Circulating water treatment system, control method, and control program

Abstract

To reduce the risk of damage to a return pipe through which circulating water flows due to changes in outside air temperature even when the return pipe is installed outdoors. The circulating water treatment system includes a control device that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through a return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of the outdoor pipe.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a circulating water treatment system, a control method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 states, "Three-way valves 14, 15 are provided in the supply pipe and return pipe between the hot water connection port 6 and the main body of the device 1, and by switching the three-way valves 14, 15, a hot water circuit is formed in which hot water from the main body of the device 1 circulates to the hot water connection port 6 provided in the bathtub 2, and a bypass hot water circuit 16 is formed in which hot water circulates from the three-way valve 14 on the supply pipe side to the three-way valve 15 on the return pipe side, and is configured to be linked to the operation switch 10a of the remote controller 10." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-240953 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A circulating water treatment system is known in which treated water is circulated as circulating water. In such a system, the return pipe through which the circulating water flows may be installed outdoors. However, when the return pipe is installed outdoors, there is a risk that the pipe may be damaged due to changes in the outside temperature.

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

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

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

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

[0009] A circulating water treatment system according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a circulating water treatment system according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a return pipe that returns the circulating water flowing in the return pipe via a valve to a storage tank from which the water is sent, and the control device controls the valve to control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing in the return pipe.

[0010] A circulating water treatment system according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a circulating water treatment system according to the fourth aspect, further comprising an air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature of the room in which the storage tank is installed, and the control device controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe so as to minimize an objective function whose variables are at least the risk of damage to the return pipe due to outdoor temperature and the cost of energy consumed by the air conditioning system.

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

[0012] A control method according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of controlling the flow rate of circulating water flowing through a return pipe based on a predetermined temperature range of outdoor pipes.

[0013] According to the circulating water treatment system, control method, and control program disclosed herein, even if the return pipe through which circulating water flows is installed outdoors, the risk of the pipe being damaged due to changes in outside temperature can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a circulating water treatment system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control device 100 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control device 100 according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate identical or equivalent components and parts in each drawing. Furthermore, the dimensional proportions of the drawings may be exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0016] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a circulating water treatment system 1 according to this embodiment. The circulating water treatment system 1 may treat any liquid. Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the circulating water treatment system 1 is a small-scale circulating water treatment system that treats wastewater discharged from a building such as a residence via a supply pipe 2 in a machine room and returns the treated water as circulating water from the machine room to the building via a return pipe 3.

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

[0018] The first tank 10 is a storage tank that temporarily stores the liquid to be treated. Here, the first tank 10 is assumed to be a wastewater adjustment tank that temporarily stores wastewater discharged from the water utilization system of the building via the supply pipe 2.

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

[0020] The second tank 20 is a liquid treatment tank that treats the liquid to be treated. Here, the second tank 20 is assumed to be a biological treatment tank that purifies wastewater using microorganisms.

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

[0022] The third tank 30 is a treated water storage tank that temporarily stores treated water. Here, the treated water stored in the third tank 30 is returned to the building as circulating water via the return pipe 3. Therefore, the third tank 30 is a storage tank from which the circulating water is sent.

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

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

[0025] In the circulating water treatment system 1, when the machine room is located away from the building, the supply pipe 2 and the return pipe 3 are installed outdoors. Note that the term "outdoors" here refers to the entire area other than the building and the machine room, and may be interpreted as a concept that includes not only above ground but also underground.

[0026] When the piping is installed outdoors in this way, the piping is exposed to the outside air. Therefore, there is a risk that the piping will be damaged by the outside temperature. For example, when the outside temperature drops in winter, the circulating water flowing through the return piping 3 freezes and expands in volume, causing the return piping 3 to burst. Furthermore, when the outside temperature rises in summer, bacteria grow in the circulating water flowing through the return piping 3, producing corrosive substances that cause the return piping 3 to rot.

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

[0028] The return pipe 4 is a pipe for returning the circulating water branched from the return pipe 3 and flowing into the return pipe 3 to the third tank 30, which is a storage tank from which the water is sent. A valve 5 is provided on the return pipe 4.

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

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

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

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

[0033] In the control device 100 according to this embodiment, a control program 107 is stored in the ROM 102 or the storage 104. In the present diagram, a case where the control program 107 is stored in the storage 104 is shown as an example. The processor 101 reads the control program 107 from the ROM 102 or the storage 104 and executes it using the RAM 103 as a working area, thereby controlling each component and performing various arithmetic processing in accordance with the control program 107.

[0034] The communication interface 105 is an interface through which the control device 100 communicates with other devices. The user interface 106 is an input / output interface through which the control device 100 exchanges information with a user. The user interface 106 may include input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, and microphone, and output devices such as a monitor and speaker.

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

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

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

[0038] The air conditioning control unit 130 controls the air conditioning equipment 40 to maintain the temperature in the machine room at an appropriate temperature (for example, 20°C to 25°C). Three embodiments will be described below in which such a control device 100 controls the circulatory water treatment system 1. However, the three embodiments do not necessarily need to be implemented independently, and two or three embodiments may be implemented in combination with each other.

[0039] First Embodiment In the first embodiment, the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based on the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3. As described above, the temperature of the return pipe 3 installed outdoors decreases as the outside air temperature drops. If the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 freezes, the volume of the water expands, and there is a risk that the return pipe 3 may burst.

[0040] Therefore, the control device 100 monitors the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3 measured by the first thermometer 6, and determines whether the temperature T1 is equal to or exceeds a predetermined threshold T L If the value of the threshold T L The threshold T may be automatically set by the control device 100 based on at least one of the properties of the circulating water and the specifications of the return pipe 3, or may be manually set by the user based on empirical rules. L may be, for example, 5° C., preferably 15° C. Here, the threshold T L This prevents freezing and allows the circulating water to be reused in the building without being too cold, making it comfortable to use.

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

[0042] As described above, the temperature of the return pipe 3 installed outdoors increases with the rise in outside air temperature. If bacteria grow in the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3, corrosive substances are generated, which may cause the return pipe 3 to rot.

[0043] Therefore, the control device 100 monitors the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3 measured by the first thermometer 6, and determines whether the temperature T1 is equal to or exceeds a predetermined threshold T H If the threshold T HThe threshold value T may also be automatically set by the control device 100 based on at least one of the properties of the circulating water and the specifications of the return pipe 3, or may be manually set by the user based on empirical rules. H may be, for example, 80° C., preferably 60° C., and more preferably 35° C. Here, the threshold T H This prevents the growth of bacteria and allows the circulating water to be reused in the building without being too hot, making it comfortable to use.

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

[0045] There are two methods that can be used to control the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3. The first method is to control the valve 5. For example, the control device 100 may control the third pump 31 to pump water at a predetermined power (for example, full power). In this case, the return pipe 3 is filled to capacity. This allows circulating water to be used immediately at any time in the building.

[0046] In this way, when the return pipe 3 is full, opening the valve 5 forms a flow path that returns the circulating water from the return pipe 3 to the third tank 30 via the return pipe 4. This allows a flow to occur in the return pipe 3, and the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 can be increased.

[0047] In this case, the control device 100 may control the flow rate of the circulating water by adjusting the throttle of the motor-operated valve, or by adjusting the frequency and interval of opening and closing of the solenoid valve. In this way, the control device 100 can control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing into the return pipe 3, for example, by controlling the valve 5.

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

[0049] The control device 100 may control the flow rate of the circulating water by using these two methods in combination, thereby enabling the control device 100 to control the flow rate of the circulating water over a wide range with high accuracy.

[0050] The control device 100 may also switch between these two methods to control the flow rate of the circulating water. In this case, for example, the first method may be used during the day when the frequency of circulating water use in the building is high, and the second method may be used late at night when the frequency of circulating water use in the building is low. This allows the control device 100 to control the flow rate of the circulating water in a manner that corresponds to the usage status of the circulating water.

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

[0052] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based only on the temperature T1 of the return pipe 3. However, if the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors is high, the water will not freeze even if it passes through the return pipe 3 installed in a cold outdoor location. Similarly, if the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors is low at the time of sending the water, bacteria will not grow even if it passes through the return pipe 3 installed in a hot outdoor location.

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

[0054] Next, the control device 100 may use the temperatures T1 and T2 to predict the temperature of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3. In this case, the control device 100 may predict the temperature of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on, for example, a model output output from a prediction model in response to inputting the properties of the circulating water, the specifications of the return pipe 3, the temperature T1, and the temperature T2 into the prediction model.

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

[0056] The method for controlling the flow rate of the circulating water may be the same as that in the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated explanation will be omitted here. In this way, the control device 100 can also control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on the temperature T2 of the circulating water sent outdoors.

[0057] <Third embodiment> In the first embodiment, the temperature T1 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold T L When the temperature T1 falls below a predetermined threshold T H In the above description, when the temperature exceeds 100° C., the circulating water is returned from the return pipe 3 to the third tank 30 via the return pipe 4 .

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

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

[0060] In this way, if an attempt is made to reduce the risk of damage to the return pipe 3 due to outdoor temperatures, the cost of energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40 increases. Therefore, it can be said that there is a trade-off between the two. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 is controlled based on both the risk of damage to the return pipe 3 and the energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment 40.

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

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

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

[0064] As described above using the three embodiments, the circulating water treatment system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the control device 100, which controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe 3 based on a predetermined outdoor temperature range. As a result, according to the circulating water treatment system 1 according to the present embodiment, even if the return pipe 3 through which circulating water flows is installed outdoors, the risk of the pipe being damaged due to changes in outdoor temperature can be reduced.

[0065] The above-described processing can also be realized by dedicated hardware circuits. In this case, the processing may be performed by a single piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware.

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

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

[0068] The above-mentioned program may be provided by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a flexible disk, or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-transitory recording medium is typically transferred and stored in a memory or storage device. The program may be provided as standalone application software, or may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of the device.

[0069] The above-described program can be provided as a program product. The program product includes any product for providing the program. For example, the program product includes a program provided over a network such as the Internet, and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD on which the program is stored.

[0070] The present disclosure is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Liquid treatment system 2 Outgoing piping 3 Return piping 4 Return piping 5 valves 6. First Thermometer 7 Second Thermometer 10 First Tank 11 First Pump 20 Second tank 21 Second Pump 30 Third Tank 31 Third Pump 100 control device 101 processors 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 Storage 105 Communication Interface 106 User Interface 110 Monitoring Department 120 Flow control section 130 Air conditioning control unit

Claims

1. A control device is provided that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on the temperature of the outdoor pipe and the temperature of the circulating water sent outdoors. Circulating water treatment system.

2. A control device that controls the flow rate of circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on the temperature of the outdoor pipe; a return pipe that returns the circulating water flowing through the return pipe via a valve to a storage tank from which the circulating water is sent; The control device controls the valve to control the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe. Circulating water treatment system.

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

4. Further provided is an air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature in a room in which the storage tank is provided, The control device controls the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe so as to minimize an objective function having variables including at least a risk of the return pipe being damaged by outdoor temperature and a cost of energy consumed by the air conditioning equipment. The circulating water treatment system according to claim 2 .

5. The computer controls the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on the temperature of the outdoor pipe and the temperature of the circulating water sent to the outdoor pipe. Control method.

6. causing the computer to execute a process of controlling the flow rate of the circulating water flowing through the return pipe based on the temperature of the outdoor pipe and the temperature of the circulating water sent outdoors; Control program.

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