Air conditioning device and method

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning device and method capable of realizing both comfort and reduction in power consumption.SOLUTION: An air conditioning device 1 comprises an operation control unit 310 that performs control to reduce the output of functions in descending order of predetermined priority in an operation mode that suppresses power consumption.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus and method for reducing power consumption. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Technologies for reducing power consumption in air conditioners have been developed.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent No. 6855152 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration for controlling the operating frequency of a compressor in response to a request from a power adjustment demand response service.

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, when the room temperature is not within the comfortable temperature range, the operation control unit performs power adjustment processing to control the air conditioning operation so that it does not exceed the power consumption range, which does not sufficiently achieve both comfort and reduced power consumption. Therefore, there has been a demand for technology that achieves both comfort and reduced power consumption. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6855152 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology, and has an object to provide an air conditioning apparatus and method that achieves both comfort and reduced power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] That is, according to the present invention, An air conditioning device, A control means for controlling the reduction of output of functions in order of priority in an operation mode for reducing power consumption. An air conditioning device is provided, comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus and method that achieve both comfort and reduced power consumption can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration included in the control device of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a software block diagram included in the air conditioning apparatus of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table stored in a priority management unit of the embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a process for reducing power consumption in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of updating a table stored in a priority management unit of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In the drawings referred to below, the same reference numerals will be used for common elements, and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an air conditioner 1 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioner 1 in this embodiment is mainly composed of an outdoor unit 100 and an indoor unit 200. Note that the arrows in Fig. 1 indicate the direction in which the refrigerant flows when the air conditioner 1 is in cooling operation. When the air conditioner 1 is in heating operation, the direction in which the refrigerant flows is opposite to the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1.

[0012] The outdoor unit 100 includes an expansion valve 101, an outdoor heat exchanger 102, a four-way valve 103, a compressor 104, an outdoor fan 105, a converter 111, a compressor inverter 112, a compressor motor 113, a fan inverter 114, a fan motor 115, and a control device 120. The indoor unit 200 includes an indoor heat exchanger 201 and an indoor fan 202.

[0013] Here, the refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment will be described using cooling operation as an example. The compressor 104 compresses low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant and discharges it as high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant. The gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 104 passes through a four-way valve 103 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 102. Note that the solid lines of the four-way valve 103 in FIG. 1 illustrate the connection of the refrigerant path during cooling operation. Therefore, when the air conditioner 1 is performing heating operation, the refrigerant passes through the path indicated by the dashed lines of the four-way valve 103.

[0014] In the outdoor heat exchanger 102, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant flowing therethrough and the outside air sent in by the outdoor fan 105. During cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 102 functions as a condenser, and discharges the refrigerant as a high-temperature liquid through heat exchange. During heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 102 functions as an evaporator.

[0015] The refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 102 has its volume expanded and its pressure reduced by the expansion valve 101. The cooled refrigerant flows to the indoor unit 200 through the refrigerant pipe.

[0016] The low-temperature refrigerant that flows into the indoor unit 200 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 201. The indoor heat exchanger 201 operates as an evaporator during cooling operation, exchanging heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant and the air blown by the indoor fan 202. The indoor unit 200 can lower the temperature of the indoor space by discharging the air that has undergone heat exchange. The refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange and flows out of the indoor heat exchanger 201 is a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows to the outdoor unit 100 through a refrigerant pipe.

[0017] The converter 111 of the outdoor unit 100 converts the AC voltage supplied from the connected commercial power supply 2 into a DC voltage. The DC voltage converted by the converter 111 is supplied to various components constituting the outdoor unit 100. The converter 111 can also boost the voltage to a level required to operate various motors (such as the compressor motor 113 and the fan motor 115).

[0018] The compressor 104 and the outdoor fan 105 are configured to include a compressor motor 113 and a fan motor 115, respectively, and are capable of performing compression, air blowing, etc. by the rotation of the motors. Furthermore, the compressor motor 113 and the fan motor 115 are supplied with power from the converter 111 via a compressor inverter 112 and a fan inverter 114, respectively. This stabilizes the operation of each motor, contributing to reduced power consumption, i.e., energy conservation.

[0019] The control device 120 is configured to include circuits that control the operation of various components of the outdoor unit 100. The control device 120 in this embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration included in the control device 120 of this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 120 includes a CPU 121, a RAM 122, a ROM 123, a sensor I / F 124, and a communication I / F 125, and each piece of hardware is connected via a bus.

[0021] The CPU 121 is a device that executes programs that control the operation of the outdoor unit 100 and performs predetermined processes such as arithmetic operations. The RAM 122 is a volatile storage device that provides an execution space for the programs executed by the CPU 121, and is used for storing and expanding programs and data. The ROM 123 is a non-volatile storage device that stores the programs executed by the CPU 121, firmware, various setting data, and the like.

[0022] The sensor I / F 124 is an interface that connects the control device 120 to various sensors used to control the operation of the outdoor unit 100. The control device 120 can acquire, via the sensor I / F 124, measurement values ​​measured by the various sensors.

[0023] The communication I / F 125 is an interface that connects the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200. The communication I / F 125 of this embodiment can communicate, for example, measurement values ​​of various sensors, various control signals, and the like between the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200.

[0024] The hardware configuration included in the control device 120 of this embodiment has been described above. Next, the functional means executed by each piece of hardware in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a software block diagram included in the air conditioning device 1 of this embodiment.

[0025] The air conditioning apparatus 1 is configured to include the following modules: an operation control unit 310, a controllability determination unit 320, and a priority management unit 330. Details of each functional unit will be explained below.

[0026] The operation control unit 310 is a means for controlling the operation of various components included in the air conditioning apparatus 1. The operation control unit 310 constitutes the control means in this embodiment. The operation control unit 310 in this embodiment can control the operation of the components based on, for example, an operation mode (cooling, heating, dehumidification) or a set temperature set by a remote control or the like. Furthermore, when there is a request to reduce the power consumption of the air conditioning apparatus 1, the operation control unit 310 can control the operation of the components based on the priority managed by the priority management unit 330. The operation control unit 310 in this embodiment can reduce power consumption by controlling the operation of the components, for example, by stopping the operation of the components or reducing their output. Hereinafter, an operation mode that reduces the power consumption of the air conditioning apparatus 1 may be referred to as an "energy saving mode." Also, below, stopping the operation of a component, reducing the output of a component, or the like, performed to reduce the power consumption of the air conditioning apparatus 1 may be referred to as "output reduction" of a component or function.

[0027] The controllability determination unit 320 is a means for determining whether or not the operation of a component can be controlled by the operation control unit 310. The controllability determination unit 320 constitutes the determination means in this embodiment. For example, when reducing power consumption by the air conditioning apparatus 1, it may be preferable not to perform control to suppress the operation of a certain component from the perspective of user comfort, etc. In this case, the controllability determination unit 320 determines whether or not to perform control to suppress the operation of that component, and outputs the determination result to the operation control unit 310. In this way, the operation control unit 310 controls the component for which it has been determined that control to suppress the operation should be performed, thereby allowing the air conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment to reduce power consumption while maintaining user comfort.

[0028] The priority management unit 330 is a means for managing the priority of controlling the suppression of the operation of components by the operation control unit 310. The priority management unit 330 constitutes the management means in this embodiment. The priority management unit 330 in this embodiment can manage a table that defines the priority of reducing output in energy saving mode, for example, by controlling the operation of various storage devices such as the ROM 123.

[0029] The software blocks described above correspond to functional means realized by causing each piece of hardware to function by executing the program of this embodiment by the CPU 121. The functional means shown in each embodiment may be realized entirely by software, or some or all of them may be implemented as hardware that provides equivalent functions.

[0030] An example of the structure of a table managed by the priority management unit 330 of this embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a table stored in the priority management unit 330 of this embodiment.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4 , the priority management unit 330 manages a table that associates the priority of output reduction during energy-saving mode, functions whose output is to be reduced, and the number of times that output reduction has been performed. In the example of the table shown in FIG. 4 , "stopping the base heater relay" is defined as the function whose output is to be reduced and has the highest priority. Also, in the example of FIG. 4 , "stopping the base heater relay" is managed in the table as having been performed once. Functions whose output is to be reduced include, in addition to stopping the base heater relay, stopping the drive of the expansion valve 101, intermittent power supply control of the compressor 104 and the outdoor fan 105, drive stop control of the outdoor fan 105 during strong winds, switching the ACT output of the converter 111, reducing the target DC voltage of the converter 111, controlling the current of the compressor 104 to be constant, and reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 104. Note that the functions shown in FIG. 4 are merely examples and do not limit the embodiment.

[0032] The base heater is installed on the unit base surface of the outdoor unit 100 and prevents moisture from freezing on the unit base surface during defrosting operation. The base heater can operate during defrosting operation or when the outside air temperature drops below a predetermined temperature. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 can reduce power consumption due to the operation of the base heater by stopping the base heater relay during energy saving mode.

[0033] The expansion valve 101 is a component for expanding the refrigerant to an appropriate pressure, and its opening is adjusted by the operation control unit 310. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 stops driving the expansion valve 101 in the energy saving mode and keeps the opening constant, thereby reducing the power required to drive the expansion valve 101.

[0034] Intermittent energization control is a process of stopping pulse width modulation signals for a certain period in order to reduce switching losses in various inverters. This reduces switching losses and reduces the current flowing to various motors in periods that do not contribute to torque generation, thereby improving motor efficiency and reducing power consumption. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 performs intermittent energization control on the compressor motor 113 and the fan motor 115 in energy saving mode, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0035] The control to stop driving the outdoor fan 105 during strong winds is such that if the outdoor fan 105 is rotating in reverse at a sufficient rotation speed due to strong winds when the air conditioner 1 is stopped, the outdoor fan 105 is not driven and heat is exchanged using only natural wind. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 reduces power consumption by stopping the driving of the outdoor fan 105 (rotation by power supply) during energy saving mode.

[0036] The ACT output switching of the converter 111 switches the converter control mode. The converter control mode can be, for example, a multi-shot mode in which the superjunction MOSFET is shot a relatively small number of times to partially switch between short-circuiting and open-circuiting, or a 1-Kpls mode in which the input current is sinusoidally synchronized with the phase of the power supply voltage, shot continuously, and quickly switched between short-circuiting and open-circuiting. The mode is switched depending on the load current. The ACT output switching changes the output of the converter 111 to an operation mode that reduces the number of shots when the DC voltage output by the converter 111 has reached the target DC voltage. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 can reduce power consumption by changing the output operation mode of the converter 111 to the ACT output during energy-saving mode. For example, by switching from the 1-Kpls mode to the multi-shot mode, the number of shots decreases, thereby reducing the power required to drive the superjunction MOSFET.

[0037] The target DC voltage of the converter 111 is a parameter that affects the rotation speed of the compressor motor 113 and the fan motor 115, and reducing the target DC voltage suppresses the driving of the switching elements, thereby reducing power consumption. In this embodiment, the operation control unit 310 reduces the target DC voltage of the converter 111 in the energy saving mode, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0038] Controlling the current of the compressor 104 to be constant involves changing the control method of the compressor 104 from constant torque control to constant current control. This makes it possible to lower the peak value of the motor current of the compressor motor 113, thereby reducing power consumption. Furthermore, power consumption can also be reduced by reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 104. In this way, in this embodiment, power consumption can be reduced by the operation control unit 310 appropriately controlling the operation of the compressor 104 in the energy saving mode.

[0039] In the table shown in Fig. 4, for example, as an initial state, priorities can be set in order of difficulty for the user to notice when the output is reduced. For example, it is difficult for a user to notice that the base heater relay has been stopped, but because reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 104 changes the air conditioning performance, it is easy for a user to notice that the operation of the compressor 104 has changed. Therefore, it is preferable to set the priority of stopping the base heater relay high and the priority of reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 104 low in the table. Note that the index of ease of user recognition can be defined, for example, by the impact on air conditioning performance, the volume when the function is activated, etc.

[0040] 4 can be changed as needed, for example, the priority management unit 330 can update the table so that the priority of a function that has had its output reduced many times is given a higher priority. Details of updating the table will be described later.

[0041] Next, the processing executed by each functional unit of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing for reducing power consumption in this embodiment.

[0042] The air conditioning apparatus 1 of this embodiment starts processing in energy saving mode from step S1000. The processing of step S1000 may be started, for example, when a user switches to a mode that reduces power consumption by operating a remote control, or when a request to reduce power is received via the communication I / F 125. The request to reduce power can be issued, for example, by an electric power company.

[0043] In step S1001, a priority variable N is defined as 1. N indicates the priority managed in the table of priority management unit 330 and can take any integer. By defining N in this way, it is possible to reduce the output of functions with higher priority.

[0044] In the next step S1002, the function with the Nth highest priority in the table is determined as the target for determining whether to reduce the output. Here, it is assumed that the loop is the first time, and the function with the first highest priority is determined as the target for determination. That is, the "base heater relay stop" in the table of the priority management unit 330 shown in FIG. 4 is determined as the target for determination.

[0045] In step S1003, the controllability determination unit 320 determines whether the condition for output reduction is satisfied as a result of its determination. For example, if the function being processed is "stopping the base heater relay," the controllability determination unit 320 determines whether the base heater relay can be stopped. For example, if there is little frost on the outdoor heat exchanger 102, stopping the base heater relay has a relatively small effect on the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 1. Therefore, if the amount of frost is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the controllability determination unit 320 determines that the condition for reducing the output of the base heater relay is satisfied. Note that the determination in step S1003 may be made taking into account, for example, the effect on the comfort felt by the user. Therefore, for example, if the function being processed is "reducing the compressor rotation speed," and if reducing the rotation speed of the compressor 104 does not provide sufficient comfort to the user of the air conditioning apparatus 1 (for example, if the temperature cannot be reduced to the desired level during cooling operation), the controllability determination unit 320 may determine that the condition for reducing the output is not satisfied.

[0046] In step S1003, if controllability determining unit 320 determines that the condition for output reduction is not met (NO), output reduction is not performed for the function being determined, and the process proceeds to step S1007.

[0047] On the other hand, if the controllability determination unit 320 determines in step S1003 that the condition for output reduction is met (YES), the process proceeds to step S1004 to reduce the output of the function being determined. In step S1004, the operation control unit 310 performs control to reduce the output of the function determined to meet the condition for output reduction.

[0048] Then, in step S1005, the priority management unit 330 increments the execution count in the table for the function whose output has been reduced by 1. By counting the execution count in this way, it is possible to manage how many times the output has been reduced.

[0049] Next, in step S1006, the process branches depending on whether the amount of power consumption saved by the output reduction exceeds a threshold. In energy-saving mode, a target value for power consumption can be set, and it is possible to set how much power consumption has been saved compared to normal operation mode. In step S1006, it is determined whether the power consumption saved by the output reduction in step S1003 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. As a result, if the amount saved is less than the threshold, the output of other functions can be further reduced, and if the amount saved is equal to or greater than the threshold, further output reduction can be eliminated.

[0050] In step S1006, if the amount of saving exceeds the predetermined threshold (YES), the process proceeds to step S1009, where the process ends.

[0051] On the other hand, if the amount saved does not exceed the predetermined threshold in step S1006 (NO), the process proceeds to step S1007. In step S1007, the process branches depending on whether or not all functions have been judged, that is, whether or not it has been judged whether the conditions for reducing output are met for all functions. If all functions have been judged (YES), there are no functions to be judged, so the process proceeds to step S1009 and ends.

[0052] On the other hand, if the determination has not been made for all functions (NO), that is, if there are any functions remaining that have not been subjected to the determination, the process proceeds to step S1008 to further reduce the output. In step S1008, the priority variable N is incremented by 1 to make another function the target of the determination.

[0053] After step S1008, the process returns to step S1002, and the function with the Nth highest priority for output reduction is made the target of judgment. In this way, by incrementing the priority variable and repeating the processing from step S1002 onwards, the function with the next highest priority can be made the target of judgment.

[0054] Thereafter, the processing from step S1002 onwards can be repeated until the amount of saved power consumption exceeds the threshold, thereby making it possible to appropriately suppress the power consumption of the air conditioner 1.

[0055] By performing the processing shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner 1 of this embodiment can reduce power consumption while maintaining comfort.

[0056] 5 is merely an example of the embodiment to be described and is not intended to limit the embodiment, and other derivative processes may be performed. For example, in another embodiment, if a function determined in step S1003 to not satisfy the conditions for output reduction is subsequently determined to satisfy the conditions, the output of the function may be reduced at the time of determination. Also, in another embodiment, if the conditions for output reduction are no longer satisfied for a function whose output has been reduced while the output reduction is being performed, the output reduction of the function may be stopped.

[0057] Incidentally, the table managed by the priority management unit 330 of this embodiment can be updated based on the results of the processing shown in Fig. 5. Here, the updating of the table in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of updating the table stored in the priority management unit 330 of this embodiment.

[0058] The priority management unit 330 of this embodiment can update the table based on the number of times that output reduction has been performed. The functions for which output reduction has been performed are those determined to satisfy the conditions for output reduction in the flowchart of FIG. 5 (see step S1003 in FIG. 5). Therefore, it is considered that such functions have a high possibility of being able to perform output reduction. Therefore, the priority management unit 330 of this embodiment updates the table so as to give higher priority to functions for which output reduction has been performed more frequently.

[0059] 4, the base heater relay was stopped once, the expansion valve 101 was stopped three times, the intermittent power supply control was performed twice, the ACT output switching of the converter 111 was performed twice, the target DC voltage of the converter 111 was reduced once, the control of the compressor 104 was changed to a constant current once, and the drive stop control of the outdoor fan 105 during strong winds and the reduction in the rotation speed of the compressor 104 were not performed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the priority management unit 330 updates the table so that the priority of the drive stop of the expansion valve 101, which has been reduced the most times, is given first, followed by the intermittent power supply control, the ACT output switching of the converter 111, the base heater relay was stopped, the target DC voltage of the converter 111 was reduced, the control of the compressor 104 was changed to a constant current, the drive stop control of the outdoor fan 105 during strong winds, and the reduction in the rotation speed of the compressor 104.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6, by updating the table, the priority management unit 330 can assign higher priority to functions that are more likely to be able to perform output reduction (in other words, that are more likely to meet the conditions for output reduction) based on past output reduction results, thereby enabling output reduction to be performed efficiently.

[0061] Note that the table can be updated at any timing, and this is not a particular limitation of the embodiment. As an example of the timing for updating the table, for example, the table may be updated when step S1009 in the flowchart of Fig. 5 is performed, that is, when a series of processes is completed. By updating the table in this way, the next time the output reduction process is performed, it is possible to perform the process based on past performance.

[0062] According to the embodiments of the present invention described above, it is possible to provide an air conditioning apparatus and method that achieves both comfort and reduced power consumption.

[0063] Each function of the above-described embodiments of the present invention can be realized by a device-executable program written in C, C++, C#, Java (registered trademark), etc., and the program of this embodiment can be stored and distributed on a device-readable recording medium such as a hard disk drive, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, flexible disk, EEPROM (registered trademark), EPROM, etc., and can also be transmitted over a network in a format that can be used by other devices.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and any embodiment that can be conceived by a person skilled in the art is included in the scope of the present invention as long as it exhibits the functions and effects of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1...Air conditioning equipment, 2...Commercial power supply, 100...Outdoor unit, 101...expansion valve, 102...Outdoor heat exchanger, 103...Four-way valve, 104...Compressor, 105...Outdoor fan, 111...Converter, 112...Compressor inverter, 113... Compressor motor, 114...Fan inverter, 115...Fan motor, 120...control device, 121...CPU, 122...RAM, 123...ROM, 124...Sensor I / F, 125...Communication I / F, 200...Indoor unit, 201...Indoor heat exchanger, 202...Indoor fan, 310...operation control unit, 320...controllability determination unit, 330…Priority management department

Claims

1. An air conditioning device, A control means for performing control to reduce the output of a predetermined function with a high priority in an operation mode for reducing power consumption. An air conditioning device comprising:

2. Further, the device includes a determination unit for determining whether the function satisfies a predetermined condition; When the determination means determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the control means performs control to reduce the output of the function. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

3. When it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the determination means determines the function having the next highest priority. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2.

4. further comprising a management means for managing the priority; The management means counts the number of times that control to reduce output has been performed for the function for which control to reduce output has been performed after the determination means determined that the predetermined condition has been satisfied. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2.

5. the management means updates the priority based on the number of times that control to reduce output has been performed. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4.

6. the control means performs control to reduce the output of the functions in descending order of priority until the power consumption becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

7. A method performed by an air conditioning device, A step of performing control to reduce output in order of functions with a predetermined priority in an operation mode for suppressing power consumption. A method comprising:

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