Recirculating water treatment system, control method, and control program

Abstract

The aim is to reduce the risk of damage to the piping due to changes in outside temperature, even when the return piping for circulating water is located outdoors. [Solution] The circulating water treatment system includes a control device that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to a circulating water treatment system, a control method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 states that "Three-way valves 14 and 15 are provided in the supply and return pipes between the hot water connection port 6 and the main unit 1 of the equipment. By switching the three-way valves 14 and 15, a hot water circuit is formed in which hot water from the main unit 1 of the equipment circulates to the hot water connection port 6 provided in the bathtub 2, and a bypass hot water circuit 16 is formed in which hot water circulates from the three-way valve 14 on the supply pipe side to the three-way valve 15 on the return pipe side. This configuration is configured to work in conjunction with the operation switch 10a of the remote controller 10." [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-240953 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] A circulating water treatment system is known that circulates treated water as recirculating water. In this system, the return piping for the circulating water is sometimes installed outdoors. However, when the return piping is installed outdoors, there is a risk that the piping will be damaged by changes in outside temperature.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a system, method, and program that can reduce the risk of damage to the piping due to changes in ambient temperature, even when the return piping for circulating water is located outdoors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A circulating water treatment system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a control device that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through a return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping.

[0007] A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a circulating water treatment system according to the first aspect, wherein the control device increases the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe when the temperature of the outdoor piping is outside the temperature range.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a circulating water treatment system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the control device controls the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return piping based on the temperature of the circulating water supplied to the outdoors.

[0009] A circulating water treatment system according to a fourth aspect of this disclosure is a circulating water treatment system according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a return pipe that returns the circulating water flowing through the return pipe to a storage tank at the water source via a valve, and the control device controls the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe by controlling the valve.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a circulating water treatment system according to the fourth aspect, further comprising an air conditioning system for adjusting the temperature of a room in which the storage tank is provided, wherein the control device controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe to minimize an objective function in which at least the risk of the return pipe being damaged by the outdoor temperature and the cost of the energy consumed by the air conditioning system are variables.

[0011] A control method relating to a sixth aspect of this disclosure includes a computer controlling the flow rate of circulating water flowing through a return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping.

[0012] The control method according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to perform a process to control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through a return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping.

[0013] According to the circulating water treatment system, control method, and control program according to the present disclosure, even when the return pipe through which the circulating water flows is provided outdoors, the risk of damage to the pipe due to changes in the outside air temperature can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the circulating water treatment system 1 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 according to the present embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings may be exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the circulating water treatment system 1 according to the present embodiment. The circulating water treatment system 1 may treat any liquid. Hereinafter, as an example, a case where the circulating water treatment system 1 is a small circulating type water treatment system that treats the drainage discharged from a building such as a residence through the forward pipe 2 in the machine room and returns the treated water after liquid treatment to the building from the machine room through the return pipe 3 as circulating water will be described.

[0017] In the machine room, a first tank 10, a second tank 20, a third tank 30, and air conditioning equipment 40 are provided.

[0018] The first tank 10 is a storage tank for temporarily storing the liquid to be treated. Here, it is assumed that the first tank 10 is a drainage adjustment tank for temporarily storing the drainage discharged from the building's water utilization system through the forward pipe 2.

[0019] The first tank 10 is provided with a first pump 11. The first pump 11 is a pump for transferring the liquid to be treated from the first tank 10 to the second tank 20.

[0020] The second tank 20 is a liquid treatment tank for treating the liquid to be treated. Here, it is assumed that the second tank 20 is a biological treatment tank for purifying the drainage using microorganisms.

[0021] The second tank 20 is provided with a second pump 21. The second pump 21 is a pump for transferring the liquid in the second tank 20 as treated water from the second tank 20 to the third tank 30. Here, it is assumed that the second pump 21 is a membrane filtration pump that filters by sucking the biologically treated liquid by the pump. In addition, the second tank 20 may be further provided with an aeration device (not shown) for activating the microorganisms in the second tank 20.

[0022] The third tank 30 is a treated water storage tank for temporarily storing the treated water. Here, the treated water stored in the third tank 30 will return to the building through the return pipe 3 as circulating water. Therefore, the third tank 30 is a storage tank as the water source for the circulating water.

[0023] The third tank 30 is provided with a third pump 31. The third pump 31 is a pump for transferring the treated water as circulating water from the third tank 30 to the building. Here, it is assumed that the third pump 31 is a return pump for returning the treated water as domestic water to the building's water utilization system.

[0024] The air conditioning equipment 40 is equipment for conditioning the air in the machine room. The air conditioning equipment 40 may be provided with at least a heating and cooling function for adjusting the temperature in the machine room.

[0025] In the circulating water treatment system 1, if the machine room is located away from the building, the supply pipe 2 and return pipe 3 will be installed outdoors. Here, "outdoors" refers to the entire area excluding the building and machine room, and can be interpreted as including not only the ground but also the underground.

[0026] When piping is installed outdoors in this manner, it is exposed to the outside air. Therefore, there is a risk that the piping will be damaged by the outside temperature. For example, when the outside temperature drops in winter, the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 may freeze and expand in volume, causing the return pipe 3 to burst. Also, when the outside temperature rises in summer, bacteria may proliferate in the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3, generating corrosive substances, which can cause the return pipe 3 to rot.

[0027] Therefore, in the circulating water treatment system 1 according to this embodiment, the control device 100 controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the return pipe 3. To achieve this, the circulating water treatment system 1 may further include a return pipe 4, a valve 5, a first thermometer 6, and a second thermometer 7.

[0028] The return pipe 4 is a pipe that branches off from the return pipe 3 and returns the circulating water that flows into the return pipe 3 back to the third tank 30, which is the storage tank at the source of the water supply. A valve 5 is provided in the return pipe 4.

[0029] The first thermometer 6 is installed on the outer surface of the return pipe 3 outdoors and measures the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3. The second thermometer 7 is installed inside the third tank 30 and measures the temperature of the treated water stored in the third tank 30, that is, the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors.

[0030] The control device 100 controls the entire circulating water treatment system 1. The control device 100 may be connected to the first pump 11, the second pump 21, the third pump 31, the valve 5, the first thermometer 6, the second thermometer 7, and the air conditioning equipment 40 via wired or wireless means.

[0031] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. The control device 100 includes a processor 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, storage 104, a communication interface 105, and a user interface 106. These components are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with one another via a bus 109.

[0032] The processor 101 executes various programs and controls each component. Here, the processor 101 is assumed to be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The ROM 102 stores various programs and data. The RAM 103 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 104 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs and data, including the operating system.

[0033] In the control device 100 according to this embodiment, the control program 107 is stored in the ROM 102 or storage 104. In this figure, the case where the control program 107 is stored in the storage 104 is shown as an example. The processor 101 reads the control program 107 from the ROM 102 or storage 104 and executes it using the RAM 103 as a work area, thereby performing control of each configuration and various calculation processes according to the control program 107.

[0034] The communication interface 105 is an interface for the control device 100 to communicate with other devices. The user interface 106 is an input / output interface for the control device 100 to exchange information with a user. The user interface 106 may include input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, and microphone, and output devices such as a monitor and speakers.

[0035] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. The control device 100 includes a monitoring unit 110, a flow rate control unit 120, and an air conditioning control unit 130. These functional configurations may be implemented in the processor 101 by the processor 101 reading the control program 107 from the ROM 102 or storage 104, expanding it into the RAM 103, and executing it.

[0036] The monitoring unit 110 monitors the temperature T1 measured by the first thermometer 6. The monitoring unit 110 also monitors the temperature T2 measured by the second thermometer 7. The monitoring unit 110 also monitors the operating status of the air conditioning equipment 40. The monitoring unit 110 also monitors the water levels in each tank measured by a water level gauge (not shown).

[0037] The flow control unit 120 controls the flow rate of the liquid to be treated being transferred from the first tank 10 to the second tank 20 by controlling the first pump 11. The flow control unit 120 also controls the flow rate of treated water being transferred from the second tank 20 to the third tank 30 by controlling the second pump 21. The flow control unit 120 also controls the flow rate of circulating water being returned from the third tank 30 to the building via the return pipe 3 by controlling the third pump 31. Furthermore, the flow control unit 120 controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 by controlling the valve 5 to return the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 back to the third tank 30.

[0038] The air conditioning control unit 130 controls the air conditioning equipment 40 to maintain a suitable temperature in the machine room (for example, 20°C to 25°C). The case in which such a control device 100 controls the circulating water treatment system 1 will be described in three separate embodiments. However, the three embodiments do not necessarily have to be implemented independently; two or three embodiments may be combined and implemented.

[0039] <First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based on the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3. As described above, as the ambient temperature decreases, the temperature of the return pipe 3, which is located outdoors, also decreases. If the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 freezes, there is a risk that its volume will expand and the return pipe 3 will burst.

[0040] Therefore, the control device 100 monitors the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3 measured by the first thermometer 6, and when the temperature T1 is set to a predetermined threshold T L If the threshold T falls below this level, the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is increased. L The threshold T may be automatically set by the control device 100 based on at least one of the properties of the circulating water and the specifications of the return pipe 3, or it may be set manually by the user based on empirical rules. L This can be, for example, 5°C, preferably 15°C. Here, the threshold T L The temperature is set to 15°C. This prevents freezing and ensures that the circulating water is not too cold when reused in the building, allowing for comfortable use.

[0041] Therefore, the control device 100 may increase the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 when the temperature T1 falls below 15°C. In this case, the control device 100 may continuously or stepwise control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 so that the lower the temperature T1, the greater the flow rate.

[0042] Furthermore, as mentioned above, as the outside temperature rises, the temperature of the return pipe 3, which is located outdoors, also rises. If bacteria proliferate in the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3, there is a risk that corrosive substances will be generated, causing the return pipe 3 to rot.

[0043] Therefore, the control device 100 monitors the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3 measured by the first thermometer 6, and when the temperature T1 is set to a predetermined threshold T H If it exceeds the threshold T, the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is increased. HFurthermore, the control device 100 may automatically set the threshold T based on at least one of the properties of the circulating water and the specifications of the return piping 3, or it may be set manually by the user based on empirical rules. H This can be, for example, 80°C, preferably 60°C, more preferably 35°C. Here, the threshold T H The temperature is set to 35°C. This prevents bacterial growth and ensures that the recycled water is not too hot when reused in the building, allowing for comfortable use.

[0044] Therefore, the control device 100 may increase the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 when the temperature T1 exceeds 35°C. In this case, the control device 100 may continuously or stepwise control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 so that the higher the temperature T1, the greater the flow rate.

[0045] There are two methods for controlling the flow rate of circulating water through the return pipe 3. The first method is to control the valve 5. For example, the control device 100 may control the third pump 31 to pump at a predetermined power (e.g., full power). In this case, the return pipe 3 will be full. This makes the circulating water readily available for use in the building at any time.

[0046] When the return pipe 3 is full, opening the valve 5 creates a flow path that returns the circulating water from the return pipe 3 to the third tank 30 via the return pipe 4. This creates flow in the return pipe 3, thereby increasing the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3.

[0047] In this case, the control device 100 may control the flow rate of the circulating water by adjusting the throttle of the electric valve, or it may control the flow rate of the circulating water by adjusting the opening and closing frequency and interval of the solenoid valve. The control device 100 can control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing to the return pipe 3 by controlling the valve 5 in this manner, for example.

[0048] The second method is to control the third pump 31. The control device 100 can also control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 by controlling the third pump 31 installed in the return pipe 3.

[0049] The control device 100 may use both of these methods in combination to control the flow rate of the circulating water. This allows the control device 100 to control the flow rate of the circulating water with high precision over a wide range.

[0050] Furthermore, the control device 100 may switch between these two methods to control the flow rate of the circulating water. In this case, for example, the first method may be adopted during the daytime when the circulating water is frequently used in the building, and the second method may be adopted at night when the circulating water is not frequently used in the building. This allows the control device 100 to control the flow rate of the circulating water in a manner that is appropriate to the usage of the circulating water.

[0051] In this way, the control device 100 controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on a predetermined temperature range for the outdoor piping (for example, 5°C to 80°C, preferably 5°C to 60°C, more preferably 15°C to 35°C). When the temperature of the outdoor piping is outside the temperature range, the control device 100 increases the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3. This prevents freezing and bacterial growth, and thus reduces the risk of damage to the piping due to changes in outside temperature, even if the return pipe 3 is installed outdoors.

[0052] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, we described a case where the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based solely on the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3. However, if the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors is high, it will not freeze even if it passes through the return pipe 3 located in the cold outdoors. Similarly, if the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors is low at the time of delivery, bacteria will not proliferate even if it passes through the return pipe 3 located in the hot outdoors.

[0053] Therefore, in the second embodiment, in addition to the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3, the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based on the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors. More specifically, the control device 100 may monitor the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors measured by the second thermometer 7 in addition to the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3 measured by the first thermometer 6.

[0054] Next, the control device 100 may predict the temperature of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 using the temperature T1 and the temperature T2. At this time, the control device 100 may predict the temperature of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on, for example, the model output output by the prediction model in response to inputting the properties of the circulating water, the specifications of the return pipe 3, the temperature T1, and the temperature T2 into the prediction model.

[0055] And when the temperature of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is outside the temperature range, the control device 100 may increase the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3. The temperature range in the second embodiment may be the same as or different from the temperature range in the first embodiment.

[0056] The method of controlling the flow rate of the circulating water itself may be the same as that in the first embodiment, so the overlapping description will be omitted here. Thus, the control device 100 can also control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors.

[0057] <The Third Embodiment> In the first embodiment, when the temperature T1 is below the predetermined threshold value T L and when the temperature T1 is above the predetermined threshold value T H the case where the circulating water is returned from the return pipe 3 to the third tank 30 via the return pipe 4 has been described.

[0058] Here, when the temperature T1 is the predetermined threshold value T LIf the temperature falls below a certain level, the circulating water, cooled to a temperature lower than the room temperature of the machine room, will return to the machine room. As a result, the room temperature of the machine room will drop. In response, the control device 100 will strengthen the heating function of the air conditioning system 40 in order to maintain the room temperature of the machine room at an appropriate level. Consequently, the energy cost consumed by the air conditioning system 40 will increase.

[0059] Similarly, the temperature T1 is a predetermined threshold T H If the temperature exceeds a certain level, the circulating water, heated to a temperature higher than the room temperature of the machine room, will return to the machine room. As a result, the room temperature of the machine room will rise. In response, the control device 100 will strengthen the cooling function of the air conditioning system 40 in order to maintain the room temperature of the machine room at an appropriate level. Consequently, the energy cost consumed by the air conditioning system 40 will increase.

[0060] Thus, if we try to reduce the risk of the return pipe 3 being damaged by the outdoor temperature, the energy cost consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40 will increase. Therefore, it can be said that there is a trade-off between the two. In the third embodiment, the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based on both the risk of damage to the return pipe 3 and the energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40.

[0061] More specifically, the control device 100 calculates the risk of the return piping 3 being damaged by the outdoor temperature based on at least the temperature T1 measured by the first thermometer 6, and preferably also based on the temperature T2 measured by the second thermometer 7. In this case, the control device 100 may calculate the degree of risk corresponding to temperatures T1 and T2 by referring to a predetermined table.

[0062] In parallel with this, the control device 100 monitors the operating status of the air conditioning equipment 40. Next, the control device 100 calculates the cost of the energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40 based on the operating status.

[0063] The control device 100 then controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 by solving an objective function with risk and cost as variables. More specifically, the control device 100 may determine the flow rate that minimizes cost while keeping the risk within a predetermined acceptable range by solving the objective function. The control device 100 then controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 by controlling the valve 5 according to this flow rate. The control device 100 can also, for example, control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 in such a way as to minimize an objective function with at least the risk of the return pipe 3 being damaged by outdoor temperatures and the cost of energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40 as variables.

[0064] As described above using the three embodiments, the circulating water treatment system 1 according to this embodiment includes a control device 100, which controls the flow rate of circulating water through the return pipe 3 based on a predetermined outdoor temperature range. As a result, the circulating water treatment system 1 according to this embodiment reduces the risk of damage to the pipe due to changes in outside temperature, even when the return pipe 3 through which the circulating water flows is located outdoors.

[0065] The processes described above can also be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits. In this case, the process may be executed on a single piece of hardware or on multiple pieces of hardware.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the term "processor" refers to a broad type of processor, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and specialized processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0067] Furthermore, the processor operations described above may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate.

[0068] Furthermore, the aforementioned program may be provided on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, flexible disk, or CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or it may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in memory or storage. This program may also be provided, for example, as a standalone application software, or it may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of that device.

[0069] Furthermore, the aforementioned program can be provided as a program product. A program product includes any form of product for providing a program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs on which the program is stored.

[0070] This disclosure is not limited to the foregoing, and it goes without saying that it can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from its intent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Liquid treatment system 2 Supply piping 3. Return piping 4. Return piping 5 valves 6. First thermometer 7. Second thermometer 10 First tank 11. The first pump 20 Second tank 21. Second pump 30 Third Tank 31. The third pump 100 Control device 101 Processors 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 storage 105 Communication Interface 106 User Interface 110 Monitoring Department 120 Flow Control Unit 130 Air Conditioning Control Unit

Claims

1. It is equipped with a control device that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range for the outdoor piping. A recirculating water treatment system.

2. The control device increases the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe when the temperature of the outdoor piping is outside the temperature range. The circulating water treatment system according to claim 1.

3. The control device further controls the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return piping based on the temperature of the circulating water supplied to the outdoors. The circulating water treatment system according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a return pipe that returns the circulating water flowing through the return pipe via a valve back to the storage tank at the source of the water supply. The control device controls the valve to control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return piping. A circulating water treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The facility further includes an air conditioning system for adjusting the temperature of the room in which the storage tank is installed. The control device controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe so as to minimize an objective function in which at least the risk of the return pipe being damaged by outdoor temperatures and the cost of energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment are variables. The circulating water treatment system according to claim 4.

6. The computer controls the flow rate of circulating water in the return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor piping. Control method.

7. The computer is instructed to perform a process that controls the flow rate of circulating water in the return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range for the outdoor piping. Control program.

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