Control device, control method, control program and clean room system

Abstract

To prevent humidity in a clean room from decreasing when ventilating the clean room.SOLUTION: A control device 22 acquires a state of air to be blown into a clean room CR. The control device 22 controls a blower 19 according to the acquired air state so that a ventilation amount, which is an amount of air determined based on a cleanliness level in the clean room CR, is changed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, a control program, and a clean room system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a clean room system that reduces the amount of energy used in a clean room.

[0003] Specifically, the clean room system disclosed in Patent Document 1 limits the operation to cases where it is necessary to blow air to satisfy either condition, considering both the temperature inside the clean room and the cleanliness inside the clean room. Thus, according to the clean room system of Patent Document 1, the amount of energy used in the clean room can be reduced compared to cases where air is constantly blown.

[0004] Also, the clean room system of Patent Document 1 limits the operation to cases where it is necessary to blow air to satisfy either condition, considering both the humidity inside the clean room and the cleanliness inside the clean room. Thus, according to the clean room system of Patent Document 1, the amount of energy used in the clean room can be reduced compared to cases where air is constantly blown.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The cleanroom system of Patent Document 1 determines whether to blow air into the cleanroom according to the cleanliness in the cleanroom. In Patent Document 1, the density of particles in the cleanroom (number / m 3 ) is defined as the cleanliness (for example, paragraph

[0046] , paragraph

[0070] , and FIG. 6), and control is executed such that the larger the density of particles in the cleanroom and the higher the cleanliness, the larger the amount of air blown into the cleanroom (for example, FIG. 6).

[0007] Here, it is defined that the lower the density of particles in the cleanroom, the higher the cleanliness. Based on this definition regarding cleanliness, the cleanroom system of Patent Document 1 executes control such that the higher the cleanliness in the cleanroom, the smaller the amount of air blown (for example, FIG. 6(B)). Also, the cleanroom system of Patent Document 1 executes control such that the lower the temperature in the cleanroom, the smaller the amount of air blown (for example, FIG. 6(A)).

[0008] Based on such a premise, for example, consider the case where the cleanliness in the cleanroom is high and the temperature in the cleanroom is relatively high. In such a case, since the cleanliness in the cleanroom of the cleanroom system of Patent Document 1 is high, it is assumed that control is executed to not blow air or to reduce the amount of air blown.

[0009] However, when the temperature in the cleanroom is relatively high, it is assumed that the air blown into the cleanroom by the air conditioner is cooled. In such a case, the air to be blown is dehumidified by being cooled, and the humidity of that air decreases. Specifically, when the air blown into the cleanroom is cooled in the cooling section, condensation occurs in the cooling section. As a result, the moisture in the air to be blown is removed, and the humidity of the air to be blown decreases. When such air is blown into the cleanroom, the humidity in the cleanroom decreases.

[0010] Therefore, when the clean system of Patent Document 1 above executes the air supply control to the inside of the clean room based on the cleanliness of the inside of the clean room, there is a problem that the humidity inside the clean room may be reduced.

[0011] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a control device, a control method, a control program, and a clean room system that can suppress a decrease in the humidity inside the clean room when performing air supply to the clean room.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] A first aspect of the present disclosure includes an air volume determination unit that determines an air volume to be blown from a blower unit to the clean room based on the cleanliness of the clean room, an acquisition unit that acquires the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower unit, and a control unit that controls the blower unit so that the air volume determined by the air volume determination unit is changed according to the state of the air acquired by the acquisition unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, an effect can be obtained that the humidity inside the clean room can be suppressed from decreasing when performing air supply to the clean room.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0016] <Clean Room System of the First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a clean room system 10 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment includes a particle counter 12 installed in the clean room CR, a temperature sensor 14 installed in the clean room CR, a water channel 16, a chilled water two-way valve 17, an air conditioner 18, a cooperation control device 20, a blow-out temperature sensor 21A, a control device 22A, and an inverter control panel 24.

[0017] The particle counter 12 sequentially measures the cleanliness of the clean room CR. The particle counter 12 is an example of the cleanliness measurement unit of the present disclosure.

[0018] The temperature sensor 14 sequentially measures the temperature of the clean room CR. The temperature sensor 14 is an example of the state measurement unit of the present disclosure.

[0019] Cold water flows in the water passage 16. The water passage 16 is connected to the cooling coil H of the air conditioner 18 described later, and cold water flows from the W1 direction to the W2 direction shown in FIG. 1.

[0020] The cold water two-way valve 17 adjusts its opening degree according to the temperature inside the clean room CR measured by the temperature sensor 14, and controls the amount of cold water supplied to the cooling coil H of the air conditioner 18. When the temperature inside the clean room CR is high, the opening degree of the cold water two-way valve 17 becomes large, and the amount of cold water supplied to the cooling coil H of the air conditioner 18 increases. When the temperature inside the clean room CR is low, the opening degree of the cold water two-way valve 17 becomes small, and the amount of cold water supplied to the cooling coil H of the air conditioner 18 decreases. In this way, the amount of cold water supplied to the cooling coil H is adjusted according to the temperature inside the clean room CR, so that the temperature of the blown air is adjusted.

[0021] The air conditioner 18 includes a cooling coil H, a blower 19 having a motor M, and an inverter control panel 24. The blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 blows air into the clean room CR. Specifically, according to the inverter frequency output from the inverter control panel 24 described later, the rotation speed of the motor M provided in the air conditioner 18 changes, and the amount of air blown from the blower 19 changes. Note that the blower 19 is an example of the blowing unit of the present disclosure.

[0022] The cooperation control device 20 acquires the cleanliness measured by the particle counter 12. Then, the cooperation control device 20 determines the air volume, which is the amount of air blown into the clean room CR by the blower 19, according to the cleanliness. Specifically, when the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR is high, the cooperation control device 20 outputs a control signal to the control device 22A to reduce the air volume blown into the clean room CR. Also, when the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR is low, the cooperation control device 20 outputs a control signal to the control device 22A to increase the air volume blown into the clean room CR. Specifically, the cooperation control device 20 outputs an inverter frequency signal corresponding to the air volume blown into the clean room CR to the control device 22A. Note that the higher the cleanliness in this embodiment, the lower the amount of dust in the clean room CR, and the lower the cleanliness, the higher the amount of dust in the clean room CR. Note that the cooperation control device 20 is an example of the air volume determination unit of the present disclosure.

[0023] The blowing temperature sensor 21A measures the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18. Then, the blowing temperature sensor 21A outputs the measured air temperature to the control device 22A.

[0024] The control device 22A acquires the inverter frequency signal output from the cooperation control device 20. Also, the control device 22A acquires the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 measured by the blowing temperature sensor 21A. The control device 22A determines the air volume blown into the interior of the clean room CR by changing the inverter frequency signal output from the cooperation control device 20. Then, the control device 22A outputs an inverter frequency signal, which is a control signal representing the finally determined air volume, to the inverter control panel 24.

[0025] The inverter control panel 24 controls the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor M of the blower 19 provided in the air conditioner 18 according to the control signal output from the control device 22A.

[0026] In the clean room CR, an intake port IN and a supply port SU are installed. The air in the clean room CR that flows into the intake port IN is cooled or heated by the air conditioner 18 through the duct (pipe) P1, and is supplied into the clean room CR from the supply port SU via the duct P2. A dust filter, for example, is installed in any of the intake port IN, the supply port SU, and the ducts P1 and P2 to collect the dust present in the clean room CR. Thereby, the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR is maintained.

[0027] In the clean room CR, various production devices (not shown), for example, are installed. Various production devices or the products to be produced may require a predetermined cleanliness, temperature, and humidity. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR within a predetermined range. Furthermore, the temperature and humidity of the interior of the clean room CR also need to be maintained within a predetermined range.

[0028] As described above, the chilled water two-way valve 17 adjusts the amount of chilled water supplied to the cooling coil H according to the temperature in the clean room CR. Thereby, the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is adjusted, and the temperature in the clean room CR is maintained within a predetermined range.

[0029] Also, the cooperative control device 20 controls the air volume of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 based on the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR measured by the particle counter 12. Thereby, the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR is maintained within a predetermined range. For example, the cooperative control device 20 can be realized by the clean system of Patent Document 1 as described above.

[0030] However, as described above, even if the cooperation control device 20 controls the air volume blown from the air conditioner 18 based on the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR, the humidity of the air to be blown may decrease. Specifically, when the air blown into the clean room CR is cooled in the cooling coil H, condensation occurs in the cooling coil H. As a result, the moisture in the air to be blown is removed, and the humidity of the air to be blown decreases. When such air is blown into the clean room CR, the humidity in the clean room CR decreases. As described above, since the humidity in the clean room CR needs to be maintained within a predetermined range, if the humidity in the clean room CR decreases, it is necessary to humidify the interior of the clean room CR, and energy is required for the humidification.

[0031] Also, for example, the clean system of the second embodiment in Patent Document 1 sequentially detects the humidity in the interior of the clean room CR, and controls the air volume of the air output from the air conditioner 18 so that the humidity in the interior of the clean room CR is kept constant. However, such control processing is post-control processing after detecting the humidity in the interior of the clean room CR. If the humidity in the interior of the clean room CR once decreases, it is necessary to humidify the interior of the clean room CR, and energy is required for the humidification.

[0032] Therefore, the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment controls the air volume blown into the interior of the clean room CR according to the temperature of the air blown into the interior of the clean room CR. The temperature of the air blown into the interior of the clean room CR is an example of the state of the air to be blown.

[0033] When the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR is low, it is inferred that the heat load in the clean room CR is large and the temperature in the room is high. Therefore, when the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR is low, the air volume of the blown air is increased. By increasing the air volume, it is possible to efficiently reduce the temperature in the clean room CR without excessively reducing the temperature of the blown air. As a result, the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR rises, and the occurrence of condensation in the cooling coil H is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to blow air into the clean room CR without reducing the humidity of the air blown into the clean room CR. Thereby, the humidity in the clean room CR is kept constant.

[0034] Specifically, the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment increases the air volume as the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR is lower. Also, the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment decreases the air volume as the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR is higher. The following will be specifically described.

[0035] FIG. 2 is an air diagram for explaining the control process of the first embodiment. In the air diagram of FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents temperature and the vertical axis represents absolute humidity. Also, a relative humidity curve is drawn in the air diagram of FIG. 2. TA shown in FIG. 2 is the indoor condition of the clean room CR. The clean room system 10 needs to perform air conditioning control so that the following indoor conditions of the clean room CR are satisfied.

[0036] Temperature: 22 ± 3°C Humidity: 50 ± 10%

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, in a situation where the indoor heat load of the clean room CR is low, it is assumed that the air blown from the air conditioner 18 will be within the range of A1 (for example, 17°C to 22°C) by controlling the air temperature with the chilled water two-way valve 17. In a situation where the indoor heat load of the clean room CR is neither high nor low, it is assumed that the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 will be within the range of A2 (for example, 15°C to 17°C). On the other hand, in a situation where the indoor heat load of the clean room CR is high, it is assumed that the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 will be within the range of A3 (for example, 11.6°C to 15°C).

[0038] The point P (temperature 15°C, humidity 75%) shown in FIG. 2 represents the temperature and humidity at which the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is not dehumidified. In the psychrometric chart shown in FIG. 2, when the temperature and humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 change from point P in the direction of arrow D, the moisture contained in the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is dehumidified, and the humidity of the blown air decreases.

[0039] When the indoor conditions are set as described above, for example, 15°C is preset as the first temperature threshold value for temperature, and 17°C is preset as the second temperature threshold value for temperature.

[0040] When the temperature measured by the blow-out temperature sensor 21A is less than the first temperature threshold value, the control device 22A changes the air volume according to the cleanliness determined by the cooperation control device 20, and outputs an inverter frequency signal to increase the air volume from the air conditioner 18. Thereby, it is suppressed that the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 becomes too low. Then, the decrease in the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the decrease in the humidity in the clean room CR.

[0041] On the other hand, when the temperature measured by the blow-out temperature sensor 21A is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold value, the control device 22A outputs an inverter frequency signal to decrease the air volume according to the cleanliness determined by the cooperation control device 20.

[0042] When the temperature measured by the blower temperature sensor 21A is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and lower than the second temperature threshold, the control device 22A outputs an inverter frequency signal to maintain the current air volume.

[0043] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the stepwise control of the inverter frequency. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 22A determines the amount of air blown from the air conditioner 18 by stepwise increasing or decreasing the inverter frequency signal according to the indoor load in the clean room CR. Specifically, as shown by the arrow X in FIG. 3, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 becomes less than 15°C, the control device 22A stepwise increases the inverter frequency. On the other hand, as shown by the arrow Y in FIG. 3, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 becomes 17°C or higher, the control device 22A stepwise decreases the inverter frequency.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the inverter frequency control for satisfying the above-described indoor condition TA. As shown in FIG. 4, in step S1, the control device 22A acquires an inverter frequency signal from the cooperation control device 20. The inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is the inverter frequency for realizing the air volume corresponding to the cleanliness in the clean room CR, that is, the instruction value for the air conditioner 18. Note that the inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is a continuous value, not a step frequency.

[0045] Next, in step S2, the control device 22A compares the current inverter frequency at which the air conditioner 18 is operating with the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20. If the current inverter frequency is greater than the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20, the process proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the current inverter frequency is less than or equal to the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20, the process proceeds to step S3. Then, the control device 22A controls the air conditioner 18 to operate at the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20. This control corresponds to controlling the air conditioner 18 so that the air volume corresponding to the cleanliness determined by the cooperation control device 20 is realized.

[0046] The determination process in step S2 also determines whether the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR satisfies the conditions. Specifically, the fact that the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is smaller than the current inverter frequency corresponds to the fact that the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR already satisfies or is in the process of satisfying the conditions. Therefore, when the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is smaller than the current inverter frequency, it becomes possible to proceed to the subsequent control process (steps S4 to S10) for maintaining the humidity.

[0047] In step S4, the control device 22A determines whether the temperature measured by the blowout temperature sensor 21A is less than the first temperature threshold (15°C). If the temperature measured by the blowout temperature sensor 21A is less than the first temperature threshold (15°C), the control device 22A increases the frequency step shown by the arrow X in FIG. 3 by one step in step S5 and controls the air conditioner 18 to operate at the inverter frequency corresponding to that frequency step. On the other hand, if the temperature measured by the blowout temperature sensor 21A is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold (15°C), the process proceeds to step S6.

[0048] In step S6, the control device 22A determines whether the temperature measured by the blowout temperature sensor 21A is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold (17°C). If the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold (15°C) and lower than the second temperature threshold (17°C), the control device 22A controls to continue the operation of the air conditioner 18 at the current inverter frequency without changing the frequency step shown by arrow X or arrow Y in Fig. 3 in step S7. On the other hand, if the temperature measured by the blowout temperature sensor 21A is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold (17°C), the process proceeds to step S8.

[0049] In step S8, the control device 22A determines whether the inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperative control device 20 is greater than the step frequency one step lower than the current inverter frequency at which the air conditioner 18 is operating. If the inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperative control device 20 is greater than the step frequency one step lower than the current inverter frequency at which the air conditioner 18 is operating, the control device 22A controls to operate the air conditioner 18 at the inverter frequency acquired from the cooperative control device 20 in step S9. This control corresponds to controlling the air conditioner 18 so that the air volume corresponding to the cleanliness determined by the cooperative control device 20 is realized. On the other hand, if the inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperative control device 20 is equal to or lower than the step frequency one step lower than the current inverter frequency at which the air conditioner 18 is operating, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0050] In step S10, the control device 22A controls to decrease the frequency step shown by arrow Y in Fig. 3 by one step and operate the air conditioner 18 at the inverter frequency corresponding to that frequency step. Note that if the determination process of step S8 is not performed and the result of the determination process of step S6 is "YES", the process may proceed directly to step S10.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, consider the case where the current inverter frequency is 48 Hz and the inverter frequency signal acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is 46 Hz. In this case, in the determination process of step S8, since the inverter frequency signal (46 Hz) acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is greater than the step frequency (40 Hz) which is one step lower than the current inverter frequency (48 Hz), the process proceeds to step S9, and the operation of the air conditioner 18 is executed with the inverter frequency signal (46 Hz) acquired from the cooperation control device 20. Such control processing means that although the inverter frequency signal (46 Hz) acquired from the cooperation control device 20 is smaller than the current inverter frequency (48 Hz), and the cleanliness in the clean room CR already meets or is in the process of meeting the conditions, the cleanliness is not yet very high. Therefore, the air conditioner 18 is operated with the inverter frequency signal (46 Hz) acquired from the cooperation control device 20.

[0052] The cooperation control device 20 and the control device 22A are realized by, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). Alternatively, for example, the cooperation control device 20 and the control device 22A can be realized by the computer 50 shown in FIG. 5. The computer 50 includes a CPU 51, a memory 52 as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 53. The computer 50 also includes an input / output interface (I / F) 54 to which an input / output device etc. (not shown) is connected, and a read / write (R / W) unit 55 that controls the reading and writing of data to and from a recording medium. The computer 50 also includes a network interface (I / F) 56 connected to a network such as the Internet. The CPU 51, the memory 52, the storage unit 53, the input / output I / F 54, the R / W unit 55, and the network I / F 56 are connected to each other via a bus 57.

[0053] The storage unit 53 can be implemented by a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit 53 as a storage medium stores a program for operating the computer 50. The CPU 51 reads the program from the storage unit 53, expands it in the memory 52, and sequentially executes the processes included in the program.

[0054] Note that the functions implemented by the program can also be implemented by, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more specifically, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or the like.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the control device 22A. As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 22A includes an acquisition unit 30A and a control unit 32A.

[0056] The acquisition unit 30A acquires the temperature, which is an example of the state of the air blown into the clean room CR by the blower 19.

[0057] The control unit 32A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume, which is the amount of air determined based on the cleanliness in the clean room CR, is changed according to the temperature of the air acquired by the acquisition unit 30A.

[0058] Specifically, as described above, the control unit 32A controls the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 so that the air volume increases as the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 decreases, and the air volume decreases as the temperature of the air increases.

[0059] More specifically, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is less than the first temperature threshold related to temperature, the control unit 32A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume increases. Further, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is greater than or equal to the second temperature threshold related to temperature, the control unit 32A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume decreases. Further, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, the control unit 32A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume is not changed. Specifically, when the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, the control unit 32A controls the blower 19 so that the current air volume is maintained.

[0060] Note that, as actual control, when increasing the amount of air blown into the clean room CR, the control unit 32A increases the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18. On the other hand, when decreasing the amount of air blown into the clean room CR, the control unit 32A decreases the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18.

[0061] <Operation of the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment> Next, the operation of the clean room system 10 of the first embodiment will be described. When the measurement of the cleanliness of the interior of the clean room CR is started by the particle counter 12 of the clean room system 10 and the measurement of the temperature of the interior of the clean room CR is started by the temperature sensor 14, the air conditioner 18 starts blowing air into the clean room CR. Then, the cooperative control device 20 starts outputting a control signal according to the cleanliness measured by the particle counter 12. Then, the control device 22A executes the control processing routine shown in FIG. 7.

[0062] In step S200, the control device 22A acquires a control signal output from the cooperation control device 20, which represents the air volume corresponding to the cleanliness. This control signal represents the air volume corresponding to the cleanliness inside the clean room CR, and actually, it is represented by a continuous value of the inverter frequency.

[0063] In step S202, the control device 22A acquires the temperature of the air measured by the blow-out temperature sensor 14.

[0064] In step S204, the control device 22A determines whether the temperature acquired in step S202 is less than the first temperature threshold. If the temperature is less than the first temperature threshold, the process proceeds to step S206. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold, the process proceeds to step S208.

[0065] In step S206, the control device 22A outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 to increase the air volume from the air conditioner 18. Specifically, the control device 22A sets a new inverter frequency signal by increasing the step frequency as described above, and outputs a control signal representing the inverter frequency signal to the inverter control panel 24. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22A.

[0066] In step S208, the control device 22A determines whether the temperature acquired in step S202 is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold. If the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, the process proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, if the temperature is equal to or higher than the second temperature threshold, the process proceeds to step S212.

[0067] In step S210, the control device 22A outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 to maintain the current air volume. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22A.

[0068] In step S212, the control device 22A outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 to decrease the air volume blown from the air conditioner 18. Specifically, the control device 22A sets a new inverter frequency signal by decreasing the step frequency as described above, and outputs a control signal representing the inverter frequency signal to the inverter control panel 24. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22A.

[0069] As described above, the control device 22A according to the first embodiment acquires the temperature of the air blown into the clean room CR. Then, the control device 22A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume, which is the amount of air determined based on the cleanliness in the clean room CR, is changed according to the acquired air temperature. Thereby, when blowing air into the clean room, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the humidity in the clean room.

[0070] Specifically, the control device 22A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume increases as the temperature of the blown air is lower, and the air volume decreases as the temperature of the blown air is higher. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an excessive decrease in the temperature of the air blown from the air conditioner 18, and to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation on the cooling coil H. As a result, it becomes possible to blow air into the interior of the clean room CR without reducing the humidity of the air blown into the interior of the clean room CR.

[0071] Also, the temperature of the air blown by the blower 19 is adjusted according to the temperature in the clean room CR, and the control device 22A controls the blower 19 so that the air volume is changed according to the air temperature while the air temperature is being adjusted. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the humidity in the clean room CR.

[0072] <Clean room system of the second embodiment> Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that the air volume is changed according to the humidity of the air blown into the clean room CR. Regarding the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted.

[0073] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the clean room system 210 of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the clean room system 210 of the first embodiment includes a particle counter 12 installed in the clean room CR, a temperature sensor 14 installed in the clean room CR, a water channel 16, a chilled water two-way valve 17, an air conditioner 18, a cooperation control device 20, a blown humidity sensor 21B, a control device 22B, and an inverter control panel 24.

[0074] FIG. 9 is an air diagram for explaining the control process of the second embodiment. Similar to FIG. 2, TA shown in FIG. 9 is the indoor condition of the clean room CR.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 9, when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is within the range of B1 (for example, humidity 50% - 65%), the control device 22B decreases the air volume blown from the air conditioner 18.

[0076] Further, when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is within the range of B2 (for example, humidity 65% - 75%), the control device 22B maintains the air volume without changing it.

[0077] Also, when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is within the range of B3 (for example, humidity 75% - 90%), the control device 22B increases the air volume blown from the air conditioner 18.

[0078] By such control processing, similar to the first embodiment, when performing the air blowing into the clean room, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the humidity in the clean room CR.

[0079] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the control device 22B. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 22B of the second embodiment includes an acquisition unit 30B and a control unit 32B.

[0080] The acquisition unit 30B of the second embodiment acquires the humidity, which is an example of the state of the air blown into the clean room CR.

[0081] The control unit 32B of the second embodiment controls the blower 19 so that the air volume determined based on the cleanliness in the clean room CR is changed according to the humidity of the air acquired by the acquisition unit 30B.

[0082] Specifically, as described above, 32B controls the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 such that the air volume decreases as the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 decreases, and the air volume increases as the humidity of the air increases.

[0083] More specifically, 32B decreases the air volume when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is less than a first humidity threshold value (for example, 65%) regarding humidity. Further, the control unit 32B increases the air volume when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is equal to or higher than a second humidity threshold value (for example, 75%) regarding humidity. Also, the control unit 234 controls the blower 19 so that the current air volume is maintained when the humidity of the air blown from the air conditioner 18 is equal to or higher than the first humidity threshold value and less than the second humidity threshold value.

[0084] Note that, as actual control, when increasing the amount of air blown into the clean room CR, the control unit 32B increases the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18. On the other hand, when decreasing the amount of air blown into the clean room CR, the control unit 32B decreases the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18.

[0085] <Operation of the clean room system 210 of the second embodiment> Next, the operation of the clean room system 210 of the second embodiment will be described. When the particle counter 12 of the clean room system 210 starts measuring the cleanliness of the air in the clean room CR and the temperature sensor 14 starts measuring the temperature of the air in the clean room CR, the air conditioner 18 starts blowing air into the clean room CR. Then, the cooperation control device 20 starts outputting a control signal according to the cleanliness measured by the particle counter 12. Then, the control device 22B executes the control processing routine shown in FIG. 10.

[0086] In step S200, the control device 22B acquires a control signal representing the air volume according to the cleanliness, which is output from the cooperation control device 20.

[0087] In step S302, the control device 22B acquires the humidity of the air measured by the blowing humidity sensor 21B.

[0088] In step S304, the control device 22B determines whether the humidity acquired in step S302 is less than the first humidity threshold. If the humidity is less than the first humidity threshold, the process proceeds to step S306. If the humidity is greater than or equal to the first humidity threshold, the process proceeds to step S308.

[0089] In step S206, the control device 22B outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 to decrease the air volume from the air conditioner 18. Specifically, the control device 22B sets a new inverter frequency signal by decreasing the step frequency as described above, and outputs a control signal representing the inverter frequency signal to the inverter control panel 24. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22B.

[0090] In step S308, the control device 22B determines whether the humidity acquired in step S302 is equal to or higher than the second humidity threshold value. If the humidity is equal to or higher than the first humidity threshold value and less than the second humidity threshold value, the process proceeds to step S310. On the other hand, if the humidity is equal to or higher than the second humidity threshold value, the process proceeds to step S312.

[0091] In step S310, the control device 22B outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 so as to maintain the current air volume. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22B.

[0092] In step S312, the control device 22B outputs a control signal to the inverter control panel 24 to increase the air volume from the air conditioner 18. Specifically, the control device 22B sets a new inverter frequency signal by increasing the step frequency as described above, and outputs a control signal representing the inverter frequency signal to the inverter control panel 24. The inverter control panel 24 controls the motor M provided in the blower 19 of the air conditioner 18 according to the inverter frequency signal output from the control device 22B.

[0093] As described above, the control device 22B according to the second embodiment acquires the humidity of the air blown into the clean room CR. Then, the control device 22B controls the blower 19 so that the air volume, which is the amount of air determined based on the cleanliness in the clean room CR, is changed according to the acquired air temperature. Thereby, when blowing air into the clean room, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the humidity in the clean room.

[0094] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention. Hereinafter, modification examples will be described.

[0095] [Modification Example 1] In each of the above embodiments, the case where each threshold value is fixed has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each threshold value may be changed according to the current date information and the current time information. For example, the control unit 32A of the first embodiment acquires at least one of the current date information and the current time information, and changes at least one of the first temperature threshold value and the second temperature threshold value according to at least one of the current date information and the current time information. Further, for example, the control unit 32B of the second embodiment changes at least one of the first humidity threshold value and the second humidity threshold value according to at least one of the current date information and the current time information. Thereby, for example, it becomes possible to execute control according to the season and control according to the time zone within a day.

[0096] [Modification Example 2] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the amount of air blown into the clean room CR is controlled according to the temperature and cleanliness in the clean room CR and the temperature or humidity of the air blown into the clean room CR has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the amount of air blown into the clean room CR may be controlled according to the indoor operating state representing the operating state in the clean room (for example, the entry and exit of people into the clean room CR, the operating state of a production device (not shown), or the start-up time from the stop of the production device (not shown), etc.). In this case, the control unit 32 acquires the indoor operating state representing the operating state in the clean room CR, and determines the amount of air blown into the clean room CR according to the temperature or humidity of the air and the indoor operating state.

[0097] [Modification Example 3] In each of the above embodiments, the case where the particle counter 12 and the temperature sensor 14 are one has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of particle counters 12 and temperature sensors 14 may be installed in the clean room CR. In this case, the air supply volume to the clean room CR may be determined according to the cleanliness or temperature at a plurality of locations in the clean room CR. For example, the average, minimum value, or maximum value of the values at a plurality of locations may be used.

[0098] [Modification Example 4] In each of the above embodiments, the cooperation control device 20 determines the air volume according to the cleanliness, and the control device 22 changes the air volume according to the cleanliness according to the temperature or humidity of the blown air. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control device 22 may determine the air volume to be blown into the clean room CR according to the cleanliness in the clean room CR and the temperature or humidity of the blown air. In this case, after determining the air volume according to the cleanliness, the control device 22 may change the air volume according to the cleanliness according to the temperature or humidity of the blown air. Specifically, in this case, the control device 22 as the air volume determination unit determines the air volume of the air blown from the blower 19 based on the cleanliness in the clean room CR. Then, the control device 22 changes the air volume according to the cleanliness according to the temperature or humidity of the blown air. Alternatively, the control device 22 may determine the air volume according to the combination of the cleanliness and the temperature or humidity of the blown air.

[0099] In addition, in the above embodiment, the case where the state of the air is temperature or humidity is described as an example. However, the state of the air also includes temperature, humidity, dew point temperature, wet bulb temperature, absolute humidity, and the like. Therefore, the control unit 32 may execute control based on the state of the air other than temperature and humidity.

[0100] In addition, in this specification, although the embodiment in which the program is installed in advance has been described, it is also possible to store and provide the program in a computer-readable recording medium. For example, the program may be provided in a form stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Also, the program may be in a form downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0101] Note that, in the above embodiment, the processes executed by the CPU by reading software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of the processor in this case include PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices) whose circuit configurations can be changed after manufacturing, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), and dedicated electric circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) having circuit configurations designed specifically for executing specific processes. Alternatively, a GPGPU (General-purpose graphics processing UNIT) may be used as the processor. Also, each process may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit formed by combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0102] Also, each process of this embodiment may be configured by a computer or a server etc. equipped with a general-purpose arithmetic processing unit and a storage device etc., and each process may be executed by a program. This program is stored in a storage device, and can be recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or can be provided through a network. Of course, for any other components, they do not necessarily have to be realized by a single computer or server, and may be realized in a distributed manner by a plurality of computers connected by a network.

[0103] All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0104] Note that in the above embodiments, unless there is a description of "only" such as "based only on XX", "responding only to XX", or "only in the case of XX", it is assumed that additional information can be considered in this specification. As an example, the description "perform b in the case of a" does not necessarily mean "always perform b in the case of a" unless otherwise specified.

[0105] Also, even if there is an aspect of performing an operation different from the operations described in this specification in some method, program, terminal, device, server, or system (hereinafter referred to as "method, etc."), each aspect of the disclosed technology is directed to the same operation as any of the operations described in this specification, and the existence of an operation different from the operations described in this specification does not exclude the method, etc. from the scope of each aspect of the disclosed technology.

[0106] Regarding the above embodiments, the following additional remarks are disclosed.

[0107] (Supplementary Note 1) An air volume determination unit that determines the air volume to be blown from a blower unit to the clean room based on the cleanliness in the clean room, An acquisition unit that acquires the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower unit, A control unit that controls the blower unit so that the air volume determined by the air volume determination unit is changed according to the state of the air acquired by the acquisition unit, A control device including the above. (Supplementary Note 2) The state of the air is the temperature of the air, The control unit controls the blower unit such that the air volume increases as the temperature of the air decreases and the air volume decreases as the temperature of the air increases. The control device according to Supplementary Note 1. (Supplementary Note 3) The control unit, when the temperature of the air is less than a first temperature threshold value related to the temperature, controls the blower unit so that the air volume increases, When the temperature of the air is equal to or higher than a second temperature threshold related to temperature, the blower unit is controlled such that the air volume decreases. When the temperature of the air is equal to or higher than the first temperature threshold and lower than the second temperature threshold, the blower unit is controlled such that the air volume remains unchanged. The control device according to Supplementary Note 2. (Supplementary Note 4) The control unit acquires at least one of current date information and current time information, and changes at least one of the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold according to at least one of the current date information and the current time information. The control device according to Supplementary Note 3. (Supplementary Note 5) The state of the air is the humidity of the air. The control unit controls the blower unit such that the air volume decreases as the humidity of the air decreases and the air volume increases as the humidity of the air increases. The control device according to Supplementary Note 1. (Supplementary Note 6) The control unit When the humidity of the air is lower than a first humidity threshold related to humidity, the blower unit is controlled such that the air volume decreases. When the humidity of the air is equal to or higher than a second humidity threshold related to humidity, the blower unit is controlled such that the air volume increases. When the humidity of the air is equal to or higher than the first humidity threshold and lower than the second humidity threshold, the blower unit is controlled such that the air volume remains unchanged. The control device according to Supplementary Note 5. (Supplementary Note 7) The control unit acquires at least one of current date information and current time information, and changes at least one of the first humidity threshold and the second humidity threshold according to at least one of the current date information and the current time information. The control device according to Supplementary Note 6. (Supplementary Note 8) The temperature of the air blown by the blower unit is adjusted according to the temperature in the clean room. While the temperature of the air is being adjusted, the control unit controls the blower unit so that the air volume is changed according to the state of the air. The control device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 7. (Appendix 9) The control unit acquires an indoor operating state representing the operating state in the clean room, The air volume determination unit determines the air volume according to the state of the air and the indoor operating state. The control device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 8. (Appendix 10) The control unit increases the air volume by increasing the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor of the blower unit, decreases the air volume by decreasing the frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor of the blower unit The control device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 9. (Appendix 11) The air volume determination unit determines the air volume according to the cleanliness levels at a plurality of locations in the clean room. The control device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 10. (Appendix 12) Determine the air volume to be blown from the blower unit to the clean room based on the cleanliness level in the clean room, acquire the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower unit, Control the blower unit so that the determined air volume is changed according to the acquired state of the air. A program for causing a computer to execute a process. (Appendix 13) Determine the air volume to be blown from the blower unit to the clean room based on the cleanliness level in the clean room, acquire the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower unit, Control the blower unit so that the determined air volume is changed according to the acquired state of the air. A program for causing a computer to execute processing. (Appendix 14) A clean room system including the control device according to any one of Appendices 1 to 11, a cleanliness measurement unit for measuring the cleanliness in the clean room, a blower unit for blowing air into the clean room, and a state measurement unit for measuring the state of the air blown into the clean room.

Explanation of Signs

[0108] 10,210 Clean room system 12 Particle counter 14 Temperature sensor 17 Chilled water two-way valve 18 Air conditioner 19 Blower 20 Coordination control device 21A Temperature sensor 21B Humidity sensor 22 Control device 24 Inverter control panel 50 Computer

Claims

1. An air volume determination unit that determines the air volume to be blown from a blower unit to the clean room based on the cleanliness in the clean room, An acquisition unit that acquires the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower unit, A control unit that controls the blower unit so that the air volume determined by the air volume determination unit is changed according to the state of the air acquired by the acquisition unit, A control device including the above.

2. The state of the air is the temperature of the air, The control unit controls the blower unit so that the air volume increases as the temperature of the air decreases and the air volume decreases as the temperature of the air increases. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, When the temperature of the air is less than a first temperature threshold related to temperature, controls the blower unit so that the air volume increases, When the temperature of the air is greater than or equal to a second temperature threshold related to temperature, controls the blower unit so that the air volume decreases, When the temperature of the air is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold and less than the second temperature threshold, controls the blower unit so that the air volume is not changed. The control device according to claim 2.

4. The control unit acquires at least one of current date information and current time information, and changes at least one of the first temperature threshold and the second temperature threshold according to at least one of the current date information and the current time information. The control device according to claim 3.

5. The state of the air is the humidity of the air, The control unit controls the blower unit so that the air volume decreases as the humidity of the air decreases and the air volume increases as the humidity of the air increases. The control device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit, When the humidity of the air is less than a first humidity threshold related to humidity, controls the blower unit so that the air volume decreases, When the humidity of the air is greater than or equal to a second humidity threshold related to humidity, controls the blower unit so that the air volume increases, When the humidity of the air is greater than or equal to the first humidity threshold and less than the second humidity threshold, controls the blower unit so that the air volume is not changed. The control device according to claim 5.

7. the control unit acquires at least one of current date information and current time information, and changes at least one of the first humidity threshold value and the second humidity threshold value in accordance with at least one of the current date information and the current time information. The control device according to claim 6.

8. the temperature of the air blown by the blower is adjusted according to the temperature in the clean room; The control unit controls the blower unit so that the blowing amount is changed in accordance with the state of the air while the temperature of the air is being adjusted. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The control unit acquiring an indoor operating status representing an operating status in the clean room; The airflow rate determination unit determines the airflow rate according to the state of the air and the indoor operating state. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. The control unit increasing the frequency of an inverter frequency signal output to the motor of the blower unit to increase the blowing amount; The frequency of the inverter frequency signal output to the motor of the blower is reduced to reduce the blowing amount. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

11. the airflow rate determination unit determines the airflow rate in accordance with the cleanliness of a plurality of locations in the clean room. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

12. determining an air volume to be blown into the clean room from the blower based on the cleanliness of the clean room; acquiring a state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower; controlling the blower unit so that the determined airflow rate is changed in accordance with the acquired air condition; A control method for computer-implemented processing.

13. determining an air volume to be blown into the clean room from the blower based on the cleanliness of the clean room; acquiring a state of the air blown into the clean room by the blower; controlling the blower unit so that the determined airflow rate is changed in accordance with the acquired air condition; A program that causes a computer to execute a process.

14. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a cleanliness measurement unit that measures the cleanliness in the clean room, the air blowing unit that blows air into the clean room, and a state measurement unit that measures the state of the air blown into the clean room, A clean room system including

15. A blowing unit that blows air into the clean room, A control unit that controls the blowing unit to blow air at a blowing volume determined by a blowing volume determination unit that determines the blowing volume to be blown from the blowing unit based on the cleanliness in the clean room, An acquisition unit that acquires the state of the air blown into the clean room by the blowing unit, In a clean room system comprising: The control unit controls the blowing unit so that the blowing volume determined by the blowing volume determination unit is changed according to the state of the air acquired by the acquisition unit. A clean room system characterized by this.

16. A cleanliness measurement unit that measures the cleanliness in the clean room is provided, and the blowing volume determination unit determines the blowing volume based on the measurement result of the cleanliness measurement unit. The clean room system according to claim 15, characterized by this.

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