WO2023181324A1

WO2023181324A1 - Air conditioning control device, air conditioning system, air conditioning control method, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2023181324A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/014245
Authority: WO
Inventors: 翔平井
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2022-03-25
Filing date: 2022-03-25
Publication date: 2023-09-28

Abstract

This air conditioning control device (2) comprises an air conditioning load acquisition unit (201) and an evaporation temperature determination unit (202). The air conditioning load acquisition unit (201) acquires an air conditioning load of a space being air-conditioned. The evaporation temperature determination unit (202) determines the evaporation temperature of each of a plurality of air conditioners (3), which are for air-conditioning the space being air-conditioned, on the basis of the air conditioning load acquired by the air conditioning load acquisition unit (201) and the operation characteristics of each of the plurality of air conditioners (3), the operation characteristics having been stored in an operation characteristic data storage unit (241). This makes it possible to improve energy-saving properties without compromising the comfort of a user.

Description

Air conditioning control device, air conditioning system, air conditioning control method and program

The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART Air conditioning systems configured to air condition a single space using multiple air conditioners in buildings, stores, etc. are well known, and various proposals have been made in the past. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioning system that aims to promptly process latent heat in a room while preventing the temperature in the room from becoming excessively low.

The air conditioning system described in Patent Document 1 has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, each of which individually performs a refrigeration cycle, and has a plurality of air conditioners that target the same room, and a plurality of air conditioners. a first operation in which the indoor units of all the air conditioners are controlled to cool the air to below the dew point temperature; and a first operation in which the indoor units of the at least one air conditioner are controlled to cool the air to is configured to be able to perform a second operation in which the indoor unit of the other air conditioner is controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew point temperature at the same time as the indoor unit of the other air conditioner is controlled to cool the air to a temperature higher than the dew point temperature. .

In the second operation, some air conditioners preferentially process the latent heat of the air, and at the same time, other air conditioners process the sensible heat of the air. In this case, the control device determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner based on the current air temperature and air humidity, and the target temperature and target humidity (ie, based on the current air conditioning load).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-194291

By the way, in an air conditioning system that uses multiple air conditioners to condition the air in one room, not all of the air conditioners are of the same model, and it is not uncommon for air conditioners to include air conditioners of different models. Generally, different models have different operating characteristics, so a method that simply determines the evaporation temperature based on the air conditioning load has a problem in that it is difficult to optimize energy savings.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program that can improve energy saving without impairing user comfort. purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioning control device according to the present disclosure includes:
An air conditioning control device that controls multiple air conditioners that air condition the same air-conditioned space,
Air conditioning load acquisition means for acquiring the air conditioning load of the air conditioning target space;
The air conditioner includes an evaporation temperature determining unit that determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners based on the air conditioning load and the operating characteristics of each of the plurality of air conditioners.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve energy saving without impairing user comfort.

A diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in Embodiment 1 Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the air conditioning control device in Embodiment 1 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device in Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of driving characteristic data in Embodiment 1 Flowchart showing the procedure of air conditioning control processing in Embodiment 1 A diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in Embodiment 2 A diagram showing an example of an installation mode of a human sensor in Embodiment 2 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning control device in Embodiment 2 A diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in Embodiment 3 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning control device in Embodiment 3 A diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system in Embodiment 4 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of an air conditioning control device in Embodiment 4 A diagram showing a display example of a notification screen in Embodiment 4

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system 1 in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Air conditioning system 1 is an example of an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1 is a system that performs air conditioning for buildings such as buildings and stores, and includes an air conditioning control device 2 and two or more air conditioners 3.

<Air conditioning control device 2>
The air conditioning control device 2 is an example of an air conditioning control device according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning control device 2 is a computer that controls each air conditioner 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioning control device 2 includes a communication interface 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, and an auxiliary storage device 24. Equipped with These components are interconnected via a bus 25.

The communication interface 20 is hardware for communicating with each air conditioner 3 by wire or wirelessly. The CPU 21 controls the air conditioning control device 2 in an integrated manner. Details of the functions of the air conditioning control device 2 realized by the CPU 21 will be described later. The ROM 22 stores a plurality of firmwares and data used when executing these firmwares. RAM23 is used as a work area for CPU21.

The auxiliary storage device 24 is composed of a readable and writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and the like. Examples of the readable and writable nonvolatile semiconductor memory include EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) and flash memory. The auxiliary storage device 24 stores various programs including programs for controlling each air conditioner 3 (hereinafter referred to as "air conditioning control program"), and data used when executing these programs.

The air conditioning control device 2 can acquire the above air conditioning control program or an update program for updating the air conditioning control program from another device through communication. In addition, these programs are compatible with CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), magneto-optical discs, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories, HDDs, SSDs (Solid State Drives), memory cards, etc. It is also possible to store and distribute it on a computer-readable recording medium. When such a recording medium is directly or indirectly attached to the air conditioning control device 2, it is also possible to read and import the air conditioning control program or update program from the recording medium.

<Air conditioner 3>
Each air conditioner 3 is an example of an air conditioner according to the present disclosure. Each air conditioner 3 is communicably connected to the air conditioning control device 2 by wire or wirelessly, and performs air conditioning on the floor F, which is an example of an air conditioning target space according to the present disclosure, according to commands from the air conditioning control device 2. Although not shown, each air conditioner 3 includes a ceiling-embedded indoor unit installed on the floor F and an outdoor unit installed outdoors. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are communicably connected via a communication line (not shown), and are also connected via a refrigerant pipe (not shown) for circulating refrigerant.

<Functional configuration of air conditioning control device 2>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioning control device 2 includes an operating state data acquisition section 200, an air conditioning load acquisition section 201, an evaporation temperature determination section 202, and an operation command section 203. These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 executing the above-mentioned air conditioning control program stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

The operating state data acquisition unit 200 periodically obtains operating state data from each air conditioner 3. Specifically, the operating state data acquisition unit 200 requests operating state data from each air conditioner 3 periodically (for example, every minute). Upon receiving such a request, each air conditioner 3 transmits operating state data including the current date and time and its own operating state to the air conditioning control device 2. The operating state includes suction temperature, suction humidity, fan air volume, etc. The suction temperature is the temperature of air sucked in by the indoor unit of the air conditioner 3, and is measured by a temperature sensor included in the indoor unit. The suction humidity is the humidity of the air sucked by the indoor unit of the air conditioner 3, and is measured by a humidity sensor included in the indoor unit. The fan air volume indicates the current air volume of the fan included in the indoor unit of the air conditioner 3.

The operating state data acquisition unit 200 receives and acquires the operating state data sent from each air conditioner 3, separates the obtained operating state data of each air conditioner 3 in chronological order for each air conditioner 3, and obtains the operating state. The data is stored in the data storage unit 240. That is, the operating state data storage unit 240 stores a history of operating state data for each air conditioner 3. The operating state data storage unit 240 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

The air conditioning load acquisition unit 201 is an example of an air conditioning load acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning load acquisition unit 201 acquires the air conditioning load on the floor F, which is the air conditioning target space. Specifically, the air conditioning load acquisition unit 201 calculates the sensible heat load (kW) and latent heat on the floor F based on the suction temperature and suction humidity measured by each air conditioner 3 and the set temperature and set humidity of the floor F. The load (kW) is calculated and obtained. Note that the air conditioning load acquisition unit 201 may calculate the air conditioning load by further taking into account the state of the outside air, the specification information of the building, and the like. The building specification information includes, for example, the area of the floor F, the floor plan, the height of the room, the airtightness of the door, the insulation specifications of the walls and windows, and the like.

The evaporation temperature determination unit 202 is an example of evaporation temperature determination means according to the present disclosure. The evaporation temperature determination unit 202 determines the evaporation temperature during operation of each air conditioner 3 based on the air conditioning load on the floor F acquired by the air conditioning load acquisition unit 201 and the operating characteristics of each air conditioner 3. Specifically, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202 determines whether each air conditioner 3 Determine the evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit. The driving characteristics data storage unit 241 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24, and is an example of driving characteristics data storage means according to the present disclosure.

The operating characteristic data is data indicating the operating characteristics of each air conditioner 3, and more specifically, it is data indicating the relationship between the evaporation temperature, air conditioning capacity, and power consumption in each air conditioner 3. FIG. 4 shows an example of driving characteristic data in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the operating characteristic data of this example includes the calculation formula for evaporation temperature (°C) and sensible heat capacity (kW), the calculation formula for latent heat capacity (kW), and the power consumption (kW) for each air conditioner 3. ) is the data linked to the calculation formula. The formula for calculating the sensible heat capacity is a formula corresponding to the air conditioner 3 and the evaporation temperature, and is a formula using the suction temperature (t _s ) and the fan air volume ( _va ) as parameters. The calculation formula for the latent heat capacity is a formula corresponding to the air conditioner 3 and the evaporation temperature, and is a formula using the suction humidity (h _s ) and the fan air volume ( _va ) as parameters. The power consumption calculation formula is a formula corresponding to the air conditioner 3 and the evaporation temperature, and is a formula using the calculated sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity as parameters.

The evaporation temperature determination unit 202 refers to the operating characteristic data and determines the sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity for each evaporation temperature based on the latest suction temperature, latest suction humidity, and latest fan air volume for each air conditioner 3. and calculate power consumption. Next, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202 determines that the sum of the sensible heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is higher than the sensible heat load of the floor F based on the calculated sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity for each evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3. All combinations of the evaporation temperatures of the air conditioners 3 that are large and in which the sum of the latent heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is larger than the latent heat load of the floor F are extracted. Then, the evaporation temperature determination unit 202 determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among all the extracted combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3.

The operation command unit 203 instructs each air conditioner 3 to operate at the evaporation temperature determined by the evaporation temperature determination unit 202. Specifically, the operation command unit 203 generates a control command for instructing operation at the evaporation temperature determined by the evaporation temperature determination unit 202, and transmits it to each air conditioner 3.

<Air conditioning control processing>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of air conditioning control processing executed by the air conditioning control device 2. As shown in FIG. When the user performs an operation to instruct cooling operation or dehumidification operation in the energy saving mode via a remote controller (not shown) installed at the entrance/exit of floor F, the air conditioning control device 2 periodically (for example, every minute) The following air conditioning control process is executed.

(Step S100)
The air conditioning control device 2 acquires operating state data from each air conditioner 3. After that, the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S101.

(Step S101)
The air conditioning control device 2 determines whether a certain period of time (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed since the previous determination of the evaporation temperature for each air conditioner 3. If a certain period of time has not passed since the previous determination of the evaporation temperature (step S101; NO), the air conditioning control device 2 ends the air conditioning control process in this cycle. On the other hand, if a certain period of time has passed since the previous determination of the evaporation temperature (step S101; YES), the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S102.

(Step S102)
The air conditioning control device 2 acquires the air conditioning load of the floor F, which is the space to be air conditioned, that is, the sensible heat load and the latent heat load. After that, the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S103.

(Step S103)
The air conditioning control device 2 calculates the sensible heat capacity, latent heat capacity, and power consumption for each evaporation temperature for each air conditioner 3 based on the latest suction temperature, the latest suction humidity, and the latest fan air volume. After that, the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S104.

(Step S104)
Based on the sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity for each evaporation temperature in each air conditioner 3, the air conditioning control device 2 determines that the sum of the sensible heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is greater than the sensible heat load of the floor F, and that all the air conditioners All combinations of evaporation temperatures of the air conditioners 3 in which the total value of the latent heat capacity of the machines 3 is larger than the latent heat load of the floor F are extracted. After that, the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S105.

(Step S105)
The air conditioning control device 2 determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among all extracted combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3. After that, the process of the air conditioning control device 2 transitions to step S106.

(Step S106)
The air conditioning control device 2 instructs each air conditioner 3 to operate at the determined evaporation temperature. After that, the air conditioning control device 2 ends the air conditioning control process in this cycle.

As explained above, in the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air conditioning control device 2 calculates the air conditioning load (i.e., sensible heat load and latent heat load) of the floor F, which is the space to be air conditioned, and the operating characteristic data storage unit 241. The evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined based on the operating characteristic data stored in the . At this time, the air conditioning control device 2 determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among the combinations of evaporation temperatures that provide an air conditioning capacity greater than the air conditioning load on the floor F. . Therefore, it is possible to improve energy saving without impairing user comfort.

(Modified example)
All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 3) of the air conditioning control device 2 may be realized by dedicated hardware. The dedicated hardware is, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that in the following description, the same components and the like as those in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system 1A in Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1A is an example of an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1A is a system that performs air conditioning for buildings such as buildings and stores, and includes an air conditioning control device 2A, two or more air conditioners 3, and two or more human sensors 4.

<Air conditioning control device 2A>
The air conditioning control device 2A is an example of an air conditioning control device according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning control device 2A is a computer that controls each air conditioner 3. The hardware configuration of the air conditioning control device 2A is the same as that of the air conditioning control device 2 of Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the air conditioning control device 2A will be described later.

<Human sensor 4>
The human sensors 4 are sensors that detect people using infrared rays, visible light, sound waves, sound, etc., and are installed so as to be scattered on the ceiling of the floor F. As shown in FIG. 7, the human sensor 4 is installed at a position close to the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3. The human sensor 4 is communicably connected to the air conditioning control device 2A by wire or wirelessly, and periodically transmits detection data including human detection results to the air conditioning control device 2A. Note that the number and location of the human sensors 4 to be installed are arbitrary design matters.

<Functional configuration of air conditioning control device 2A>
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 2A. As shown in FIG. 8, the air conditioning control device 2A includes an operating state data acquisition section 200, an air conditioning load acquisition section 201, an evaporation temperature determination section 202A, an operation command section 203, and a user position information acquisition section 204. . These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 included in the air conditioning control device 2A executing an air conditioning control program, which is a program for controlling each air conditioner 3, stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

The user location information acquisition unit 204 is an example of user location information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The user position information acquisition unit 204 receives the detection data sent from each human sensor 4, and acquires user position information indicating the user's position on the floor F based on each received detection data. The user location information acquisition unit 204 adds the current time to the acquired user location information, sorts it in chronological order, and stores it in the user location information storage unit 242. That is, the user location information storage section 242 stores a history of user location information. The user position information storage unit 242 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

The evaporation temperature determination unit 202A is an example of evaporation temperature determination means according to the present disclosure. The evaporation temperature determining unit 202A determines the air conditioning load (that is, sensible heat load and latent heat load) on the floor F, the operating characteristic data stored in the operating characteristic data storage unit 241, and the user information stored in the user position information storage unit 242. Based on the position information, the evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined.

First, the evaporation temperature determination unit 202A calculates the sensible heat capacity, latent heat capacity, and power consumption for each evaporation temperature based on the latest suction temperature, latest suction humidity, and latest fan air volume for each air conditioner 3. . Next, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202A determines that the sum of the sensible heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is higher than the sensible heat load of the floor F based on the calculated sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity for each evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3. All combinations of the evaporation temperatures of the air conditioners 3 that are large and in which the sum of the latent heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is larger than the latent heat load of the floor F are extracted.

Subsequently, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202A obtains the number of users in each area where the floor F is divided into a plurality of areas based on the user position information stored in the user position information storage unit 242. Information regarding the floor plan of the floor F is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 24. The evaporation temperature determining unit 202A determines that the evaporation temperature of the air conditioner 3 corresponding to an area where the number of users is greater than or equal to a predetermined number is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature among all extracted combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3. Select a combination that will. Information regarding the installation position of each air conditioner 3 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 24. Then, the evaporation temperature determination unit 202A determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among all the selected combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3.

As described above, in the air conditioning system 1A according to the present embodiment, the air conditioning control device 2A calculates the air conditioning load (i.e., sensible heat load and latent heat load) of the floor F, which is the space to be air conditioned, and the operating characteristic data storage unit 241. The evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined based on the operating characteristic data stored in , and the user position information stored in the user position information storage unit 242 . At this time, the air conditioning control device 2A determines in advance that among the combinations of evaporation temperatures that result in an air conditioning capacity greater than the air conditioning load on the floor F, the evaporation temperature of the air conditioner 3 corresponding to the area where the number of users is greater than or equal to the predetermined number is determined in advance. Select a combination that will result in a temperature higher than the specified temperature. Then, the air conditioning control device 2A determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among the selected combinations.

Therefore, while ensuring overall energy savings, it is possible to alleviate the discomfort caused by low-temperature air blowing out from the indoor unit with a low evaporation temperature, and improve user comfort.

(Modification 1)
The evaporation temperature determination unit 202A selects a combination of evaporation temperatures that results in a lower evaporation temperature of the air conditioner 3 corresponding to an area with a smaller number of users from among the combinations of evaporation temperatures that result in an air conditioning capacity greater than the air conditioning load on the floor F. However, the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 may be determined by selecting a combination that minimizes power consumption from among the selected combinations.

(Modification 2)
The method of acquiring user position information by the user position information acquisition unit 204 is an arbitrary design matter. For example, multiple transmitters are installed scattered on floor F, and a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or smartphone owned by each user detects the user's position based on wireless communication with each transmitter. , data indicating the detected results may be transmitted to the air conditioning control device 2A, and the user position information acquisition unit 204 may acquire user position information based on data from each mobile terminal. Alternatively, the seating chart data may be input in advance to the air conditioning control device 2A by the operator, and the user position information acquisition unit 204 may obtain the user position information based on the seating chart data.

(Modification 3)
All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 8) of the air conditioning control device 2A may be realized by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware can be, for example, a single circuit, a complex circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

The technical ideas related to each of the above-mentioned modifications may be realized individually, or may be realized in combination as appropriate.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure will be described. Note that in the following description, the same components and the like as those in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system 1B in Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. Air conditioning system 1B is an example of an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1B is a system that performs air conditioning for buildings such as buildings and stores, and includes an air conditioning control device 2B, two or more air conditioners 3, and two or more temperature sensors 5.

<Air conditioning control device 2B>
The air conditioning control device 2B is an example of an air conditioning control device according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning control device 2B is a computer that controls each air conditioner 3. The hardware configuration of the air conditioning control device 2B is the same as that of the air conditioning control device 2 of Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the air conditioning control device 2B will be described later.

<Temperature sensor 5>
The temperature sensors 5 are installed scattered on the floor F, which is an air-conditioned space, and periodically measure the air temperature of the installed space. The temperature sensor 5 is communicably connected to the air conditioning control device 2B by wire or wirelessly, and transmits temperature data in which the measured air temperature is stored to the air conditioning control device 2B.

<Functional configuration of air conditioning control device 2B>
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 2B. As shown in FIG. 10, the air conditioning control device 2B includes an operating state data acquisition section 200, an air conditioning load acquisition section 201, an evaporation temperature determination section 202B, an operation command section 203, and a temperature distribution information acquisition section 205. . These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 included in the air conditioning control device 2B executing an air conditioning control program, which is a program for controlling each air conditioner 3, stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

The temperature distribution information acquisition unit 205 is an example of temperature distribution information acquisition means according to the present disclosure. The temperature distribution information acquisition unit 205 acquires temperature distribution information indicating the distribution of air temperature in the floor F, which is the air-conditioned space, based on the temperature data sent from each temperature sensor 5. The temperature distribution information includes the air temperature of each area where the floor F is divided into a plurality of areas. Information regarding the floor plan of the floor F is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 24. The temperature distribution information acquisition unit 205 stores the acquired temperature distribution information in the temperature distribution information storage unit 243. The temperature distribution information storage unit 243 is a memory area provided by the auxiliary storage device 24.

The evaporation temperature determination unit 202B is an example of evaporation temperature determination means according to the present disclosure. The evaporation temperature determining unit 202B calculates the air conditioning load (that is, the sensible heat load and the latent heat load) on the floor F, the operating characteristic data stored in the operating characteristic data storage unit 241, and the temperature stored in the temperature distribution information storage unit 243. Based on the distribution information, the evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined.

First, the evaporation temperature determination unit 202B calculates the sensible heat capacity, latent heat capacity, and power consumption for each evaporation temperature based on the latest suction temperature, latest suction humidity, and latest fan air volume for each air conditioner 3. . Next, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202B determines that the sum of the sensible heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is higher than the sensible heat load of the floor F based on the calculated sensible heat capacity and latent heat capacity for each evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3. All combinations of the evaporation temperatures of the air conditioners 3 that are large and in which the sum of the latent heat capacities of all the air conditioners 3 is larger than the latent heat load of the floor F are extracted.

Subsequently, the evaporation temperature determination unit 202B reads and acquires the temperature distribution information stored in the temperature distribution information storage unit 243. The evaporation temperature determining unit 202B determines that the evaporation temperature of the air conditioner 3 corresponding to an area where the air temperature is higher than other areas corresponds to the other area from among all extracted combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3. A combination is selected such that the evaporation temperature is lower than that of other air conditioners 3. Information regarding the installation position of each air conditioner 3 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 24. Then, the evaporation temperature determining unit 202B determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among all the selected combinations of evaporation temperatures of each air conditioner 3.

As explained above, in the air conditioning system 1B according to the present embodiment, the air conditioning control device 2B calculates the air conditioning load (i.e., sensible heat load and latent heat load) of the floor F, which is the space to be air conditioned, and the operating characteristic data storage unit 241. The evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined based on the operating characteristic data stored in , and the temperature distribution information stored in the temperature distribution information storage section 243 . At this time, the air conditioning control device 2B determines that the evaporation temperature of the air conditioner 3 corresponding to the area where the air temperature is higher than that of other areas among the combinations of evaporation temperatures that result in an air conditioning capacity greater than the air conditioning load of the floor F is A combination is selected such that the evaporation temperature is lower than the evaporation temperature of other air conditioners 3 corresponding to the area. Then, the air conditioning control device 2B determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among the selected combinations.

(Modification 1)
The temperature distribution information may be generated in advance by airflow analysis on the floor F and stored in the temperature distribution information storage section 243. Alternatively, the temperature distribution information acquisition unit 205 may receive the user's location and the user's thermal sensation report (hot, cold, comfortable, etc.) transmitted from a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or smartphone owned by each user. Temperature distribution information may be acquired based on the included data.

(Modification 2)
All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 10) of the air conditioning control device 2B may be realized by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware can be, for example, a single circuit, a complex circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that in the following description, the same components and the like as those in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an air conditioning system 1C in Embodiment 4 of the present disclosure. Air conditioning system 1C is an example of an air conditioning system according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning system 1C is a system that performs air conditioning for buildings such as buildings and stores, and includes an air conditioning control device 2C, two or more air conditioners 3, and a terminal device 6.

<Air conditioning control device 2C>
The air conditioning control device 2C is an example of an air conditioning control device according to the present disclosure. The air conditioning control device 2C is a computer that controls each air conditioner 3. The hardware configuration of the air conditioning control device 2C is the same as that of the air conditioning control device 2 of Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 2). Details of the functions of the air conditioning control device 2C will be described later.

<Terminal device 6>
The terminal device 6 is a computer equipped with a display including a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. It is installed in a location where it is easy to check the displayed information. The terminal device 6 is communicably connected to the air conditioning control device 2C by wire or wirelessly, and displays information transmitted from the air conditioning control device 2C.

<Functional configuration of air conditioning control device 2C>
FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air conditioning control device 2C. As shown in FIG. 12, the air conditioning control device 2C includes an operating state data acquisition section 200, an air conditioning load acquisition section 201, an evaporation temperature determination section 202, an operation command section 203, and a user notification section 206. These functional units are realized by the CPU 21 included in the air conditioning control device 2C executing an air conditioning control program that is a program for controlling each air conditioner 3, which is stored in the auxiliary storage device 24.

The user notification unit 206 is an example of notification means according to the present disclosure. When the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 is determined by the evaporation temperature determination unit 202, the user notification unit 206 provides information to be notified to the user (hereinafter referred to as “user information”) based on the evaporation temperature and installation position of each air conditioner 3. (referred to as "notification information") and transmits it to the terminal device 6. Information regarding the installation position of each air conditioner 3 and information regarding the floor plan of the floor F are stored in the auxiliary storage device 24 in advance. For example, the user notification unit 206 includes an area corresponding to an air conditioner 3 whose evaporation temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined first temperature, and an area corresponding to an air conditioner 3 whose evaporation temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined second temperature (first temperature < second temperature). Screen data indicating the area corresponding to 3 is generated as notification information and transmitted to the terminal device 6. The terminal device 6 that has received the notification information displays a notification screen as shown in FIG. 13.

As explained above, in the air conditioning system 1C according to the present embodiment, the air conditioning control device 2C calculates the air conditioning load (i.e., sensible heat load and latent heat load) of the floor F, which is the air-conditioned space, and the operating characteristic data storage unit 241. The evaporation temperature of the heat exchanger included in the indoor unit of each air conditioner 3 is determined based on the operating characteristic data stored in the . At this time, the air conditioning control device 2 determines the evaporation temperature of each air conditioner 3 by selecting the combination that minimizes power consumption from among the combinations of evaporation temperatures that provide an air conditioning capacity greater than the air conditioning load on the floor F. . Therefore, it is possible to improve energy saving without impairing user comfort.

Further, the air conditioning control device 2C provides information based on the evaporation temperature and installation position of each air conditioner 3, for example, an area corresponding to an air conditioner 3 whose evaporation temperature is a first temperature or lower, and an area where the evaporation temperature is a second temperature (a first temperature). The user is notified via the terminal device 6 of information indicating the area corresponding to the air conditioner 3 where the temperature is equal to or higher than the second temperature. Thereby, the user can easily recognize areas where the air temperature is high and areas where the air temperature is low, and, for example, can move to an area according to his/her preference and perform work. Therefore, user convenience is improved.

(Modification 1)
The user notification unit 206 may notify the user of information based on the evaporation temperature and installation position of each air conditioner 3 by voice via the terminal device 6.

(Modification 2)
The user notification unit 206 may notify the user of information based on the evaporation temperature and installation position of each air conditioner 3 in a predetermined manner via a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a smartphone owned by each user. In addition, if information about each user's sensory characteristics regarding air temperature (for example, sensitivity to heat, sensitivity to cold, etc.) is registered in the air conditioning control device 2C, the user notification unit 206 sends information indicating an area where the user feels comfortable. may be notified to the user via the mobile terminal.

(Modification 3)
All or part of the functional units (see FIG. 12) of the air conditioning control device 2C may be realized by dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware can be, for example, a single circuit, a complex circuit, a programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

Various embodiments and modifications can be made to the present disclosure without departing from its broad spirit and scope. Further, the embodiments described above are for explaining the present disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure can be suitably employed in a system that air-conditions the same air-conditioned space using multiple air conditioners.

1, 1A, 1B, 1C air conditioning system, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C air conditioning control device, 3 air conditioner, 4 human sensor, 5 temperature sensor, 6 terminal device, 20 communication interface, 21 CPU, 22 ROM, 23 RAM , 24 Auxiliary storage device, 25 Bus, 200 Operating status data acquisition unit, 201 Air conditioning load acquisition unit, 202, 202A, 202B Evaporation temperature determination unit, 203 Operation command unit, 204 User position information acquisition unit, 205 Temperature distribution information acquisition unit , 206 User notification section, 240 Operating state data storage section, 241 Operating characteristic data storage section, 242 User position information storage section, 243 Temperature distribution information storage section

Claims

An air conditioning control device that controls multiple air conditioners that air condition the same air-conditioned space,
Air conditioning load acquisition means for acquiring the air conditioning load of the air conditioning target space;
An air conditioning control device comprising: evaporation temperature determining means for determining the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners based on the air conditioning load and the operating characteristics of each of the plurality of air conditioners.
Further comprising an operating characteristic data storage means for storing operating characteristic data indicating a relationship between evaporation temperature, air conditioning capacity, and power consumption for each of the plurality of air conditioners,
The air conditioning control device according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation temperature determining means determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners based on the air conditioning load and the operating characteristic data.
further comprising user position information acquisition means for acquiring user position information indicating the user's position in the air-conditioned space,
The air conditioning control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the evaporation temperature determining means determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners, also taking into account the user position information.
further comprising temperature distribution information acquisition means for acquiring temperature distribution information indicating the distribution of air temperature in the air-conditioned space,
The air conditioning control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the evaporation temperature determining means determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners, also taking into account the temperature distribution information.
5. Any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising notification means for notifying a user of information based on the determined evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners and the installation position of each of the plurality of air conditioners. The air conditioning control device described in .
An air conditioning control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An air conditioning system that includes multiple air conditioners.
The air conditioning load acquisition means acquires the air conditioning load of the space to be air conditioned,
An air conditioning control method, wherein the evaporation temperature determining means determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners based on the air conditioning load and the operating characteristics of each of the plurality of air conditioners that air condition the space to be air conditioned.
computer,
an air conditioning load acquisition means for acquiring an air conditioning load of an air conditioning target space;
A program that functions as an evaporation temperature determining means that determines the evaporation temperature of each of the plurality of air conditioners based on the air conditioning load and the operating characteristics of each of the plurality of air conditioners that air condition the air conditioned space.