Ventilation air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide a ventilation air conditioning system capable of coping with tight conditions of power supply-demand in a power demand peak time zone while maintaining user's comfort.SOLUTION: A ventilation air conditioning system includes: a ventilation device 2 performing ventilation in a room having a time zone where people are absent in a time zone other than a power demand peak time zone; an air conditioner 5 performing air condition in the room; an absorption part 6a separating and absorbing carbon dioxide in the air in the room; a regeneration part 6b discharging the carbon dioxide absorbed by the absorption part 6a and regenerating a function of the absorption part 6a; a peak time zone information acquisition part 7 acquiring information on the power demand peak time zone; and a control part 8 operating the ventilation device 2 while regenerating the absorption part 6a by the regeneration part 6b and stopping the air conditioner 5 in a time zone other than the power demand peak time zone on the basis of the information acquired by the peak time zone information acquisition part 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to ventilation and air conditioning systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are systems in which a ventilation device and an air conditioner are linked together. As such a system, Patent Document 1 describes a ventilation air-conditioning system that includes a ventilation device that ventilates a room and an air conditioner that adjusts the temperature of the room. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-085985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, due to factors such as increased electricity demand, a shift to renewable energy, and increased ventilation volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tight electricity supply and demand have been occurring during peak electricity demand periods. Air conditioning accounts for a large proportion of electricity demand. Therefore, one possible solution to the tight electricity supply and demand situation is to reduce the ventilation volume of the ventilation device to reduce the air conditioning load in ventilation and air conditioning systems equipped with a ventilation device and an air conditioner. However, reducing the ventilation volume increases the carbon dioxide concentration in the room, reducing user comfort. Conventional ventilation and air conditioning systems such as those described in Patent Document 1 have not been able to address the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a ventilation and air-conditioning system that can respond to tight power supply and demand during peak power demand hours while maintaining user comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ventilation and air conditioning system of the present disclosure comprises a ventilation device that ventilates a room where there are times when no one is present outside of peak power demand hours, an air conditioner that air-conditions the room, an adsorption unit that separates and adsorbs carbon dioxide in the air in the room, a regeneration unit that releases the carbon dioxide adsorbed by the adsorption unit to regenerate the function of the adsorption unit, a peak time period information acquisition unit that acquires information about peak power demand hours, and a control unit that operates the ventilation device and stops the air conditioner outside of peak power demand hours based on the information acquired by the peak time period information acquisition unit, while regenerating the adsorption unit using the regeneration unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The ventilation and air-conditioning system according to the present disclosure can respond to tight electricity supply and demand during peak electricity demand periods while maintaining user comfort. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the interior of a room to which the ventilation air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the interior of a room to which the ventilation air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a ventilation air-conditioning system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for realizing the functions of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ventilation air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a ventilation device included in the ventilation air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a ventilation device included in the ventilation air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same or corresponding parts. Furthermore, in this disclosure, redundant explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. Note that this disclosure may include any modifications and combinations of the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments, as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1 Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams schematically showing a room 1 to which a ventilation air-conditioning system according to embodiment 1 is applied. Figure 1 shows a state in which people are present in room 1 during a time period when power demand is high. Figure 2 shows a state in which people are absent from room 1 during a time period when power demand is low. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the ventilation air-conditioning system according to embodiment 1.

[0011] The ventilation air-conditioning system of this embodiment is intended for a room 1 that is unoccupied during periods other than peak hours of power demand. Examples of the room 1 include spaces such as offices, nurseries, kindergartens, and schools that are closed at night, which is a period other than peak hours of power demand, and restaurants that are closed at night. The ventilation air-conditioning system of this embodiment is intended for a room 1 that is unoccupied during periods other than peak hours of power demand, and does not require air conditioning.

[0012] The ventilating air-conditioning system according to this embodiment includes a ventilation device 2 that ventilates a room 1. The ventilation device 2 supplies outside air to the room 1 through an air intake vent 3 provided in the room 1, and exhausts the air in the room 1 to the outside through an exhaust vent 4 provided in the room 1. The ventilating air-conditioning system according to this embodiment also includes an air conditioner 5 that conditions the air in the room 1.

[0013] The ventilation air-conditioning system according to this embodiment includes a carbon dioxide capture device 6 capable of adsorbing and desorbing carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide capture device 6 is installed in the room 1. The carbon dioxide capture device 6 has an adsorption unit 6a that separates and adsorbs carbon dioxide in the air in the room 1, and a regeneration unit 6b that releases the carbon dioxide adsorbed by the adsorption unit 6a, thereby regenerating the function of the adsorption unit 6a. The adsorption unit 6a and the regeneration unit 6b may be configured as an integrated carbon dioxide capture device 6, or may be configured as separate devices. The adsorption unit 6a and the regeneration unit 6b may be mounted on the ventilation device 2 or the air conditioner 5.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, when people are present in room 1, air conditioner 5 operates to condition room 1. Ventilation device 2 also operates to maintain the air quality in room 1. At this time, carbon dioxide capture device 6 may also be operated. This allows the carbon dioxide concentration in room 1 to be maintained at a low level even if the ventilation rate of ventilation device 2 is reduced during peak electricity demand hours. For example, if room 1 is an office in a building, the ventilation rate of ventilation device 2 is reduced to a level that maintains the minimum ventilation air rate stipulated by the Building Management Act.

[0015] By including the carbon dioxide capture device 6, the ventilation air-conditioning system according to this embodiment can maintain a low carbon dioxide concentration in the room 1 even if the ventilation rate of the ventilation device 2 is reduced to reduce the air-conditioning load of the air conditioner 5. The ventilation air-conditioning system according to this embodiment can respond to tight electricity supply and demand during peak electricity demand hours while maintaining user comfort.

[0016] The ventilation and air-conditioning system according to this embodiment also includes a peak time period information acquisition unit 7 that acquires information about peak power demand periods. Peak power demand periods can be estimated, for example, from a power supply and demand curve. High power demand periods are defined as periods when power demand is higher than the average value of the daily power supply and demand curve, and low power demand periods are defined as periods when power demand is lower than the average value. The current power supply and demand curve may be estimated from past data published by a power company. Information about peak power demand periods may also be acquired from forecast information published by a power company. Peak power demand periods may be estimated based on a power supply and demand curve acquired according to the operating hours of a building or tenant. Alternatively, peak power demand periods may be set according to the contracted electricity rate plan. As described above, the peak time period information acquisition unit 7 may be configured to estimate peak power demand periods. A contractor or user may input information about peak power demand periods, and the peak time period information acquisition unit 7 may acquire information about peak power demand periods based on this input information.

[0017] The ventilation and air-conditioning system according to this embodiment includes a control unit 8 that operates the ventilation device 2 while regenerating the adsorption unit 6a using the regeneration unit 6b and stops the air conditioner 5 during non-peak power demand hours, based on information acquired by the peak-hour information acquisition unit 7. When no one is in the room 1 during non-peak power demand hours, as shown in FIG. 2 , stopping the air conditioner 5 does not affect user comfort. Operating the ventilation device 2 while the air conditioner 5 is stopped does not increase the air conditioning load of the air conditioner 5. The ventilation and air-conditioning system according to this embodiment releases carbon dioxide adsorbed by the carbon dioxide capture device 6 through regeneration operation during non-peak power demand hours, and then operates the ventilation device 2 to discharge this carbon dioxide to the outside. This embodiment can keep power consumption during regeneration operation of the carbon dioxide capture device 6 low. The time during which the carbon dioxide capture device 6 performs regeneration operation is determined, for example, based on the accumulated operating time of the carbon dioxide capture device 6, with a predetermined upper limit.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration for realizing the functions of the control unit 8 in the first embodiment. Each function of the control unit 8 is realized by, for example, a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware 600. The processing circuit may include a processor 601 and a memory 602. A part of the processing circuit may be formed as dedicated hardware 600, and the processing circuit may further include a processor 601 and a memory 602. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a part of the processing circuit is formed as dedicated hardware 600. Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the processing circuit further includes a processor 601 and a memory 602 in addition to the dedicated hardware 600.

[0019] The processing circuitry of which at least one portion is dedicated hardware 600 may be, for example, a single circuit, multiple circuits, a programmed processor, parallel programmed processors, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0020] When the processing circuitry includes at least one processor 601 and at least one memory 602, the functions of the control unit 8 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0021] The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in memory 602. The processor 601 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing the programs stored in memory 602. The processor 601 is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP. The memory 602 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, or EEPROM, or a magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, minidisk, DVD, etc.

[0022] In this way, the processing circuit can realize the functions of the control unit 8 by using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these. Note that the functions of the control unit 8 may be realized by multiple devices working together, or by a single device.

[0023] At least some of the functions of the control unit 8 may be installed in devices such as the ventilation device 2, the air conditioner 5, or the carbon dioxide capture device 6 that make up the ventilation and air conditioning system, or may be implemented in a server or the like on an external network. Similarly, at least some of the functions of the peak time period information acquisition unit 7 may be installed in devices such as the ventilation device 2, the air conditioner 5, or the carbon dioxide capture device 6, or may be implemented in a server or the like on an external network.

[0024] The ventilation and air-conditioning system according to this embodiment may include an air purifier 9 as an air purifying unit that has the function of removing pollutants from the air in the room 1 and the function of regenerating this removal function. The air purifying unit according to the present disclosure may be included in devices that constitute the ventilation and air-conditioning system, such as the ventilation device 2, the air conditioner 5, or the carbon dioxide recovery device 6. The air purifier 9 removes at least one type of pollutant suspended in the air, such as odorants, particles, microorganisms, and allergens. The method for regenerating the pollutant removal function of the air purifier 9 may be, for example, a heating method, a humidification method, or a discharge method that generates discharge products.

[0025] The control unit 8 may cause the air purifier 9 to remove pollutants while the adsorption unit 6a is operating, and may cause the air purifier 9 to perform regeneration operation while the adsorption unit 6a is being regenerated by the regeneration unit 6b outside of peak power demand hours. By causing the air purifier 9 to remove pollutants in conjunction with the operation of the adsorption unit 6a, it is possible to maintain low concentrations of not only carbon dioxide but also pollutants. Furthermore, by performing regeneration operation of the air purifier 9 and ventilating during hours when there is no air conditioning load, it is possible to reduce the impact on the tightness of power supply and demand.

[0026] The ventilation air-conditioning system according to this embodiment may include an environmental information detection unit 10 that detects at least one of the number of people in the room 1 and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air in the room 1. The function of the environmental information detection unit 10 can be realized by using any human presence sensor, usage data such as an entry pass for entering the room 1, a carbon dioxide concentration sensor, a camera, etc.

[0027] The control unit 8 may control the operation of at least one of the carbon dioxide capture device 6, the ventilation device 2, and the air purifying device 9 according to the detection result of the environmental information detection unit 10. By controlling the operations of the carbon dioxide capture device 6, the ventilation device 2, and the air purifying device 9 according to the number of people in the room 1 or the carbon dioxide concentration, the operating state of each device can be optimized, and power consumption can be optimized.

[0028] The ventilating air-conditioning system according to this embodiment may include a biological information detection unit 11 that detects biological information related to drowsiness felt by a person in the room 1. The control unit 8 may control the operation of the carbon dioxide capture device 6 according to the detection results of the biological information detection unit 11. Examples of biological information related to drowsiness include heart rate, blinking, posture, and head surface temperature. If drowsiness is detected, the airflow rate of the carbon dioxide capture device 6 during operation to adsorb carbon dioxide may be increased.

[0029] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the ventilation air-conditioning system according to embodiment 1. First, in step S101, information necessary for control is acquired. The information acquired in step S101 includes at least information about peak hours of power demand. The information acquired in step S101 may also include information about the number of people in room 1 and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air in room 1. The information acquired in step S101 may also include biological information related to drowsiness felt by people in room 1.

[0030] In step S102, each device is controlled based on the information acquired in step S101. Specifically, outside of peak power demand hours, the regeneration unit 6b regenerates the adsorption unit 6a while the ventilation device 2 is operated and the air conditioner 5 is stopped. Also, in step S102, the air purifier 9 may be caused to perform regeneration operation outside of peak power demand hours. Also, in step S102, the operation of at least one of the ventilation device 2, the adsorption unit 6a, and the air purifier 9 may be controlled according to at least one of the number of people in the room 1 and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air in the room 1. In step S102, the operation of the adsorption unit 6a may be controlled according to biological information related to drowsiness felt by people in the room.

[0031] 6 and 7 are diagrams showing another example configuration of the ventilator 2 included in the ventilation air-conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. The ventilator 2 may have, for example, an outside air inlet 21 for introducing outside air, an exhaust outlet 22 for discharging air from the room 1 to the outside, a return air outlet 23 for taking in air from the room 1, and an air supply port 24 for supplying outside air to the room 1. The ventilator 2 may have, for example, a heat exchanger 26 inside a housing 25. The ventilator 2 may have a temperature control function using the heat exchanger 26.

[0032] 6 and 7, the adsorption unit 6a and the regeneration unit 6b may be configured integrally with the ventilation device 2. The adsorption unit 6a is provided, for example, between the outside air inlet 21 and the heat exchange unit 26. The regeneration unit 6b is provided so as to be in contact with the adsorption unit 6a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 indoors, 2 ventilation device, 3 air intake, 4 exhaust port, 5 air conditioner, 6 carbon dioxide recovery device, 6a adsorption section, 6b regeneration section, 7 peak time period information acquisition section, 8 control section, 9 air purifier, 10 environmental information detection section, 11 biological information detection section, 21 outside air intake, 22 exhaust port, 23 return air vent, 24 air intake, 25 housing, 26 heat exchange section, 600 dedicated hardware, 601 processor, 602 memory

Claims

1. A ventilation device that ventilates a room where there are times when no one is present outside of peak power demand hours; an air conditioner that conditions the air in the room; an adsorption unit that separates and adsorbs carbon dioxide in the air in the room; a regeneration unit that releases the carbon dioxide adsorbed by the adsorption unit to regenerate the function of the adsorption unit; a peak time period information acquisition unit that acquires information on peak time periods for power demand; a control unit that operates the ventilation device and stops the air conditioner while regenerating the adsorption unit using the regeneration unit, during times other than peak hours of power demand, based on the information acquired by the peak hour information acquisition unit; A ventilation and air conditioning system equipped with:

2. an air purifying unit having a function of removing pollutants from the air in the room and a function of regenerating the removing function; The ventilation and air-conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the air purifying unit to remove pollutants when the adsorption unit is operating, and causes the air purifying unit to perform regeneration operation when the adsorption unit is being regenerated by the regeneration unit outside of peak power demand hours.

3. an environmental information detection unit that detects at least one of the number of people in the room and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air of the room; The ventilating air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls operations of the ventilation device and the adsorption unit in accordance with a detection result of the environmental information detection unit.

4. an environmental information detection unit that detects at least one of the number of people in the room and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air of the room; The ventilating air-conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls the operation of at least one of the ventilation device, the adsorption unit, and the air purification unit in accordance with a detection result from the environmental information detection unit.

5. a biological information detection unit that detects biological information related to drowsiness felt by a person in the room, The ventilating air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the operation of the adsorption unit in accordance with a detection result of the biological information detection unit.

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