WO2022013980A1 - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioning apparatus comprising indoor equipment, outdoor equipment, and a control device that controls the operation of the indoor equipment and the outdoor equipment. The control device comprises a current acquisition unit that acquires a current value that is supplied to the air conditioning apparatus from the power source, and a memory unit that stores the capacity of electrical equipment to which the air conditioning apparatus is connected. The control device determines whether the ratio of the current value to the electrical equipment capacity is equal to or greater than a first threshold, on the basis of the current value acquired by the current acquisition unit and the electrical equipment capacity stored in the memory unit, and if the ratio of the current value to the electrical equipment capacity is equal to or greater than the first threshold, performs a restrictive operation in which the operation of at least either one of the indoor equipment or the outdoor equipment is restricted.

Description

Air conditioner

This disclosure relates to an air conditioner that controls operation according to the capacity of electrical equipment.

In the heat pump type air conditioner using the conventional air-cooled heat exchanger, the temperature is raised or lowered by compressing or expanding the refrigerant, and heat is exchanged by the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the air in the heat exchanger. Therefore, the amount of heat exchange in the heat exchanger depends on the temperature difference between the air temperature and the refrigerant temperature or the air volume. Therefore, the outdoor unit controls the blower rotation speed or the compressor frequency while detecting the temperature or pressure in the refrigerant circuit with a sensor or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 5963539

In the conventional air conditioner, the compressor or blower is controlled according to the heating / cooling capacity according to the load of the indoor unit. In the conventional air conditioner, the operation according to the capacity of the on-site wiring and the power breaker in which the air conditioner is installed is not performed.

Therefore, when installing a new air conditioner, select the current capacity of the electrical equipment according to the maximum current value presented by the air conditioner manufacturer in the installation work manual, and replace the power breaker if necessary. There is a need. In that case, there is a problem that construction cost is required. Furthermore, it is necessary to change the amperage contract with the electric power company due to the change in the current capacity of the electric equipment. As a result, the monthly basic electricity rate will increase. For these reasons, there is a problem that it leads to an increase in cost.

In addition, the maximum current value presented by the air conditioner manufacturer is that in the case of a multi-type air conditioner having multiple indoor units, all indoor units operate at the maximum air volume, and the suction temperature range of the outdoor unit and indoor unit is sufficient. It is determined based on the environmental conditions that are the maximum load. Therefore, if the current capacity of the electrical equipment is selected according to the maximum current value presented by the air conditioner manufacturer, the value will be larger than the current capacity in actual normal operation, and the current capacity may be left over. There were many.

In addition, there are increasing cases of using existing piping utilization type air conditioners that reuse the piping or wiring currently installed in the building, but if the current capacity of the electrical equipment does not match, it is necessary to update the electrical equipment. was there.

This disclosure is made in order to solve such a problem, and aims at cost saving and reduction of peak power by performing operation control according to the capacity of the local electric equipment in which the air conditioner is installed. The purpose is to obtain an air conditioner that can be used.

The air conditioner according to the present disclosure is an air conditioner including an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a control device for controlling the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and the control device is from a power source. The control device has a current acquisition unit that acquires a current value supplied to the air conditioner and a storage unit that stores the capacity of the electrical equipment to which the air conditioner is connected. The control device has the current acquisition unit. Based on the current value acquired by the user and the capacity of the electric equipment stored by the storage unit, it is determined whether or not the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, and the electric equipment is determined. When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the above is equal to or more than the first threshold value, the restricted operation for limiting the operation of at least one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is performed.

According to the air conditioner according to the present disclosure, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved by performing operation control according to the capacity of the local electric equipment in which the air conditioner is installed.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the AC power supply system in the building 500 provided with the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the grouping of the indoor unit 200 of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the arrangement example of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a ph diagram which shows the relationship between enthalpy and pressure. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the drive frequency and the applied voltage of the compressor 2 of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the drive frequency of the compressor 2 of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1 and the current which flows through a compressor 2. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the modification of the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the case where two or more control methods of control methods A to G are combined in the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart integrated with FIG. 9 which shows an example of the case where two or more control methods of control methods A to G are combined in the air conditioner 1001 which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the air conditioner according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure includes all combinations of configurations that can be combined among the configurations shown in the following embodiments and modifications thereof. Further, in each figure, those having the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent thereof, which are common to the whole text of the specification. In each drawing, the relative dimensional relationship or shape of each component may differ from the actual one.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. The air conditioner 1001 includes an outdoor unit 100 and a plurality of indoor units 200. The outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 10a to form a main refrigerant circuit (hereinafter referred to as a main refrigerant circuit 10) to form a refrigerating cycle 300 for circulating the refrigerant. Here, the air conditioner 1001 includes three indoor units 200, but the number of indoor units 200 installed is not limited to three. Further, when it is not necessary to distinguish or specify a plurality of devices of the same type that are distinguished by subscripts such as a, b, and c, the subscripts may be omitted. The height of temperature, pressure, etc. is not determined in relation to the absolute value, but is relatively determined in the state, operation, etc. of the system, device, or the like.

In FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 100 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 1, a compressor 2, an accumulator 3, an outdoor fan 4, a fan motor 5, a switching device 6, a double pipe 7, a bypass expansion valve 8, and a first bypass pipe 11. It has an oil separator 15, a second bypass pipe 16, a regulating valve 17, and a capillary pipe 18. The outdoor unit 100 further has an outdoor control device 110.

The compressor 2 compresses and discharges the sucked refrigerant. The compressor 2 is, for example, an inverter compressor. In that case, the capacity of the compressor 2 (the amount of the refrigerant delivered per unit time) can be finely changed by arbitrarily changing the drive frequency of the compressor 2 by the inverter device.

The switching device 6 is, for example, a four-way valve. The switching device 6 switches the flow of the refrigerant between the cooling operation and the heating operation, for example, based on the instruction from the outdoor control device 110.

The outdoor heat exchanger 1 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air (outdoor air). For example, during the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as an evaporator, exchanges heat between the inflowing low-pressure refrigerant and air, and evaporates and vaporizes the refrigerant. Further, during the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as a condenser, and heat exchange between the compressed refrigerant and the air in the compressor 2 flowing in from the switching device 6 side to condense and liquefy the refrigerant. Let me. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 is, for example, a fin-and-tube heat exchanger.

The outdoor heat exchanger 1 is provided with an outdoor fan 4 serving as a blower in order to efficiently exchange heat between the refrigerant and air. The outdoor fan 4 blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The outdoor fan 4 is provided with a fan motor 5. The fan motor 5 is a motor for driving the outdoor fan 4. As for the outdoor fan 4, the drive frequency of the fan motor 5 can be arbitrarily changed by the inverter device to finely change the rotation speed of the fan. Here, the rotation direction of the outdoor fan 4 by the fan motor 5 is defined as forward rotation.

The double pipe 7 serving as the inter-refrigerant heat exchanger exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the main refrigerant circuit 10 and the refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 11 branched from the main refrigerant circuit 10. The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 11 is adjusted by the bypass expansion valve 8. The double pipe 7 supercools the refrigerant and supplies it to the indoor unit 200 when it is necessary to supercool the refrigerant, especially during the cooling operation. The liquid flowing through the bypass expansion valve 8 is returned to the accumulator 3 via the first bypass pipe 11. The accumulator 3 is a container for storing, for example, excess liquid refrigerant on the suction side (low pressure side) of the compressor 2.

The oil separator 15 is arranged on the discharge side (high pressure side) of the compressor 2. The oil separator 15 separates the refrigerating machine oil contained in the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2, and the compressor 2 is directly returned via the second bypass pipe 16. As a result, the lubricating oil of the compressor 2 is kept in an appropriate amount, seizure accidents are prevented, and the efficiency decrease due to the oil film of the heat exchanger is improved. The second bypass pipe 16 is a bypass pipe that connects the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the compressor 2. In the example of FIG. 1, the second bypass pipe 16 is the suction side of the oil separator 15 and the compressor 2. (Low pressure side) is connected, and the oil separator 15 and the accumulator 3 are connected. The amount of refrigerant flowing through the second bypass pipe 16 is controlled by the capillary pipe 18. In addition, two or more capillaries 18 may be provided. In that case, it is desirable to provide one between the oil separator 15 and the suction side (low pressure side) of the compressor 2, and one between the oil separator 15 and the accumulator 3.

Further, the outdoor unit 100 in the first embodiment has a high pressure pressure sensor 12, a low pressure pressure sensor 13, and an outside air temperature sensor 14. The outside air temperature sensor 14 is provided in the vicinity of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and detects the outside air temperature (outdoor air temperature). Further, the high pressure pressure sensor 12 detects the pressure (pressure on the high pressure side of the heat pump circuit) in the discharge side (outlet side) piping of the compressor 2. The low pressure pressure sensor 13 detects the pressure in the inlet side piping of the accumulator 3 (the pressure on the low pressure side of the heat pump circuit). The high pressure pressure sensor 12, the low pressure pressure sensor 13, and the outside air temperature sensor 14 each transmit the detected values to the outdoor control device 110.

The outdoor control device 110 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 100. The outdoor control device 110 controls, for example, the drive frequency of the compressor 2 and the drive frequency of the fan motor 5 of the outdoor fan 4 by inverter circuit control based on the data detected by each sensor in the air conditioner. Controls the operation of the entire air conditioner. Further, the outdoor control device 110 performs wireless or wired communication with the indoor control device 26 described later. In the restricted operation mode, the outdoor control device 110 performs the restricted operation of the indoor unit 200 by transmitting a command to the indoor control device 26 as needed. The outdoor control device 110 and the indoor control device 26 constitute a "control device" of the air conditioner 1001.

The outdoor control device 110 has a storage unit 111 and a current acquisition unit 113. The storage unit 111 stores the capacity of the electrical equipment of the building 500 (see FIG. 2 or 4) in which the air conditioner 1001 is installed. Further, the storage unit 111 stores characteristic data of the compressor 2, the fan motor 5, and the like. Further, the current acquisition unit 113 acquires the value of the current supplied to the air conditioner 1001 from the AC power supply 50 (see FIG. 2).

On the other hand, the indoor unit 200 has an indoor heat exchanger 21, an indoor fan 22, a regulating valve 23, a suction temperature sensor 24, a blowout temperature sensor 25, and an indoor control device 26. The blowout temperature sensor 25 does not necessarily have to be provided, and may be provided as needed. The indoor heat exchanger 21 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the air in the air-conditioned space. The indoor heat exchanger 21 functions as a condenser during heating operation, for example, exchanges heat between air and the refrigerant flowing in from a pipe through which a gaseous refrigerant flows, and condenses the refrigerant to liquefy (or gas-liquid two). (Condensation) and let it flow out. On the other hand, during the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 21 functions as an evaporator, exchanges heat between the refrigerant put into a low pressure state by the regulating valve 23 and air, and causes the refrigerant to take heat of the air and evaporate. Let it vaporize and let it flow out. The indoor heat exchanger 21 is, for example, a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Further, the indoor fan 22 is driven by a fan motor and blows air to the indoor heat exchanger 21. The indoor fan 22 regulates the flow of air for heat exchange. The drive speed (air volume) of the indoor fan 22 is determined by the user's setting or by a command from the indoor control device 26. The adjusting valve 23 adjusts the pressure of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21 by changing the opening degree. The regulating valve 23 is controlled by the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 21 during the cooling operation. Further, the regulating valve 23 is controlled by the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 21 during the heating operation.

The suction temperature sensor 24 detects the temperature of the air on the suction port side of the indoor unit 200. The outlet temperature sensor 25 detects the temperature of the air on the outlet side of the indoor unit 200. The indoor control device 26 controls the operation of the indoor unit 200.

Here, the hardware configuration of the outdoor control device 110 and the indoor control device 26 will be described. The outdoor control device 110 and the indoor control device 26 are each composed of a processing circuit. The processing circuit is composed of dedicated hardware or a processor. The dedicated hardware is, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processor executes a program stored in memory. The outdoor control device 110 has a storage unit 111 (see FIG. 1), and the indoor control device 26 has a storage unit (not shown). Each of these storage units is composed of a memory. The memory is a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (RandomAccessMemory), ROM (ReadOnlyMemory), flash memory, EPROM (ErasableProgrammableROM), or a disk such as a magnetic disk, flexible disk, or optical disk. be.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner will be described. First, the operation during the cooling operation will be described. First, the basic refrigerant circulation in the main refrigerant circuit 10 during the cooling operation will be described. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas (gas) refrigerant pressurized and discharged by the compressor 2 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 1 from the switching device 6. The refrigerant condenses as it passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 1, becomes a liquid refrigerant, and flows out of the outdoor unit 100. At this time, the refrigerant passing through the double pipe 7 is supercooled by exchanging heat with the refrigerant passing through the bypass expansion valve 8. The refrigerant that has passed through the bypass expansion valve 8 and the double pipe 7 flows to the accumulator 3.

The refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor unit 100 flows into the indoor unit 200 through the main refrigerant circuit 10. The refrigerant becomes a low-temperature low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant whose pressure is adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the adjusting valve 23 in each indoor unit 200, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 21. The refrigerant evaporates by passing through the indoor heat exchanger 21. Then, it flows into the outdoor unit 100 through the refrigerant pipe 10a, is sucked into the compressor 2 via the switching device 6 and the accumulator 3, is again pressurized and discharged by the compressor 2, and circulates.

Next, the operation during heating operation will be explained. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas (gas) refrigerant pressurized and discharged by the compressor 2 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 21 from the switching device 6. The refrigerant condenses by passing through the indoor heat exchanger 21, is depressurized by the control valves 23a to 23c, becomes a two-phase refrigerant, and flows out of the indoor unit 200.

The refrigerant flowing out of the indoor unit 200 flows into the outdoor unit 100 through the main refrigerant circuit 10. The refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The refrigerant evaporates by passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 1. Then, it is sucked into the compressor 2 via the switching device 6 and the accumulator 3, and is circulated by being pressurized and discharged again by the compressor 2.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an AC power supply system in a building 500 (see FIG. 4) provided with an air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the building 500 is provided with an AC power supply system. The AC power supply system has a plurality of systems. In general, "grid" means the entire facility that supplies and consumes power. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the second circuit breaker 61 to the air conditioner 1001 are referred to as a "first system", and the third circuit breaker 62 to the second system device 1002 are referred to as a "second system". .. The first system is provided with the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. The second system is provided with a second system device 1002 having a second load 72. Here, the second system device 1002 is, for example, any one of the power consumption devices provided in the building 500 such as an elevator device, a lighting facility, and a communication facility.

The AC power supply system is connected to the AC power supply 50. The AC power source 50 is, for example, a commercial power source. The AC power supply system is supplied with electric power by an AC voltage from the AC power supply 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the AC power supply system has a first circuit breaker 60, a second circuit breaker 61, and a third circuit breaker 62. The first circuit breaker 60 is connected to the AC power supply 50. The second circuit breaker 61 is a first system circuit breaker provided for the first system. The second circuit breaker 61 is connected in series between the first circuit breaker 60 and the air conditioner 1001. On the other hand, the third circuit breaker 62 is a second system circuit breaker provided for the second system. The third circuit breaker 62 is connected in series between the first circuit breaker 60 and the second system device 1002. The first circuit breaker 60, the second circuit breaker 61, and the third circuit breaker 62 are overcurrent circuit breakers. The first circuit breaker 60, the second circuit breaker 61, and the third circuit breaker 62 operate when a current exceeding a preset current value flows to cut off the current flow.

The first circuit breaker 60 is a higher-level circuit breaker of the second circuit breaker 61 and the third circuit breaker 62. That is, the second circuit breaker 61 and the third circuit breaker 62 are connected to the subsequent stage of the first circuit breaker 60. The first circuit breaker 60 is commonly provided for the second circuit breaker 61 and the third circuit breaker 62. The second circuit breaker 61 and the third circuit breaker 62 are connected in parallel to the AC power supply 50 via the first circuit breaker 60.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the positive electrode side of the AC power supply 50 is connected to the positive electrode current path 51, and the negative electrode side of the AC power supply 50 is connected to the negative electrode current path 52. The positive electrode current path 51 is branched into two at the branch point 53. One of the branches is the first positive electrode current path 55, and the other is the second positive electrode current path 57. Further, the negative electrode current path 52 is branched into two at the branch point 54. One of the branches is the first negative electrode current path 56, and the other is the second negative electrode current path 58. Note that FIG. 2 shows a case where two systems are connected to the AC power supply 50. Therefore, it has been described that the positive electrode current path 51 and the negative electrode current path 52 are branched into two at the branch points 53 and 54, respectively. However, not limited to this case, when the AC power supply system is provided with N systems, the positive electrode current path 51 and the negative electrode current path 52 are branched into N units at the branch points 53 and 54, respectively. Will be done.

The "electrical equipment" is equipment that transmits and distributes electric power in order to stably supply the electric power from the AC power source 50 to each system. "Electrical equipment" includes at least one such as a switchboard, a transformer, a power storage device, wiring, an overcurrent circuit breaker, an earth-leakage circuit breaker, and a switch. In the example of FIG. 2, the positive electrode current path 51, the negative electrode current path 52, the first positive electrode current path 55, the first negative electrode current path 56, the second positive electrode current path 57, the second negative electrode current path 58, the first circuit breaker 60, At least one of the second circuit breaker 61 and the third circuit breaker 62 is included in the "electrical equipment" of the building 500.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 1001 has a refrigeration cycle 300 shown in FIG. 1 and a first drive circuit 400 for supplying electric power to the refrigeration cycle 300. In the first drive circuit 400, an inverter device for driving the compressor 2 and an inverter device for driving the fan motor 5 of the outdoor fan 4 are provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor control device 110 has a storage unit 111. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 1001 is provided with a current sensor 112 that detects the current value supplied from the AC power source 50 to the air conditioner 1001.

Further, the second system device 1002 has a second load 72 and a second drive circuit 71 that supplies electric power to the second load 72. The second system device 1002 is a variety of devices that are installed in the building 500 in which the air conditioner 1001 is installed and consume electric power. Specifically, as described above, the second system 1002 is a power consumption device other than the air conditioner 1001 provided in the building 500 such as an elevator device.

The first circuit breaker 60, the second circuit breaker 61, and the third circuit breaker 62 shown in FIG. 2 constitute the electrical equipment provided in the building 500. The first circuit breaker 60, the second circuit breaker 61, and the third circuit breaker 62 are turned ON / OFF according to the current value flowing therethrough.

In the first embodiment, the air conditioner 1001 has a normal operation mode and a limited operation mode as operation modes. The air conditioner 1001 acquires the value of the current supplied from the power source to the air conditioner 1001. The acquisition may be detected by the current sensor 112 or may be calculated by using a preset mathematical formula. Hereinafter, the acquired current value will be referred to as the current value of the air conditioner 1001. The current sensor 112 is arranged between the AC power supply 50 and the refrigeration cycle 300. In the example of FIG. 2, the current sensor 112 is provided inside the air conditioner 1001 and in front of the first drive circuit 400. However, it is not limited to this case. The current sensor 112 may be provided after the first drive circuit 400 and before the refrigeration cycle 300. Further, the current sensor 112 may be provided inside the air conditioner 1001, but may be provided outside the air conditioner 1001. Further, when the current sensor 112 is provided inside the air conditioner 1001, for example, it is arranged inside the housing of the outdoor unit 100.

Here, the "normal operation mode" is based on the set temperature, air volume, wind direction, etc. set for the indoor unit 200 by the building manager or the user of the building 500 by the outdoor control device 110 and the indoor control device 26. , Is an operation mode for controlling the operation of the indoor unit 200 and the outdoor unit 100. On the other hand, in the "restricted operation mode", when the ratio of the current value of the air conditioner 1001 to the capacity of the electric equipment of the building 500 is equal to or more than the first threshold value, the outdoor control device 110 of the indoor unit 200 and the outdoor unit 100. This is an operation mode in which restricted operation is performed to limit at least one of the operations. That is, in the "limited operation mode", the control is performed to reduce the current value of the air conditioner 1001 so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 does not exceed the capacity of the electric equipment.

Here, the capacity (current value) of the electrical equipment installed at the site where the air conditioner 1001 is installed is 100%. At this time, when the current value of the air conditioner 1001 reaches, for example, 80%, the air conditioner 1001 switches the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the limited operation mode. In the restricted operation mode, the restricted operation is performed in at least one of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 becomes low. Here, the threshold value used for determining the switching from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode is set to 80%, but the threshold value is not limited to this case and may be set to any value. Further, the threshold value will be referred to as a first threshold value below. This makes it possible to prevent the first circuit breaker 60 and the second circuit breaker 61 provided in the electrical equipment from operating.

Further, in the first embodiment, regardless of whether or not the restricted operation is performed, when the current value of the air conditioner 1001 reaches 95% of the capacity of the electric equipment, the purpose is to protect the electric equipment. , The outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted. Here, the threshold value for restarting the outdoor unit 100 is set to 95%, but the threshold value is not limited to this case and may be set arbitrarily. Further, the threshold value will be referred to as a second threshold value below. This makes it possible to reliably prevent the air conditioner 1001 from reaching the capacity of the electrical equipment.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the current value of the air conditioner 1001 is less than 80% of the capacity of the electric equipment, there is a margin for the capacity of the electric equipment, so that the air conditioner 1001 is usually used. Operate in the operation mode.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the air conditioner 1001 automatically switches from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode according to the current value supplied from the power source to the air conditioner 1001. However, not limited to this case, the switching between the normal operation mode and the restricted operation mode is performed by the user operating the switch of the air conditioner 1001 or by a command from the host system provided in the building 500. You may be asked. That is, if there is a margin in the electric power of the entire building 500, the current limiting mode may be canceled by an input from the outside or the user.

Hereinafter, the operation of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment will be described. In the limited operation mode, the outdoor control device 110 controls the operation of the air conditioner 1001 based on the capacity of the electric equipment of the building 500 and the current value of the air conditioner 1001. In the first embodiment, the capacity (for example, current capacity) of the electrical equipment of the building 500 is stored in advance in the storage unit 111 of the outdoor control device 110. Here, the capacity of the electric equipment will be described as the current capacity of the electric equipment. The air conditioner 1001 controls the operation of at least one of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 so that the current value detected by the current sensor 112 does not exceed the capacity of the electrical equipment stored in the storage unit 111. .. The operation of the outdoor unit 100 is controlled, for example, the drive frequency of the compressor 2 of the outdoor unit 100, the drive frequency of the outdoor fan 4, or the operation of the actuator. The operation control of the indoor unit 200 includes, for example, changing the setting of the air volume of the indoor unit, switching to the thermo-off, changing the target value of the refrigerant superheat degree or the target value of the refrigerant supercooling degree, and the like. Details of these will be described later.

Although the case where the current value detected by the current sensor 112 is used for the determination of switching to the limited operation mode is described here as an example, the present invention is not limited to that case. That is, as described above, the acquisition of the current value of the air conditioner 1001 may be performed by calculation. In that case, the air conditioner 1001 uses, for example, a current value calculated from the state of the refrigeration cycle 300 possessed by the air conditioner 1001 itself. That is, for example, the outdoor control device 110 stores the characteristic data of the compressor 2 and the characteristic data of the fan motor 5 of the outdoor fan 4 in the storage unit 111 in advance. The outdoor control device 110 obtains the current value of the air conditioner 1001 by a preset arithmetic expression based on the characteristic data.

In the restricted operation mode of the first embodiment, the air conditioner 1001 has the following control methods A to G so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 does not exceed the capacity of the electric equipment stored in the storage unit 111. Do at least one of them. Hereinafter, the control methods A to G will be described.

<Control method A>
The air conditioner 1001 uses a plurality of indoor units 200 as a first group (hereinafter referred to as a group (I)) for restricting operation and a second group (hereinafter referred to as a group (II)) for which the operation is not restricted. In addition, grouping is done in advance. The group of the plurality of indoor units 200 is stored in, for example, the storage unit 111 of the outdoor control device 110. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of grouping of the indoor unit 200 of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 3, the indoor units 200a and 200b belong to the group (I), for example. The indoor units 200a and 200b belonging to the group (I) are indoor units whose operation is restricted in the restricted operation mode. The indoor units 200a and 200b belonging to the group (I) are installed in an indoor space 502 (see FIG. 4) such as an office room, a conference room, a common space, an elevator hall, and a toilet. On the other hand, the indoor unit 200c belonging to the group (II) is an indoor unit in which the operation is not restricted in the restricted operation mode. The indoor unit 200c belonging to the group (II) is installed in an indoor space 503 (see FIG. 4) such as a president's room, an officer's room, a guest room, a reception desk, and a server room.

In the control method A, the outdoor control device 110 forcibly and temporarily reduces the air volume of the indoor units 200a and 200b belonging to the group (I) when the preset conditions are satisfied, and the indoor control device 110 is indoors. The capacity per unit of the machine 200 is reduced. The indoor unit 200c belonging to the group (II) is preferentially operated while keeping the air volume as it is. The details will be described below.

The outdoor control device 110 calculates the value of the parameter A using the following equation (1). Parameter A is the ratio of the current value of the air conditioner 1001 to the capacity of the electrical equipment installed in the building 500 (see FIG. 4).

A = (current value of air conditioner 1001) ÷ (capacity of electrical equipment) (1)

Here, the current value of the air conditioner 1001 is a current value detected by the current sensor 112 or a current value calculated based on the characteristic data stored in the storage unit 111, as described above.

The outdoor control device 110 determines which of the following (a) to (c) the parameter A obtained by the equation (1) corresponds to. Here, the above-mentioned first threshold value is 80% and the second threshold value is 95%.

(A) A ≧ 95
(B) 95> A ≧ 80
(C) A <80

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (a), that is, when the parameter A becomes equal to or higher than the second threshold value, the outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (c), that is, when the parameter A is less than the first threshold value, the operation mode of the outdoor unit 100 is changed from the restricted operation mode to the normal operation mode. Switch to.

Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), that is, when the parameter A is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode. .. In the restricted operation mode, the outdoor control device 110 outputs a command to the indoor control device 26 of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I) to lower the setting of the air volume of the indoor unit 200. In response to the command, the indoor control device 26 forcibly lowers the setting of the air volume of the indoor unit 200 by one step from the current value. On the other hand, the air volume setting of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (II) is left as it is.

After that, the outdoor control device 110 stands by until the preset set time elapses. The set time at this time is, for example, 15 minutes, but is not limited to this. That is, the set time is preferably about 10 minutes to 20 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 30 minutes.

After the lapse of the set time, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). If the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A still satisfies the condition (b), the outdoor control device 110 sets the air volume of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I), and further sets the current air volume. Decrease by one step from the value. Alternatively, the outdoor control device 110 performs at least one of the other control methods B to G. On the other hand, the air volume setting of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (II) is left as it is.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b) above, it determines whether the parameter A corresponds to the following (d). However, at this time, if the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b) and satisfies the condition (a), the outdoor unit 100 is immediately stopped and restarted.

(D) A <70

Here, the threshold value used for determining the switching from the restricted operation mode to the normal operation mode is set to 70%, but the threshold value is not limited to this case. The threshold value may be arbitrarily set as long as it is a value smaller than the first threshold value. Further, the threshold value will be referred to as a third threshold value below.

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (d), that is, when the parameter A is determined to be smaller than the third threshold value, the outdoor control device 110 belongs to the indoor unit (I) in which the air volume is reduced. Restore the air volume of 200. The outdoor control device 110 may return the air volume of the indoor unit 200 to the original value as a result of one determination, but the state in which the parameter A satisfies the above (d) is continuously continued for a certain period of time. Occasionally, the air volume of the indoor unit 200 may be returned. The fixed time is, for example, 15 minutes, but is not particularly limited thereto. The fixed time is preferably about 10 to 20 minutes, but may be appropriately set in the range of, for example, 5 to 60 minutes. As a result, comfort can be maintained even in the indoor space 502 (see FIG. 4) in which the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I) is installed.

As described above, in the control method A, the indoor units 200 are divided into groups, and the air volume of the indoor units 200 belonging to the group (I) for restricting operation is reduced, so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed. .. This makes it possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved. Further, in the group (II), since the air volume of the indoor unit 200 is left as it is, the necessary air conditioning can be maintained.

<Control method B>
In the control method B as well, as in the control method A, the plurality of indoor units 200 are divided into a group (I) for which the operation is restricted and a group (II) for which the operation is not restricted in advance.

The outdoor control device 110 determines which of the above (a) to (c) the parameter A corresponds to.

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (a), the outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (c), the operation of the outdoor unit 100 is continued in the normal operation mode.

Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode. The outdoor control device 110 forcibly thermo-offs (blows) the indoor unit 200 of the group (I). Alternatively, the outdoor control device 110 forcibly thermo-offs (blows) only the indoor unit 200 determined to have a small load among the indoor units 200 of the group (I). Here, the indoor unit 200 having a small load is an indoor unit having a small difference between the set temperature and the suction temperature as compared with other indoor units 200, an indoor unit whose suction temperature is lower than the threshold value during cooling operation, and a suction temperature during heating operation. Is an indoor unit whose temperature is higher than the threshold value. When selecting an indoor unit having a small difference between the set temperature and the suction temperature as the indoor unit 200 having a small load, the procedure is as follows. First, the difference between the set temperature and the suction temperature of all the indoor units 200 belonging to the group (I) is obtained. A preset number of indoor units 200 are selected in order from the one with the smallest difference. As a result, the indoor unit 200 having a small load is selected.

Thermo-off is to stop the operation of air conditioning for the target space and blow air. More specifically, thermo-off means that the outdoor unit 100 is operating, but the opening degree of the regulating valve 23 that adjusts the amount of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21 in the indoor unit 200 is smaller than a certain standard. Then, the operation of cooling or heating with respect to the target space is stopped, or the operation of cooling or heating with respect to the target space is stopped by stopping the outdoor unit. When the thermostat is off, the air blown by the fan is usually maintained.

After that, the outdoor control device 110 stands by until the preset set time elapses. The set time at this time is, for example, 15 minutes, but is not limited to this. The set time is preferably about 10 minutes to 20 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

After the lapse of the set time, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (b), the outdoor control device 110 is an indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I) that is not thermo-off. If there is 200, the indoor unit 200 is thermo-off. Alternatively, the outdoor control device 110 performs at least one of the other control methods A, C to G. On the other hand, the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (II) is left as it is.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b), it determines whether the parameter A corresponds to the above (d).

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (d), the indoor unit 200 with the thermo-off is returned to the original operating state. The outdoor control device 110 may return the air volume of the indoor unit 200 as a result of one determination, but when the state in which the parameter A satisfies the above (d) continues for a certain period of time, the indoor unit 200 is used as the original. You may return to the operating state of. As a result, comfort can be maintained even in the indoor space 502 (see FIG. 4) in which the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I) is installed. The fixed time is, for example, 15 minutes, but the fixed time is not particularly limited to 10 minutes to 20 minutes, but is appropriately set in the range of 5 minutes to 60 minutes, for example. You may.

As described above, in the control method B, the indoor units 200 are divided into groups, and at least a part of the indoor units 200 belonging to the group (I) for which the operation is restricted is thermo-off, so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 is suppressed. be able to. This makes it possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved. Further, in the group (II), since the air volume of the indoor unit 200 is left as it is, the necessary air conditioning can be maintained.

<Control method C>
In the control method C, the outdoor control device 110 sets the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to be higher than the current value during the cooling operation, and sets the target condensation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to be lower than the current value during the heating operation. The details will be described below.

Here, in order to simplify the explanation, the cooling operation is described and the heating operation is omitted. First, the outdoor control device 110 determines which of the above (a) to (c) is applicable.

Since the operation when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (a) or (c) is the same as the control methods A and B, the description thereof is omitted here. do.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (b), the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode, and the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is set to be higher than the current value. Make it high.

After that, the outdoor control device 110 stands by until the preset set time elapses. The set time at this time is, for example, 10 minutes, but is not limited to this. The set time is preferably about 5 minutes to 15 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

After the lapse of the set time, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the outdoor control device 110 raises the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 even higher than the current value, or At least one of another control method A, B, D to G is performed.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the above condition (b), the outdoor control device 110 determines whether or not the above condition (d) is satisfied. If it is determined that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b) and satisfies the condition (a), the outdoor unit 100 is immediately stopped and restarted.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (d), the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is restored.

Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (d), it determines whether the state is continuous for a preset set time. When the state in which the condition (d) is not satisfied continues for a set time, the outdoor control device 110 raises the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 further than the current value, or uses other control methods A and B. Do at least one of D to G. The set time is set to 15 minutes, but is not limited to this. The set time is preferably about 10 minutes to 20 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

An upper limit and a lower limit are set in advance for the target evaporation temperature. The outdoor control device 110 sets the target evaporation temperature within the range determined by the upper limit and the lower limit. Similarly, an upper limit and a lower limit are set in advance for the target condensation temperature. The outdoor control device 110 sets the target condensation temperature within the range determined by the upper limit and the lower limit.

As described above, in the control method C, the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is increased during cooling and the target condensation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is decreased during heating, so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed. .. This makes it possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved.

<Control method D>
In the control method D, the indoor control device 26 raises the target value of the superheating degree of the refrigerant during the cooling operation and the target value of the supercooling degree of the refrigerant during the heating operation for the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor unit 200. increase. The details will be described below.

Here, in order to simplify the explanation, the cooling time will be described and the heating time will be omitted. In the restricted operation mode, the outdoor control device 110 determines which of the above (a) to (c) is applicable.

Since the operation when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (a) or (c) is the same as the control methods A and B, the description thereof is omitted here. do.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode. Further, the outdoor control device 110 transmits a command to the indoor control device 26 to raise the target value of the refrigerant superheat degree of the indoor unit 200.

After that, the outdoor control device 110 stands by until the preset set time elapses. The set time at this time is, for example, 10 minutes, but is not limited to this. The set time is preferably about 5 minutes to 15 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

After the lapse of the set time, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the outdoor control device 110 further raises the target value of the refrigerant superheat degree.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the above condition (b), the outdoor control device 110 determines whether or not the above condition (d) is satisfied.

As a result, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (d), the target value of the refrigerant superheat degree is restored.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (d), it determines whether the state is continuous for a preset set time. The outdoor control device 110 further raises the target value of the degree of superheat of the refrigerant when the state satisfying the above condition (d) is continuous for a set time. The set time at this time is, for example, 15 minutes, but is not limited to this. The set time is preferably about 10 minutes to 20 minutes, but may be appropriately changed in the range of, for example, 5 minutes to 60 minutes.

As described above, in the control method D, the indoor control device 26 raises the target value of the supercooling degree during the cooling operation and raises the target value of the supercooling degree during the heating operation for the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor unit 200. , The current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed. This makes it possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved.

In the control method D as well, the indoor unit 200 may be divided into groups (I) and groups (II), and limited operation may be performed only by the indoor units 200 belonging to the group (I). ..

<Control method E>
In the control method E, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the outdoor control device 110 switches the operation mode to the normal operation mode limited operation mode. Further, the outdoor control device 110 intentionally lowers the target value of the degree of supercooling of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 during the cooling operation. Since the operation when the parameter A satisfies the conditions (a) and (c) is the same as the control methods A and B, the description thereof is omitted here. Further, since the operation when the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (d) after the control operation is performed is the same as the control methods A and B, the description thereof is omitted here.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement example of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 1001 is installed in a building 500 such as a building. As shown in FIG. 4, the outdoor unit 100 is arranged in the outdoor space 501 outside the building 500. At this time, in the control method E, it is assumed that the outdoor unit 100 is installed on the roof of the building 500. That is, the outdoor unit 100 is arranged above the indoor unit 200 in the vertical direction. However, in the other control methods A to D, F, and G, there may be no particular height difference between the installation position of the outdoor unit 100 and the installation position of the indoor unit 200.

The indoor unit 200 is installed inside the building 500. In the example of FIG. 4, the building 500 is provided with a plurality of interior spaces 502 and 503. The indoor units 200a and 200b belonging to the group (I) are arranged with respect to the indoor space 502 and perform cooling or heating of the indoor space 502. The indoor unit 200c belonging to the group (II) is arranged with respect to the indoor space 503, and cools or heats the indoor space 503.

As shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that there is a height difference between the installation position of the outdoor unit 100 and the installation position of the indoor unit 200. At this time, the outdoor control device 110 intentionally lowers the target value of the degree of supercooling of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 during the cooling operation. As a result, the pressure on the high pressure side can be reduced by effectively using the outdoor heat exchanger 1. As a method of intentionally lowering the target value of the refrigerant supercooling degree of the outdoor heat exchanger 1, for example, there are the following methods. As shown in FIG. 1, a first bypass pipe 11 is provided, and a part of the refrigerant is liquid-backed to the accumulator 3 via the first bypass pipe 11.

The principle of control method E will be explained. FIG. 5 is a ph diagram showing the relationship between enthalpy and pressure. In FIG. 5, the horizontal axis is enthalpy and the vertical axis is pressure. Further, in FIG. 5, the solid line 600 is a saturated liquid line, and the broken line 601 indicates a change of state of the refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle 300, which changes depending on the condensation stroke, the expansion stroke, the evaporation stroke, and the compression stroke. In FIG. 5, a part 601a of the broken line 601 showing the expansion stroke shows the state of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 10a between the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 shown in FIG.

Further, in FIG. 5, the arrow P1 indicates the state of the refrigerant on the inlet side of the indoor unit 200 when there is no difference in height between the installation position of the outdoor unit 100 and the installation position of the indoor unit 200. The pressure of the refrigerant drops due to the pressure loss of the refrigerant pipe 10a. Therefore, the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant on the inlet side of the indoor unit 200 is smaller than that on the outlet side of the outdoor unit 100.

On the other hand, in FIG. 5, the arrow P2 indicates the state of the refrigerant on the inlet side of the indoor unit 200 when there is a height difference between the installation position of the outdoor unit 100 and the installation position of the indoor unit 200. In this case as well, although there is a pressure loss in the refrigerant pipe 10a, the head pressure is applied to the refrigerant because the outdoor unit 100 is installed on the roof of the building 500. Therefore, since the pressure of the refrigerant increases, the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant on the inlet side of the indoor unit 200 is higher than that on the outlet side of the outdoor unit 100. Therefore, a large degree of supercooling is not required at the outlet of the outdoor unit 100. Therefore, in the control method E, the outdoor control device 110 intentionally lowers the target value of the supercooling degree of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 during the cooling operation. As a result, the amount of excess refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is reduced, so that the outdoor heat exchanger 1 can be effectively used.

As described above, in the control method E, the outdoor control device 110 intentionally lowers the target value of the supercooling degree of the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 during the cooling operation. As a result, peak power consumption in summer can be suppressed. Further, it is possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved.

<Control method F>
In the control method F, the outdoor control device 110 determines which of the above (a) to (c) the parameter A corresponds to.

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (a), the outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (c), the outdoor control device 110 continues the operation while keeping the operation mode of the outdoor unit 100 in the normal operation mode.

Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode. Further, the outdoor control device 110 limits the drive frequency of the compressor 2 to an unsaturated region where the voltage is not saturated. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the drive frequency of the compressor 2 of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment and the applied voltage. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the drive frequency of the compressor 2, and the vertical axis represents the applied voltage of the compressor 2. Further, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the drive frequency of the compressor 2 of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment and the current flowing through the compressor 2. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents the drive frequency of the compressor 2, and the vertical axis represents the current of the compressor 2. In FIGS. 6 and 7, a range in which the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is higher than the threshold value Th is defined as a saturated region, and a range in which the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is equal to or lower than the threshold value Th is defined as an unsaturated region. The threshold Th is, for example, 70 Hz, but is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the unsaturated region, the applied voltage of the compressor 2 increases as the drive frequency of the compressor 2 increases. That is, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is low, the applied voltage rises at the same time as the load increases. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in the saturation region, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 reaches the threshold value Th, the applied voltage of the compressor 2 becomes saturated and becomes substantially constant. That is, even if the drive frequency of the compressor 2 increases, the applied voltage of the compressor 2 does not increase.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the unsaturated region, the current of the compressor 2 gradually increases as the drive frequency of the compressor 2 increases. That is, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is low, the current gradually increases at the same time as the load increases. On the other hand, in the saturation region, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 reaches the threshold value Th, the applied voltage of the compressor 2 becomes saturated and becomes almost constant as described with reference to FIG. After the applied voltage is saturated, it is necessary to increase the current value of the compressor 2 in order to increase the drive frequency of the compressor 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the current value of the compressor 2 tends to increase, and the current of the compressor 2 rapidly increases as the drive frequency of the compressor 2 increases. As described above, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is in the saturated region, that is, when the applied voltage of the compressor 2 is high, the influence on the current value of the compressor 2 is large.

Therefore, in order to reduce the current value of the compressor 2, it is effective to limit the drive frequency of the compressor 2 so that it is within the unsaturated region.

In the control method F, the outdoor control device 110 limits the drive frequency of the compressor 2 so as to be in the unsaturated region, so that the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the current value of the air conditioner 1001 from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved.

Since the operation when the parameter A meets the condition of the above (d) after the restricted operation is performed is the same as the control methods A and B, the description thereof is omitted here. ..

<Control method G>
FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a modified example of the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, in the modified example, two outdoor units 100 shown in FIG. 1 are installed in parallel. Further, a total of 6 indoor units 200 are connected to each outdoor unit 100. Further, a separate second circuit breaker 61 is provided for each outdoor unit 100.

Here, the number of outdoor units 100 is two, but the number is not limited to this, and three or more may be used. Further, although the number of indoor units 200 is set to 6, the number is not limited to this, and any number may be set.

As shown in FIG. 8, the control method G is performed when two or more outdoor units 100 are combined. Here, when each outdoor unit 100 is individually wired, that is, when a separate second circuit breaker 61 is provided for each outdoor unit 100, in general, each outdoor unit 100 is loaded. It will be started sequentially accordingly. That is, when the load of the first outdoor unit 100A reaches a preset upper limit value, the second outdoor unit 100B is started. Further, when the load of the second outdoor unit 100B reaches the upper limit value, the third outdoor unit 100C (not shown) is started. Here, the upper limit value is a preset value such as, for example, 60% of the rated current of the outdoor unit 100. In this way, the order of starting each outdoor unit and the upper limit value of the current are set in advance, and when the current value of the first outdoor unit reaches the upper limit value, the second unit is started. Similarly, the third and subsequent units are sequentially started when the current value of the outdoor unit that was started immediately before reaches the upper limit value.

In the control method G, a threshold value is set in advance for the current value detected by the current sensor 112A. Here, the threshold value is referred to as a fourth threshold value. The fourth threshold value is set to a value smaller than the above-mentioned upper limit value preset for each outdoor unit. For example, assuming that the preset upper limit value is 90%, the fourth threshold value is determined in a value smaller than 90%, for example, in the range of 80% to 70%. Similarly, a fourth threshold value is set for the current value detected by the current sensor 112B. When the current value detected by the current sensor 112A provided for the first outdoor unit 100A reaches the fourth threshold value, the second outdoor unit 100B is started. Further, when the current value detected by the current sensor 112B provided for the second outdoor unit 100B reaches the fourth threshold value, the third outdoor unit 100C is started.

As described above, in the control method G, the fourth threshold value is set with a margin so that the outdoor unit 100 is not overloaded. As described with reference to FIG. 7, when the drive frequency of the compressor 2 is in the saturation region, the current of the compressor 2 tends to increase. Therefore, in the control method G, the current values in the outdoor units 100A and 100B can be suppressed to low values, respectively, and it is possible to prevent the outdoor units 100A and 100B from being excessively loaded. As a result, the current value of the entire air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed, and the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be prevented from exceeding the capacity of the electrical equipment.

Although the description is omitted in the above, also in the control method G, the outdoor control device 110 determines which of the above (a) to (c) the parameter A corresponds to. When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (a), the outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted. On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (c), the outdoor control device 110 continues the operation while keeping the operation mode of the outdoor unit 100 in the normal operation mode. Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (b), the operation mode is switched from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode.

In the above description, in the first embodiment, the control method A described above so that the current value detected by the current sensor 112 by the air conditioner 1001 does not exceed the capacity of the electrical equipment stored in the storage unit 111. It was explained that at least one of ~ G is performed. However, as shown in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, two or more of the above control methods A to G may be combined. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a case where two or more control methods of the control methods A to G are combined in the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. Further, FIG. 10 is a flowchart integrated with FIG. 9 showing an example of a case where two or more control methods of the control methods A to G are combined in the air conditioner 1001 according to the first embodiment. 9 and 10 show a case where the control methods A, B, and C are combined.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, first, in step S1, the air conditioner 1001 is operating in the normal operation mode.

In step S2, the outdoor control device 110 calculates the value of the parameter A using the above equation (1), and determines which of the above (a) to (c) the parameter A corresponds to. ..

When the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition of the above (a), the process proceeds to step S9, the outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped, and the outdoor unit 100 is restarted. Although not shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (a) in the other steps, the process proceeds to step S9. , The outdoor unit 100 is temporarily stopped and restarted.

On the other hand, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (c), it returns to step S1 and the air conditioner 1001 continues the operation in the normal operation mode. In this case, the current value of the air conditioner 1001 is lower than the capacity of the electric equipment, and the capacity of the electric equipment has a margin, so that the limited operation is not performed. When the operation mode is set to the restricted operation mode in step S1, the outdoor control device 110 switches from the restricted operation mode to the normal operation mode.

Further, when the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the condition (b), the outdoor control device 110 switches the operation mode of the air conditioner 1001 from the normal operation mode to the restricted operation mode. Proceed to step S3. If the operation mode is already set to the restricted operation mode in step S2, the outdoor control device 110 does not switch the operation mode.

In step S3, the outdoor control device 110 forcibly sets the air volume of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (I) among the plurality of indoor units 200 from the current value by 1 via the indoor control device 26. Step down. On the other hand, the air volume setting of the indoor unit 200 belonging to the group (II) is left as it is.

Next, in step S4, after 15 minutes have elapsed, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A still satisfies the condition (b), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b), the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S5, the outdoor control device 110 selects indoor units 200 having a small load from the indoor units 200 belonging to the group (I), and forcibly forces those indoor units 200 via the indoor control device 26. Thermo-off (blower). Here, the indoor unit 200 having a small load means, as described above, an indoor unit having a small difference between the set temperature and the suction temperature as compared with other indoor units 200, and an indoor unit whose suction temperature is lower than the threshold value during cooling operation. An indoor unit whose suction temperature is higher than the threshold value during heating operation.

Next, in step S6, after 15 minutes have elapsed, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A still satisfies the condition (b), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b), the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S7, the outdoor control device 110 sets the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to be higher than the current value during the cooling operation, and sets the target condensation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to be lower than the current value during the heating operation.

Next, in step S8, after 10 minutes have elapsed, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A still corresponds to the above (b). As a result, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A still satisfies the condition (b), the process returns to step S7. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the condition (b), the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A corresponds to the above (d). If the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (d), the outdoor control device 110 proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d), the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S11, the outdoor control device 110 returns the target evaporation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to the original value during the cooling operation, and returns the target condensation temperature of the outdoor unit 100 to the original value during the heating operation, and proceeds to step S12. move on.

In step S18, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the state in which the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d) is continued for 15 minutes, and if it is continued, proceeds to step S7.

In step S12, the outdoor control device 110 waits for 10 minutes and proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A corresponds to the above (d). If the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (d), the outdoor control device 110 proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d), the process proceeds to step S19.

In step S14, the outdoor control device 110 returns the indoor unit 200 whose thermo-off was turned off in step S5 to the thermo-on (cooling operation or heating operation), and proceeds to step S15.

In step S19, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the state in which the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d) is continued for 15 minutes, and if it is continued, proceeds to step S7.

In step S15, the outdoor control device 110 waits for 10 minutes and proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the parameter A corresponds to the above (d). If the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A satisfies the above (d), the outdoor control device 110 proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if the outdoor control device 110 determines that the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d), the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S17, the outdoor control device 110 restores the air volume setting of the indoor unit 200 whose air volume was reduced in step S3, and returns to step S2. Although it is described here as returning to step S2, it is possible to return directly to step S1 without performing the determination in step S2.

In step S20, the outdoor control device 110 determines whether the state in which the parameter A does not satisfy the above (d) is continued for 15 minutes, and if it is continued, proceeds to step S5.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the current sensor 112 detects the current value supplied from the AC power supply 50 to the air conditioner 1001. Further, the storage unit 111 stores in advance the capacity of the electrical equipment of the building 500 in which the air conditioner 1001 is installed. The outdoor control device 110 uses the current value detected by the current sensor 112 to obtain the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electrical equipment as the parameter A. Then, when the parameter A is equal to or higher than the first threshold value, a restricted operation for limiting the operation of at least one of the indoor unit 200 and the outdoor unit 100 is performed. Thereby, the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be suppressed, and the current value of the air conditioner 1001 can be prevented from exceeding the capacity of the electric equipment. As described above, in the first embodiment, since the operation control is performed according to the capacity of the local electric equipment in which the air conditioner 1001 is installed, it is not necessary to replace the existing local electric equipment. In addition to the capacity of local electrical equipment, it is also possible to perform operation control according to the current limit request from the higher-level system. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the electric equipment from becoming excessive, and it is possible to use the existing electric equipment, piping and wiring. As a result, cost saving and peak power reduction can be achieved.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the parameter A becomes less than the third threshold value after the restricted operation, the outdoor control device 110 stops the restricted operation and returns the operation mode to the normal operation mode. .. As a result, comfort can be maintained in the indoor space 502 in which the indoor unit 200 of the group (I) that implements the restricted operation is installed. As described above, in the first embodiment, it is possible to realize cost saving and reduction of peak power while maintaining comfort in each of the interior spaces 502 and 503.

In the past, in order to save energy and cost, there was a control to uniformly limit the compressor installed in the outdoor unit by an instruction from the outside. However, as described in the first embodiment, the current value supplied from the power source to the air conditioner 1001 is not directly limited. In the case of control that uniformly limits the compressor as in the past, comfort cannot be maintained, which affects comfort. In Embodiment 1, comfort can be maintained without replacing existing electrical equipment.

In addition, there is a request to use an existing piping type air conditioner, or to install an indoor unit in another room while replacing the air conditioner. In the past, electrical equipment was renewed in line with the newly introduced air conditioner. However, in the first embodiment, since the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is restricted according to the capacity of the existing electric equipment, the existing piping and the electric equipment can be used as they are.

There is also a desire to reduce the power cost of the entire building where the air conditioner is installed. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a building is usually equipped with an air conditioner and other devices that serve as power loads. Therefore, there is a demand to reduce the peak current value of the entire building including the air conditioner and other equipment. In particular, there are many requests to reduce the peak power consumption in the summer. In the past, there was a control to uniformly limit the compressor frequency by an external signal, but it was not a direct control of the current value supplied to the air conditioner and other equipment. In this way, even if the air conditioner is designed in consideration of energy saving, there is a request from a higher-level system to reduce the current value of the entire building. In the first embodiment, the power consumption and the peak current value of the entire building are suppressed in response to the current limit request from the host system by directly controlling the current value supplied to the air conditioner and other devices. Can be done.

In the above description, the indoor unit 200 is divided into a group (I) and a group (II), but the indoor unit 200 is not limited to this case and is referred to as a group (I) and a group (II). It is not necessary to group them into groups. In that case, it is sufficient to assume that all the indoor units 200 belong to the group (I) and perform each of the above controls.

1 outdoor heat exchanger, 2 compressor, 3 accumulator, 4 outdoor fan, 5 fan motor, 6 switching device, 7 double pipe, 8 bypass expansion valve, 10 main current refrigerant circuit, 10a refrigerant pipe, 11 first bypass pipe, 12 high pressure sensor, 13 low pressure pressure sensor, 14 outside air temperature sensor, 15 oil separator, 16 second bypass pipe, 17 adjustment valve, 18 capillary tube, 21 indoor heat exchanger, 22 indoor fan, 23 adjustment valve, 24 suction Temperature sensor, 25 outlet temperature sensor, 26 indoor control device, 50 AC power supply, 51 positive current path, 52 negative negative current path, 53 branch point, 54 branch point, 55 first positive current path, 56 first negative current path, 57 2nd positive current path, 58 2nd negative current path, 60 1st breaker, 61 2nd breaker, 62 3rd breaker, 71 2nd drive circuit, 72 2nd load, 100 outdoor unit, 100A outdoor unit, 100B outdoor unit, 100C outdoor unit, 110 outdoor control device, 111 storage unit, 112 current sensor, 112A current sensor, 112B current sensor, 113 current acquisition unit, 200 indoor unit, 200Aa indoor unit, 200Ab indoor unit, 200Ac indoor unit, 200Ba indoor unit, 200Bb indoor unit, 200Bc indoor unit, 200a indoor unit, 200b indoor unit, 200c indoor unit, 300 refrigeration cycle, 400 first drive circuit, 500 building, 501 outdoor space, 502 indoor space, 503 indoor space, 600 Solid line, 601 broken line, 601a part, 1001 air conditioner, 1002 second system equipment.

Claims (14)

1. Indoor unit and
   Outdoor unit and
   An air conditioner including a control device for controlling the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.
   The control device is
   A current acquisition unit that acquires the current value supplied from the power supply to the air conditioner, and
   A storage unit that stores the capacity of the electrical equipment to which the air conditioner is connected, and
   Have,
   In the control device, whether or not the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is equal to or higher than the first threshold value based on the current value acquired by the current acquisition unit and the capacity of the electric equipment stored by the storage unit. When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, a restricted operation for limiting the operation of at least one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is performed.
   Air conditioner.
2. When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is less than the first threshold value, the control device performs normal operation without performing the limited operation in the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.
   The air conditioner according to claim 1.
3. The control device determines whether or not the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is equal to or greater than the second threshold value larger than the first threshold value, and the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is determined. When the second threshold value or more is reached, the outdoor unit is temporarily stopped and restarted.
   The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The control device is
   After performing the limited operation in at least one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, it is determined whether or not the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is less than the third threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is less than the third threshold value, the restricted operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is stopped and returned to the normal operation.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. The control device is
   After performing the limited operation in at least one of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, it is determined whether or not the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is less than the third threshold value smaller than the first threshold value. When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is less than the third threshold value continuously for a certain period of time, the restricted operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is stopped and normal operation is performed. Return to,
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
6. Two or more indoor units are connected by wiring to the outdoor unit.
   The storage unit is
   Of the two or more indoor units
   The indoor unit belonging to the first group that performs the restricted operation and
   It stores the indoor unit belonging to the second group that does not perform the restricted operation, and stores the indoor unit.
   The control device is
   When the ratio of the current value to the capacity of the electric equipment is equal to or higher than the first threshold value and the limited operation is performed on the indoor unit.
   The restricted operation is performed on the indoor unit belonging to the first group.
   The restricted operation is not performed on the indoor unit belonging to the second group.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The control device is
   As the restricted operation, a process of forcibly lowering the air volume setting of the indoor unit is performed.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. The control device is
   As the restricted operation, a process of forcibly turning off the indoor unit is performed.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. The control device is
   Based on the suction temperature of the indoor unit or the difference between the set temperature of the indoor unit and the suction temperature, an indoor unit having a smaller load than the other indoor units was selected and selected from the indoor units. A process for forcibly turning off the indoor unit is performed.
   The air conditioner according to claim 8.
10. The control device is
    As the limited operation,
    When the air conditioner is in cooling operation, a process is performed in which the target value of the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit is raised above the current value.
    When the air conditioner is operating for heating, a process of lowering the target value of the condensation temperature of the refrigerant of the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit to the current value is performed.
    The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
11. The control device is
    As the limited operation,
    When the air conditioner is in cooling operation, a process is performed to raise the target value of the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit to a value higher than the current value.
    When the air conditioner is operating for heating, a process is performed in which the target value of the supercooling degree of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit is raised above the current value.
    The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
12. When the installation position of the outdoor unit is above the installation position of the indoor unit in the vertical direction.
    The control device is
    As the limited operation,
    When the air conditioner is in cooling operation, a process of lowering the target value of the supercooling degree of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit to the current value is performed.
    The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
13. The drive frequency of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit is
    It has an unsaturated region in which the applied voltage of the compressor increases as the drive frequency increases, and a saturated region in which the applied voltage does not change even if the drive frequency increases.
    The control device is
    As the limited operation,
    Limiting the drive frequency of the compressor to a value within the unsaturated region.
    The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
14. Two or more outdoor units are provided.
    The current acquisition unit detects the current value supplied from the power supply to each outdoor unit, and detects the current value.
    For each of the outdoor units, the starting order and the upper limit value of the current are set in advance, and when the current value of the first outdoor unit reaches the upper limit value, the second and subsequent outdoor units When it is designed to boot sequentially
    The control device is
    When the current value of the first outdoor unit reaches the fourth threshold value lower than the upper limit value, the second and subsequent outdoor units are controlled to be sequentially started.
    The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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