Air conditioner control device

Abstract

The air conditioner control device has: a storage device that stores a plurality of analysis conditions each given a priority and the result of air flow analysis for each analysis condition; and an arithmetic device that controls the air conditioner. The arithmetic device has: an air flow analysis unit that performs air flow analysis in order starting from the analysis condition with the highest priority among the plurality of analysis conditions; an air flow control availability determination unit that determines whether air flow control of the air conditioner can be started based on the generation state of the analysis result by the air flow analysis unit; and an operation state determination unit that, when it is determined by the air flow control availability determination unit that air flow control can be started, determines the operation state of the air conditioner based on the analysis result by the air flow analysis unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner control device for controlling an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] In order to control an air conditioner in consideration of the distribution of the indoor environment, an air conditioner control device that controls an air conditioner using a fluid analysis method has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] The air conditioner control device of Patent Document 1 includes a room temperature distribution estimation unit, a candidate control amount calculation unit, a controllable amount extraction unit, and an air conditioner control unit, and controls an air conditioner having a plurality of outlets provided in an indoor unit. The room temperature distribution estimation unit divides the modeled building into a plurality of grids in a lattice shape, provides initial conditions required for calculating the pressure, temperature, air volume, etc. of air for each grid, and analyzes the temperature of each grid for all combinations of the air volumes of the plurality of outlets. The candidate control amount calculation unit extracts a combination of the air volumes of the respective outlets, that is, a candidate control amount, based on the simulation result of the room temperature distribution estimation unit, the heat load information, the target temperature, and the target part. The controllable amount extraction unit obtains a controllable amount indicating the control amount of the on-off valve of each outlet based on the interaction table recording the combination of the control amounts of the on-off valves provided at the respective outlets and the air volume values and the candidate control amount. The air conditioner control unit performs air conditioner control based on the controllable amount.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-61447 Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in the case where there are many conditions such as the air volume related to the outlets in the air conditioner control device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the combination of conditions becomes huge, and the air flow analysis before starting the air flow control takes a long time. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time from the start of the air conditioner to the start of the air flow control.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an air conditioner control device capable of starting air flow control at an early stage after the air conditioner is started.

[0009] The present disclosure provides an air conditioner control device, comprising: a storage device that stores a plurality of analysis conditions each given a priority and the result of airflow analysis for each of the analysis conditions; and an arithmetic device that controls an air conditioner. The arithmetic device includes: an airflow analysis unit that performs the airflow analysis in order starting from the analysis condition with the highest priority among the plurality of analysis conditions; an airflow control feasibility determination unit that determines whether airflow control of the air conditioner can be started based on the generation state according to the analysis result of the airflow analysis unit; and an operation state determination unit that, when it is determined by the airflow control feasibility determination unit that airflow control can be started, determines the operation state of the air conditioner according to the analysis result of the airflow analysis unit.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, priorities are given to each of the plurality of analysis conditions, and the airflow analysis is performed in order starting from the analysis condition with the highest priority, so that airflow control can be started at an early stage when the airflow analysis of the analysis condition with the highest priority is completed, and a comfortable environment can be provided to the user at an early stage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a structural diagram showing an example of an air conditioner system including the air conditioner control device of Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 2 shows Figure 1 a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a structural example of the air conditioner shown.

[0013] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a structural example of the air conditioner control device of Embodiment 1.

[0014] Figure 4 represents Figure 3 a conceptual diagram showing an example of an analysis condition list shown.

[0015] Figure 5 represents Figure 4 a conceptual diagram showing an example of a blowing condition related to the operation state of the air conditioner among the analysis conditions shown.

[0016] Figure 6 represents Figure 4 a conceptual diagram showing an example of a load condition among the analysis conditions shown.

[0017] Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram in the case of managing priorities by a numerical range.

[0018] Figure 8 represents Figure 3 a conceptual diagram showing an example of the pattern data shown.

[0019] Figure 9 is a hardware structure diagram showing Figure 3 a structural example of the arithmetic device shown.

[0020] Figure 10 is a hardware structure diagram showing Figure 3 another structural example of the arithmetic device shown.

[0021] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence of the air conditioner control device according to Embodiment 1.

[0022] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing Figure 11 an example of the operation sequence in step ST11 shown.

[0023] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing Figure 11 an example of the operation sequence in step ST15 shown.

[0024] (Symbol Explanation)

[0025] 1: Air conditioner control device; 2: Air conditioner; 3, 3-1 to 3-n: Sensors; 4: Network; 11: Receiving device; 12: Sending device; 13: Storage device; 14: Arithmetic device; 21: Outdoor unit; 22: Indoor unit; 23: Controller; 36: Air conditioner operation data; 37: Sensor data; 41: Airflow control feasibility determination unit; 42: Operation state determination unit; 43: Control instruction conversion unit; 50: Refrigerant circuit; 51: Compressor; 52: Four-way valve; 53: Heat source side heat exchanger; 54: Throttling device; 55: Load side heat exchanger; 56: Refrigerant piping; 57: Outdoor fan; 58: Indoor fan; 59: Airflow direction adjustment unit; 61: Left and right baffles; 62: Up and down baffles; 80: Processing circuit; 81: Processor; 82: Memory; 83: Bus; 131: Analysis condition list; 132: Equipment and space information; 133: Airflow analysis model; 134: Pattern data; 135: Target condition; 136: Measurement data; 141: Model production unit; 142: Airflow analysis unit; 143: Pattern generation unit; 144: Airflow control unit. Detailed Embodiment

[0026] Embodiment 1.

[0027] Embodiments of the air conditioner control device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1It is a structural diagram showing an example of an air-conditioning system including the air-conditioning control device of Embodiment 1. The air-conditioning system has: an air conditioner 2 that adjusts the air in the air-conditioning target space, an air-conditioning control device 1 that controls the air conditioner 2, and at least a sensor 3 that measures the environment of the air-conditioning target space. The air-conditioning control device 1 is connected to the air conditioner 2 and the sensor 3 via a network 4.

[0028] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A refrigerant circuit diagram showing a structural example of the illustrated air conditioner. As Figure 1 shown, the air conditioner 2 has an outdoor unit 21, an indoor unit 22, and a controller 23. The indoor unit 22 is installed indoors as the air-conditioning target space. As Figure 2 shown, the outdoor unit 21 is connected to the indoor unit 22 via a refrigerant pipe 56.

[0029] The outdoor unit 21 has a compressor 51, a four-way valve 52, a heat source side heat exchanger 53, a throttling device 54, and an outdoor fan 57. The indoor unit 22 has a load side heat exchanger 55, an indoor fan 58, and a wind direction adjusting unit 59. The compressor 51, the heat source side heat exchanger 53, the throttling device 54, and the load side heat exchanger 55 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 56 to form a refrigerant circuit 50 in which the refrigerant circulates. In the present Embodiment 1, the case where the heat medium circulating between the outdoor unit 21 and the indoor unit 22 is a refrigerant is described, but it may also be configured to provide a heat medium heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges heat between water and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit 21, and water circulates between the outdoor unit 21 and the indoor unit 22.

[0030] The wind direction adjusting unit 59 is provided at the air outlet of the indoor unit 22. The wind direction adjusting unit 59 has left and right baffles 61 and upper and lower baffles 62. The left and right baffles 61 change the angle clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the front direction of the air outlet of the indoor unit 22, so that the direction of the air flow sent out from the indoor unit 22 changes parallel to the ground. The direction of the air flow that changes corresponding to the angle of the left and right baffles 61 is the left and right wind direction. Hereinafter, regarding the angle of the left and right wind direction, with respect to the front direction of the air outlet of the indoor unit 22, a positive value represents a clockwise angle, and a negative value represents a counterclockwise angle.

[0031] The upper and lower baffles 62 change the angle from the gravitational direction to the horizontal direction based on the gravitational direction at the air outlet of the indoor unit 22, thereby changing the direction of the air flow sent out from the indoor unit 22. In this case, when the gravitational direction is set to 0°, the horizontal direction is 90°. The direction of the air flow that changes corresponding to the angle of the upper and lower baffles 62 is the up-and-down wind direction. The method of representing the angle indicating the up-and-down wind direction is not limited to the case where the gravitational direction is set to 0° and the horizontal direction is set to 90°, and the gravitational direction can also be set to 90° and the horizontal direction can be set to 0°. That is, in the case where the horizontal direction is set to 0°, the depression angle corresponds to the angle indicating the up-and-down wind direction.

[0032] The controller 23 is, for example, a microcomputer. The controller 23 is connected to the compressor 51, the four-way valve 52, the outdoor fan 57, the throttling device 54, the indoor fan 58, and the wind direction adjustment unit 59 via signal lines (not shown). The controller 23 is a device for a user or a manager to switch on and off the indoor unit 22, or manually change the settings such as the set temperature and the air volume. The controller 23 can also be a remote controller.

[0033] The controller 23 controls the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit 50. The controller 23 controls the four-way valve 52 in such a way that the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 50 is switched corresponding to the operation modes of the heating operation and the cooling operation. In addition, the controller 23 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 51, the opening degree of the throttling device 54, and the rotational speed of the outdoor fan 57 in such a way that the indoor temperature and humidity measured by the sensor 3 are consistent with their respective set values within a predetermined range. The set values of the indoor temperature and humidity are set by the user. The controller 23 sends the air-conditioning operation data indicating the operation state of the air conditioner 2 to the air-conditioning control device 1 via the network 4 at regular time intervals. The regular time interval is, for example, 5 minutes.

[0034] In addition, when the controller 23 receives a control instruction from the air-conditioning control device 1, it controls the rotational speed of the indoor fan 58, the angles of the left and right baffles 61 of the wind direction adjustment unit 59, and the angle of the upper and lower baffles 62 according to the control instruction. The air volume and the wind speed are adjusted corresponding to the rotational speed of the indoor fan 58. The left-and-right wind direction is adjusted corresponding to the angle of the left and right baffles 61, and the up-and-down wind direction is adjusted corresponding to the angle of the upper and lower baffles 62.

[0035] In the case where the operation mode is the heating operation, the refrigerant absorbs heat at the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air at the load side heat exchanger 55 and releases heat, so that the indoor air is heated. On the other hand, in the case where the operation mode is the cooling operation, the refrigerant releases heat at the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air at the load side heat exchanger 55, so that the indoor air is cooled.

[0036] Next, an Figure 1 application example of the air conditioner 2 shown will be described. In a residential air conditioning system, it is common to install one indoor unit 22 for one room. For example, a room air conditioner is a representative example of the air conditioner 2. The air conditioner 2 can also be a room air conditioner with multiple indoor units 22 connected to one outdoor unit.

[0037] In addition, the air conditioner 2 can also be a multi-connected air conditioner for buildings used in office buildings and the like. Moreover, the air conditioning system can also be a central air conditioning system used for the whole-building air conditioning of large-scale buildings. The air conditioning system can also be an air conditioning system installed in server rooms, warehouses, etc. for conditioning objects. These structures are examples of the air conditioner 2 and the air conditioning system including the air conditioner 2, and the type of the air conditioner 2 is not limited to the above structures. In addition, the air-conditioned space is not limited to the above spaces such as rooms and buildings.

[0038] Next, an Figure 1 explanation of the sensor 3 shown will be given. The sensor 3 is a sensor that measures a physical quantity. The sensor 3 sends sensor data, which is a measurement value, to the air conditioning control device 1 via the network 4 at regular time intervals. The regular time interval is, for example, 5 minutes. The sensor 3 can be one or multiple. Figure 1 The case where the sensor 3 has multiple sensors 3-1 to 3-n (n is an integer of 2 or more) is shown. The sensor 3 acquires information on the indoor and outdoor environments. The sensor 3 is a sensor that measures temperature, humidity, radiant temperature, thermal image, air flow velocity, etc. When the sensor 3 includes an infrared sensor, the thermal image is acquired by the infrared sensor.

[0039] In Figure 1 the structural example shown, the case where the sensor 3 is provided separately from the air conditioner 2 is shown, but the sensor 3 can also be provided in the air conditioner 2. For example, a sensor 3 that measures the temperature of the indoor air, i.e., the room temperature, can be provided in the indoor unit 22, and a sensor 3 that measures the temperature of the outdoor air, i.e., the outside air temperature, can be provided in the outdoor unit 21. In addition, the outside air temperature is not limited to the case of being sent to the air conditioning control device 1 by the sensor 3. Information on the outside air temperature can also be sent to the air conditioning control device 1 by a server (not shown) that provides weather forecasts via a network such as the Internet.

[0040] Network 4 is a network for communication that connects the air conditioner control device 1, the air conditioner 2, and the sensor 3. The communication method in Network 4 can be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. In addition, the communication protocol for communication via Network 4 is not particularly limited and can be a generally publicly available general protocol. The communication range of Network 4 can be a narrow range such as a LAN (Local Area Network), or a wide range such as the Internet. Moreover, when Network 4 is a dedicated line adopted by the manufacturing company of the air conditioner 2, the communication protocol used in Network 4 can also be a dedicated protocol.

[0041] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 describe the structure of the air conditioner control device 1. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the air conditioner control device according to Embodiment 1. The air conditioner control device 1 is an information processing device that controls the air conditioner 2. The air conditioner control device 1 includes a storage device 13, an arithmetic device 14, a receiving device 11, and a transmitting device 12.

[0042] The receiving device 11 acquires air conditioner operation data from the air conditioner 2 at regular time intervals and stores the acquired data in the storage device 13. The receiving device 11 acquires sensor data from the sensor 3 at regular time intervals and stores the acquired data in the storage device 13. The regular time interval is, for example, 5 minutes. In this Embodiment 1, the case where the time intervals for the receiving device 11 to acquire data from the air conditioner 2 and the sensor 3 are the same is described, but the time interval for acquiring data from the air conditioner 2 and the time interval for acquiring data from the sensor 3 can also be different. When the arithmetic device 14 determines a control command for the air conditioner 2, the transmitting device 12 sends the determined control command to the air conditioner 2.

[0043] The storage device 13 stores an analysis condition list 131, device and space information 132, an air flow analysis model 133, pattern data 134, target conditions 135, and measurement data 136 including air conditioner operation data 36 and sensor data 37. The storage device 13 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage device 13 can also be a semiconductor memory.

[0044] Refer to Figures 4 - 6 Describe Figure 3 the information stored in the storage device 13 shown. Figure 4 is to represent Figure 3 a conceptual diagram showing an example of the analysis condition list shown. Figure 5 is to represent Figure 4 a conceptual diagram showing an example of the blowing condition related to the operation state of the air conditioner among the analysis conditions shown. Figure 6 is to representFigure 4 Conceptual diagram of an example of a load condition in the analysis conditions shown.

[0045] In the analysis condition list 131, a plurality of analysis conditions including combinations of blowing conditions and load conditions are set. In Figure 4 the example shown, the model name, operation mode, priority, load condition, blowing condition, and model generation state are described corresponding to the identifier of the analysis condition. The model generation state indicates whether the airflow analysis is performed according to the analysis condition and whether the model data is generated based on the result of the airflow analysis. The model data will be described in detail later.

[0046] As Figure 4 shown, priorities are assigned to the respective analysis conditions. In the present Embodiment 1, positive integers are used to represent the priorities. For example, 1 is assigned to the highest priority, and 10 is assigned to the lowest priority. As the priority, unique integers that are not repeated or repeated integers can be assigned to the respective analysis conditions. For example, there may be multiple analysis conditions with a priority of 1, or there may be one analysis condition with a priority of 1.

[0047] The priorities assigned to the respective analysis conditions are set, for example, according to the air conditioner operation data 36. The higher the occurrence frequency of the operation state in the past operation state of the air conditioner 2, the higher the priority assigned to the analysis condition corresponding to the operation state. The occurrence frequency is calculated based on the actual performance data of the operation state stored in the storage device 13 for a predetermined period (such as 3 months) in the past. A specific example of the occurrence frequency will be described. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that the condition that has a great influence on the occurrence frequency of the operation state is the blowing condition. For example, the occurrence frequency is obtained as follows. The number of occurrences in which each variable of the temperature, air volume, and wind direction at the outlet is consistent with the set value is counted in the actual performance data. Then, the number of occurrences in which each of these three variables is consistent with its respective set value is used as the occurrence frequency. When the indoor unit 22 has a plurality of outlets, the occurrence frequency is calculated for each outlet.

[0048] In the blowing conditions, conditions such as the state of the compressor 51, the blowing wind speed, and the blowing wind direction at the air outlet of the indoor unit 22 are set. The state of the compressor 51 refers to the starting or stopping state. The blowing wind direction includes information on the left - right wind direction and the up - down wind direction. The blowing air volume and the blowing temperature may also be included in the blowing conditions. The air outlet provided in the indoor unit 22 may be one or multiple. In addition, multiple indoor units 22 may be installed in a room that is a shared air - conditioned target space. When there are multiple air outlets in the indoor unit 22, the blowing conditions are composed of a combination of the blowing conditions set for each air outlet. When there are multiple indoor units 22 in the room, the blowing conditions are composed of a combination of the blowing conditions set for each air outlet of each indoor unit 22.

[0049] The load conditions are conditions related to the inflow of heat into the room and the outflow of heat from the room. For example, boundary conditions, heat - passing conditions, and heat - generation conditions are set in the load conditions. The boundary conditions are conditions related to the inflow and outflow of heat from the wall surface and other boundary surfaces in the room where the air conditioner 2 is installed due to the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor environments. The heat - passing conditions are conditions related to the inflow and outflow of heat from openings such as windows and doors into the room. The heat - generation conditions are conditions related to the heat generation amount in the room caused by the human body, OA equipment, etc.

[0050] Figure 6 It is a table showing an example of the load conditions related to the inflow of heat into the air - conditioned target space and the outflow of heat from the air - conditioned target space. Figure 6 The shown load conditions show a part of the boundary conditions, heat - passing conditions, and heat - generation conditions. In the table of load conditions, the values of the surface temperature of the wall, the surface temperature of the ceiling, and the surface temperature of the floor are set corresponding to the identifiers of the load conditions. In Figure 6 , the surface temperature of the wall is represented as the wall temperature Tw, the surface temperature of the ceiling is represented as the ceiling temperature Tc, and the surface temperature of the floor is represented as the floor temperature Tf. In the case of the load condition H1, the wall temperature Tw = 15°C, the ceiling temperature Tc = 25°C, and the floor temperature Tf = 15°C are set. In Figure 6 , for example, the expression Tw = 15°C is not limited to the case where the wall temperature is exactly 15°C, but may also be the case where the wall temperature has a central value of 15°C and belongs to the allowable range of ±ΔT. ΔT is, for example, 2°C.

[0051] Figure 7 It is a conceptual diagram in the case of managing the priority by a numerical range. In Figure 7In the example shown, the priorities are set and managed in two categories: mandatory conditions and additional conditions. Upper and lower limits of priorities are set for the mandatory conditions and the additional conditions respectively. For the mandatory conditions, a range of priorities for the analysis conditions that enable the start of air flow control is set. Specifically, the mandatory conditions indicate that air flow control can be started when air flow analysis is performed from the analysis conditions with the upper limit of priority to the analysis conditions with the lower limit of priority. For the additional conditions, a range of priorities for the analysis conditions for performing air flow analysis after the start of air flow control is set. Specifically, the additional conditions indicate that air flow analysis and the accumulation of its analysis results can be performed in parallel with air flow control after the start of air flow control, from the analysis conditions with the upper limit of priority to the analysis conditions with the lower limit of priority.

[0052] In Figure 7 the example shown, the integer 1 is set as the upper limit of priority and the integer 3 is set as the lower limit of priority for the mandatory conditions. In this case, air flow control can be started when the air flow analysis for the analysis conditions with a priority of 1 or more and 3 or less is completed. In addition, as the additional conditions, the integer 4 is set as the upper limit of priority and the integer 10 is set as the lower limit of priority. In this case, for the analysis conditions with a priority of 4 or more and 10 or less, after the start of air flow control, air flow analysis and the accumulation of its analysis results can be performed in parallel with air flow control. In Figure 7 the example shown, the case where the upper limit of priority for the mandatory conditions is 1 and the lower limit of priority is 3 is shown, but the lower limit of priority can also be 1, which is the same as the upper limit of priority.

[0053] The equipment and space information 132 is the information required for creating the air flow analysis model 133, and is composed of space information and equipment information. The space information is information related to the air-conditioning target space where the air conditioner 2 is installed. For example, the space information is information about the room of the air-conditioning target space, including the shape of the room, the configuration of windows, doors, and furniture, and the heat insulation performance indicating the thermal characteristics of the wall surface. The equipment information is information related to the performance of the air conditioner 2. For example, the equipment information includes the position of the air outlet of the air conditioner 2, the capacity and efficiency of the air conditioner 2, the blow-out temperature, air volume, and air direction that can be set. The information listed here is an example, and the equipment and space information 132 is not limited to this information.

[0054] The air flow analysis model 133 is, for example, a model used in the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis method or the like. The air flow analysis model 133 is created based on the equipment and space information and the analysis conditions in the analysis condition list.

[0055] Figure 8 showsFigure 3 Conceptual diagram of an example of the pattern data shown. The pattern data is created based on the results of airflow analysis and is data representing the trends of the distribution of the environment such as temperature and wind speed within the air-conditioned object space. Figure 3 The pattern data 134 shown refers to information such as a table that records multiple pattern data. Figure 8 The method for generating the pattern data shown will be described later.

[0056] The target condition 135 is a set condition related to the target of the environment formed in the air-conditioned object space by the operation of the air conditioner 2. The target condition 135 is, for example, the upper and lower limit values of the allowable range that the air-conditioned object space should satisfy with respect to elements such as temperature and wind speed. The target condition 135 can be a set condition related to one element or a set condition related to multiple elements. For example, the target condition 135 can also be set with respect to the blowing condition that combines multiple elements. In addition, regarding the target condition 135, the target value can be determined in advance for each element, or can be set by the user via a remote controller (not shown).

[0057] Here, the difference between the target condition 135 and the analysis condition given a high priority is explained. The target condition 135 is a set condition for creating an ideal environment derived from the air-conditioned object space or an ideal environment that the user considers comfortable. In contrast, the analysis condition given a high priority is an analysis condition for preferentially performing airflow analysis in order to perform airflow control required to form the environment corresponding to the current environment of the air-conditioned object space for the target condition 135.

[0058] The air-conditioning operation data 36 is, for example, set values such as the set temperature, information related to the operation state such as the air volume, left and right wind directions, and up and down wind directions, and information for air-conditioning control such as the room temperature, outside air temperature, refrigerant temperature, and refrigerant flow rate. The information for air-conditioning control is measured by the sensor 3 provided in the air conditioner 2.

[0059] The sensor data 37 is data measured by the sensor 3 such as a temperature sensor provided indoors. When the sensor 3 is provided in the air conditioner 2, the air-conditioning operation data 36 can also include the sensor data 37.

[0060] Next, the Figure 3 structure of the arithmetic unit 14 shown is described. The arithmetic unit 14 has: a model creation unit 141, an airflow analysis unit 142 that performs airflow analysis for each analysis condition, a pattern generation unit 143 that generates pattern data from the analysis results, and an airflow control unit 144 that controls the airflow of the air conditioner 2 based on the pattern data or the analysis results.

[0061] The model production section 141 produces a model for airflow analysis. First, the model production section 141 produces shape data that specifies the room shape, the arrangement of windows and furniture, and the position of the outlet of the air conditioner 2 based on equipment and space information, and performs a process of dividing the analysis target area into a plurality of small spaces. Furthermore, the model production section 141 sets conditions related to the inflow and outflow of heat from the wall surface into the analysis target area, heat generation conditions based on human body heat generation and OA equipment heat generation considering the position of furniture, intake conditions of the inflow temperature and three-dimensional inflow wind speed at the position of the intake port, and blowing conditions such as the outflow air volume at the outlet port according to the analysis conditions.

[0062] The airflow analysis section 142 uses a CFD analysis method or the like to perform calculations on the airflow analysis model as an object, and obtains the distribution of the temperature and wind speed in the room, which is the air-conditioning target space. For example, the airflow analysis section 142 divides the air-conditioning target space into a large number of minute areas, and calculates the temperature and wind speed of each minute area using the airflow analysis model.

[0063] The governing equations of the fluid for CFD analysis are, for example, as follows.

[0064] [Equation 1]

[0065]

[0066] [Equation 2]

[0067]

[0068] [Equation 3]

[0069]

[0070] Here, u is a three-dimensional velocity vector, t is time, p is pressure, ρ is density, μ is the viscosity coefficient, ρ0 is the reference density, g is the acceleration due to gravity, C p is the specific heat at constant pressure, T is temperature, k is the thermal conductivity, and Q is the internal heat generation.

[0071] Equation (1) is a continuous equation representing the mass conservation of the fluid. Equation (2) is the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation representing the momentum conservation. Equation (3) is the energy equation. The airflow analysis section 142 solves these equations (1) to (3) under appropriate initial values and boundary conditions, thereby calculating the temperature, wind speed, etc. of each divided area. In this case, the air-conditioning operation data 36 of the air conditioner 2 and the sensor data 37 are used as the initial values and boundary condition values in the airflow analysis.

[0072] Priorities are assigned to the analysis conditions included in the air flow analysis model, and the air flow analysis unit 142 performs air flow analysis in the order of these priorities. After the air flow analysis for the analysis conditions with the predetermined priorities is completed, it becomes possible to start air flow control. After that, the air flow control unit 144 performs air flow control at regular time intervals (for example, at 5-minute intervals). During this period, the air flow analysis unit 142 may temporarily interrupt the calculation for the analysis conditions for which air flow analysis has not been performed, or may continue the calculation through parallel processing.

[0073] For example, when high priorities are assigned to the analysis conditions corresponding to the operating states with high occurrence frequencies in the past operating states of the air conditioner 2, the air flow control unit 144 can start air flow control using air flow analysis at an early stage for the operating states with high operation records. In this case, it is possible to make the air conditioner 2 start operating with the best efficiency in the operating states with past operation records at an early stage. On the other hand, for the operating states with low operation records, after starting the air flow control, the air flow analysis unit 142 continues the air flow analysis, thereby accumulating the analysis results based on the analysis conditions corresponding to the operating states with low operation records. After that, the air flow control unit 144 can also include the operating states with low operation records in the options for air flow control.

[0074] The pattern generation unit 143 performs statistical processing on the air flow analysis results to generate pattern data that represents the trend of the distribution of the environment of the air-conditioning target space expressed by fewer variables than the air flow analysis results. The storage device 13 stores the generated pattern data, so that the data capacity to be stored can be reduced compared to the case of storing in the state of the air flow analysis results. Figure 8 FIG. is a diagram showing an example of the pattern data. Taking the case of temperature as an example of a variable, the pattern generation unit 143 generates pattern data as described below.

[0075] First, the pattern generation unit 143 divides the room, which is the air-conditioning target space, into a plurality of small regions, and extracts the measured values of the temperature in the regions where the occupants may be present among the measured values of the temperature in each small region. The region where the occupants may be present is, for example, the region from the ground to a height of 1.1 m above the ground. Next, the pattern generation unit 143 sets a plurality of temperature ranges according to the preset upper limit value and lower limit value of the temperature and the number of divisions of the temperature range. Then, the pattern generation unit 143 projects the small regions included in each temperature range onto a plane parallel to the ground, and generates pattern data representing the temperature distribution in such a way that the sum of the ratios of the areas of the projected planes is 100%.

[0076] With Figure 8For example, when the lower limit of the temperature range is 20°C, the upper limit is 30°C, and the temperature division unit is 1°C, it is set to 10 partitions composed of the 1st partition where the temperature is 20°C or more and less than 21°C, the 2nd partition where the temperature is 21°C or more and less than 22°C, …, and the 10th partition where the temperature is 29°C or more and less than 30°C. The pattern data represents the incidence rate (%) of the proportion of small areas belonging to each temperature range in the area where the occupant may be present when the temperature range is divided into 10 partitions.

[0077] Refer to Figure 8 , and illustrate the case where the pattern data varies according to the pattern. For the pattern data named pattern001, the incidence rate of the 5th partition is 44.43%, and the incidence rate of the 7th partition is 9.7%. In contrast, for the pattern data named pattern002, the incidence rate of the 5th partition is 5.26%, and the incidence rate of the 7th partition is 40.16%. It can be seen that the room temperature of the pattern named pattern002 is higher than that of the pattern named pattern001.

[0078] Refer to Figure 8 The method for generating the pattern data described as an example can also be other methods. In addition, the variable is not limited to the case of temperature. The pattern generation unit 143 can also generate pattern data for other factors such as wind speed, humidity, and comfort index in the same way as in the case where the variable is temperature. The number of variables is not limited to 1 and can also be multiple. The pattern data is expressed by the frequency distribution of any one or more of the indoor temperature, humidity, wind speed, and comfort index in the analysis result. By replacing the result of the airflow analysis with the pattern data, the data size of the analysis result can be compressed, and the storage capacity of the storage device 13 can be reduced.

[0079] The airflow control unit 144 includes an airflow control feasibility determination unit 41, an operating state determination unit 42, and a control instruction conversion unit 43. The airflow control feasibility determination unit 41 determines whether airflow control can be started based on the generation state of the pattern data by the pattern generation unit 143. The pattern data is generated corresponding to the analysis conditions with priorities. The airflow control feasibility determination unit 41 determines that airflow control can be started when the generation of the pattern data corresponding to the analysis conditions with high priorities is all completed.

[0080] When the operating state determination unit 42 determines that airflow control can be started by the airflow control feasibility determination unit 41, it selects the pattern that realizes the environment closest to the target conditions from the generated multiple pattern data based on the measurement data 136 to determine the operating state.

[0081] The control instruction conversion unit 43 converts the operating state determined by the operating state determination unit 42 into a control instruction that actually provides an instruction to the air conditioner 2. Then, the control instruction conversion unit 43 sends the control instruction to the air conditioner 2.

[0082] In addition, in the present Embodiment 1, a case has been described in which the air flow control availability determination unit 41 determines whether air flow control can be started based on the generation state of the pattern data. However, it may also be determined based on the generation state of the analysis result of the air flow analysis unit 142.

[0083] In addition, as a method for setting the priority, a method of using the occurrence frequency of the operating state during a certain period has been described. However, it is not limited to this method. The user may select the operating state with a high priority from among a plurality of operating states. In addition, the operating states with a high priority may be randomly set, such as setting the operating states with a high priority at equal intervals in advance within the range in which the air conditioner 2 can operate.

[0084] An example of another method for setting the priority will be further described. For example, the selectable range of the operating state of the air conditioner 2 is previously divided into a plurality of ranges. Considering that a high priority is assigned to one representative operating state in each of the divided ranges, and a priority relatively lower than that of the representative operating state is assigned to other operating states. In this case, the optimal operating state can be determined from among the representative conditions at an early stage, and the selectable range of the operating states can be gradually expanded to other conditions.

[0085] An example of the selectable range of the operating state will be described. Here, a case where the operating state is the vertical and horizontal directions of the air outlet of the indoor unit 22 will be described. It is assumed that the gravitational direction is set as the angle 0°, the horizontal direction is set as the angle 90°, the selectable range of the vertical and horizontal directions is set as the range of angles 0° to 90°, and the vertical and horizontal directions can be set in units of 1°. In this case, the selectable range of the operating state is divided into three partitions. The three partitions are a first partition of 0° or more and less than 30°, a second partition of 30° or more and less than 60°, and a third partition of 60° or more and 90° or less. In the first partition, a high priority is assigned to the angle 15° as a representative value, and a priority relatively lower than that of the representative value is assigned to other angles. In the second partition, a high priority is assigned to 45° as a representative value, and a priority relatively lower than that of the representative value is assigned to other angles. In the third partition, a high priority is assigned to 75° as a representative value, and a priority relatively lower than that of the representative value is assigned to other angles.

[0086] In the case of this example, the air flow analysis unit 142 preferentially performs air flow analysis under the analysis conditions where the angles with respect to the up-down wind direction are 15°, 45°, and 75°. After that, the air flow analysis unit 142 performs air flow analysis under the analysis conditions where the angles with respect to the up-down wind direction are other than 15°, 45°, and 75°. Among the divided ranges, when the air flow analysis stage is completed for the representative operating states, air flow control can be started, and the operation with the best efficiency can be performed among the representative operating states.

[0087] Here, an example of the hardware of the arithmetic unit 14 of the air conditioner control device 1 shown Figure 3 will be described. Figure 9 is a hardware structure diagram showing Figure 3 an example of the structure of the arithmetic unit shown. When various functions of the arithmetic unit 14 are executed by hardware, as Figure 9 shown, Figure 3 the arithmetic unit 14 shown is constituted by a processing circuit 80. Figure 3 The functions of the model creation unit 141, the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 shown are realized by the processing circuit 80.

[0088] When each function is executed by hardware, the processing circuit 80 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a structure formed by combining them. The functions of each part of the model creation unit 141, the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 can also be realized by the processing circuit 80 respectively. In addition, the functions of each part of the model creation unit 141, the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 can be realized by one processing circuit 80.

[0089] In addition, an example of other hardware of the arithmetic unit 14 shown Figure 3 will be described. Figure 10 is a hardware structure diagram showing Figure 3 another example of the structure of the arithmetic unit shown. When various functions of the arithmetic unit 14 are executed by software, as Figure 10 shown, Figure 3The arithmetic unit 14 shown is composed of a processor 81 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory 82. The functions of the model creation unit 141, the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 are realized by the processor 81 and the memory 82. Figure 10 It is shown that the processor 81 and the memory 82 are communicably connected to each other via a bus 83.

[0090] When each function is executed by software, the functions of the model creation unit 141, the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and the firmware are recorded as programs and stored in the memory 82. The processor 81 realizes the functions of each part by reading and executing the programs stored in the memory 82.

[0091] As the memory 82, for example, non-volatile semiconductor memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable and Programmable ROM), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) are used. In addition, as the memory 82, a volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) may also be used. Moreover, as the memory 82, removable recording media such as magnetic disks, floppy disks, optical disks, CDs (Compact Discs), MDs (Mini Discs), and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) may also be used.

[0092] Next, the operation of the air conditioner control device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 11 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence of the air conditioner control device according to the first embodiment. Figure 11 The trigger for starting the shown process is, for example, that the air conditioner control device 1 receives a start operation notification signal indicating the start of operation from the air conditioner 2. In this case, the controller 23 of the air conditioner 2 sends the start operation notification signal to the air conditioner control device 1 when starting the operation.

[0093] In step ST11, the air flow control availability determination unit 41 determines whether air flow control can be started. For example, the air flow control availability determination unit 41 determines whether the generation of pattern data by the pattern generation unit 143 has been completed based on the result of air flow analysis according to an analysis condition with a priority higher than a pre-determined priority. As a result of the determination in step ST11, if the generation of pattern data corresponding to the analysis condition with a higher priority is completed, the air flow control availability determination unit 41 determines that air flow control can be started and proceeds to step ST12. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step ST11, if the generation of pattern data corresponding to the analysis condition with a higher priority is not completed, the air flow control availability determination unit 41 returns to step ST11.

[0094] In step ST12, the air flow control unit 144 determines whether it is the timing of an air flow control execution cycle. When the air flow control unit 144 determines that it is the timing of an air flow control execution cycle, it proceeds to step ST13. When the air flow control unit 144 determines that it is not the timing of an air flow control execution cycle, it returns to step ST12. The air flow control execution cycle is, for example, a fixed cycle such as an interval of 5 minutes.

[0095] When the air flow control unit 144 transfers to the process of step ST13 to execute air flow control, the air flow analysis unit 142 continues the air flow analysis in order from the analysis condition with a higher priority for the remaining analysis conditions. The air flow analysis is performed in parallel with the air flow control, so that the results of the air flow analysis of the analysis conditions with a relatively low priority are also accumulated in the storage device 13 over time. It is also possible to utilize the results of the air flow analysis based on the analysis conditions with a low priority at an earlier stage, enabling more accurate air flow control.

[0096] In step ST13, the air flow control unit 144 acquires the air conditioner operation data 36 and the sensor data 37 from the storage device 13. The data acquired here is not limited to the current data obtained from the air conditioner 2 and the sensor 3 at the moment closest to the current time. The data acquired from the storage device 13 may also be past data including the air conditioner operation data 36 and the sensor data 37 stored in the storage device 13 in the past.

[0097] In step ST14, the air flow control unit 144 selects a pattern that realizes a state closest to a pre-set target value from the pattern data already generated by the pattern generation unit 143. In step ST15, the operation state determination unit 42 determines the operation state of the air conditioner 2 with reference to the blowing conditions of the air conditioner 2 corresponding to the pattern selected in step ST14. In step ST16, the control instruction conversion unit 43 converts the operation state determined in step ST15 into a control instruction that actually provides an instruction to the air conditioner 2, and sends the control instruction to the air conditioner 2.

[0098] In step ST17, the air flow control unit 144 determines whether the end condition is satisfied. If the end condition is satisfied, the air flow control unit 144 ends the process. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step ST17, if the end condition is not satisfied, the air flow control unit 144 returns to step ST12. The end condition is, for example, the stop of the air conditioner 2. In this case, when an instruction to stop the operation of the air conditioner 2 is input by the user or the administrator, the controller 23 of the air conditioner 2 stops the operation of the air conditioner 2 and sends a stop notification signal indicating that the operation of the air conditioner 2 is stopped to the air conditioning control device 1. The end condition is not limited to the case of the stop of the air conditioner 2, and it may be the condition that a preset time has elapsed since the start of the operation of the air conditioner 2. The preset time is the time when the operation of the air conditioner 2 becomes stable.

[0099] Next, refer to Figure 12 the description of Figure 11 the operations performed by the air flow analysis unit 142, the pattern generation unit 143, and the air flow control unit 144 in step ST11 shown in the figure. Figure 12 It is a flowchart showing Figure 11 an example of the operation sequence in step ST11 shown in the figure. Here, the priority given to the analysis condition is set as an integer k. In addition, the highest priority among the priorities k sorted in multiple levels is set to 1. k = 1 corresponds to Figure 7 the upper limit priority of the mandatory condition shown in the figure. The lower limit priority of the mandatory condition shown in Figure 7 the figure among the priorities k sorted in multiple levels is set as kL.

[0100] When the priority k of the analysis condition of the read object is set to 1, which is the highest priority (step ST31), the air flow analysis unit 142 reads the analysis condition with the priority k = 1 from the storage device 13 and performs air flow analysis (step ST32). Next, the pattern generation unit 143 generates pattern data from the analysis result (step ST33). Further, the pattern generation unit 143 saves the generated pattern data in the storage device 13 (step ST34). The air flow control determination unit 41 determines whether the priority k is the same as the lower limit priority kL (step ST35). As a result of the determination in step ST35, if the priority k is not the same as the lower limit priority kL, the air flow control determination unit 41 sets the value obtained by adding 1 to the current priority k as the new priority k (step ST36) and returns to step ST32.

[0101] On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step ST35, when the priority k matches the lower limit priority kL, the air flow control availability determination unit 41 determines that air flow control can be executed (step ST37). Further, when there are two or more analysis conditions given the same priority k, after the air flow control unit 144 executes steps ST32 to ST34 for each of the two or more analysis conditions, it proceeds to step ST35.

[0102] In this way, by preferentially executing the air flow analysis with a high priority, the air conditioner control can be started at an early stage when the air flow analysis of the analysis conditions including the main blowing conditions is completed.

[0103] Next, the operation of the operation state determination unit 42 in step ST15 will be described. Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence in step ST15 shown in FIG. Refer to Figure 13 This is a diagram showing Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation sequence in step ST15 shown in FIG. Refer to Figure 13 This describes the pattern selection process performed by the operation state determination unit 42.

[0104] Here, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the following structure and conditions will be described. The air conditioner 2 has one indoor unit 22, and the number of outlets provided in the indoor unit 22 is one. The air conditioner operation data 36 in the measurement data 136 includes the start or stop state of the air conditioner 2, the operation mode indicating cooling operation or heating operation, the set temperature, the blowing speed, the vertical wind direction, and the horizontal wind direction data. The sensor 3 is an infrared sensor, and the sensor data 37 includes data on the wall surface temperature, the ceiling surface temperature, and the floor surface temperature obtained from the thermal image of the infrared sensor.

[0105] In addition, the load conditions in the analysis conditions are the wall surface temperature, the ceiling surface temperature, and the floor surface temperature, and the blowing conditions are the blowing temperature at one outlet provided in the indoor unit 22, and the vertical and horizontal wind directions of the air flow. The objects calculated in the air flow analysis are temperature and wind speed. As the target conditions, upper limit values and lower limit values are respectively set for the wind speed and temperature at a plane at a height predetermined in the room of the air-conditioned space.

[0106] In step ST21, the operation state determination unit 42 selects a pattern approximate to the current operation state, that is, the current state pattern, as follows. The operation state determination unit 42 obtains the start or stop state, operation mode, blowing speed, up / down wind direction, and left / right wind direction of the air conditioner 2 from the air conditioner operation data 36, and selects a blowing condition consistent with the operation state of the air conditioner 2 obtained from the blowing conditions in the analysis conditions. Next, the operation state determination unit 42 obtains the wall surface temperature, ceiling surface temperature, and floor surface temperature from the sensor data 37, and subtracts the floor surface temperature from the obtained ceiling surface temperature to obtain the temperature difference between the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature, that is, the up / down temperature difference. Furthermore, regarding the load conditions in the analysis conditions, the operation state determination unit 42 also subtracts the floor temperature from the ceiling temperature to obtain the up / down temperature difference, compares the up / down temperature difference with the wall temperature values respectively obtained from the sensor data 37, and determines the load condition closest thereto. Here, the pattern data corresponding to the analysis conditions including the determined blowing conditions and load conditions is uniquely determined. The operation state determination unit 42 uses the uniquely determined pattern data as the current state pattern of the current indoor environment estimation value.

[0107] In step ST22, the operation state determination unit 42 extracts patterns to be candidates, that is, candidate patterns, from the current state pattern as the estimation values of the indoor environment when the blowing speed, up / down wind direction, and left / right wind direction are changed, as follows. The operation state determination unit 42 refers to the air conditioner operation data 36 and selects a plurality of blowing conditions in which the start or stop state and operation mode of the air conditioner 2 are the same but the blowing speed, up / down wind direction, and left / right wind direction are different. Next, the operation state determination unit 42 extracts a plurality of analysis conditions from the analysis condition list that include the blowing conditions identical to any of the selected plurality of blowing conditions and the load conditions identical to the load conditions determined in step ST21. The operation state determination unit 42 uses the patterns corresponding to the extracted analysis conditions as candidate patterns. The number of candidate patterns may be one or more.

[0108] In step ST23, the operation state determination unit 42 calculates evaluation values for the current state pattern determined in step ST21 and the candidate patterns determined in step ST22, respectively. Here, an example of the evaluation value is described. For the variables of temperature and wind speed in the pattern data, the ratio of the area included in the preset temperature range is calculated, and the value obtained by multiplying the ratios of the respective variables by the weight coefficients and summing them is used as the evaluation value.

[0109] A plurality of weighting coefficients are preset. In this case, the operation state determination unit 42 can determine whether the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is in a transition state or a stable state and change the weighting coefficient used corresponding to the operation state. The transition state refers to a state in an unstable process such as immediately after the air conditioner 2 is started. The operation state of the air conditioner 2 is determined, for example, by whether the elapsed time since the start is equal to or greater than a preset threshold time. When the elapsed time since the start of the air conditioner 2 is less than the threshold time, the operation state determination unit 42 determines that the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is in a transition state, and when the elapsed time since the start of the air conditioner 2 is equal to or greater than the threshold time, the operation state determination unit 42 determines that the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is in a stable state. By changing the weighting coefficient corresponding to the operation state, it is possible to prioritize the speed of reaching the target value immediately after the air conditioner 2 is started, prioritize comfort after the air conditioner 2 is stable, and perform air flow control corresponding to the condition of the air conditioner 2.

[0110] The determination of the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is not limited to the above determination method. The operation state determination unit 42 can also obtain information on the suction temperature and the set temperature from the air conditioner 2, and compare the temperature difference between the suction temperature and the set temperature with a preset threshold temperature to determine the operation state of the air conditioner 2. When the temperature difference between the suction temperature and the set temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold temperature, the operation state determination unit 42 determines that the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is in a transition state, and when the temperature difference between the suction temperature and the set temperature is less than the threshold temperature, the operation state determination unit 42 determines that the operation state of the air conditioner 2 is in a stable state.

[0111] In addition, the above method for calculating the evaluation value is an example, and other calculation methods can also be used for calculation. In addition, the evaluation object is not limited to temperature, and can be wind speed, or elements other than temperature and wind speed. For example, the evaluation object can be set to a pattern such as the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts at multiple positions in the room from the air flow analysis result, the calculated value of the pattern is stored in the storage device 13, and the calculated value is used as the evaluation value.

[0112] In addition, the analysis result or pattern data of the air flow analysis sometimes exactly matches the actual conditions, but sometimes it also contains errors. Therefore, the operation state determination unit 42 can also correct the analysis result or pattern data using one or both of the air conditioner operation data and the sensor data measurement values, and use the corrected analysis result or pattern data. For example, a sensor 3 for measuring the temperature of the air inhaled into the air inlet of the air conditioner 2, i.e., the intake temperature, is provided, and the operation state determination unit 42 obtains the information of the measurement value from the sensor 3 provided at the air inlet. Then, the operation state determination unit 42 obtains the information of the temperature corresponding to the intake temperature from the analysis result or pattern data, and corrects the analysis result or pattern data using the difference value between the temperature obtained from the analysis result or pattern data and the measurement value. By correcting the analysis result or pattern data, this correction is reflected in the air flow control executed in the actual room, and the temperature in the room is corrected. Thereby, the error caused by the difference between the analysis conditions and the actual conditions can be corrected, and highly accurate air flow control can be performed.

[0113] In step ST24, the operation state determination unit 42 determines the operation state of the air conditioner 2 as follows. When the evaluation values of the multiple candidate patterns calculated in step ST23 are all lower than the evaluation value of the current state pattern, the operation state determination unit 42 does not change the operation state. When there is a candidate pattern whose evaluation value is higher than the evaluation value of the current state pattern, the operation state determination unit 42 determines the operation state of the air conditioner 2 corresponding to the blowing condition corresponding to the candidate pattern as the target value of the operation state of the air conditioner 2. When there are multiple candidate patterns whose evaluation values are higher than the evaluation value of the current state pattern, the operation state determination unit 42 selects the candidate pattern with the highest evaluation value, and determines the operation state of the air conditioner 2 corresponding to the blowing condition corresponding to the selected candidate pattern as the target value of the operation state of the air conditioner 2.

[0114] Thus, the air conditioner control device 1 accumulates the result of the air flow analysis performed on the air flow analysis model made according to the equipment and space information and the analysis condition list as pattern data. Then, when performing air flow control, the air conditioner control device 1 selects a pattern that satisfies the target condition from the pattern data according to the measurement data to perform air flow control.

[0115] By assigning priorities to the respective analysis conditions in the analysis condition list, the air conditioner control device 1 performs air flow analysis in the order from the highest priority to the lowest priority, and can start air flow control at an early stage when the air flow analysis of the condition with the highest priority is completed. In addition, the air conditioner control device 1 continues the air flow analysis of the analysis conditions with lower priorities after the start of air flow control, so that various pattern data can be gradually accumulated, and the accuracy of air flow control can be improved.

[0116] In addition, in the first embodiment, the model creation unit 141 may also perform machine learning using the measurement data 136 accumulated in the storage device 13 to update the airflow analysis model 133 in such a manner that the airflow analysis model 133 is adapted to the air-conditioning target space. Thereby, the accuracy of airflow analysis is further improved.

[0117] The air-conditioning control device 1 according to the first embodiment includes: a storage device 13 that stores a plurality of analysis conditions each given a priority and the results of airflow analysis for each analysis condition; and an arithmetic device 14 that controls the air conditioner 2. The arithmetic device 14 includes an airflow analysis unit 142, an airflow control availability determination unit 41, and an operating state determination unit 42. The airflow analysis unit 142 performs airflow analysis in order starting from the analysis condition with the highest priority among the plurality of analysis conditions. The airflow control availability determination unit 41 determines whether airflow control of the air conditioner 2 can be started based on the generation state of the analysis result of the airflow analysis unit 142. When the airflow control availability determination unit 41 determines that airflow control can be started, the operating state determination unit 42 determines the operating state of the air conditioner 2 based on the analysis result of the airflow analysis unit 142.

[0118] According to the first embodiment, by assigning priorities to the plurality of analysis conditions and performing airflow analysis in order starting from the analysis condition with the highest assigned priority, airflow control can be started at an early stage when the airflow analysis of the analysis condition with the highest priority is completed. Since appropriate airflow control is performed at an early stage from the start of the air conditioner 2, a comfortable environment can be provided to the user at an early stage. Since airflow control suitable for the air-conditioning target space is performed earlier, it is possible to suppress the ineffective change of the operating frequency of the compressor 51 and achieve energy saving.

[0119] Conventionally, in the case where the number of analysis conditions as analysis targets is large, in order to shorten the time for airflow analysis, it is considered to reduce the number of analysis conditions and supplement the insufficient analysis conditions by means such as interpolation processing. However, depending on the method of reducing the analysis conditions, sometimes the analysis conditions corresponding to the operating states with high usage frequencies are deleted, and the deleted analysis conditions are supplemented by interpolation processing. In this case, the accuracy of airflow analysis may deteriorate.

[0120] In contrast, the air-conditioning control device 1 according to the first embodiment does not reduce the number of analysis conditions for the plurality of analysis conditions, but preferentially performs airflow analysis of the analysis conditions with high priorities and starts airflow control based on the analysis results. Since airflow analysis of the analysis conditions with high priorities is performed, the loss of accuracy of airflow analysis is suppressed.

[0121] In addition, in the present Embodiment 1, after the start of the air flow control, the air flow analysis for the analysis conditions with low priority is performed in parallel with the air flow control by the air flow analysis unit 142. As a result, a large number of analysis results are accumulated in the storage device 13 over time. Therefore, the air conditioner control device 1 can perform fine air flow control for the user with high accuracy using the analysis results of a large number of analysis conditions accumulated in the storage device 13.

[0122] Furthermore, in the present Embodiment 1, the storage device 13 does not directly store and manage the results of the air flow analysis, but stores and manages the pattern data indicating the distribution of the environment in the air-conditioned object space. Therefore, the data size of the analysis results can be compressed, and the storage capacity of the storage device 13 can be reduced. Even in the case of a large number of analysis conditions, the required storage capacity can be suppressed. As a result, according to the present Embodiment 1, the calculation load and the storage capacity can be reduced, and the air flow control considering the distribution of the thermal environment in the air-conditioned object space can be started at an early stage.

Claims

1. An air conditioner control device, comprising: A storage device that stores a plurality of analysis conditions each given a priority and the result of air flow analysis for each of the analysis conditions; and An arithmetic device that controls an air conditioner, The arithmetic device has: An air flow analysis unit that performs the air flow analysis of the plurality of analysis conditions; An air flow control enable determination unit that determines that air flow control can be started for the air conditioner when the air flow analysis from the upper limit priority to the lower limit priority of the range of priorities of the analysis conditions that are given the priority and can start air flow control among the plurality of analysis conditions is completed; and An operating state determination unit that, when it is determined by the air flow control enable determination unit that air flow control can be started, determines the operating state of the air conditioner based on the analysis result of the air flow analysis unit that has been completed.

2. An air conditioner control device, comprising: A storage device that stores a plurality of analysis conditions each given a priority and the result of air flow analysis for each of the analysis conditions; and An arithmetic device that controls an air conditioner, The arithmetic device has: An air flow analysis unit that performs the air flow analysis of the plurality of analysis conditions; An air flow control enable determination unit that determines whether air flow control can be started for the air conditioner based on the generation state of the analysis result of the air flow analysis unit, and determines that air flow control can be started for the air conditioner when the air flow analysis from the upper limit priority to the lower limit priority of the range of priorities of the analysis conditions that can start air flow control among the analysis conditions given the priority is completed; and An operating state determination unit that, when it is determined by the air flow control enable determination unit that air flow control can be started, determines the operating state of the air conditioner based on the analysis result of the air flow analysis unit, The storage device stores operation data representing the operating state of the air conditioner, Regarding the priority given to the analysis conditions, the higher the occurrence frequency of the operating state in the past operating states of the air conditioner, the higher the priority given to the analysis conditions corresponding to the operating state is set.

3. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1, wherein Regarding the priority given to the analysis conditions, when the operating state of the air conditioner is a blowing condition, the blowing condition is divided into a plurality of ranges, and the highest priority is set for the representative blowing condition of each divided range.

4. The air conditioner control device according to claim 1, wherein After it is determined by the air flow control enable determination unit that air flow control can be started, the air flow analysis unit continues the air flow analysis based on the analysis conditions in the order of the priority.

5. The air conditioner control device according to claim 2, wherein After it is determined by the air flow control enable determination unit that air flow control can be started, the air flow analysis unit continues the air flow analysis based on the analysis conditions in the order of the priority.

6. The air conditioner control device according to claim 3, wherein After the air flow control permission determination unit determines that air flow control can start, the air flow analysis unit continues the air flow analysis based on the analysis conditions in the order of the priority.

7. The air conditioner control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the storage device stores operation data indicating the operation state of the air conditioner and sensor data which is at least the measured value of a sensor that measures the environment of the air-conditioned target space. When determining the blowing condition closest to a predetermined target condition as the operation state of the air conditioner according to the analysis result, the operation state determination unit corrects the analysis result by using one or both of the current operation state of the air conditioner and the sensor data.

8. The air conditioner control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein When determining the blowing condition closest to a predetermined target condition as the operation state of the air conditioner according to the analysis result, the operation state determination unit calculates an evaluation value of the blowing condition by using coefficients that are different depending on whether the operation state of the air conditioner is a transient state or a steady state, and determines the blowing condition with the highest calculated evaluation value as the current operation state of the air conditioner.

9. The air conditioner control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the arithmetic device has a pattern generation unit that generates pattern data expressing the tendency of the distribution of the environment of the air-conditioned target space with fewer variables than the analysis result based on the analysis result of the air flow analysis unit. The operation state determination unit determines the operation state of the air conditioner according to the pattern data generated by the pattern generation unit.

10. The air conditioner control device according to claim 9, wherein the pattern data is expressed by a frequency distribution based on any one or more of the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and comfort index in the air-conditioned target space in the analysis result.

11. The air conditioner control device according to claim 9, wherein the air flow control permission determination unit determines whether air flow control can start according to the generation state of the pattern data based on the pattern generation unit.

12. The air conditioner control device according to claim 10, wherein the air flow control permission determination unit determines whether air flow control can start according to the generation state of the pattern data based on the pattern generation unit.

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