Control system for cooling device

Abstract

To provide a cooling device capable of contributing to suppression of rapid increase in an actual electric power demand when installing the cooling device in a region having a problem of the rapid increase in the actual electric power demand.SOLUTION: A control system for a cooling device includes: a server device provided in an electric power company that manages an electric power demand; a control section that enables communication with the server device and controls an operation of the cooling device; and a terminal device that is carried by a user of the cooling device and enables communication with the server device or the control section. A notification is made to the terminal device before a predetermined time of a preset second time zone, relative to a first time zone in which a preset actual electric power demand by the server device rapidly increases, and a user is caused to select whether or not to execute control of a refrigerator on the basis of the preset first time zone, the second time zone and a preset third time zone after the first time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system for a cooling device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 includes a cold storage material provided on at least the upper surface of the inner wall surface of a storage chamber, and a receiving device that receives a power demand signal from a device that measures power consumption. Based on the power demand signal, a normal operation is performed in which a cooling operation is carried out so that the temperature in the storage chamber becomes a first temperature, and a cold storage operation is carried out in which a cooling operation is carried out so that the temperature in the storage chamber becomes a second temperature lower than the first temperature. A refrigerator that performs a steady operation to switch between them is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a control system for a cooling device that can contribute to alleviating a sudden increase in actual power demand when installed in an area where a sudden increase in actual power demand is a problem.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The control system of the cooling device in the present disclosure includes a server device provided by a power company that manages power demand, a control unit that can communicate with the server device and controls the operation of the cooling device, and a terminal device carried by a user of the cooling device and capable of communicating with the server device or the control unit. For a first time period in which a preset substantial power demand by the server device rapidly increases, a notification is sent to the terminal device a predetermined time before a preset second time period, and the user is allowed to select whether to execute control of the refrigerator based on the preset first time period, the second time period, and a preset third time period after the first time period.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] The cooling device in the present disclosure cools the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment by dissipating the cold heat stored in the cold storage means in a first time period which is an area where the substantial power demand rapidly increases. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption in the area where the substantial power demand rapidly increases. In addition, the user can select whether to execute the control of the refrigerator 1 based on the preset first time period to the third time period. Thereby, on days when the input load to the refrigerator is large in the first time period when the substantial power demand rapidly increases, the setting can be avoided according to the convenience of the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (Knowledge, etc. underlying the present disclosure) When the inventors arrived at the idea of the present disclosure, in areas where large-scale introduction of solar power generation facilities, etc. had occurred, a rapid increase in actual power demand, so-called duck curve phenomenon, was becoming a problem. In these areas, the actual power demand (net load), which is obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by solar power generation facilities, etc. from the actual power consumption, characteristically changes throughout the day. In the morning, people get up and start consuming electricity, and the actual power demand gradually increases. At noon, a large amount of power is supplied from solar power generation facilities, and the actual power demand decreases. In the evening when the sun sets, the power supply from solar power generation facilities stops, and the actual power demand surges. At night, people go to bed, and the actual power demand decreases. When the daily change in actual power demand is represented in a graph, since the graph resembles the shape of a duck, the above phenomenon is defined as the duck curve phenomenon. Incidentally, in a cooling device such as a refrigerator, since it is necessary to cool the interior of the refrigerator throughout the day, the inventors have discovered that if a conventional cooling device is installed as it is in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, it does not contribute to alleviating the duck curve phenomenon. To solve this problem, the inventors have come to configure the subject matter of the present disclosure. The present disclosure provides a control system for a cooling device that can contribute to alleviating a rapid increase in actual power demand (duck curve phenomenon) when installed in an area where a rapid increase in actual power demand is a problem.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, a more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, a detailed description of well-known matters or a redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description overly redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Configuration of Refrigerator] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a box-shaped main body 10. A partition plate 11 that partitions the internal space of the main body 10 is provided at a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of the main body 10. The upper side of the partition plate 11 is a refrigerating compartment 12, and the lower side of the partition plate 11 is a freezing compartment 13. A refrigerating compartment door 14 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerating compartment 12 so as to be openable and closable, and a freezing compartment door 15 is provided on the front surface of the freezing compartment 13 so as to be openable and closable.

[0011] At the rear of the refrigerator compartment 12, a refrigerating duct 20 extending in the vertical direction is provided. At the rear of the freezer compartment 13, a freezing duct 21 extending in the vertical direction is provided. Inside the refrigerating duct 20 and on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment 12, a refrigerating cooler 22 is accommodated. Above the refrigerating cooler 22, a refrigerating fan 23 is arranged. By driving the refrigerating fan 23, the internal air of the refrigerator compartment 12 is sucked in from below the refrigerating duct 20, exchanges heat through the refrigerating cooler 22, and then is blown into the refrigerator compartment 12 from above the refrigerating duct 20.

[0012] Inside the freezing duct 21 and on the back surface of the freezer compartment 13, a freezing cooler 24 is accommodated. Above the freezing cooler 24, a freezing fan 25 is arranged. By driving the freezing fan 25, the internal air of the freezer compartment 13 is sucked in from below the freezing duct 21, exchanges heat through the freezing cooler 24, and then is blown into the freezer compartment 13 from above the freezing duct 21. Below the freezing duct 21, a heater 26 is arranged.

[0013] Above the rear part of the main body 10, a compressor 30 is installed. A condenser 31 is connected to the compressor 30 via a refrigerant pipe 32. A three-way valve 33 is connected to the condenser 31, and a refrigerating cooler 22 is connected to the three-way valve 33 via an expansion mechanism 34. Also, a freezing cooler 24 is connected to the three-way valve 33 via an expansion mechanism 35. And a refrigerating refrigerant cycle in which the refrigerant sequentially circulates through the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the three-way valve 33, the expansion mechanism 34, and the refrigerating cooler 22 is formed, and a freezing refrigerant cycle in which the refrigerant sequentially circulates through the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the three-way valve 33, the expansion mechanism 35, and the freezing cooler 24 is formed. The refrigerating refrigerant cycle and the freezing refrigerant cycle can be switched by switching the three-way valve 33.

[0014] [1-1-2. Configuration of the cooler] Next, the configuration of the cooler mounted on the refrigerator 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooler of the first embodiment. Since the refrigerating cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24 have the same configuration, the refrigerating cooler 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerating cooler 22 includes a refrigerant conducting member 40 through which refrigerant flows. The refrigerant conducting member 40 is composed of a porous flat tube in which a plurality of substantially rectangular passages are continuously arranged. The refrigerant conducting member 40 includes a plurality of flat tubes 41 formed substantially parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, and a bent portion 42 connecting the ends of these flat tubes 41, and is formed in a meandering shape. In the present embodiment, six flat tubes 41 are provided between the headers described later. Note that the number of flat tubes 41 is not limited to this, and can be arbitrarily set. Alternatively, each flat tube 41 and the bent portion 42 may be integrated, and one flat tube 41 may be meandered to form between the headers.

[0016] In the present embodiment, the flat tube 41 and the bent portion 42 are divided into three upper regions 43, middle regions 44, and lower regions 45 in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the division is made into three regions in the vertical direction, but the division may be made into two regions or four or more regions in the vertical direction.

[0017] An inlet-side header 46 and an outlet-side header 47 extending vertically are provided at one end of the outermost flat tube 41, respectively.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, a partition plate 48 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the upper region 43 and the middle region 44 of the inlet-side header 46. The positions corresponding to the middle region 44 and the lower region 45 of the inlet-side header 46 communicate with each other. A partition plate 49 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the middle region 44 and the lower region 45 of the outlet side header 47. The upper region 43 and the middle region 44 of the outlet side header 47 communicate with each other.

[0019] The refrigerant flowing in from the upper part of the inlet side header 46 flows into the outlet side header 47 through the inside of the upper region 43 of the refrigerant conduction member 40 as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2. The refrigerant flowing into the outlet side header 47 flows into the middle region 44 of the refrigerant conduction member 40 and then into the inlet side header 46, flows through the lower region 45 via the inlet side header 46, and then flows out from the lower part of the outlet side header 47.

[0020] An air flow path 50 and a cold storage material 51 as a cold storage means are alternately arranged between the flat tubes 41 of the refrigerant conduction member 40. In the present embodiment, air flow paths 50 are formed at the outermost part and the central part, and the cold storage material 51 is arranged between the air flow paths 50. Fins 54 that are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the flat tubes 41 and are bent in a zigzag shape and continuously provided are arranged inside the air flow path 50. By these fins 54, air flow paths 50 having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape are continuously formed inside the air flow path 50.

[0021] Thus, the air inside the refrigerator duct 20 flowing from below to above flows through the air flow path 50. At this time, heat exchange is performed with the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conduction member 40, and it is configured to be cooled to a predetermined temperature. Also, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conduction member 40 and the cold storage material 51, so that the cold storage material 51 is also configured to be cooled to a predetermined temperature.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the cold storage material 51 is composed of, for example, a thin film member of a metal material such as aluminum. The cold storage material 51 has flexibility and can be deformed. The thickness dimension of the cold storage material 51 is configured to have substantially the same dimension as the gap between the flat tubes 41. Then, by press-fitting the cold storage material 51 into the gap between the flat tubes 41, the cold storage material 51 comes into close contact with the surfaces of the respective flat tubes 41, whereby it becomes possible to hold the cold storage material 51 between the flat tubes 41.

[0023] Since the cold storage material 51 needs to cool the refrigerator compartment 12 cooled to about 4°C, a cold storage material 51A for refrigeration having a melting point lower than 4°C, for example, a cold storage material 51A for refrigeration having a melting point of -3°C to -15°C is used. Further, since the cold storage material 51 needs to cool the inside of the freezer compartment 13 cooled to about -18°C, a cold storage material 51B for freezing having a melting point lower than -18°C, for example, a cold storage material 51B for freezing having a melting point of -21°C is required.

[0024] [1-1-3. Description of Control Configuration] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 includes, for example, a processor that executes programs such as a CPU or an MPU, and memories such as a ROM and a RAM, and the processor reads out a control program stored in the memory and executes processes, and various processes are executed by the cooperation of hardware and software. The control unit 60 controls the compressor 30, the refrigerator fan 23, the freezer fan 25, the three-way valve 33, and the heater 26 based on the detected temperatures of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 61 and the freezer compartment temperature sensor 62.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the daily change in the actual power demand. Pattern A (dotted line graph) and pattern B (solid line graph) in FIG. 4 are graphs showing the daily change in the actual power demand in a certain area. Pattern B shows a typical duck curve phenomenon. From around 8:00 to around 17:00, the actual power demand decreases substantially due to the use of renewable energy facilities such as solar power generation, and from 17:00 to 20:00, there is a sharp increase in the actual power demand. Also, in the case of Pattern A, although the decrease in actual power demand is not significant from around 8:00 to around 17:00, similar to Pattern B, there is a sharp increase in the actual power consumption from 17:00 to 20:00. Pattern A will also be described in the embodiments as a so-called duck curve phenomenon. In such a situation, it is necessary to perform a cooling operation using the cold storage means to reduce the actual power consumption in response to the sharp increase in the actual power consumption during a specific time period of a day. Based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy such as solar power generation facilities from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 in a preset second time period before the region where the actual power demand surges, and executes a cold storage operation for storing cold in the cold storage material 51 during the in-store cooling.

[0026] Here, the region where the actual power demand surges is, for example, the evening time period. Specifically, for example, it is the time period from 17:00 to 20:00. During this time period, family members gather at home, and there is an increase in the use of home appliances such as preparing dinner, lighting, and air conditioners, so the actual power demand tends to increase. Generally, this tendency of the sharp increase in the actual power demand can be observed throughout the year. Also, in winter, due to the increase in heating demand, the time period from 5:00 to 8:00 is also included as the region where the actual power demand surges. Note that the first time period can be arbitrarily changed.

[0027] In the present embodiment, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy such as solar power generation facilities and wind power generation facilities from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 in a preset second time period before the preset first time period, and executes a cold storage operation for storing cold in the cold storage material 51 during the in-store cooling. The second time period for performing the cold storage operation requires at least about 2 hours. Further, in the second time period, the control unit 60 executes a cooling operation in which the blower is driven to dissipate the cold heat stored in the cold storage material 51 with the compressor 30 stopped. Furthermore, in a preset third time period after the first time period, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to cool the interior of the refrigerator to a set temperature, and executes a cooling operation in which the defrosting operation is not performed and the interior temperature is stabilized at the set temperature.

[0028] In addition, when the control unit 60 is executing the cooling operation, when the door is opened and closed multiple times, or when the open state continues for a long time, etc., the control unit 60 may perform notification by means of a display unit, a buzzer, etc. of the refrigerator 1. During the cooling operation, since the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13 cannot be cooled with high capacity using the compressor 30, by prompting the user's attention, the temperature rise during the cooling operation can be suppressed. In addition, the control unit 60 may cause the display unit to display the current power consumption of the refrigerator 1, the power saving effect such as the electricity bill, etc. Thereby, it is possible to make the power saving visible to the user and improve the power saving awareness. Note that the above-mentioned notification of door opening and closing, etc., or the display of the power saving effect may be displayed on a terminal device such as a smartphone that can communicate with the control unit 60.

[0029] [1-2. Operations] Regarding the refrigerator 1 configured as described above, its operation will be described below. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1. FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1. First, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 is in a preset second time period before the region where the actual power demand surges. Before that, normal operation is executed (SA1). During normal operation, the refrigerant is sent to the condenser 31 by driving the compressor 30, and the refrigerant is sent to the refrigerator cooler 22 by switching the three-way valve 33. With the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerator cooler 22, by driving the refrigerator fan 23, when the air inside the refrigerator compartment 12 flows from below to above through the refrigerator duct 20, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerator cooler 22 and is cooled, and then returned to the refrigerator compartment 12. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled (SA2). In this case, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerator cooler 22 also cools the refrigerator cold storage material 51A together.

[0030] Similarly, by switching the three-way valve 33 to send the refrigerant to the freezer cooler 24, with the refrigerant flowing through the freezer cooler 24, by driving the freezer fan 25, when the air inside the freezer compartment 13 flows from below to above through the freezer duct, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the freezer cooler 24 and is cooled, and then returned to the freezer compartment 13. Thereby, the freezer compartment 13 is cooled (SA3). In this case, the refrigerant flowing through the freezer cooler 24 also cools the freezer cold storage material 51B together. When the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are cooled to a predetermined temperature, the compressor 30 is stopped (SA4).

[0031] By performing the normal operation in this way, the refrigerator cold storage material 51A in close contact with the refrigerator cooler 22 and the freezer cold storage material 51B in close contact with the freezer cooler 24 are cooled and cold storage is performed. When the compressor 30 stops and no refrigerant flows through the refrigerator cooler 22 or the freezer cooler 24, it enters a cold storage and heat release operation state where heat release is performed.

[0032] Subsequently, when it comes to the second time zone before the first time zone (SA5: YES), the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation (SA6). The cold storage operation drives the compressor 30, switches the three-way valve 33 to the freezer cooler 24 side to allow the refrigerant to flow through the freezer cooler 24, drives the freezer fan 25 to cool the freezer compartment 13 with the freezer cooler 24, and at the same time cools the freezer cold storage material 51B (SA7). This control is performed until the freezing rate of the freezer cold storage material 51B reaches approximately 100%.

[0033] After that, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the refrigerator cooler 22 side, refrigerant is passed through the refrigerator cooler 22, the refrigerator fan 23 is driven to cool the refrigerator compartment 12, and the refrigerator cold storage material 51A is cooled (SA8). This control is also continued until the freezing rate of the refrigerator cold storage material 51A reaches approximately 100%.

[0034] When storing cold in the refrigerator cold storage material 51A, the rotation speed of the refrigerator fan 23 is controlled based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperature becomes lower than the set temperature, the rotation speed of the refrigerator fan 23 is decreased and driven. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes 1.5 °C or lower, the control is such that the refrigerator fan 23 is stopped. In this way, in the cold storage operation, by cooling the freezer compartment prior to cooling the refrigerator compartment, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to the detection temperature of the refrigerator temperature sensor 61 up to 1.5 °C to prevent freezing, and it is ensured that the temperature does not drop below 0 °C even if there is an undershoot. On the other hand, since the freezer compartment 13 has no lower limit temperature, a large amount of supercooling can be achieved. Therefore, even if it is cooled excessively, the sensible heat can be stored in the freezer cold storage material 51B.

[0035] Then, until the first time zone (start time of the cold release operation) arrives, the freezer compartment cooling operation and the refrigerator compartment cooling operation are repeated. When the cold storage operation in the second time zone is completed and the first time zone arrives (SA9: YES), the control unit 60 starts the cold release operation (SA10). In the cold release operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the refrigerator fan 23 based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor 61. Similarly, the control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the freezer fan 25 based on the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 detected by the freezer temperature sensor 62.

[0036] When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than the first temperature (e.g., 6°C) and this state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) (SA11-1: YES), the cooling operation is terminated (SA12). Also, when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 is lower than the first temperature (SA11-1: NO) and the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than the second temperature (e.g., -18°C) and this state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) (SA11-2: YES), the cooling operation is also terminated (SA12). Also, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is lower than the first temperature and the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 is lower than the second temperature (SA11-2: NO), and when the first time period has elapsed (SA11-3: YES), the cooling operation is terminated (SA12). Basically, the start of the third time period is set in advance. However, as described above, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C and this state continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated without waiting for the end time of the first time period, and the third time period that was originally scheduled to start at the original scheduled time is advanced, and the in-compartment cooling operation is started.

[0037] When it becomes the third time period after the cooling operation has ended (SA13: YES), the control unit 60 starts the in-compartment cooling operation (SA14). The in-compartment cooling operation is performed to lower the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 that have risen due to the cooling operation. For the in-compartment cooling operation, the compressor 30 is driven, refrigerant is sent to the refrigerating cooler 22, and the refrigerant in the refrigerating cooler 22 and the air in the refrigerator compartment 12 are heat-exchanged by driving the refrigerating fan 23, thereby cooling the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 has dropped to a predetermined temperature, the three-way valve 33 is switched to send refrigerant to the freezing cooler 24. The refrigerant in the freezing cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13 are heat-exchanged by driving the freezing fan 25, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 13. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to the predetermined temperature (SA15: YES), the in-compartment cooling operation is terminated and the normal operation is entered (SA1).

[0038] Note that the control unit 60 is configured to perform a defrosting operation during a time zone other than the first time zone, the second time zone, and the third time zone, that is, when normal operation is being executed. Normally, when the opening and closing operation of the door is frequently performed, such as during meal preparation, it is determined that the amount of frost formation on the cooler increases, and a defrosting operation may be performed. However, in the present embodiment, meal preparation time and the like correspond to the first time zone, and there is a high possibility that a heat release operation is being performed. Therefore, if a defrosting operation is performed during the heat release operation, there is a risk that the cold storage material 51 will melt and the cold storage material 51 will not be able to perform heat release. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by controlling to perform a defrosting operation during normal operation, it becomes possible to perform a heat release operation using the cold storage material 51.

[0039] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, it includes a compressor 30, a refrigerating cooler 22 and a freezing cooler 24 (coolers), a refrigerating fan 23 and a freezing fan 25 (air blowers), a refrigerating cold storage material 51A and a freezing cold storage material 51B (cold storage materials) that are stored with cold by cooling the refrigerating cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24, and a control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30, the refrigerating fan 23, and the freezing fan 25. The control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to perform a cold storage operation of storing cold in the cold storage material 51 during the cooling of the storage compartment in a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand suddenly increases, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. The control unit 60 drives the refrigerating fan 23 and the freezing fan 25 in a state where the compressor 30 is stopped in the first time zone, which is the region where the actual power demand suddenly increases after the second time zone, to perform a heat release operation of releasing the cold stored in the refrigerating cold storage material 51A and the freezing cold storage material 51B. Thus, in the first time period, which is the region where the substantial power demand rapidly increases in the so-called duck curve phenomenon, by releasing the cold stored in the cold storage material 51, the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 are cooled, so that the power consumption in the region where the substantial power demand rapidly increases can be reduced. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the duck curve phenomenon can be alleviated.

[0040] Also, in the present embodiment, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to execute the in-cabinet cooling operation in a preset third time period after the first time period. Thereby, when the cold release operation is performed in the first time period and the in-cabinet temperatures of the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 rise, the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 can be rapidly cooled. In addition, in the present disclosure, although solar power generation equipment is used, it is not limited thereto, and the substantial power demand is the amount of power obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy such as wind power generation.

[0041] (Embodiment 2) [2-1. Configuration] Next, Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 2. In the present embodiment, without using the refrigerating cooler 22, only the freezing cooler 24 is used to cool both the freezing chamber 13 and the refrigerating chamber 12. Also, in the present embodiment, a damper 27 is provided between the refrigerating duct 20 and the freezing duct 21. The damper 27 can switch whether to send the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the freezing cooler 24 from the freezing duct 21 to the freezing chamber 13 or from the refrigerating duct 20 to the refrigerating chamber 12. Also, by adjusting the opening and closing amount of the damper 27, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of the cold air sent to the freezing chamber 13 or the refrigerating chamber 12.

[0042] [2-1-2. Description of Control Configuration] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls the compressor 30, the refrigeration fan 25, the damper 27, and the heater 26 based on the detected temperatures of the refrigerator temperature sensor 61 and the freezer temperature sensor 62.

[0043] Similar to the first embodiment, the control unit 60 performs a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during the internal storage cooling in a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand suddenly increases, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 performs a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during the internal storage cooling in a preset second time zone before a preset first time zone, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. Also, the control unit 60 performs a cold release operation in which the refrigeration fan 25 is driven to release the cold stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B with the compressor 30 stopped in the first time zone. Furthermore, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to perform an internal storage cooling operation in a preset third time zone after the first time zone.

[0044] [2-2. Operation] FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 60 performs a normal operation before a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand suddenly increases, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. During normal operation, by driving the compressor 30, the refrigerant is sent to the refrigerating cooler 24 through the condenser 31. With the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating cooler 24, the refrigerating fan 25 is driven. When the air inside the freezer compartment 13 flows from below to above through the refrigerating duct 21, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerating cooler 24 and is cooled, then returned to the freezer compartment 13. Thereby, the freezer compartment 13 is cooled, and at the same time, the refrigerating cold storage material 51B is also cooled together by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating cooler 24. At this time, the damper 27 is opened, and the cold air passing through the refrigerating cooler 24 is sent to the refrigerating duct 20 to cool the refrigerating compartment 12. When the refrigerating compartment 12 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the damper 27 is closed to cool only the freezer compartment 13. The cooling of the refrigerating compartment 12 is achieved by controlling the opening and closing of the damper 27 arranged upstream of the refrigerating duct 20 to send the cold air passing through the refrigerating cooler 24 to the refrigerating duct 20 for cooling the refrigerating compartment 12. When the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to the set temperature (for example, -18°C) and the refrigerating compartment 12 is below the set temperature (for example, 4°C), the compressor 30 is stopped.

[0045] Subsequently, when it comes to the second time zone before the first time zone, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. During the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven, the refrigerant is made to flow through the refrigerating cooler 24, and the freezer compartment 13 is cooled by the refrigerating cooler 24, and at the same time, the refrigerating cold storage material 51B is cooled. This control is carried out until the freezing rate of the refrigerating cold storage material 51B reaches approximately 100%.

[0046] When the cold storage operation in the second time zone is completed and it comes to the first time zone, the control unit 60 starts the cold release operation. During the cold release operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the refrigerating fan 25 to a lower rotation speed than during normal operation based on the internal temperatures of the freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerating compartment 12, and performs the opening and closing control of the damper 27 to adjust the cold release amount and carry out the cooling operation while suppressing the supercooling of the refrigerating compartment 12. Then, similar to Embodiment 1, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the state where the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated without waiting for the end time of the first time zone, and the in-compartment cooling operation is started.

[0047] When the first time zone has elapsed and the cooling operation has ended, the control unit 60 starts the in-compartment cooling operation. During the in-compartment cooling operation, the compressor 30 is driven, refrigerant is sent to the refrigerating cooler 24, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant in the refrigerating cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13 by driving the refrigerating fan 25, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 13. At the same time, the damper 27 is controlled to open and close to cool the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are cooled to a predetermined temperature, the in-compartment cooling operation is terminated and the normal operation is entered.

[0048] [2-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, there are provided a compressor 30, a refrigerating cooler 24 (cooler), a refrigerating fan 25 (air blower), a refrigerating heat storage material 51B (heat storage material) that stores heat by cooling the cooler, and a control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30 and the refrigerating fan 25. The control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 during a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand surges, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption, and performs a heat storage operation of storing heat in the refrigerating heat storage material 51B during in-compartment cooling. The control unit 60 performs a cooling operation of driving the refrigerating fan 25 in a state where the compressor 30 is stopped to dissipate the cold heat stored in the refrigerating heat storage material 51B in the first time zone, which is the region where the actual power demand surges after the second time zone. Thus, in the first time period, which is the region where the substantial power demand rapidly increases in the so-called duck curve phenomenon, by releasing the cold stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B, the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 are cooled, so that the power consumption in the region where the substantial power demand rapidly increases can be reduced. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the duck curve phenomenon can be alleviated.

[0049] (Embodiment 3) [3-1. Configuration] Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the outline of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, in the present embodiment, the refrigeration cooler 22 is provided with the refrigeration cold storage material 51A, but in the present embodiment, the freezing cooler 24 is not provided with a cold storage material.

[0050] [3-2. Operation] FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 3. As shown in FIG. 11, based on the daily change amount of the substantial power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 executes normal operation before a preset second time period before the region where the substantial power demand rapidly increases. In normal operation, by driving the compressor 30, the refrigerant is sent to the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24 through the condenser 31, and while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24, the refrigeration fan 23 or the freezing fan 25 is driven to cool the refrigerating chamber 12 or the freezing chamber 13. At this time, the refrigeration cold storage material 51A is also cooled together by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cooler 22.

[0051] Subsequently, when it comes to the second time period before the first time period, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. The cold storage operation drives the compressor 30. First, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the side of the refrigeration cooler 24, and refrigerant is passed through the refrigeration cooler 24 to cool the freezer compartment 13 by the refrigeration cooler 24. This operation is continued until the freezer compartment 13 reaches a predetermined temperature (for example, -26°C) or for a predetermined time (for example, 2 hours). Thereafter, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the side of the refrigerating cooler 22, and the refrigerating cooler 22 cools the refrigerating compartment 12 and cools the refrigerating cold storage material 51A. This control is continued until the freezing rate of the refrigerating cold storage material 51A reaches approximately 100%. When performing the cold storage of the refrigerating cold storage material 51A, the rotation speed of the refrigerating fan 23 is controlled based on the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12. When the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the rotation speed is decreased for driving. When the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12 becomes 1.5°C or lower, the refrigerating fan 23 is controlled to stop. In this case, since the temperature of the refrigerating cold storage material 51A is decreasing, the cold storage of the refrigerating cold storage material 51A can be performed simultaneously.

[0052] When the cold storage operation in the second time zone is completed and the first time zone arrives, the control unit 60 starts the heat release operation. In the heat release operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the refrigerating fan 23 to be low rotation or intermittent operation based on the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 61. The refrigeration fan 25 stops. Thereby, the heat exchange between the refrigeration cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13 is suppressed. And, similar to the first embodiment, when the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the state where the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes), the heat release operation is ended without waiting for the end time of the first time zone, and the internal cooling operation is started.

[0053] When the first time zone has elapsed and the heat release operation is ended, the control unit 60 starts the internal cooling operation. In the internal cooling operation, the compressor 30 is driven, and refrigerant is sent to the refrigerating cooler 22 or the refrigeration cooler 24 to cool the refrigerating compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13. When the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are cooled to a predetermined temperature, the internal cooling operation is terminated and the normal operation is started.

[0054] [3-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, there are provided a compressor 30, a refrigerator cooler 22 and a freezer cooler 24 (coolers), a refrigerator fan 23 and a freezer fan 25 (air blowers), a refrigerator cold storage material 51A (cold storage material) that stores cold by cooling with the refrigerator cooler 22, and a control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30, the refrigerator fan 23, and the freezer fan 25. The control unit 60 performs a cold storage operation of driving the compressor 30 to store cold in the refrigerator cold storage material 51A during internal cooling in a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand rapidly increases, based on the duck curve phenomenon indicating the change in the actual power demand per day obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. The control unit 60 performs a cold release operation of driving the refrigerator fan 23 to release the cold stored in the refrigerator cold storage material 51A with the compressor 30 stopped in a first time zone which is the region where the actual power demand rapidly increases after the second time zone. Thereby, in the first time zone which is the region where the actual power demand rapidly increases, the cold stored in the refrigerator cold storage material 51A is released to cool the refrigerator compartment 12, so that the power consumption in the region where the actual power demand rapidly increases can be reduced. Therefore, the refrigerator 1 can mitigate the rapid increase in the actual power demand.

[0055] (Embodiment 4) [4-1. Configuration] Next, Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic of the refrigerator 1 in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, without using the refrigerator cooler 22, only the freezer cooler 24 is used to cool both the freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerator compartment 12. As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the cold storage material 51 is not provided in the freezer cooler 24.

[0056] [4-2. Operation] FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 operates in a normal operation before a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand rapidly increases. In the normal operation, by driving the compressor 30, the refrigerant is sent to the refrigerating cooler 24 through the condenser 31, and while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerating cooler 24, the refrigerating fan 25 is driven, so that when the air inside the freezer compartment 13 flows from below to above the refrigerating duct 21, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant of the refrigerating cooler 24 and is cooled, and then returned to the freezer compartment 13. When the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to a predetermined temperature (-18°C), the damper 27 is opened, and the cold air that has passed through the refrigerating cooler 24 is sent to the refrigerating duct to cool the refrigerating compartment 12.

[0057] Subsequently, when it reaches the second time zone before the first time zone, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. In the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven, the refrigerant is made to flow through the refrigerating cooler 24, and the refrigerating cooler 24 cools the freezer compartment. This operation continues until the freezer compartment 13 reaches a temperature lower than the set temperature (-18°C) (for example, -26°C) or for a predetermined time (for example, 2 hours). The internal components of the compartment (for example, the storage case) and the inner wall of the freezer compartment are cooled to -26°C, and the cold heat is stored by using the internal components and the inner wall of the freezer compartment as the cold storage means. Also, since the food stored in the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to the same temperature, the food can be used as the cold storage means to store heat.

[0058] When the cold storage operation in the second time zone is completed and it reaches the first time zone, the control unit 60 starts the cold release operation. In the cold release operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the opening and closing of the damper 27 based on the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 12 detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 61. The refrigeration fan 25 stops. As a result, the freezer compartment 13 can maintain the internal temperature of the freezer compartment below the set temperature (-18°C) by the cold released from the internal components cooled to -26°C as the cold storage means, the inner wall of the freezer compartment, and the food. And, similar to Embodiment 1, when the internal temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the state where the internal temperature of the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C continues for a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes), the heat release operation ends.

[0059] When the first time zone has elapsed and the heat release operation has ended, the control unit 60 starts the internal cooling operation. In the internal cooling operation, the compressor 30 is driven, refrigerant is sent to the refrigeration cooler 24, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13 to cool the freezer compartment 13. At the same time, the damper 27 is controlled to open and close to cool the refrigerator compartment 12. When the internal temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are cooled to a predetermined temperature, the internal cooling operation ends and the normal operation is shifted to.

[0060] [4-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, it includes a compressor 30, a refrigeration cooler 24 (cooler), a refrigeration fan 25 (blower), and a control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30 and the refrigeration fan 25. The control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to perform a cold storage operation to cool the inside of the cabinet below a predetermined temperature in a preset second time zone before the region where the actual power demand surges, based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. The control unit 60 drives the refrigeration fan 25 in a state where the compressor 30 is stopped to perform a heat release operation to release the stored cold heat in the first time zone, which is the region where the actual power demand surges after the second time zone. Thus, in the first time period, which is the area where the actual power demand surges, by discharging the stored chilled heat, the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 are cooled, so that the power consumption in the area where the actual power demand surges can be reduced. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area where a sharp increase in actual power demand becomes a problem, the sharp increase in actual power demand can be alleviated.

[0061] (Embodiment 5) Next, Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a control system of a cooling device in Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 14, in this modification, the refrigerator 1 is configured to be communicable via a control unit 60, a power company server 70, and a cloud server 71. The power company determines whether the area where the actual power demand surges changes based on the daily change amount of the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. For example, if the first time period set in advance before the area where the actual power demand surges is set as the time period from 17:00 to 20:00, and the power company determines that the area where the actual power demand surges has changed to, for example, the time period from 16:00 to 19:00, the power company server 70 transmits that fact to the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 via the cloud server 71.

[0062] When there is a change in the area where the actual power demand surges from the power company server 70, the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 resets the first time period to be from 16:00 to 19:00. The control unit 60 resets the second time period and the third time period respectively in response to the reset of the first time period. The control unit 60 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the first time period to the third time period after the reset. The control of the refrigerator 1 based on the first time period to the third time period is the same as the control in Embodiments 1 to 3 described above.

[0063] Thus, in Embodiment 5, the power company determines the change in the area where the actual power demand surges and transmits the determination result to the refrigerator 1. As a result, the refrigerator 1 can more accurately set the area where the actual power demand surges, and reduce the power consumption in the area where the actual power demand surges.

[0064] (Embodiment 6) Next, Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a control system of a cooling device according to Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 15, in the present embodiment, similar to Embodiment 5, the refrigerator 1 is configured to be communicable via the control unit 60, the power company server 70, and the cloud server 71. Furthermore, the cooling system of this modification includes a terminal device 72 that is communicable with the control unit 60, the power company server 70, and the cloud server 71. The terminal device 72 is carried by the user of the refrigerator 1.

[0065] The cloud server 71 configured to be communicable with the power company server 70 notifies the terminal device 72 a predetermined time (e.g., one hour) before a preset second time zone with respect to a preset area (first time zone) where the actual power demand surges by the power company server 70. The user is configured to be able to select whether to execute the control of the refrigerator 1 based on the preset first time zone, second time zone, and third time zone. When the user selects to control according to the area where the actual power demand surges using the terminal device 72, the selection result is transmitted to the control unit 60. When the user selects to execute, the control unit 60 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the first time zone, the second time zone, and the third time zone. When the user selects not to execute, normal operation continues.

[0066] In this way, in Embodiment 6, the cloud server 71 notifies the terminal device 72 one hour (for example) before a predetermined time in a second time period set in advance, and the user can select whether to execute the control of the refrigerator 1 based on the first time period and the third time period set in advance. Thus, when the input load on the refrigerator is large in the region (the first time period) where the actual power demand surges significantly depending on the day, the setting can be avoided according to the convenience of the user.

[0067] (Embodiment 7) Next, Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure will be described. The configuration of Embodiment 7 is the same as that of Embodiment 6, and will be described with reference to FIG. 15. The configuration of FIG. 15 is the same as that of Embodiment 6, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] Similar to Embodiment 5, when the region (the first time period) where the actual power demand surges changes, the power company server 70 transmits the changing region to the cloud server 71, and the cloud server 71 transmits the determination result as to whether the region where the actual power demand surges changes to the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 72. When the change in the region where the actual power demand surges is sent from the cloud server 71 to the terminal device 72, the user can select whether to control according to the new region where the actual power demand surges sent from the power company server 70 or to control according to the region where the actual power demand surges set in the refrigerator 1 in advance.

[0069] When the user selects to control according to the new region where the actual power demand surges using the terminal device 72, the selection result is transmitted to the control unit 60. The control unit 60 re-sets the new region where the actual power demand surges as the first time period. The control unit 60 re-sets the second time period and the third time period respectively according to the re-setting of the first time period.

[0070] On the other hand, when the user selects, via the terminal device 72, not to control based on the area where the new actual power demand suddenly increases and sent from the power company server 70, but to control based on the area where the actual power demand set in the refrigerator 1 in advance suddenly increases, the control unit 60 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the preset first time period to the third time period.

[0071] As described above, in the seventh embodiment, the power company transmits the result of determining the change in the area where the actual power demand suddenly increases to the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 72, and the user can select whether to control based on the area where the new actual power demand suddenly increases and sent from the power company server 70 or to control based on the area where the actual power demand set in the refrigerator 1 in advance suddenly increases. Therefore, it is possible to control based on the area where the actual power demand suddenly increases according to the user's wishes.

[0072] (Other embodiments) As described above, as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application, the first to seventh embodiments have been described. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments with changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. In addition, it is also possible to combine the respective components described in the above first to seventh embodiments to form a new embodiment.

[0073] (Supplementary note) With the description of the above embodiments, the following technology is disclosed. (Technology 1) A server device provided in a power company that manages power demand, a control unit that is communicable with the server device and controls the operation of a cooling device, and a terminal device carried by a user of the cooling device and communicable with the server device or the control unit. For a preset first time period in which the preset actual power demand suddenly increases by the server device, a notification is sent to the terminal device a predetermined time before a preset second time period, and the user is allowed to select whether to execute control of a refrigerator based on the preset first time period, the second time period, and a preset third time period after the first time period. A control system for a cooling device. With this configuration, in the first time period, which is the area where the actual power demand surges, by releasing the chilled heat stored in the chilled storage means, the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber are cooled. Therefore, the power consumption in the area where the actual power demand surges can be reduced. As a result, when the refrigerator is installed in the time period of the area where the actual power demand surges or in the area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the rapid increase in the actual power demand can be alleviated. Also, the user can select whether to execute the control of the refrigerator 1 based on the preset first time period to the third time period. Thus, depending on the day, when the load on the refrigerator is large in the first time period when the actual power demand surges, the setting can be avoided according to the convenience of the user.

[0074] (Technology 2) When the user selects execution, the control unit executes the chilled storage operation in the second time period and executes the chilled release operation in the first time period after the second time period, for the control system of the cooling device described in Technology 1. With this configuration, while performing the chilled storage operation in the second time period and the chilled release operation in the first time period, when the internal temperatures of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber rise, the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber can be quickly cooled.

[0075] (Technology 3) When the user selects not to execute, the control unit continues the normal operation, for the control system of the cooling device described in Technology 1 or Technology 2. With this configuration, depending on the day, when the load on the refrigerator is large in the first time period when the actual power demand surges, by performing the normal operation, control according to the convenience of the user becomes possible.

Industrial Applicability

[0076] The present disclosure can reduce the power consumption in the area where the actual power demand surges, and is preferably applicable to a refrigerator that can alleviate the rapid increase in the actual power demand when the refrigerator is installed in the time period of the area where the actual power demand surges or in the area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem.

Explanation of Signs

[0077] 1 Refrigerator 10 Main body 11 Partition board 12 Refrigerating chamber 13 Freezing chamber 14 Refrigerating chamber door 15 Freezing chamber door 20 Refrigerating duct 21 Freezing duct 22 Refrigerating cooler 23 Refrigerating fan 24 Freezing cooler 25 Freezing fan 26 Heater 27 Damper 30 Compressor 31 Condenser 32 Refrigerant pipe 33 Three-way valve 34 Expansion mechanism 35 Expansion mechanism 40 Refrigerant conduction member 41 Flat tube 51 Cold storage material 60 Control unit 70 Power company server 71 Cloud server 72 Terminal device

Claims

1. A system comprising: a server device provided by an electric power company that manages power demand; a control unit capable of communicating with the server device and controlling operation of a cooling device; and a terminal device carried by a user of the cooling device and capable of communicating with the server device or the control unit, a notification is given to the terminal device a predetermined time before a second time period that is preset for a first time period during which actual power demand increases rapidly, the notification allowing a user to select whether or not to execute control of the refrigerator based on the first time period, the second time period, or a third time period that is preset after the first time period; Cooling system control system.

2. When a user selects execution, the control unit executes a cold-storage operation in the second time period, and executes a cold-releasing operation in the first time period after the second time period. The cooling device control system of claim 1 .

3. The control unit continues normal operation if the user selects not to execute the process. The cooling device control system of claim 1 .

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