WO2023037470A1

WO2023037470A1 - Air conditioning system

Info

Publication number: WO2023037470A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/033140
Authority: WO
Inventors: 恵和塚野
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-09-09
Filing date: 2021-09-09
Publication date: 2023-03-16

Abstract

This air conditioning system comprises: an outdoor unit; two or more indoor units that are installed in an indoor space and connected to the outdoor unit through refrigerant piping; and a control unit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit and the indoor units. Each of the indoor units has: an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and air; an indoor fan that has a motor and blades and blows air toward the indoor heat exchanger; a rectifier that rectifies an AC voltage output from an AC power supply; an electrolytic capacitor that smooths a DC voltage output from the rectifier; and an inverter that converts the DC voltage smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor into an AC voltage and outputs the AC voltage to the motor. The control unit has, for each of the indoor units, a capacitor remaining life estimation unit for calculating the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor on the basis of the power supply frequency of the AC power supply and the ripple voltage contained in the DC voltage output by the electrolytic capacitor, selects an indoor unit to be set as a life-extending operation unit on the basis of the remaining life, sets, as a support operation unit, at least one other indoor unit located in a range or position to be able to blow air to an area to be air-conditioned by the indoor unit set as the life-extending operation unit, reduces the operating capacity of the indoor unit set as the life-extending operation unit, and increases the operating capacity of the indoor unit set as the support operation unit.

Description

air conditioning system

This disclosure relates to an air conditioning system.

The air conditioner has an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The indoor unit is provided with a heat exchanger and a fan that blows air toward the heat exchanger. A fan is a load that consumes the most power in an indoor unit. An inverter circuit is used to control the electric motor that drives the fan, and generally the inverter circuit includes an electrolytic capacitor that has a finite life. When the electrolytic capacitor reaches the end of its service life, the pressure valve provided at the bottom or top of the electrolytic capacitor operates and the inverter circuit does not operate normally.

In the motor control device described in Patent Document 1, a capacitor ripple current estimator obtains an estimated value of the ripple current of the electrolytic capacitor based on the output power to the motor and the system impedance. The capacitor life estimating unit estimates the internal temperature of the electrolytic capacitor from the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, and calculates the cumulative life time of the electrolytic capacitor based on the estimated internal temperature and the estimated life time of the electrolytic capacitor. ing. Then, when the calculated cumulative life time of the capacitor becomes substantially equal to the pre-stored basic life time, a pre-alarm is displayed on the display unit.

Furthermore, in the motor control device described in Patent Document 1, when it is determined that the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor is short, the capacitor life determination section outputs a power reduction instruction to the inverter control section. As a result, the power output from the motor control device to the motor is reduced, and the life of the electrolytic capacitor can be extended.

It should be noted that Patent Document 1 describes control of a general electric motor, and there is no particular intention to apply the motor control device described in Patent Document 1 to an air conditioner.

WO2013/183118

In Patent Document 1, when it is determined that the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor is short, the operation is switched to reduce power consumption. Therefore, if the electric motor control device described in Patent Document 1 were applied to an air conditioner, the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner would be reduced, and the comfort of the indoor space could not be maintained.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to obtain an air conditioning system that can extend the life of electrolytic capacitors while maintaining the comfort of the indoor space.

The air conditioning system according to the present disclosure includes an outdoor unit, two or more indoor units installed in an indoor space and connected to the outdoor unit via refrigerant piping, and the operation of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. each of the indoor units includes an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant flowing therein and air; a motor and a blade; an indoor fan that blows the air toward the indoor fan, a rectifying unit that rectifies the AC voltage output from the AC power supply, an electrolytic capacitor that smoothes the DC voltage output from the rectifying unit, and a direct current smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor and an inverter unit that converts a voltage into an AC voltage and outputs the voltage to the motor, and the control unit controls the power supply frequency of the AC power supply and the DC voltage output from the electrolytic capacitor for each of the indoor units. a capacitor remaining life estimating unit that calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple voltage and the The indoor unit set as the life-prolonging operation unit by setting at least one other indoor unit arranged in a range or position where air can be blown to the air-conditioned area of the set indoor unit as a support operation unit. and increase the operability of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit.

According to the air conditioning system according to the present disclosure, the indoor unit to be set as the life-extending operation unit is selected based on the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor, the operating ability of the indoor unit set to the life-extending operation unit is reduced, and the surrounding of the indoor unit is By increasing the drivability of the motor of the indoor unit located in the interior, it is possible to extend the life of the electrolytic capacitor while maintaining the comfort of the indoor space.

2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing the basic configuration of a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement example of the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; 2 is a plan view showing an example of arrangement of indoor units 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of power converter 21 mounted in air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication network to which an air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 is connected; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the state of the indoor unit 1 in the life extension mode in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the air conditioning system 100 shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a capacitor remaining life estimator 81 of the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing calculation results of a correction coefficient αB calculated by a correction coefficient calculator 811 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a waveform of DC voltage Vdc output from electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing waveforms of DC voltage Vdc output by electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 when there is no power source unbalance. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing waveforms of DC voltage Vdc output by electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in air-conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 when there is power supply unbalance. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of a capacitor remaining life estimator 81 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification method by a notification unit 88 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification method by a notification unit 88 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a notification method by a notification unit 88 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system 100A as a modified example of the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioning system 100A as a modified example of the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 1 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view schematically showing a case where a wall 14 is installed in the indoor space 13a shown in FIG. 8; 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data table 53 specifying a corresponding support operation unit for each indoor unit 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the flow of feedback control processing executed by the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the flow of another feedback control process executed by the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the first range used in the feedback control shown in FIG. 25, and the first range and the second range used in the feedback control shown in FIG. 26 to be described later;

An embodiment of an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure includes all combinations of configurations that can be combined among configurations shown in the following embodiments and modifications thereof. Also, in each figure, the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts, which are common throughout the specification. In each drawing, the relative dimensional relationship, shape, etc. of each component may differ from the actual one.

Embodiment 1.
[Refrigeration cycle of air conditioning system 100]
FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing the basic configuration of a refrigeration cycle in an air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning system 100 includes an indoor unit 1 and an outdoor unit 2 . The air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 actually has a plurality of indoor units 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be described later. Only the indoor unit 1 is illustrated. The indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 are connected via refrigerant pipes 5 . The outdoor unit 2 is provided with a compressor 3 , a four-way valve 4 , an outdoor heat exchanger 6 , an outdoor fan 9 and an expansion device 7 . The indoor unit 1 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 10 and an indoor fan 11 . The air conditioning system 100 is also provided with a system controller 8 that controls the overall operation of the air conditioning system 100 . The system controller 8 is installed, for example, in an indoor space. Further, the indoor controller 91 may be provided in the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor controller 92 may be provided in the outdoor unit 2 . In that case, the system controller 8 is communicably connected to an indoor controller 91 provided in the indoor unit 1 and an outdoor controller 92 provided in the outdoor unit 2 . The system controller 8 controls the operation of the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 via the indoor controller 91 and the outdoor controller 92 . Hereinafter, the system controller 8, the indoor controller 91, and the outdoor controller 92 are collectively referred to as a "controller". Further, for example, the outdoor unit 2 may be provided with an outside air temperature sensor 45 for detecting the outside air temperature, if necessary. Further, the indoor unit 1 may be provided with an intake air temperature sensor 46 for detecting the temperature of the intake air sucked from the intake port 61 (see FIG. 22) of the indoor unit 1, if necessary.

The compressor 3 sucks the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 5 from the suction port. The compressor 3 compresses the sucked refrigerant and discharges it to the refrigerant pipe 5 from a discharge port. The compressor 3 is, for example, an inverter compressor. When the compressor 3 is an inverter compressor, the operating frequency may be arbitrarily changed by an inverter circuit or the like to change the refrigerant discharge capacity per unit time. In that case, the operation of the inverter circuit is controlled by the system controller 8, for example. Refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 6 or the indoor heat exchanger 10 via the four-way valve 4 .

The outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 10 exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air. The outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 10 are, for example, fin-and-tube heat exchangers. In that case, the outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 10 have a plurality of heat transfer tubes through which refrigerant flows, and fins installed between the heat transfer tubes.

The outdoor heat exchanger 6 functions as a condenser during cooling operation, and condenses and liquefies the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 6 functions as an evaporator during heating operation and evaporates the refrigerant.

The indoor heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator during cooling operation and evaporates the refrigerant. The indoor heat exchanger 10 functions as a condenser during heating operation, and condenses and liquefies the refrigerant.

Also, the outdoor fan 9 has a motor 9a and blades 9b. Similarly, the indoor fan 11 has a motor 11a and blades 11b. The outdoor fan 9 blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the indoor fan 11 blows air to the indoor heat exchanger 10 . The rotational speeds of the outdoor fan 9 and the indoor fan 11 are controlled by the system controller 8, for example.

The four-way valve 4 is configured to switch between the cooling operation for cooling the indoor unit 1 side and the heating operation for heating the indoor unit 1 side. Switching of the four-way valve 4 is controlled by the system controller 8, for example. The four-way valve 4 is a channel switching device that switches the flow of refrigerant between cooling operation and heating operation. In the case of cooling operation, the four-way valve 4 is in the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1 and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 6 . At this time, the outdoor heat exchanger 6 acts as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 10 acts as an evaporator. On the other hand, in the case of heating operation, the four-way valve 4 is in the state indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1 and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 10 . At this time, the outdoor heat exchanger 6 acts as an evaporator, and the indoor heat exchanger 10 acts as a condenser.

The expansion device 7 is a decompression device that decompresses and expands the refrigerant, and is composed of an expansion valve such as an electronic expansion valve such as LEV (Linear Expansion Valve). If the throttle device 7 is composed of an electronic expansion valve, the opening degree is adjusted based on an instruction from the system controller 8, for example. The expansion device 7 is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 10 .

The compressor 3, the four-way valve 4, the outdoor heat exchanger 6, the throttle device 7, and the indoor heat exchanger 10 are connected by refrigerant pipes 5 to form a refrigerant circuit.

The system controller 8 controls the overall operation of the air conditioning system 100 . The system controller 8 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer.

Here, the hardware configuration of the "control section" including the system controller 8 will be described. The system controller 8 has a storage section 8a (see FIG. 7). In addition, the indoor control unit 91 and the outdoor control unit 92 also have storage units (not shown). These storage units are composed of memories. The system controller 8, the indoor controller 91, and the outdoor controller 92 are composed of processing circuits. The processing circuitry consists of dedicated hardware or a processor. Dedicated hardware is, for example, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processor executes programs stored in the storage unit. The memory that makes up the storage unit is non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or magnetic disk, flexible disk, It is a disc such as an optical disc.

[Configuration of Air Conditioning System 100]
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement example of the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2 in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 includes one outdoor unit 2 and multiple indoor units 1 . The outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 1 are connected via the refrigerant pipe 5 as described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a relay unit 12 may be provided between the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 1, if necessary.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor unit 2 is arranged outdoors such as on the roof of the building 13, for example. The indoor unit 1 is arranged in an indoor space 13a to be air-conditioned. The indoor unit 1 is configured by, for example, a ceiling-embedded 4-direction cassette air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as a 4-direction indoor unit). In that case, the indoor unit 1 is attached to the ceiling 13 b of the indoor space 13 a of the building 13 .

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an arrangement example of the indoor units 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the ceiling 13b is looked up along the z direction (see FIG. 3) from the floor 13c side in the indoor space 13a. As shown in FIG. 4, in Embodiment 1, 16 indoor units 1 are arranged on the ceiling 13b. In FIG. 4, the x direction is the width direction of the indoor space 13a, and the y direction is the depth direction of the indoor space 13a. The x-direction and the y-direction are orthogonal to each other. Also, the z-direction shown in FIG. 3 is orthogonal to the x-direction and the y-direction. The z-direction is the vertical direction, for example, the vertical direction. A row extending along the x direction is called a row, and a row extending along the y direction is called a column. It is The indoor units 1 are arranged at regular intervals in rows and columns. Note that the number of indoor units 1 is not limited to 16, and may be any number. Hereinafter, when the 16 indoor units 1 are separately called, they are called the indoor unit 1 of the first system, the indoor unit 1 of the second system, . . . , the indoor unit 1 of the 16th system.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the power conversion device 21 mounted on the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , the power converter 21 is provided for each system of the indoor unit 1 . The power converter 21 is connected to the motor 11 a of the indoor fan 11 of each indoor unit 1 . Since the power conversion device 21 in each system has the same configuration, the configuration of the power conversion device 21 in one system will be described here, and the configuration of the power conversion device 21 in the other system will not be described. omitted.

The power converter 21 includes a rectifying section 22 , a reactor 23 , a DC link section 24 , an inverter section 25 , a drive circuit 26 and an inverter control section 27 . The power conversion device 21 is connected to the AC power supply 20 as shown in FIG. The AC power supply 20 is, for example, a three-phase AC power supply. AC power supply 20 is, for example, a commercial power supply. Note that the AC power supply 20 is not limited to this case, and may be composed of a power supply other than three-phase, such as a single-phase power supply. Moreover, in Embodiment 1, the case where the AC power supply 20 is used as the power supply will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to that case. That is, the DC power supply 20A may be used as the power supply (see FIGS. 20 and 21).

The rectifying section 22 is composed of, for example, a converter circuit. The rectifying section 22 rectifies the AC voltage input from the AC power supply 20 and converts it into a DC voltage. A DC voltage is applied to the DC link portion 24 through the reactor 23 . The rectifying section 22 is composed of, for example, a full bridge circuit including six rectifying diodes. The six rectifying diodes are connected in series two by two to form a total of three series circuits. The three series circuits are connected in parallel. The three series circuits are provided corresponding to the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase of AC power supply 20, respectively. The connection points of the two rectifying diodes forming each series circuit are connected to the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase of AC power supply 20, respectively. Thus, the input end of the rectifying section 22 is connected to the AC power supply 20 . Further, the output terminal of the rectifying section 22 is connected to the positive bus line P and the negative bus line N. As shown in FIG. Note that the rectifying section 22 may use a switching element such as a transistor instead of the rectifying diode.

The reactor 23 is provided for the purpose of suppressing a sharp rise of the power supply current from the AC power supply 20 and slowing the current change. In the example of FIG. 5 , the reactor 23 is provided after the rectifying section 22 , but may be provided before the rectifying section 22 .

The DC link section 24 has an electrolytic capacitor 24a. The electrolytic capacitor 24a is a smoothing capacitor. The capacity of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is set so as to remove a low-order harmonic component that pulsates greatly at a frequency that is twice or six times the voltage frequency of the commercial power supply. The electrolytic capacitor 24 a smoothes the DC voltage input from the rectifying section 22 and outputs it to the inverter section 25 .

The DC voltage Vdc output from the DC link section 24 has a voltage waveform 29 shown in a rectangular frame 28 in FIG. A voltage waveform 29 of the DC voltage Vdc does not form a perfectly straight line (voltage is constant), but includes a pulsating component 29a in which the voltage value fluctuates up and down as shown in FIG. The maximum value of the amplitude of this pulsating component 29a is hereinafter referred to as ripple voltage ΔV. The DC link section 24 is provided with a first voltage sensor 40 that detects the DC voltage Vdc. The first voltage sensor 40 detects a DC voltage Vdc applied to the electrolytic capacitor 24a.

The inverter unit 25 converts the DC voltage input from the DC link unit 24 into AC voltage by the operation of the power conversion element, and outputs the AC voltage to the motor 11a as the load. The inverter section 25 has, for example, three upper arm switching elements 25a and three lower arm switching elements 25b as power conversion elements. The inverter unit 25 is composed of an inverter circuit such as a full bridge circuit, for example. One upper arm switching element 25a and one lower arm switching element 25b are connected in series, and the connection point is the middle point. A series circuit composed of one upper arm switching element 25a and one lower arm switching element 25b is called an arm. The inverter section 25 has three arms. The three arms are connected in parallel. The three arms are provided corresponding to the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase of the motor 11a, respectively. The midpoint of each arm is connected to the U-phase, V-phase and W-phase of the motor 11a. A freewheeling diode 25c is connected in anti-parallel to each of the upper arm switching elements 25a. Similarly, a freewheeling diode 25c is connected in anti-parallel to each of the lower arm switching elements 25b. The

switching elements

25a and 25b used in the inverter section 25 are, for example, IGBTs, MOSFETs, self arc-extinguishing thyristors, bipolar transistors, and the like. The switching

elements

25 a and 25 b of the inverter section 25 perform ON/OFF operations according to the PWM drive command signal from the drive circuit 26 . PWM is an abbreviation for PulseWidth Modulation. The PWM drive command signal is a drive signal for switching the ON/OFF states of the U-phase, V-phase and W-

phase switching elements

25 a and 25 b of the inverter unit 25 . The on/off operation converts the direct current input from the DC link unit 24 into alternating current. The power obtained by switching the

switching elements

25a and 25b may be high frequency power.

Although an example in which the inverter section 25 has the

switching elements

25a and 25b as power conversion elements has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this case, and other power conversion elements may be used.

The inverter control unit 27 acquires the DC voltage Vdc output from the first voltage sensor 40, and performs PWM control calculation based on the DC voltage Vdc, the command value ω input from the system controller 8, and the switching carrier frequency. . The inverter control unit 27 outputs a control signal to the drive circuit 26 by the PWM control calculation. Also, the command value ω is a command value that specifies the waveform (that is, the modulated wave) that the inverter section 25 should output. The inverter control unit 27 is composed of, for example, a microcontroller mounted on the power converter 21 .

The drive circuit 26 drives the upper arm switching element 25a and the lower arm switching element 25b based on the control signal from the inverter control section 27 to perform on/off operations.

The motor 11a is, for example, a three-phase AC motor. The motor 11a is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a motor other than three-phase, such as a single-phase AC motor. Also, the motor 11a may be an AC motor or a DC motor.

[Operation of Air Conditioning System 100]
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. As described above, in Embodiment 1, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5, an environment is assumed in which a plurality of inverter-driven indoor units 1 are installed in the indoor space 13a.

In step S1, each indoor unit 1 performs normal operation under normal control by the system controller 8. This state is defined as "normal operation mode". FIG. 4 above shows the state of each indoor unit 1 in the normal operation mode. In FIG. 4 , arrows indicate directions in which air blown from each indoor unit 1 flows. Thus, in the normal operation mode, each indoor unit 1 is normally operating, and each indoor unit 1 blows out temperature-controlled air in four directions from four outlets. Therefore, temperature-controlled air flows throughout the indoor space 13a, and the comfort of the indoor space 13a is maintained. In the "normal operation mode", each indoor unit 1 performs normal operation according to the set temperature, wind speed (air volume), and wind direction set by the user.

In step S2, the system controller 8 calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the power conversion device 21 provided in the indoor unit 1 of each system. Here, since the process of the flowchart of FIG. 6 is repeatedly executed at a preset cycle, the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is periodically calculated at the cycle. The remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is calculated instead of the system controller 8, for example, the indoor control unit 91 mounted on the indoor unit 1, or the cloud 33 (see FIG. 7) connected to the indoor unit 1. may go.

Briefly explain the cloud 33. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication network to which the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 is connected. The system controller 8 is connected to computer terminals of a facility management company 31 and a maintenance company 32 via a communication network 30 such as the Internet. The facility management company 31 is a company that manages the building 13 . The maintenance company 32 is a company that maintains the air conditioning system 100 . A cloud 33 is also connected to the communication network 30 . The remote controller 34 is a portable controller for a user 36 present in the indoor space 13 a to input settings for the indoor unit 1 . Alternatively, the remote controller 34 may be a wall-mounted controller 34a attached to the wall of the indoor space 13a. The settings for the indoor unit 1 by the user 36 include the set temperature of the indoor space 13a, the wind direction, the air volume (wind speed), and the like. The remote controller 34 communicates with the indoor unit 1 by infrared communication. The mobile terminal 35 is a terminal carried by a user, such as a smart phone. The mobile terminal 35 communicates with the indoor unit 1 directly or via a base station 37 connected to the communication network 30 .

Return to the description of Fig. 6. In step S3, it is determined whether or not the remaining life calculated in step S2 of the electrolytic capacitor 24a mounted in the indoor unit 1 of each system is equal to or less than a preset first threshold value. If the remaining life of at least one electrolytic capacitor 24a is equal to or less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to step S4. In the following description, as an example, it is assumed that the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a mounted in the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system is equal to or less than the first threshold (see FIG. 8). If the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitors 24a of all systems is greater than the first threshold value in the determination of step S3, the process of FIG. 6 is terminated.

In step S4, the system controller 8 changes the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 from "normal operation mode" to "life extension operation mode". FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the state of the indoor unit 1 in the life extension mode in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the ceiling 13b is looked up along the z direction (see FIG. 3) from the floor 13c side in the indoor space 13a. As shown in FIG. 8, the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system stops normal operation and performs life extension operation. Hereinafter, the indoor unit 1 performing life-prolonged operation is referred to as a "life-prolonged operation unit". Moreover, a state in which at least one indoor unit 1 is performing life-prolonging operation in this way is called a "life-prolonging operation mode".

In the life-prolonging operation mode, in the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system, which is a life-prolonging operation unit, the drive frequency of the motor 11a is lowered from the current value under the control of the inverter control unit 27 of the power conversion device 21 . As a result, the rotation speed of the motor 11a slows down, the drivability of the motor 11a is reduced, and the current flowing through the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be reduced. As a result, the degree of decrease in the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be suppressed, and the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be extended. Here, like the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system, the indoor unit 1 once set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" does not release the setting until the electrolytic capacitor 24a is replaced. That is, when the air conditioning system 100 stops operating at night or the like, when it starts operating next time, the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system does not perform normal operation, but performs life-extending operation as a "life-extending operation unit". . Note that the airflow indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 8 is the airflow blown out from the life-prolonging operation unit, and is weaker than the airflow during normal operation.

In the life-prolonging operation mode, the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system performs life-prolonging operation, thereby suppressing the air conditioning capacity of the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system. Therefore, the comfort of the indoor space 13a may be adversely affected on the user 36 . That is, for example, the user may feel cold during cooling, and may feel warm during heating. Therefore, in order to prevent such a decrease in comfort, the normally operating indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system increase the operating capacity, and the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system Driving to compensate for the decline in driving ability. These indoor units 1 are called "support operation units". In the example of FIG. 8, the four indoor units 1 of the 6th, 9th, 11th, and 14th systems perform support operation as support operation units. These four indoor units 1 are arranged adjacent to the 10th system indoor unit 1 set as a life-prolonging unit. The indoor unit 1, which is a support operation unit, increases the drive frequency of the motor 11a from the current value under the control of the inverter control unit 27 of the power conversion device 21. FIG. This increases the drivability of the motor 11a. Note that the airflow indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 8 is the airflow blown out from the support operation unit, and is stronger than the airflow during normal operation. Note that the indoor unit 1 that does not correspond to either the life-prolonging operation unit or the support operation unit performs normal operation.

In the life-prolonging operation mode, the other indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit operate as "support operation units". The load on the indoor unit 1 set as the "support operation unit" increases accordingly, but when four indoor units 1 support one indoor unit 1, the load increases by 1.1 to 1.2 times. about twice as much. Therefore, in the indoor unit 1 set to the "support operation unit", the increase in load does not affect the degree of decrease in the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Therefore, in the air conditioning system 100 as a whole, the operation of the air conditioning system 100 can be continued without applying an excessive load to the electrolytic capacitors 24a of the indoor units 1 .

Here, we will explain the definition of the above "surroundings" with respect to the "support operation unit". In the above explanation, it was explained that the other indoor units 1 arranged "surrounding" the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit operate as the "support operation unit". In the above description, the four indoor units 1 arranged adjacent to the 10th system indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging unit are set as the "support operation unit". However, various cases are assumed as examples of the arrangement of the indoor units 1 as described below. For example, on the floor map shown in FIG. 8, the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system and the indoor unit 1 of the 11th system are arranged adjacent to each other. is installed. FIG. 23 is a plan view schematically showing a case where walls 14 are installed in the indoor space 13a shown in FIG. In FIG. 23, in the indoor space 13a, the walls 14 are installed so as to surround the indoor units 1 of the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 10th systems. . In this case, at least one of the first, second, fifth, sixth, and ninth indoor units 1 arranged inside the wall 14 is connected to the tenth indoor unit 1. Suitable for support operating units. The indoor units 1 of the sixth and ninth systems are adjacent to the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system. On the other hand, the indoor units 1 of the 1st, 2nd and 5th systems are not adjacent to the 10th system of the indoor units 1 . However, the air blown out from the indoor units 1 of the first, second, and fifth systems may flow along the wall 14 or collide with the wall 14 and flow in the opposite direction. Assuming this possibility, the air blown out from the indoor units 1 of the 1st, 2nd, and 5th systems may reach the air conditioning target area of the 10th system of the indoor units 1 . However, although the indoor unit 1 of the 11th system is arranged adjacent to the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system, there is a wall between the indoor unit 1 of the 11th system and the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system. 14 is installed. Therefore, the indoor unit 1 of the 11th system is not suitable as a support operation unit for the indoor unit 1 of the 10th system.

In the example of FIG. 8, each indoor unit 1 is a four-direction indoor unit having four outlets 60 (see FIG. 22). There is the case of a two-way indoor unit having In the case where the indoor unit 1 is a four-direction indoor unit, the indoor unit 1 adjacent to the life-prolonging operation unit is compatible with the support operation unit in most cases if there is no obstacle such as a wall. However, when the indoor unit 1 is a two-way indoor unit, the indoor unit 1 adjacent to the life-prolonging operation unit is not necessarily suitable for the support operation unit. That is, when the indoor unit 1 is a two-direction indoor unit, even if the direction of the vane 62bb (see FIG. 22) installed at the outlet 60 of the indoor unit 1 adjacent to the life-prolonging operation unit is changed, the direction of the life-prolonging operation unit can be changed. It is assumed that the wind cannot be sent to the In such a case, setting the indoor unit 1 as a support operation unit is meaningless. Conversely, it is conceivable that the indoor unit 1 not adjacent to the life-prolonging operation unit is suitable for the support operation unit. In the example of FIG. 8, for example, the four indoor units 1 of the 5th, 7th, 13th, and 15th systems are not adjacent to the 10th system of the indoor unit 1, and are positioned diagonally. are placed in If these indoor units 1 are two-way indoor units, depending on the arrangement and orientation of the vanes 62bb (see FIG. 22), wind may be sent in the direction of the life-prolonging operation unit. Thus, which indoor unit 1 is suitable for the support operation unit depends on the case.

Therefore, the above-mentioned "surroundings" means the range in which the air conditioned by other indoor units 1 can affect the air-conditioned area of the indoor unit 1 set in the life-prolonging operation unit. That is, the above-mentioned "other indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 set as the life-extending unit" is "a range in which air can be blown to the air conditioning target area of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-extending operation unit. Or another indoor unit 1” arranged at a position where air can be blown. Under these conditions, in the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit, the air conditioning target area of the indoor unit 1 during the support operation overlaps the air conditioning target area of the indoor unit 1 set as the life extension operation unit. .

Also, in the above description, the case where all the indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging unit perform the support operation as the support operation unit has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to that case. That is, at least one of the indoor units 1 suitable for the support operation unit should be set as the support operation unit. The number of indoor units 1 to be set in the support operation unit may be appropriately changed based on the rank determined by the rank determination unit 86, which will be described later, for example.

Further, for each indoor unit 1, when the indoor unit 1 is set as a life-prolonging operation unit, it may be determined in advance which other indoor unit 1 is to be set as a support operation unit. In that case, a data table 53 as shown in FIG. 24 is created and stored in the storage unit 8a (see FIG. 7) of the system controller 8 or the cloud 33 (see FIG. 7). FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the data table 53 specifying the corresponding support operation unit for each indoor unit 1 in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. In the data table 53 shown in FIG. 24, which indoor unit 1 is set as the support operation unit when the indoor unit 1 is set as the life-prolonging operation unit is set in advance. That is, in the data table 53, when the indoor unit 1 is set as the life-prolonging operation unit, each indoor unit 1 is stored in association with the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit. It should be noted that data of the support operation unit is input to the data table 53 by the user 36 or an installation worker when performing the installation work for installing the indoor unit 1 in the indoor space 13a. In this manner, the data of the support operation unit in the data table 53 can be set and changed by the user 36 or the like by operating the controller 34a or the mobile terminal 35. FIG. Further, the data of the support operation unit set in the data table 53 may be set and changed from the computer terminals of the facility management company 31 and the maintenance company 32 as well.

Return to the description of Fig. 6. In step S5, the system controller 8 notifies the facility management company 31, the user 36, or the maintenance company 32 that the indoor unit 1 has become a life-extending operation unit. The notification is sent to, for example, the facility management company 31 and the maintenance company 32 through the communication network 30 or the cloud 33, and displayed on the display screens of the computer terminals installed in those companies. For the user 36, the notification is transmitted from the indoor unit 1 to the remote controller 34 or the controller 34a and displayed on the display screen of the remote controller 34 or the controller 34a. Alternatively, the notification may be sent to the mobile terminal 35 of the user 36 . In that case, the notification may be directly transmitted from the indoor unit 1 to the mobile terminal 35, or transmitted via the communication network 30 or the cloud 33.

Here, for example, if the user 36 notified of the life-prolonging operation mode determines that there is no problem with the comfort of the indoor space 13a, the user 36 may continue the operating state in the life-prolonging operation mode. Further, if the user 36 has a problem with comfort, the user 36 can request the maintenance company 32 to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the indoor unit 1 during life-prolonging operation. By doing so, it is possible to give the user 36 a choice as to whether or not to immediately replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a.

As described above, in the first embodiment, when the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of at least one of the indoor units 1 of the plurality of systems is equal to or less than the first threshold value, the indoor unit 1 is "life extended." Operation unit". The indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" suppresses the degree of decrease in the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a by suppressing the operability of the motor 11a. Also, in order to maintain the comfort of the indoor space 13a, the indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor units 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" are set to the "support operation unit". The indoor unit 1 set to the "support operation unit" increases the operation ability of the motor 11a, thereby operating to compensate for the deterioration of the operation ability of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit". Thus, in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1, it is possible to extend the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a while maintaining the air conditioning capacity.

[Life extension mode]
Next, the life extension operation mode will be described in detail. In Embodiment 1, for example, the following assumptions are made about the life-prolonging operation mode.

<Conditions for entering life-extending operation mode>
When the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of at least one indoor unit 1 is equal to or less than the first threshold value in step S3 of FIG. 6 described above, the life extension operation mode is entered. Thus, in Embodiment 1, whether or not to enter the life extension operation mode is determined based on the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. At this time, the first threshold is set to three years, for example.

<Operation during life extension operation mode>
(A) Life-prolonging operation unit: Reduces the driving ability by, for example, reducing the drive frequency of the motor 11a. The lowering width of the driving frequency is constant or variable. In a constant case, the width of decrease is preset to a value of approximately 20 to 30% of the average value of the drive frequency during normal operation.
(B) Support driving unit: Increases the driving ability by increasing the drive frequency of the motor 11a. The increase width of the driving frequency is constant or variable. In a constant case, the width of increase is preset to a value of about 5% to 7.5% of the average value during normal operation.

<Ranking of life-prolonging operation modes>
As described above, the reduction in drive frequency in the life-sustaining operation unit may be constant or variable. Similarly, the drive frequency increment in the support driving unit may be constant or variable. In the following, a case will be described in which the range of decrease in drive frequency in the life-prolonging operation unit and the range of increase in drive frequency in the support operation unit are variable. In this case, the system controller 8 determines a rank indicating the degree of life-prolonging operation and support operation in order to determine the extent of decrease and the extent of increase.

The indicators used to determine the rank are, for example, (1) to (3) below.

(1) Absolute Value of Difference Between Room Temperature and Set Temperature The difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is related to the power that contributes to the extent to which the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is shortened. Therefore, the absolute value of the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is classified into the following three stages.
(a) ±1°C or less (i.e., 0°C to ±1°C range)
(b) ±3° C. or less (i.e., the range of ±1° C. to ±3° C.)
(c) ±5°C or less (i.e., ±3°C to ±5°C range)

(2) Ambient Temperature of Capacitor The ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is related to the degree of decrease in life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is classified into the following three stages.
(a) 30° C. or higher (i.e., in the range of 30° C. to 50° C.)
(b) 50°C or higher (i.e., in the range of 50°C to 70°C)
(c) 70°C or higher

(3) Range of air-conditioned area of life-prolonging operation unit The range of the air-conditioned area in which the indoor unit 1 performs air conditioning is related to the degree of reduction in the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. For this reason, the volume of the air-conditioned area that is air-conditioned by the indoor unit 1 is classified into the following three levels.
(a) ^10m3
(b) ^20m3
(c) ^30m3
Here, an example will be described in which the volume of the air-conditioned region is set as the range of the air-conditioned region in which the indoor unit 1 performs air conditioning, but the present invention is not limited to this case. That is, the range of the air-conditioned area where the indoor unit 1 performs air conditioning may be the floor area of the air-conditioned area.

In each index (1) to (3), the degree of decline in driving ability of the life-prolonging operation unit and the degree of increase in driving ability of the support operation unit should increase from (a) to (c). Therefore, ranking is determined by a combination of indicators (1) to (3).

For example, for each index (1) to (3), (a) is 1 point, (b) is 2 points, and (c) is 3 points. At this time, the total number of points for the three indicators will be anywhere from 3 to 9 points. Therefore, ranking is performed as follows based on the total number of points.
3-4 points: Rank 1
5-6 points: Rank 2
7-8 points: Rank 3
9 points: rank 4

Also, for the first threshold, instead of setting only one value of "three years", a plurality of first thresholds are prepared step by step, such as "three years", "two years", and "one year". The first threshold may be further reflected in the ranking of operations in the life-prolonging mode of operation.

In that case, the ranking when the first threshold is "three years" is the ranks 1 to 4 above. Also, the ranking when the first threshold is "two years" is as follows. As above, for each of the indicators (1) to (3), (a) is assigned 1 point, (b) is assigned 2 points, and (c) is assigned 3 points. As such, rank them.
3-4 points: Rank 5
5-6 points: Rank 6
7-8 points: rank 7
9 points: rank 8

Similarly, the ranking when the first threshold is "one year" is as follows.
3-4 points: Rank 9
5-6 points: Rank 10
7-8 points: Rank 11
9 points: Rank 12

Then, for each rank 1 to 12, a first data table is prepared in which values are set for the range of decrease in drive frequency in the life-prolonging operation unit and the range of increase in drive frequency in the support operation unit. Then, the first data table is stored in the storage unit 8a of the system controller 8 in advance. The system controller 8 determines the rank as described above. After that, from the first data table, the value of the decrease width of the drive frequency in the life-sustaining operation unit and the increase width of the drive frequency in the support operation unit corresponding to the determined rank are read. In the first data table, the decrease width and increase width for each rank 1 to 12 are set so that the decrease width and increase width are the smallest for rank 1, and the decrease width and increase width are the largest for rank 12. It is

[Configuration of system controller 8]
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows a configuration in which the system controller 8 performs the ranking described above. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the processing flow of the air conditioning system 100 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the system controller 8 has a capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81, a life extension operation mode determination unit 82, a life extension operation control unit 87, and a notification unit 88. If the system controller 8 does not perform the above ranking, the system controller 8 may have only these units. In that case, the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 6 can be executed. Note that the notification unit 88 may be provided as a device separate from the system controller 8 instead of being a component of the system controller 8 .

Further, when the system controller 8 performs the above ranking, as shown in FIG. It further has a range detection unit 85 . In that case, the processing of the flowchart of FIG. 10, which will be described later, can be executed. Note that the room temperature detector 83 , the capacitor ambient temperature detector 84 , and the target range detector 85 may be provided as separate devices from the system controller 8 instead of being components of the system controller 8 .

Next, each part of the system controller 8 shown in FIG. 9 will be described.

The capacitor remaining life estimator 81 calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a based on the ripple voltage ΔV (see FIG. 13) of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Incidentally, when calculating the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a, the capacitor remaining life estimator 81 may take into consideration the presence or absence of power supply imbalance of the AC power supply 20 (see FIG. 5). In that case, the accuracy of the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is further improved. A method of calculating the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a in the capacitor remaining life estimating unit 81 will be described later.

The life-extending operation mode determination unit 82 determines whether or not to transition to the life-extending operation mode based on the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a calculated by the capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81. Further, the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 selects the indoor unit 1 to be set as the "life-prolonging operation unit" based on the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Specifically, the life extension operation mode determination unit 82 compares the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in the indoor unit 1 of each system with the first threshold, and determines whether the remaining life is equal to or less than the first threshold. do. When the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of at least one system is equal to or less than the first threshold value, the life-prolonging operation mode determining unit 82 sets the indoor unit 1 to the "life-prolonging operation unit". In addition, the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 sets the indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" to the "support operation unit". In the following description, as an example, it is assumed that the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a mounted in the indoor unit 1 of the tenth system is equal to or less than the first threshold. Furthermore, the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 outputs a notification signal to the notification unit 88 to notify that the operation mode has been changed to the life-prolonging operation mode.

The indoor temperature detection unit 83 is composed of a room temperature sensor installed on the wall surface of the indoor unit 1 or the indoor space 13a. The indoor temperature detection unit 83 detects the indoor temperature of the indoor space 13 a and transmits it to the rank determination unit 86 . The rank determination unit 86 calculates the absolute value of the difference between the received indoor temperature and the set temperature, and uses it as the above index (1).

The capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 detects the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. The capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 is composed of a temperature sensor such as a thermistor installed in the vicinity of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the power conversion device 21 of each system. In that case, the capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 detects the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a for each system. The capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 transmits the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24 a of the indoor unit 1 set to the “life extension unit” to the rank determination unit 86 . The rank determination unit 86 uses the received ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a as the above index (2).

Alternatively, the capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 may estimate the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24 a based on the outside air temperature and the operating state of the power converter 21 . In that case, the capacitor ambient temperature detector 84 has an outside air temperature sensor 45 (see FIG. 1) for detecting the outside air temperature. The outside air temperature sensor 45 is installed in the outdoor unit 2, for example. In addition, the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is acquired by simulation or the like for each outside air temperature and the operation state of the power conversion device 21, and a data table storing it is stored in the storage unit 8a of the system controller 8 in advance. The capacitor ambient temperature detector 84 acquires the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a from the data table based on the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor 45 .

The target range detection unit 85 determines the volume of the air-conditioning target region to be air-conditioned by the indoor unit 1 set as the "life-extending operation unit" by the life-extending operation mode determination unit 82 . The volume of the air-conditioned area is preset in the second data table for each indoor unit 1 of each system. Therefore, the target range detection unit 85 extracts from the second data table the volume of the air-conditioning target region of the indoor unit 1 set to the “life-prolonging operation unit” and transmits it to the rank determination unit 86 . The second data table is pre-stored in the storage unit 8a of the system controller 8. FIG. The rank determining unit 86 uses the received volume of the air-conditioned area as the above index (3).

The rank determination unit 86 determines a rank indicating the degree of life-prolonging operation and support operation by combining the above indicators (1) to (3). That is, the rank determining unit 86 determines the corresponding rank from among the ranks 1 to 4 (or from among the ranks 1 to 12). When the rank determination unit 86 ranks, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 determines the decrease width and the increase width of the driving frequency based on the rank determined by the rank determination unit 86 . That is, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 determines the degree of decrease in the drive frequency of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit and the degree of increase in the drive frequency of the support operation unit based on the rank. Since the method of ranking by the rank determination unit 86 is as described above, the description thereof is omitted here.

When the rank determining unit 86 does not perform ranking, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 reduces the drive frequency of the motor 11a of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit by the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 from the current value by a fixed value. Then, the indoor unit 1 is controlled to operate. In addition, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 increases the drive frequency of the motor 11a of the indoor unit 1 set in the support operation unit by the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 by a constant value from the current value, and starts the operation of the indoor unit 1. control what to do. Thereby, the air conditioning system 100 can operate in the life extension operation mode. At this time, the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit operates with suppressed operating ability, so that the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be extended. In addition, since the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit operates with increased operation capability, it is possible to compensate for the decrease in operation capability of the life-prolonging operation unit. As a result, when looking at the air conditioning system 100 as a whole, a sufficient air conditioning capacity can be maintained, so that the comfort of the indoor space 13a can be maintained.

Also, when the rank determining unit 86 performs ranking, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 performs the following processing. That is, based on the rank determined by the rank determination unit 86, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 determines the extent of decrease in the drive frequency in the life-prolonging operation unit and the extent of increase in the drive frequency in the support operation unit from the above-described first data table. Extract values. The life-prolonging operation control section 87 lowers the drive frequency in the life-prolonging operation unit by the extracted reduction width, and increases the drive frequency in the support operation unit by the extracted increase width. Thereby, the air conditioning system 100 can operate in the life extension operation mode.

When the notification unit 88 receives the notification signal from the life-prolonged operation mode determination unit 82, it outputs a notification that the indoor unit 1 has entered the life-prolonged operation mode. Specifically, the notification unit 88 outputs the notification to the computer terminal installed at the facility management company 31 or the maintenance company 32 or the mobile terminal 35 of the user 36 . The notification unit 88 may also transmit the notification to the remote controller 34 as well. Hereinafter, the computer terminal of the facility management company 31, the computer terminal installed in the maintenance company 32, the portable terminal 35 of the user 36, and the display screen provided in the remote controller 34 are collectively referred to as a "display unit". It is assumed that The notification transmitted from the notification unit 88 is displayed on the display unit. Note that the notification method by the notification unit 88 is the same as described in step S5 of FIG. 6 above, so description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the operation of the system controller 8 will be described using FIG. The difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. 10 is that step S10 is added in FIG. 10, and step S4A is performed instead of step S4.

In step S1, each indoor unit 1 performs normal operation under normal control by the system controller 8. That is, the operating mode of the air conditioning system 100 is the "normal operating mode".

In step S2, the capacitor remaining life estimator 81 calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the power conversion device 21 provided in the indoor unit 1 of each system. The remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is periodically calculated at a preset cycle.

In step S3, the life extension operation mode determination unit 82 determines whether or not the remaining life calculated in step S2 of the electrolytic capacitor 24a mounted in the indoor unit 1 of each system is equal to or less than a preset first threshold. do. When the remaining life of at least one electrolytic capacitor 24a is equal to or less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitors 24a of all systems is greater than the first threshold value in the determination of step S3, the process of FIG. 10 is terminated.

In step S10, the rank determining unit 86 receives the indoor temperature of the indoor space 13a from the indoor temperature detecting unit 83, calculates the absolute value of the difference between the received indoor temperature and the set temperature, and calculates the index (1). and In addition, the rank determining unit 86 receives the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" from the capacitor ambient temperature detecting unit 84, and uses it as an index (2). In addition, the rank determination unit 86 receives the volume of the air-conditioning target area of the indoor unit 1 set as the “life-prolonging operation unit” from the target range detection unit 85 and uses it as an index (3). Then, the rank determination unit 86 determines the rank of the life-prolonging operation mode based on the remaining life calculated in step S2 and the indicators (1) to (3). After that, the process proceeds to step S4A.

In step S4A, the life-sustaining operation control unit 87 determines, based on the rank determined by the rank determining unit 86, from the first data table described above, the amount of decrease in the driving frequency in the life-sustaining operation unit and the increase in the driving frequency in the support operation unit. Extract the width value. The life-prolonging operation control section 87 lowers the drive frequency in the life-prolonging operation unit by the extracted decrease width, and similarly increases the drive frequency in the support operation unit by the extracted increase width. After that, the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 changes the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 from the "normal operation mode" to the "life-prolonging operation mode".

In step S5, the notification unit 88 generates and outputs a notification notifying that the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 has been changed from the "normal operation mode" to the "life extension operation mode". The notification is sent to at least one of facility management company 31 , user 36 and maintenance company 32 .

[Configuration of Capacitor Remaining Life Estimating Unit 81]
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the capacitor remaining life estimator 81 of the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, the capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81 is connected to the life extension operation mode determination unit 82 and the capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84 shown in FIG.

The capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81 has a parameter acquisition unit 810, a correction coefficient calculation unit 811, a power frequency detection unit 812, and a ripple voltage detection unit 813, as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81 has a power imbalance determination unit 814 , a ripple current calculation unit 815 , an operating time calculation unit 816 and a life estimation unit 817 .

Each part of the capacitor remaining life estimating part 81 shown in FIG. 11 will be described below.

[Parameter Acquisition Unit 810]
The parameter acquisition unit 810 acquires information (data) necessary for accurately calculating the ripple current. The parameter acquisition unit 810 has a power supply unbalance rate detection unit 810a, an input power detection unit 810b, a power supply impedance detection unit 810c, and a power supply voltage detection unit 810d. Parameter acquisition section 810 acquires one or more parameters using at least one of these sections. The parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition unit 810 are, for example, the following four.
A power source unbalance rate detected by the power source unbalance rate detector 810a (hereinafter referred to as parameter A).
• Input power detected by the input power detector 810b (hereinafter referred to as parameter B).
A power source impedance (hereinafter referred to as parameter C) detected by the power source impedance detector 810c.
A power supply voltage (hereinafter referred to as parameter D) detected by the power supply voltage detection unit 810d.

Using equation (10) or equation (11), which will be described later, ripple current calculation unit 815 calculates ripple voltage ΔV detected by ripple voltage detection unit 813, power supply frequency f detected by power supply frequency detection unit 812, Calculate the ripple current based on However, there are factors other than the ripple voltage ΔV and the power supply frequency f that affect the ripple current. Such factors include power supply unbalance factor, input power, power supply impedance, and power supply voltage. Therefore, in Embodiment 1, the accuracy of the ripple current value is improved by correcting the ripple current in consideration of the parameters A to D described above.

The reason why the parameters A to D are used in the first embodiment is that the voltage waveform 29 of the DC voltage Vdc (see FIG. 5 ) may be distorted. As a result, when the ripple current value is calculated without considering the distortion, the calculation accuracy of the ripple current value may deteriorate. Therefore, the elements (that is, parameters A to D) used in correcting the ripple current value will be described below. Although it is not always necessary to use all of the parameters A to D, the more types of correction parameters that are used, the more accurate the ripple current value can be calculated. Therefore, which of the parameters A to D should be used may be set as appropriate. All of the parameters A to D affect the ripple current value, but the importance is considered to be in the order of A, B, C, and D, and parameter A is considered to be the most important. . Thus, the parameters A to D are correction parameters for correcting the ripple current value.

<Power supply imbalance rate detector 810a>
The power unbalance rate detector 810 a calculates the unbalance rate (parameter A) of the AC power supply 20 based on the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 . Here, the case where the AC power supply 20 is a three-phase AC power supply will be described as an example. The power supply unbalance rate detection unit 810a has, for example, a second voltage sensor 42 that detects each line voltage (Vuv, Vvw, Vwu) of the AC power supply 20 . The power supply unbalance rate detection unit 810 a acquires each line voltage (Vuv, Vvw, Vwu) of the AC power supply 20 by the second voltage sensor 42 . The power unbalance rate detection unit 810a obtains the maximum value Umax and the minimum value Umin from among the three line voltages (Vuv, Vvw, Vwu). Further, the power unbalance rate detection unit 810a obtains an average value Uave of the three line voltages (Vuv, Vvw, Vwu). Then, power supply unbalance rate detection section 810a calculates the unbalance rate of AC power supply 20 using the following equation (1).

Unbalance rate [%]
= {2/3 x (Umax-Umin)/(Uave)} x 100 (1)

Here, Umax is the maximum value of the three-phase line voltage, Umin is the minimum value of the three-phase line voltage, and Uave is the average value of the three-phase line voltage (=(Vuv+Vvw+Vwu)/3). If the AC power supply 20 has no power supply unbalance, the power supply unbalance factor is 0, and if the AC power supply 20 has a power supply unbalance, the power supply unbalance factor has a value other than 0.

<Input power detector 810b>
Input power detection unit 810 b detects input power Pin (parameter B) input from AC power supply 20 to power converter 21 . The input power detection unit 810b calculates the input voltage using the following equation (2) based on the output power Pout output from the power converter 21 and the power module loss Loss.

　Pin = Pout + Loss (2)

Here, in equation (2), Pout is the output power output from the power conversion device 21, and Los is the power module loss.

The output power Pout is calculated, for example, by the following formula (3). In that case, the input power detection section 810b has a first current sensor 41 that detects the output current Iout of the power conversion device 21 .

　Pout=√3×Vout×Iout×F (3)

Here, Vout is the output voltage of the power conversion device 21. Iout is the output current of the power conversion device 21 detected by the first current sensor 41 . F is the output power factor of the power converter 21 . Since the output voltage Vout and the output power factor F are constantly calculated in the microcontroller during the operation of the power conversion device 21, it is possible to use the values. Also, the output current Iout is obtained from the first current sensor 41 .

It should be noted that the power module loss Loss in the above equation (2) is the total value of losses such as switching loss of semiconductor power elements such as the upper arm switching element 25a and the lower arm switching element 25b mounted on the power conversion device 21. The power module loss Loss can be calculated in advance by simulation or the like from design values of the power conversion device 21 or the like. Therefore, the power module loss data is stored in advance in the memory of the microcontroller installed in the power conversion device 21 .

In addition, as described above, instead of the AC power supply 20, the DC power supply 20A may be used. 20 and 21 are diagrams showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 100A as a modification of the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, in the air conditioning system 100A, the motor 11a is connected to the DC power supply 20A, and the DC power supply 20A is used as the power supply. Note that the DC power supply 20A may be connected to the AC power supply 20 as necessary for charging the DC power supply 20A.

The DC power supply 20A includes a rectifying section 22, a reactor 23, and a DC link section 24, as shown in FIG. In addition, in the case of FIG. 21, the power conversion device 21A is composed of an inverter section 25, a drive circuit 26, and an inverter control section 27. As shown in FIG.

In the case of the modification shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the input power Pin (parameter B) is the power input to the inverter section 25 from the DC power supply 20A. Therefore, in both the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and the modified example shown in FIG. 21, the input power Pin (parameter B) can be considered as the input power input from the power supply to the inverter section 25 .

<Power supply impedance detector 810c>
Returning to the description of FIG. The power impedance detector 810 c detects the power impedance (parameter C) of the AC power supply 20 . The power supply impedance detection unit 810c obtains an estimated value of the power supply impedance from the short-circuit impedance (=% impedance), for example, as described below. The power supply impedance includes system resistance R and system inductance L of AC power supply 20 . The system resistance R is the system resistance of the AC power supply 20 and indicates the resistance of the power supply system. A system inductance L is the system inductance of the AC power supply 20 and indicates the inductance of the power supply system.

When the ratio between the resistance component R1 and the reactance component X of the AC power supply 20 is known in advance, the power supply impedance detector 810c obtains the system resistance R and the system inductance L of the AC power supply 20 from the following equation (4).

R = (short circuit impedance)/(√(1+(X/R1) ² ))
L=(R1×X/R1)/(2×π×f) (4)

Here, f is the power supply frequency of the AC power supply 20. R1 is the resistance component of the AC power supply 20, and X is the reactance component of the AC power supply 20. Further, since the short-circuit impedance can be obtained from the specifications of the system transformer, etc., it is stored in advance in the storage unit 8a.

<Power supply voltage detector 810d>
Power supply voltage detection unit 810d detects the power supply voltage (parameter D) of AC power supply 20 . The detection method is, for example, as follows.

When the second voltage sensor 42 described above detects not only the line voltage but also each phase power supply voltage (Vu, Vv, Vw), the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 is as follows. Calculated. That is, the power supply voltage detection unit 810 d obtains the average value (=(Vu+Vv+Vw)/3) of these power supply voltages, and uses the average value as the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 .

Also, if the second voltage sensor 42 described above does not detect the phase power supply voltages (Vu, Vv, Vw), they may be obtained as follows. Since the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 connected to the power converter 21 is usually determined, the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 is not a variable but a predetermined fixed value. Therefore, the value of the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20 is stored in advance in the storage unit 8a, and the power supply voltage detection unit 810d reads out and outputs the stored value of the power supply voltage of the AC power supply 20. FIG.

[Power supply frequency detector 812]
The power frequency detector 812 detects the power frequency f of the AC power supply 20 . The power supply frequency f can be obtained, for example, by detecting the zero-cross period of the voltage waveform of the AC power supply 20 .

[Ripple voltage detector 813]
A ripple voltage detection unit 813 detects a ripple voltage ΔV of the DC voltage smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Ripple voltage detection unit 813 detects ripple voltage ΔV, for example, based on DC voltage Vdc detected by first voltage sensor 40 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a waveform of DC voltage Vdc output from electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. As briefly described above with reference to FIG. 5, the DC voltage Vdc output from the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the DC link section 24 has the voltage waveform 29 shown in FIGS. That is, the voltage waveform 29 of the DC voltage Vdc includes a pulsating component 29a whose voltage value fluctuates up and down. The maximum value of the amplitude of this pulsating component 29a is called ripple voltage ΔV. That is, the ripple voltage ΔV is obtained by, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the DC voltage Vdc.

[Correction coefficient calculation unit 811]
Correction coefficient calculator 811 calculates correction coefficients α and β used when ripple current calculator 815 calculates the ripple current. By multiplying the ripple current calculated by the ripple current calculator 815 by the correction coefficients α and β, the accuracy of the calculated value of the ripple current is improved. Correction coefficient calculator 811 uses at least one of the four parameters obtained by parameter obtaining unit 810 to calculate correction coefficients α and β. A method of calculating the correction coefficients α and β will be described below.

In order to calculate the correction coefficients α and β, the correction coefficient calculation unit 811 first determines base conditions. Base conditions include power supply frequency f, ripple voltage ΔV, and parameters AD. As base conditions, the power supply frequency f, the ripple voltage ΔV, and the values of the above parameters A to D are uniquely determined, and these values are defined as the base conditions. Examples of specific base condition values are shown below.

<Example of base condition>:
Power supply frequency f: 50Hz,
Ripple voltage ΔV: 50V,
Power supply unbalance rate (parameter A): 1.9%,
input power (parameter B): 15 kW,
Power supply impedance (parameter C): system resistance R = 0.1 mΩ, system inductance L = 0.05 mH
Power supply voltage (parameter D): 400V

Next, using the base conditions, perform simulations, etc. to calculate the ripple current. This value is defined as the actual ripple current value. The actual ripple current value calculated by simulation or the like using the above base conditions is as follows.

<Actual ripple current value>:
Real ripple current value: 4.6Arms

Next, the ripple current value under the above base conditions is calculated using the ripple current calculation formula (formula (9) described later) used in the ripple current calculation unit 815 . This value is defined as the base ripple current value. The base ripple current value under the above base conditions is as follows.

<Base ripple current value>:
Base ripple current value: 3.7 Arms

Next, let the ratio between the actual ripple current value and the base ripple current value be the correction coefficient α. The correction coefficient α is calculated by the following formula (5).

　　Correction coefficient α = actual ripple current value / base ripple current value (5)

Therefore, when the actual ripple current value = 4.6 Arms and the base ripple current value = 3.7 Arms, the correction coefficient α is as follows.

　　α=4.6/3.7=1.2

The correction coefficient α is used in the ripple current calculator 815. A ripple current calculator 815 calculates a base ripple current value from a calculation formula, and multiplies the calculated base ripple current value by a correction coefficient α to obtain an actual ripple current value. This improves the accuracy of the ripple current calculated by the ripple current calculator 815 . The actual ripple current value is sometimes called a corrected ripple current value.

Returning to the description of the correction coefficient calculation method. Next, a method of calculating correction coefficients β _A , β _B , β _C , and β _D for parameters A to D that change according to the operating state and installation environment of power conversion device 21 will be described.

First, focusing on the power supply unbalance rate (parameter A) and one of the parameters B to D, the correction coefficient α _X is calculated when the value of the one parameter is changed. Any one of B, C, and D is entered in X of α _X. At this time, the values other than the one parameter to be changed are the same as those of the above base conditions.

Here, as an example, a case where parameter B among parameters B to D is used will be described. That is, focusing on the power unbalance rate (parameter A) and the input power (parameter B), the correction coefficient α _B when the value of the parameter B is changed is calculated. Therefore, at this time, the values of parameters C and D are set to be the same as the above base conditions. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing calculation results of correction coefficient α _B calculated by correction coefficient calculation section 811 provided in air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In FIG.

In FIG. 12, the horizontal axis indicates the base ripple current value, and the vertical axis indicates the correction coefficient _αB . Also, in FIG. 12, the dotted line 51 is the graph for the case where the input power is 15 kW, that is, the case for the above base conditions. Therefore, α _B at this time is the correction coefficient α described above. A solid line 50 is a graph for an input power of 20 kW, and a dashed line 52 is a graph for an input power of 10 kW. As shown in FIG. 12, by changing the input power value of the parameter B, the correction coefficient _αB for the base ripple current value changes from the correction coefficient α. Similarly, for parameters C and D, correction coefficients α _C and α _B are obtained.

Next, the ratio between the correction coefficient α and the correction coefficient α _X (X=A, B, C, D) under the above base conditions is calculated using the following formula (6). The calculated ratio values are defined as correction coefficient β _A (power supply unbalance rate), correction coefficient β _B (input power), correction coefficient β _C (power supply impedance), and correction coefficient β _D (power supply voltage). .

_βX = _αX /α (6)

A calculation example of the correction coefficient β _B (input power) is shown below.

Example) Calculation example for β _B (input power) 12, respectively:
α=86 when the input power is 15 kW and the base ripple current value is 4.6 Arms
α _B =83 when the input power is 20 kW and the base ripple current value is 4.6 Arms
Therefore, when the base ripple current value is 4.6 Arms, the correction coefficient β _B when changing the input power (parameter B) from 15 kW under the base condition to 20 kW is as follows.
β _B =α _B /α=83/86=0.97

[Power supply imbalance determination unit 814]
Returning to the description of FIG. The power supply imbalance determination unit 814 determines whether or not there is a power supply imbalance in the AC power supply 20 . The frequency component of the DC voltage Vdc smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor 24a changes depending on whether or not the AC power supply 20 is unbalanced. Therefore, the ripple current calculation unit 815 uses different calculation formulas for calculating the ripple current based on the presence or absence of power supply imbalance. Therefore, it is necessary for the power unbalance determining unit 814 to determine whether or not there is a power unbalance in the AC power supply 20 . A detailed description is given below.

The power unbalance determining unit 814 determines whether or not there is a power unbalance in the AC power supply 20 based on the power unbalance rate calculated by the power unbalance rate detecting unit 810a, for example. As described above, the power supply unbalance rate detection unit 810a calculates the unbalance rate of the AC power supply 20 using Equation (1) above. The unbalance rate calculated by the power source unbalance rate detector 810a is 0% if there is no power source unbalance, and is greater than 0 if there is a power source unbalance. Therefore, the power supply unbalance determination unit 814 can determine whether or not the AC power supply 20 has a power supply unbalance based on whether the power supply unbalance rate calculated by the power supply unbalance rate detection unit 810a is 0 or other than 0. .

As described above with reference to FIG. 13, the DC voltage Vdc output from the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the DC link section 24 has the voltage waveform 29. That is, the voltage waveform 29 of the DC voltage Vdc includes a pulsating component 29a whose voltage value fluctuates up and down. The maximum value of the amplitude of this pulsating component 29a is called ripple voltage ΔV. That is, the ripple voltage ΔV is obtained by, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the DC voltage Vdc. Also, the power supply frequency f can be obtained, for example, by detecting the zero-cross period of the voltage waveform of the AC power supply 20 .

It should be noted that the period of the DC voltage Vdc differs depending on the presence or absence of power supply imbalance. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing waveforms of the DC voltage Vdc output by the electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 when there is no power supply imbalance. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing waveforms of the DC voltage Vdc output by the electrolytic capacitor 24a provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment when there is a power supply imbalance.

As shown in FIG. 14, when there is no power supply unbalance, the frequency component of the DC voltage Vdc is 6f when the power supply frequency is f. becomes.

<When there is no power imbalance>
T=1/(2×6×f) (7)

On the other hand, when there is a power supply imbalance, the frequency component of the DC voltage Vdc is 2f when the power supply frequency is f, as shown in FIG. ).

<When there is a power imbalance>
T=1/(2×2×f) (8)

Here, f is the power supply frequency of the AC power supply 20 in the above formulas (7) and (8). Thus, the frequency component of the DC voltage Vdc smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor 24a changes depending on whether or not the AC power supply 20 is unbalanced. Therefore, it is desirable that the ripple current calculation unit 815, which will be described later, uses different calculation formulas when calculating the ripple current based on the presence or absence of power supply imbalance. Therefore, the power supply unbalance determination unit 814 determines whether or not there is a power supply unbalance in the AC power supply 20 , and transmits the result to the ripple current calculation unit 815 .

[Ripple current calculator 815]
Ripple current calculator 815 calculates a base ripple current value of electrolytic capacitor 24 a based on power supply frequency f detected by power supply frequency detector 812 and ripple voltage ΔV detected by ripple voltage detector 813 . At this time, the ripple current calculation unit 815 selectively uses the calculation formula used when calculating the base ripple current value based on the determination result of the power imbalance determination unit 814 . Further, the ripple current calculator 815 corrects the calculated base ripple current value using the correction coefficients α and β calculated by the correction coefficient calculator 811 to obtain the actual ripple current value. A detailed description is given below.

The value of the current (that is, ripple current) flowing through the electrolytic capacitor 24a is generally obtained by the following formula (9).

Ic=C×dv/dt
=C×(ΔV/(T×1/2)) (9)

Here, C is the capacitance of the electrolytic capacitor 24a, ΔV is the ripple voltage of the DC voltage Vdc, and T is the period of the DC voltage Vdc.

Therefore, by substituting the period T of the above formulas (7) and (8) into the above formula (9), the ripple current value Ic is approximately calculated by the following formulas (10) and (11). can do.

<When there is no power imbalance>
Ic=C×(ΔV/(T×1/2))
=C×(ΔV/(1/(2×6×f))×1/2) (10)

<When there is a power imbalance>
Ic=C×(ΔV/(T×1/2))
=C×(ΔV/(1/(2×2×f))×1/2) (11)

Therefore, the formula for calculating the ripple current value Ic differs based on the presence or absence of power supply imbalance. Therefore, the ripple current calculation unit 815 uses the above equation (10) and ( 11) Use properly from the formula.

Specifically, when there is no power supply unbalance, that is, when the power supply unbalance rate is 0, the ripple current calculation unit 815 calculates the ripple current value Ic using the above equation (10). do. The above formula (10) is sometimes called the first calculation formula.

On the other hand, if there is a power supply unbalance, that is, if the power supply unbalance rate is not 0, the ripple current calculation unit 815 calculates the ripple current value Ic using the above equation (11). The above formula (11) is sometimes called a second calculation formula.

Note that the ripple current value Ic calculated by the above formulas (10) and (11) is the base ripple current value described using FIG. Therefore, the ripple current calculation unit 815 uses the correction coefficient α and the correction coefficient β _X (X=A, B, C, D) calculated by the correction coefficient calculation unit 811 to calculate the ripple current value, which is the base ripple current value. Correct Ic. Thereby, the above-described actual ripple current value Ic* can be obtained. The actual ripple current value Ic* is calculated by the following equation (12).

Ic*=Ic×α× _βX (12)

Ripple current value (that is, actual ripple current value Ic*) with improved accuracy by correcting ripple current value Ic using correction coefficient α and correction coefficient β _X (X=A, B, C, D) can be calculated. The actual ripple current value Ic* is hereinafter referred to as "the ripple current calculated by the ripple current calculator 815".

Note that the correction using the correction coefficient α and the correction coefficient β _X (X=A, B, C, D) is not necessarily performed, and may be performed as necessary. If the correction is not performed, the "ripple current calculated by the ripple current calculator 815" becomes the ripple current value Ic.

[Operating time calculator 816]
Returning to the description of FIG. The operating time calculator 816 calculates the operating time of the power conversion device 21 (that is, the operating time of the electrolytic capacitor 24a). The operating time is an integrated value of the operating time counted from the time when the power conversion device 21 was installed. That is, it is an integrated value of the operation time of the power conversion device 21 counted from the time when the air conditioning system 100 was installed in the building 13 . However, when the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the power conversion device 21 is replaced, the integrated value is reset, and counting of the operating time is started again from the time of replacement. That is, the electrolytic capacitor 24a tends to have a shorter remaining life as the operating time increases. Therefore, the operating time calculation unit 816 calculates the operating time of the power converter 21 . The operating time of the power converter 21 may be measured using, for example, a timer function of a microcontroller mounted on the power converter 21 .

[Lifetime estimation unit 817]
The life estimator 817 estimates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Actual ripple current value Ic* is input from ripple current calculation unit 815 to life estimation unit 817 . Further, the ambient temperature Ta of the electrolytic capacitor 24 a is input from the capacitor ambient temperature detector 84 to the lifetime estimator 817 . Further, the operating time of the power converter 21 is input from the operating time calculating unit 816 to the life estimating unit 817 . Life estimator 817 obtains core temperature Tx of electrolytic capacitor 24a based on actual ripple current value Ic* and ambient temperature Ta. The core temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be calculated by the following equation (13).

　　Tx = Ta + ΔT (13)

Here, Ta is the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor 24a, and ΔT is the increase in core temperature due to the actual ripple current value Ic*. An example of a method for calculating the core temperature increase value based on the actual ripple current value Ic* will be described. Since the ripple current-core temperature rise value characteristic differs for each target electrolytic capacitor, characteristic data indicating the characteristic is obtained from the manufacturer of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Based on the characteristic data, an approximation formula, data table, or the like for obtaining the core temperature rise value ΔT from the actual ripple current value Ic* is generated in advance and stored in the storage unit 8a. The approximation formula and data table define the relationship between the actual ripple current value Ic* and the core temperature rise value ΔT. The life estimator 817 uses the approximate expression or the data table to obtain the core temperature rise value ΔT with respect to the actual ripple current value Ic*.

Next, the life estimator 817 obtains an estimated value of the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a based on the core temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 24a calculated by the above equation (13). For that purpose, it is necessary to use a life calculation formula set by the manufacturer of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Generally, the life calculation formula requires information on the core temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 24a and the operating time (that is, the operating time of the power conversion device 21) under that condition (that is, the core temperature Tx). . Therefore, the life estimation unit 817 acquires the operation time of the power converter 21 from the operation time calculation unit 816 . Based on the operation time and the calculated core temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 24a, the life estimation unit 817 uses a life calculation formula obtained from the manufacturer to estimate the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. demand.

[Operation of Capacitor Remaining Life Estimating Unit 81]
Next, the operation of capacitor remaining life estimator 81 shown in FIG. 11 will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the capacitor remaining life estimator 81 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

In step S21, the parameter acquisition unit 810 acquires information on at least one element among the elements of parameters A to D, which are correction parameters. That is, at least one of the power supply unbalance rate, input power, power supply impedance, and power supply voltage is detected.

In step S22, correction coefficient calculator 811 calculates correction coefficient α and correction coefficient β _X (X=A, B, C, D) are calculated.

In step S23, the power supply unbalance determination unit 814 determines whether or not the AC power supply 20 has a power supply unbalance. As a result of the determination, if there is power imbalance, the process proceeds to step S24, and if there is no power imbalance, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S24, the ripple current calculation unit 815 calculates the ripple current value Ic using the above equation (11) when there is power supply imbalance. After that, the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S25, the ripple current calculator 815 calculates the ripple current value Ic using the above equation (10) when there is no power supply imbalance. After that, the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S26, the ripple current calculation unit 815 corrects the ripple current value Ic using the correction coefficient α and the correction coefficient β _X (X=A, B, C, D) calculated in step S22. A ripple current value Ic* is calculated.

In step S27, the life estimation unit 817 acquires the ambient temperature Ta of the electrolytic capacitor 24a from the capacitor ambient temperature detection unit 84.

In step S28, life estimation unit 817 calculates core temperature Tx of electrolytic capacitor 24a based on actual ripple current value Ic* output from ripple current calculation unit 815 and ambient temperature Ta of electrolytic capacitor 24a. .

In step S29, the operating time calculation unit 816 calculates the operating time of the power conversion device 21.

In step S30, the life estimation unit 817 estimates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a based on the core temperature Tx of the electrolytic capacitor 24a calculated in step S28 and the operation time of the power converter 21 calculated in step S29. calculate.

The above is the operation of the capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81 . The capacitor remaining life estimation unit 81 outputs the calculated remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24 a to the life extension operation mode determination unit 82 . The life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 compares the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a with the first threshold to determine whether or not to transition to the life-prolonging operation mode.

In addition, when the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 determines to transition to the life-prolonging operation mode, as described with reference to FIG. Life-prolonging operation unit". At the same time, the indoor units 1 arranged around the life-prolonging operation unit are set as "support operation units". As a result, the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" operates with the frequency of the motor 11a that drives the indoor fan reduced from the current value. As a result, it is possible to suppress the degree of decrease in the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit". Also, the indoor unit 1 set to the "support operation unit" operates with the frequency of the motor 11a that drives the indoor fan increased from the current value. As a result, it is possible to compensate for the deterioration of the operating ability of the "life-prolonging operation unit" and maintain the comfort of the indoor space 13a to be air-conditioned.

In addition, when the life-prolonging operation mode determination unit 82 determines to shift to the life-prolonging operation mode, the notification unit 88 outputs a notification signal for notifying transition to the life-prolonging operation mode. Upon receiving the notification signal, the notification unit 88 notifies the facility management company 31, the user 36, or the maintenance company 32 that the indoor unit 1 has entered the life-prolonging operation mode.

[Notification method of notification unit 88]
17 to 19 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a notification method by the notification unit 88 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 17 shows an example of the display screen 35a of the mobile terminal 35 when the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is three years. FIG. 18 shows an example of the display screen 35a of the mobile terminal 35 when the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is two years. FIG. 19 shows an example of the display screen 35a of the portable terminal 35 when the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is one year.

　In Figs. 17 and 18, since the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a has a margin, a message is simply displayed to inform the user 36 of the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. The contact information is also displayed in case the user 36 who sees the message wishes to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a early. The “service center” here is, for example, a service center installed in the facility management company 31 or the maintenance company 32 .

When the user 36 feels that the comfort of the indoor space 13a has decreased due to the deterioration of the operating ability of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit", the user 36 contacts the service center and electrolyzes. Apply for replacement of the capacitor 24a.

On the other hand, if the user 36 feels that there is no particular problem with the comfort of the indoor space 13a, the operation of the air conditioning system 100 in the life-prolonging operation mode is continued without contacting the service center.

By doing so, when the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is three years or two years, the user 36 can be given the option of whether or not to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a immediately.

On the other hand, in FIG. 19, a message is displayed prompting the user 36 to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a because the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is short. The contact information is also displayed in case the user 36 who sees the message wishes to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Thus, prompting the user 36 to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a at an early stage promotes the replacement of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. As a result, replacement of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be encouraged before the electrolytic capacitor 24a fails.

In this way, the notification unit 88 may generate different notifications according to the length of remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Further, the content of these notification messages may be set in advance for each length of remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a and stored in the data table. In this case, the notification unit 88 extracts from the data table the content of the message corresponding to the length of the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a calculated by the capacitor remaining life estimating unit 81, and generates a notification. As a result, the notification unit 88 can output notifications to the user 36 stepwise multiple times. Therefore, the user 36 can choose whether or not to replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a immediately, and can systematically replace the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Note that the notification unit 88 may also transmit the notification to the facility management company 31 or the maintenance company 32 . Also, the notification unit 88 may transmit to the remote controller 34 instead of the portable terminal 35 .

In Embodiment 1, the latest remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be periodically calculated by repeating the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 or 10 at a constant cycle.

[Feedback control]
In order to perform the support operation of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit, even if the other indoor unit 1 is set as the support operation unit, there are cases where the support operation unit cannot actually provide effective support. can occur. In preparation for such a case, in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1, the following feedback control may be performed.

FIG. 25 is a flow chart showing the flow of feedback control processing executed by the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. The process of the flow shown in FIG. 25 is executed by the system controller 8, for example, by the life-prolonging operation control section 87 of the system controller 8. As shown in FIG. Alternatively, without being limited to that case, a feedback control section (not shown) may be provided in the system controller 8, and the feedback control section may perform the processing of the flow shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 25, in step S40, the system controller 8 acquires the suction temperature of the indoor unit 1 as the ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit. The ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 may be the room temperature of the indoor space 13a. Alternatively, the ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 may be the room temperature in the indoor space 13a and in the air-conditioned region of the indoor unit 1 . In these cases, the ambient temperature is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) arranged in the indoor space 13a. Here, a case will be described in which the suction temperature of the indoor unit 1 is used as the ambient temperature. The intake temperature is detected, for example, by an intake temperature sensor 46 (see FIG. 1) provided at the intake port 61 (see FIG. 22) of the indoor unit 1.

Next, in step S41, the system controller 8 determines whether the intake temperature of the indoor unit 1 obtained in step S40 is within the first range. The first range, as shown in FIG. 27, is a range of ST±α (° C.) centering on the set temperature ST of the indoor unit 1 set in the life-prolonging operation unit. The value of α is a preset value. 27 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the first range used in the feedback control shown in FIG. 25, and the first range and the second range used in the feedback control shown in FIG. 26, which will be described later.

If it is determined in step S41 that the suction temperature is within the first range, the system controller 8 determines that the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit can be effectively supported. That is, the system controller 8 determines that the support operation by the support operation unit maintains comfort in the air-conditioned region of the indoor unit 1 set to the life-prolonging operation unit. In this case, since there is no problem, the process of the flow in FIG. 25 is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 that the suction temperature is not within the first range, the system controller 8 determines that the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit cannot be effectively supported. That is, the system controller 8 determines that the comfort of the air-conditioned region of the indoor unit 1 set to the life-prolonging operation unit is declining even though the support operation is being performed by the support operation unit. In this case, the process proceeds to step S42.

In step S42, the system controller 8 further increases the operating capability of the indoor unit 1 set as the support operating unit from the current value. Specifically, the system controller 8 increases the drive frequency of the motor 11a (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the indoor unit 1, which is the support operation unit, from the current value by a preset constant value. After that, the process returns to step S40. In this way, the processing from step S40 to step S42 shown in FIG. 25 is repeated until the suction temperature falls within the first range as determined in step S41 of FIG.

Here, in the process of step S42, the indoor units 1 whose driving ability is to be increased may be all the indoor units 1 among the indoor units 1 set as the support operation unit, or at least one indoor unit 1. may In that case, the indoor unit 1 whose driving capacity is to be increased is, for example, the indoor unit 1 with the longest remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a (see FIG. 5) among the support operation units, or the indoor unit with a low support operation rank. 1 will be given priority.

It should be noted that the feedback control shown in FIG. 25 is control that can be executed separately from the ranking performed by the rank determination unit 86 shown in FIG. That is, the feedback control shown in FIG. 25 can be executed regardless of whether or not the rank determination unit 86 performs ranking. When performing ranking by the rank determining unit 86, for example, the following control may be performed. That is, the life-prolonging operation and the support operation may be performed based on the ranking determined by the rank determination unit 86, and the driving ability of the support operation unit may be slightly corrected by the feedback control of FIG.

Alternatively, machine learning may be performed using the flow of FIG. 25, and the air conditioning system 100 may be controlled using the results of the machine learning in other similar situations. The input data for machine learning are, for example, the current operating capability of the indoor unit 1 of the life-extending operation unit, the current operating capability of the indoor unit 1 of the support operation unit, the suction temperature, and the life-extending operation based on the suction temperature. At least one of whether or not the air-conditioned area of the unit is comfortable. In addition, the output data when machine learning is performed is, for example, commands such as a change in the number of support operation units and a change (amount of change) in operation capability such as the drive frequency of the motor 11a of a specific indoor unit 1. At least one. By performing machine learning in this way, it is possible to control the air conditioning system 100 using the results of the machine learning in other similar situations. Note that when machine learning is performed using the flow of FIG. 25, the input data is the suction temperature, and the output data is the amount of change in the driving ability of the support operation unit.

[Modification of feedback control]
Even if the feedback control shown in FIG. 25 is performed, the supporting operation unit may not be able to sufficiently support the life-prolonging operation unit depending on the situation. Examples of such a situation include, for example, a case where the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonged operation unit is short and the operating capability of the life-prolonged operation unit is greatly reduced, or a case where the operating capability of the support operation unit has no margin. . In such a case, another feedback control shown in FIG. 26 may be performed.

In the feedback control of FIG. 26, the user 36 selects either the comfort-priority plan or the life-priority plan as the operation plan in the life-prolonging operation mode of the air-conditioning system 100, and preliminarily instructs the system controller 8 to It is assumed to be set. The plan can be set by the user 36 by operating the controller 34a (see FIG. 7) or the mobile terminal 35 (see FIG. 7).

In the comfort priority plan, maintaining the comfort of the indoor space 13a is prioritized over extending the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonging operation unit. That is, in the comfort priority plan, the comfort of the indoor space 13a is improved by reducing the amount of reduction in the driving ability of the life-prolonging operation unit. In this case, the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonging operation unit decreases faster than in the current life-prolonging operation, but the comfort of the indoor space 13a is maintained. In this case, the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonged operation unit runs out earlier than expected, so the notification unit 88 notifies the user 36 that the life-prolonged operation, which is different from the normal life-prolonged operation, is being performed. , early replacement of the electrolytic capacitor 24a.

In the longevity priority plan, prolonging the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonging operation unit is prioritized over maintaining the comfort of the indoor space 13a. In other words, in the longevity priority plan, the amount of driving ability reduction (or rank) of the life-sustaining operation unit and the amount of driving ability increase (or rank) of the support operation unit are not changed, and the current driving ability is maintained. to continue. As a result, a situation remains in which the support operation unit cannot sufficiently support the life-prolonging operation unit.

The feedback control shown in FIG. 26 will be described. FIG. 26 is a flow chart showing the flow of another feedback control process executed by the system controller 8 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. The processing of the flow shown in FIG. 26 is executed by the life-prolonging operation control unit 87 of the system controller 8, for example. Alternatively, without being limited to that case, a feedback control section (not shown) may be provided in the system controller 8, and the feedback control section may perform the processing of the flow shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 26, in step S50, the system controller 8 acquires the suction temperature of the indoor unit 1 as the ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 set as the life-prolonging operation unit. The ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 may be the room temperature of the indoor space 13a. Alternatively, the ambient temperature of the indoor unit 1 may be the room temperature in the indoor space 13a and in the air-conditioned region of the indoor unit 1 . In these cases, the ambient temperature is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) arranged in the indoor space 13a. Here, a case will be described in which the suction temperature of the indoor unit 1 is used as the ambient temperature. The intake temperature is detected, for example, by an intake temperature sensor 46 (see FIG. 1) provided at the intake port 61 (see FIG. 22) of the indoor unit 1.

Next, in step S51, the system controller 8 determines whether the intake temperature of the indoor unit 1 obtained in step S50 is within the first range. The first range, as shown in FIG. 27, is a range of ST±α (° C.) centering on the set temperature ST of the indoor unit 1 set in the life-prolonging operation unit. The value of α is a preset value.

If it is determined in step S51 that the suction temperature is within the first range, the system controller 8 determines that the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit can be effectively supported. That is, the system controller 8 determines that the support operation by the support operation unit maintains comfort in the air-conditioned region of the indoor unit 1 set to the life-prolonging operation unit. In this case, since there is no problem, the process of the flow in FIG. 26 is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S51 that the suction temperature is not within the first range, the system controller 8 determines that the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit cannot be effectively supported. In this case, the process proceeds to step S52.

In step S52, the system controller 8 determines whether or not the intake temperature of the indoor unit 1 obtained in step S50 is within the second range. As shown in FIG. 27, the second range is a range of ST±β (° C.) centering on the set temperature ST of the indoor unit 1 set in the life-prolonging operation unit. The value of β is a preset value. The value of β is greater than the value of α. Therefore, the second range is a range that is wider than the first range and includes the first range. If it is determined in step S52 that the suction temperature is within the second range, the process proceeds to step S53. On the other hand, if the suction temperature is not within the second range, the process proceeds to step S55.

In step S53, the system controller 8 determines whether or not it is possible to further increase the operability of the indoor unit 1 set as the support operation unit. Specifically, the system controller 8 determines whether or not the current drive frequency of the motor 11a (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the indoor unit 1, which is the support operation unit, is greater than a preset second threshold. do. The second threshold is set in advance based on, for example, the designed rated frequency of the motor 11a. If it is determined in step S53 that the driving ability can be increased, the process proceeds to step S54. On the other hand, if the driving ability cannot be increased, the process proceeds to step S55.

In step S54, the system controller 8 further increases the operating capability of the indoor unit 1 set as the support operating unit from the current value. Specifically, the system controller 8 increases the drive frequency of the motor 11a (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the indoor unit 1, which is the support operation unit, from the current value by a preset constant value. After that, the process returns to step S50. In this way, the processing from step S50 to step S54 shown in FIG. 26 is repeated until the suction temperature falls within the first range as determined in step S51 of FIG.

Here, in the process of step S54, the indoor units 1 whose driving ability is to be increased may be all indoor units 1 among the indoor units 1 set as the support operation unit, but may be at least one indoor unit 1. may In that case, the indoor unit 1 whose driving capacity is to be increased is, for example, the indoor unit 1 with the longest remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a (see FIG. 5) among the support operation units, or the indoor unit with a low support operation rank. 1 will be given priority.

On the other hand, when proceeding from step S52 or step S53 to step S55, the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonging operation unit is small and the reduction in the operating ability of the life-prolonging operation unit is large, or the operating ability of the support operation unit has no margin. For example, if there is no

In step S55, the system controller 8 determines whether the operation plan in the life extension operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 is a comfort-priority plan or a life-priority plan. If it is determined in step S55 that the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 is set to the comfort priority plan, the process proceeds to step S56.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that the operation mode of the air conditioning system 100 is set to the lifespan priority plan, the process of the flow of FIG. 26 is terminated. In this case, in the indoor space 13a, the comfort of the air-conditioned area of the life-prolonging operation unit cannot be maintained, but the life-prolonging action of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-prolonging operation unit is continued.

In step S56, the system controller 8 increases the operating capability of the indoor unit 1 set in the life-prolonging operation unit from the current value in order to improve the comfort of the air-conditioned area of the life-prolonging operation unit. Specifically, the system controller 8 increases the drive frequency of the motor 11a (see FIGS. 1 and 5) of the indoor unit 1, which is a life-prolonging operation unit, from the current value by a preset constant value. In this case, the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the life-extending operation unit is reduced, but the comfort of the air-conditioned area of the life-extending operation unit can be maintained in the indoor space 13a.

Note that in the flow of FIG. 26, the order of executing steps S52 and S53 may be reversed. That is, step S52 may be executed after executing step S53. Alternatively, only one of steps S52 and S53 may be executed.

[Configuration of indoor unit 1]
22 is a plan view showing the configuration of the indoor unit 1 provided in the air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 22 shows a state of looking up at the ceiling 13b from the floor 13c side in the indoor space 13a.

As shown in FIG. 22, the indoor unit 1 is attached to the ceiling 13b of the indoor space 13a. The indoor unit 1 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The indoor unit 1 includes four air outlets 60, one air inlet 61, an indoor heat exchanger 10 (see FIG. 1) provided between the air outlet 60 and the air inlet 61, and an indoor fan 11 (see FIG. 1). 1) and. The suction port 61 is arranged in the central portion of the indoor unit 1 . The four outlets 60 are arranged along the outer circumference of the indoor unit 1 . Each outlet 60 has an elongated rectangular shape. The four outlets 60 are arranged such that the longitudinal directions of two adjacent outlets 60 are perpendicular to each other. That is, the four outlets 60 are arranged along the circumferential direction so as to form a rectangular shape in plan view. Therefore, the directions of the air blown out from the four outlets 60 are set in four directions. Furthermore, the indoor unit 1 has a wind direction control plate 62 provided at the air outlet 60 . The orientation of the wind direction control plate 62 is controlled by the system controller 8 . Also, the wind velocity (air volume) of the air blown out from each outlet 60 is controlled by the system controller 8 .

The wind direction control plate 62 has a vertical wind direction plate 62a for adjusting the vertical wind direction and a horizontal wind direction plate 62b for adjusting the horizontal wind direction. The horizontal direction here means the longitudinal direction (width direction) of each outlet 60 . The vertical wind direction plate 62a adjusts the vertical wind direction of the air blown out from the blower outlet 60. As shown in FIG. Further, the left/right wind direction plate 62b adjusts the left/right wind direction of the air blown out from the outlet 60. As shown in FIG. The left/right wind direction plate 62b is composed of a plurality of vanes 62bb. The wind direction control plate 62 provided at each outlet 19 can operate independently under the control of the system controller 8 .

When the air conditioning system 100 is operating in the "normal operation mode", each setting such as the wind speed (air volume), wind direction, and set temperature of each indoor unit 1 is a value specified by the user or a default value. This value is automatically set by

[Modification of Embodiment 1]
<Modified example of the operation of the life-sustaining operation unit>
In the above description, as an operation during the life-prolonging operation mode, an example of lowering the driving frequency of the motor 11a of the indoor unit 1 set to the life-prolonging operation unit has been described. However, the following operation may be performed without being limited to this case.
- The life-prolonging operation unit makes the wind speed (or air volume) smaller than the wind speed (or air volume) in the normal operation mode.
・The vertical and horizontal wind directions of the life-prolonging operation unit may be the same as those in the normal operation mode.
・The set temperature for the extended-life operation unit during cooling is set higher than in the normal operation mode. In addition, the life-prolonging operation unit sets the set temperature during heating to be lower than the value for the normal operation mode.
・The life-prolonging operation unit operates intermittently.

<Modified example of the operation of the support operation unit>
In the above description, as an operation during the life-prolonging operation mode, increasing the drive frequency of the motor 11a of the indoor unit 1 set to the support operation unit has been described as an example. However, the following operation may be performed without being limited to this case.
- The support operation unit makes the wind speed (or air volume) larger than the wind speed (or air volume) in the normal operation mode.
・ Change the vertical and horizontal wind directions of the support operation unit so that it reaches the air conditioning target area of the life-prolonging operation unit. That is, the wind direction is changed so that the air can be blown toward both the air conditioning target area of the support operation unit itself and the air conditioning target area of the life-prolonging operation unit. Alternatively, set the wind direction to swing.
・For the support operation unit, the set temperature during cooling is set lower than in the normal operation mode. Also, the support operation unit sets the temperature setting during heating higher than that in the normal operation mode.

<Modified Example of Notification Unit 88>
Further, as shown in FIG. 22 , the notification unit 88 of the indoor unit 1 may have a display panel 63 . The display panel 63 is provided with an operation lamp 63a, a life extension operation lamp 63b, a support operation lamp 63c, and the like. The display panel 63 is provided on the bottom panel 64 of the housing of the indoor unit 1 . The operation lamp 63a is lit when the air conditioning system 100 is in the ON state, and is extinguished when the air conditioning system 100 is in the OFF state. The life-prolonging operation lamp 63b lights up when the indoor unit 1 is set to the life-prolonging operation unit. That is, the life-prolonging operation lamp 63b lights to notify the user that the indoor unit 1 has been set to the life-prolonging operation unit. The support operation lamp 63c lights up when the indoor unit 1 is set to the support operation unit. That is, the support operation lamp 63c lights up to notify the user that the indoor unit 1 has been set as the support operation unit. When the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the indoor unit 1 set to the life-prolonging operation unit is replaced, the worker who performed the replacement operates a reset button (not shown) installed inside the indoor unit 1. By this operation, the life-prolonging operation lamp 63b and the support operation lamp 63c are turned off. In this way, the notification unit 88 has the display panel 63, and the lamp provided on the display panel 63 may notify the user that the air conditioning system 100 has transitioned to the life-prolonging operation mode. .

[Effect of Embodiment 1]
As described above, in Embodiment 1, when there is an indoor unit 1 in which the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a is equal to or less than the first threshold, the system controller 8, which is a control unit, causes the indoor unit 1 to perform "life extension operation." unit”. In addition, the system controller 8 sets the other indoor units 1 arranged around the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" to the "support operation unit". Then, the operability of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-prolonging operation unit" is suppressed, and the operability of the "support operation unit" is increased. As a result, it is possible to extend the life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a of the indoor unit 1 set to the "life-extending operation unit" while maintaining the comfort of the indoor space 13a.

Further, in the first embodiment, the system controller 8 uses the indicators (1) to (3) described above to determine the degree of life-prolonging operation of the "life-prolonging operation unit" and the degree of support fate of the "supporting operation unit." determine the rank shown. Based on the determined rank, the system controller 8 determines the extent of reduction in the drive frequency of the motor 11a of the "life-prolonging operation unit". Similarly, the system controller 8 determines the increase width of the drive frequency of the motor 11a of the "support operation unit" based on the determined rank. As a result, it is possible to determine the range of decrease and the range of increase to appropriate values that match the usage environment of the air conditioning system 100 .

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the notification unit 88 generates different notifications according to the length of the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor 24a, and in a stepwise manner, a plurality of times, to the user 36, etc. to guide the replacement of This allows the user 36 to have the option of selecting the timing of replacement of the electrolytic capacitor 24a. Moreover, replacement of the electrolytic capacitor 24a can be encouraged before the electrolytic capacitor 24a fails.

Further, in Embodiment 1, based on the determination result of the power imbalance determination unit 814,
Ripple current calculator 815 selects the calculation formula used for calculating the ripple current value from the above formulas (10) and (11). This improves the accuracy of the ripple current value.

Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the ripple current calculation unit 815 corrects the calculated ripple current value using the correction coefficients α and β calculated by the correction coefficient calculation unit 811 . Therefore, the accuracy of the ripple current value is further improved.

1 Indoor unit, 2 Outdoor unit, 3 Compressor, 4 Four-way valve, 5 Refrigerant piping, 6 Outdoor heat exchanger, 7 Expansion device, 8 System controller, 8a Storage unit, 9 Outdoor fan, 9a Motor, 9b Wing part, 10 Indoor heat exchanger, 11 Indoor fan, 11a Motor, 11b Wing, 12 Relay unit, 13 Building, 13a Indoor space, 13b Ceiling, 13c Floor, 14 Wall, 20 AC power supply, 20A DC power supply, 21 Power converter, 21A power converter, 22 rectifier, 23 reactor, 24 DC link, 24a electrolytic capacitor, 25 inverter, 25a upper arm switching element, 25b lower arm switching element, 25c freewheeling diode, 26 drive circuit, 27 inverter control unit, 28 Rectangular frame, 29 Voltage waveform, 29a Pulsation component, 30 Communication network, 31 Facility management company, 32 Maintenance company, 33 Cloud, 34 Remote controller, 34a Controller, 35 Mobile terminal, 35a Display screen, 36 User, 37 Base station, 40 first voltage sensor, 41 first current sensor, 42 second voltage sensor, 45 outside air temperature sensor, 46 intake air temperature sensor, 50 solid line, 51 dotted line, 52 dashed line, 53 data table, 60 outlet, 61 inlet, 62 Wind direction control plate, 62a Vertical wind direction plate, 62b Left and right wind direction plate, 62bb Vane, 63 Display panel, 63a Operation lamp, 63b Life extension operation lamp, 63c Support operation lamp, 64 Bottom panel, 81 Condenser remaining life estimator, 82 Life extension operation mode Judgment unit, 83 Indoor temperature detection unit, 84 Condenser ambient temperature detection unit, 85 Target range detection unit, 86 Rank determination unit, 87 Life extension operation control unit, 88 Notification unit, 91 Indoor control unit, 92 Outdoor control unit, 100 Air conditioning system , 100A air conditioning system, 810 parameter acquisition unit, 810a power unbalance rate detection unit, 810b input power detection unit, 810c power supply impedance detection unit, 810d power supply voltage detection unit, 811 correction coefficient calculation unit, 812 power supply frequency detection unit, 813 ripple Voltage detection unit, 814 power unbalance determination unit, 815 ripple current calculation unit, 816 operating time calculation unit, 817 life estimation unit, A parameter, B parameter, C parameter, D parameter, F output power factor, Ic ripple current value, Ic* Actual ripple current value, Iout output current, L system inductor Power module loss, N Negative bus, P Positive bus, Pin Input power, Pout Output power, R System resistance, R1 Resistance component, T Period, Ta Ambient temperature, Tx Core temperature, Uave Average value, Umax Maximum value, Umin minimum value, Vdc DC voltage, Vout output voltage, X reactance component, f power supply frequency, ΔT rise value, ΔV ripple voltage.

Claims

outdoor unit and
two or more indoor units installed in an indoor space and connected to the outdoor unit via refrigerant pipes;
a control unit that controls the operation of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit;
with
Each of the indoor units
an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air;
an indoor fan that has a motor and blades and blows the air toward the indoor heat exchanger;
a rectifier that rectifies an AC voltage output from an AC power supply;
an electrolytic capacitor that smoothes the DC voltage output from the rectifying unit;
an inverter unit that converts the DC voltage smoothed by the electrolytic capacitor into an AC voltage and outputs the AC voltage to the motor;
has
The control unit
Each indoor unit has a capacitor remaining life estimating unit that calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor based on the power supply frequency of the AC power supply and the ripple voltage included in the DC voltage output from the electrolytic capacitor. ,
At least one other unit that selects an indoor unit to be set as a life-extending operation unit based on the remaining life, and is placed in a range or position where air can be blown to an air-conditioning target area of the indoor unit set as the life-extending operation unit. Set the indoor unit of as a support operation unit,
reducing the operability of the indoor unit set to the life-prolonging operation unit and increasing the operability of the indoor unit set to the support operation unit;
air conditioning system.
The control unit
Life-extending operation mode determination for setting the indoor unit having the remaining life equal to or less than a first threshold calculated by the capacitor remaining life estimating unit as the life-extending operation unit, and changing the operation mode of the air conditioning system from the normal operation mode to the life-extending operation mode. have a part
The air conditioning system of Claim 1.
The control unit
reducing the driving frequency of the motor of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit from the value in the normal operation mode,
increasing the drive frequency of the motor of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit from the value in the normal operation mode;
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2.
The control unit
a rank determining unit that determines a rank indicating the degree of life-sustaining operation in the life-sustaining operation unit;
The rank determination unit determines the absolute value of the difference between the indoor temperature of the indoor space and the set temperature, the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, and the range of the air-conditioned area of the indoor unit set in the life-extending operation unit. determining the rank based on at least one metric of
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1-3.
The control unit
Based on the rank determined by the rank determination unit, determining a decrease width for decreasing the drive frequency of the motor of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit;
Based on the rank determined by the rank determination unit, determining an increase width for increasing the drive frequency of the motor of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit;
An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 4 when dependent from Claim 3.
A notification unit that outputs a notification when the control unit sets at least one of the indoor units to a life-extending operation unit,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1-5.
The notification unit generates different notifications according to the length of remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor calculated by the remaining capacitor life estimation unit,
outputting the notification multiple times in stages;
The air conditioning system of claim 6.
The capacitor remaining life estimating unit,
a ripple voltage detection unit that detects a ripple voltage included in the DC voltage output by the electrolytic capacitor;
a power frequency detection unit that detects the power frequency of the AC power supply;
a ripple current calculator that calculates the ripple current of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple voltage and the power supply frequency;
a life estimating unit that calculates the core temperature of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple current and the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, and calculates the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor based on the core temperature. ,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1-6.
The capacitor remaining life estimating unit,
a power source imbalance determination unit that determines whether or not there is an imbalance in the AC power source;
The ripple current calculator,
a first calculation formula for calculating the ripple current of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple voltage and the power supply frequency when the AC power supply does not have the unbalance;
a second calculation formula for calculating the ripple current of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple voltage and the power supply frequency when the AC power supply has the unbalance;
and
The ripple current calculation unit calculates the ripple current of the electrolytic capacitor using one of the first calculation formula and the second calculation formula based on the determination result of the power imbalance determination unit.
An air conditioning system according to claim 8 .
The capacitor remaining life estimating unit,
a parameter acquisition unit that acquires the value of at least one parameter among a power supply unbalance rate of the AC power supply, input power input to the inverter unit, power supply impedance of the AC power supply, and power supply voltage of the AC power supply; ,
a correction coefficient calculation unit that calculates a correction coefficient for correcting the ripple current calculated by the ripple current calculation unit based on the parameter value obtained by the parameter obtaining unit;
has
The ripple current calculation unit corrects the ripple current by multiplying the calculated ripple current by the correction coefficient.
An air conditioning system according to claim 8 or 9.
The capacitor remaining life estimating unit,
an operating time calculation unit that calculates the operating time of the electrolytic capacitor,
The life estimator,
calculating the core temperature of the electrolytic capacitor based on the ripple current and the ambient temperature of the electrolytic capacitor, and calculating the remaining life of the electrolytic capacitor based on the core temperature and the operating time;
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 8-10.
The notification unit has a display panel provided for each of the indoor units,
The display panel is
a life-prolonged operation lamp that lights when the corresponding indoor unit is set to a life-prolonged operation unit;
a support operation lamp that lights when the corresponding indoor unit is set as a support operation unit;
having
The air conditioning system of claim 6.
The control unit
reducing the wind speed or air volume of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit from the value in the normal operation mode,
increasing the wind speed or air volume of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit from the value in the normal operation mode;
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2.
The control unit
The wind direction of the indoor fan of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit is adjusted to the air conditioning target area of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit and the air conditioning target area of the indoor unit set in the life extension operation unit. set towards
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2.
The control unit
Acquiring the ambient temperature of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit,
determining whether the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is within a first range;
when the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is within the first range, continuing the current operation of the indoor unit set to the life-prolonging operation unit and the indoor unit set to the support operation unit;
increasing the operability of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit when the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is not within the first range;
Air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1-14.
The life-extending operation mode of the air conditioning system includes, as operation plans, a comfort-prioritizing plan that prioritizes the comfort of the indoor space, and a life-extending operation that prioritizes extending the life of the electrolytic capacitor of the indoor unit set in the life-extending operation unit. have a preferred plan,
The control unit
When the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is not within the first range,
determining whether the operation capability of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit can be increased;
if the operability of the indoor unit set to the support operation unit can be increased, increasing the operability of the indoor unit set to the support operation unit;
If it is not possible to increase the operation capacity of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit,
when the operation plan is the comfort priority plan, increasing the operation capability of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit;
When the operation plan is the life extension priority plan, continuing the current operation of the indoor unit set to the life extension operation unit and the indoor unit set to the support operation unit;
16. The air conditioning system of claim 15.
The life-extending operation mode of the air conditioning system includes, as operation plans, a comfort-prioritizing plan that prioritizes the comfort of the indoor space, and a life-extending operation that prioritizes extending the life of the electrolytic capacitor of the indoor unit set in the life-extending operation unit. have a preferred plan,
The control unit
When the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is not within the first range,
determining whether the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is within a second range that includes the first range and is wider than the first range;
increasing the operating capacity of the indoor unit set in the support operation unit when the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is within the second range;
when the ambient temperature of the indoor unit is not within the second range,
when the operation plan is the comfort priority plan, increasing the operation capability of the indoor unit set in the life-prolonging operation unit;
When the operation plan is the life extension priority plan, continuing the current operation of the indoor unit set to the life extension operation unit and the indoor unit set to the support operation unit;
17. Air conditioning system according to claim 15 or 16.