Cooling device, cooling device operation method, and cooling device control system

Abstract

To provide a cooling device contributing to relaxing rapid increase in substantial electricity demand when installed in an area where the rapid increase in substantial electricity demand pauses a problem.SOLUTION: A control part 60 drives a compressor 30 to execute a cold storage operation for storing cold in a cold storage material 51 during inside cooling in a preliminarily set second time zone prior to a zone where substantial electricity demand rapidly increases on the basis of a change amount of the substantial electricity demand per day obtained by subtracting an electric energy generated in photovoltaic power generation facilities from a real electric power consumption amount. The control part 60 executes a cold radiation operation where a refrigeration fan 23 and a freezing fan 25 are driven to radiate cold heat stored in the cold storage material 51 in a state of stopping the compressor 30 in the first time zone as a zone where the substantial electricity demand rapidly increases after the second time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooling device having a cold storage function, a method for operating the cooling device, and a control system for the cooling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that includes a cold storage material provided on at least the upper surface of an inner wall of a storage compartment, and a receiving device that receives a power demand signal from an instrument that measures power consumption, and that performs steady-state operation by switching between a normal operation in which a cooling operation is performed so that the temperature inside the storage compartment becomes a first temperature, and a cold storage operation in which a cooling operation is performed so that the temperature inside the storage compartment becomes a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature, based on the power demand signal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5843483 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a cooling device, a cooling device operating method, and a cooling device control system that can contribute to mitigating a sudden increase in real power demand when installed in an area where a sudden increase in real power demand is a problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The cooling device of the present disclosure includes a compressor, a cooler, a blower, a cold storage means that stores cold energy by cooling the cooler, and a control unit that controls the compressor and the blower, and the control unit performs a cold storage operation in which the compressor is driven to store cold energy in the cold storage means while cooling the compartment, during a preset second time period before a region in which real power demand increases rapidly based on a daily change in real power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption, and performs a cold release operation in which the blower is driven with the compressor stopped to release the cold heat stored in the cold storage means during a first time period that is a region in which real power demand increases rapidly after the second time period. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The cooling device of the present disclosure cools the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment by dissipating the cold heat stored in the cold storage means during a first time period which is an area where actual power demand increases rapidly, thereby reducing the amount of power consumption in the area where actual power demand increases rapidly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigeration heat exchanger according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] Block diagram showing a control configuration of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Graph showing daily changes in real power demand in the first embodiment [Diagram 5] Flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator in the first embodiment [Figure 6] Timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator in the first embodiment [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] A block diagram showing a control configuration of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Timing chart showing the operation of a refrigerator in embodiment 2 [Figure 10] A block diagram showing a control configuration of the third embodiment. [Figure 11] Timing chart showing the operation of a refrigerator in the third embodiment [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] Timing chart showing the operation of a refrigerator in the fourth embodiment [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a control system for a cooling device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a control system for a cooling device according to a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] (The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors came up with the idea for the present disclosure, a sudden increase in real electricity demand, the so-called duck curve phenomenon, was becoming an issue in areas where solar power generation facilities and the like had been introduced on a large scale. In these regions, the net load, which is the actual electricity consumption minus the amount of electricity generated by solar power generation facilities and other sources, varies characteristically throughout the day. In the morning, people wake up and start consuming electricity, so the real electricity demand gradually increases, and at noon, a large amount of electricity is supplied from the solar power generation facilities, so the real electricity demand decreases. When the sun sets in the evening, the power supply from the solar power generation facilities stops, so the real electricity demand increases sharply, and at night, people go to bed, so the real electricity demand decreases. If the daily changes in real electricity demand are plotted on a graph, the graph resembles the shape of a duck, so the above phenomenon is defined as the duck curve phenomenon. Incidentally, since cooling devices such as refrigerators need to cool the interior of the refrigerator all day long, the inventors discovered a problem in that installing conventional cooling devices as is in areas where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem would not contribute to mitigating the duck curve phenomenon. In order to solve this problem, the inventors came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure. The present disclosure provides a cooling device, an operating method for a cooling device, and a control system for a cooling device that can contribute to mitigating a sudden increase in real electricity demand (duck curve phenomenon) when installed in an area where a sudden increase in real electricity demand is a problem.

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming more redundant than necessary and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that 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.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Refrigerator configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a box-shaped main body 10. A partition plate 11 that divides the internal space of the main body 10 is provided in approximately the center in the vertical direction of the main body 10. The upper side of the partition plate 11 is a refrigeration compartment 12, and the lower side of the partition plate 11 is a freezer compartment 13. A refrigerator compartment door 14 is provided on the front side of the refrigerator compartment 12 so as to be freely opened and closed, and a freezer compartment door 15 is provided on the front side of the freezer compartment 13 so as to be freely opened and closed.

[0011] A refrigeration duct 20 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the rear of the refrigeration compartment 12. A freezing duct 21 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the rear of the freezing compartment 13. A refrigeration cooler 22 is housed inside the refrigeration duct 20 and at the back of the refrigeration compartment 12. A refrigeration fan 23 is disposed above the refrigeration cooler 22. By driving the refrigeration fan 23, the air inside the refrigeration compartment 12 is sucked in from below the refrigeration duct 20, passes through the refrigeration cooler 22 for heat exchange, and is then blown out from above the refrigeration duct 20 into the inside of the refrigeration compartment 12.

[0012] A refrigeration cooler 24 is housed inside the refrigeration duct 21 and at the back of the freezing chamber 13. A refrigeration fan 25 is disposed above the refrigeration cooler 24. By driving the refrigeration fan 25, the air inside the freezing chamber 13 is sucked in from below the refrigeration duct 21, passes through the refrigeration cooler 24 for heat exchange, and is then blown out from above the refrigeration duct 21 into the inside of the freezing chamber 13. Below the refrigeration duct 21, a heater 26 is disposed.

[0013] A compressor 30 is installed at the upper rear of the main body 10. A condenser 31 is connected to the compressor 30 via a refrigerant pipe 32. A three-way valve 33 is connected to the condenser 31, and the refrigeration cooler 22 is connected to the three-way valve 33 via an expansion mechanism 34. In addition, the refrigeration cooler 24 is connected to the three-way valve 33 via an expansion mechanism 35 . A refrigeration refrigerant cycle is formed in which the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the three-way valve 33, the expansion mechanism 34, and the refrigeration cooler 22, and a refrigeration refrigerant cycle is formed in which the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the three-way valve 33, the expansion mechanism 35, and the refrigeration cooler 24. The refrigeration refrigerant cycle and the freezing refrigerant cycle can be switched by switching the three-way valve 33.

[0014] [1-1-2. Cooling unit configuration] Next, the configuration of a cooler mounted in the refrigerator 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooler according to the first embodiment. Since the refrigeration cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24 have the same configuration, the refrigeration cooler 22 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0015] 2, the refrigerant cooler 22 is provided with a refrigerant conducting member 40 through which a refrigerant flows. The refrigerant conducting member 40 is formed of a porous flat tube in which a plurality of substantially rectangular passages are continuously arranged. The refrigerant conducting member 40 is formed in a serpentine shape and includes a plurality of flat tubes 41 formed approximately in parallel at a predetermined interval and bent portions 42 connecting the ends of the flat tubes 41. In this embodiment, six flat tubes 41 are provided between headers, which will be described later. The number of flat tubes 41 is not limited to this, but can be set arbitrarily. Also, each flat tube 41 and the bent portion 42 may be integral with each other, and a single flat tube 41 may be formed between the headers by meandering.

[0016] In this embodiment, the flat tubes 41 and the bent portions 42 are divided into three regions, an upper region 43, a middle region 44, and a lower region 45, in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the area is divided into three areas in the vertical direction, but it may be divided into two areas or four or more areas in the vertical direction.

[0017] An inlet header 46 and an outlet header 47 extending vertically are provided at one end of the outermost flat tube 41 .

[0018] 2, a partition plate 48 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the upper region 43 and the middle region 44 of the inlet side header 46. The middle region 44 and the lower region 45 of the inlet side header 46 are in communication with each other. A partition plate 49 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the middle region 44 and the lower region 45 of the outlet side header 47. The upper region 43 and the middle region 44 of the outlet side header 47 are in communication with each other.

[0019] 2, the refrigerant flowing in from the upper part of the inlet side header 46 passes through the inside of the upper region 43 of the refrigerant conducting member 40 and flows to the outlet side header 47. The refrigerant flowing in the outlet side header 47 flows into the middle region 44 of the refrigerant conducting member 40 and into the inlet side header 46, flows through the lower region 45 via the inlet side header 46, and then flows out from the lower part of the outlet side header 47.

[0020] Air flow paths 50 and cold storage materials 51 serving as cold storage means are alternately arranged between the flat tubes 41 of the refrigerant conducting member 40. In this embodiment, air flow paths 50 are formed in the outermost and central portions, and a cold storage material 51 is disposed between each air flow path 50 . Fins 54 are arranged inside the air flow path 50, and are inclined at a predetermined angle to the flat tubes 41 and bent in a zigzag pattern. These fins 54 form a continuous air flow path 50 with an approximately triangular cross-sectional shape inside the air flow path 50.

[0021] As a result, the air inside the refrigerator flowing from the bottom to the top of the refrigeration duct 20 flows through the air flow path 50, and at this time, exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conducting member 40, and is cooled to a predetermined temperature. Also, by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conducting member 40 and the cold storage material 51, the cold storage material 51 is also cooled to a predetermined temperature.

[0022] In this embodiment, the cold storage material 51 is made of a thin film member of a metal material such as aluminum. The cold storage material 51 is flexible and deformable. The thickness of the cold storage material 51 is configured to be approximately the same as the gap between the flat tubes 41. By pressing the cold storage material 51 into the gaps between the flat tubes 41, the cold storage material 51 comes into close contact with the surfaces of each flat tube 41, thereby making it possible to hold the cold storage material 51 between the flat tubes 41.

[0023] Since the cold storage material 51 is required to cool the refrigerator compartment 12, which is cooled to about 4° C., a cold storage material 51A for cold storage having a melting point lower than 4° C., for example, a cold storage material 51A for cold storage having a melting point of −3° C. to −15° C., is used. Also, since the cold storage material 51 is required to cool the inside of the freezer compartment 13, which is cooled to about −18° C., a cold storage material 51B for freezing having a melting point lower than −18° C., for example, a cold storage material 51B for freezing having a melting point of −21° C., is required.

[0024] [1-1-3. Description of control configuration] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 includes a processor such as a CPU or MPU that executes a program, and memories such as a ROM and RAM, and executes various processes through cooperation between hardware and software such that the processor reads out a control program stored in the memory and executes the process. The control unit 60 controls the compressor 30 , the refrigeration fan 23 , the freezing fan 25 , the three-way valve 33 and the heater 26 based on the temperatures detected by the refrigeration room temperature sensor 61 and the freezing room temperature sensor 62 .

[0025] Figure 4 is a graph showing daily changes in real electricity demand. Pattern A (dotted line graph) and Pattern B (solid line graph) in Figure 4 are graphs that each show the daily changes in real electricity demand in a certain area. Pattern B shows a typical duck curve phenomenon, where real power demand falls between 8:00 and 17:00 due to the use of renewable energy facilities such as solar power generation, and real power demand rises sharply between 17:00 and 20:00. In addition, in the case of pattern A, the fall in real power demand between 8:00 and 17:00 is not large, but like pattern B, there is a sharp rise in real power volume between 17:00 and 20:00. Pattern A is also a so-called duck curve phenomenon, and will be described in the embodiment. In response to such a sudden increase in the actual amount of power consumed during a specific time period in a day, it is necessary to carry out a cold-storage operation using a cold storage means to reduce the actual amount of power consumed. The control unit 60 executes a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold energy in the cold storage material 51 while the inside of the refrigerator is being cooled, during a second predetermined time period before the area in which the real power demand increases suddenly, based on the daily change in real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by renewable energy sources such as solar power generation facilities.

[0026] Here, the region where the real power demand increases sharply is, for example, the evening time period, specifically, the time period from 5 pm to 8 pm. During this time, real electricity demand tends to increase as families gather at home to prepare dinner and use lighting, air conditioning, etc. Generally, this trend of sharp increases in real electricity demand can be seen throughout the year. In addition, in winter, the demand for heating increases, so the time period from 5:00 to 8:00 is also an area where real electricity demand increases sharply. The first time period can be changed arbitrarily.

[0027] In this embodiment, the control unit 60 executes a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold in the cold storage material 51 during cooling of the inside of the refrigerator during a preset second time period prior to a preset first time period based on a daily change in actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy sources such as solar power generation equipment and wind power generation equipment from the actual power consumption. The second time period during which the cold storage operation is performed needs to be at least about two hours. Furthermore, in the second time period, the control unit 60 executes a cold discharging operation in which the cold energy stored in the cold storage material 51 is dissipated by driving the blower while the compressor 30 is stopped. Furthermore, during a preset third time period after the first time period, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to cool the inside of the cabinet to a set temperature, and executes a cooling operation to stabilize the inside temperature at the set temperature without performing a defrosting operation.

[0028] In addition, when the cooling operation is being performed, the control unit 60 may be configured to issue an alert using the display or buzzer of the refrigerator 1 if the door is opened and closed multiple times or if the door remains open for a long period of time. During the cold discharge operation, the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezer compartment 13 cannot be cooled at high capacity using the compressor 30, so by alerting the user, the temperature rise during the cold discharge operation can be suppressed. The control unit 60 may also display the power saving effect, such as the current power consumption and electricity charges of the refrigerator 1, on the display unit. This allows the user to visualize the power saving and improves their awareness of power saving. The above-mentioned notification of the opening and closing of the door, or the display of the power saving effect may be displayed on a terminal device such as a smartphone that is capable of communicating with the control unit 60.

[0029] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as above will be described below. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1. Fig. 6 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1. First, the control unit 60 performs normal operation before a preset second time period before the area where the real power demand increases sharply, based on the daily change in real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility (SA1). In normal operation, the compressor 30 is driven to send the refrigerant to the condenser 31, and the three-way valve 33 is switched to send the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooling device 22. When the refrigeration fan 23 is driven while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigeration cooling device 22, the air inside the refrigeration chamber 12 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooling device 22 as it flows from the bottom to the top of the refrigeration duct 20, and is returned to the refrigeration chamber 12. In this way, the refrigeration chamber 12 is cooled (SA2). In this case, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cooling device 22 also cools the refrigeration cold storage material 51A.

[0030] Similarly, by switching the three-way valve 33 to send the refrigerant to the freezing cooler 24, and driving the freezing fan 25 while the refrigerant is flowing through the freezing cooler 24, the air inside the freezing chamber 13 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the freezing cooler 24 as it flows from the bottom to the top of the freezing duct, and is returned to the freezing chamber 13. This cools the freezing chamber 13 (SA3). In this case, the refrigerant flowing through the freezing cooler 24 also cools the freezing cold storage material 51B. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature, the compressor 30 is stopped (SA4).

[0031] By performing normal operation in this manner, the refrigeration cold storage material 51A in close contact with the refrigeration cooler 22 and the freezing cold storage material 51B in close contact with the freezing cooler 24 are cooled and cold is stored, and when the compressor 30 is stopped and no refrigerant flows through the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24, the system enters a cold storage and release operation state in which cold is released.

[0032] Subsequently, when the second time slot before the first time slot arrives (SA5: YES), the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation (SA6). In the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the refrigeration cooler 24 side to allow refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration cooler 24, and the refrigeration fan 25 is driven to cool the freezer chamber 13 using the refrigeration cooler 24 while also cooling the refrigeration cold storage material 51B (SA7). This control is continued until the freezing rate of the cold storage material for freezing 51B reaches approximately 100%.

[0033] Thereafter, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the refrigeration cooler 22 side to allow the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration cooler 22, and the refrigeration fan 23 is driven to cool the refrigeration compartment 12 and the refrigeration cold storage material 51A (SA8). This control is also continued until the freezing rate of the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration reaches approximately 100%.

[0034] When storing cold in the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration, the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 23 is controlled based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 falls below a set temperature, the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 23 is reduced and the fan is driven. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 falls below 1.5°C, the fan 23 is controlled to stop. In this way, during cold storage operation, the freezer compartment is cooled before the refrigerator compartment is cooled, so that the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to 1.5°C until the temperature detected by the refrigerator room temperature sensor 61 reaches 1.5°C to prevent freezing, and even if the temperature undershoots, it will not drop below 0°C. On the other hand, the freezer compartment 13 has no lower limit temperature, so it can be overcooled (cooled down), and therefore, even if it is cooled excessively, the sensible heat can be stored in the cold storage material 51B for freezing.

[0035] Then, the freezer compartment cooling operation and the refrigerator compartment cooling operation are repeatedly performed until the first time slot (the start time of the cooling operation) arrives. Then, when the cold-storage operation in the second time period is completed and the first time period begins (SA9: YES), the control unit 60 starts the cold-discharging operation (SA10). In the cold discharge operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 23 based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 measured by the refrigerator room temperature sensor 61. Similarly, the control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the freezing fan 25 based on the temperature inside the freezing compartment 13 measured by the freezing room temperature sensor 62.

[0036] Then, when the state in which the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is higher than the first temperature (e.g., 6°C) continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) (SA11-1: YES), the cold discharge operation is terminated (SA12). Also, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is lower than the first temperature (SA11-1: NO) and the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 is higher than the second temperature (e.g., -18°C) continues for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 minutes) (SA11-2: YES), the cold discharge operation is terminated (SA12). In addition, if the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is lower than the first temperature and the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 is lower than the second temperature (SA11-2: NO), and the first time period has elapsed (SA11-3: YES), the cooling operation is terminated (SA12). Basically, the start of the third time period is set in advance, but as described above, if the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or if the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 remains higher than -18°C for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated without waiting for the end of the first time period, and the third time period, which is to start at the originally scheduled time, is brought forward to start the in-compartment cooling operation.

[0037] When the third time period in which the cold discharge operation has ended is reached (SA13: YES), the control unit 60 starts the internal cooling operation (SA14). The internal cooling operation is performed to lower the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 that have risen due to the cold discharge operation. The internal cooling operation involves driving the compressor 30 and sending a refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 22, and driving the refrigeration fan 23 to exchange heat between the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 22 and the air in the refrigeration compartment 12, thereby cooling the refrigeration compartment 12. When the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 drops to a predetermined temperature, the three-way valve 33 is switched to send the refrigerant to the freezing cooler 24. The freezing fan 25 is driven to exchange heat between the refrigerant in the freezing cooler 24 and the air in the freezing compartment 13, thereby cooling the freezing compartment 13. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature (SA15: YES), the inside cooling operation is terminated and the operation shifts to normal operation (SA1).

[0038] The control unit 60 is configured to perform the defrosting operation during time periods other than the first time period, the second time period, and the third time period, that is, when normal operation is being performed. Typically, when the door is frequently opened and closed, such as during meal preparation, it is determined that the amount of frost on the cooling device will increase, and a defrosting operation may be performed. However, in this embodiment, the time when preparing meals corresponds to the first time period, and it is highly likely that the cold discharge operation is being performed. Therefore, if the defrost operation is performed during the cold discharge operation, the cold storage material 51 may melt, and the cold storage material 51 may not be able to discharge the cold. Therefore, in this embodiment, by controlling so that the defrosting operation is performed during normal operation, it becomes possible to perform the cold discharging operation using the cold storage material 51.

[0039] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, this embodiment includes the compressor 30, the refrigeration cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24 (coolers), the refrigeration fan 23 and the freezing fan 25 (blower), the refrigeration cold storage material 51A and the freezing cold storage material 51B (cold storage material) that are cooled by the refrigeration cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24, and the control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30, the refrigeration fan 23, and the freezing fan 25. The control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 and executes a cold storage operation to store cold in the cold storage material 51 during cooling inside the refrigerator during a preset second time period before the region where the real power demand increases rapidly, based on a daily change in real power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. During the first time period, which is an area in which actual power demand increases sharply after the second time period, the control unit 60 stops the compressor 30 and drives the refrigeration fan 23 and the freezing fan 25 to perform a cold discharging operation to dissipate the cold stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51A and the freezing cold storage material 51B. As a result, in the first time period which is a region where the real power demand increases rapidly in the so-called duck curve phenomenon, the cold heat stored in the cold storage material 51 is released to cool the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed in the region where the real power demand increases rapidly. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the duck curve phenomenon can be mitigated.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to perform the inside cooling operation during a preset third time period that follows the first time period. As a result, when the cooling operation is performed in the first time period and the temperatures inside refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 rise, refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 can be cooled quickly. In addition, although the present disclosure has been described as a solar power generation facility, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the actual power demand is the amount of power generated by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy sources such as wind power generation.

[0041] (Embodiment 2) [2-1. Configuration] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of refrigerator 1 in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the refrigeration cooler 22 is not used, and both the freezing compartment 13 and the refrigeration compartment 12 are cooled by the freezing cooler 24 alone. In this embodiment, a damper 27 is provided between the refrigeration duct 20 and the freezing duct 21. The damper 27 can switch between sending the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24 from the refrigeration duct 21 to the freezing chamber 13 or from the refrigeration duct 20 to the refrigeration chamber 12. In addition, by adjusting the opening and closing amount of the damper 27, it is possible to adjust the flow rate of cold air sent to the freezing compartment 13 or the refrigerating compartment 12.

[0042] [2-1-2. Description of control configuration] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the second embodiment. 8, in the present embodiment, like the first embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls the compressor 30, the freezing fan 25, the damper 27, and the heater 26 based on the temperatures detected by the refrigerating room temperature sensor 61 and the freezing room temperature sensor 62.

[0043] As in the first embodiment, the control unit 60 performs a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold energy in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during cooling inside the storage compartment during a second predetermined time period before the area in which the real power demand increases suddenly, based on the daily change in the real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility. In this embodiment, the control unit 60 performs a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during cooling inside the storage compartment during a preset second time period prior to a preset first time period based on the daily change in actual power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility. Furthermore, in the first time period, the control unit 60 executes a cold discharging operation in which the refrigeration fan 25 is driven with the compressor 30 stopped to dissipate the cold stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B. Furthermore, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 to perform the inside cooling operation during a preset third time period that follows the first time period.

[0044] [2-2. Operation] FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of refrigerator 1 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 60 performs normal operation before a pre-set second time period before the area where the real power demand increases sharply, based on the daily change in real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility. In normal operation, the compressor 30 is driven to send the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 24 via the condenser 31, and while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigeration cooler 24, the refrigeration fan 25 is driven, and as the air inside the freezer compartment 13 flows from the bottom to the top of the refrigeration duct 21, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24, is cooled, and is returned to the freezer compartment 13. As a result, the freezer compartment 13 is cooled, and the freezer cold storage material 51B is also cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the freezer cooler 24. At that time, the damper 27 is opened to send the cold air that has passed through the freezer cooler 24 to the refrigeration duct 20, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 12. When the freezer compartment 12 has been cooled to a predetermined temperature, the damper 27 is closed to cool only the freezer compartment 13. The cooling of the refrigeration compartment 12 is performed by controlling the opening and closing of a damper 27 disposed upstream of the refrigeration duct 20 to send cold air that has passed through the freezing cooler 24 to the refrigeration duct 20, thereby cooling the refrigeration compartment 12. When the freezing compartment 13 is cooled to a set temperature (eg, -18°C) and the refrigerating compartment 12 is at a temperature equal to or lower than a set temperature (eg, 4°C), the compressor 30 is stopped.

[0045] Subsequently, when the second time slot, which is before the first time slot, arrives, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. In the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven to cause the refrigerant to flow through the freezing cooler 24, so that the freezing cooler 24 cools the freezing compartment 13 and also cools the freezing cold storage material 51B. This control is continued until the freezing rate of the cold storage material for freezing 51B reaches approximately 100%.

[0046] When the cold-storing operation in the second time period is completed and the first time period begins, the control unit 60 starts a cold-releasing operation. In the cold discharging operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the freezing fan 25 to a lower speed than during normal operation based on the inside temperatures of the freezer compartment 13 and the refrigerator compartment 12, and controls the opening and closing of the damper 27 to adjust the amount of cold discharging and perform the cooling operation while suppressing overcooling of the refrigerator compartment 12. Then, as in the first embodiment, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated without waiting for the end of the first time period, and the inside cooling operation is started.

[0047] When the first time zone has elapsed and the cooling operation has ended, the control unit 60 starts an inside cooling operation. The internal cooling operation involves driving the compressor 30 and sending a refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 24, and driving the refrigeration fan 25 to exchange heat between the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 13, and controlling the opening and closing of the damper 27 to cool the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature, the interior cooling operation is terminated and the operation shifts to normal operation.

[0048] [2-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the system includes the compressor 30, the refrigeration cooler 24 (cooler), the refrigeration fan 25 (blower), the refrigeration cold storage material 51B (cold storage material) that stores cold by cooling the cooler, and the control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30 and the refrigeration fan 25. The control unit 60 executes a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to store cold in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during cooling of the inside of the refrigerator, during a preset second time period before the region where the real power demand increases rapidly, based on a daily change in the real power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the photovoltaic power generation facility from the actual power consumption. The control unit 60 executes a cold discharging operation in which the compressor 30 is stopped and the refrigeration fan 25 is driven to dissipate the cold stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51B during cooling of the refrigerator, during a first time period that is a region where the real power demand increases rapidly after the second time period. As a result, in the first time period which is a region where the actual power demand increases rapidly in the so-called duck curve phenomenon, the cold heat stored in the cold storage material for freezing 51B is released to cool the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed in the region where the actual power demand increases rapidly. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the duck curve phenomenon can be mitigated.

[0049] (Embodiment 3) [3-1. Configuration] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the refrigeration cooler 22 is provided with a cold storage material 51A for cold storage, but in this embodiment, the freezing cooler 24 is not provided with a cold storage material.

[0050] [3-2. Operation] FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 60 performs normal operation before a pre-set second time period before the area where the real power demand increases sharply, based on the daily change in real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility. In normal operation, the compressor 30 is driven to send the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24 via the condenser 31, and while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24, the refrigeration fan 23 or the freezing fan 25 is driven to cool the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezing compartment 13. At this time, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration cooler 22 also cools the cold storage material 51A.

[0051] Subsequently, when the second time slot, which is before the first time slot, arrives, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. In the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven, and first, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the side of the refrigeration cooler 24 to allow the refrigerant to flow through the refrigeration cooler 24, thereby cooling the freezing compartment 13 by the refrigeration cooler 24. This operation is continued until the freezing compartment 13 reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., −26° C.) or for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 hours). Thereafter, the three-way valve 33 is switched to the side of the refrigeration cooler 22, so that the refrigeration chamber 12 is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 22, and the refrigeration cold storage material 51A is cooled. This control is continued until the freezing rate of the refrigeration cold storage material 51A reaches approximately 100%. When storing cold in the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration, the rotation speed of the cold storage fan 23 is controlled based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12, and when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is lower than the set temperature, the rotation speed is reduced and the fan 23 is stopped when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is 1.5° C. or lower. In this case, the temperature of the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration decreases, and the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration can store cold at the same time.

[0052] When the cold-storing operation in the second time period is completed and the first time period begins, the control unit 60 starts a cold-releasing operation. In the cold discharging operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 23 to low speed or intermittent operation based on the temperature inside the refrigeration compartment 12 detected by the refrigeration room temperature sensor 61. The freezing fan 25 is stopped, thereby suppressing heat exchange between the freezing cooler 24 and the air in the freezing compartment 13. Then, as in the first embodiment, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C and remains higher than that for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated and the inside cooling operation is started without waiting for the end of the first time period.

[0053] When the first time zone has elapsed and the cooling operation has ended, the control unit 60 starts an inside cooling operation. In the internal cooling operation, the compressor 30 is driven to send a refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 22 or the freezing cooler 24, thereby cooling the refrigerator compartment 12 or the freezing compartment 13. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature, the interior cooling operation is terminated and the operation shifts to normal operation.

[0054] [3-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, this embodiment includes the compressor 30, the refrigeration cooler 22 and the freezing cooler 24 (coolers), the refrigeration fan 23 and the freezing fan 25 (blower), the refrigeration cold storage material 51A (cold storage material) that stores cold by cooling the refrigeration cooler 22, and the control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30, the refrigeration fan 23, and the freezing fan 25. Based on the duck curve phenomenon that indicates a daily change in the actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption, the control unit 60 drives the compressor 30 during a preset second time period before the region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly to perform a cold storage operation in which cold storage is stored in the refrigeration cold storage material 51A during cooling inside the refrigerator. During the first time period, which is the region in which actual electricity demand increases sharply after the second time period, the control unit 60 performs a cold discharging operation in which the compressor 30 is stopped and the refrigeration fan 23 is driven to dissipate the cold stored in the refrigeration storage material 51A. As a result, in the first time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, the cold energy stored in the cold storage material 51A for refrigeration is released to cool the refrigerator compartment 12, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed in the area in which the actual power demand increases rapidly. Therefore, the refrigerator 1 can mitigate a rapid increase in the actual power demand.

[0055] (Embodiment 4) [4-1. Configuration] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of refrigerator 1 in embodiment 4 of the present invention. In this embodiment, both freezing compartment 13 and refrigerator compartment 12 are cooled only by freezing cooler 24 without using refrigeration cooler 22. As shown in FIG. 12, in this embodiment, the refrigeration cooler 24 is not provided with a cold storage material 51.

[0056] [4-2. Operation] FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 1 in the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 60 performs normal operation before a preset second time period before the area where the real power demand increases sharply, based on the daily change in real power demand, which is the actual power consumption minus the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility. In normal operation, the compressor 30 is driven to send the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 24 via the condenser 31, and while the refrigerant is flowing through the refrigeration cooler 24, the refrigeration fan 25 is driven, and as the air inside the freezer compartment 13 flows from the bottom to the top of the refrigeration duct 21, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24, is cooled, and is returned to the freezer compartment 13. When the freezing compartment 13 is cooled to a predetermined temperature (−18° C.), the damper 27 is opened to send the cold air that has passed through the freezing cooler 24 to the refrigeration duct, thereby cooling the refrigeration compartment 12.

[0057] Subsequently, when the second time slot, which is before the first time slot, arrives, the control unit 60 starts the cold storage operation. In the cold storage operation, the compressor 30 is driven to flow the refrigerant through the freezing cooler 24, and the freezing cooler 24 cools the freezing compartment. This operation continues until the temperature of the freezing compartment 13 becomes lower (e.g., −26°C) than the set temperature (−18°C) or for a predetermined time (e.g., 2 hours). The internal parts (such as the storage case) and the freezer interior wall are cooled to -26°C, and the internal parts and the freezer interior wall are used as cold storage means to store cold heat. Also, since food stored in the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to the same temperature, the food can be used as cold storage means to store heat.

[0058] When the cold-storing operation in the second time period is completed and the first time period begins, the control unit 60 starts a cold-releasing operation. In the cold discharging operation, the compressor 30 is stopped. The control unit 60 controls the opening and closing of the damper 27 based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 detected by the refrigerator room temperature sensor 61. The freezing fan 25 stops. This allows the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 to be maintained at or below the set temperature (-18°C) by the internal parts and walls of the freezer, which are cooled to -26°C as a cold storage means, and by the cooling of the food. As in the first embodiment, when the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 becomes higher than 6°C, or when the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 becomes higher than -18°C for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), the cooling operation is terminated.

[0059] When the first time zone has elapsed and the cooling operation has ended, the control unit 60 starts an inside cooling operation. The internal cooling operation involves driving the compressor 30, sending refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 24, and exchanging heat between the refrigerant in the refrigeration cooler 24 and the air in the freezer compartment 13 to cool the freezer compartment 13, and also controlling the opening and closing of the damper 27 to cool the refrigerator compartment 12. When the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature, the interior cooling operation is terminated and the operation shifts to normal operation.

[0060] [4-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, this embodiment includes the compressor 30, the refrigeration cooler 24 (cooler), the refrigeration fan 25 (blower), and the control unit 60 that controls the compressor 30 and the refrigeration fan 25. The control unit 60 executes a cold storage operation in which the compressor 30 is driven to cool the inside of the refrigerator to a predetermined temperature or lower during a preset second time period before the region in which the real power demand increases rapidly, based on a daily change in the real power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by the solar power generation facility from the actual power consumption. The control unit 60 executes a cold discharging operation in which the compressor 30 is stopped and the refrigeration fan 25 is driven to dissipate the stored cold heat during a first time period that is the region in which the real power demand increases rapidly after the second time period. As a result, in the first time period in which the real power demand increases rapidly, the stored cold heat is released to cool the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed in the area in which the real power demand increases rapidly. Therefore, when the refrigerator 1 is installed in an area in which a sudden increase in the real power demand is a problem, the sudden increase in the real power demand can be alleviated.

[0061] (Embodiment 5) Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control system for a cooling device according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 14, in this modification, the refrigerator 1 is configured to be able to communicate with a control unit 60, a power company server 70, and a cloud server 71. Power companies will determine whether the areas where real electricity demand will increase sharply will change based on the daily change in real electricity demand, which is actual electricity consumption minus the amount of electricity generated by solar power generation facilities. For example, if a time period from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. is set as a first pre-defined time period before the area where real power demand increases rapidly, and the electric power company determines that the area where real power demand increases rapidly has changed to a time period from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., a message to that effect is transmitted from the electric power company server 70 to the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 via the cloud server 71.

[0062] When the power company server 70 changes the area where the actual power demand increases rapidly, the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 resets the first time slot to 16:00 to 19:00. The control unit 60 resets the second time period and the third time period in response to the resetting of the first time period. The control unit 60 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the first time zone to the third time zone after the resetting. The control of the refrigerator 1 based on the first time zone to the third time zone is the same as that in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 3.

[0063] In this manner, in the fifth embodiment, the electric power company determines a change in the area where the real power demand increases rapidly and transmits the determination result to the refrigerator 1. This enables the refrigerator 1 to more accurately set the area where the real power demand increases rapidly and reduces the amount of power consumption in the area where the real power demand increases rapidly.

[0064] (Embodiment 6) Next, a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a control system for a cooling device according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, like the fifth embodiment, the refrigerator 1 is configured to be able to communicate with each other via a control unit 60, a power company server 70, and a cloud server 71. Furthermore, the cooling system of this modified example includes a terminal device 72 that is capable of communicating with the control unit 60 and the power company server 70 via a cloud server 71. The terminal device 72 is carried by the user of the refrigerator 1.

[0065] Cloud server 71, which is configured to be able to communicate with electric power company server 70, notifies terminal device 72 a predetermined time (e.g., one hour) before a preset second time zone for an area (first time zone) where actual electricity demand increases suddenly, which is preset by electric power company server 70, and the user is configured to be able to select whether or not to execute control of refrigerator 1 based on the preset first time zone, second time zone, and third time zone. When the user selects, via the terminal device 72 , to control the power supply in accordance with the region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, the selection result is transmitted to the control unit 60 . If the user selects to execute, the control unit 60 controls the refrigerator 1 based on the first time slot, the second time slot, and the third time slot. If the user selects not to execute, the control unit 60 continues normal operation.

[0066] Thus, in the sixth embodiment, the cloud server 71 notifies the terminal device 72 a predetermined time (e.g., one hour) before the preset second time zone, and the user can select whether or not to control the refrigerator 1 based on the preset first to third time zones. As a result, when the input load to the refrigerator is large in a region (first time period) where the actual power demand increases sharply depending on the day, the setting can be avoided according to the user's convenience.

[0067] (Embodiment 7) Next, a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The configuration of the seventh embodiment is the same as that of the sixth embodiment, and will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration in FIG. 15 is the same as that in the sixth embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] As in the fifth embodiment, when the area (first time zone) where the actual power demand increases suddenly changes, the electric power company server 70 transmits the area where the actual power demand increases suddenly to the cloud server 71, and the cloud server 71 transmits the determination result as to whether or not the area where the actual power demand increases suddenly changes to the control unit 60 of the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 72. When the cloud server 71 sends a change in the area where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing to the terminal device 72, the user can select whether to control the refrigerator 1 based on the new area where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing sent from the power company server 70 or based on the area where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing that is set in advance in the refrigerator 1.

[0069] Then, when the user selects, via the terminal device 72 , to perform control based on the region where the new actual power demand increases sharply, the selection result is transmitted to the control unit 60 . The control unit 60 resets the region where the new actual power demand increases rapidly as the first time period. The control unit 60 resets the second time period and the third time period in response to the resetting of the first time period.

[0070] On the other hand, when the user selects, through terminal device 72, not to select control based on the new area of ​​sudden increase in actual power demand sent from power company server 70, but to select control based on the area of ​​sudden increase in actual power demand set in advance in refrigerator 1, control unit 60 controls refrigerator 1 based on the first to third time periods set in advance.

[0071] In this way, in the seventh embodiment, the electric power company transmits the result of determining the change in the region where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing to the refrigerator 1 and the terminal device 72, and the user can select whether to control the refrigerator 1 based on the new region where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing transmitted from the electric power company server 70 or to control the refrigerator 1 based on the region where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing that is preset in the refrigerator 1. Therefore, the refrigerator 1 can be controlled based on the region where the actual power demand is rapidly increasing according to the user's preference.

[0072] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first to seventh embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first to seventh embodiments to create new embodiments.

[0073] (Additional Note) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques. (Technology 1) A cooling device comprising: a compressor, a cooler, a blower, cold storage means that stores cold energy by cooling the cooler, and a control unit that controls the compressor and the blower, wherein the control unit executes a cold storage operation to store cold energy in the cold storage means while cooling the compartment, by driving the compressor during a preset second time period before a region in which real power demand increases rapidly based on a daily change in real power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption, and executes a cold release operation to drive the blower with the compressor stopped and release the cold energy stored in the cold storage means during a first time period that is a region in which real power demand increases rapidly after the second time period. With this configuration, the cold energy stored in the cold storage means is released during the first time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly to cool the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, so that the amount of power consumed in the area in which the actual power demand increases rapidly can be reduced. Therefore, when the refrigerator is installed in the time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly or in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the sudden increase in the actual power demand can be alleviated.

[0074] (Technical 2) The cooling device according to Technical 1, wherein the control unit drives the compressor to perform an in-compartment cooling operation during a preset third time period after the first time period. With this configuration, when the cooling operation is performed in the first time period and the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment rise, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be cooled quickly.

[0075] (Technology 3) The cooling device according to Technology 1 or Technology 2, wherein the region in which the actual power demand rapidly increases is a preset time period in the evening. With this configuration, the area where actual power demand increases sharply can be set to the evening, when power consumption is relatively concentrated, such as during meal preparation, thereby reducing power consumption in the area where actual power demand increases sharply.

[0076] (Technology 4) The cooling device according to Technology 1 or Technology 2, wherein the region in which the actual power demand rapidly increases is a preset morning time period. With this configuration, the area where actual power demand increases rapidly can be set to the morning, when power consumption is relatively concentrated, such as during meal preparation, thereby reducing power consumption in the area where actual power demand increases rapidly.

[0077] (Technical 5) The cooling device according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 4, wherein the cooler is a cooler for refrigeration that cools a refrigerator compartment. With this configuration, the cold storage device stores cold in the cold storage means, and the cold storage means can perform a cold discharging operation.

[0078] (Technical 6) The cooling device according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 4, wherein the cooler is a refrigeration cooler that cools a freezing chamber. With this configuration, the refrigeration cooler stores cold in the cold storage means, and the cold storage means can perform a cold discharging operation.

[0079] (Technical 7) The cooling device according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 7, wherein the control unit executes a defrosting operation during a time period other than the first time period, the second time period, and the third time period. With this configuration, by performing defrosting operation during time periods other than the first, second, and third time periods, it is possible to suppress melting of the cold storage means due to defrosting during cold discharge operation, and to efficiently perform cold discharge operation using the cold storage means.

[0080] (Technical 8) The cooling device according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 7, wherein when the cold storage operation is performed in the second time period, cooling of the freezer compartment is performed before cooling of the refrigerator compartment. With this configuration, the refrigerator compartment is cooled to a temperature of 1.5°C to prevent freezing, and even if it undershoots, it will not drop below 0°C. On the other hand, the freezer compartment has no lower limit temperature, so it can be overcooled (cooled down) to a large extent. Therefore, even if it is cooled excessively, the sensible heat can also be stored in the cold storage means.

[0081] (Technology 9) A method for operating a cooling device comprising: a compressor, a cooler, a blower, and cold storage means that stores cold energy by cooling the cooler, the method comprising: performing a cold storage operation in which the compressor is driven to store cold energy in the cold storage means while cooling the compartment, during a preset second time period prior to a region in which real power demand increases rapidly based on a daily change in real power demand, which is obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption; and performing a cold release operation in which, with the compressor stopped, the blower is driven to release the cold heat stored in the cold storage means during a first time period which is a region in which real power demand increases rapidly after the second time period. With this configuration, the cold energy stored in the cold storage means is released during the first time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly to cool the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed in the area in which the actual power demand increases rapidly. Therefore, when the refrigerator is installed in an area in which the duck curve phenomenon is a problem, the duck curve phenomenon can be mitigated.

[0082] (Technology 10) The method for operating a cooling device according to Technology 9, further comprising driving the compressor to perform an in-compartment cooling operation during a preset third time period after the first time period. With this configuration, when the cooling operation is performed in the first time period and the temperatures inside the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment rise, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be cooled quickly.

[0083] (Technology 11) A control system for a cooling device, comprising: a server device provided by an electric power company that manages electric power demand; and a control unit capable of communicating with the server device and controlling operation of a cooling device, wherein the control unit executes a cold storage operation in which the compressor is driven to store cold heat in the cold storage means while cooling the inside of the refrigerator, during a preset second time period before a region in which real electric power demand suddenly increases, based on a daily change in real electric power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of electric power generated by renewable energy from the actual electric power consumption, and executes a cold release operation in which the blower is driven with the compressor stopped to release the cold heat stored in the cold storage means, during a first time period after the second time period which is a region in which real electric power demand suddenly increases, and when a change in the region in which real electric power demand suddenly increases is transmitted from the server device, the control unit changes the first time period which is the region in which real electric power demand suddenly increases, and executes the cold storage operation and the cold release operation. With this configuration, the electric power company can determine changes in the areas where actual power demand is rapidly increasing and send the results of that determination to the control unit, which can then more accurately set the areas where actual power demand is rapidly increasing, thereby reducing the amount of power consumption in those areas where actual power demand is rapidly increasing.

[0084] (Technology 12) A control system for a cooling device described in Technology 11, further comprising a terminal device carried by a user of the cooling device and capable of communicating with the server device or the control unit, wherein when a change in an area where actual power demand increases sharply is transmitted from the server device to the terminal device, the user can select using the terminal device whether to control based on the new area where actual power demand increases sharply transmitted from the server device or based on the area where actual power demand increases sharply that is set in advance in the control unit, and the control unit performs control based on the area where actual power demand increases sharply selected by the terminal device. According to this configuration, the electric power company transmits the result of determining the change in the region where the real power demand is rapidly increasing to the control unit and the terminal device, and the user can select whether to control based on the new region where the real power demand is rapidly increasing transmitted from the server device or based on the region where the real power demand is rapidly increasing that is preset in the control unit. Therefore, it is possible to control based on the region where the real power demand is rapidly increasing according to the user's preference. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] The present disclosure can reduce power consumption in an area where real power demand rapidly increases, and can be suitably used for a refrigerator that can alleviate a sudden increase in real power demand when the refrigerator is installed in a time period when real power demand rapidly increases or in an area where the duck curve phenomenon is a problem. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Refrigerator 10. Main Unit 11 Partition 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Refrigerator door 15 Freezer door 20 Refrigeration Duct 21 Refrigeration duct 22 Refrigerator Cooler 23 Refrigeration fan 24 Refrigeration cooler 25 Refrigeration Fan 26 Heater 27 Damper 30 Compressor 31 Condenser 32 Refrigerant piping 33 Three-way valve 34 Expansion Mechanism 35 Expansion Mechanism 40 Refrigerant conducting member 41 Flat tube 51 Cold storage material 60 Control section 70 Power company server 71 Cloud Server 72 Terminal Equipment

Claims

1. The cooling system includes a compressor, a cooler, a blower, a cold storage means that stores cold by cooling the cooler, and a control unit that controls the compressor and the blower, The control unit is based on a daily change in actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption, during a second preset time period before a region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, the compressor is driven to perform a cold storage operation for storing cold in the cold storage means while cooling the inside of the refrigerator; In a first time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly after the second time period, a cold discharging operation is performed in which the blower is driven while the compressor is stopped to dissipate the cold stored in the cold storage means. Cooling device.

2. The control unit drives the compressor to perform a storage cooling operation during a third time period set in advance after the first time period. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

3. The region in which the actual power demand rapidly increases is a preset evening time period. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

4. The region in which the actual power demand rapidly increases is a predetermined morning time period. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

5. The cooler is a cooler for refrigeration that cools a refrigerator compartment. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

6. The cooler is a refrigeration cooler that cools a freezing compartment. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

7. The control unit is A defrosting operation is performed during a time period other than the first time period, the second time period, and the third time period. The cooling device according to claim 2.

8. When the cold storage operation is performed in the second time period, the cooling of the freezer compartment is performed before the cooling of the refrigerator compartment. The cooling device according to claim 1 .

9. The cooling system includes a compressor, a cooler, a blower, and a cold storage means that stores cold by cooling the cooler, based on a daily change in actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption, during a second preset time period before a region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, a cold storage operation is performed in which the compressor is driven to store cold in the cold storage means while the inside of the refrigerator is being cooled; In a first time period in which the actual power demand increases rapidly after the second time period, a cold discharging operation is performed in which the blower is driven while the compressor is stopped to dissipate the cold stored in the cold storage means. How to operate a cooling system.

10. In a third time period set in advance after the first time period, the compressor is driven to perform an internal cooling operation. A method for operating a cooling system according to claim 9.

11. A server device provided by an electric power company that manages power demand, and a control unit that is capable of communicating with the server device and controls operation of a cooling device, The control unit is Based on a daily change in actual power demand obtained by subtracting the amount of power generated by renewable energy from the actual power consumption, a cold storage operation is performed during a preset second time period before a region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, in which the compressor is driven to store cold energy in the cold storage means while cooling the refrigerator, and during a first time period after the second time period, which is a region in which the actual power demand increases rapidly, a cold release operation is performed during which the blower is driven with the compressor stopped to release the cold energy stored in the cold storage means; When a change in an area where the actual power demand increases rapidly is transmitted from the server device, the first time period, which is an area where the actual power demand increases rapidly, is changed, and the cold storage operation and the cold release operation are performed. Cooling system control system.

12. a terminal device carried by a user of the cooling device and capable of communicating with the server device or the control unit; when a change in an area where actual power demand increases sharply is transmitted from the server device to the terminal device, the user can select, using the terminal device, whether to control based on the new area where actual power demand increases sharply transmitted from the server device or based on the area where actual power demand increases sharply that is set in advance in the control unit, The control unit performs control based on a region in which actual power demand increases rapidly, selected by the terminal device. The cooling device control system according to claim 11.

Images