Estimation system and program

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an estimation system that can reduce erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. [Solution] The estimation system disclosed herein includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time; a second acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data a second operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an estimation system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for determining that there is a shortage of refrigerant when the time during which the opening degree of a second shutoff valve provided in an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device reaches the upper limit opening degree exceeds a determination time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 048905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides an estimation system and a program that can reduce erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The estimation system of the present disclosure includes a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time; a second acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data a second operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit.

[0006] In addition, the estimation system of the present disclosure includes a time acquisition unit that acquires the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time, a count acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data the number of times during the operating time that the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio, and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the number of times acquired by the count acquisition unit.

[0007] In addition, the program of the present disclosure causes a processor to function as a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time, a second acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data a second operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio, and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit.

[0008] In addition, the program of the present disclosure causes the processor to function as a time acquisition unit that acquires the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device during air conditioning operation from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time, a count acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data the number of times during the operating time that the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio, and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the number of times acquired by the count acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The estimation system and program according to the present disclosure can reduce erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an estimation system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a server device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining acquisition of a first operating time in the first embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining acquisition of a second operating time in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Flowchart showing the operation of the server device in the first embodiment [Figure 6] FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a server device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] Flowchart showing the operation of the server device in the second embodiment [Figure 8] FIG. 10 shows a configuration of a server device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 shows a configuration of a server device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 shows the configuration of a server device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] Flowchart showing the operation of the server device in the fifth embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, there was a technique, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, for estimating whether or not the amount of refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the opening degree of an expansion valve.

[0012] Generally, the expansion valve reaches its upper limit even when the amount of refrigerant is not insufficient. Therefore, when estimating whether the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, it is important to consider the expansion valve opening relative to the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device in order to improve estimation accuracy. For example, when comparing a case where the expansion valve reaches its upper limit at a first hour during short-term operation with a case where the expansion valve reaches its upper limit at the same first hour during long-term operation, it can be inferred that the former is an event caused by a refrigerant shortage, while the latter is an event caused by a long operating time. As shown in this example, when estimating whether the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, it is desirable to consider the expansion valve opening relative to the operating time in order to improve estimation accuracy.

[0013] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is simply based on the time it takes for the expansion valve to reach its upper limit, and does not take into account the state of the expansion valve opening relative to the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device.The inventors discovered a problem that there is room for improvement in the estimation accuracy, and in order to solve this problem, they have come to form the subject of the present disclosure.

[0014] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an estimation system and a program that can reduce erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or redundant explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) [1-1.Configuration] [1-1-1. Estimation system configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an estimation system 1000. The estimation system 1000 is a system that performs a diagnosis regarding the refrigerant of the air conditioner 1. More specifically, the estimation system 1000 is a system that, as the diagnosis, estimates whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 is insufficient. The air conditioner 1 is an example of a "refrigeration cycle device."

[0017] The estimation system 1000 comprises an air conditioner 1 connected to a network NW. The network NW is a communication network made up of a public line network, a dedicated line, other communication circuits, etc. FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which the estimation system 1000 comprises three or more air conditioners 1. Note that the number of air conditioners 1 provided in the estimation system 1000 is not limited to three or more, and may be less than three. The air conditioner 1 performs air conditioning operation using an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3 provided therein, and the indoor unit 2 air-conditions the conditioned space of the facility in which the indoor unit 2 is installed.

[0018] The air conditioner 1 of this embodiment comprises an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3. The indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 are connected by refrigerant piping and control wiring, thereby forming a refrigeration cycle in the air conditioner 1. Note that in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 is configured to comprise one indoor unit 2 and one outdoor unit 3, but the number of indoor units 2 and the number of outdoor units 3 comprised by the air conditioner 1 are not limited to one each; there may be one outdoor unit 3 and multiple indoor units 2, or there may be multiple outdoor units 3 and multiple indoor units 2.

[0019] The air conditioner 1 generates operating data D1 at a predetermined cycle (for example, once a day) and transmits the generated operating data D1 to a server device 4 connected to the network NW. The server device 4 will be described later.

[0020] Here, the driving data D1 will be explained. The operating data D1 includes an air conditioner ID (Identification). The air conditioner ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the air conditioner 1.

[0021] The operating data D1 also includes as data the type of air conditioning of the indoor unit 2 for a predetermined period (e.g., one day) from the previous transmission of the operating data D1 to the current transmission of the operating data D1. More specifically, the operating data D1 includes the type of air conditioning of the indoor unit 2 for that predetermined period in chronological order at intervals (e.g., one minute intervals) shorter than the predetermined cycle at which the operating data D1 is transmitted. In this embodiment, the type of air conditioning of the indoor unit 2 is cooling operation or heating operation.

[0022] The operating data D1 also includes, in chronological order, detection values ​​detected by various sensors included in the air conditioning apparatus 1. More specifically, the operating data D1 includes, in chronological order, detection values ​​detected by the various sensors at intervals (e.g., one minute intervals) shorter than the predetermined cycle at which the operating data D1 is transmitted, during a predetermined period (e.g., one day) from the previous transmission of the operating data D1 to the current transmission of the operating data D1.

[0023] In this embodiment, a case will be exemplified in which the operating data D1 includes detected values ​​from a frequency sensor and an expansion valve opening sensor. The frequency sensor is a sensor that detects the rotation frequency of the compressor. The expansion valve opening sensor is a sensor that detects the opening of an expansion valve provided in the outdoor unit 3. The expansion valve is a valve that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant.

[0024] The sensor detection values ​​included in the operation data D1 are not limited to the detection values ​​of the two sensors described above. For example, the operation data D1 may include the detection value of the compressor discharge temperature sensor, the detection value of the first superheat sensor, the detection value of the compressor suction temperature sensor, the detection value of the second superheat sensor, the detection value of the expansion valve opening sensor, etc. The compressor discharge temperature sensor is a sensor that detects the discharge temperature of the compressor (the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor). The first superheat sensor is a sensor that detects the superheat of the discharge temperature of the compressor. The compressor suction temperature sensor is a sensor that detects the suction temperature of the compressor (the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor). The second superheat sensor is a sensor that detects the superheat of the intake temperature of the compressor. The indoor unit intake temperature sensor is a sensor that detects the temperature of the air that the indoor unit 2 draws in from the outside.

[0025] The estimation system 1000 includes a server device 4. The server device 4 is connected to the network NW and performs information processing with the air conditioning device 1 and the terminal device 5 as clients. Note that in each figure, the server device 4 is represented by a single block, but this does not necessarily mean that the server device 4 is composed of a single device. For example, the server device 4 may be composed of multiple server devices with different processing contents.

[0026] The estimation system 1000 includes a terminal device 5. The terminal device 5 is a terminal device used by an administrator or user of the air conditioning device 1. The terminal device 5 shown in Fig. 1 is a laptop computer, but it may also be a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or a smartphone. The terminal device 5 is connected to the network NW and communicates with the server device 4.

[0027] [1-1-2. Server configuration] Next, the configuration of the server device 4 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server device 4. As shown in FIG. The server device 4 includes a control device 40 and a communication device 41.

[0028] Before describing the control device 40, the communication device 41 will be described. The communication device 41 includes hardware such as a communication circuit that complies with a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with the air conditioner 1 and terminal device 5 under the control of the control device 40.

[0029] The control device 40 includes a processor 400 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), a memory 410, and an interface circuit for connecting other devices and sensors.

[0030] The memory 410 is a storage device that stores programs and data. The memory 410 stores a control program 411, one or more pieces of operating data D1, a first estimation model 412, and data to be processed by the processor 400. The memory 410 has a non-volatile storage area. The memory 410 also has a volatile storage area and constitutes a work area for the processor 400. The memory 410 is constituted by, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 410 stores the operating data D1 for the number of air conditioning devices 1 included in the estimation system 1000. The control program 411 is an example of a "program."

[0031] The control program 411 is a program that causes the processor 400 to function as a functional unit, which will be described later.

[0032] The first estimation model 412 is a model that, when a first operation time ratio described below is input, outputs shortage presence / absence information indicating whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount in the air conditioning apparatus 1. An example of the first estimation model 412 is a trained model that has undergone machine learning to determine whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount from the first operation time ratio. Note that the larger the input first operation time ratio, the more likely the first estimation model 412 is to output shortage presence / absence information indicating that there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0033] The processor 400 reads and executes a control program 411 stored in the memory 410, thereby functioning as a communication control unit 401, a management unit 402, a first acquisition unit 403, a second acquisition unit 404, and an estimation unit 405.

[0034] [1-1-2-1. Communication control section] The communication control unit 401 functions as the air conditioner 1 and the terminal device 5 via the communication device 41.

[0035] [1-1-2-2. Management Department] The management unit 402 manages the driving data D1. When the communication control unit 401 receives the operating data D1, the management unit 402 identifies the operating data D1 that includes the air conditioning apparatus ID included in the received operating data D1 from the operating data D1 stored in the memory 410. Next, the management unit 402 updates the identified operating data D1 to the received operating data D1.

[0036] [1-1-2-3. 1st acquisition part] The estimation system 1000 of this embodiment estimates for each air conditioner 1 whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the corresponding operating data D1. The first acquisition unit 403 acquires a first operating time, which is the time during which the air conditioning apparatus 1 performs air conditioning operation, from the operating data D1 corresponding to the air conditioning apparatus 1 that is the estimation target.

[0037] Here, with reference to FIG. 3, the acquisition of the first operating time will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining how the first operating time is obtained.

[0038] Fig. 3 shows a schematic example of an operating mode of the air conditioner 1 from the previous transmission of operating data D1 to the current transmission of operating data D1. In Fig. 3, "air conditioning ON" indicates that the air conditioner 1 is performing air conditioning operation, "air conditioning OFF" indicates that the air conditioner 1 is not performing air conditioning operation, and "starting up" indicates that the air conditioner 1 is performing operation to start up.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows that the air conditioner 1 does not perform air conditioning operation from time "00:00:00" to time "07:00:00". FIG. 3 also shows that the air conditioner 1 is performing operation for starting up the air conditioner 1 from time "07:00:00" to time "07:15:00". FIG. 3 also shows that the air conditioner 1 performs air conditioning operation from the time "07:15:00" to the time "18:00:00". FIG. 3 also shows that the air conditioner 1 did not perform air conditioning operation from the time "18:00:00" to the time "23:59:59".

[0040] In the example of FIG. 3, the first acquisition unit 403 acquires 10 hours and 45 minutes from the time "07:15:00" to the time "18:00:00" as the first operating time.

[0041] The first acquisition unit 403 determines whether the air conditioning device 1 is performing air conditioning operation and whether the air conditioning device 1 is performing start-up operation based on the detection value of the frequency sensor included in the operation data D1 and the time corresponding to this detection value. More specifically, when the detected value of the frequency sensor is 0 Hz, the first acquisition unit 403 determines that the air conditioner 1 is not performing air conditioning operation at the time associated with this detected value. Furthermore, if the detection values ​​of the multiple frequency sensors show a change over time that increases from a value (e.g., 1 Hz) that indicates that the compressor has started operating toward a predetermined value (e.g., 30 Hz) that is greater than the value that indicates that the compressor has started operating, the first acquisition unit 403 determines that the air conditioning device 1 is performing start-up operation during the time period specified by the times corresponding to these detection values. Furthermore, when the detected value of the frequency sensor is equal to or greater than the above-mentioned predetermined value (for example, 30 Hz), the first acquisition unit 403 determines that the air conditioner 1 is performing air conditioning operation at the time associated with this detected value. Furthermore, if the detection values ​​of the multiple frequency sensors show a time-dependent change that decreases from the above-mentioned predetermined value (e.g., 30 Hz) toward 0 Hz, the first acquisition unit 403 determines that the air conditioning device 1 is performing air conditioning operation during the time period specified by the times corresponding to these detection values.

[0042] Then, based on these determinations, the first acquisition unit 403 acquires a first operating time, which does not include the time it takes for the air conditioner 1 to start up, from the operating data D1.

[0043] [1-1-2-4.Second acquisition part] The second acquisition unit 404 acquires a second operating time during which the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening ratio (for example, 90%) from the operating data D1 corresponding to the air conditioner 1 that is the estimation target. Note that the illustrated numerical value of the first opening ratio is merely an example.

[0044] Here, acquisition of the first operating time will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining acquisition of the first operating time.

[0045] Fig. 4 schematically shows an example of an operating mode of the air conditioner 1 similar to that of Fig. 3. "Air conditioning ON", "Air conditioning OFF", and "Start-up" shown in Fig. 4 are the same as those in Fig. 3, respectively.

[0046] The second acquisition unit 404 acquires the time period of the first driving time from the first acquisition unit 403. In the example of Fig. 4, the second acquisition unit 404 acquires the time period from the time "07:15:00" to the time "18:00:00" as the time period of the first driving time.

[0047] 4, a graph GF showing the change in the opening degree of the expansion valve over time during the first operating time period is shown within a frame WK1. In the graph GF, the detected values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor are plotted in black.

[0048] The second acquisition unit 404 refers to the operating data D1 to be processed and calculates the expansion valve opening ratio to the maximum opening of the expansion valve for each of the detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor during the acquired time period of the first operating time using the following equation (1).

[0049] Expansion valve opening ratio = (expansion valve opening sensor detection value ÷ expansion valve maximum opening) × 100 (1) The maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is stored in advance as data in memory 410.

[0050] Next, the second acquisition unit 404 obtains the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor during the acquired time period of the first operating time, at which the calculated opening ratio of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio.

[0051] Next, the second acquisition unit 404 acquires the second operating time using the following formula (2).

[0052] Second operation time = Number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor where the expansion valve opening ratio is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio × Detection interval of the expansion valve opening sensor DI (2)

[0053] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor is stored in advance as data in memory 410, the second acquisition unit 404 reads out the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor from memory 410, and performs calculations by substituting the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor that are equal to or greater than the acquired first opening ratio and the read detection interval DI into equation (2) to acquire the second operating time.

[0054] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor is not stored in advance as data in memory 410, second acquisition unit 404 acquires the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor by referring to operating data D1. More specifically, second acquisition unit 404 identifies the detection value of the expansion valve position sensor at a certain time and the detection value of the expansion valve position sensor at a time closest to this certain time, and acquires the time difference between the times corresponding to the identified two detection values ​​as the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor. Then, second acquisition unit 404 performs calculations by substituting the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve position sensor that are equal to or greater than the acquired first opening ratio and the acquired detection interval DI into equation (2) to acquire the second operating time.

[0055] As described above, the second acquisition unit 404 acquires the second operating time. The second operating time is the time during the first operating time during which the expansion valve opening ratio to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio. Therefore, the first operating time does not include the start-up time of the air conditioner 1, and therefore the second operating time does not include the start-up time of the air conditioner 1 either.

[0056] [1-1-2-5. Estimation part] The estimation unit 405 calculates the first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time to the first operating time, using the following formula (3).

[0057] First operation time ratio = Second operation time ÷ First operation time (3)

[0058] The estimation unit 405 calculates the first operating time ratio by substituting the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403 and the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit 404 into equation (3) and performing a calculation.

[0059] After calculating the first operation time ratio, the estimation unit 405 inputs the calculated first operation time ratio into the first estimation model 412 and causes the first estimation model 412 to output information on whether or not there is a shortage, thereby estimating whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0060] [1-2. Operation] Next, the operation of each unit of the estimation system 1000 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server device 4. The flowchart shown in FIG. 5 shows operations performed with one piece of operating data D1 as the processing target, in other words, operations performed with one air conditioner 1 as the processing target.

[0061] 5 is an operation that is started, for example, when a predetermined time arrives, or when the terminal device 5 transmits an estimation start instruction to the server device 4.

[0062] The first acquisition unit 403 acquires the first driving time from the driving data D1 to be processed (step SA1).

[0063] Next, the second acquisition unit 404 acquires the second driving time from the driving data D1 to be processed (step SA2).

[0064] Next, the estimation unit 405 estimates whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the first operation time acquired in step SA1 and the second operation time acquired in step SA2 (step SA3).

[0065] The effects of this embodiment will be described. It is generally known that when the opening degree of the expansion valve approaches the maximum opening degree, there is a high possibility that a refrigerant leak has occurred in a refrigeration cycle device including the air conditioner 1. It is also known that even in a situation where a refrigerant leak has not occurred, if the refrigeration cycle device is operating, the expansion valve will reach the maximum opening degree.

[0066] Here, the inventors of the present application have found that the frequency with which the expansion valve reaches near its maximum opening is higher during operation when refrigerant leakage occurs than during operation when refrigerant leakage does not occur.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, by estimating whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the first operation time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operation time to the first operation time, it is possible to estimate the amount of remaining refrigerant insufficient taking into consideration the state of the expansion valve opening during the operation time of the refrigeration cycle device. Therefore, it is possible to distinguish between whether the expansion valve has reached its maximum opening due to a refrigerant leak and whether the expansion valve has reached its maximum opening despite the absence of a refrigerant leak, thereby preventing erroneous estimation of whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0068] Returning to the explanation of the operation of each part of the estimation system 1000, when estimation is performed in step SA3, the communication control unit 401 may notify the terminal device 5 of the estimation result of step SA3. This allows the manager or user of the air conditioning device 1 to understand the estimation result on the terminal device 5.

[0069] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the estimation system 1000 includes a first acquisition unit 403 that acquires a first operating time during which the air conditioning apparatus 1 operates from operating data D1 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 for a predetermined period. The estimation system 1000 also includes a second acquisition unit 404 that acquires, from the operating data D1, a second operating time during which the expansion valve opening ratio to the expansion valve's maximum opening is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio during the first operating time. The estimation system 1000 also includes an estimation unit 405 that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioning apparatus 1 is insufficient, based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit 404 to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403.

[0070] According to this, estimation can be made taking into consideration the state of the opening degree of the expansion valve relative to the operating time of the air conditioner 1, and therefore erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining amount of refrigerant is insufficient can be suppressed.

[0071] The first operating time does not include the time it takes for the air conditioner 1 to start up. The second operating time does not include the time it takes for the air conditioner 1 to start up.

[0072] When the air conditioning device 1 starts up, the opening of the expansion valve increases to ensure transient capacity. Therefore, by not including the start-up time in the first operating time and the second operating time, it is possible to further reduce erroneous estimation of whether the remaining amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

[0073] The control program 411 causes the processor 400 to function as a first acquisition unit 403 , a second acquisition unit 404 , and an estimation unit 405 .

[0074] This provides the same effects as the estimation system 1000 described above.

[0075] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment will be described. [2-1.Configuration] Regarding the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the second embodiment, detailed description of the configuration similar to the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server device 4 according to the second embodiment. 6 and 2, the memory 410 of the second embodiment stores a control program 411A instead of the control program 411. Furthermore, the memory 410 of the second embodiment further stores a second estimation model 413. Control program 411A is an example of a "program."

[0077] The second estimation model 413 is a model that, when a second operation time ratio described below is input, outputs shortage presence / absence information indicating whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount in the air conditioning apparatus 1. An example of the second estimation model 413 is a trained model that has undergone machine learning to determine whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount from the second operation time ratio. Note that the larger the input second operation time ratio, the more likely the second estimation model 413 is to output shortage presence / absence information indicating that there is no shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0078] The processor 400 of embodiment 2 reads and executes the control program 411A from the memory 410, thereby functioning as a communication control unit 401, a management unit 402, a first acquisition unit 403, a second acquisition unit 404, a third acquisition unit 406, and an estimation unit 405A.

[0079] The third acquisition unit 406 acquires a third operating time during which the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is equal to or less than a second opening ratio (e.g., 30%) that is smaller than the first opening ratio, from the operating data D1 corresponding to the air conditioner 1 that is the estimation target. Note that the illustrated numerical value of the second opening ratio is merely an example.

[0080] Similar to the second acquisition unit 404, the third acquisition unit 406 acquires the time slots of the first operating time from the first acquisition unit 403. Then, similar to the second acquisition unit 404, the third acquisition unit 406 refers to the operating data D1 to be processed, and calculates the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve for each of the detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor in the acquired time slots of the first operating time using equation (1).

[0081] Next, the third acquisition unit 406 obtains the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor during the acquired time period of the first operating time, for which the calculated expansion valve opening ratio is equal to or less than the second opening ratio.

[0082] Next, the third acquisition unit 406 acquires the third operating time by using the following formula (4).

[0083] Third operation time = Number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor at which the expansion valve opening ratio is equal to or less than the second opening ratio × Detection interval of the expansion valve opening sensor DI (4)

[0084] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor is stored in advance as data in memory 410, the third acquisition unit 406 reads out the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor from memory 410, and performs calculations by substituting the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor that are less than or equal to the acquired second opening ratio and the read detection interval DI into equation (4) to acquire the second operating time.

[0085] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor is not stored in advance as data in memory 410, the third acquisition unit 406 acquires the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor by referring to the operating data D1. More specifically, the third acquisition unit 406 identifies the detection value of the expansion valve position sensor at a certain time and the detection value of the expansion valve position sensor at a time closest to this certain time, and acquires the time difference between the times corresponding to the identified two detection values ​​as the detection interval DI of the expansion valve position sensor. Then, the third acquisition unit 406 performs a calculation by substituting the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve position sensor that are equal to or less than the acquired second position ratio and the acquired detection interval DI into equation (4) to acquire the third operating time.

[0086] The estimation unit 405A performs the following process in addition to the process of the estimation unit 405. The estimation unit 405A calculates the second operation time ratio using the following formula (5).

[0087] Second operation time ratio = Third operation time ÷ First operation time (5)

[0088] The estimation unit 405A calculates the second operating time ratio by substituting the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403 and the third operating time acquired by the third acquisition unit 406 into equation (5) and performing a calculation.

[0089] After calculating the second operation time ratio, the estimation unit 405A inputs the calculated second operation time ratio to the second estimation model 413 and causes the second estimation model 413 to output information on whether or not there is a shortage, thereby estimating whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0090] [2-2. Operation] Next, the operation of each unit of the estimation system 1000 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server device 4 in the second embodiment.

[0091] In Fig. 7, the same steps as in Fig. 5 are assigned the same step numbers as in Fig. 2, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted where appropriate. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is an operation performed for processing one piece of operating data D1, in other words, an operation performed for processing one air conditioning apparatus 1.

[0092] After the process of step SA2, the third acquisition unit 406 acquires a third driving time from the driving data D1 to be processed (step SB1). Steps SA2 and SB1 may be performed simultaneously, or the processing order may be reversed.

[0093] Next, the estimation unit 405A estimates whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the first operating time acquired in step SA1, the second operating time acquired in step SA2, and the third operating time acquired in step SB1 (step SB2).

[0094] Step SB2 will now be described in detail. In step SB2, estimation unit 405A calculates a first operation time ratio and inputs the calculated first operation time ratio into first estimation model 412 to estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. Furthermore, estimation unit 405A calculates a second operation time ratio and inputs the calculated second operation time ratio into second estimation model 413 to estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. When the estimation model outputs shortage presence / absence information indicating a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount in response to the input of at least one of the first operation time ratio and the second operation time ratio, estimation unit 405A estimates that the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. On the other hand, when the estimation model does not output shortage presence / absence information indicating a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount in response to the input of either the first operation time ratio or the second operation time ratio, estimation unit 405A estimates that the remaining refrigerant amount is not insufficient.

[0095] In step SB2, the estimation unit 405A may perform the following process. The estimation unit 405A acquires the time slot of the air conditioning operation time from the first acquisition unit 403, and identifies the type of air conditioning of the air conditioner 1 in the acquired time slot of the air conditioning operation time from the operation data D1 to be processed. Next, if all of the identified air conditioning types indicate heating operation, or if a predetermined percentage or more (e.g., more than half) of the identified air conditioning types indicate heating operation, estimation unit 405A estimates whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient using the first operation time ratio. Note that in these cases, estimation using the second operation time ratio may not be performed. Also, in these cases, if it is estimated that the remaining refrigerant amount is not insufficient using the first operation time ratio, estimation using the second operation time ratio may be performed. On the other hand, when all of the identified air conditioning types indicate cooling operation, or when a predetermined percentage or more (e.g., more than half) of the identified air conditioning types indicate cooling operation, estimation unit 405A estimates whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient using the second operation time ratio. Note that in these cases, estimation using the first operation time ratio may not be performed. Also, in these cases, estimation using the first operation time ratio may be performed if it is estimated that the remaining refrigerant amount is not insufficient using the second operation time ratio.

[0096] The effects of this embodiment will be described. The inventors of the present application have found that the opening degree of the expansion valve is likely to reach near the minimum opening degree when the refrigerant cycle device is operating without a refrigerant leak, and further found that the frequency with which the expansion valve reaches near the minimum opening degree is higher when the device is operating without a refrigerant leak than when the device is operating with a refrigerant leak.

[0097] Therefore, in this embodiment, whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient is estimated based on the second operation time ratio in addition to the first operation time ratio. This makes it possible to estimate the state of the expansion valve opening relative to the operation time of the refrigeration cycle device, even when the expansion valve opening is small. This further reduces erroneous estimation of whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0098] Furthermore, the inventors of the present application have found that the frequency knowledge explained in the present embodiment is particularly evident during cooling operation for the following reasons. The opening degree of the expansion valve of the outdoor unit 3 is adjusted based on the evaporation capacity of the evaporator. Here, the ambient temperature around the evaporator is higher during cooling operation (when the indoor heat exchanger functions as the evaporator) than during heating operation (when the outdoor heat exchanger functions as the evaporator). (For example, during cooling operation, the temperature of the conditioned space may reach 30°C or higher, while during heating operation, the outdoor air temperature is 20°C or lower.) Therefore, the evaporation capacity is higher during cooling operation, and the opening degree of the expansion valve must be adjusted to a larger value. Therefore, if the opening degree of the expansion valve is small during cooling operation, the remaining refrigerant amount is likely to be normal. On the other hand, since the expansion valve tends to be more throttled during heating operation than during cooling operation, it is difficult to determine that the remaining refrigerant amount is normal even if the opening degree of the expansion valve is small. Therefore, the inventors of the present application have found that the above-mentioned frequency findings are more pronounced during cooling operation.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the cooling operation is being performed during the first operation time, it may be configured to estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the second operation time ratio. As a result, when the cooling operation is being performed during the first operation time, by taking into account the state when the opening degree of the expansion valve is small, it is possible to accurately estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient, and it is possible to quickly estimate because there is no need to perform estimation using multiple estimation models.

[0100] [2-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the estimation system 1000 includes a third acquisition unit 406 that acquires, from the operation data D1, a third operation time during which the expansion valve opening ratio to the expansion valve's maximum opening is equal to or less than a second opening ratio that is smaller than the first opening ratio during the first operation time. The estimation unit 405A estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 is insufficient based on the second operation time ratio, which is the ratio of the third operation time acquired by the third acquisition unit 406 to the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403.

[0101] This makes it possible to estimate the state of the expansion valve opening relative to the operating time of the air conditioning device 1, even when the expansion valve opening is small, thereby further reducing erroneous estimation of whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0102] When the air conditioner 1 is operating in cooling mode during the first operating time, the estimation unit 405A estimates whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 is insufficient based on the second operating time ratio.

[0103] As a result, when cooling operation is performed during the first operating time, by taking into account in the estimation what the condition will be when the expansion valve opening is small, it is possible to accurately estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient, and since there is no need to make estimations using multiple estimation models, it is possible to make a quick estimation.

[0104] (Embodiment 3) Next, a third embodiment will be described. [3-1.Configuration] Regarding the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the third embodiment, detailed description of the configuration similar to the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0105] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server device 4 according to the third embodiment. 8 and 2, the memory 410 of the third embodiment stores a control program 411B instead of the control program 411. The memory 410 of the third embodiment further stores a third estimation model 414. Control program 411B is an example of a "program."

[0106] The third estimation model 414 is a model that outputs shortage information when the load on the air conditioning apparatus 1 during air conditioning operation and the first operation time ratio are input. An example of the third estimation model 414 is a trained model that uses machine learning to determine whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount from the load on the air conditioning apparatus 1 and the first operation time ratio. The load on the air conditioning apparatus 1 input to the third estimation model 414 may be a load indicated in multiple stages, such as high load, medium load, and low load, or may be a specific numerical value. The larger at least one of the input load and first operation time ratio is, the more likely the third estimation model 414 is to output shortage information indicating that there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0107] The processor 400 of the second embodiment reads out the control program 411B from the memory 410 and executes it, thereby functioning as a communication control unit 401, a management unit 402, a first acquisition unit 403, a second acquisition unit 404, and an estimation unit 405B.

[0108] The estimation unit 405B acquires the time period of the first operating time from the first acquisition unit 403, and acquires the load of the air conditioning unit 1 during the acquired time period of the first operating time by referring to the operating data D1 corresponding to the air conditioning unit 1 to be estimated. For example, the estimation unit 405B reads the detection value of the frequency sensor for the acquired time period of the first operating time from the operating data D1, calculates the average value of the detection value of the frequency sensor, and substitutes the calculated average value into a predetermined algorithm to obtain the load of the air conditioning apparatus 1. In this example, the larger the average value, the higher the load obtained by the estimation unit 405B.

[0109] Next, the estimation unit 405B calculates the first operation time ratio in the same way as in the first embodiment, and inputs the calculated first operation time ratio and the load on the air conditioning device 1 to the third estimation model 414. Then, the estimation unit 405B causes the third estimation model 414 to output shortage presence / absence information, thereby estimating whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0110] [3-2. Operation] The operation of each unit of the estimation system 1000 according to the third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an estimation unit 405B performs the above-described estimation in step SA3 described in the first embodiment.

[0111] [3-3. Effects, etc.] As explained above, the estimation unit 405B estimates whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 is insufficient based on the load on the air conditioner 1 during the first operation time and the first operation time ratio.

[0112] According to this, since the opening degree of the expansion valve depends on the load of the air conditioner 1, by further taking the load of the air conditioner 1 into consideration in the estimation, it is possible to further reduce erroneous estimation of whether the remaining amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

[0113] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. [4-1.Configuration] Regarding the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the fourth embodiment, detailed description of the configuration similar to the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0114] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server device 4 according to the fourth embodiment. 9 and 2, the memory 410 of the fourth embodiment stores a control program 411C instead of the control program 411. The memory 410 of the third embodiment further stores a fourth estimation model 415. The control program 411C is an example of a "program."

[0115] The fourth estimation model 415 is a model that outputs shortage presence / absence information when the first operation time ratio and a third operation time ratio described below are input. An example of the fourth estimation model 415 is a trained model that has undergone machine learning to determine whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient from the first operation time ratio and the third operation time ratio. Note that the larger at least one of the input first operation time ratio and the third operation time ratio is, the more likely the fourth estimation model 415 is to output shortage presence / absence information indicating that the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0116] The processor 400 of embodiment 2 reads and executes the control program 411C from the memory 410, thereby functioning as a communication control unit 401, a management unit 402, a first acquisition unit 403, a second acquisition unit 404, a fourth acquisition unit 407, and an estimation unit 405C.

[0117] The fourth acquisition unit 407 acquires, from the operating data D1 corresponding to the air conditioner 1 that is the estimation target, a fourth operating time during which the expansion valve opening ratio relative to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening ratio and a third opening ratio that is smaller than the first opening ratio (for example, 80% or more and less than 90%). Note that the illustrated numerical value of the third opening ratio is merely an example.

[0118] The fourth acquisition unit 407, like the second acquisition unit 404, acquires the time slots of the first operating time from the first acquisition unit 403. Then, like the second acquisition unit 404, the fourth acquisition unit 407 refers to the operating data D1 to be processed, and calculates the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve for each of the detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor in the acquired time slots of the first operating time using equation (1).

[0119] Next, the fourth acquisition unit 407 determines the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor during the acquired time period of the first operating time, for which the calculated expansion valve opening ratio is between the first opening ratio and the third opening ratio.

[0120] Next, the fourth acquisition unit 407 acquires the fourth operating time by using the following formula (6).

[0121] 4th operation time = number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor where the expansion valve opening ratio is between the 1st opening ratio and the 3rd opening ratio × detection interval of the expansion valve opening sensor DI (6)

[0122] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor is stored in advance as data in memory 410, the fourth acquisition unit 407 reads out the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor from memory 410, and substitutes the number of acquired detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor and the read detection interval DI into equation (6) to perform calculations and acquire the fourth operating time.

[0123] If the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor is not stored in advance as data in memory 410, the fourth acquisition unit 407 acquires the detection interval DI of the expansion valve opening sensor by referring to the operating data D1, similar to the third acquisition unit 406. Then, the fourth acquisition unit 407 performs calculations by substituting the number of acquired detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor and the acquired detection interval DI into equation (6) to acquire the fourth operating time.

[0124] Similar to the estimation unit 405, the estimation unit 405C calculates the first operating time ratio. Furthermore, the estimation unit 405C calculates the third operating time ratio using the following formula (7).

[0125] Third operation time ratio = Fourth operation time ÷ First operation time (7)

[0126] The estimation unit 405C calculates the third operating time ratio by substituting the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403 and the fourth operating time acquired by the fourth acquisition unit 407 into equation (7) and performing a calculation.

[0127] After calculating the first operating time ratio and the third operating time ratio, the estimation unit 405C multiplies the calculated first operating time ratio by α (for example, 1.2) and multiplies the calculated third operating time ratio by β (for example, 1.0) that is smaller than α, thereby weighting the first operating time ratio and the third operating time ratio. The value of α that weights the first operation time ratio need only be greater than the value of β that weights the third operation time ratio, and is not limited to the values ​​in the above example. The same applies to β that weights the third operation time ratio.

[0128] After performing the weighting, the estimation unit 405C inputs the weighted first operation time ratio and third operation time ratio to the fourth estimation model 415 and causes the fourth estimation model 415 to output shortage information, thereby estimating whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0129] [4-2. Operation] The operation of each unit of the estimation system 1000 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an estimation unit 405C performs the above-described estimation in step SA3 described in the first embodiment.

[0130] [4-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the estimation system 1000 includes a fourth acquisition unit 407 that acquires, from the operation data D1, a fourth operation time during which the expansion valve opening ratio to the maximum opening of the expansion valve falls between the first and third opening ratios during the first operation time. The estimation unit 405C weights the first operation time ratio more heavily than the third operation time ratio, which is the ratio of the fourth operation time acquired by the fourth acquisition unit 407 to the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403. The estimation unit 405C estimates whether the remaining refrigerant amount in the air conditioning apparatus 1 is insufficient, based on the weighted first operation time ratio and the weighted third operation time ratio.

[0131] The lower the first opening ratio, the more normal detected values ​​are taken into account in the second operating time, leading to erroneous estimation. On the other hand, the higher the first opening ratio, the less detected values ​​that indicate a refrigerant amount shortage can be taken into account in the second operating time, which may result in overlooking signs of a refrigerant amount shortage during estimation. Therefore, by widening the range of expansion valve opening taken into account in estimation while weighting the time when the expansion valve opening is large, erroneous estimation can be suppressed while preventing signs of a refrigerant amount shortage from being overlooked during estimation.

[0132] (Embodiment 5) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. [5-1.Configuration] Regarding the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the fifth embodiment, detailed description of the configuration similar to the configuration of each part of the estimation system 1000 in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0133] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the server device 4 according to the fifth embodiment. 10 and 2, the memory 410 of the fifth embodiment stores a control program 411D instead of the control program 411. In addition, the memory 410 of the fifth embodiment stores a fifth estimation model 416. The control program 411D is an example of a "program."

[0134] The fifth estimation model 416 is a model that outputs shortage information when a count described below is input. An example of the fifth estimation model 416 is a trained model that has undergone machine learning to determine whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient from the count described below. Note that the greater the input count, the more likely the fifth estimation model 416 is to output shortage information indicating that the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0135] The processor 400 of the fifth embodiment reads out the control program 411D from the memory 410 and executes it, thereby functioning as a communication control unit 401, a management unit 402, a time acquisition unit 408, a count acquisition unit 409, and an estimation unit 405D.

[0136] The time acquisition unit 408 acquires the air conditioning operation time, which is the time for which the air conditioning apparatus 1 performs air conditioning operation. The time acquisition unit 408 acquires the air conditioning operation time in the same manner as the first acquisition unit 403. In other words, the air conditioning operation time acquired by the time acquisition unit 408 is the same as the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit 403. The air conditioning operation time is an example of the "operation time of the refrigeration cycle device."

[0137] The count acquiring unit 409 acquires the number of times during the air conditioning operation time that the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio. More specifically, similar to the second acquiring unit 404, the count acquiring unit 409 calculates the number of detection values ​​of the expansion valve opening sensor during the acquired time period of the first operation time at which the calculated opening ratio of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio. Then, the count acquiring unit 409 acquires the calculated number as the number of times during the air conditioning operation time that the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening is equal to or greater than the first opening ratio.

[0138] Estimation unit 405D inputs the number of times acquired by number of times acquisition unit 409 to fifth estimation model 416 and causes fifth estimation model 416 to output information on whether or not there is a shortage, thereby estimating whether or not there is a shortage of the remaining refrigerant amount.

[0139] [5-2. Operation] Next, the operation of each unit of the estimation system 1000 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server device 4. The flowchart shown in FIG. 11 shows operations performed with one piece of operating data D1 as the processing target, in other words, operations performed with one air conditioner 1 as the processing target.

[0140] 11 is an operation that is started, for example, when a predetermined time arrives. Also, the operation of Fig. 11 is an operation that is started, for example, when the terminal device 5 transmits an estimation start instruction to the server device 4.

[0141] The time acquisition unit 408 acquires the air conditioning operation time from the operation data D1 to be processed (step SC1).

[0142] Next, the number acquisition unit 409 acquires, from the operation data D1 to be processed, the number of times that the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening becomes equal to or greater than the first opening ratio during the air conditioning operation time (step SC2).

[0143] Next, estimation unit 405D estimates whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient based on the number of times acquired in step SC2 (step SC3).

[0144] If estimation is performed in step SC3, the communication control unit 401 may notify the estimation result of step SC3 to the terminal device 5. This allows the manager or user of the air conditioning apparatus 1 to understand the estimation result via the terminal device 5.

[0145] [5-3. Effects, etc.] As explained above, the estimation system 1000 includes a time acquisition unit 408 that acquires the air conditioning operation time during which the air conditioning apparatus 1 performs air conditioning operation from the operation data D1 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 for a predetermined period. The estimation system 1000 also includes a count acquisition unit 409 that acquires from the operation data D1 the number of times during the air conditioning operation time that the expansion valve opening ratio to the expansion valve's maximum opening becomes equal to or greater than a first opening ratio. The estimation system 1000 also includes an estimation unit 405D that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioning apparatus 1 is insufficient, based on the number of times acquired by the count acquisition unit 409.

[0146] This provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0147] The control program 411D causes the processor 400 to function as a time acquisition unit 408, a count acquisition unit 409, and an estimation unit 405D.

[0148] This provides the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0149] (Other embodiments) As described above, the above-mentioned first, second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments have been described as examples disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above-mentioned first, second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be described below as examples.

[0150] In the above-described first, second, third, and fourth embodiments, the second operating time is the time during which the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve becomes equal to or greater than the first opening ratio during the first operating time. In other embodiments, the second operating time may be the time during which the expansion valve opening becomes equal to or greater than the first opening during the first operating time. Here, when the first opening ratio is, for example, 90%, the first opening is 90% of the maximum opening.

[0151] In the second embodiment described above, the third operating time is the time during which the expansion valve opening ratio to the maximum opening of the expansion valve becomes equal to or less than the second opening ratio during the first operating time. In other embodiments, the third operating time may be the time during which the expansion valve opening becomes equal to or less than a second opening ratio that is smaller than the first opening ratio during the first operating time. Here, if the second opening ratio is, for example, 30%, the second opening ratio is 30% of the maximum opening ratio.

[0152] In the above-described fourth embodiment, the fourth operating time is the time during which the expansion valve opening ratio with respect to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening ratio and the third opening ratio during the first operating time. In other embodiments, the fourth operating time may be the time during which the expansion valve opening is between the first opening ratio and a third opening ratio that is smaller than the first opening ratio during the first operating time. Here, the third opening ratio is 30% or more and less than 90% of the maximum opening when the third opening ratio is, for example, 80% or more and less than 90%.

[0153] In the above-described fifth embodiment, the count acquiring unit 409 acquires the number of times that the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening of the expansion valve becomes equal to or greater than the first opening ratio during the first operating time. In other embodiments, the count acquiring unit 409 may acquire the number of times that the opening of the expansion valve becomes equal to or greater than the first opening during the first operating time.

[0154] In each of the above-described embodiments, the air conditioner 1 has been exemplified as the "refrigeration cycle apparatus" of the present disclosure. However, the "refrigeration cycle apparatus" of the present disclosure is not limited to the air conditioner 1. The "refrigeration cycle apparatus" of the present disclosure may be any apparatus that employs a refrigeration cycle, such as a showcase or a freezer.

[0155] In the above-described embodiments, the "expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device" of the present disclosure is exemplified by the expansion valve of the outdoor unit 3. However, the "expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device" of the present disclosure is not limited to the expansion valve of the outdoor unit 3, and may be the expansion valve of the indoor unit 2, a supercooling expansion unit, or a combination of these expansion valves.

[0156] In other embodiments, the input data input to the estimation model is not limited to the data described in each embodiment (for example, the first driving time ratio in embodiment 1), but may include various data included in the driving data D1, or other data obtained from various data included in the driving data D1.

[0157] Other embodiments may be embodiments that combine at least two or more technical features of embodiments 1, 2, 3, and 4. For example, in another embodiment related to embodiment 2, the load of the air conditioning device 1 may further be included as data input to the first estimation model 412. Furthermore, for example, in another embodiment related to embodiment 4, estimation may be performed using the second estimation model 413.

[0158] In another embodiment, the estimation system 1000 may be provided with a management device that has the same functions as the server device 4 and communicates with the air conditioning device 1 via a local network, instead of the server device 4. An example of this management device is a centralized management device installed in a building.

[0159] In other embodiments, the estimation units 405, 405A, 405B, 405C, and 405D may estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient using a predetermined algorithm instead of an estimation model. Furthermore, each of the estimation models described in each embodiment may be a model generated using logistic regression analysis or another model instead of a model generated by machine learning.

[0160] The processor 400 may be configured with a single processor or multiple processors. The processor 400 may be hardware programmed to implement corresponding functional units. That is, the processor 400 may be configured with, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0161] The configurations of the server device 4 shown in Figures 2, 6, 8, 9, and 10 are merely examples, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. In other words, it is not necessarily necessary to implement hardware corresponding to each unit individually, and it is also possible to implement a configuration in which a single processor executes a program to realize the functions of each unit. Furthermore, some of the functions realized by software in the above-mentioned embodiments may be implemented by hardware, or some of the functions realized by hardware may be implemented by software.

[0162] The step units of the operations shown in Figures 5, 7, and 11 are divided according to the main processing content to make the operations easier to understand, and the operation is not limited by the way the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. The operations may be divided into more step units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, one step unit may be divided so that it includes more processing. Furthermore, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate within the scope that does not interfere with the purpose of this disclosure.

[0163] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0164] (Addendum) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0165] (Technology 1) An estimation system comprising: a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which a refrigeration cycle device operates from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period; a second acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data a second operating time during which, during the first operating time, an opening degree of an expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or an opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether or not there is a shortage of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit. This allows estimation to be made taking into consideration the state of the expansion valve opening relative to the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device, thereby preventing erroneous estimation of whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0166] (Technology 2) The estimation system according to Technology 1, wherein the first operating time does not include the time it takes for the refrigeration cycle device to start up, and the second operating time does not include the time it takes for the refrigeration cycle device to start up. Since the opening of the expansion valve increases during start-up of the refrigeration cycle device to ensure transient capacity, erroneous estimation of whether the remaining amount of refrigerant is insufficient can be further reduced by not including the start-up time in the first operating time and the second operating time.

[0167] (Technology 3) The estimation system according to Technology 1 or Technology 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the load of the refrigeration cycle device during the first operating time and the first operating time ratio. According to this, since the opening degree of the expansion valve depends on the load of the refrigeration cycle device, by further taking the load of the refrigeration cycle device into consideration in the estimation, it is possible to further reduce erroneous estimation of whether the remaining amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

[0168] (Technology 4) The estimation system according to any one of Technology 1 to Technology 3, further comprising a third acquisition unit that acquires from the operation data a third operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening of the expansion valve is equal to or less than a second opening that is smaller than the first opening, or the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is equal to or less than a second opening ratio that is smaller than the first opening ratio, and the estimation unit estimates whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a second operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the third operating time acquired by the third acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit. This allows the degree of opening of the expansion valve relative to the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device to be estimated, even when the degree of opening of the expansion valve is small, thereby further reducing erroneous estimation of whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient.

[0169] (Technology 5) The refrigeration cycle device is an air conditioning device, and the estimation unit estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioning device is insufficient based on the second operating time ratio when the air conditioning device is operating in cooling mode during the first operating time. This is an estimation system described in Technology 4. According to this, when cooling operation is performed during the first operating time, by taking into account in the estimation what the condition will be when the expansion valve opening is small, it is possible to accurately estimate whether the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient, and since there is no need to make estimations using multiple estimation models, it is possible to make a quick estimation.

[0170] (Technology 6) The estimation system according to any one of Technologies 1 to 5, further comprising a fourth acquisition unit that acquires from the operation data a fourth operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening and a third opening smaller than the first opening, or the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening ratio and a third opening ratio smaller than the first opening ratio, and the estimation unit weights the first operating time ratio more heavily than a third operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the fourth operating time acquired by the fourth acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit, and estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient, based on the weighted first operating time ratio and the third operating time ratio. The lower the first opening or the first opening ratio, the more normal detected values ​​are taken into account in the second operating time, leading to erroneous estimation. On the other hand, the higher the first opening or the first opening ratio, the less detected values ​​that indicate a refrigerant amount shortage can be taken into account in the second operating time, which may result in overlooking signs of a refrigerant amount shortage during estimation. Therefore, by widening the range of expansion valve opening that is taken into account in the estimation while weighting the time when the expansion valve opening is large, erroneous estimation can be suppressed while preventing signs of a refrigerant amount shortage from being overlooked during estimation.

[0171] (Technology 7) An estimation system comprising: a time acquisition unit that acquires an operating time of a refrigeration cycle device from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period; a count acquisition unit that acquires from the operating data the number of times during the operating time that an opening degree of an expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device becomes equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve becomes equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether or not there is a shortage of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device based on the number of times acquired by the count acquisition unit. This provides the same effects as the estimation system described in Technique 1.

[0172] (Technology 8) A program that causes a processor to function as a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time; a second acquisition unit that acquires, from the operating data, a second operating time during which, during the first operating time, the opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a first operating time ratio, which is the ratio of the second operating time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operating time acquired by the first acquisition unit. This provides the same effects as the estimation system described in Technique 1.

[0173] (Technology 9) A program that causes a processor to function as a time acquisition unit that acquires, from operation data of a refrigeration cycle device over a predetermined period of time, the operating time of the refrigeration cycle device during air conditioning operation; a count acquisition unit that acquires, from the operation data, the number of times during the operating time that the opening degree of an expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device becomes equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or the opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve becomes equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio; and an estimation unit that estimates whether the amount of remaining refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the number of times acquired by the count acquisition unit. This provides the same effects as the estimation system described in Technique 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0174] As described above, the estimation system and program according to the present invention can be used to estimate whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient. [Explanation of symbols]

[0175] 1. Air conditioning equipment (refrigeration cycle equipment) 2 Indoor unit 3 Outdoor unit 4. Server equipment 5 Terminal Devices 40 Control device 41 Communication equipment 400 processors 401 Communication control unit 402 Management Department 403 First Acquisition Department 404 Second Acquisition Department 405, 405A, 405B, 405C, 405D Estimation Section 406 Third Acquisition Department 407 4th Acquisition Department 408 Time Acquisition Department 409 Number of times acquisition part 410 memory 411, 411A, 411B, 411C, 411D control program (program) 412 First Estimation Model 413 Second Estimation Model 414 Third Estimation Model 415 Fourth Estimation Model 416 Fifth Estimation Model 1000 Estimation System D1 Operation data DI detection interval GF graph NW Network WK1 frame

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operation data of the refrigeration cycle device for a predetermined period; a second acquisition unit that acquires, from the operation data, a second operation time during which an opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or an opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio, during the first operation time; an estimation unit that estimates whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient in the refrigeration cycle device based on a first operation time ratio that is a ratio of the second operation time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit, Estimation system.

2. The first operation time does not include a time required for the refrigeration cycle device to start up, The second operation time does not include a time required for the refrigeration cycle device to start up. The estimation system of claim 1 .

3. The estimation unit estimating whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on a load of the refrigeration cycle device during the first operation time and the first operation time ratio; The estimation system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a third acquisition unit that acquires, from the operation data, a third operation time during which the opening of the expansion valve is equal to or smaller than a second opening smaller than the first opening, or an opening ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening of the expansion valve is equal to or smaller than a second opening ratio smaller than the first opening ratio, during the first operation time; The estimation unit estimating whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient in the refrigeration cycle device based on a second operation time ratio which is a ratio of the third operation time acquired by the third acquisition unit to the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit; The estimation system of claim 1 .

5. the refrigeration cycle device is an air conditioning device, The estimation unit When the operation of the air conditioning apparatus during the first operation time is cooling operation, it is estimated whether or not the amount of remaining refrigerant in the air conditioning apparatus is insufficient based on the second operation time ratio. The estimation system according to claim 4 .

6. a fourth acquisition unit that acquires, from the operation data, a fourth operation time during which the opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening and a third opening smaller than the first opening, or the opening ratio of the expansion valve to the maximum opening of the expansion valve is between the first opening ratio and a third opening ratio smaller than the first opening ratio, during the first operation time; The estimation unit weighting the first driving time ratio greater than a third driving time ratio, which is a ratio of the fourth driving time acquired by the fourth acquisition unit to the first driving time acquired by the first acquisition unit; estimating whether or not the remaining refrigerant amount in the refrigeration cycle device is insufficient based on the weighted first operation time ratio and the weighted third operation time ratio; The estimation system of claim 1 .

7. a time acquisition unit that acquires an operating time of the refrigeration cycle device from operation data of the refrigeration cycle device for a predetermined period; a frequency acquiring unit that acquires, from the operating data, the number of times that an opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device becomes equal to or larger than a first opening degree, or an opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening degree of the expansion valve becomes equal to or larger than a first opening degree ratio, during the operating time; an estimation unit that estimates whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient in the refrigeration cycle device based on the number of times acquired by the number of times acquisition unit, Estimation system.

8. The processor, a first acquisition unit that acquires a first operating time during which the refrigeration cycle device operates from operation data of the refrigeration cycle device for a predetermined period; a second acquisition unit that acquires, from the operation data, a second operation time during which an opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device is equal to or greater than a first opening degree, or an opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening degree of the expansion valve is equal to or greater than a first opening degree ratio, during the first operation time; and causing the device to function as an estimation unit that estimates whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient in the refrigeration cycle device based on a first operation time ratio that is a ratio of the second operation time acquired by the second acquisition unit to the first operation time acquired by the first acquisition unit. program.

9. The processor, a time acquisition unit that acquires an operating time for which the refrigeration cycle device performs air conditioning operation from operating data of the refrigeration cycle device for a predetermined period; a frequency acquiring unit that acquires, from the operating data, the number of times that an opening degree of the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle device becomes equal to or larger than a first opening degree, or an opening degree ratio of the expansion valve to a maximum opening degree of the expansion valve becomes equal to or larger than a first opening degree ratio, during the operating time; and causing the number acquisition unit to function as an estimation unit that estimates whether or not a remaining refrigerant amount is insufficient in the refrigeration cycle device based on the number of times acquired by the number acquisition unit. program.

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