METHOD FOR AUTOMATED CONTROL OF THE HEAT SEAL OF A TANNING SHOP

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the so-called "heatwave" closure of a motorized solar shutter, enabling automated movement of the shutter if the temperature becomes too high. The objective is to automate the shutter's closure through a "heatwave" mode, specifically based on temperature rise, with closure occurring only if climatic conditions are considered characteristic of a heatwave. The most immediate goal is to improve living comfort in a home, given the ever-increasing threat of heatwaves. Secondarily, in the case of a building equipped with air conditioning, proper management of the solar shutters' positioning can lead to energy savings by reducing air conditioning needs during hot summers.

[0002] In many private homes equipped with motorized shutters, at least some of the shutters are solar-powered. These are therefore equipped with what can be called solar motors, connected to a battery that stores solar energy collected via solar panels installed near each shutter. This is the case, for example, in document JP 2019 002645 A, which describes a temperature control system capable of adjusting the temperature of several rooms that are not directly exposed to sunlight. In this case, the regulation is achieved indirectly via a room that is exposed to sunlight, and whose window shutter can be opened or closed to varying degrees depending on the amount of sunlight reaching that window. The control system operates primarily through signals indicating the degree of opening / closing of the shutter(s) of the windows exposed to the outside.It is also known that when the amount of solar energy is a parameter used in the management of shutter drive motors, solar panels are conventionally equipped with solar irradiance sensors. JP2019 002645 describes in particular a method for the automated control of the closing of a solar shutter, the solar shutter comprising at least one solar panel supplying energy to an electric motor driving the shutter, said solar panel comprising an irradiance sensor capable of measuring solar irradiance, each motor being connected to a control unit equipped with telecommunication means, linked to the irradiance sensor and controllable by means of an individual remote control, an additional remote control being associated with each shutter, where the method comprises: . the collection by the control unit of the measurement of solar irradiance measured by the irradiance sensor; the collection by the control unit of the measurement of ambient temperature; the control by the control unit of the motor for the purpose of closing the shutter.

[0003] Each motor is also connected to a control unit, often an electronic board that houses the components for processing information to control the motor. Heatwave-resistant closing mechanisms for solar shutters already exist, based on irradiance measurements that detect the presence of extreme heat conditions requiring shutter closure. Essentially, an irradiance threshold is set and stored in the control unit, and the measurement from the irradiance sensor is periodically compared with this threshold. If the measurement is at least equal to the stored irradiance threshold, the motor is controlled by the control unit to close the shutter. It is generally accepted that the theoretical solar irradiance threshold indicating a heatwave is around 350 W / m².The automated heatwave closing processes for solar shutters are therefore designed so that a closing command frame is sent by the control unit to the motor as soon as the irradiance sensor measures a solar irradiance of at least 350 W / m 2< .

[0004] However, this single measure struggles to accurately account for the emergence of heatwave characteristics, which are not solely linked to solar energy measurable on or near the building, and moreover, somewhat modeled by the amount of solar energy received per unit area of ​​the solar panels. It seems obvious that temperature, and in particular the ambient temperature measured inside a building, and therefore directly felt by the inhabitants whom we are trying to protect from the rigors of a heatwave, is a crucial factor that should also be considered. Yet, to date, automated procedures for closing shutters during heatwaves do not take into account any parameters other than solar irradiance.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is therefore to address this issue by refining the assessment of heatwave conditions, in order to provide an automated system that is better suited to the realities experienced by people living in buildings subjected to high temperatures. Essentially, the method of the invention aims to correct the current "toggle" threshold in heatwave mode, which triggers the shutter closure based solely on solar energy. Put another way, the goal is to optimize the automated heatwave closure process by weighting the solar irradiance parameter with a second parameter: the ambient temperature in the building.

[0006] For this purpose, the method for automatically controlling the heatwave-resistant closure of a solar shutter, conventionally comprising at least one solar panel supplying energy to an electric motor driving the shutter, said solar panel comprising an irradiance sensor capable of measuring solar irradiance, the motor being connected to a control unit equipped with telecommunications means, linked to the irradiance sensor and controllable by means of an individual remote control capable of being programmed by the user between an automated operating mode and a non-automated operating mode of the shutter, an additional remote control being associated with the shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring the ambient temperature, said method is such that it comprises: the control unit's verification of the activation of the shutter's automated mode; the control unit's collection of the solar irradiance measurement Is measured by the irradiance sensor; the control unit's collection of the ambient temperature measurement T amb measured by the additional remote control; the control unit's calculation of an optimized irradiance threshold Io = 350 + 10 x (22-T amb); the comparison between the measured irradiance Is and the optimized irradiance Io, and if Is ≥ Io: the control unit's command of the motor for the purpose of closing the shutter.

[0007] The actual switching threshold becomes lower than the previously used value of 350 if temperatures exceed 22°C, and it is adjusted accordingly as the temperature rises. This is essentially an ambient correction performed by the system to refine the thermal control threshold, which is no longer solely dependent on a fixed irradiance value. Solar irradiance measurement does not provide direct information on the actual ambient temperature inside the building, which is nevertheless an important indicator of a heatwave. By relying solely on solar irradiance, the system clearly prioritizes overall weather conditions, which do not have a clear and easily quantifiable impact on temperatures.

[0008] For example, in the method of the invention, if the ambient temperature inside a dwelling reaches 27°C, the motor's closing threshold is set at Io = 300, whereas in prior art systems, the control unit would have waited for a value of 350 to activate the closing mechanism. If the measured temperature is even higher, the switching threshold decreases as the temperature rises: Io = 270 for T = 30°C, Io = 250 for T = 32°C, and so on. The difference in thresholds therefore varies considerably, reflecting, to some extent, the system's sensitivity to the ambient temperature parameter.

[0009] In practice, according to the invention, after a heatwave closing command is sent to the motor, the control unit activates a time delay that inhibits any further heatwave closing commands for a specified duration. This duration is between 2 and 4 hours, preferably 3 hours. The aim is to prevent the process from continuing to operate idly when the temperature continues to rise, for example, as the day progresses, and the shutter has already been automatically closed. Alternatively, it inhibits the automatic closing of the shutter, which is logical because the conditions have not changed and result in a successful heatwave switching software test, even though the user has decided to reopen it for their own reasons.

[0010] When referring to ambient temperature measurements, this does not refer to a single measurement but, in order to avoid side effects that could result from a single measurement, to a measurement resulting from several measurements. In the method of the invention, the ambient temperature Tamb is an average value calculated from a plurality of measurements taken over a predetermined period lasting a few seconds, in practice at most 10 seconds and preferably less than or equal to 5 seconds.

[0011] For the purposes of the invention, and for its use by the control unit in the aforementioned formula for calculating the optimized irradiance threshold I₀, the ambient temperature T₁mb is calculated at regular intervals ranging from 20 to 40 minutes, and preferably every 30 minutes. Once calculated, the temperature is transmitted to the shutter control unit. The frequency is kept low to avoid excessively draining the battery powering the additional remote control associated with the shutter, whose energy is conserved as much as possible to ensure its longevity.

[0012] The successive calculations by the Io optimized irradiance threshold control unit are also carried out at regular intervals, the duration between two successive calculations being between 2 minutes and 15 minutes, preferably equal to 5 minutes.

[0013] We have seen that the automatic closure of the shutter due to heat, following a command issued by the control unit to the electric motor, can be inhibited for a few hours by a time delay. However, the regular measurement of the parameters used in the method of the invention remains useful insofar as the method also provides for an additional possibility of automated shutter opening. To implement this, the control unit checks whether the measured irradiance value Is is less than or equal to the optimized irradiance threshold value Io minus a value between 40 and 60, and preferably equal to 50. The unit commands the automated reopening of the shutter if this is the case.

[0014] In this scenario, the calculation is also based on the optimized threshold value, which takes ambient temperature into account. Therefore, a hysteresis of 50, indicating a significant temperature drop between two consecutive measurements, is considered to render the closed damper unnecessary. To revisit some of the previous numerical examples, with an ambient temperature of 28°C, and consequently a heatwave threshold for closing the damper of Io = 290, the damper will be activated at an ambient temperature of 23°C, implying a trigger threshold of Io = 340.

[0015] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description, which relates to an embodiment given by way of illustrative example. Understanding this description will be particularly facilitated by reference to the figures attached in the appendix: [ Fig.1 ] shows a synoptic diagram of the overall operation of the automated control method for a solar shutter for heatwave closure according to the modalities of the method of the invention; and [ Fig.2 ] shows a synoptic diagram of the operation of the automated control method of a solar shutter according to the invention for the detection of the end of conditions determined to be heatwave conditions.

[0016] With reference to the figure 1 The method for controlling the heatwave-resistant closure of a solar-powered shutter relies on a hardware configuration based on a solar shutter whose movements are achieved by means of an electric drive motor powered by at least one solar panel and an associated battery for storing electrical energy. An irradiance sensor is placed near the solar panel(s). A control unit manages this hardware system, specifically to link the control—whether manual via an individual remote control specific to the shutter or automated—with the actual shutter movements. During automated operation, in this case aimed at managing the shutter's movements during heatwave conditions, the control unit collects several signals, for example, signals from at least one irradiance sensor on the solar panel and a temperature sensor on an additional remote control.It also generally works based on limit switch sensors for the shutter. All these signals are processed by the control unit to implement pre-programmed actions.

[0017] According to the figure 1 , in order to satisfy the main objective of the invention of automating the drive of a solar shutter for its closure according to a heatwave operating mode, it is first carried out to verify the activation of the automated mode, meaning in practice that the remote control is not in principle used to occasionally operate the movements of the shutter in both directions.

[0018] If so, the control unit regularly collects the solar irradiance value (Is), a parameter available at the terminals of the irradiance sensor located outside, generally at at least one solar panel. The unit also collects the ambient temperature value at regular intervals, which is measured by at least one temperature sensor located in the additional remote control.

[0019] The electronic control unit then performs the calculation of the stored formula: I o = 350 + 10 × 22 − T amb

[0020] This formula optimizes the threshold at which a heatwave closure is triggered. It has been mentioned that until now, heatwave closures were implemented based on a single parameter, namely solar irradiance, and that the irradiance threshold considered a marker of a heatwave was conventionally measured at 350 W / m². The contribution of the invention lies in refining and optimizing this fixed threshold by taking into account an additional parameter, which is ambient temperature, which can easily be considered a natural marker of a heatwave.

[0021] In fact, the formula was developed following numerous tests and trials, and it is based in particular on the observation that at an ambient temperature—that is, the temperature inside the building—of around 22°C, a threshold of solar irradiance of 350 W / m² can be accepted, as used in the prior art. As soon as the ambient temperature increases, such a threshold is too high. Tests have shown that people experiencing an indoor ambient temperature, for example, of around 25-26°C, clearly request a heatwave closure even if the irradiance sensor indicates an irradiance value below 350 W / m². This is obviously even more true for indoor temperatures approaching 30°C, which is no longer a far-fetched prospect given global warming. The tipping point in terms of temperature, according to these tests, is around 22°C.

[0022] Conversely, according to the invention, a heatwave closure can also occur at temperatures lower than 22°C, but this implies high solar irradiance. According to the invention, for a temperature of 20°C, the solar irradiance must be measured at 370 W / m². In other words, very high irradiance can also be considered a characteristic of a heatwave despite an average temperature, and trigger the automated closure of the solar shutter, of course only when the shutter's automated operating mode is active.

[0023] In the event that automation is activated, the invention nevertheless provides a means of inhibiting the automatic nature of the process, to prevent the repeated activation of the shutter closure if conditions remain unchanged, indicating the existence of a heatwave, but the building occupant has decided, for various reasons, to raise the shutter, at least partially. After each automated heatwave-related shutter closure, a time delay is systematically triggered by the control unit, typically for a period of a few hours, on the order of 3 hours.

[0024] Within the framework of this process, there is no need for overly frequent ambient temperature measurements due to the inherent inertia of temperature changes in atmospheric air masses, and the chosen interval is therefore approximately half an hour. However, at each scheduled interval, a few measurements are taken over a few seconds to calculate a usable average value, as taking a single measurement could present a greater risk of error.

[0025] Collecting solar irradiance measurements from an outdoor sensor is more frequent because it depends on factors that are more easily changed and is therefore potentially more variable over time. It changes, in particular, depending on the presence or absence of clouds, can vary with air pollution, and generally with changes in weather conditions. Solar irradiance also varies throughout the day due to the Earth's rotation and the varying angle of incidence of solar radiation, which depends on the time of day. Solar irradiance measurements are therefore taken very regularly, every few minutes.

[0026] All these measures also allow for the reopening of the shutter if necessary, as shown in figure 2, if the conditions change clearly, typically when the measurement of the irradiance Is is less than or equal to the calculated value which is the optimized threshold value of the solar irradiance Io by a significant difference, on the order of a few tens of units, typically on the order of 50. This means in practice that the value Is collected by the control unit is compared by said unit to the calculated threshold value Io and that when their difference reaches the threshold of 50, the control unit considers that the measured irradiance conditions justify the reopening of the solar shutter.

[0027] The configuration examples shown in the figures should not be considered exhaustive of the invention, which includes, for example, variations in the duration of parameter values ​​collected by the solar shutter control unit, while remaining within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. A method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter comprising at least one solar panel for supplying energy to an electric motor driving the shutter, said solar panel comprising an irradiance sensor capable of measuring solar irradiance, the motor being connected to a control unit provided with telecommunication means, connected to the irradiance sensor and controllable by means of an individual remote control capable of being programmed by the user between an automated operating mode and a non-automated operating mode of the shutter, an additional remote control being associated with the shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring ambient temperature, wherein the method comprises: - checking activation of the automated mode of the shutter by the control unit; - collecting, by the control unit, the measurement of solar irradiance Is measured by the irradiance sensor; - collecting, by the control unit, the ambient temperature Tamb measured by the additional remote control; - calculating, by the control unit, an optimised irradiance threshold lo = 350 + 10 x (22-Tamb); - comparing the measured irradiance Is and the optimised irradiance lo, and if ls ≥ lo : - controlling, by the control unit, the motor with a view to closing the shutter.

2. The method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterised in that, after sending a command for closure in intense heat to the motor, the control unitactivates a time delay inhibiting any new sending of a command for closure in intense heat for its duration, said duration being between 2 and 4 hours, preferably equal to 3 hours.

3. The method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the ambient temperature Tamb is an average value calculated from a plurality of measurements taken over a predetermined period whose duration is at most equal to 10 s and preferably less than or equal to 5 s.

4. The method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the ambient temperature Tamb is calculated at regular intervals ranging from 20 minutes to 40 minutes, and preferably equal to 30 minutes.

5. The method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the successive calculations, by the control unit, of the optimised irradiance threshold lo are carried out at regular intervals, the duration between two successive calculations being between 2 minutes and 15 minutes, preferably equal to 5 minutes.

6. The method for automatically governing closure in intense heat of a solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit controls automated reopening of the shutter if the measured irradiance value ls is lower than or equal to the optimised threshold irradiance value lo minus a value between 40 and 60, and preferably equal to 50.