WO2022215418A1

WO2022215418A1 - Management system and management method for freezer warehouse, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2022215418A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/010140
Authority: WO
Inventors: 健二中村; 隆文江原; 直哉飛澤
Original assignee: 株式会社日立製作所
Priority date: 2021-04-06
Filing date: 2022-03-08
Publication date: 2022-10-13
Also published as: JP2022160176A; JP7543200B2

Abstract

In this invention, control of the entire freezer warehouse based on weather information and local adjustments based on storage/retrieval information improve the energy consumption efficiency of the entire freezer warehouse with a high degree of accuracy. This management system for a freezer warehouse which adjusts the temperature in the freezer warehouse by controlling a cooling means is characterized by identifying the hourly control amount of the cooling means on the basis of weather information including at least hourly forecasted temperatures around the freezer warehouse and information relating to the transport of items in and out of the freezer warehouse.

Description

Cold storage management system, management method, and program

The present invention relates to management technology for cold storage warehouses.

In the freezer warehouse where food is stored, the temperature inside the warehouse is maintained at a low temperature by controlling the cooler. Unlike household refrigerators and the like, in commercial freezer warehouses, an operation plan is prepared in advance, for example, the day before the day of operation, and the freezer warehouse is operated on the day based on the previously prepared operation plan.

As a technology related to low-temperature warehouses, Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2020/008550) describes, "An energy-saving management device estimates the temperature distribution of a low-temperature warehouse by performing airflow analysis and operation simulation of air conditioners. Based on the estimated temperature distribution, the energy-saving management device determines improvements to be made to the air conditioner to save energy, and performs airflow analysis and simulation of the operation of the air conditioner after applying the improvements. The energy saving management device calculates the power consumption of the air conditioner before the improvement, the estimated power consumption of the air conditioner after the improvement, and the power consumption of the air conditioner after the improvement. Based on the charge table information, which is the information of the charge table, the electricity charge reduced by applying the improvements is calculated as an energy saving effect.” (See summary).

WO 2020/008550

　Compared to household refrigerators, commercial freezer warehouses are set so that the internal temperature is below a predetermined value in order to prevent product quality deterioration due to temperature drops. In the past, excessive cooling was often carried out to prevent the temperature rise in the warehouse due to defrosting around the cooler and entering/exiting the warehouse. Therefore, energy saving was not sufficient.

In Patent Document 1, airflow analysis and air conditioner simulation are performed using layout air conditioner information of the low-temperature warehouse and information on the arrival and departure of cargo entering and exiting the low-temperature warehouse, thereby estimating the temperature distribution of the low-temperature warehouse and saving energy. A technology is disclosed for identifying improvements in air conditioners for air conditioners and calculating energy-saving effects based on power consumption before and after applying the improvements. A freezer warehouse is also considered as a low temperature warehouse.

However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 specifies improvements in air conditioners for energy saving, calculates the energy saving effect based on the power consumption before and after applying the improvements, and controls the entire cold storage warehouse based on weather information. Accurately improving the energy consumption efficiency of the entire cold storage warehouse by performing local adjustments based on the storage and delivery information is not taken into consideration.

The purpose of the present invention is to increase the energy consumption efficiency of the entire cold storage warehouse with higher accuracy than before.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the cold storage management system of the present invention controls the entire cold storage based on weather information including outside temperature information, and performs local adjustments based on the incoming/outgoing information of the cold storage. characterized by

To give an example of the "management system for a frozen warehouse" of the present invention,
A refrigerated warehouse management system for adjusting the temperature in the refrigerated warehouse by controlling a cooling means, comprising at least weather information including predicted temperatures around the refrigerated warehouse for each hour, and carrying-in of goods into and out of the refrigerating warehouse. The control amount for each time of the cooling means is specified based on the output information.

In addition, if an example of the "refrigerated warehouse management method" of the present invention is given,
A method of managing a cold storage facility for adjusting the temperature in the cold storage warehouse by controlling cooling means with a management system, wherein the temperature of the cooling means is adjusted based on meteorological information including at least hourly predicted temperatures around the cold storage warehouse. a step of obtaining a first control amount for each item; a step of obtaining a second control amount for correcting the first control amount based on the loading/unloading information of an article being loaded/unloaded into/from the frozen warehouse; determining the overall control amount of the cooling means by correcting the first control amount for each time by the control amount of; and the step of operating the cooling means according to the overall control amount of the cooling means. is.

According to the present invention, the energy consumption efficiency of the entire freezer warehouse can be increased with higher accuracy than before by controlling the entire freezer warehouse based on weather information and performing local adjustments based on incoming/outgoing information. .

Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

1 is an image diagram of a refrigerated warehouse system in which the refrigerated warehouse management system of the present invention is used; FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a refrigerated warehouse in which the refrigerated warehouse management system of the present invention is used; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows an example of the block block diagram containing the cold storage management system of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the weather information table memorize|stored in the memory|storage means of the cold storage management system of this invention. It is a figure which is memorize|stored in the memory|storage means of the freezer warehouse management system of this invention, and is a figure which shows an example of the entering/exiting information table. 5 is a flow chart showing a control amount specifying method of the cold storage warehouse management system of the first embodiment. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cold storage management database stored in storage means of the cold storage management system of the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a control amount specifying method of the cold storage warehouse management system of Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a frozen warehouse management database before change, which is stored in a storage unit of the frozen warehouse management system of Embodiment 2; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a changed refrigerated warehouse management database stored in a storage unit of the refrigerated warehouse management system of Embodiment 2;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the contents of the examples described below. Those skilled in the art will easily understand that the specific configuration can be changed without departing from the idea or gist of the present invention.

In the following examples, the "input/output unit" includes one or more interfaces. The one or more interfaces may be one or more interface devices of the same kind or two or more different interface devices.

In the following examples, a "storage unit" includes one or more memories. At least one memory with respect to the storage means may be a volatile memory. The storage unit is mainly used during processing by the processor unit. The storage unit may include one or more non-volatile storage devices (for example, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive)) in addition to the memory.

In the following examples, a "controller" includes one or more processors. The at least one processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may be another type of processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Each of the one or more processors may be single-core or multi-core. A processor may include hardware circuitry that performs some or all of the processing.

In the following embodiments, the functions performed by the cold storage management system may be realized by executing one or more computer programs by the control unit, or one or more hardware circuits (for example, FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)). When a function is realized by executing a program by the processor unit, the function is at least part of the processor unit because the specified processing is performed while appropriately using the storage unit and/or the interface unit. can be A process described with a function as the subject may be a process performed by a processor unit or a device having the processor unit. The program may be installed from program sources. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (for example, a non-temporary recording medium). The description of each function is an example, and a plurality of functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into a plurality of functions.

Also, in the following description, information that can be obtained as an output in response to an input may be described using expressions such as "xxx table" or "xxx database", but the information may be data of any structure. Alternatively, it may be a learning model such as a neural network that generates an output in response to an input. Therefore, the "xxx table" can be called "xxx information". Also, in the following description, the configuration of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table. good.

FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a refrigerated warehouse system in which the refrigerated warehouse management system of the present invention is used. The freezer warehouse system 100 has a freezer warehouse 110 , and the freezer warehouse 110 is provided with an entrance/exit 120 that is a door through which articles are carried in and out by a conveying means 130 . The loading/unloading port 120 is also simply referred to as a loading/unloading port. In addition, information for managing the time at which the conveying means 130 carries in/out articles from/to the frozen warehouse 110 and the objects to be conveyed is stored and managed by the conveyance management unit 160 . Vehicle 130 may be a truck or trailer.

The management system 140 controls the turbo compressor, which is the cooler (cooling device) 115 provided in the cold storage warehouse 110 . Henceforth, cooler 115 may be coolers, such as a screw compressor, other than a turbo compressor. A turbo-compressor will be described as a representative, but it may simply be called a cooler. Management system 140 can be implemented on a workstation or general-purpose computer. Some functions and configurations of the management system 140 can also be implemented via a network or a mobile phone communication network. The cooler 115 can be controlled by a control device such as an inverter built in or external to the cooler. Data can be collected by the monitoring equipment, and the data can be aggregated and managed by the management system 140 .

The control of the turbo compressor by this management system 140 is stored in the temperature sensor and humidity sensor provided inside the freezer warehouse 110, frost formation detection means provided around the turbo compressor, weather information 150, and transport management unit 160. control based on the entered/exited information. A specific control method will be described later.

FIG. 2 is an image diagram of a freezer warehouse in which the present invention is used. 1. It is a figure for demonstrating more concretely the freezer warehouse 110 and the entrance/exit 120 which were demonstrated in FIG. Inside the freezer warehouse 110, a low temperature area 250 is provided in which frozen goods are stored.

A cargo handling room 220 is provided at the entrance/exit 120 . The cargo handling room 220 is provided with a berth 210 from which a conveying means 130 arrives and departs in order to carry goods into and out of the freezer warehouse 110 and a temporary storage area 230 where the goods are temporarily stored from the berth 210 . A carry-in/out port 240 is provided between the cargo handling chamber 220 and the low-temperature region 250, and articles may be transported by transport means such as a forklift AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). The freezer warehouse 110 is open to the outside air or to the cargo handling room 220 to prevent temperature rise.

Conventionally, the berth 210 is opened each time the transport means 130 arrives, so when the berth 210 is opened, the temperature and humidity inside the cargo handling room 220 rise due to exposure to the outside air. In addition, when the temperature and humidity in the cargo handling chamber 220 rise, the temperature and humidity in the low temperature region 250 rise when the articles are carried into and out of the low temperature region 250 from the cargo handling chamber 220. It is preferable to reduce the number and duration of opening of the exit 240 .

It should be noted that the doors of the berth 210 and loading/unloading exit 240 may be left open or closed as appropriate when loading/unloading.

Next, the configuration including the refrigerated warehouse management system of the present invention will be described using FIG. The management system 140 has an input/output unit 330 , a control unit 310 and a storage unit 320 . The input/output unit 330 may be an input unit such as a keyboard or a mouse, and a device such as a display that performs screen display. Also, the input/output unit 330 may be a tablet terminal in which a touch panel and a display are integrated.

Through the input/output unit 330 of the management system 140, the information of the transportation management unit 160 that manages the information of the transportation means 130, the information of the temperature, humidity, frost formation sensor etc. arranged in the freezing warehouse 110, the freezing warehouse Weather information 150, which is predicted or actual information on temperature, humidity, or rainfall at a predetermined point where is located, is input. Weather information 150 may be forecast information provided by a weather forecast company.

Based on the input information, the control unit 310 creates control data (control amount) for controlling the cooler 115 and stores it in the storage unit 320 . Based on the control data stored in the storage unit 320 , the management system 140 controls the operation of the coolers 115 that cool the inside of the freezer warehouse 110 through the input/output unit 330 .

Next, the weather information 150 will be explained using FIG. The weather information 150 is, for example, forecast information provided by a weather forecast company. As the weather information 150, the observation location 411, prediction flag 412, date and time 413, temperature 414, humidity 415, and rainfall amount 416 shown in the weather information table 410 are stored. Of the information stored in the weather information 150 , an observation point 411 indicates a point where the weather information was predicted or observed, and a date and time 413 indicates the time. Further, in the column of the prediction flag 412, "0" means the actually observed data, and "1" means the predicted data. Humidity 415 and rainfall amount 416 similarly indicate the predicted or actually observed humidity (%) and rainfall amount (mm) at the observation site 411 . The weather information 150 is not limited to the information stored in the weather information table 410 of ^FIG . Other information may be stored as long as it is information that can be used for 150 predictions.

In the figure, for example, the date and time of observation site A, August 8, 00:00, means that the temperature is 24°C, the humidity is 70%, and the rainfall amount is 3 mm. At 13:00 on August 8th at observation site A, it was predicted that the temperature would be 35° C., the humidity would be 57%, and the rainfall would be 0 mm.

It should be noted that, for example, if forecast information for the previous day is used in advance as the weather information 150, the columns of the forecast flag 412 are all "1".

The entering/leaving information 510 will be explained using FIG. The warehousing/delivery information 510 is, for example, warehousing/delivery information provided from the transportation management unit 160 and is stored in the storage unit 320 in advance. At least a frozen warehouse ID 511, a transport means 512, a status flag 513, a date and time 514, a voucher 515, and a product 516 are stored in the incoming/outgoing warehouse information table 510. FIG. The freezerwarehouse ID 511 is information that is described on the voucher 515 and indicates the freezerwarehouse to which the product 516 to be put in and out is put in and out. The conveying means 512 is information indicating the conveying means 130 (for example, truck or trailer) that conveys the product described in the product 516 .

The status flag 513 is information indicating that the product 516 will be delivered or delivered at the time described in the date and time 514 when the transportation means 512 arrives. The date and time 514 indicates the time when the transportation means 512 arrives at the freezer warehouse that is the object of the freezerwarehouse ID 511 . The certificate 515 is information indicating that the goods 516 to be delivered and delivered are to be transported to the freezer warehouse described in the freezerwarehouse ID 511 by the transporter means described in the transporter 512 . The certificate 515 may be used and managed as a separate slip, order form, specification sheet, or instruction sheet by a company that manages the frozen warehouse or a company that manages the transportation means 130. This slip or the like related to is preferably registered in the transportation management unit 160 in advance as a voucher.

In the figure, for example, it is shown that the certificate a contains information that products a1 and b1 will be delivered from the freezer warehouse AAA at 11:30 on August 8th by the transportation means aa. Also, the certificate b shows information that the products a2, b2, and c2 will be received from the freezer warehouse AAA at 12:00 on August 8th by the transport means ab.

Here, a method of controlling the cooler 115 that cools the freezer warehouse 110 will be described. First, the amount of heat Q _p [J] generated by the cooler is defined as H ₁ : temperature difference between cold and hot water inlet and outlet, V: cold water flow rate of cooler [m ³ /h], g: density of water (=1000) [kg/ m ³ ], c: specific heat of water (=4187) [J/(kg K)], t _p : time (=1/60) [h], k _p : variable control amount (=0.01 to 1) and H ₁ ×V×g×c×t _p is the cooling performance when the _cooler is operated at the rated load factor. A detailed description of unit conversion and the like is omitted.

Next, let the heat loss of the freezer warehouse 110 be Q _div [J], which is the sum of the cool air leaking from the outer wall of the freezer warehouse and the cool air leaking from the loading/unloading door. Q _div is obtained from q: outer skin heat loss, S ₀ : area of contact with the outside air, H ₀ : difference between the temperature inside the freezer and the outside air, and S _d : area of the loading/unloading exit of the freezer. Equation 2 shows the result obtained. In order to calculate more accurately, the heat loss can be calculated using the outer skin average heat transmission coefficient, the outer skin area, and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the refrigerated warehouse 110 .

In order to maintain the temperature of the freezer warehouse, the amount of heat generated by the cooler is Q _p ≧Q _div , so Equation 3 can be used.

The amount of control from Equation 3 can be expressed by Equation 4.

Several examples of control methods will be described using Equation 4.
First, in H ₀ (qS ₀ +S _d ), qS ₀ is sufficiently larger than S _d . In other words, the heat loss due to the opening and closing of the loading/unloading port is smaller than the heat loss of the cold storage warehouse 110 .

At this time, since S _d , which is the area of the loading/unloading port, is sufficiently smaller than S ₀ , S _d can be ignored. Therefore, it is possible to correct the control amount centered on S ₀ and control the temperature in the freezer warehouse 110 to be lower than the target temperature. That is, the control amount of the cooler is controlled based on the weather information and the loading/unloading information, and the control amount based on the weather information is larger than the control amount based on the loading/unloading information.

Here, Equation 6 shows a method of _treating the control amount when the influence of Sd is small, that is, when the influence of the general entrance/exit information is sufficiently smaller than the influence of the weather information, as the control amount _kp1 for correction.

That is, since H ₀ qS ₀ /C ₀ is sufficiently larger than C ₁ , the influence on the control amount is dominant, and with H ₀ qS ₀ /C ₀ as the main control amount (first control amount), C ₁ can be treated as an auxiliary controlled variable (second controlled variable).

In other words, if the value of H ₀ qS ₀ /C ₀ is changed by 0.1 or 0.05 so that the control amount _kp1 falls within the range of 0 to 1, rounding processing such as rounding up to a predetermined number of digits or less is performed. good. When _Sd is small due to arithmetic processing such as rounding and rounding up, the effect can be ignored, and even if the temperature in the freezer warehouse 110 rises due to the effect of _Sd , which is the area of the loading/unloading port, it will not fall below the target value. Therefore, this value can be treated as the recommended load factor for the cooler. The rounded up or rounded control amount is a control amount that takes into consideration temperature changes in the freezer warehouse due to carry-in/out information.

Next, more precise control will be described. The effect of the area S _d of the loading/unloading port changes depending on the opening time and the number of times the loading/unloading port is opened. Therefore, in H ₀ (qS ₀ +S _d ) in Equation 4, the influence of S _d is large and cannot be ignored. In this case, since the influence of _Sd is taken into consideration, the temperature of the freezer warehouse 110 can be adjusted with high precision. Regarding the effect of _Sd , if it is obtained per unit time instead of an instantaneous value, it is possible to operate the refrigerated warehouse 110 without frequently changing the control amount. It is better to obtain the average value. This enables highly accurate control.

Also, the sum of the previously specified recommended load factor and the control amount for the loading/unloading area S _d can be treated as the control amount. In this case, the control amount for the loading/unloading port area _Sd to be added can be treated as a local recommended load factor, and the cooler can be controlled corresponding to the open area and time of the loading/unloading port. At this time, by setting the number of digits for rounding processing such as rounding off or rounding up of the recommended load factor to a smaller digit, the temperature can be maintained closer to the target value, thereby improving the energy saving efficiency of the cold storage warehouse 110. can be made

In this way, by selectively using the control amounts k _p and k _p1 , it is possible to switch between more accurate temperature control and stable operation of the cooler.

Using FIG. 6, the method of specifying the recommended load factor and the local load factor described earlier will be explained using a flowchart. First, the target temperature information, the weather information, the cooler information, and the incoming/outgoing information in the freezer warehouse pre-stored in the storage unit 320 are obtained (S600a). The target temperature information is the temperature for maintaining the state of the articles stored in the freezer warehouse. The cooler information is cooler performance information for calculating the quantity of heat Q generated by the cooler described above, and is specified by a data sheet or the like provided by the cooler manufacturer.

Next, using the obtained cooler information and target temperature, the heat quantity _Qp generated by the cooler and the heat loss _Qdiv of the cold storage warehouse are calculated, and the recommended load factor kp is specified from these ( _S600b ).

Thereafter, confirmation is made with the manager of the refrigerated warehouse as to whether the refrigerated warehouse can be operated by controlling the cooler based on the specified recommended load factor kp ( _S610a ). At this time, the operation status of the freezer warehouse may be displayed on the display means to prompt the manager to make a decision. By not only displaying the recommended load factor _kp , but also showing the operation status, it becomes easier for the administrator to make decisions. If calculation time is required, it is preferable to simulate the operation state at times when the temperature and humidity are high or low based on the weather information, or at times thinned out from the detailed operation plan.

A case will be described where the administrator does not select highly accurate control, that is, selects NO in S610a. Mainly, the recommended load factor kp is used to calculate a detailed operation plan of the cold storage warehouse ( _S610b ). At this time, if the frozen warehouse is operated by strictly using the recommended load factor _kp as described above, the temperature in the frozen warehouse will not rise above the target temperature due to the arrival and departure of goods. , the recommended load factor _kp1 described in Equation 6 may be used to plan the operation of the cold storage warehouse (S610c).

Next, the case where the administrator selects highly accurate control, that is, selects YES in S610a will be described. A local load factor, which is an auxiliary controlled variable for the cooler, is identified (S620a). The local load factor can specify the detailed control amount _kp by using S _d /C ₀ shown in Equation 5.

Then, the operation plan of the cold storage is calculated using the detailed control amount kp ( _S620b ).

Then, the operation plan for the cold storage warehouse drawn up as necessary may be corrected by the administrator and an offset calculation may be performed for the preset incoming/outgoing information (S620c). Since the time required for goods to be put in and out may change depending on the manager and the situation at the site, the manager can check the situation and correct it.

In this way, an operation plan for a cold storage warehouse is drawn up based on the recommended load factor and the local load factor, and the manager is allowed to select the operation plan to be used. This makes it possible to flexibly select the operation plan of the cold storage warehouse and contribute to energy saving.

Next, the database stored in the storage unit 320 of the cold storage management system 140 will be described using FIG. The cold storage management database 710 is a database generated by performing the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 6 based on the weather information 410 described in FIG. 4 and the storage/retrieval information 510 described in FIG. be.

Of the information registered in the cold storage management database 710, for the cold storage ID 711 and the date and time 712, it is preferable to copy the corresponding information registered in the weather information 410 and the storage/retrieval information 510, respectively. The measured temperature 713 is the measured value of the temperature at the point corresponding to the location of the frozen warehouse described in the frozen warehouse ID. Also, the predicted temperature 714 is the predicted value of the temperature at the corresponding point, and it is preferable to copy the information of the temperature 414 whose prediction flag 412 is "1". As for the information of the incoming/outgoing information 715, it is preferable to register information corresponding to the relationship with the conveying means 512, the state flag 513, and the product 516 in the same manner. As a representative, only the state of entering and leaving the warehouse is described, but for example, by placing the cursor on the entering and leaving information 715 in the input/output unit 330 and waiting for a predetermined time, selecting it, or touching a touch panel, entering and leaving the warehouse is performed. The product information 516, the conveying means 512, and the related certificate 515 information may be displayed and registered together. As a result, it is possible to check the information when it becomes necessary while reducing the contents to be displayed. Therefore, it is convenient to check the information without accessing another database.

The column for the initial load factor 716 shows the conventional set values for controlling the load factor of the cooler to be constant. Also, the column of predicted temperature (°C) 717 at the initial load factor shows the temperature in the freezer warehouse when the load factor of the cooler is constant. In other words, in the example shown in the figure, the temperature in the freezer at 00:00 on August 8 when the load factor is initially set to 70% is -20°C, and at 11:00 on August 8, The temperature inside is shown to be expected to be -19°C.

The freezer warehouse with AAA in the freezer warehouse ID column 711 should be able to maintain -10°C, but in reality, it is possible to lower the load factor of the cooler during hours other than 13:00 on August 8th. means that Freezer warehouses are affected by temperature rises due to outside air temperature and incoming/outgoing goods. It is possible to maintain a temperature lower than the target temperature in the freezer warehouse by performing rough control of the outside air and local control by entering/exiting the warehouse and flexibly responding to these two temperature changes. In other words, it is possible to obtain an energy saving effect by controlling the temperature at which the quality of the goods in the freezer warehouse can be maintained without excessive cooling.

In other words, if the outside temperature is low at 00:00 on August 8th, even if the load factor of the cooler is 40%, the temperature can be maintained below -10°C. The controlled variable for the cooler is shown in the controlled variable in column 718 of Recommended Load Factor (%). In addition, the temperature inside the freezer warehouse cooled by the cooler according to the control amount is shown in column 719 of the predicted temperature (°C) at the recommended load factor.

Next, the effect of temperature rise due to the loading and unloading of articles by the conveying means 130 is shown in the column 720 of the recommended local load factor, and the temperature of the freezer warehouse is lowered from the time period before the loading and unloading is performed. It is good to keep In the example of the figure, from 11:15 on August 8, the load factor of the cooler is increased by 2% as described in the recommended local load factor (%) column for the departure at 11:30 on August 8. It is good to control. The load factor is also increased by 1% at 11:30 when leaving the garage and at 11:45 after leaving the garage. In addition, it is preferable to increase the control amount of the cooler by 4% from 12:45 on August 8 toward leaving the garage at 13:00 on August 8, which is the time period when the temperature is high. In this case, the warehousing is performed at 12:30 and the warehousing is performed at 12:45, so the amount of control is set to be larger than that of other time periods.

Column 721 shows the corrected load factor obtained by correcting the recommended load factor in column 718 with the recommended local load factor in column 720 . A column 722 shows predicted temperatures that take into account entry and exit when the cooler is controlled at the load factor shown in the corrected load factor 721 . The predicted temperature at the time of entering and leaving the warehouse is corrected by the amount that the temperature rises due to entering and leaving the warehouse. By controlling the cooler with the corrected load factor 721 corrected by the recommended local load factor 720 based on the incoming/outgoing information 715, it is possible to control the temperature in the freezer warehouse with high accuracy. In addition, since temperature changes in the freezer warehouse are less likely to occur, an energy-saving effect can be expected.

The time required for entering and exiting the warehouse changes depending on the quantity and type of goods, so the value of the recommended local load factor may be changed according to the known quantity and type of goods. Thereby, more appropriate operation can be performed.

The freezer warehouse management system 140 controls the coolers 115 of the freezer warehouse 110 based on the freezer warehouse management database 710 stored in the storage unit 320 . That is, for the freezer warehouse indicated by the freezer warehouse ID 711 , the control amount (first control amount) indicated by the recommended load factor 718 is changed to the control amount (first control amount) indicated by the recommended local load factor 720 at the time indicated by the date and time 712 . The cooler 115 is operated with the control amount corrected by the control amount of 2).

In addition, when the actual measured temperature is obtained in the operation of the day, the frozen warehouse management database 710 in which the measured temperature 713 is input is displayed on the display, and in steps S610c and S620c of FIG. Correction is performed, and subsequent operation may be performed based on the corrected cold storage warehouse management database 710 .

In this way, efficient temperature control and energy saving in the freezer warehouse are achieved through two-stage control: rough control in response to changes in outside temperature and local control in response to entry and exit taking account of the high and low outside temperatures. be able to. Coarse control here means a greater degree of control than local control. That is, the rough control has a larger control amount than the local control, and the first control amount, which is the rough control amount, is larger than the second control amount, which is the local control amount. It means that the amount of control is large. That is, the load factor of the cooler is controlled by two different control variables based on the weather information and the entering/leaving information.

The recommended load factor 718 of the cooler described in the above-described cold storage management database 710 is an example, and can be changed as appropriate. Also, for convenience of explanation, the control amount for one cooler has been described, but the freezer warehouse may handle a plurality of coolers, and the control amount for each of the coolers may be different. In this case, if a control amount balancing process or the like is performed so as to maximize the efficiency of the cooler, the efficiency of the energy consumed in the cold storage can be further improved. In addition, if a cooler is identified or expected to become less efficient due to frost buildup around the air outlet, during the defrost process to remove the frost, the load factor of the cooler that is not defrosted should be increased. can be done.

The invention of the program in the present invention is a program that is incorporated in a computer and causes the computer to operate as the management system for the above-mentioned cold storage warehouse. That is, a program for adjusting the temperature in the freezer warehouse by controlling the cooling means, wherein the computer is provided with at least the hourly temperature of the cooling means based on the weather information including the hourly predicted temperature around the freezer warehouse. determining a first control amount; determining a second control amount for correcting the first control amount based on loading/unloading information for loading/unloading an article into/from the frozen warehouse; and determining the second control amount. determining the overall control amount of the cooling means by correcting the first control amount for each time by the amount; and operating the cooling means by the overall control amount of the cooling means. program. The above program can be stored in a storage medium and executed or distributed by a computer.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG.

When loading cargo from a truck or trailer into the freezer warehouse 110, if the temperature and humidity of the outside air in the freezer warehouse 110 are high, the cargo handling chamber 220, which is the anterior chamber of the freezer warehouse 110, will be affected by the outside air and the temperature and humidity will increase. There is Furthermore, high temperature and humidity may be brought into the freezer warehouse 110 through the cargo handling room 220 when the cargo is brought in. In addition, on a day when it rains heavily or due to dew condensation, water droplets are attached to the cargo and brought in into the freezer warehouse 110, and the water droplets evaporate in the freezer warehouse 110, which increases the frost inside the freezer warehouse 110. may be lost.

In addition, when frost occurs on the fins arranged around the coolers of the freezer warehouse 110, the operating efficiency of the coolers decreases. Therefore, if the defrosting process is performed during a time period when the loading/unloading port is frequently opened, the cooling efficiency in the cold storage warehouse 110 is lowered, which is not preferable. Therefore, it is necessary to operate the freezer warehouse 110 so that frost does not occur.

In order to address such issues, we will explain an embodiment that reduces the influence of the outside air and increases the energy-saving effect.

When considering the operation of the freezer warehouse 110, it is possible to set a constraint condition that prohibits goods from being brought in during times when humidity and temperature are higher than predetermined values among the acquired weather information. In other words, a transportation plan for changing the delivery time of the goods and the order of transporting the goods is created, and furthermore, the recommended load factor, which is the control amount of the cooler 115 of the freezer warehouse 110 corresponding to the changed transportation plan, and the Recalculate the local load factor. As a result, it is possible to determine the energy-saving efficiency of the cold storage warehouse 110 since the control amount of the cooler before and after changing the transportation plan can be specified. This enables the manager to select efficient operation of the freezer warehouse 110 based on the actual transportation plan and energy saving efficiency.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a method for identifying the recommended load factor and local load factor in Example 2. The method of specifying the controlled variable based on the recommended load factor (S600a to S610c) and the method of specifying the controlled variable based on the local load factor (S620a to S620c) are the same as the method in FIG.

In this flowchart, after identifying the local load factor (S620a), it is determined whether or not the transportation plan of the transportation means of the incoming/outgoing information can be changed (S810a). If the transfer plan cannot be changed, the operation plan for the cold storage warehouse is calculated using the detailed control amount kp, as in FIG. 6 ( _S620b ).

Explain the case where the transportation plan can be changed. Constraints for changing the transportation plan include changes in the loading and unloading times of the transportation means that can be changed in advance, changes in the route that the transportation means circulates through multiple freezer warehouses, and entrance/exit entrances during times of high humidity and high temperature. It is good to set the number of times to open and the time period to reduce the opening time. By entering parameters that can be changed in logistics in advance, it is possible to contribute to energy conservation in the entire frozen warehouse operation plan and product transportation plan. These parameters are used to calculate an operation plan for the cold storage warehouse with changed entry/exit information (S810b).

By recalculating the recommended load factor and local load factor corresponding to the operation plan of the freezer warehouse before and after the change of the entry/exit information, the operation plan of the freezer warehouse is made (S810c). The energy-saving efficiency of each operation plan of the frozen warehouse before and after the change of the incoming/outgoing information and the changed incoming/outgoing information are proposed to the manager (S810d).

Based on the proposed information, the manager selects an operation plan for the frozen warehouse to be operated (S810e). At this time, the administrator can also perform the correction described in S620c.

An example of specifying the recommended load factor and the local load factor based on this flowchart is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 is an example of a cold storage management database stored in the storage unit 320 of the cold storage management system 140. FIG. The cold storage management database 910 is a database generated by performing the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 8 based on the weather information 410 described in FIG. 4 and the storage/retrieval information 510 described in FIG. be.

Of the information registered in the cold storage management database 910, for the cold storage ID 911 and the date and time 912, it is preferable to copy the corresponding information registered in the weather information 410 and the storage/retrieval information 510 respectively.

The predicted temperature 913 is the predicted value of the temperature at the point corresponding to the location of the frozen warehouse described in the frozen warehouse ID, and it is preferable to copy the information of the temperature 414 whose prediction flag 412 is "1". Also, the predicted humidity 914 is the predicted value of the humidity at the point corresponding to the location of the freezer warehouse described in the freezer warehouse ID 911, and it is preferable to copy the information of the humidity 415 whose prediction flag 412 is "1".

Similarly, it is preferable to register information corresponding to the information of the warehousing/dispatching information 915 based on the relationship with the conveying means 512, the state flag 513, and the product 516. Column 916 is the initial load factor. Column 917 is the predicted temperature inside the freezer at the initial load factor. Column 918 is the recommended load factor for maintaining the temperature in the freezer. Column 919 is the predicted temperature at the recommended load factor. Column 920 is a recommended local load factor for correction according to incoming and outgoing shipments. For example, at 11:00 on August 9th, the recommended local load factor is increased by +4% from the recommended load factor of 65% to prevent the temperature from rising at the time of entry. Also, the recommended local load factor is increased by +2% at 11:15 when the vehicle enters the warehouse. Column 921 shows the corrected load factor obtained by correcting the recommended load factor in column 918 with the recommended local load factor in column 920 . A column 922 shows the predicted temperature in the freezer warehouse in consideration of the entry/exit when the cooler is operated based on the corrected load factor 921 .

　Fig. 9 shows the database before the time slot for warehousing is shifted with respect to Fig. 10. In FIG. 9, the storage is carried out at 11:15 on August 9, but at this time the expected temperature is high and the humidity is high.

FIG. 10 shows a frozen warehouse management database 1010 in which the transportation plan of the transportation means of the incoming/outgoing information is changed from the frozen warehouse management database 910 of FIG. In the freezer warehouse management database 1010 of FIG. 10, storage is performed at 08:15 on August 9. During this time period, the expected temperature and humidity are also lower than those of 11:15 on the same day. ing. As a result, the recommended load factor in column 918 and the recommended local load factor in column 920 are recalculated. By shifting the arrival and departure times to the hours when the expected temperature and humidity are low, it is possible to reduce the recommended local load factor associated with entering and leaving the warehousing, and an energy-saving effect can be expected. In the example shown in the figure, the increase in the recommended local load factor in FIG. 9 for warehousing at 11:15 is +6% in total, while the increase in the recommended local load factor in FIG. 10 for warehousing at 8:15 is +3% in total. energy saving. In addition, by controlling the cooler with the corrected load factor corrected by the recommended local load factor, the temperature inside the freezer warehouse is kept as shown in column 1022, which is the predicted temperature taking account of the entry and exit, even if the entry and exit are performed. can be maintained below a predetermined temperature.

According to the management system or management method for a cold storage warehouse of this embodiment, the amount of water (humidity) that enters due to the opening of the loading/unloading port of the cold storage warehouse is reduced based on the loading/unloading information and the predicted humidity information for each hour. Recommended carry-in/out information that recommends carrying in/out the article in a small time period is specified, and the specified recommended carry-in/out information of the specified entering/out is displayed on the display unit. Then, the administrator changes the carry-in/out information according to the change information input from the input means, and operates the cooler according to the changed control amount. When specifying recommended loading/unloading information that recommends loading/unloading the goods during a time period when the amount of moisture (humidity) that enters due to the opening of the loading/unloading exit of the freezer warehouse is smaller, the administrator must meet the predetermined conditions. can be input, or can be input as a constraint condition for changing the loading/unloading information.

By using the information of the predicted temperature 1013 and the predicted humidity 1014 in the cold storage management database 1010, the recommended load factor 1018 and the recommended local load factor 1020 are shifted to a time period in which the deviation between the temperature and humidity in the outside air and inside the cold storage is small. can be reduced, and the energy saving effect can be increased.

Instead of the hourly predicted humidity information, the loading/unloading information and the hourly predicted temperature information are used to contact the outside temperature around the freezing warehouse by opening the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse. A recommended loading/unloading time for loading/unloading the goods is specified in a time zone in which the temperature change caused by the storage is smaller, and recommended loading/unloading information for the specified loading/unloading is displayed on the display unit. indicate. Then, the administrator may change the carry-in/out information based on the change information input from the input means, and the cooler may be operated according to the changed control amount.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the attached claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Also, part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Moreover, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, additions, deletions, and replacements of other configurations may be made for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.

100... Freezer warehouse system 110... Freezer warehouse 115... Cooler 120... Entrance/exit port 130... Transport means 140... Management system 150... Weather information 160... Transport management unit 210... Berth 220... Load handling room 230... Temporary storage area 240... Loading Exit 250 Low temperature area 310 Control unit 320 Storage unit 330 Input/output unit 410 Weather information table 510 Entering/exiting information table 710, 910, 1010 Frozen warehouse management database

Claims

A refrigerated warehouse management system that adjusts the temperature in the refrigerated warehouse by controlling cooling means,
A refrigeration system characterized by specifying a control amount for each hour of the cooling means based on at least weather information including predicted temperature around the refrigeration warehouse for each hour and loading/unloading information for loading/unloading goods into/from the refrigerating warehouse. Warehouse management system.
In the cold storage management system according to claim 1,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, wherein two or more different controlled variables for the cooling means are specified based on the weather information and the loading/unloading information.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 2,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, wherein, of the two or more different control amounts, a first control amount is larger than a second control amount.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 3,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, wherein the first controlled variable is specified based on the weather information, and the second controlled variable is specified based on the loading/unloading information.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 4,
The second controlled variable considers the influence of temperature change caused by contact between the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse opened based on the loading/unloading information and the outside air temperature around the freezing warehouse in the weather information. A management system for a cold storage warehouse, characterized in that it is a control amount that
In the cold storage management system according to claim 1,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, wherein the weather information further includes predicted humidity information for each hour around the cold storage warehouse.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 6,
Based on the loading/unloading information and the hourly predicted humidity information, it is recommended that the goods be loaded/unloaded during a time zone in which the amount of moisture that enters due to the opening of the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse is smaller. identify the loading/unloading information,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, characterized in that recommended carrying-in/out information of the identified storage/unloading is displayed on a display unit.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 5,
Based on the loading/unloading information and the hourly predicted temperature information, the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse is opened to reduce the temperature change caused by contact with the outside air temperature around the freezing warehouse. Identify the recommended loading/unloading time for loading/unloading the goods in the time zone,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, characterized in that recommended carrying-in/out information of the identified storage/unloading is displayed on a display unit.
In the cold storage management system according to claim 7 or 8,
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, further comprising changing the control amount of the cooling means based on the specified recommended carry-in/out information.
In the frozen warehouse management system according to claim 7,
The control amount of the cooling means has two or more different control amounts,
Of the two or more different controlled variables,
the first controlled variable is greater than the second controlled variable and specified based on the weather information;
A management system for a cold storage warehouse, wherein the second controlled variable is specified based on the recommended loading/unloading information.
A management method for a frozen warehouse, wherein the temperature in the frozen warehouse is adjusted by controlling the cooling means with a management system,
determining a first control amount for each hour of the cooling means based on weather information including at least the hourly predicted temperature around the cold storage;
obtaining a second controlled variable for correcting the first controlled variable based on loading/unloading information for loading/unloading an article into/from the frozen warehouse;
a step of obtaining an overall control amount of the cooling means by correcting the first control amount for each time by the second control amount;
a step of operating the cooling means according to the overall control amount of the cooling means;
A management method for a cold storage warehouse.
The method for managing a cold storage warehouse according to claim 11, further comprising:
displaying at least the weather information, the loading/unloading information, and the overall control amount of the cooling means for each hour;
a step of correcting the overall control amount based on the input from the input means and determining the control amount for each time of the cooling means;
A management method for a cold storage warehouse.
The method for managing a cold storage warehouse according to claim 11, further comprising:
The weather information has a predicted humidity for each hour,
displaying at least the weather information, the loading/unloading information, and the overall control amount of the cooling means for each hour;
An input from the input means opens the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse, so that the goods are loaded/unloaded during a time zone in which the temperature change caused by contact with the outside air temperature around the freezing warehouse becomes smaller. changing the loading/unloading information to
a step of obtaining a control amount for each hour of the changed cooling means based on the changed loading/unloading information;
A management method for a cold storage warehouse.
The method for managing a cold storage warehouse according to claim 11, further comprising:
displaying at least the weather information, the loading/unloading information, and the overall control amount of the cooling means for each hour;
By input from the input means, the loading/unloading port of the freezing warehouse is opened so that the goods are loaded/unloaded during a time zone in which the temperature change caused by contact with the outside air temperature around the freezing warehouse becomes smaller. changing the loading/unloading information to
obtaining a change control amount based on the changed loading/unloading information;
A management method for a cold storage warehouse.
to the computer,
A program for adjusting the temperature in a frozen warehouse by controlling a cooling means,
determining a first control amount for each hour of the cooling means based on weather information including at least the hourly predicted temperature around the cold storage;
a step of determining a second controlled variable for correcting the first controlled variable based on loading/unloading information for loading/unloading an article into/from the frozen warehouse;
obtaining an overall control amount of the cooling means by correcting the first control amount for each time by the second control amount;
a step of operating the cooling means according to the overall control amount of the cooling means;
program to run the