control device

Abstract

The aim is to provide a control device that easily achieves both improved comfort for occupants and improved energy efficiency in air conditioning systems. [Solution] A control device 100 for an air conditioner 10 capable of controlling the amount of air blown, comprising: a first calculation unit 107 that calculates a first set temperature in which the amount of energy consumed is minimized and the first index falls within a predetermined range, based on the comfort level when the amount of air blown is not controlled; a second calculation unit 108 that calculates a new amount of energy consumed after a predetermined time when the amount of air blown is controlled, based on the condition when the amount of air blown is controlled, and calculates a second set temperature in which the new amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time falls within a predetermined range, based on the new amount of energy consumed; a comparison unit 109 that selects a set temperature with a smaller value from the first set temperature and the second set temperature; and controls the air conditioner corresponding to the selected set temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there has been great interest in energy conservation for air conditioners. Furthermore, air conditioners are often required to achieve both improved energy saving effects and improved comfort for occupants in the building. In order to simultaneously achieve both improved energy saving effects and improved comfort for occupants, various air conditioner control methods have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Prior Art Literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-213795 Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, although the air conditioning control device of Cited Document 1 predicts a set temperature that easily achieves both improved comfort for occupants and improved energy saving effects for the air conditioner, the comfort of occupants may be lowered depending on the position of the occupant in the target space.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device that easily achieves both improved comfort for occupants and improved energy saving effects for an air conditioner. Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means. A control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device for an air conditioner capable of controlling the amount of airflow, comprising: a calculation unit that calculates a first index of comfort in each of the target spaces when the amount of airflow is not controlled and a second index of comfort when the amount of airflow is controlled, based on information about the indoor environment after an estimated predetermined time; a first calculation unit that calculates a first set temperature in which the amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time is minimized and the change in the first index falls within a predetermined range, based on the estimated amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner after the predetermined time and the first index; and the estimated amount of airflow in the air conditioner after the predetermined time. The system is characterized by comprising: a second calculation unit that calculates a new amount of energy consumed after a predetermined time when the airflow rate is controlled based on the amount of energy consumed and the second indicator, and calculates a second set temperature based on the new amount of energy consumed, such that the new amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time is the minimum value and the change in the second indicator falls within a predetermined range; a comparison unit that compares the minimum value for the first set temperature and the minimum value for the second set temperature and selects a set temperature with a smaller minimum value; and a control unit that controls each of the multiple indoor units at the selected set temperature and controls the airflow rate related to the selected set temperature.

[0007] According to the control device of the first aspect of the present invention, when the airflow rate is not controlled, a first set temperature is calculated that improves the comfort of occupants. Furthermore, when the airflow rate is controlled, the control device calculates a second set temperature that also improves the comfort of occupants. By comparing the calculated first and second set temperatures and controlling the air conditioner at a set temperature that easily improves energy saving, it is possible to achieve both improved occupant comfort and improved energy efficiency of the air conditioner.

[0008] In the first embodiment of the above invention, it is preferable that the air conditioner is further provided with a variable unit for varying the amount of air blown. In this way, by providing a variable section, the amount of air discharged from the air conditioner can be varied. By changing the amount of air discharged, it is easier to achieve at least one of the following: improved comfort for occupants and improved energy-saving effects of the air conditioner.

[0009] In the first embodiment of the above invention, it is preferable that the air conditioner is further provided with a fixing part that keeps the amount of airflow constant. In this way, by providing a fixed part, the amount of air discharged from the air conditioner can be fixed. Fixing the airflow makes it easier to achieve at least one of the following: improved comfort for occupants and improved energy-saving effects of the air conditioner.

[0010] In the first embodiment of the above invention, it is preferable that the air conditioner further has a blowing section for blowing air into the target space, and that the control unit controls the amount of air blown based on the wind speed calculated at a predetermined distance from the blowing section.

[0011] In this way, by controlling the airflow based on the wind speed at a predetermined distance from the air outlet, it is easier to improve the comfort of occupants regardless of their location in the room. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the control device of the present invention, it is possible to achieve control that easily balances improved comfort for occupants with improved energy efficiency of air conditioners. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which the control unit controls the air conditioner. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] [First Embodiment] <Description of Configuration> A control device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The control device 100 of the present embodiment is a device that easily improves the comfort of building occupants by controlling an air conditioner 10.

[0015] The air conditioner 10 is composed of an air conditioner unit 50 and an air blowing unit 51. The air conditioner unit 50 has a configuration in which it sucks in air in a target space (hereinafter also referred to as a room), cools the air, and supplies the cooled air to the room.

[0016] It is preferable that the air conditioner unit 50 performs air conditioning such that the indoor temperature reaches a set temperature. In the present embodiment, a case where the air conditioner unit 50 is installed in a corporate office will be described. Note that the air conditioner unit 50 may be installed in a building other than an office.

[0017] The air conditioner unit 50 has a configuration that can be communicably connected to a measuring device (not shown) and the control device 100. Specifically, it is preferable that the air conditioner unit 50 is controlled based on a signal transmitted from the control device 100.

[0018] Specifically, it has a configuration in which heat is exchanged between air and a refrigerant by circulating the refrigerant between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit (not shown), thereby cooling the air. The outdoor unit has a configuration in which the refrigerant, which has absorbed heat from the air, releases the heat to outside air.

[0019] The air blowing unit 51 is composed of a main air blowing body 52, a variable portion 53, and a fixed portion 54. It has a configuration that can be communicably connected to a measuring device (not shown) and the control device 100. The main air blowing body 52 has a configuration that discharges air exhausted from the air conditioner unit 50 into the room. In the present embodiment, a case where the air volume of the air discharged from the main air blowing body 52 is 0.1 m / s will be described. Note that the air volume may be a value other than the above value. Further, the main air blowing body 52 does not require energy consumption when discharging air into the room.

[0020] The variable section 53 is configured to discharge the air exhausted from the air conditioner 50 into the room, and is capable of varying the air volume of the discharged air. In the present embodiment, a case will be described where the variable section 53 discharges air into the room at 0.6 m / s. It should be noted that the air volume may be other than the above value. Also, the variable section 53 requires energy consumption when varying the air volume to discharge air.

[0021] The fixed section 54 is configured to discharge the air exhausted from the air conditioner 50 into the room, and is capable of fixing the air volume of the discharged air to a predetermined value set in advance. It should be noted that the value of the air supply volume may be changed by a person in the building. In the present embodiment, a case will be described where the fixed section 54 discharges air into the room at 0.6 m / s. It should be noted that the air volume may be other than the above value. Also, the fixed section 54 requires energy consumption when fixing the air volume to discharge air.

[0022] The control device 100 of the present embodiment is connected to the air conditioner 50, a measuring device (not shown), and a communication device (not shown) described later so as to enable information transmission via known wired or wireless information communication means. Also, the control device 100 is connected to the air conditioner 50, the measuring device, and the communication device so as to enable information transmission via a known wireless communication network or a combination of a wireless communication network and a wired communication network.

[0023] The control device 100 is configured to control the air conditioner 50. The control device 100 is an information processing device such as a server having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM, RAM, an input / output interface, and the like. As shown in Fig. 1, programs stored in the aforementioned storage device such as ROM cause the CPU, ROM, RAM, and input / output interface to cooperate, and programs that function as the acquisition unit 101, storage unit 102, indoor environment estimation unit 103, occupant number estimation unit 104, energy consumption estimation unit 105, calculation unit 106, first calculation unit 107, second calculation unit 108, comparison unit 109, and control unit 110 are stored.

[0024] The acquisition unit 101 is connected to the air conditioner 50, the measuring device, and the communication device in a manner that enables information communication. It is configured to acquire information related to the air conditioner 10, measured information, and communication information (hereinafter also referred to as various types of information) at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the predetermined time interval will be described as 1 hour. However, the predetermined time may be other than the time interval described above.

[0025] The information relating to the air conditioner 10 is information obtained from the air conditioner 50. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the information relating to the air conditioner 10 includes the operating state of the air conditioner 50, the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50, the amount of energy consumed by the variable unit 53, and the amount of energy consumed by the fixed unit 54. It is preferable that the operating state of the air conditioner 50 includes the start / stop state of the air conditioner 50, the operating setting, and the set temperature.

[0026] The measured information refers to information acquired from a measuring device. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the measured information includes information about the indoor environment, information about the outdoor environment, information about the date, and information about the occupants. Each of these pieces of information will be described later.

[0027] Communication information refers to information obtained from a communication device. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the communication information includes predictive information regarding the ambient air environment corresponding to the next time interval. Information regarding the ambient air environment corresponding to the next time interval will be described later.

[0028] The storage unit 102 is an information storage medium and has a configuration for storing various types of information. Preferably, the stored information includes information related to the air conditioner 10, measured information, and communication information. The storage unit 102 may be a flash memory such as an SD memory card, or it may be another type of recording medium.

[0029] The indoor environment estimation unit 103 has a configuration that estimates information about the indoor environment for the next time at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the indoor environment estimation unit 103 has a configuration that estimates information about the indoor environment for the next time by inputting the information described below into the indoor environment learning model.

[0030] The information input into the indoor environment learning model includes information about the air conditioner 10, information about the indoor environment acquired in the previous session, and information about the outdoor environment acquired in the previous session. In addition to the above information, information about the indoor environment and information about the outdoor environment acquired in the current session may also be included.

[0031] The indoor environment learning model is a model trained using machine learning. Known learning methods can be used for machine learning. Ensemble learning is preferred. Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the machine learning model is a gradient boosting regression tree (XGBOOST, eXtreme Gradient Boosting).

[0032] Information regarding the indoor environment refers to information about the indoor environment and is related to the PMV value. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the information regarding the indoor environment includes the indoor temperature, mean radiant temperature, wind speed (which may be the airflow rate discharged from the blower body 52, variable part 53, and fixed part 54), and indoor humidity.

[0033] Information regarding the outside air environment refers to information indicating the environment in the outside air. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the information regarding the outside air environment includes the outside air temperature, outside air humidity, weather, probability of precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed, and solar radiation.

[0034] Next, the relationship between this time, the previous time, and the next time will be explained. The control device 100 performs calculation processing at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the predetermined time interval is preferably one hour ago.

[0035] This refers to the timing at which the control device 100 performs calculation processing. Hereafter, this timing will also be referred to as the next timing. The previous instance refers to a time when the control device 100 was not performing calculations, and is the time immediately preceding the current first point. In this embodiment, the previous instance refers to a time one hour prior to the current time.

[0036] The next time is the timing when the control device 100 is not performing calculation processing, and is the timing after the current first point. In this embodiment, the next time is the timing one hour after the current time.

[0037] The occupancy estimation unit 104 has a configuration that estimates the next number of occupants at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the occupancy estimation unit 104 has a configuration that inputs the information described below into the occupancy learning model.

[0038] The information input into the occupancy count learning model includes information about the date corresponding to the next time, information about the outside air environment corresponding to the next time, information about the date acquired this time, information about the occupants acquired this time, information about the outside air environment acquired this time, information about the date acquired last time, information about the occupants acquired last time, and information about the outside air environment acquired last time.

[0039] Information regarding occupants includes the number of occupants and details about each occupant. The number of occupants refers to the number of people present in the room. Details about each occupant preferably include information about the group to which the occupant belongs, the amount of clothing they are wearing, and their activity level.

[0040] The date information refers to information that links the schedule of the person in the room to the date. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the date information includes the date, day of the week, and holiday information.

[0041] The occupancy count learning model is a model trained using machine learning. Known learning methods can be used for machine learning. Ensemble learning is preferred. Furthermore, it is even more preferable that the machine learning method is a gradient boosting regression tree (XGBOOST, eXtreme Gradient Boosting).

[0042] The calculation unit 106 has a configuration that calculates the PMV value based on information about the indoor environment, information about the outdoor air environment, and information about the occupants. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 106 can calculate the PMV value related to comfort when the airflow rate is not controlled (hereinafter also referred to as the first index) and the PMV value related to comfort when the airflow rate is controlled (hereinafter also referred to as the second index).

[0043] The PMV value is a parameter calculated by a comfort equation with six variables: indoor temperature, humidity, radiant temperature, wind speed (which may be the airflow rate discharged from the main unit 52, variable unit 53, and fixed unit 54), amount of clothing worn, and activity level. In this embodiment, the PMV value is a parameter calculated by a comfort equation with the following elements as variables: indoor temperature, humidity, and radiant temperature included in the information on the indoor environment; wind speed included in the information on the outside air environment; and amount of clothing worn and activity level included in the information on the occupants.

[0044] The PMV value ranges from -3 (cold) to +3 (hot). Statistically, approximately 95% of people feel comfortable when the PMV value is 0, and approximately 90% of people feel comfortable when the PMV value is between +0.5 and -0.5. It is preferable to control the air conditioning so that the PMV value falls within this predetermined range.

[0045] The energy consumption estimation unit 105 is configured to estimate the next energy consumption of the air conditioner 50, the blower unit 51, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54 at predetermined time intervals.

[0046] In this embodiment, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 can estimate the next energy consumption of the air conditioner 50, the blower unit 51, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54 at predetermined time intervals.

[0047] Furthermore, it is possible to estimate the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50 at the first set temperature (hereinafter also referred to as the first energy consumption) when the airflow is not adjusted as described later, and the total amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54 at the second set temperature (hereinafter also referred to as the second energy consumption) when the airflow is adjusted as described later.

[0048] In this embodiment, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 has a configuration that estimates the next energy consumption by inputting the information described below into the energy consumption learning model.

[0049] The information input to the energy consumption learning model includes the information about the air conditioner 10 acquired this time, the correlation between airflow rate and energy consumption, the information about the indoor environment acquired last time, the information about the outdoor air environment acquired last time, the energy consumption acquired last time, the estimated information about the indoor environment next time, and the estimated number of occupants next time. In addition to the above information, the information about the indoor environment acquired this time, the information about the outdoor air environment acquired this time, and the energy consumption acquired this time may also be included.

[0050] The energy consumption learning model is a model trained using machine learning. Known machine learning methods can be used. A neural network is preferred for this machine learning method.

[0051] The first calculation unit 107 has a configuration that calculates a first set temperature, which is the set temperature of the air conditioner 50 that minimizes the energy consumption of the air conditioner 50 when the PMV value of occupants falls within the range of +0.5 to -0.5, without adjusting the airflow.

[0052] The case where airflow adjustment is not performed is when the air discharged from the air conditioner 50 is discharged into the room through the blower body 52, and the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54 are not operating. In other words, the case where airflow adjustment is not performed is when energy consumption is occurring in the air conditioner 50. In this embodiment, the case where airflow adjustment is performed will be described when the airflow rate discharged from the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54 is 0.1 m / s.

[0053] The second calculation unit 108 has a configuration that, when adjusting the airflow, calculates a second set temperature for the air conditioner 50 that minimizes the total energy consumption of the air conditioner 50, variable unit 53, and fixed unit 54 within the range of +0.5 to -0.5 for the occupants.

[0054] Airflow adjustment occurs when the air discharged from the air conditioner 50 is discharged into the room through the blower body 52, and the airflow rate of that air is adjusted by the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54. In other words, airflow adjustment occurs when energy consumption is occurring in the air conditioner 50, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54. In this embodiment, the case where airflow adjustment occurs is described when the airflow rate of the air discharged from the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54 is 0.6 m / s.

[0055] The comparison unit 109 has a configuration that allows it to compare a first energy consumption amount, which is the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50 at the first set temperature when the airflow is not adjusted, with a second energy consumption amount, which is the total amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54 at the second set temperature when the airflow is adjusted. Furthermore, the comparison unit 109 has a configuration that allows it to select the smaller value from the comparison result between the first energy consumption amount and the second energy consumption amount.

[0056] The control unit 110 has a configuration that allows it to control the air conditioner 50, the variable unit 53, and the fixed unit 54. In this embodiment, the control unit 110 can change the set temperature of the air conditioner 50 to a set temperature corresponding to one of the selected units.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 110 can change the airflow rate of the air discharged from the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54. The control unit 110 may also control each air blower unit 51 to either adjust the airflow rate or not. In other words, for an indoor air blower unit 51, it is sufficient if any of the air blower body 52, variable unit 53, or fixed unit 54 is in operation.

[0058] The measuring device is a device that is connected to the control device 100 and the air conditioner 50 in a manner that enables communication of information, and has a configuration that measures information about the indoor environment, information about the outdoor environment, information about the date, information about occupants, the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 50, the amount of energy consumed by the variable unit 53, and the amount of energy consumed by the fixed unit 54.

[0059] The communication device is a device that is connected to the control device 100 in a manner that enables information communication, and has a configuration that acquires predictive information regarding the ambient air environment corresponding to the next time interval. In this embodiment, the communication device is a device that can connect to a network, and includes a personal computer or the like.

[0060] The forecast information regarding the outdoor environment for the next time interval preferably refers to information about the outdoor environment for the next time interval, and weather forecasts may be used. Preferably, the weather forecast includes forecasts for outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, weather, probability of precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed, and solar radiation.

[0061] <Description of action> Next, the operation of the control device 100 with the above configuration will be described. First, the air conditioning of the air conditioner 50 in the office will be described, second, the measuring device will be described, third, the control of the control device 100 will be described, and fourth, the learning method of the learning model will be described.

[0062] This explains how the air conditioner 50 cools the room. The air conditioner 50 draws indoor air into the indoor unit by rotating the air conditioning fan. The drawn-in air is cooled in the indoor heat exchange section. Specifically, the drawn-in air loses heat to the refrigerant circulating between the indoor and outdoor units, causing its temperature to drop. The refrigerant that has absorbed heat then releases that heat into the outside air in the outdoor heat exchange section. The refrigerant that has released heat then absorbs heat from the drawn-in air again in the heat exchange section. In other words, the drawn-in air is cooled by the refrigerant.

[0063] The cooled air is discharged into the room by the air blower 51. When the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54 are operating, the airflow of the discharged air is adjusted before being discharged into the room. When the variable unit 53 and the fixed unit 54 are not operating, the air is discharged into the room without any adjustment of the airflow. The air discharged into the room is warmed by the heat radiated from the occupants and electronic equipment. The warmed air is then drawn back into the air conditioner 50. The air discharged into the room is warmed by the heat radiated from the occupants and electronic equipment. The warmed air is then drawn back into the air conditioner 50.

[0064] Next, the measuring device 500 will be described. When the measuring device 500 is activated, it performs the process of measuring the information to be measured. Specifically, it performs the process of measuring information related to the indoor environment, information related to the outdoor air environment, information related to the date, and information related to the occupants of the room. The measured information is communicated to the control device 100.

[0065] Next, the control of the control device 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. When control in the control device 100 is started, the acquisition unit 101 performs a predetermined process to acquire various information from the air conditioner 50, the measuring device 500, and the communication device (S1).

[0066] Once various pieces of information are stored, the indoor environment estimation unit 103 performs a process to estimate at least one piece of information about the indoor environment for the next time, based on the input data 1 (S2). Input data 1 consists of information about the air conditioner 10 acquired this time, information about the indoor environment acquired last time, and information about the outdoor air environment acquired last time.

[0067] After processing in S2, the occupancy estimation unit 104 performs a process to estimate the next number of occupants based on the input data 2 (S3). Input data 2 includes information regarding the date of the next time, information regarding the outdoor environment corresponding to the next time, information regarding the date acquired this time, information regarding the occupants acquired this time, information regarding the outdoor environment acquired this time, information regarding the date acquired last time, information regarding the occupants acquired last time, and information regarding the outdoor environment acquired last time.

[0068] After processing in S3, the calculation unit 106 performs a process to calculate the PMV value for each estimated next indoor environmental information (S4). Specifically, it performs a process to calculate the PMV value based on the room temperature, humidity, and radiant temperature included in the estimated next indoor environmental information, the wind speed included in the temperature related to the outside air environment, and the amount of clothing and movement included in the information about occupants. Note that a known method can be used for the calculation process to determine the PMV value. After processing in S4, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 performs a process to estimate the energy consumption of the air conditioner 50 when the airflow is not adjusted, based on the input data 3, the estimated information regarding the next indoor environment, and the estimated number of occupants next time (S5).

[0069] Input data 3 consists of information about the air conditioner 10 acquired this time, information about the indoor environment acquired last time, information about the outdoor air environment acquired last time, and the amount of energy consumed acquired last time.

[0070] After the processing in S5, the first calculation unit 107 performs a process to set the first set temperature (S6). Once the first set temperature is set, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 performs a process to estimate the first energy consumption (S7).

[0071] After processing in S4, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 performs a process to estimate the total energy consumption of the air conditioner 50, variable unit 53, and fixed unit 54 when adjusting the airflow, based on the input data 3, the estimated information regarding the next indoor environment, and the estimated number of occupants next time (S8). The estimated information regarding the total energy consumption when adjusting the airflow is stored in the storage unit 102.

[0072] After the processing in S9, the second calculation unit 108 performs the process of setting the second set temperature (S9). Once the second set temperature is set, the energy consumption estimation unit 105 estimates the second energy consumption (S10).

[0073] After the processing in S7 and S10, the comparison unit 109 compares the first energy consumption amount and the second energy consumption amount, and performs a process to select the smaller value based on the comparison result (S11).

[0074] After the processing in S11, the control unit 110 performs a process to control the selected one (S12). Next, we will explain machine learning for indoor environment learning models, occupancy count learning models, and energy consumption learning models.

[0075] In this embodiment, we will explain the application to an example in which machine learning is performed on an indoor environment learning model, an occupancy count learning model, and an energy consumption learning model in an information processing device different from the control device 100. The indoor environment learning model, occupancy count learning model, and energy consumption learning model, which have undergone machine learning, are stored in the storage unit 102 before control is performed by the control device 100.

[0076] Furthermore, after control by the control device 100, the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model, which have undergone further machine learning, may be stored in the storage unit 102. In this case, the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model stored earlier are replaced with the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model that have undergone further machine learning.

[0077] Furthermore, the machine learning for the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model may be performed on different information processing devices as described above, or on the control device 100. When machine learning is performed on the control device 100, the control device 100 is provided with a machine learning unit for performing machine learning. Alternatively, machine learning may be performed on one of the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model on a different information processing device, and machine learning for the other on the control device 100.

[0078] For the specific machine learning methods used in the indoor environment learning model, the number of occupants learning model, and the energy consumption learning model, known supervised learning methods may be used, and this does not limit the specific content of the computational processing in supervised learning.

[0079] Furthermore, regarding the creation of training data for the indoor environment learning model and the training data for the number of occupants learning model, publicly known methods can be used, and there is no limitation on the specific method of creation.

[0080] <Description of effects> According to the control device 100 with the above configuration, information regarding the indoor environment is estimated by the indoor environment estimation unit 103, and the number of occupants is estimated by the occupant number estimation unit 104. By using the estimated information regarding the indoor environment and the number of occupants, the amount of energy consumed is further estimated by the energy consumption amount estimation unit 105, making it easier to estimate the amount of energy consumed with higher accuracy compared to when the amount of energy consumed is estimated without using the number of occupants.

[0081] Furthermore, by estimating information about the indoor environment, the number of occupants, and energy consumption for each of several different temperature settings, it is possible to estimate combinations of indoor temperature and energy consumption for each of these different settings. Therefore, a risk assessment can be performed in advance based on these multiple combinations.

[0082] Furthermore, by providing a comparison unit 109, the difference between the estimated energy consumption and the corresponding acquired energy consumption is compared. By comparing the difference, the energy consumption can be easily quantitatively evaluated, and the energy-saving effect of the air conditioner 50 can be easily improved.

[0083] It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to those applied to the embodiments described above, but may also be applied to embodiments that combine these embodiments as appropriate, and is not particularly limited.

[0084] It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to those applied to the embodiments described above, but may also be applied to embodiments that combine these embodiments as appropriate, and is not particularly limited. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 10...Air conditioner, 50...Air conditioner, 51...Air blower unit, 52...Air blower main unit, 53...Variable unit, 54...Fixed unit, 100...Control device, 101...Acquisition unit, 102...Storage unit, 103...Indoor environment estimation unit, 104...Number of occupants estimation unit, 105...Energy consumption estimation unit, 106...Calculation unit, 107...First calculation unit, 108...Second calculation unit, 109...Comparison unit, 110...Control unit.

Claims

1. A control device for an air conditioner capable of controlling the amount of air blown in multiple air blowing units that discharge air, A calculation unit calculates a first comfort index for each of the target spaces when the airflow rate is not controlled, and a second comfort index for when the airflow rate is controlled, based on information about the indoor environment after an estimated predetermined time. A first calculation unit calculates a first set temperature based on the estimated amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner after the predetermined time and the first index, such that the amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time is minimized and the change in the first index falls within a predetermined range. A second calculation unit calculates a new amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time when the airflow rate is controlled based on the estimated amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner after the predetermined time and the second index, and calculates a second set temperature based on the new amount of energy consumed when the new amount of energy consumed after the predetermined time is minimized and the change in the second index falls within a predetermined range. A comparison unit that compares the minimum value for the first set temperature and the minimum value for the second set temperature and selects a set temperature with a smaller minimum value, A control unit that controls each of the multiple air blowers at a selected set temperature and controls the amount of air blown at the selected set temperature, A control device characterized by being provided with

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a variable unit for varying the amount of airflow.

3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing unit for maintaining a constant airflow rate.

4. The air conditioner further has a blowing section for blowing air into the target space, The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the amount of air blown based on the wind speed calculated at a position a predetermined distance away from the blowing section.

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