WO2020003528A1 - Air conditioning management system, air conditioning management method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioning management system is provided which enables performing maintenance at appropriate timing in locations of an air conditioner where there are signs of deterioration. This air conditioning system (W) is provided with a storage unit (210), a control unit (220) and a notification unit (230). The control unit (220) estimates the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount in an indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner, and estimates the air-side heat exchange amount in the indoor heat exchanger. Further, the reporting unit (230) reports to a remote control or a terminal device the location of signs of deterioration in the air conditioner, which are based on the magnitude relation between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and the air-side heat exchange amount.

Description

Air conditioning management system, air conditioning management method, and program

The present invention relates to an air conditioning management system and the like.

(4) As an air conditioner is used for a long period of time, its operating efficiency is often lowered due to deterioration of parts over time and adhesion of dust to indoor heat exchangers and the like. With respect to such maintenance of an air conditioner, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.

That is, in Patent Document 1, based on the operating state, mode state, room temperature, and the like of the air conditioner, "change the diagnostic time and change the equipment maintenance condition of the air conditioner in conjunction with the entrance / exit management system and the building management system." Is described.

Japanese Patent No. 6097210

Patent Document 1 describes a method for maintaining the air conditioning equipment, but does not describe a technique for identifying a location of a sign of deterioration in the air conditioning equipment. Further, in the technology described in Patent Literature 1, maintenance of the air-conditioning equipment is performed every predetermined period, and therefore, depending on the case, the maintenance time may be too early or too late. It is desirable to perform maintenance of the air conditioning equipment at an appropriate time, but such a technique is not described in Patent Document 1.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning management system or the like that can perform maintenance of a location where there is a sign of deterioration of an air conditioner at an appropriate time.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a location of a sign of deterioration of an air conditioner based on a magnitude relationship between a refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and an air-side heat exchange amount in a heat exchanger; It is characterized by reporting to a terminal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air-conditioning management system or the like that can perform maintenance of a place where there is a sign of deterioration in an air conditioner at an appropriate time.

It is a schematic structure figure containing the air-conditioning management system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram including an air conditioner to be managed by the air conditioning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram of an air conditioning management device with which an air conditioning management system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention is provided. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram relating to rotation speed-design air volume information of the air conditioning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing a learning result of a normal range about refrigerant side heat exchange quantity _Qref and air side heat exchange quantity Qair in the _air conditioning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part with which the air-conditioning management apparatus of the air-conditioning management system concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention is provided. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where points (Q _ref , Q _air ) deviate from a normal range due to adhesion of dust to an indoor heat exchanger or the like in the air conditioning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. . FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temporal transition of a ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) in the _air conditioning management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is the bottom view which looked up at the embedded type indoor unit in the state where the suction panel was removed in the air conditioning management system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention from the bottom. It is a flow chart which shows processing of a control part of an air-conditioning management device in an air-conditioning management system concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing a state where a point (Q _ref , Q _air ) deviates from a normal range due to a decrease in the volumetric efficiency of the compressor in the air conditioning management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing an example of a temporal transition of a ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) in an _air conditioning management system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure containing an air-conditioning management system concerning a modification of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an air line diagram relating to temperature and humidity of air on the suction side and the air outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger in the air conditioning management system according to the modified example of the present invention.

<< 1st Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram including the air conditioning management system W according to the first embodiment.
In FIG. 1, the illustration of the pipe J is simplified, and the pipe that guides the refrigerant from the outdoor unit Uo to the four indoor units Ui and the pipe that guides the refrigerant from the four indoor units Ui to the outdoor unit Uo are common. This is shown by a solid line (pipe J).

The air conditioning management system W is a system that manages the operation of the air conditioner 100, and includes an air conditioning management device 200. Note that the air-conditioning management device 200 may have a configuration including a plurality of servers. Hereinafter, after describing the air conditioner 100 to be managed by the air conditioning management device 200, the configuration and functions of the air conditioning management device 200 will be described in detail.

<Configuration of air conditioner>
The air conditioner 100 is a device that performs air conditioning such as a cooling operation and a heating operation. FIG. 1 illustrates, as an example, a multi-type air conditioner 100 in which an outdoor unit Uo of a top blowing type and four indoor units Ui of a ceiling embedded type are connected via a pipe J. . As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit Uo is connected to the indoor unit Ui via the communication line M, and is also connected to the air conditioning management device 200 via the communication line M.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram including the refrigerant circuit F of the air conditioner 100.
In FIG. 2, two of the four indoor units Ui (see FIG. 1) are illustrated, and illustration of the remaining two units is omitted. In FIG. 2, the flow of air in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and the indoor heat exchanger 16 is indicated by outline arrows.

The air conditioner 100 includes a compressor 11, an outdoor heat exchanger 12, an outdoor fan 13, an outdoor expansion valve 14, and a four-way valve 15 as devices provided in the outdoor unit Uo.
The compressor 11 is a device that compresses a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant and discharges it as a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. As such a compressor 11, for example, a scroll compressor or a rotary compressor is used.

The outdoor heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger in which heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tube (not shown) and the outside air sent from the outdoor fan 13. One end g1 of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is connected to the suction side or the discharge side of the compressor 11 by switching the four-way valve 15, and the other end g2 is connected to the liquid side pipe J1.

The outdoor fan 13 is a fan that sends outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 12. The outdoor fan 13 includes an outdoor fan motor 13a as a driving source, and is arranged near the outdoor heat exchanger 12.
The outdoor expansion valve 14 is an electronic expansion valve that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 12 and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant when the outdoor heat exchanger 12 functions as an evaporator. It is provided in.
The four-way valve 15 is a valve that switches the flow path of the refrigerant according to the operation mode during air conditioning.

Further, the air conditioner 100 includes an indoor heat exchanger 16 (heat exchanger), an indoor fan 17 (fan), an air filter 18, and an indoor expansion valve 19 as devices provided in the indoor unit Ui. ing.
The indoor heat exchanger 16 is a heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between a refrigerant flowing through a heat transfer tube (not shown) and indoor air (air in a space to be air-conditioned) sent from an indoor fan 17. It is. One end h1 of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is connected to the gas side pipe J2, and the other end h2 is connected to the liquid side pipe J3.

The indoor fan 17 is a fan that sends indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 16. The indoor fan 17 has an indoor fan motor 17a as a driving source, and is arranged near the indoor heat exchanger 16.
The air filter 18 is a filter that collects dust from air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 as the indoor fan 17 is driven, and is arranged near the indoor heat exchanger 16 (air suction side).

The indoor expansion valve 19 is an electronic expansion valve that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 16 and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant when the indoor heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator. It is provided in. The other indoor units Ui have the same configuration.

The liquid-side connection part K1 connects the plurality of liquid-side pipes J3 connected one-to-one to each indoor unit Ui, and the liquid-side pipes J1 connected to the other end g2 of the outdoor heat exchanger 12. It is.
The gas side connection part K2 connects a plurality of gas side pipes J2 connected one-to-one to each indoor unit Ui, and a gas side pipe J4 connected to the four-way valve 15 of the outdoor unit Uo. .

{Circle around (5)} In the refrigerant circuit F, the refrigerant circulates in a known heat pump cycle according to the operation mode during air conditioning. For example, during the cooling operation, the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (condenser), the outdoor expansion valve 14, the indoor expansion valve 19, and the indoor heat exchanger 16 (evaporator). On the other hand, during the heating operation, the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor 11, the indoor heat exchanger 16 (condenser), the indoor expansion valve 19, the outdoor expansion valve 14, and the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (evaporator).

In addition, the outdoor unit Uo is provided with a suction pressure sensor 21, a suction temperature sensor 22, a discharge pressure sensor 23, and a discharge temperature sensor 24.
The suction pressure sensor 21 is a sensor that detects the pressure (suction pressure) of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11. The suction temperature sensor 22 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant (suction temperature) on the suction side of the compressor 11.

The discharge pressure sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the pressure (discharge pressure) of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 11. The discharge temperature sensor 24 is a sensor that detects the temperature (discharge temperature) of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 11.
The detection values of the suction pressure sensor 21, the suction temperature sensor 22, the discharge pressure sensor 23, and the discharge temperature sensor 24 are output to the air conditioning management device 200 via the outdoor control circuit 31.

On the other hand, the indoor unit Ui is provided with refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26, an intake air temperature sensor 27, and an outlet air temperature sensor 28.
The refrigerant temperature sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing near one end h1 of the indoor heat exchanger 16. The other refrigerant temperature sensor 26 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing near the other end h2 of the indoor heat exchanger 16.

The suction air temperature sensor 27 is a sensor that detects the temperature of air on the air suction side (inlet side) of the indoor heat exchanger 16. The blowout air temperature sensor 28 is a sensor that detects the temperature of air on the air blowout side (outlet side) of the indoor heat exchanger 16.
Respective detection values of the refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26, the suction air temperature sensor 27, and the blow-off air temperature sensor 28 are output to the outdoor control circuit 31 and the air conditioning management device 200 via the indoor control circuit 32.

The outdoor unit Uo is provided with an outdoor control circuit 31, and the indoor unit Ui is provided with an indoor control circuit 32. Although not shown, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 include electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces. . Then, the program stored in the ROM is read out and expanded in the RAM, and the CPU executes various processes.

The outdoor control circuit 31 controls the compressor 11, the outdoor fan 13, the outdoor expansion valve 14, and the like based on the detection value of each sensor and a command from the air conditioning management device 200, and outputs a predetermined signal to the indoor control circuit 32. Send. On the other hand, the indoor control circuit 32 controls the indoor fan 17 and the indoor expansion valve 19 based on a signal received from the outdoor control circuit 31 and a command from the air conditioning management device 200.

(4) The remote controller Re exchanges predetermined information with the indoor control circuit 32 by infrared communication or the like. For example, signals related to the operation / stop of the air conditioning, the setting of the operation mode, the timer, and the change of the set temperature are transmitted from the remote controller Re to the indoor control circuit 32. On the other hand, a signal transmitted from the indoor control circuit 32 to the remote controller Re includes, for example, predetermined information (information of a deterioration sign diagnosis described later) generated by the air conditioning management device 200.

<Configuration of air conditioning management device>
Although not shown, the air-conditioning management device 200 shown in FIG. 2 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and various interfaces, and is connected to the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 via a communication line. ing. The air-conditioning management device 200 has a function of identifying a location where there is a sign of deterioration in the air conditioner 100 based on a detection value of each sensor.

The above-mentioned “sign of deterioration” is a warning that a predetermined portion of the air conditioner 100 is deteriorated. Note that the “deterioration sign” includes the adhesion of dust to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18. The process of the air-conditioning management device 200 diagnosing the presence or absence of the deterioration sign of the air conditioner 100 and specifying the location of the deterioration sign is referred to as “deterioration sign diagnosis”.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the air conditioning management device 200 (see FIG. 2 as appropriate).
As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioning management device 200 includes a storage unit 210, a control unit 220, and a notification unit 230.
The storage unit 210 stores, in addition to a predetermined program, rotation speed-design airflow information 211, design volumetric efficiency information 212, and normal range information 213. The rotation speed-design airflow information 211 is information indicating a predetermined design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. The “design airflow” described above is an airflow of the indoor unit Ui obtained in a preliminary experiment based on the specifications of the indoor fan 17 and the indoor heat exchanger 16.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram relating to rotation speed-design airflow information.
The horizontal axis in FIG. 4 is the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 (see FIG. 2), and the vertical axis is the design airflow of the indoor unit Ui (see FIG. 2). In the example shown in FIG. 4, the rotation speed-design airflow information 211 (see FIG. 3) is represented by a straight line L1 rising to the right. That is, as the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 increases, the design airflow also increases. A mathematical expression or the like representing such a straight line L1 is stored in advance in the storage unit 210 as the rotation speed-design airflow information 211.

設計 The design volumetric efficiency information 212 shown in FIG. 3 is information indicating the design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11. The “design volumetric efficiency” is a volumetric efficiency based on the specifications of the compressor 11, and is calculated based on a rotation speed of a motor (not shown) of the compressor 11 and the like. The normal range information 213 stored in the storage unit 210 will be described later.

The control unit 220 performs a predetermined process based on the detection value of each sensor and the data of the storage unit 210. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control unit 220 includes a refrigerant-side heat exchange amount estimating unit 221, an air-side heat exchange amount estimating unit 222, a learning unit 223, a comparing unit 224, and a diagnostic unit 225. I have.
Refrigerant heat exchange amount estimating unit 221, based on the detected value of temperature, pressure, etc. of the refrigerant, estimates the refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref in the indoor heat exchanger 16. The “refrigerant side” of the refrigerant side heat exchange amount _Qref means a heat exchange amount estimated based on a detected value such as a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant.

The air-side heat exchange amount estimating unit 222 determines the indoor temperature based on the rotation speed-design airflow information 211 in addition to the temperature of the air on the suction side and the air outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. The air-side heat exchange amount Q _air in the heat exchanger 16 is estimated. The “air side” of the air side heat exchange amount Q _air means a heat exchange amount estimated based on the air temperature or the like.

The air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is calculated based on the rotation speed-design air flow information 211 and the like, using a predetermined design air flow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. Therefore, as the amount of dust adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18 increases, the actual airflow of the indoor unit Ui decreases and deviates from a predetermined design airflow. As a result, the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air based on the design air amount is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref reflecting the actual _air amount. In the present embodiment, on the basis of the magnitude relation between such a refrigerant heat exchange quantity Q _ref, such as air-side heat exchange rate Q _air, and so as to detect a decrease air volume of the indoor unit Ui.

The learning unit 223 shown in FIG. 3 learns a normal range of a ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of the air side heat exchange amount Q _{air to} the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref . That is, the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is learned as a range that does not significantly affect the decrease in the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 100.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing learning results in a normal range regarding the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair .
The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 is a refrigerant-side heat exchange quantity Q _ref estimated by the refrigerant side heat exchange amount estimating unit 221 (see FIG. 3). The vertical axis in FIG. 5 is the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air estimated by the air-side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222 (see FIG. 3).

A plurality of points shown in FIG. 5 are obtained during a predetermined learning period in which it is known that each device of the air conditioner 100 is normal and that little dust adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18. Data. Such a learning period may be at the time of test operation of the air conditioner 100, or may be at the time of normal operation for a predetermined period (for example, several months) from the time of installation of the air conditioner 100.

The learning unit 223 (see FIG. 3) uses the least-square method, for example, in FIG. 5 based on the plurality of refrigerant-side heat exchange amounts Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air obtained in a predetermined learning period. The mathematical formula of the straight line L2 shown is derived. Note that the learning unit 223 may calculate the moving average of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) obtained in time series instead of the mathematical expression of the straight line L2.

During the learning period, as described above, since the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18 have little dust, the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui is equal to the predetermined design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. Becomes approximately equal to As a result, the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air hardly _departs from the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref, and the slope of the straight line L2 often becomes a value close to “1”.

Assuming that the slope of the straight line L2 is a, the learning unit 223 determines that the predetermined range is, for example, a range below the straight line L21 having the slope (a + b1) and above the straight line L22 having the slope (a−b1) _Is set as a normal range of the point (Q _ref , Q _air ). Explaining from another viewpoint, the learning unit 223 sets (ab1) ≦ ( _Qair / _Qref ) ≦ (a + b1) as a normal range of the ratio ( _Qair / _Qref ). Then, the learning unit 223 stores the information of the normal range as the learning result in the storage unit 210 as normal range information 213 (see FIG. 3).

After learning the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ), the comparison unit 224 shown in FIG. 3 performs the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange in the diagnosis of deterioration of the air conditioner 100. Compare the magnitude with the quantity Q _air .

(3) The diagnosis unit 225 shown in FIG. 3 diagnoses the presence or absence of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner 100 based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 224, and further specifies the deteriorated portion. In the first embodiment, as an example of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner 100, whether the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui is lower than the design air volume (a large amount of dust is present in the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18). The diagnosis unit 225 diagnoses whether or not it is attached.

報 The notification unit 230 shown in FIG. 3 notifies the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 225. As such a notification unit 230, a display lamp, a buzzer, and the like are provided in addition to the display. In addition, the notification unit 230 may have a predetermined communication function, and notify the diagnosis result of the diagnosis unit 225 to the remote controller Re or the user's portable terminal (not shown).

<Processing of air conditioning management device>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of the control unit 220 included in the air-conditioning management device 200 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 as appropriate).
At the time of “START” in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) has already been learned, and a predetermined air-conditioning operation (cooling operation or heating operation) is being performed. In the following example, description will be made assuming that the air conditioner 100 is performing a heating operation.

Control unit 220 in step S101, the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount estimating unit 221 estimates the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q _ref of the indoor heat exchanger 16 (the refrigerant heat exchanger estimation step). More specifically, the control unit 220 firstly controls the compressor 11 based on the detection value of the suction pressure sensor 21, the detection value of the suction temperature sensor 22, and the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11. Calculate the refrigerant density on the suction side. It is assumed that a predetermined value of the refrigerant superheat degree on the suction side of the compressor 11 is stored in advance based on a previous experiment.

Then, the control unit 220 determines the refrigerant density on the suction side of the compressor 11, the stroke volume of the compressor 11, the rotation speed of the compressor motor (not shown), and the designed volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11. Thus, the refrigerant circulation amount per unit time in the refrigerant circuit F is calculated. It is assumed that the stroke volume of the compressor 11 is known. The design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is estimated based on the design volumetric efficiency information 213 (see FIG. 3).

Further, the control unit 220 determines one end and the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 16 (that is, the inlet side and the outlet side) based on the detection value of the discharge pressure sensor 23 and the detection values of the refrigerant temperature sensors 25 and 26. Side), the difference in specific enthalpy of the refrigerant is calculated. Then, the control unit 220 determines the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q of the indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the specific enthalpy difference of the refrigerant at one end and the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the above-described refrigerant circulation amount. Estimate _ref .

As described above, the control unit 220 is configured based on information including the temperature of the refrigerant at one end and the other end of the indoor heat exchanger 16 disposed near the indoor fan 17 and the design volume efficiency of the compressor 11. Thus, the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is estimated.
Incidentally, when the specific enthalpy difference is calculated during the cooling operation, the detection value of the suction pressure sensor 21 is used instead of the detection value of the discharge pressure sensor 23.

Next, in step S102, the control unit 220 estimates the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air of the indoor heat exchanger 16 by the air-side heat exchange amount estimation unit 222 (air-side heat exchange amount estimation step). More specifically, the control unit 220 first calculates the design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 with reference to the rotation speed-design airflow information 211. Then, the control unit 220 determines the air-side heat exchange amount Q _{air of the} indoor heat exchanger 16 based on the design air volume, the detection value of the intake air temperature sensor 27, and the detection value of the blow-out air temperature sensor 28. Is estimated.

As described above, the control unit 220 determines the temperature of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16, the temperature of the air that has exchanged heat in the indoor heat exchanger 16, and the design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. The air-side heat exchange amount Q _air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is estimated.

Next, in step S103, the control unit 220 causes the comparing unit 224 to determine whether the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref . For example, if a large amount of dust adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18, the ventilation resistance increases, and the actual airflow becomes smaller than the design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17. In other words, the design airflow is larger than the actual airflow (actual airflow).

As a result, the actual air volume decreases, and the (apparent) difference ΔT between the blowing temperature To and the suction temperature Ti increases. Therefore, the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air based on the design air volume of the indoor unit Ui is largely estimated, and the ratio of the heat exchange amount (Q _air / Q _ref ) becomes larger than “1”. The ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) increases as the amount of dust adhering to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18 increases.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the points (Q _ref , Q _air ) deviate from the normal range due to the adhesion of dust to the indoor heat exchanger and the like.
Note that the horizontal axis in FIG. 7 is the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref , and the vertical axis is the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair . The hatched portion shown in FIG. 7 indicates the normal range of the point (Q _ref , Q _air ). For example, focusing on the point P1, the air-side heat exchange amount Q1 _air is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q1 _ref , and the point (Q1 _ref , Q1 _air ) deviates from the normal range. This is because a large amount of dust adhered to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18, and the design airflow became much larger than the actual airflow. The same applies to other points shown in FIG.

Then, in step S104 in FIG. 6, the control unit 220 determines whether or not the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is outside the normal range.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temporal transition of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ).
Note that the horizontal axis in FIG. 8 is time, and the vertical axis is the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ). Incidentally, each of the points (data) plotted in FIG. 8 does not correspond one-to-one with each point shown in FIG.

In the example of FIG. 8, a range of α ≦ (Q _air / Q _ref ) ≦ β is set as a learning result of the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ). This is the normal range information 213 (see FIG. 3). In the example of FIG. 8, the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) gradually increases as time elapses, and deviates from the normal range after time t1.

The control unit 220 calculates a moving average of a plurality of ratios (Q _air / Q _ref ) calculated in time series in order to prevent erroneous diagnosis of the deterioration sign, and determines whether the moving average is out of a normal range. May be determined.
In addition, when the control unit 220 calculates the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ), the approximate straight line L3 of the plurality of points (Q _ref , Q _air ) shown in FIG. It may be determined whether the inclination is out of the normal range.

If the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is outside the normal range in step S104 of FIG. 6 (S104: Yes), the process of the control unit 220 proceeds to step S105.
In step S105, the control unit 220 determines by the diagnosis unit 225 that the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui has decreased with respect to the design air volume. In other words, the control unit 220 diagnoses that the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18 have a sign of deterioration (a large amount of dust is attached).

Next, in step S106, the control unit 220 transmits a command signal for cleaning the air filter 18 of the indoor unit Ui to the air conditioner 100.
Further, in step S107, control unit 220 transmits to air conditioner 100 a command signal for performing freezing and cleaning of indoor heat exchanger 16. The details of cleaning of the air filter 18 and freeze cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger 16 will be described later.
After performing the process of step S107, the control unit 220 ends a series of processes (END).

If Q _ref ≧ Q _air in step S103 (S103: No), or if the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is within the normal range in step S104 (S104: No), the processing of the control unit 220 is Proceed to step S108.

In step S108, the control unit 220 determines that the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui is within the normal range by the diagnostic unit 225. In this case, since the amount of dust adhering to the air filter 18 or the like does not adversely affect the operation efficiency of the air conditioner 100, it is not particularly necessary to clean the air filter 18 or the like.

After performing the process of step S108, the control unit 220 ends a series of processes (END). Note that the control unit 220 executes a series of processes shown in FIG. 6 every predetermined period (for example, every several days or every several weeks).

<Cleaning the air filter>
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the embedded indoor unit Ui with the suction panel removed, as viewed from below.
In the example shown in FIG. 9, a rectangular air intake port i is provided in a housing 51 of the indoor unit Ui, and four wind direction plates 52 are provided so as to surround the air intake port i. An air filter 18 is installed at the air inlet i, and a filter cleaning unit 53 is installed outside the air filter 18. The filter cleaning section 53 has a brush (not shown) that comes into contact with the air filter 18. The dust on the air filter 18 is removed by moving the filter cleaning unit 53 in the left-right direction.

For example, when a command signal for cleaning the air filter 18 (S106: see FIG. 6) is received from the air conditioning management device 200, the air conditioner 100 cleans the air filter 18 by the filter cleaning unit 53. Thus, dust on the air filter 18 is removed, so that the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui can be made closer to the design air volume, and the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 100 can be improved.

<Freezing and cleaning of indoor heat exchangers>
When performing the freezing and washing of the indoor heat exchanger 16 (S107: see FIG. 6), the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 of the air conditioner 100 cause the indoor heat exchanger 16 to function as an evaporator and perform indoor heat exchange. The vessel 16 is frozen.

More specifically, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 drive the compressor 11 and further reduce the opening of the indoor expansion valve 19 as compared with the cooling operation. As a result, the refrigerant having a low pressure and a low evaporation temperature flows into the indoor heat exchanger 16, so that moisture in the air is frosted on the indoor heat exchanger 16, and the frost and ice easily grow.

After the indoor heat exchanger 16 is frozen in this way, the outdoor control circuit 31 and the indoor control circuit 32 defrost the indoor heat exchanger 16. For example, when the compressor 11 and the indoor fan 17 are stopped, frost and ice of the indoor heat exchanger 16 are naturally thawed at room temperature, and a large amount of the frost and ice travel along the fins (not shown) of the indoor heat exchanger 16. Water runs down. As a result, dust in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is washed away, so that the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui can be made closer to the design air volume.

After the freezing and thawing of the indoor heat exchanger 16, the inside of the indoor unit Ui may be dried by the outdoor control circuit 31 or the indoor control circuit 32 performing a heating operation or a blowing operation. Thereby, propagation of mold and the like in the indoor unit Ui can be suppressed.

<Effect>
According to the first embodiment, the air-conditioning management device 200 performs indoor air conditioning based on the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref based on the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair based on the design airflow and the like. It is determined whether or not the actual air volume of the heat exchanger 16 is lower than the designed air volume. Based on the diagnosis result, the air conditioning management device 200 can cause the air filter 18 of the air conditioner 100 to perform cleaning of the air filter 18 and freeze cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger 16 at an appropriate time.

If the cleaning function of the air filter 18 or the like is not provided, the notification unit 230 can notify the user or the like that maintenance of the air conditioner 100 is required at an appropriate time. For example, the notification unit 230 notifies the remote controller Re and the user's portable terminal (not shown) that maintenance of the air conditioner 100 is required. This makes it possible to perform maintenance on the air conditioner 100 before the increase in the condensation pressure of the refrigerant and the decrease in the evaporation pressure deviate from the allowable ranges. In addition, it is possible to prevent the maintenance of the air conditioner 100 from being performed wastefully and frequently, and to reduce the cost required for the maintenance as compared with the related art.

<< 2nd Embodiment >>
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the processing content of the control unit 220 (see FIG. 3). That is, in the second embodiment, based on the magnitude relationship between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair , the control unit 220 reduces the volume efficiency of the compressor 11 (see FIG. 2). This is different from the first embodiment in that it is diagnosed whether or not the operation is performed. The other components (the configuration of the air conditioner 100 and the air conditioning management device 200, etc .: see FIGS. 1 to 3) are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, only the portions different from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the overlapping portions will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process of the control unit 220 included in the air-conditioning management device 200 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 as appropriate).
At the time of “START” in FIG. 10, it is assumed that the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) has already been learned and a predetermined air conditioning operation (cooling operation or heating operation) is being performed. Also, it is assumed that not so much dust adheres to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the air filter 18.

Steps S201 and S202 in FIG. 10 are the same as steps S101 and S102 (see FIG. 6) described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
After estimating the refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air (S201, S202), the control unit 220 in step S203, the better the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air than the refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref It is determined whether it is small. For example, when the sealing performance of a compression chamber (not shown) is deteriorated due to the deterioration of the compressor 11 over time, the refrigerant is likely to leak, and the volume efficiency of the compressor 11 is reduced. That is, the actual volumetric efficiency is lower than the predetermined designed volumetric efficiency based on the specifications of the compressor 11.

As a result, the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref based on the design volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is largely estimated, so that the heat exchange ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) becomes smaller than “1”. Note that the lower the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is, the smaller the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is.
In step S204, the control unit 220 determines whether or not the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is outside the normal range.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the points (Q _ref , Q _air ) deviate from the normal range due to a decrease in the volumetric efficiency of the compressor.
Note that a hatched portion shown in FIG. 11 indicates a normal range of the point (Q _ref , Q _air ). For example, focusing on the point P2, the air side heat exchange amount Q2 _air is smaller than the refrigerant side heat exchange amount Q2 _ref , and the point (Q2 _ref , Q2 _air ) is out of the normal range. This is because the volume efficiency of the compressor 11 has been reduced, and the refrigerant has easily leaked from a compression chamber (not shown). The same applies to other points shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temporal transition of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ).
In the example shown in FIG. 12, as the time elapses, the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) gradually decreases, and is out of the normal range after time t2.

If the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is out of the normal range in step S204 of FIG. 10 (S204: Yes), the process of the control unit 220 proceeds to step S205.
In step S205, the control unit 220 determines by the diagnosis unit 225 that the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is lower than the designed volumetric efficiency. In other words, the control unit 220 diagnoses that the compressor 11 has a sign of deterioration.

In step S206, the control unit 220 causes the notification unit 230 to notify the remote controller Re or the like that maintenance of the compressor 11 is required (notification step). Thus, it is possible to inform the user that it is time to perform maintenance on the compressor 11.
After performing the process of step S206, the control unit 220 ends a series of processes (END).

Also, if Q _ref ≦ Q _air in step S203 (S203: No), or if the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is within the normal range in step S204 (S204: No), the processing of the control unit 220 is Proceed to step S207.

In step S207, the control unit 220 determines by the diagnosis unit 225 that the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 is within the normal range. In this case, since the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 does not adversely affect the operation efficiency of the air conditioner 100, there is no particular need to perform maintenance on the compressor 11.
After performing the process of step S207, the control unit 220 ends a series of processes (END).

<Effect>
According to the second embodiment, the air-conditioning management device 200 performs compression based on the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref based on the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair based on the design airflow and the like. It is diagnosed whether the volumetric efficiency of the machine 11 has decreased from the designed volumetric efficiency. When maintenance of the compressor 11 is required, the fact is notified to the remote controller Re or the like.

に よ っ て Thus, it is possible to notify that maintenance of the compressor 11 is required at an appropriate time. Therefore, the maintenance of the compressor 11 can be performed by a service person or the like before the operation of the air conditioner 100 has to be stopped. Further, since it is not necessary to wastefully and frequently perform maintenance of the compressor 11, the cost required for the maintenance can be reduced.

≪Modified example≫
As described above, the air-conditioning management system W according to the present invention has been described in each embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and various changes can be made.
For example, as described below, the result of the deterioration sign diagnosis may be reported to the user's portable terminal 60 (see FIG. 13) or may be reported to the remote monitoring center 70 (see FIG. 13).

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram including an air conditioning management system WA according to a modification.
The mobile terminal 60 illustrated in FIG. 13 is a terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet, and a mobile phone owned by the user of the air conditioner 100, and can communicate with the air conditioning management device 200 via the network N. ing.
The remote monitoring center 70 is a facility that analyzes the result of the diagnosis of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner 100 and notifies a user or the like as necessary. The remote monitoring center 70 can communicate with the air conditioning management device 200 via the network N. I have. The computer (not shown) of the remote monitoring center 70 is also included in the “terminal”.
Then, the result of the deterioration sign diagnosis by the air-conditioning management device 200 is reported to the portable terminal 60 and the remote monitoring center 70 in addition to the remote controller Re (see FIG. 2) by the reporting unit 230 (see FIG. 3). (Notification step). Thereby, the user and the staff of the remote monitoring center 70 can grasp the location where the deterioration sign is present in the air conditioner 100.

Further, in each embodiment, an example has been described in which when the ratio of the air-side heat exchange amount Q _{air to} the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref (Q _air / Q _ref ) is out of the normal range, the fact is reported. However, it is not limited to this. For example, based on the rate at which the ratio of the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air for refrigerant side heat exchange amount _{Q ref (Q air / Q ref} ) changes with time, the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref) is predetermined normal range The control unit 220 may predict the time of departure from. For example, the control unit 220 calculates the rate of change of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) in a predetermined period up to that time based on the least squares method, and based on the change speed, calculates the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) deviates from a predetermined normal range. Then, the notifying unit 230 notifies the above-mentioned time to the remote monitoring center 70 and the like in addition to the remote controller Re and the portable terminal 60. Thus, it is possible to notify the user or the like in advance of the time at which maintenance should be performed.

The ratio of the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air for refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref and (Q _air / Q _ref) is calculated control unit 220, a history information notification unit of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref) 230 However, in addition to the remote controller Re and the portable terminal 60, the notification may be made to the remote monitoring center 70 or a predetermined service diagnostic device (not shown). In this case, the notification unit 230 may also display thresholds indicating the upper and lower limits of the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ), and may also display the location of the deterioration sign. Good. Thus, the user viewed temporal change in the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref) is, for example, to grasp the degree of decrease of the air volume of the indoor unit Ui, the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref) is out of the normal range It is possible to predict the time.

Also, history information of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of the air conditioner 100 and the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of another air conditioner (not shown) of the same model as the air conditioner 100 , The control unit 220 may predict when a sign of deterioration will occur at a predetermined location of the air conditioner 100. For example, the control unit 220, the most recent of the ratio of the air conditioner 100 to be diagnosed and (Q _air / Q _ref), the temporal ratio of other air conditioner (not shown) (Q _air / Q _ref) Based on the change speed, a time when the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of the air conditioner 100 deviates from a predetermined normal range is predicted. Then, the notifying unit 230 notifies the above-mentioned time to the remote monitoring center 70 and the like in addition to the remote controller Re and the portable terminal 60. Thus, it is possible to notify the user or the like in advance of the time at which maintenance should be performed.

In addition, the air-conditioning management device 200 uploads maintenance information of the air conditioner 100 to a service center (not shown) or maintenance information of another air conditioner (not shown) of the same model as the air conditioner 100. May be provided from the service center. Then, based on the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of other air conditioners and the maintenance information, the control unit 220 determines when the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) of the air conditioner 100 deviates from a predetermined normal range. It may be predicted.

In addition, in response to a command from the remote controller Re, the mobile terminal 60, or the remote monitoring center 70, the control unit 220 starts processing for estimating the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair. May be. Thus, when the user or the like wants to check the diagnosis result of the deterioration sign of the air conditioner 100, the control unit 220 can perform the deterioration sign diagnosis in real time in response to a command from the remote controller Re or the like.

Further, in the first embodiment, when both the conditions of steps S103 and S104 in FIG. 6 are satisfied, the control unit 220 determines that the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui is lower than the design air volume ( Although S105) has been described, the invention is not limited to this. For example, when the processing in step S104 is omitted and the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref (S103: Yes), the actual amount of air that accompanies the driving of the indoor fan 17 with respect to the design air amount is increased. The control unit 220 may determine that the air volume has decreased (S105). Then, the notifying unit 230 may notify the above-described determination result to the remote monitoring center 70 in addition to the remote controller Re and the portable terminal 60. As a result, the user or the like can grasp the diagnosis result regarding the decrease in the air volume.

Further, when the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref (S103: Yes), the control unit 220 cleans the air filter 18 or freeze-cleans the indoor heat exchanger 16. The air conditioner 100 may perform the operation. Thus, the air filter 18 and the like can be cleaned at an appropriate time based on the diagnosis result of the deterioration sign.

Note that the same can be said for the second embodiment. That is, if the processing in step S204 in FIG. 10 is omitted and the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is smaller than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref (S203: Yes), the actual volume of the compressor 11 is reduced with respect to the design volume efficiency. The control unit 220 may determine that the volumetric efficiency has decreased (S205). Then, the notifying unit 230 indicates the location of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner 100 based on the magnitude relationship between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair (that is, the magnitude of the ratio _Qair / _Qref ). May be notified to the remote controller Re, the portable terminal 60, or the remote monitoring center 70.

Further, for example, it is assumed that the deterioration sign diagnosis is performed when the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui decreases and the volumetric efficiency of the compressor 11 decreases. Then, the effect of the decrease in the air volume and the effect of the decrease in the volumetric efficiency are offset, and the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) may become a value close to “1”. Therefore, after cleaning the air filter 18 or the like to bring the actual air volume of the indoor unit Ui closer to the design air volume, the control unit 220 may perform a predetermined deterioration sign diagnosis. For example, after cleaning the air filter 18, or, after freezing cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger 16, the control unit 220 may be configured to estimate a refrigerant-side heat exchange quantity Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air. When the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air is smaller than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref , the notification unit 230 notifies the remote controller Re that the actual volume efficiency of the compressor 11 has decreased with respect to the design volume efficiency. , The mobile terminal 60, or the remote monitoring center 70. As a result, the accuracy of the diagnosis of the deterioration sign can be improved.

When the temperature of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 is equal to or lower than the dew point, the notification unit 230 may not perform the notification regarding the diagnosis of the deterioration sign. If the temperature of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 is equal to or lower than the dew point, latent heat is generated when water vapor contained in the air is condensed. Since this latent heat is not reflected in the temperature change of the air, the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air becomes smaller than the actual value, and the accuracy of diagnosis regarding the decrease in the air volume of the indoor unit Ui may be reduced.

On the other hand, when the temperature of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 is higher than the dew point, it is preferable that the notification unit 230 performs notification regarding the deterioration sign diagnosis. As a result, an accurate diagnosis result can be reported to a user or the like. Incidentally, in the heating operation, almost all of the heat exchange in the indoor heat exchanger 16 is sensible heat, and latent heat hardly occurs.
Further, the control unit 220 may estimate the dew point of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 using the detection value of the intake air temperature sensor 27 and the approximate value of the absolute humidity based on the detection value.

In addition to the suction air temperature sensor 27 (see FIG. 2), a suction air humidity sensor (not shown) is used to calculate the dew point of air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16. It may be provided on the side. In such a configuration, the control unit 220 determines the dew point of this air based on the temperature of the air going to the indoor heat exchanger 16 and the humidity (relative humidity or absolute humidity) of the air going to the indoor heat exchanger 16. calculate. When the temperature of the air flowing toward the indoor heat exchanger 16 is higher than the dew point, the control unit 220 may perform a diagnosis of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner 100. As a result, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the deterioration sign diagnosis.

Further, as described above, if the suction air humidity sensor (not shown) is provided, even if latent heat is included in the heat exchange of air in the indoor heat exchanger 16, the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air Can be estimated. The specific processing will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 14 is an air line diagram relating to the temperature and humidity of the air on the suction side and the air outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger.
The horizontal axis in FIG. 14 is the dry bulb temperature of the air, and the vertical axis is the absolute humidity of the air. Curve R indicates a state where the relative humidity is 100%.
In the example shown in FIG. 14, the temperature of the intake air (see point P3) of the indoor heat exchanger 16 is about 27 [° C.] and the absolute humidity is about 0.016 [kg / kgD. A. ]. On the other hand, the temperature of the blown air (see point P4) is 10 ° C., which is lower than the dew point (about 21 ° C.). Therefore, the heat exchange of the air in the indoor heat exchanger 16 includes latent heat.

Therefore, the control unit 220 performs the indoor heat exchange based on the temperature of the air going to the indoor heat exchanger 16, the humidity of the air going to the indoor heat exchanger 16, and the temperature of the air heat exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger 16. The specific enthalpy difference between the air on the suction side and the air on the discharge side of the vessel 16 is calculated. It is assumed that data corresponding to the psychrometric chart in FIG. 14 is stored in advance in the storage unit 210 (see FIG. 3) as a data table, for example. Then, the control unit 220 estimates the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air based on the design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the indoor fan 17 and the above-described specific enthalpy difference. Thus, even when latent heat is included in the heat exchange of the air, the control unit 220 can estimate the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air .

In addition, as an object of the deterioration sign diagnosis, in addition to the indoor heat exchanger 16, the air filter 18, and the compressor 11, an oil return circuit (not shown) of the air conditioner 100 may be included. The oil return circuit is a refrigerant flow path for returning lubricating oil contained in the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to the suction side of the compressor 11. For example, when the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount Q _ref is larger than the air-side heat exchange amount Q _air and the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) deviates from a predetermined normal range, the control unit 220 sets the compressor 11 Alternatively, at least one of the oil return circuits may be diagnosed as having a sign of deterioration.

Further, only one of the cleaning of the air filter 18 described in the first embodiment (S106 in FIG. 6) and the freeze cleaning of the indoor heat exchanger 16 (S107) may be performed.
In addition, the control unit 220 combines the first embodiment and the second embodiment, and based on the magnitude relationship between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair , In addition to performing the deterioration sign diagnosis of 18, the deterioration sign diagnosis of the compressor 11 may be performed.

In each embodiment, the configuration in which the control unit 220 (see FIG. 3) includes the learning unit 223 (see FIG. 3) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, when the normal range of the ratio (Q _air / Q _ref ) is stored in advance based on a previous experiment or simulation, the learning unit 223 may be omitted.

In the first embodiment, the process in which the control unit 220 calculates the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount _Qref and the air-side heat exchange amount _Qair in the indoor heat exchanger 16 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the control unit 220 calculates the refrigerant side heat exchange quantity Q _ref and the air-side heat exchange rate Q _air in the outdoor heat exchanger 12 (heat exchanger), based on the calculation result, in the outdoor unit Uo The presence or absence of a decrease in the air volume may be diagnosed. When such a process is performed, a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant at one end and the other end of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 or a suction sensor at the suction side of the outdoor heat exchanger 12 is provided. It is assumed that a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the air on the blowing side is provided.

In each embodiment, the configuration in which the air-conditioning management system W (see FIG. 1) includes the air-conditioning management device 200 has been described, but is not limited thereto. For example, the air-conditioning management device 200 may be omitted, and the outdoor control circuit 31 (control unit) or the indoor control circuit 32 (control unit) may perform a series of processes related to the deterioration sign diagnosis.

Also, in each embodiment, the deterioration sign diagnosis of the multi-type air conditioner 100 provided with a plurality of indoor units Ui (see FIG. 1) is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the embodiments can be applied to various types of air conditioners, in addition to a wall-mounted air conditioner (not shown) provided with one indoor unit and one outdoor unit.

A program for causing the computer to execute the process of performing the sign-of-deterioration diagnosis (see FIGS. 6 and 10) can be provided via a communication line, or can be distributed to a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. It is also possible.

Each embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easily understandable manner, and is not necessarily limited to one having all the described configurations. Also, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, it is possible to add, delete, or replace another configuration.
In addition, the above-described mechanisms and configurations are shown to be necessary for the description, and do not necessarily indicate all the mechanisms and configurations on the product.

11 Compressor 12 Outdoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)
13. Outdoor fan (fan)
14 outdoor expansion valve 15 four-way valve 16 indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger)
17 Indoor fan (fan)
18 Air filter 19 Indoor expansion valve 53 Filter cleaning unit 60 Mobile terminal (terminal)
70 Remote monitoring center (terminal)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 air conditioner 200 air conditioning management device 210 storage unit 220 control unit 230 notification unit F refrigerant circuit Re remote controller W, WA air conditioning management system

Claims (14)

1. A storage unit in which a predetermined design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the fan of the air conditioner is stored, and a predetermined design volume efficiency related to the compressor of the air conditioner is stored,
   A control unit;
   And a notification unit.
   The control unit includes:
   Estimating the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount in the heat exchanger based on information including the temperature of the refrigerant at one end and the other end of the heat exchanger disposed near the fan, and the design volumetric efficiency Along with
   The air-side heat exchange amount in the heat exchanger based on the temperature of the air flowing toward the heat exchanger, the temperature of the air that has exchanged heat in the heat exchanger, and the design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of the fan. And estimate
   An air conditioning management system in which the notification unit notifies a remote controller or a terminal of a location of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner based on a magnitude relationship between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and the air-side heat exchange amount.
2. When the air-side heat exchange amount is greater than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount, the notification unit notifies the remote controller or the remote unit that the actual air volume accompanying the drive of the fan has decreased with respect to the design air volume. The air conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification is made to a terminal device.
3. When the air-side heat exchange amount is smaller than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount, the notification unit indicates that the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor has decreased with respect to the design volumetric efficiency. The air conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification is made to a terminal device.
4. The control unit, based on a speed at which the ratio of the air-side heat exchange amount to the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount changes with time, predicts when the ratio deviates from a predetermined normal range,
   The air conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the remote controller or the terminal of the time.
5. The control unit calculates a ratio of the air-side heat exchange amount to the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount,
   The air-conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the ratio history information to the remote control or the terminal.
6. The control unit calculates a ratio of the air-side heat exchange amount to the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount, the ratio of the air conditioner, and the ratio of another air conditioner of the same model as the air conditioner. Based on the history information of, based on the prediction of the time when the sign of deterioration occurs in the location,
   The air conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the remote controller or the terminal of the time.
7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts a process of estimating the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and the air-side heat exchange amount in response to a command from the remote controller or the terminal. Management system.
8. When the air-side heat exchange amount is larger than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount, the control unit cleans an air filter near the heat exchanger or freeze-cleans the heat exchanger. Let
   Cleaning of the air filter is performed by a predetermined filter cleaning unit,
   The air conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the freeze washing is performed by causing the heat exchanger to function as an evaporator and freezing the heat exchanger.
9. After cleaning the air filter, or after the freeze washing of the heat exchanger, the control unit estimates the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and the air-side heat exchange amount,
   When the air-side heat exchange amount is smaller than the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount, the notification unit notifies the remote controller or the terminal that the actual volumetric efficiency of the compressor has decreased with respect to the design volumetric efficiency. The air-conditioning management system according to claim 8, wherein the notification is made to a device.
10. The air-conditioning management system according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit does not perform the notification when the temperature of the air flowing to the heat exchanger is equal to or lower than the dew point.
11. The air conditioning management system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit calculates the dew point based on a temperature of air flowing to the heat exchanger and a humidity of air flowing to the heat exchanger.
12. The control unit, based on the temperature of the air going to the heat exchanger, the humidity of the air going to the heat exchanger, and the temperature of the air heat exchanged by the heat exchanger, the suction side of the heat exchanger Calculating a specific enthalpy difference of air on the blow-out side, and estimating the air-side heat exchange amount based on the design air volume corresponding to the rotation speed of the fan and the specific enthalpy difference. 2. The air conditioning management system according to 1.
13. The temperature of the refrigerant at one end and the other end of the heat exchanger of the air conditioner, and the refrigerant side of the heat exchanger based on information including a predetermined design volumetric efficiency related to the compressor of the air conditioner. A refrigerant-side heat exchange amount estimation step in which the control unit estimates the heat exchange amount,
    Based on the temperature of the air heading to the heat exchanger, the temperature of the air that has exchanged heat in the heat exchanger, and a predetermined design airflow corresponding to the rotation speed of a fan arranged near the heat exchanger, Air-side heat exchange amount estimation step in which the control unit estimates the air-side heat exchange amount in the heat exchanger,
    A notifying step of notifying a remote controller or a terminal of a location of a sign of deterioration of the air conditioner based on a magnitude relationship between the refrigerant-side heat exchange amount and the air-side heat exchange amount.
14. A program for causing a computer to execute the air conditioning management method according to claim 13.

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