example 3>
A modified example 3 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In step S16 of FIG. 4, the operation start time of the indoor unit 20 is shifted in order to set the start time of air conditioning in each of the divided spaces 301 to a different time. On the other hand, in the modified example 3, the start time of air conditioning in each of the divided spaces 301 is shifted by changing the wind speed of the blown air of the indoor unit 20.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a modified example 3. FIG. 13 shows three divided spaces 301P, 301Q, and 30lR. An indoor unit 20p is associated with the divided space 301P, the divided space 301Q, and the divided space 30lR. The priority of each division space 301 is from priority <1> to priority <3>. Temperature sensors 24p to 24r are arranged in the divided space 301P to the divided space 301R, respectively. The indoor unit 20jp is connected to the temperature sensors 24p, 24q, 24r.

The operation of the control device 100 of the third modification is the same as that of the flowchart of FIG. 4, but step S16 of FIG. 4 is step S16b shown below. Note that step S16b is not shown. In step S16b, the control start unit 113 changes the wind speed of the wind blown out by the indoor unit 20 so as to air-condition the corresponding divided spaces 301 as the control of the indoor units 20 corresponding to the respective divided spaces 301. , In order of priority.

<Step S16b: 1st time>
In the first step S16b, the control start unit 113 adjusts the air conditioning of the divided space 301R by changing the wind speed of the blown air of the indoor unit 20p corresponding to the divided space 301R of the priority <1> in FIG. Start. It should be noted that even when the indoor unit 20p blows out air from a state where air is not blown out as in the case where the operation is stopped, it corresponds to changing the wind speed of the blown out air. This is because, in this case, the state where there is no wind speed changes to the state where there is wind speed. In FIG. 13, the indoor unit 20p starts blowing air from a state in which air is not blown out. The indoor unit 20p air-conditions the divided space 301R by the maximum wind speed. By controlling the indoor unit fan 23p of the indoor unit 20p by the control start unit 113, the indoor unit 20p can change the wind speed of the blown air.

<Step S16b: Second time>
In the second step S16b, the control start unit 113 starts air conditioning of the divided space 301Q having the priority <2>. The control start unit 113 starts air conditioning of the divided space 301Q having the priority <2> by setting the wind speed of the indoor unit fan 23p to a medium magnitude. Hereinafter, the process proceeds in the same manner as the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 13, one indoor unit 20p is responsible for air conditioning of the divided spaces 301P, 301Q, and 301R, but a plurality of indoor units 20 may perform air conditioning of one divided space 301.

*** Effect of variant 3 ***
In the third modification, it is easy to associate a plurality of divided spaces 301 with one indoor unit 20, so that a plurality of divided spaces 301 can be flexibly set for the indoor unit 20 as compared with the first embodiment.

*** Summary of the effects of Embodiment 1 ***
The effects of the first embodiment including the first to third modifications will be summarized.
FIG. 14 shows the effect of the control device 100. The alternate long and short dash line shows Comparative Example 1 of the air conditioning system 1000. The broken line shows Comparative Example 2 of the air conditioning system 1000. The solid line shows the air conditioning system 1000.

Comparative Example 1 is an air conditioning system that starts air conditioning in the indoor space at a time before the target time 501 so that the target temperature 502 is reached at the target time 501. The air conditioning system of Comparative Example 1 is a system that does not have a function of saving the air conditioning ability for energy saving. Similar to Comparative Example 1, Comparative Example 2 starts air conditioning in the indoor space at a time before the target time 501 so that the target temperature is 502 at the target time 501. The air conditioning system of Comparative Example 2 has a function of saving the air conditioning ability for energy saving. However, in Comparative Example 2, in order to save the air conditioning ability, air conditioning is started earlier than in Comparative Example 1 with respect to the target time 501.

In the upper graph, the horizontal axis shows time and the vertical axis shows the room temperature of the indoor space 300. In the lower graph, the horizontal axis shows time and the vertical axis shows the integrated power consumption of the air conditioning system. The upper graph shows the following. The air conditioning system of Comparative Example 1 starts controlling the air conditioning for the indoor space 300 at a time t3 earlier than the target time 501. The air conditioning system of Comparative Example 2 starts controlling the air conditioning for the indoor space 300 at a time t1 earlier than the target time 501 and earlier than the time t3. The air conditioning system 1000 starts controlling air conditioning for the indoor space 300 at time t2 between time t1 and time t3.

The lower graph shows: The air conditioning system of Comparative Example 1 has the shortest operating time before the target time 501, but has the largest integrated power because it does not have the function of saving the air conditioning ability. Since the air conditioning system of Comparative Example 2 has a function of saving the air conditioning ability, the integrated power is smaller than that of Comparative Example 1. However, the operating time before the target time 501 is longer than that of Comparative Example 1. The air conditioning system 1000 has the smallest integrated power. Further, the air conditioning system 1000 has a shorter operating time before the target time 501 than in Comparative Example 2.

The air conditioning system 1000 including the control device 100 starts air conditioning of each divided space according to the order of priority. Starting the air conditioning of the divided space according to the priority means starting the air conditioning in the order of the divided space having the smaller invading heat load to the divided space having the largest invading heat load. As a result, it is possible to suppress the invading heat load that invades the divided space. Therefore, as compared with Comparative Example 2 having the function of saving the air conditioning ability, the air conditioning system 1000 can suppress the extension of the operating time of the air conditioning system 1000 from the time t2 before the target time 501 to the target time 501. , The integrated electric energy can be reduced.

<Supplement to hardware configuration>
The hardware configuration of the control device 100 is supplemented below. In the control device 100 of FIG. 3, the function of the control device 100 is realized by software, but the function of the control device 100 may be realized by hardware.
FIG. 15 shows the configuration of the control device 100 according to the modified example of the control device 100. The electronic circuit 600 of FIG. 15 is dedicated to realize the functions of the division unit 111, the ranking determination unit 112, the control start unit 113, the main storage device 120, the auxiliary storage device 130, the input interface 140, the output interface 150, and the communication interface 160. It is an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit 600 is connected to the signal line 601. Specifically, the electronic circuit 600 is a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, a logic IC, a GA, an ASIC, or an FPGA. GA is an abbreviation for Gate Array. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Special Integrated Circuit. FPGA is an abbreviation for Field-Programmable Gate Array. The functions of the components of the control device 100 may be realized by one electronic circuit, or may be realized by being distributed in a plurality of electronic circuits. As another modification, some functions of the components of the control device 100 may be realized by an electronic circuit, and the remaining functions may be realized by software.

Each of the processor 110 and the electronic circuit 600 is also referred to as a processing circuit. In the control device 100, the functions of the division unit 111, the ranking determination unit 112, and the control start unit 113 may be realized by the processing circuit. Alternatively, the functions of the division unit 111, the ranking determination unit 112, the control start unit 113, the main storage device 120, the auxiliary storage device 130, the input interface 140, the output interface 150, and the communication interface 160 may be realized by the processing circuit. ..

Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, one of the first embodiments may be partially implemented. Alternatively, two or more of the first embodiments may be partially combined and implemented. The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, and various modifications can be made as needed.

10 outdoor unit, 11 compressor, 12 four-way valve, 13 outdoor heat exchanger, 14 outdoor unit fan, 20 indoor unit, 21 expansion valve, 22 indoor heat exchanger, 23 indoor unit fan, 24 temperature sensor, 25 louver, 30 Refrigerant piping, 31 refrigeration cycle, 100 control unit, 101 control program, 110 processor, 111 division unit, 112 order determination unit, 113 control start unit, 120 main memory unit, 130 auxiliary storage unit, 140 input interface, 150 output interface, 160 communication interface, 170 signal line, 200 outer member, 210 outer wall, 220 window, 230 inner wall, 240 ceiling material, 250 floor material, 300 indoor space, 301 divided space, 401 broken line, 501 target time, 502 target temperature, 600 electrons Circuit, 601 signal line, 1000 air conditioning system.

Claims (10)

The indoor space to be air-conditioned is a plurality of divided spaces, and each of the divided spaces is a plurality of spaces in which at least one indoor unit corresponds to each of the above-mentioned spaces. With a ranking unit that determines the priority to start
The control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces is performed before the target time so that the temperature of the indoor space becomes the target temperature at the target time indicating the time when the target temperature should be reached. A control device including a control start unit that starts according to the priority of the divided space. The ranking determination unit
The control device according to claim 1, wherein the priority is determined based on the magnitude of the invading heat load that enters each of the divided spaces from the outside of the indoor space. The ranking determination unit
A claim for calculating the magnitude of the invading heat load for each divided space based on the heat insulating performance of the forming member forming the divided space, the area of the forming member, and the temperature of the region outside the forming member. Item 2. The control device according to item 2. The ranking determination unit
According to claim 2 or 3, the magnitude of the invading heat load for each divided space is calculated based on the temperature change of the divided space when the indoor unit corresponding to the divided space is operated. The control device described. The control start unit is
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation of the indoor unit is started according to the priority order as the control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces. The control start unit is
Claims 1 to 4 start, as a control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces, directing the wind direction of the wind blown from the indoor unit to the corresponding divided space according to the priority order. The control device according to any one item. The control start unit is
A claim that, as a control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces, changing the wind speed of the wind blown out by the indoor unit so as to harmonize the corresponding divided spaces with air is started according to the priority. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control device further
The control according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a dividing portion for dividing the indoor space into the plurality of divided spaces based on the arrangement of the plurality of indoor units arranged in the indoor space. apparatus. On the computer
The indoor space to be air-conditioned is a plurality of divided spaces, and each of the divided spaces is a plurality of spaces in which at least one indoor unit corresponds to each of the above-mentioned spaces. The process of determining the priority to start,
The control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces is performed before the target time so that the temperature of the indoor space becomes the target temperature at the target time indicating the time when the target temperature should be reached. Processing that starts according to the priority of the divided space,
A control program that executes. The computer
The indoor space to be air-conditioned is a plurality of divided spaces, and each of the divided spaces is a plurality of spaces in which at least one indoor unit corresponds to each of the above-mentioned spaces. Determine the priority to start with,
The control of the indoor unit corresponding to each of the divided spaces is performed before the target time so that the temperature of the indoor space becomes the target temperature at the target time indicating the time when the target temperature should be reached. A control method that starts according to the priority of the divided space.

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