Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide a control device easy to improve an energy-saving effect relating to an air conditioner.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system 10 for cooling an object space, in which a heat generation device 500 is arranged, by plural air conditioners 900 comprises: an acquisition part 101 for acquiring at least any one of a heat generation load generated from the heat generation device 500, information relating to an indoor temperature, information relating to ambient air, information relating to the air conditioner, and the operating number of conditioners that is the number of the air conditioners 900 during operation, at predetermined time intervals; a first calculation part 106 for calculating the required number of conditioners that is the minimum number of the air conditioners required for controlling the object space to the predetermined indoor temperature or less based on the heat generation load, the information relating to the indoor temperature, the information relating to the ambient air, and the information relating to the air conditioner; and a comparison part 108 for comparing the operation number and the required number.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system. [Background technology]

[0002] ICT equipment (hereafter referred to as heat-generating equipment) installed in server rooms generates heat during operation. As the ICT equipment generates heat, the temperature inside the server room rises. If the temperature inside the server room becomes too high, the risk of ICT equipment malfunctioning increases. For this reason, air conditioning units are installed in server rooms to prevent the temperature inside the server room from becoming too high.

[0003] Air conditioning unit failure increases the risk of ICT equipment failure. For this reason, it is common for server rooms to take precautions against air conditioning unit failure. For example, a method has been proposed in which a spare air conditioning unit is installed in preparation for air conditioning unit failure.

[0004] In addition to providing a backup air conditioner, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of controlling the air conditioner so that the room temperature in the server room reaches a critical set temperature. The critical set temperature is a temperature at which the risk of ICT equipment failure is unlikely to increase during the time between the air conditioner's shutdown and its recovery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-133626 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When controlling air conditioners as in Patent Document 1, server room managers often operate all air conditioners and then control them by changing the set temperatures of the air conditioners. As a result, they often operate more air conditioners than necessary.

[0007] In other words, there was a problem that the energy-saving effect was diminished by the number of excess air conditioners. Also, server room managers wanted to reduce the number of operating air conditioners to improve energy-saving effects, but reducing the number of operating air conditioners increased the risk of ICT equipment failure. Therefore, there was a problem that managers found it difficult to reduce the number of operating air conditioners and control them.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that can calculate the number of air conditioning units that can easily achieve both improved energy saving effects and reduced risk of ICT equipment failure, and compare it with the current number of units in operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means. An air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention is an air conditioning system that cools a target space in which a heat-generating device is placed using multiple air conditioning devices, and is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the heat load emitted from the heat-generating device, information about indoor temperature, information about the outside air, information about the air conditioning device, and the number of operating units, which is the number of air conditioning devices currently in operation, at predetermined time intervals; a first calculation unit that calculates the required number, which is the minimum number of air conditioning devices necessary to control the target space to a predetermined indoor temperature or below, based on the heat load, information about the indoor temperature, information about the outside air, and information about the air conditioning device; and a comparison unit that compares the number of operating units with the required number.

[0010] According to the air conditioning system of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the required number of air conditioners, which is the minimum number of air conditioners required to control the indoor temperature to a level that is unlikely to cause a malfunction in the heat-generating device.

[0011] By comparing the calculated required number with the number of operating air conditioners, which is the number of air conditioners currently in operation, the administrator can establish an optimal policy for controlling the air conditioners. The information relating to the indoor temperature preferably includes at least one of the heat load, the indoor temperature, and the outdoor temperature, but may also include information other than the above information.

[0012] The information about the outside air preferably includes at least one of the outside air temperature and weather forecast information, but may also include information other than the above information. The information about the air conditioner preferably includes at least one of the capacity of the air conditioner, the setting of the air conditioner, the outside temperature, and the energy consumption of the air conditioner, but may also include information other than the above information.

[0013] In a first aspect of the above invention, the air conditioning system further includes a first estimation unit that estimates the outdoor air temperature at the predetermined time interval by inputting information about the outdoor air currently acquired into a trained first learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate the outdoor air temperature; a second estimation unit that estimates the indoor temperature at the predetermined time interval by inputting the heat generation load currently acquired, information about the indoor temperature currently acquired, and the estimated outdoor air temperature into a trained second learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate the indoor temperature; and a third estimation unit that estimates information about the air conditioning device that takes into account the indoor temperature and the outdoor air temperature at the predetermined time interval by inputting information about the estimated indoor temperature and information about the estimated air conditioning device into a trained third learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate information about the air conditioning device, and the first calculation unit calculates the required number of units based on the acquired heat generation load, information about the estimated indoor temperature, information about the estimated outdoor air, and information about the estimated air conditioning device without performing the processing of claim 1.

[0014] In this way, the outside air temperature is estimated by the first estimation unit. The second estimation unit estimates the indoor temperature based on at least the estimated outside air temperature. Information about the air conditioners that takes into account the indoor temperature and the outdoor air temperature is estimated by the third estimation unit based on at least the estimated outdoor air temperature and the estimated indoor temperature. The estimated indoor temperature, outdoor air temperature, and information about the air conditioners that takes into account the indoor temperature and the outdoor air temperature are input to the first calculation unit, which calculates the required number of units.

[0015] In a first aspect of the above invention, the air conditioning system further has a second calculation unit capable of calculating an allowable repair time, which is the elapsed time from when at least some of the operating air conditioning units stop until the indoor temperature of the target space rises to an allowable temperature at which the heat-generating unit is unlikely to break down, and which is determined based on the heat-generating unit, and it is preferable that the first calculation unit calculates the required number of units based on the heat-generating load, the indoor temperature, the allowable repair time, and information about the air conditioning units, without performing the calculation described in claim 1.

[0016] In this way, by having the second calculation unit calculate the allowable repair time, the first calculation unit can calculate the required number of units more accurately than in a case where the allowable repair time is not calculated. The allowable temperature is the threshold for the room temperature in a server room at which heat-generating devices are less likely to malfunction. Specifically, if the allowable temperature is exceeded, heat-generating devices are more likely to malfunction. If the temperature is below the allowable temperature, heat-generating devices are less likely to malfunction.

[0017] The allowable repair time is the time it takes for the indoor temperature in the server room to reach an allowable temperature after a failure occurs in at least one air conditioning unit. In other words, it is the target time within which the air conditioning unit must be repaired.

[0018] In a first aspect of the above invention, it is preferable that the air conditioning system further includes a control unit that controls the number of operating air conditioners based on the comparison result of the comparison unit, and the control unit is characterized by including a stop selection unit that selects an air conditioner to be stopped from the operating air conditioners when the number of operating units is greater than the required number, and an operation selection unit that selects an air conditioner to be operated from the stopped air conditioners when the number of operating units is less than the required number.

[0019] In this way, the stop selection unit stops the air conditioner that is in operation, which makes it easier to improve the energy-saving effect. The operation selection unit operates the air conditioner that is in operation, which makes it easier to maintain the room temperature at a predetermined temperature. Therefore, it makes it easier to reduce the risk of a malfunction. In other words, by providing the stop selection unit and the operation selection unit, it makes it easier to achieve both an improvement in the energy-saving effect and a reduction in the risk of a malfunction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the air conditioning system of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the number of air conditioning units that will likely achieve both improved energy conservation effects and reduced risk of ICT equipment failure, and compare this with the number of units currently in operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a graph showing allowable temperatures and allowable repair times. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing by a control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing by a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] [First embodiment] An air conditioning system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment is a system that controls an air conditioning device 900, and is a system that makes it easier to improve the energy-saving effect of the air conditioning device 900 and reduce the risk of ICT device failure.

[0023] 1, the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment is made up of an air conditioner 900, a heat generating device 500, and a control device 100. The air conditioning system 10 may have a configuration other than that described above.

[0024] The air conditioner 900 is configured to take in indoor air, cool it, and supply the cooled air to the room. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the air conditioner 900 is provided with at least two or more combinations of one outdoor unit and one indoor unit. Note that the combinations of indoor units and outdoor units may be combinations other than those described above. For example, the air conditioner 900 may be provided with at least one or more combinations of one outdoor unit (not shown) and at least two or more indoor units (not shown).

[0025] The outdoor unit is configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant and outside air or water. The outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit through piping through which the refrigerant flows. The outdoor unit is also equipped with a compressor (not shown) that increases the pressure of the refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) that cools the drawn-in air through heat exchange.

[0026] The indoor units are configured to discharge cooled air into the rooms. The indoor units are connected to the outdoor units through pipes through which a refrigerant flows. The indoor units are also equipped with an air conditioning fan (not shown) that discharges the air that has undergone heat exchange, and an indoor heat exchanger (not shown) that cools the air that is discharged through heat exchange.

[0027] The heat-generating device 500 is an information processing device having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM, RAM, an input / output interface, etc. In this embodiment, the heat-generating device 500 is also referred to as a server device or an ICT device.

[0028] The control device 100 of this embodiment is connected to the air conditioning device 900 and the heat generating device 500 so as to be able to transmit information via known wired or wireless information communication means. The control device 100 is also connected between the air conditioning device 900 and the heat generating device 500 so as to be able to transmit information via a known wireless communication network or a combination of a wireless communication network and a wired communication network.

[0029] The control device 100 is a device that compares the required number of air conditioners 900 with the number of operating air conditioners. The required number and the number of operating air conditioners will be described later. The control device 100 is an information processing device such as a server device that has a CPU (central processing unit), ROM, RAM, an input / output interface, etc. As shown in FIG. 1 , the program stored in the storage device such as the ROM causes the CPU, ROM, RAM, and input / output interface to cooperate with each other to function at least an acquisition unit 101, a memory unit 102, a first estimation unit 103, a second estimation unit 104, a third estimation unit 105, a first calculation unit 106, a second calculation unit 107, and a comparison unit 108.

[0030] The acquisition unit 101 is connected to the air conditioning device 900 and the heat generating device 500 so that information can be communicated, and is configured to acquire information about the outside air, information about the indoor temperature, information about the air conditioning device 900, and information about the heat generating device 500 (hereinafter also referred to as various types of information) at predetermined time intervals.

[0031] The information about the outside air is information indicating environmental information about the outside air. In this embodiment, the information about the outside air preferably includes at least one of information about the outside air temperature and information about a weather forecast. Note that the weather forecast information may be obtained from a communication device (not shown).

[0032] The information about the indoor temperature is information about the room of the building in which the air conditioner 900 is installed, and is information that indicates environmental information about the room, including the indoor temperature. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the room is a server room. The information about the indoor temperature may also include a heat generation load and an outside air temperature in addition to the indoor temperature.

[0033] The information related to the air conditioner 900 is information acquired from the air conditioner 900. In this embodiment, the information related to the air conditioner 900 preferably includes the number of operating air conditioners 900, their operating capacities, and the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 900. The information related to the air conditioner 900 may also include the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.

[0034] The number of operating units is the number of air conditioners 900 that are operating when the acquisition unit 101 acquires information related to the air conditioners 900. In other words, it is the number of air conditioners 900 that are currently operating.

[0035] The operating capacity is information indicating the control state of the air conditioner 900, and preferably includes the on / off state of the air conditioner 900, the operating setting, and the set temperature. The amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 900 refers to the amount of energy consumed by the operation of the air conditioner 900. In this embodiment, the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioner 900 that is currently operating will be described.

[0036] The information relating to the heat generating device 500 is information acquired from the heat generating device 500. In this embodiment, the information relating to the heat generating device 500 preferably includes at least the heat load generated by the heat generating device 500.

[0037] The storage unit 102 is an information storage medium configured to store various types of information. The storage unit 102 may be a flash memory such as an SD memory card, or may be a recording medium of another type.

[0038] The first estimation unit 103 is configured to estimate the next outside air temperature at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the first estimation unit 103 is configured to input the following information to the first learning model.

[0039] The information input to the first learning model is the information about the outdoor air that has been acquired this time. The first learning model is a model that has been trained by machine learning. A known learning method can be used as the machine learning method.

[0040] Next, the relationship between the current time and the next time will be explained. The control device 100 performs calculation processing at predetermined time intervals. The present time refers to the timing at which the control device 100 performs the calculation process.

[0041] The next time is a time when the control device 100 is not performing calculation processing, and is a time after the current first point. The second estimation unit 104 is configured to estimate the next indoor temperature at predetermined time intervals. In this embodiment, the second estimation unit 104 is configured to input the following information to the second learning model.

[0042] The information input to the second learning model is information related to the currently acquired indoor temperature and the next outdoor temperature. In other words, the outdoor temperature estimated by the first estimation unit 103 is input to the second learning model. Note that the information input to the second learning model may include the currently acquired outdoor temperature instead of the next outdoor temperature. The second learning model is a model that has been trained by machine learning. A known learning method can be used for machine learning.

[0043] The third estimation unit 105 is configured to estimate information about the air conditioner 900 that takes into account the next indoor temperature and the next outdoor temperature at predetermined time intervals (hereinafter also referred to as information about the next air conditioner 900). In other words, the information about the next air conditioner 900 is information about the air conditioner 900 that is calculated based on the next indoor temperature and the next outdoor temperature, rather than the acquired indoor temperature and the acquired outdoor temperature. In this embodiment, the third estimation unit 105 is configured to input information described below into the third learning model.

[0044] The information input to the third learning model includes the next outdoor temperature, the next indoor temperature, and information related to the current air conditioner 900. Note that the information input to the third learning model may include information on the currently acquired outdoor temperature and the currently acquired indoor temperature instead of the next outdoor temperature and the next indoor temperature. The third learning model is a model that has been trained by machine learning. A known learning method can be used as the machine learning method.

[0045] The second calculation unit 107 is configured to calculate the allowable repair time based on the next outside air temperature, the next indoor temperature, information about the next air conditioner 900, and the allowable temperature. A specific method for calculating the allowable repair time will be described later. The second calculation unit 107 may calculate the allowable repair time based on the acquired outside air temperature, the acquired indoor temperature, and information about the air conditioner 900.

[0046] The allowable temperature is a threshold value of the room temperature in the server room at which the heat-generating device 500 is unlikely to malfunction. Specifically, if the allowable temperature is exceeded, the heat-generating device 500 is likely to malfunction. If the temperature is equal to or lower than the allowable temperature, the heat-generating device 500 is unlikely to malfunction.

[0047] The allowable repair time is the time from when a failure occurs in at least one air conditioner 900 until the indoor temperature in the server room reaches an allowable temperature. In other words, it is the target time within which the air conditioner 900 must be repaired.

[0048] The relationship between the allowable repair time and the allowable temperature will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the vertical axis represents the indoor temperature, and the horizontal axis represents time. In FIG. 2, the change in indoor temperature is shown by lines DA and DB, the allowable temperature is shown by line DC, and the allowable repair time is shown by line DD. Line DA is the indoor temperature when no failure occurs in the air conditioner 900. Line DB is the indoor temperature when a failure occurs in at least one air conditioner 900. Line DD is the change in time from when a failure occurs in the air conditioner 900 until the indoor temperature reaches the allowable temperature.

[0049] Point P is the timing when a failure occurs in at least one or more air conditioners 900. Point Q is the timing when the room temperature reaches the allowable temperature. The first calculation unit 106 is configured to calculate the required number of air conditioners 900 based on at least the next outside air temperature, the next indoor temperature, the allowable temperature, the allowable repair time, and information related to the next air conditioner 900.

[0050] The first calculation unit 106 may calculate the required number of air conditioners 900 based on at least the next outdoor temperature, the next indoor temperature, and information related to the next air conditioners 900. In this embodiment, the first calculation unit 106 may estimate the amount of energy consumed by the air conditioners 900 that are operated based on the estimated required number.

[0051] The required number is the minimum number of air conditioners 900 that must be in operation in order to control the temperature in the server room to a level at which the heat generating devices 500 are unlikely to malfunction. The comparison unit 108 is configured to compare the required number with the number of air conditioners 900 currently in operation. In this embodiment, the comparison result (hereinafter also referred to as the comparison result) is stored in the storage unit 102. It is preferable that the comparison result be transmitted to the administrator of the ICT device.

[0052] Next, the operation of the control device 100 configured as described above will be described. First, the air conditioner 900 will be described, second, the heat generating device 500 will be described, third, the control of the control device 100 will be described, and fourth, the learning method of the learning model will be described.

[0053] The mechanism by which the air conditioner 900 cools a room will now be described. The air conditioner 900 rotates the air conditioning fan to draw indoor air into the indoor unit. The drawn-in air is cooled in the indoor heat exchanger. Specifically, the temperature of the drawn-in air is lowered as heat is absorbed by the refrigerant circulating between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The refrigerant that absorbed the heat then releases the heat to the outside air in the outdoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant that released the heat then absorbs heat from the drawn-in air again in the heat exchanger. In other words, the drawn-in air is cooled by the refrigerant.

[0054] The cooled air is discharged into the room by the air conditioning fan. The air discharged into the room is warmed by heat radiated from the people and electronic devices in the room. The warmed air is then drawn into the air conditioner 900 again.

[0055] Secondly, the heat generating device 500 will be described. In this embodiment, an example in which the heat generating device 500 is provided in a server room will be described. The heat generating device 500 performs information processing work and thereby emits heat into the server room. The heat emission increases the indoor temperature of the server room. The increase in the indoor temperature makes the heat generating device 500 more susceptible to failure.

[0056] Next, the control of the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. When control in the control device 100 is started, the acquisition unit 101 performs a process of acquiring various pieces of information from the air conditioner 900 and the heat generating device 500 at predetermined time intervals (S1). In this embodiment, the predetermined time interval is preferably one hour. The acquired various pieces of information are stored in the storage unit 102.

[0057] After the various pieces of information are stored, the first estimation unit 103 performs a process of estimating the next outside air temperature based on the acquired information about the outside air (S2). The estimated next outside air temperature is stored in the storage unit 102.

[0058] Once the estimated next outdoor temperature is stored, the second estimation unit 104 performs a process of estimating the next indoor temperature based on the acquired information on the indoor temperature and the estimated next outdoor temperature (S3). The estimated next indoor temperature is stored in the memory unit 102.

[0059] Once the next indoor temperature is stored, the third estimation unit 105 performs a process of estimating information about the next air conditioner 900 based on the acquired information about the air conditioner 900, the next outdoor temperature, and the next indoor temperature (S4). The estimated information about the next air conditioner 900 is stored in the storage unit 102.

[0060] Once the estimated next outdoor temperature, next indoor temperature, and information related to the next air conditioner 900 are stored, the second calculation unit 107 performs a process of calculating the allowable repair time (S5). Specifically, the allowable repair time can be calculated by inputting the next outdoor temperature, next indoor temperature, and information related to the next air conditioner 900 into Equation 1.

[0061]

number

[0062] (Equation 1) is an equation that shows the thermal balance in a room. Θr is a variable that indicates the indoor temperature. Θr / d T is a variable that indicates the change in indoor temperature over time.

[0063] Ws is a variable related to the exterior wall load. In other words, it is a variable that indicates the amount of heat that changes due to the wall that separates the inside and outside of a building. Θs is a variable that indicates the equivalent outdoor temperature, which is the outdoor temperature calculated by taking into account the amount of solar radiation.

[0064] Wn is a variable that indicates the wall load, in other words, the amount of heat that is transferred by the walls of a building. Θn is a variable that indicates the indoor temperature.

[0065] Wv is a variable that indicates the ventilation load, or in other words, the amount of heat that changes due to ventilation. Θo is a variable indicating the outside air temperature.

[0066] Nc is a variable indicating the number of air conditioners 900 in operation or the required number. H BA is a variable indicating the rated capacity of the air conditioner 900. C r is the coefficient of variation of the capacity of the air conditioner 900 depending on the room temperature.

[0067] Θ Br is the coefficient of variation of the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner 900 depending on the room temperature. C O is a variable indicating the capacity of the air conditioner 900. Θ BO is the coefficient of variation of air conditioning capacity due to outside temperature.

[0068] The calculated allowable repair time is stored in the storage unit 102. Once the allowable repair time is stored, the first calculation unit 106 performs a process of calculating the required number of units (S6). Specifically, the required number of units can be calculated by inputting the next outdoor temperature, the next indoor temperature, the next air conditioner 900, the allowable repair time, and the allowable temperature into (Equation 1). The calculated required number of units is stored in the storage unit 102.

[0069] Once the required number is stored, the comparison unit 108 performs a process of comparing the current number of operating air conditioners 900 with the required number (S7). Specifically, it compares whether the number of operating air conditioners is greater than the required number. The result of the comparison may be communicated to an ICT terminal or the like used by the administrator.

[0070] Next, we will explain the machine learning of the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model. In this embodiment, the present invention will be described as being applied to an example in which machine learning of a first learning model, a second learning model, and a third learning model is performed in an information processing device different from the control device 100. The first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model that have undergone machine learning are stored in the memory unit 102 before being controlled by the control device 100.

[0071] Furthermore, after control by the control device 100 is performed, the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model that have been further subjected to machine learning may be stored in the storage unit 102. In this case, the previously stored first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model are replaced with the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model that have been further subjected to machine learning.

[0072] Note that machine learning of the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model may be performed in different information processing devices as described above, or may be performed in the control device 100. When machine learning is performed in the control device 100, a machine learning unit that performs machine learning is provided in the control device 100. Furthermore, machine learning for one of the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model may be performed in a different information processing device, and machine learning for the other may be performed in the control device 100.

[0073] The specific machine learning in the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model can use well-known supervised learning, and the specific content of the calculation processing in supervised learning is not limited.

[0074] Furthermore, the method for creating the teacher data for the first learning model, the second learning model, and the third learning model can be any known method, and there are no specific limitations on the creation method.

[0075] It is possible to calculate the required number of air conditioners 900, which is the minimum number required to control the indoor temperature to a level where the heat-generating device 500 configured as described above is unlikely to malfunction. By comparing the calculated required number with the operating number, which is the number of air conditioners 900 currently in operation, the administrator can establish a policy for controlling the air conditioners 900 that simultaneously reduces the occurrence of malfunctions in the heat-generating devices 500 and improves energy-saving effects.

[0076] Furthermore, since the required number of units is calculated based on the estimated next outdoor temperature, the estimated next indoor temperature, and information about the estimated next air conditioning unit 900, it is easier to calculate the required number accurately than when it is based on the acquired outdoor temperature, the acquired indoor temperature, and information about the acquired next air conditioning unit 900.

[0077] Furthermore, since the second calculation unit 107 calculates the allowable repair time, the first calculation unit 106 can more easily calculate the correct number of required units than if the allowable repair time is not calculated. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0078] The air conditioning system 10A of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the control device 100A is different from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, only the configuration of the control device 100A will be described, and other descriptions will be omitted.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 100A is an information processing device such as a server having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the programs stored in the storage device such as the ROM cause the CPU, the ROM, the RAM, and the input / output interface to cooperate with each other to cause at least an acquisition unit 101, a storage unit 102, a first estimation unit 103, a second estimation unit 104, a third estimation unit 105, a first calculation unit 106, a second calculation unit 107, a comparison unit 108, and a control unit 109A to function.

[0080] Based on the comparison result, the control unit 109A is configured to control the air conditioner 900. In this embodiment, the control unit 109A preferably includes a stop selection unit 109A1 and an operation selection unit 109A2.

[0081] The control unit 109A has a configuration to maintain the number of operating units when the number of operating units and the required number of units are the same. The shutdown selection unit 109A1 is configured to select an air conditioner 900 to shut down from among the operating air conditioners 900 when the number of operating units is greater than the required number. In other words, when the number of operating units is greater than the required number, the number of operating units is reduced.

[0082] The operation selection unit 109A2 is configured to, when the number of operating units is less than the required number, select an operating air conditioner 900 from among the stopped air conditioners 900. In other words, when the number of operating units is less than the required number, the number of operating units is increased.

[0083] Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 10A configured as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The explanation of the air conditioning device 900, the heat generating device 500, the processing of Fig. 3, and the learning method of the learning model are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the processing after the processing of S7 in Fig. 3.

[0084] The comparison result obtained in the process of S7 is stored in storage unit 102. Based on the stored comparison result, control unit 109A performs a process to control air conditioner 900 (S11). Note that the control performed by control unit 109A differs depending on whether the number of operating units is greater than the required number (number of operating units > number of comparison units), whether the number of operating units is the same as the required number (number of operating units = number of comparison units), or whether the number of operating units is less than the required number (number of operating units < number of comparison units), and each of these cases will be described below.

[0085] First, a case where the number of operating units is greater than the required number (number of operating units > comparison number) will be described. When the number of operating units is greater than the required number, a stoppage selection unit 109A1 included in control unit 109A selects an air conditioner 900 to be stopped from among the operating air conditioners 900. A stop signal is sent from control unit 109A to the selected air conditioner 900. The air conditioner 900 that receives the stop signal is stopped (S12). It is preferable that the air conditioner 900 to be stopped is the air conditioner 900 with the greatest degree of cooling influence.

[0086] The cooling influence degree is the degree to which the air conditioner 900 contributes to changing the indoor temperature of the server room. In other words, an air conditioner 900 with a large cooling influence degree is the air conditioner 900 that has the greatest influence on changing the indoor temperature of the server room.

[0087] Next, a case where the number of operating units is the same as the required number of units (number of operating units=number of comparison units) will be described. When the number of operating units is the same as the required number of units, control unit 109A maintains the current number of operating units (S13).

[0088] Next, a case where the number of operating units is less than the required number will be described. When the number of operating units is less than the required number, the operation selection unit 109A2 included in the control unit 109A selects an operating air conditioner 900 from the stopped air conditioners 900. The selected air conditioner 900 receives an operation signal from the control unit 109A. The air conditioner 900 that receives the operation signal operates (S14). It is preferable that the air conditioner 900 that is operated is the air conditioner 900 with the greatest degree of cooling influence.

[0089] According to the air conditioning system 10A having the above configuration, the provision of the stop selection unit 109A1 and the operation selection unit 109A2 makes it easy to improve the energy-saving effect and reduce the risk of a malfunction. Furthermore, the air conditioners 900 are operated at a number of operating units that improves the energy-saving effect and reduces the risk of a malfunction without the need for operator operation.

[0090] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to applications of the above-described embodiments, and may be applied to embodiments in which these embodiments are appropriately combined, and is not particularly limited. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10, 10A...air conditioning system, 100...control device 100A, 101...acquisition unit, 102...memory unit, 103...first estimation unit, 104...second estimation unit, 105...third estimation unit, 106...first calculation unit, 107...second calculation unit, 108...comparison unit, 109A...control unit, 109A1...stop selection unit, 109A2...operation selection unit, 500...heat generation device, 900...air conditioning device.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system that cools a target space in which a heat generating device is disposed by a plurality of air conditioning devices, an acquisition unit that acquires at least one of the heat load generated by the heat generating device, information about the indoor temperature, information about the outside air, information about the air conditioning device, and the number of operating air conditioning devices, which is the number of air conditioning devices currently in operation, at predetermined time intervals; a first calculation unit that calculates a required number of air conditioners, which is the minimum number of air conditioners necessary to control the target space to a predetermined indoor temperature or lower, based on the heat generation load, information related to the indoor temperature, information related to the outside air, and information related to the air conditioners; a comparison unit that compares the number of operating units with the required number of units; An air conditioning system comprising:

2. The air conditioning system includes a first estimation unit that estimates the outside air temperature at the predetermined time intervals by inputting currently acquired information about the outside air into a trained first learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate the outside air temperature; a second estimation unit that estimates the indoor temperature at the predetermined time intervals by inputting the currently acquired heat generation load, information related to the currently acquired indoor temperature, and the estimated outdoor air temperature into a trained second learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate the indoor temperature; a third estimation unit that estimates information about the air conditioner taking into account the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature at each predetermined time interval by inputting information about the estimated indoor temperature and information about the air conditioner into a trained third learning model that has undergone machine learning to estimate information about the air conditioner; The air conditioning system of claim 1, characterized in that the first calculation unit calculates the required number of units based on the acquired heat generation load, information regarding the estimated indoor temperature, information regarding the estimated outside air, and information regarding the estimated air conditioning device, without performing the processing of claim 1.

3. the air conditioning system further includes a second calculation unit that calculates an allowable repair time, which is an elapsed time from when at least some of the operating air conditioning devices stop until the indoor temperature of the target space rises to an allowable temperature at which the heat-generating devices are unlikely to break down, and is determined based on the heat-generating devices; The air conditioning system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first calculation unit calculates the required number of units based on the heat generation load, the indoor temperature, the allowable repair time, and information about the air conditioning devices, without performing the calculation described in claim 1.

4. the air conditioning system further includes a control unit that controls the number of operating air conditioners based on a comparison result of the comparison unit, the control unit is a stop selection unit that selects an air conditioner to be stopped from among the air conditioners that are in operation when the number of operating units is greater than the required number; an operation selection unit that selects an operating air conditioner from among the stopped air conditioners when the number of operating air conditioners is less than the required number; 2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising:

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