Automated process for controlling the heatwave closure of a solar shutter

Abstract

Method for automated control of the heatwave closing of a solar shutter comprising at least one solar panel for powering an electric motor for 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, 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 each shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring the ambient temperature.The method comprises: - the calculation by the control unit of an optimized irradiance threshold Io = 350 + 10 x (22-Tamb); - the comparison between a measured irradiance Is and the optimized irradiance Io, and if Is ≥ Io: - the control by the control unit of the motor with a view to closing the shutter. Fig. of the abstract: Fig.1.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a solar shutter

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the so-called heatwave closing of a motorized solar shutter, making it possible to ensure automated movement of this shutter if the temperature is too high. The objective is to make the closing of the shutter automatic via management according to a so-called heatwave mode, in particular depending on the rise in temperature, the closing only having to take place if the climatic conditions are considered to be characteristic of a heatwave. The most immediate aim is to improve the comfort of life in a home, in the more than ever current perspective of the occurrence of heatwave episodes. Secondarily, in the case of a building equipped with air conditioning systems, good management of the positioning of the solar shutters can lead to energy savings by reducing the need for air conditioning during hot summers.

[0002] In many private homes equipped with motorized shutters, the stock of shutters includes at least some that operate with solar energy, which are consequently equipped with motors that will be described as solar, connected to a battery for storing solar energy collected via solar panels installed in the vicinity of each shutter. When the quantity of solar energy constitutes a parameter used in the management of the shutter drive motors, the solar panels are conventionally equipped with solar irradiance sensors.

[0003] Each motor is also connected to a control unit, often an electronic card which groups together the components allowing the processing of information for the purpose of controlling the motor. Methods for closing solar shutters during heatwaves already exist, specifically based on a measurement of the irradiance making it possible to deduce the existence of heatwave conditions requiring the shutter to be closed. In essence, an irradiance threshold is set which is stored in the control unit, and the measurement from the irradiance sensor is periodically compared with said 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 commonly accepted that the theoretical solar irradiance threshold marking a heatwave is of the order of 350 W / m2.The automated heatwave closing processes for solar shutters are therefore designed in such a way that a closing command frame is sent by the control unit to the motor as soon as the irradiance sensor measures a solar irradiance at least equal to 350 W / m2.

[0004] However, this single measure struggles to properly account for the emergence of heatwave characteristics, which are not only linked to the measurable solar energy on or near the building, but are also in some way modeled by the amount of solar energy received per unit area of the solar panels. It seems trivial to say that the temperature, and in particular the ambient temperature measured inside a building, and therefore directly felt by the inhabitants we are trying to protect from the rigors of the heatwave, is an essential factor that should also be taken into account. However, until now, automated procedures for closing shutters in the event of a heatwave do not take into account parameters other than solar irradiance.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is therefore to remedy this by refining the evaluation of heatwave conditions, in order to propose an automation processing that is more adapted to reality, as experienced by people living in buildings subject to high temperatures. In essence, the method of the invention aims to correct the current "switching" threshold into heatwave mode, which triggers the closing of the shutter on the sole basis of solar energy. To formulate it differently, the aim is to optimize the automated processing of the heatwave closure by weighting the solar irradiance parameter using a second parameter, the ambient temperature in the building.

[0006] For this purpose, the method for automated control of the heatwave closing of a solar shutter, conventionally comprising at least one solar panel for supplying energy to an electric motor for 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, 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 each shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring the ambient temperature, said method is such that it comprises:

[0007] - verification by the control unit of the activation of the automated mode of the shutter;

[0008] - the collection by the control unit of the measurement of the solar irradiance Ismeasured by the irradiance sensor;

[0009] - the collection by the control unit of the measurement of the ambient temperature Tamb measured by the additional remote control;

[0010] - the calculation by the control unit of an optimized irradiance threshold Io = 350 + 10 x (22-Tamb);

[0011] - the comparison between the measured irradiance Is and the optimized irradiance Io, and

[0012] if Is > Io:

[0013] - the control by the motor control unit for closing the shutter.

[0014] The actual tipping threshold becomes in practice lower than the value of 350 classes It has only been used so far if temperatures exceed 22°C, and it becomes more weighted as the temperature increases. This is a kind of ambient correction carried out by the system, in order to refine the thermal control threshold, which is no longer solely dependent on a fixed irradiance value. The measurement of solar irradiance does not provide direct information on the actual ambient temperature inside the building, which is nevertheless an important marker of a heatwave. By relying solely on solar irradiance, the system clearly favors overall weather conditions, which do not have a clear and easily quantifiable impact on temperatures.

[0015] For example, in the method of the invention, if the ambient temperature inside a home reaches 27°C, the trigger threshold of the motor in the closing direction rises to Io = 300 instead of, in the systems of the prior art, the control unit would have waited for the value of 350 to trigger the closing. If the measured temperature is even higher, the switching threshold falls as said temperature rises: Io = 270 for T=30°C, Io = 250 for T=32°C etc. The threshold difference therefore varies very markedly, reflecting in some way the sensitivity of the system to the ambient temperature parameter.

[0016] In practice, according to the method of the invention, after sending a heatwave closing command to the motor, the control unit activates a time delay inhibiting for its duration any further sending of a heatwave closing command, said duration being between 2 and 4 hours, preferably equal to 3 hours. This is to prevent the method from continuing to operate idle when the temperature continues to increase, for example as the day goes on, and the shutter has already been closed automatically. Or, alternatively, to inhibit an automated lowering of the shutter, logical because the conditions have not changed and give rise to a positive heatwave switching software test, while the user has decided to reopen it for reasons of his own.

[0017] When ambient temperature measurements are referred to, this is not a single measurement but, in order to avoid in particular the side effects which could result from a single measurement, a measurement which results from several measurements. The ambient temperature Tamb is, in the method of the invention, an average value calculated from a plurality of measurements taken during a predetermined period the duration of which is a few seconds, in practice at most equal to 10 seconds and preferably less than or equal to 5 seconds.

[0018] For the purposes of the method of the invention, with a view to its use by the unit of control in the above-mentioned calculation formula of the optimized irradiance threshold Io, the ambient temperature Tamb is calculated at regular intervals ranging from 20 minutes to 40 minutes, and preferably equal to 30 minutes. The temperature is emitted, once calculated, to the shutter control unit. The frequency is not very high so as not to overly impact the battery powering the additional remote control associated with the shutter, the energy of which is preserved as much as possible so that it lasts.

[0019] The successive calculations by the control unit of the optimized irradiance threshold Io 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.

[0020] It has been seen that the heatwave closing of the shutter following a command issued by the control unit to the electric motor could be inhibited, for a few hours, by a time delay. The regular measurement of the parameters used in the method of the invention, however, retains a usefulness insofar as the method also provides an additional possibility of automated opening of the shutter. To implement it, the control unit checks whether the measured irradiance value I s is less than or equal to the value of the optimized irradiance threshold Io minus a value between 40 and 60, and preferably equal to 50. The unit controls the automated reopening of the shutter if this is the case.

[0021] In this hypothesis, the calculation is also based on the optimized threshold value which takes into account the ambient temperature, so that a hysteresis of 50 which signals a significant drop in temperatures between two consecutive measurements is considered to make the shutter closure state useless. To take some of the previous numerical examples, with an ambient temperature of 28°C, and consequently a heatwave closure trigger threshold of Io = 290, the rise will be controlled for an ambient temperature of 23°C, implying in principle a trigger threshold of Io = 340.

[0022] Other aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the description which follows, relating to an embodiment given as an indicative example. Understanding of this description will be facilitated in particular by reference to the figures attached in the appendix:

[0023] [Fig-1] shows a block diagram of the overall operation of the process of automated control of a solar shutter for heatwave closure according to the methods of the invention; and

[0024] [Fig.2] shows a block diagram of the operation of the control process automated operation of a solar shutter according to the invention for detecting the end of conditions determined to be heatwave.

[0025] With reference to [Fig. 1], the method for controlling the heatwave closure of a solar shutter is based on the existence of a hardware configuration based on a shutter solar whose movements are carried out 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, in particular with a view to coupling the control, whether manual via an individual remote control specific to the shutter or automated, with the actual movements of the shutter. During automated operation, in this case aimed at heatwave management of the shutter's movements, the control unit collects several signals, for example signals from at least one irradiance sensor fitted to the solar panel and a temperature sensor fitted to an additional remote control. It generally also works on the basis of shutter end-of-travel sensors.All these signals are processed by the control unit to implement pre-programmed actions.

[0026] According to [Fig.l], to satisfy the main objective of the invention of automating the driving of a solar shutter with a view to its closing according to a heatwave operating mode, the activation of the automated mode is first verified, meaning in practice that the remote control is in principle not used to punctually activate the movements of the shutter in both directions.

[0027] If this is the case, the control unit regularly collects the value Is of the solar irradiance, a parameter available at the terminals of the irradiance sensor placed outside, generally at the level of at least one solar panel. The unit also collects at regular intervals the value of the ambient temperature, which is measured by at least one temperature sensor placed in the additional remote control.

[0028] The electronic control unit then calculates the stored formula:

[0029] Io = 350 + 10 x (22-Tamb)

[0030] This formula optimizes the threshold from which a heatwave closure is triggered. It has been mentioned that until now, the heatwave closure was implemented on the basis of a single parameter, namely solar irradiance, and that the irradiance threshold considered as a marker of a heatwave was conventionally measured at 350 W / m2. The contribution of the invention consists in refining and optimizing this fixed threshold, by taking into consideration an additional parameter which is the ambient temperature, which can easily be admitted to be also a natural marker of the heatwave.

[0031] In fact, the formula was constructed following numerous tests and trials, and it is notably based on the observation that at an ambient temperature - that is to say the temperature prevailing inside the building - of the order of 22° C, a threshold can be accepted which is that of a solar irradiance equal to 350 W / m2, as used in the prior art. As soon as the ambient temperature increases, such a threshold is too high. The tests have shown that people who experience an interior ambient temperature, for example, of the order of 25°-26° C, are clearly in need of a closure ca nicular even if the irradiance sensor reports an irradiance value of less than 350 W / m2. This is obviously even more true for indoor temperatures approaching 30°C, which is no longer a figment of the imagination with global warming. The tipping point in terms of temperature, still according to these tests, is around 22°C.

[0032] Conversely, according to the method of the invention, there can also be a heatwave closure for temperatures lower than 22°C, but this implies a high solar irradiance. According to the invention, for a temperature of 20°C, the solar irradiance must then be measured at 370 W / m2. In other words, a very high irradiance can also be considered as a characteristic of a heatwave despite an average temperature, and trigger the automated closing of the solar shutter, of course only when the automated operating mode of the shutter is active.

[0033] In the event that the automation is activated, the invention nevertheless provides a form of inhibition of the automatic nature of the process, to avoid the repetitive implementation of the closure if the conditions do not change, clearly marking the existence of a heatwave, but that for various reasons the occupant of the building has decided to raise, at least partially, the shutter. After each automated heatwave closure of the shutter, a time delay is systematically triggered by the control unit, typically for a period of a few hours, of the order of 3 hours.

[0034] In the context of the method, there is no need for too frequent measurements of the ambient temperature, due to the inertia inherent in temperature changes of atmospheric air masses, and the value chosen is therefore of the order of half an hour. At each scheduled deadline, however, a few measurements in a few seconds are taken to calculate a usable average value, since taking a single measurement can present a greater risk of error.

[0035] The collection of the solar irradiance measurement value by the irradiance sensor placed outside is more frequent, because it depends a priori on factors that are more easily changing and it is therefore potentially more variable over time. It changes in particular depending on the presence or absence of clouds, it can vary depending on atmospheric pollution, and very generally depending on changes in weather conditions. Solar irradiance also varies during the day due to the rotation of the earth and the variable angle of incidence of solar radiation, which depends on the time of day. The measurement of solar irradiance is therefore taken into account very regularly, every few minutes.

[0036] All these measurements also make it possible to proceed, if necessary, to the reopening of the shutter, as shown in [Fig.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 of a significant deviation, of the order of a few tens of units, typically of 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.

[0037] The configuration examples which are the subject of the figures should not be considered as exhaustive of the invention, which includes for example variants of durations of collection of the values of the parameters by the control unit of the solar shutter.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for automated control of the heatwave closing of a solar shutter comprising at least one solar panel for powering an electric motor for driving the shutter, said solar panel comprising an irradiance sensor capable of measuring solar irradiance, each 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 each shutter, said additional remote control comprising means for measuring the ambient temperature, method characterized in that it comprises: - verification by the control unit of the activation of the automated mode of the shutter;- the collection by the control unit of the measurement of the solar irradiance Is measured by the irradiance sensor; - the collection by the control unit of the measurement of the ambient temperature Tamb measured by the additional remote control; - the calculation by the control unit of an optimized irradiance threshold Io = 350 + 10 x (22-Tamb); - the comparison between the measured irradiance Is and the optimized irradiance Io, and if Is > Io: - the control by the control unit of the motor for the purpose of closing the shutter.;

2. Method for automated control of the heatwave closing of a solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, after sending a heatwave closing command to the motor, the control unit activates a time delay inhibiting during its duration any further sending of a heatwave closing command, said duration being between 2 and 4 hours, preferably equal to 3 hours.

3. Method for automated control of the heatwave closing of a shutter solar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ambient temperature Tamb is an average value calculated from a plurality of measurements taken during a predetermined period whose duration is at most equal to 10 s and preferably less than or equal to QSQ

4. a J b. Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterized 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. Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a solar shutter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the successive calculations by the control unit of the optimized irradiance threshold Io 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. Method for automated control of the heatwave closure of a solar shutter according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control unit controls the automated reopening of the shutter if the measured irradiance value Is is less than or equal to the value of the optimized irradiance threshold Io minus a value between 40 and 60, and preferably equal to 50.

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