Pumping equipment and control equipment

Abstract

To reduce adverse effect due to an error in remote control.SOLUTION: A pump device according to an aspect of the present invention is communicable with a management device. The pump device includes a detecting unit, a setting unit, and a control unit. The detecting unit detects a state of the pump device. The setting unit sets permission or prohibition of remote control by the management device in accordance with the state. The control unit controls the pump device in accordance with the set content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pump device and a management device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, pump equipment capable of long-distance communication has been developed, making it possible to remotely monitor pump equipment. With remote monitoring, for example, if an abnormality occurs in a pump equipment, a specialized worker can visit the site after understanding the nature of the abnormality in advance.

[0003] On the other hand, pump devices are not operated by general users but by specialized workers, so when an abnormality occurs in a pump device, it is necessary to wait for a worker to visit, and once a breakdown occurs, it takes a long time to restore the device.

[0004] Since such pump devices are lifelines, it is desirable to restore them quickly through remote operation, but it is also desirable to be able to reduce the adverse effects of errors in remote operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6814550 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6899643 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to reduce the adverse effects of remote control errors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pump device is a device capable of communicating with a management device. The pump device includes a detection unit, a setting unit, and a control unit. The detection unit detects the pump device.An abnormal condition or a symptom of a pre-existing abnormal condition The setting unit detects the state of the When the pump device is in the abnormal state or the symptom state, Permission for remote operation by the management device OK The control unit controls the pump device in accordance with the set contents.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the management device is a device capable of communicating with the pump device. The management device includes a display control unit and a remote operation control unit. When the display control unit receives notification of an abnormal state from the pump device, the display control unit updates and displays a period during which the pump device can be remotely operated. While the period during which the pump device can be remotely operated is displayed, the remote operation control unit remotely operates the pump device in response to an operation by an operator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce adverse effects caused by errors in remote operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management device of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the pump device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a setting table according to a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, a pump device and a management device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, elements that are identical or similar to elements already described will be assigned the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will generally be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinction, and a subnumber may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element distinctly.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a management system including a pump device and a management device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the management system includes a management device 1, multiple terminals 3-n, and multiple pump devices 5-n (n is an index). While FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which n is 2, this is not limited to this and n can be any number equal to or greater than 1. Hereinafter, when no particular distinction is needed, they will simply be referred to as terminal 3 and pump device 5. The management system is a computer system that uses management device 1 to manage pump information measured for pump device 5 and the like.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 1, terminal 3, and pump device 5 are connected via a network NW, such as a mobile communication network (4G or 5G) or a relatively long-distance wireless communication line (Wimax). That is, the management device 1, terminal 3, and pump device 5 are capable of communicating with each other. It is also assumed that the pump device 5 and terminal 3 are connected via a relatively short-distance wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or infrared communication, in addition to the wireless communication line described above. The terminal 3 and pump device 5 may also be connected via a wired communication line (such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or a local area network (LAN) connection via a cable).

[0014] The management device 1 is a computer having a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), a display device, an input device, and a communication device. The management device 1 has a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an integrated circuit storage device for managing various data related to multiple pump devices 5. This large-capacity storage device will be referred to as a database. For example, the management device 1 stores various data related to the pump devices 5 in the database and manages the operating status of the pump devices 5.

[0015] The terminal 3 is a communication terminal that can be carried by a user such as an inspection worker, and examples thereof include a notebook PC and a mobile terminal (smartphone, feature phone, tablet). The terminal 3 may be a communication device configured exclusively for managing the pump apparatus 5. The pump apparatus 5 may be controllable from the terminal 3; for example, an application for controlling the pump apparatus 5 may be installed on the terminal 3, or the pump apparatus 5 may be controllable from a web browser.

[0016] The pumping device 5 is, for example, a mechanical device (water supply device) that supplies water to a building. The pumping device 5 is, for example, a so-called direct-connection pressure-boosting type water supply device that is directly connected to a water main pipe, directly boosts the pressure of water flowing through the water main pipe, and supplies water to supply destinations such as faucets and shower heads installed in the building. Note that the type of the pumping device 5 according to this embodiment is not limited to the direct-connection pressure-boosting type, and any type such as a direct-connection direct pressure type, a water tank water supply type, and an elevated water tank water supply type can be used as appropriate.

[0017] Next, the management device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0018] The management device 1 includes an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, a storage unit 13, a database 14, a communication unit 15, and a control unit 16.

[0019] The operation unit 11 is a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, and receives requests and instructions from the administrator and transmits them to the control unit 16 .

[0020] Display unit 12 is a display device using a device such as a liquid crystal panel, an organic electroluminescence (EL) panel, a 7-segment light-emitting diode (LED), or an LED lamp, and visually displays information provided by control unit 16 to the administrator. For example, display unit 12 may update and display the period during which pump device 5 can be remotely operated under the control of control unit 16. Also, for example, display unit 12 may display log data under the control of control unit 16.

[0021] The memory unit 13 uses semiconductor memory such as SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), NAND (inverted AND) flash memory, or EEPROM (registered trademark) (electrically erasable programmable ROM), and stores the control program and control data of the control unit 16.

[0022] The database 14 is a storage device with a relatively larger storage capacity than the storage unit 13, and may include a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The database 14 is used to store log data.

[0023] The log data is received from the pump device 5 and is stored so that it can be compiled for each pump device 5. The log data includes various data such as operating status data of the pump device 5 and an abnormality notification when the pump device 5 is in an abnormal state.

[0024] The communication unit 15 communicates with the pump device 5 and the terminal 3 via the network NW.

[0025] The control unit 16 includes a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a memory. The processor may be configured with a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The memory stores control programs and control data read from the storage unit 13, and the processor executes the control programs to realize functions as a management device, such as a management function, a display control function, and a remote control function. The management function stores data received from the pump device 5 as log data in the database 14 and manages the status of the pump device 5 based on the log data. The display control function is an example of a display control unit that, when an abnormal state is notified from the pump device 5, updates and displays the period during which the pump device 5 can be remotely operated on the display unit 12. The remote operation control function is an example of a remote operation control unit that remotely operates the pump device 5 in response to an operator's operation while the period during which the remote operation is possible is displayed.

[0026] Next, the pump device 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0027] The pump device 5 includes a control panel 50 and a pump unit 60. The pump device 5 may also include a suction pipe and a discharge pipe (not shown). The pump device 5 uses the pump unit 60 to take in water on the primary side via the suction pipe and supply water to the secondary side via the discharge pipe. The suction pipe connects, for example, a water distribution pipe branched from a water main pipe to the pump unit 60. The discharge pipe connects the pump unit 60 to the water supply destination on the secondary side. The pump device 5 may include multiple pump units 60. In this case, the pump device 5 can perform alternating operation in which multiple pump units 60 are driven alternately, or parallel operation in which multiple pump units 60 are driven simultaneously.

[0028] The control panel 50 includes a short-range communicator 51, a long-range communicator 52, an input device 53, an inverter 54, an interface 55, a display device 56, a memory device 57, and a processor 58, which are connected to each other via a bus.

[0029] The short-range communicator 51 is equipped with a wireless communication module 511 that complies with a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC, and performs short-range wireless communication. The short-range communicator 51 may also perform short-range communication using a wired communication standard such as USB. The short-range communicator 51 sets the operation mode of the pump device 5 and transmits and receives various data to and from the terminal 3 via a short-range communication line.

[0030] The long-distance communication device 52 performs long-distance communication using wireless communication standards such as a mobile communication network, Wimax, and Wi-Fi. The long-distance communication device 52 transmits and receives various data to and from the management device 1 or the terminal 3 via a long-distance communication line.

[0031] Regarding the establishment of a wireless connection between the short-range communicator 51 and the long-range communicator 52, for example, in the case of Bluetooth, a wireless connection may be established by a general pairing connection, and in the case of Wi-Fi, a wireless connection may be established by entering a pre-set SSID (service set identifier) and password into a Wi-Fi access point. Note that once a wireless connection between the pump device 5 and the terminal 3 has been established, a wireless connection is automatically established by turning on the wireless function of the terminal 3 and bringing the terminal 3 close to the pump device 5.

[0032] The input device 53 converts a user's instruction into an electrical signal. As the input device 53, for example, an operation panel, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, various switches, etc. may be used. Note that a voice input device may also be used as the input device 53. The electrical signal from the input device 53 is supplied to the processor 58 via a bus.

[0033] The inverter 54 generates power to operate the pump unit 60. Specifically, the inverter 54 supplies AC power of a predetermined frequency to (the motor of) the pump unit 60. The inverter 54 also receives an inverter control signal from the processor 58. The inverter 54 operates in response to the inverter control signal. For example, the inverter 54 stops or starts operation in response to the inverter control signal, which corresponds to an operation stop signal or an operation start signal. The inverter 54 also controls the rotation speed of the motor in response to the inverter control signal, which corresponds to a rotation speed control signal.

[0034] Specifically, the inverter 54 includes a converter circuit, a smoothing capacitor, and an inverter circuit (not shown). The converter circuit converts AC power taken in from an AC power source into DC power by rectifying it. The smoothing capacitor smoothes the voltage of the DC power output by the converter circuit to obtain DC power with a substantially constant voltage. The inverter circuit then converts the DC power obtained by the smoothing capacitor into AC power of a predetermined frequency according to an inverter control signal (corresponding to a rotation speed control signal) from the control panel 50 and supplies the AC power to the motor.

[0035] The interface 55 is, for example, an input / output interface such as a port, etc. The interface 55 connects, for example, the control panel 50 and the pump unit 60, and transmits and receives various signals.

[0036] The display device 56 displays various data. Any display may be used as the display device 56, such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, or a plasma display. Note that a projector may also be used as the display device 56.

[0037] The storage device 57 is a memory device such as a ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD (solid state drive), integrated circuit storage device, etc. that stores various data. The storage device 57 may be realized by a single physical memory device, or may be realized by multiple memory devices that are physically separated within the pump device 5. Hereinafter, the storage device 57 will be simply referred to as a memory.

[0038] The processor 58 is an arithmetic device such as a CPU or a microprocessor. The processor 58 may be configured with a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The processor 58 executes various programs stored in the storage device 57 to realize the functions of the pump device, such as the functions of a detection unit 581, a setting unit 582, a notification unit 583, a determination unit 584, and a control unit 585. Note that some functions are optional additional items and may be omitted. For example, the notification unit 583 and the determination unit 584 may be omitted. Furthermore, each of the detection unit 581, the setting unit 582, and the control unit 585 may be changed or omitted as appropriate.

[0039] The detection unit 581 detects the state of the pump device 5. The detected state may be an abnormal state, a symptom state preceding an abnormal state, or a normal state. Here, the abnormal state may be, for example, an abnormal state in which normal control is impossible due to a failure of a component of the pump device 5, an abnormal state of the liquid level in the water tank, or an abnormal state of a protective function for maintaining the safety of the pump device 5. A typical example of an abnormal state is an abnormal state resulting in the stoppage of the pump device 5. A symptom state is a normal state close to an abnormality and can be detected using symptom determination conditions that are relaxed from the abnormality determination conditions for determining whether or not an abnormal state exists. Note that, of such abnormal states and symptom states, at least the abnormal state is a state in which remote operation of the pump device 5 is required. On the other hand, a normal state (excluding the symptom state) is a state in which remote operation of the pump device 5 is not required. The symptom state may be a state in which remote operation is required or a state in which remote operation is not required. In any case, the state of the pump device 5 can be associated with whether or not remote operation is required.

[0040] The setting unit 582 sets permission or prohibition of remote operation by the management device 1 in accordance with the state detected by the detection unit 581. That is, when the setting unit 582 detects a state in which remote operation of the pump device 5 is necessary, the setting unit 582 sets permission of remote operation by the management device 1. Furthermore, when the setting unit 582 detects a state in which remote operation of the pump device 5 is not necessary, the setting unit 582 sets prohibition of remote operation by the management device 1. For example, the setting unit 582 sets permission of remote operation in accordance with an abnormal state or symptom state detected by the detection unit 581. Note that this is not limited to this, and the setting unit 582 may set prohibition of remote operation in accordance with the detected symptom state. For another example, the setting unit 582 may set prohibition of remote operation in accordance with a normal state detected by the detection unit 581. For another example, the setting unit 582 may set prohibition of remote operation when the determination unit 584 determines that a certain period of time has passed.

[0041] The notification unit 583 notifies the management device 1 of an abnormal state detected by the detection unit 581. The notification unit 583 may also notify the management device 1 of a symptom state detected by the detection unit 581. When the control unit 585 stops the control by remote operation, the notification unit 583 may notify the management device 1 of the stop of the control by remote operation. Furthermore, the notification unit 583 may notify the management device 1 of a detected abnormal state every time the pump device 5 is reset by remote operation.

[0042] The determining unit 584 determines whether a certain period of time has passed since the notifying unit 583 notified the abnormal state.

[0043] The control unit 585 controls the pump device 5 according to the settings made by the setting unit 582. Furthermore, the control unit 585 may stop the control by remote operation when a predetermined amount of water is supplied by remote operation. Furthermore, the control unit 585 may reset the pump device 5 by remote operation. Furthermore, the control unit 585 may stop the control by remote operation when, in response to the reset, the detected abnormal state is notified to the management device 1 an upper limit number of times or more during the period for which remote operation is permitted. Furthermore, the control unit 585 may periodically communicate with the management device 1 during the period for which remote operation is permitted, and stop the control by remote operation if communication is not possible for a certain period of time or more.

[0044] The number of boards constituting the control panel 50 can be designed as desired, and it can also be designed as desired which of the short-range communication device 51, long-range communication device 52, input device 53, inverter 54, interface 55, display device 56, storage device 57, and processor 58 each board is physically equipped with. Also, although the detection unit 581, setting unit 582, notification unit 583, determination unit 584, and control unit 585 are performed by one processor 58, they may be performed by multiple physically separated processors.

[0045] Next, an example of the operation of the pump device 5 and the management device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0046] In step S101, when the pump device 5 is in a normal state, the setting unit 582 sets prohibition of remote operation in accordance with the normal state detected by the detection unit 581. For example, the detection unit 581 detects the normal state when a signal from a sensor (not shown) is within a normal range.

[0047] In step S102, the detection unit 581 detects the state of the pump device 5. If the detected state is a normal state, the detection unit 581 returns to step S101. On the other hand, if the detected state is an abnormal state, the detection unit 581 proceeds to step S103. It is also preferable that the detection unit 581 proceeds to step S103 when the detected state is a symptom state.

[0048] In step S103, the notification unit 583 notifies the management device 1 of the abnormal condition detected by the detection unit 581, and the process proceeds to step S110. The notification of the abnormal condition includes, for example, abnormality content corresponding to the abnormal condition and the time when the abnormal condition occurred. Furthermore, in step S103, the notification unit 583 may notify the management device 1 of the symptom condition detected by the detection unit 581. That is, the notification of the abnormal condition described above may further include symptom content corresponding to the symptom condition.

[0049] In step S104, when the communication unit 15 of the management device 1 is notified of the abnormal state from the pump device 5, the communication unit 15 receives the notification of the abnormal state.

[0050] In step S105, when the control unit 16 of the management device 1 receives the notification of the abnormal state, it causes the display unit 12 to update and display the period during which the pump device 5 can be remotely operated. Furthermore, the control unit 16 of the management device 1 may transmit the notification content to the terminal 3 of a pre-registered worker. In this case, the terminal 3 displays the content of the abnormality in the pump device 5 and the time when the abnormality occurred based on the received notification content. The worker makes advance preparations based on the displayed content of the abnormality and the time when the abnormality occurred, and then heads to the installation location of the pump device 5.

[0051] In step S106, the control unit 16 of the management device 1 remotely controls the pump device 5 in response to an operation by the operator while the period during which remote control is possible is being displayed.

[0052] In step S107, the control unit 16 of the management device 1 determines whether or not a notification regarding the stop of the remote operation has been received from the pump device 5, and if so, proceeds to step S109 to end the remote operation, or if not, proceeds to step S108.

[0053] In step S108, the control unit 16 of the management device 1 determines whether the period during which remote control is possible has elapsed, and if so, proceeds to step S109 to end the remote control. If not, return to step S105 and repeat the processes from step S105 to S108.

[0054] On the other hand, in step S110, the setting unit 582 of the pump device 5 sets permission for remote operation in accordance with the abnormal state or symptom state detected by the detection unit 581.

[0055] In step S111, the control unit 585 controls the pump device 5 in accordance with the settings made by the setting unit 582. That is, the control unit 585 controls the pump device 5 in accordance with the remote operation from the management device 1 in step S106, based on the settings indicating permission for remote operation. The pump device 5 operates in accordance with the control by remote operation.

[0056] In step S112, when the control unit 585 remotely supplies a predetermined amount of water to the water tank, the process proceeds to step S113. If the predetermined amount of water is not supplied, the process proceeds to step S114. Step S112 is omitted if the pump device 5 is not of the elevated water tank water supply type.

[0057] In step S112, the remote operation performed after detecting an abnormality is a temporary measure until specialized personnel and parts arrive. To clarify, the pump device 5 has traditionally had a function that allows it to operate ignoring the pressure sensor function if the pressure sensor malfunctions. Conventionally, if the pressure sensor malfunctions and the pump device 5 stops, water supply is cut off. The user who notices the water outage calls a technician. The technician then identifies the pressure sensor malfunction by investigating the cause of the abnormality on-site. However, replacing the pressure sensor takes several days from ordering the parts to their arrival. Therefore, the technician operates the pump device to manually switch to emergency operation mode and supply water for several days until the parts arrive. In emergency operation mode, the pump device supplies water at a predetermined frequency and flow rate, for example, instead of using the pressure sensor. However, because emergency operation mode is a temporary measure until parts arrive, it must be stopped after supplying a predetermined amount of water. Therefore, in step S112, once the predetermined amount of water has been supplied, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0058] In step S113, the control unit 585 stops the control by remote operation as the predetermined amount of water has been supplied. Thereafter, the notification unit 583 notifies the management device 1 of the stop of the control by remote operation.

[0059] In step S114, the control unit 585 resets the pump device 5 by remote operation. The control unit 585 also determines whether the detected abnormal state has been notified to the management device 1 more than the upper limit number of times in conjunction with the reset during the period in which remote operation is permitted. If not (step S114: No), the control unit 585 proceeds to step S115. On the other hand, if the notification has been made more than the upper limit number of times (step S114: Yes), the control unit 585 proceeds to step S117 and stops control by remote operation. That is, in the pump device 5, repeated retries by resetting, not only by remote operation but also in other cases, are undesirable because they may lead to a more serious malfunction and cause secondary damage to surrounding equipment, etc. For this reason, an upper limit is set for the number of resets by remote operation.

[0060] In step S115, the control unit 585 periodically communicates with the management device 1 during the period for which remote operation is permitted. If the periodic communication continues (step S115: No), the control unit 585 proceeds to step S113. On the other hand, if communication is not possible for a certain period of time or longer (step S115: Yes), the control unit 585 proceeds to step S117 and stops control by remote operation. That is, remote operation is premised on the management device 1 being able to monitor the operation information of the pump device 5 through communication. Therefore, if communication is not possible for a certain period of time or longer (for example, if an acknowledgment ACK is not received after transmission and communication is cut off), it is recommended to cancel the remote operation. Furthermore, for on-site safety, remote operation is prioritized over on-site manual operation. If on-site manual operation is performed during remote operation, the pump device 5 operates by prioritizing input operation on its control panel 50 over remote operation. For example, the input operation at this time can be any predetermined operation, such as selecting a command to cancel remote control displayed on the display device 56 of the control panel 50 using the input device 53, or pressing and holding the reset button. In either case, remote control can be canceled when a predetermined input operation is performed on-site.

[0061] In step S116, determination unit 584 determines whether a certain period of time has passed since notification unit 583 notified of the abnormal state, and if so, proceeds to step S117 to end the remote operation. If not, return to step S110 to repeatedly execute the processes from steps S110 to S116.

[0062] That is, if a maintenance worker does not arrive for a long period of time after remotely operating the pump device 5, there is a possibility that the worker has forgotten to do so. Taking this into consideration, permission for remote operation is cancelled after a certain period of time to prevent secondary damage. Note that, since there is a possibility that maintenance is being prolonged for some reason other than forgetfulness, permission for remote operation is cancelled and a notification is sent to the management device 1, and if there is no secondary damage to the equipment, permission for remote operation may be continued again for a certain period of time. In this case, since there is a risk in allowing remote operation multiple times, it is preferable to set an upper limit on the number of remote operations that can be performed, as described in step S114.

[0063] Furthermore, while the determination of the fixed period in step S116 may be based on time, it is preferable to use operational data, such as the flow rate, that indicates the actual operation of the pump device 5 as the determination criterion. In temporary emergency operation, such as when a pressure sensor malfunctions and the like, with the aim of avoiding a water outage, it is possible that the pressure may not be controlled to an appropriate level. Therefore, by setting the fixed period based on operational data, such as the flow rate, damage to other components and piping can be prevented as much as possible. Furthermore, for a pump that supplies water at an approximately constant flow rate for a fixed period, the fixed period and the approximately constant flow rate can be converted to each other within an acceptable error range. For example, for a pump that supplies 50,000 L of water per day, the fact that the flow rate reaches 50,000 L is equivalent to the passage of one day. Therefore, the fixed period can be set based on the flow rate data included in the log data as the determination criterion. Note that the flow rate of 50,000 L per day is an example used to explain the relationship between the fixed period and the flow rate, and is not limited to this example. For example, a certain period (n days) corresponding to the flow rate for n days (n is a natural number) obtained from past log data may be set, and the pump device 5 may be operated until the flow rate during the period when remote operation is possible reaches the flow rate for the n days. In addition, for a pump device 5 that is operated infrequently, it is preferable to use operating data such as the flow rate as the judgment criterion, since secondary damage is expected to be minor even if it takes a long time to determine that the certain period has passed.

[0064] In step S117, control unit 585 stops the control by remote operation.

[0065] Next, supplementary explanations will be provided for each level of the abnormal state regarding the above operation examples. The abnormal state is provided with multiple levels, such as, for example, the first level Lv1 to the fourth level Lv4. Here, the first level Lv1 corresponds to an abnormal state at a stage where a warning is issued to prompt attention but the pump device 5 is not stopped. The second level Lv2 corresponds to an abnormal state at a stage where the pump device 5 is stopped but restarted after a certain period of time, and multiple retries are repeated. The third level Lv3 corresponds to an abnormal state at a stage where multiple retries are repeated and it completely stops abnormally. The fourth level Lv4 corresponds to an abnormal state at a stage where it stops with a single detection without restarting and retrying. The following supplementary explanations mainly correspond to step S106 of remote operation (according to the level of the abnormal state) performed by the management device 1 and step S111 of controlling the pump device 5 according to this remote operation.

[0066] <Lv1: A stage where a warning is issued to prompt attention but the pump device 5 is not stopped> The abnormal state of the first level Lv1 can often be resolved by reviewing the set value. Therefore, when the management device 1 receives an abnormal notification, it changes the set value used for controlling the pump device 5 through remote operation. The abnormal state of the first level Lv1 often occurs when a load is applied to the pump device 5, and there is a tendency for the product life to be shortened. Also, the abnormal state of the first level Lv1 is rarely detected in pump devices of generations that cannot be remotely operated, resulting in early failures as a result. On the other hand, if the set value of the pump device 5 is changed, the abnormal state of the first level Lv1 may be resolved, and the life of the product may be extended.

[0067] As an example of the abnormal state of the first level Lv1, there is a high-frequency operation that notifies when the current startup frequency of the pump device 5 exceeds a certain frequency compared to the past startup frequency. In the management device 1, in order to observe the state of the pump device 5, the set value of the pump device 5 is reviewed so as to increase the pressure maintaining force at the time of low water volume stop. As a result, in the pump device 5, the startup frequency is suppressed, leading to an extended life of the components.

[0068] As another example, in the pump device 5, the pressure may exceed the set value due to a rapid pressure increase caused by the start of the pump at the time of power restoration. That is, in the pump device 5, when the water in the pipe is used during a power outage and the pump is started with air accumulated in the pipe, water hammer occurs in the pipe, and an excessive pressure is generated instantaneously. Conventionally, even if water hammer occurs, since it is instantaneous, the pump device 5 is not stopped as a failure. However, if it occurs repeatedly, the life of the pressure sensor is shortened, leading to an early failure. In addition, the occurrence of water hammer may also impose a burden on the pipes around the pump device 5 and other equipment, and these failures may also cause problems. Therefore, the pump device 5 transmits a power outage restoration notice to the management device 1. When the management device 1 receives the power outage restoration notice, it changes the acceleration time at the start of the pump device 5 to a long time value, and when it stops normally once, it returns the acceleration time to the original set value. As a result, the occurrence of water hammer can be suppressed, and the long life of the pump device 5 and its peripheral equipment can be achieved.

[0069] As yet another example, at the site, the pump device 5 may be applied to an inappropriate site or setting compared to the pump capacity, such as setting the target pressure above or below the original pump pumping capacity. For example, in a pump unit in which two or more pumps can be operated in parallel, the case where the pump device 5 cannot reach the set pressure even when all pumps are operated at the maximum operating frequency. In this case, if the operation continues at the maximum operating frequency all the time, there is a high possibility of failures caused by applications outside the specification range, such as a failure that cannot be stopped or a failure in which an unexpected pressure occurs. In such a case, conventionally, only a notification was made. However, when the management device 1 receives the notification, by remotely operating the pump device 5 thereafter, the set value of the pump device 5 is changed to an appropriate set value within the specification range of the pump capacity to prevent risks and reduce the adverse effects on the pump parts, the pipes around them, and other equipment. <Lv2: Stage of stopping the pump device 5, restarting after a certain time, and repeating the retry> In many cases, the abnormal state at the second level Lv2 can be eliminated by reviewing the set values of the pump device 5 as described above. Therefore, when the management device 1 receives a notification indicating an abnormal state, it changes the set values by remote operation. Similarly, changing the set values of the pump device 5 may extend the product life. If the abnormal state continues even after changing the set values of the pump device 5, it is preferable to conduct on-site investigations and maintenance early to prevent further abnormalities and prevent water interruption.

[0070] As an example of the abnormal state at the second level Lv2, a decrease in the suction pressure in the pump device 5 of the direct water supply method directly connected to the water pipe can be cited. When the pressure in the water pipe on the primary side of the pump decreases due to the startup of the pump device 5 or the like, the pump device 5 is automatically stopped to prevent a further decrease in the water pipe pressure. After the automatic stop, when the pressure in the water pipe returns, the pump device 5 is automatically restarted. In this case, the pump device 5 may deteriorate faster because it repeats operations different from normal, such as an increase in the number of startups. Such accelerated deterioration can be eliminated by starting the pump device 5 gently at startup and also making the control after startup have a gentle frequency response. In this case, it may lead to an extended life of the components. <Lv3: Repeating retries and reaching the stage of completely abnormal stoppage> A third-level abnormality (Level 3) is likely due to a site-specific problem or a hardware failure of the pumping device 5. Therefore, the pumping device 5 often requires maintenance, and workers are dispatched to the site. In this case, the management device 1 switches the pumping device 5 to emergency operation mode to buy time until the workers arrive. If a water outage occurs due to a pumping device failure that cannot be remotely controlled, the water outage remains while the failure continues. If workers cannot immediately respond, the system manually switches to emergency operation mode. If workers can immediately respond to the situation, the water outage is short; if time is required, the outage is prolonged. Furthermore, if permanent repairs require a long period of time, workers must periodically visit the site to monitor whether the emergency operation mode causes secondary damage, tying up a limited number of workers. Therefore, remotely switching the operation mode of the pumping device 5 to emergency operation mode would lead to more efficient maintenance.

[0071] An example of a third-level (Lv3) abnormal condition is when a pump shuts down due to overload during startup. In this case, the operator repeatedly retries resetting and restarting the pump device 5. However, if the abnormal condition persists even after multiple resets, a fault is confirmed to protect the pump motor, and the pump device 5 shuts down. If the abnormal condition is not serious, performing a reset on-site after the fault is confirmed may allow the pump to operate without problems for a certain period of time. Therefore, overload during pump startup may be mitigated by changing the acceleration time or torque boost value during retries. Furthermore, changing the settings related to the load during pump startup can reduce excessive load on the motor, which can extend the life of components and prevent water outages.

[0072] As another example, although it is an example regarding a protection function for maintaining product safety, temperature-limited operation can be cited. In the pump device 5, when the cooling fan attached to the inverter 54 fails, the inverter 54 cannot be cooled, and the temperature of the switching elements in the inverter 54 rises. When the temperature of the inverter 54 reaches a certain level or higher, the pump device 5 stops for overheat protection of the inverter 54. When the management device 1 receives a notification that the pump device 5 has stopped for overheat protection, it remotely operates to reset the pump device 5 and sets the carrier frequency of the inverter 54 low. Since a low carrier frequency generates an unpleasant noise, it is usually set high, but setting it low can reduce the heat generation amount. Note that when the overheat protection is eliminated due to the reduction of the heat generation amount, a slightly unpleasant noise is generated, so it is preferable to receive the maintenance work of the operator at an early stage. Also, when the overheat protection is not eliminated, the management device 1 sets the operation mode to reduce the load on the pump and the heat generation amount by remotely operating to set the maximum operating frequency of the inverter 54 lower than the current set value. However, since the water supply amount decreases due to the reduction of the pump load, it is preferable to receive the maintenance work at an early stage.

[0073] <Lv4: Failures that stop at one detection without restart and retry> The abnormal state at the fourth level Lv4 is presumed to be a hardware failure of the pump device 5. The response of the operator and the water cut situation are the same as described above.

[0074] Examples of the abnormal state at the fourth level Lv4 include failures of sensors related to control. When the pressure sensor fails, it becomes impossible to control the target pressure, so the pump device 5 is forcibly stopped to prevent it from running wild. However, if there is a flow sensor, the management device 1 can continue to remotely operate the pump device 5 by monitoring the on / off signal of the flow sensor. Although it is a provisional response different from complete control, the risk of running wild can be reduced by remotely monitoring the flow sensor.

[0075] By permitting remote operation when an abnormal state of each of the above levels Lv1 to Lv4 occurs, it is possible to realize a safe pump device 5 that cannot be remotely operated during normal times when no action is required.

[0076] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the pump device 5, the detection unit 581 detects the state of the pump device 5. The setting unit 582 sets whether to permit or prohibit remote operation by the management device 1 depending on the state. The control unit 585 controls the pump device 5 depending on the set content. In this way, by configuring the pump device 5 to permit or prohibit remote operation depending on the state of the pump device 5, it is possible to reduce adverse effects caused by erroneous remote operation.

[0077] Additionally, the pump device 5 is configured to accept remote control only when remote control is necessary, thereby limiting the circumstances under which it accepts remote control. For example, the pump device does not accept remote control when it is in a normal state, which is the majority of the time, and therefore does not require remote control. It accepts remote control only when it is in an abnormal state. As a result, remote control errors are limited to situations such as when an operator makes a mistake in remote control during an abnormality. Therefore, remote control errors can be suppressed. Furthermore, even if unauthorized remote control, such as hacking, is attempted, the remote control is not accepted when it is in a normal state, which is the majority of the time, thereby reducing the adverse effects of unauthorized remote control.

[0078] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the detected state may be an abnormal state, a symptom state preceding an abnormal state, or a normal state. The setting unit 582 may set permission for remote operation depending on the abnormal state or the symptom state, and set prohibition for remote operation depending on the normal state. In this case, remote control can be performed not only in an abnormal state but also in a symptom state preceding an abnormal state, thereby realizing a safer pump device.

[0079] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the pump device 5, the determination unit 584 may determine whether a certain period of time has passed since the notification of the abnormal state. If the setting unit 582 determines that the certain period of time has passed, it may set a prohibition on remote operation. In this case, even in a situation where an operator cannot arrive due to being busy or forgetting, remote operation is prohibited after the certain period of time, so that the adverse effects of erroneous remote operation can be further reduced.

[0080] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the abnormal state may be any of an abnormal state in which normal control is impossible due to a breakdown in a part of the pump device 5, an abnormal state of the liquid level in the water tank, and an abnormal state of the protection function for maintaining the safety of the pump device 5. In this way, even if the detected abnormal state is at a serious level, measures such as stopping the pump device 5 can be quickly taken by using the configuration that allows remote operation as described above.

[0081] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the pump device 5, the control unit 585 may stop the remote control when a predetermined amount of water is supplied by remote control. Furthermore, the notification unit 583 may notify the management device 1 of the stop of the remote control. In this way, when the pump device 5 is of an elevated water tank water supply type, it is possible to prevent a water outage by supplying a predetermined amount of water to the elevated water tank, while stopping unnecessary remote operation until parts arrive, thereby reducing the adverse effects of erroneous remote operation.

[0082] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the pump device 5, the control unit 585 may reset the pump device 5 by remote operation. The notification unit 583 may notify the management device 1 of a detected abnormal condition each time the pump device 5 is reset. The control unit 585 may stop control by remote operation if the detected abnormal condition is notified to the management device 1 more than the upper limit number of times in response to the reset during a period in which remote operation is permitted. In this case, it is possible to prevent unlimited retry attempts due to resetting, thereby preventing new abnormalities from occurring due to multiple resets.

[0083] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in the pump device 5, the control unit 585 may periodically communicate with the management device 1 during a period when remote operation is permitted, and may stop remote control if communication is not possible for a certain period of time. In this case, remote operation is prevented under circumstances where the management device 1 cannot monitor, thereby reducing the adverse effects of erroneous remote operation.

[0084] (Variation) In the above-described embodiment, the pump device 5 uses the fixed period during which remote operation is possible and the maximum number of times an abnormality notification is issued for the determination, regardless of the type of abnormality. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the pump device 5 may store in the storage device 57 a setting table 57 a, as shown in FIG. 5 , that associates the type of abnormality, abnormality levels Lv1 to Lv4, the fixed period during which remote operation is possible, and the maximum number of times an abnormality notification is issued. Accordingly, the pump device 5 may change the maximum number of times and the fixed period used for the determination in steps S114 and S116 by referring to the setting table 57 a depending on the type of abnormality. This not only achieves the above-described effects, but also optimizes the maximum number of times and the fixed period for each type of abnormality. Furthermore, the same maximum number of times and the same fixed period may be used within the same level. In this case, the maximum number of times and the fixed period can be optimized for each abnormality level. Furthermore, the burden of setting the maximum number of times and the fixed period can be reduced compared to when optimizing for each type of abnormality. For example, the maximum number of times or the fixed period may be omitted from the setting table 57 a. That is, the setting table 57a does not necessarily need to associate both the upper limit number of times and the fixed period for each type of abnormality, and by associating either one of them, the associated upper limit number of times or the fixed period may be optimized.

[0085] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the control unit 16 of the management device 1 is notified of an abnormal state from the pump device 5 described above, the control unit 16 causes the display unit 12 to update and display the period during which the pump device 5 can be remotely operated. Furthermore, while the control unit 16 of the management device 1 is displaying the period during which the pump device 5 can be remotely operated, the control unit 16 remotely operates the pump device 5 in response to an operation by the operator. Therefore, in addition to the above-described advantageous effects, the operator of the management device 1 can be prompted to perform remote operation within the period during which the remote operation is possible.

[0086] In the above embodiment and modified example, the control unit 16 and the processor 58 are described as executing several processes, but this is merely one example of implementation. For example, multiple processes described as being executed by one control unit 16 and one processor 58 may be implemented across multiple separate control units and processors.

[0087] The various control units 16 described in the above embodiment and modifications may be implemented using circuits. The circuits may be dedicated circuits for implementing specific functions, or may be general-purpose circuits such as processors. Similarly, the functions of the processor 58 may be implemented by dedicated circuits for implementing specific functions.

[0088] At least a part of the processing of the above-described embodiment and modified examples can be realized by using, for example, a processor installed in a general-purpose computer as basic hardware. A program for realizing the above-described processing may be provided by being stored on a computer-readable recording medium. The program is stored on the recording medium as an installable file or an executable file. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, DVDs, Blu-ray (registered trademark) Discs, etc.), magneto-optical disks (MOs, etc.), and semiconductor memories. Any recording medium can be used as long as it can store the program and is computer-readable. Furthermore, the program for realizing the above-described processing may be stored on a computer (server) connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded to a computer (client) via the network.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 Management device, 3 Terminal, 5 Pump device, 11 Operation unit, 12 Display unit, 13 Memory unit, 14 Database, 15 Communication unit, 16 Control unit, 50 Control panel, 51 Short-range communication device, 52 Long-range communication device, 53 Input device, 54 Inverter, 55 Interface, 56 Display device, 57 Memory unit, 58 Processor, 60 Pump unit, 511 Wireless communication module, 581 Detection unit, 582 Setting unit, 583 Notification unit, 584 Determination unit, 585 Control unit.

Claims

1. A pump device capable of communicating with a management device, a detection unit that detects an abnormal state of the pump device or a symptom state preceding the abnormal state; a setting unit that sets permission for remote operation by the management device when the pump device is in the abnormal state or the symptom state; a control unit that controls the pump device in accordance with the set contents; A pump device comprising:

2. A pump device as described in claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the management device of the detected abnormal condition.

3. a determination unit that determines whether a certain period of time has elapsed since the notification of the abnormal state; the setting unit sets the prohibition of the remote control when it is determined that the certain period has elapsed.

3. The pump device according to claim 2.

4. The pump device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the abnormal condition is one of an abnormal condition in which normal control is impossible due to a failure of a component of the pump device, an abnormal liquid level in the water tank, and an abnormal condition in a protection function for maintaining the safety of the pump device.

5. When a predetermined amount of water is supplied by the remote control, the control unit stops the control by the remote control, the notification unit notifies the management device of the stop of the control by the remote operation.

4. The pump device according to claim 2 or 3.

6. the control unit resets the pump device by the remote operation, the notification unit notifies the management device of the detected abnormal state each time the reset is performed; the control unit stops the control by the remote operation when the detected abnormal state is notified to the management device an upper limit number of times or more in response to the reset during the period in which the remote operation is permitted.

4. The pump device according to claim 2 or 3.

7. the control unit periodically communicates with the management device during the period in which the permission for the remote operation is set, and if communication cannot be established for a certain period of time or longer, stops the control by the remote operation.

4. The pump device according to claim 2 or 3.

8. The detection unit detects the abnormal state, the symptom state, or the normal state of the pump device, The pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit sets the prohibition of remote operation when the pump device is in the normal state.

9. A management device capable of communicating with the pump device according to claim 2 or 3, a display control unit that, when an abnormal state is notified from the pump device, updates and displays on a display unit a period during which the pump device can be remotely operated; a remote operation control unit that remotely operates the pump device in response to an operation by an operator while the remote operation possible period is being displayed; A management device comprising:

Images