Electrical equipment design decision support system, electrical equipment design decision support program, and electrical equipment design decision support method

Abstract

To provide an electrical equipment design judgment support system that enables design calculations and judgments of compliance standards based on drawings of electrical equipment to be performed without relying on the designer's experience, manual interpretation, or selection of calculation procedures. [Solution] An electrical equipment design judgment support system 1 is provided, which includes: a drawing acquisition means 11 that acquires drawing data that shows the wiring route, equipment layout, and connection relationships of electrical equipment; a system configuration generation means 12 that analyzes the connection relationships and system structure from the power supply equipment to the electrical equipment based on the drawing data to generate a system configuration; a data generation means 13 that determines the calculation order to be used in design calculations based on the system configuration and generates calculation data; and a design judgment means 14 that compiles and executes design calculations using the electrical attributes of the electrical equipment in both directions between the power supply side and the load side based on the generated calculation data, and judges whether the results meet specified compliance standards.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the design of electrical equipment, and more particularly to a system for supporting design calculations and standard conformance determination of electrical equipment based on drawings of the electrical equipment, an electrical equipment design determination support program, and an electrical equipment design determination support method. [Background technology]

[0002] When designing electrical equipment in a building, it is necessary to calculate the wiring configuration, wiring length, current value, voltage drop, etc. from the power supply equipment to each electrical device, and to confirm whether the design complies with the specified technical standards. Conventionally, such design calculations for electrical equipment and confirmation of compliance with standards have generally been performed manually by the designer while referring to the electrical equipment drawings.

[0003] Specifically, designers would visually inspect the layout and connections of distribution boards, branch points, electrical equipment, etc. shown on the electrical equipment drawings, determine which system they belonged to, and then perform design calculations according to pre-prepared calculation tables and calculation sheet templates.

[0004] These calculation tables and calculation reports were created based on the assumption of a typical electrical system configuration, and designers had to determine which system pattern the configuration shown in the actual electrical equipment drawings corresponded to and select the appropriate calculation pattern.In other words, with conventional design methods, electrical equipment drawings were only subject to the designer's interpretation, and the geometric equipment layout and wiring route information on the drawings was not directly used as input data for design calculations.

[0005] To reduce the burden of such manual design work and to improve the efficiency and sophistication of design calculations, various technologies have been proposed to support understanding the configuration of electrical equipment and design calculations.For example, a technology is known that supports understanding of a distribution system by managing the connection relationships between equipment in a distribution system as a database in advance, searching for the system structure starting from a specified device, and displaying the results on a screen (see Patent Document 1).

[0006] In addition, a technology has been proposed in which, when the power supply in a power system is cut off due to an accident or other reason, an impedance value is set based on the open / closed state of a switch, and circuit calculations are performed to select a restoration path that maximizes the current value (see Patent Document 2).

[0007] Furthermore, a design support technology is also known that generates multiple trunk line patterns for trunk line allocation for each floor by inputting building conditions such as the building's use, number of floors, and total floor area, and trunk line conditions, and calculates voltage drop and cost for these trunk line patterns to select the optimal power distribution method (see Patent Document 3).On the other hand, with regard to the calculation of the diameter of electric wires, a calculation method has been proposed for rationally calculating the diameter of electric wires by improving the apportionment method in voltage drop calculations (see Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 054109 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-15970 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-272475 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-134621 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, although the above-mentioned conventional technologies have proposed methods for supporting design calculations and conformance criteria assessments for electrical equipment, they all assume that the connection relationships and system structures of the electrical equipment are defined in advance as data, or that the designer inputs them as numerical information or conditions. Therefore, the wiring routes, equipment layout, and connection relationships shown in electrical equipment drawings themselves are not directly used for analysis in design calculations.

[0010] For this reason, designers still had to refer to drawings of electrical equipment, manually understand the connections between the equipment and the system configuration, and organize them into ordered calculation conditions and calculation formats for use in design calculations.In particular, when the system structure includes many branches or the electrical equipment is configured across multiple floors, it is essential for the designer to set the calculation conditions and calculation order based on their own judgment.

[0011] Furthermore, if changes were made to electrical equipment drawings, it was necessary to manually reorganize the connections and calculation conditions based on the changes, and then re-run the design calculations and determine compliance standards.In this way, in conventional electrical equipment design, although there are technologies that support the design calculations themselves, the process of understanding the drawings and grasping the system structure prior to the design calculations still relied heavily on the interpretation and experience of the designer.

[0012] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrical equipment design judgment support system, an electrical equipment design judgment support program, and an electrical equipment design judgment support method that enable design calculations for electrical equipment and judgments of compliance standards based on electrical equipment drawings to be performed without relying on manual interpretation or selection of calculation patterns. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] While studying the above-mentioned problems related to design calculations for electrical equipment and the determination of compliance standards, the inventors of the present application focused on the conventional method of design work in design calculations for electrical equipment. In conventional design calculations, drawings of electrical equipment are positioned as materials that are manually interpreted by designers.

[0014] It was then taken for granted that designers would visually grasp the wiring routes, equipment layout, and connection relationships shown in the drawings, then select appropriate calculation tables and patterns from the ones prepared in advance, and apply them to perform design calculations.

[0015] As described above, in conventional design methods, in order to perform design calculations, it is first necessary to manually set up calculation tables and calculation patterns that are the premise of the calculations, and the drawings of the electrical equipment are merely used as a basis for selecting the calculation tables and calculation patterns.

[0016] Therefore, as a result of intensive research, the inventors of the present application have found that it is not necessarily essential to manually set up calculation tables and calculation patterns in advance, and that it is possible to derive the calculation sequence and calculation data required for design calculations from the wiring routes, equipment layout, and connection relationships themselves shown in drawings of the electrical equipment.

[0017] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing an electrical equipment design judgment support system that supports the design calculations and judgment of compliance standards for electrical equipment, the system comprising: drawing acquisition means for acquiring drawing data of electrical equipment that expresses the wiring route, equipment layout, and connection relationships of the electrical equipment; system configuration generation means for analyzing the connection relationships and system structure of the electrical equipment from power supply equipment to electrical devices based on the drawing data, and generating a system configuration of the electrical equipment including the connection relationships; data generation means for determining a calculation order to be used in the design calculations of the electrical equipment based on the system configuration, and generating calculation data that aligns data related to the electrical equipment so that the design calculations can be performed in accordance with the calculation order; and design judgment means for performing design calculations that aggregate data in both directions between the power source side and the load side based on the calculation data, using electrical attributes such as the route length, capacity, current value, and voltage drop of the electrical equipment, and judging whether the results of the design calculations satisfy predetermined compliance standards.

[0018] The above-mentioned calculation data may be arranged in a calculation list in which data relating to the electrical equipment is arranged according to the calculation order, and the calculation order is uniquely determined, thereby providing an electrical equipment design decision support system.

[0019] Furthermore, the invention of a program can also be a design decision support program for electrical equipment that causes a computer to execute the processes executed by the above-mentioned means.

[0020] Furthermore, with regard to the invention of a method for supporting design calculations and conformance criteria determination for electrical equipment executed by a computer, the method is an electrical equipment design determination support method including: a drawing acquisition step in which the computer acquires drawing data for the electrical equipment, which represents the wiring route, equipment layout, and connection relationships of the electrical equipment; a system configuration generation step in which the computer analyzes the connection relationships and system structure of the electrical equipment from the power supply equipment to the electrical devices based on the drawing data, and generates a system configuration for the electrical equipment including the connection relationships; a data generation step in which the computer determines the calculation order to be used in the design calculations for the electrical equipment based on the system configuration, and generates calculation data, which is a calculation list in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged according to the calculation order and in which the calculation order is uniquely determined; and a design determination step in which the computer executes design calculations to aggregate in both directions between the power source side and the load side using the electrical attributes of the electrical equipment, such as the route length, capacity, current value, and voltage drop, based on the calculation data, and determines whether the results of the design calculations satisfy predetermined conformance criteria. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The electrical equipment design decision support system of the present invention automatically analyzes the connection relationships and system structure of electrical equipment from drawing data, and automatically generates the calculation sequence and calculation data required for design calculations. This completely eliminates the need for visual interpretation of drawings and the selection and judgment of calculation patterns according to complex systems, which were previously done manually. This allows for an objective and consistent design decision process that is not dependent on the designer's subjectivity or level of expertise.

[0022] In addition, bidirectional aggregation between the power source and load sides ensures accurate calculation results and conformance assessments even in complex systems, thereby achieving significant efficiency improvements in design work, prevention of human error, and standardization of design quality at the same time.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention is configured to automatically generate calculation data suitable for design calculations from drawing data described as spatial layout information. This allows for the transformation of the conventional one-way workflow, which requires designers to transfer the results of calculations onto drawings and manually set calculation prerequisites and system structures, into an intuitive workflow in which "draw a drawing and the calculation is complete."

[0024] In conventional electrical equipment design, the designer would typically envision the system structure and calculation sequence to be calculated in advance, separate from the electrical equipment drawings, and then select or set the corresponding calculation spreadsheet or calculation pattern before applying the information from the drawings. In other words, the workflow was based on the premise of "defining the one-dimensional calculation structure first, and then referring to the drawings."

[0025] In contrast, the present invention uses the drawing data of the electrical equipment itself as the only input information, automatically analyzes the connection relationships and structure of the electrical system from the drawing data, and further derives the calculation sequence and calculation data required for design calculations. Therefore, the present invention has technical significance in that it realizes a workflow in the opposite direction to the conventional one, "generating a calculation structure from drawings," and eliminates the need for designers to interpret the system or set up calculation procedures in advance.

[0026] In addition, by creating a calculation list in which the calculation order is uniquely determined and the data related to the electrical equipment is arranged according to the calculation order, the complex system calculation process is visualized and the basis for the calculation becomes extremely clear. This ensures a high level of traceability, allowing for easy retroactive verification of the route and order in which the calculation was performed, even in the unlikely event that doubts arise during the design judgment.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the above-mentioned program invention, a series of processes are provided as a program that causes a computer to execute the process, so that design support functions can be easily realized in a computing environment such as a general-purpose PC without the need for dedicated hardware. Also, since the program can be distributed and compliance standards can be updated quickly, a design environment that complies with the latest laws, regulations, and technical standards can be instantly deployed to multiple locations regardless of location.

[0028] Furthermore, according to the invention of the electrical equipment design decision support method, a series of steps from drawing acquisition to design decision is executed as a specific process, so that complex calculation procedures that were previously left to the discretion and empirical rules of individual designers can be standardized as a logical series of workflows. This allows for the standardization of design practices within an organization. At the same time, because each process is clarified as an independent process, it becomes possible to quickly discover and identify data deficiencies and system problems in specific processes, improving the quality control level of the entire design process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a design decision support system 1 for electrical equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing the steps of a design decision support method for electrical equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a connection configuration diagram of electrical equipment in a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a calculation list based on the electrical equipment connection configuration diagram shown in FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, similar elements in all drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in the description below, previously described reference numerals will be used as necessary.

[0031] A block diagram showing the overall configuration of an electrical equipment design decision support system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the electrical equipment design decision support system 1 of the present invention includes drawing acquisition means 11 that acquires drawing information related to the electrical equipment, system configuration generation means 12 that generates a system configuration of the electrical equipment based on the drawing information, data generation means 13 that generates calculation data based on the system configuration, and design decision means 14 that performs design calculations and judges compliance with the standards using the generated calculation data. Details of the drawing acquisition means 11, system configuration generation means 12, data generation means 13, and design decision means 14 will be described below in order.

[0032] <Drawing acquisition method 11> As shown in FIG. 1, the drawing acquisition means 11 is the starting point for processing in this system, and performs processing to acquire drawing data containing design information for the electrical equipment to be designed. Note that the "drawing data" in this invention is not limited to data loaded from an external CAD system, server, or local storage unit, but also includes drawing data generated by an operator (user) placing and connecting parts of electrical equipment within an application. In particular, this embodiment can employ a configuration in which drawing data containing configuration information and connection relationships for the electrical equipment is directly generated by the operator placing and connecting parts of the electrical equipment within the application, thereby enabling the acquisition of drawing data that can be used for design calculations.

[0033] The acquired drawing data is digital data that contains coordinate and attribute information for elements, such as planar layout data, three-dimensional shape data, or three-dimensional Building Information Model (BIM) data with component attributes. The drawing acquisition means 11 can directly acquire drawing data generated by an operator arranging and connecting electrical equipment parts within an application. It can also analyze the coordinate and attribute information of each element in the drawing, as an example of an input format. For example, it can associate shapes contained in image data, etc., based on pre-registered part information, and, if necessary, use an analytical method such as AI to identify parts and wiring, thereby generating drawing information and treating the drawing information as drawing data.

[0034] Specifically, the drawing acquisition means 11 acquires, for example, equipment layout information, such as the types of symbols for various electrical equipment such as power supply equipment (e.g., transformers), distribution boards, circuit breakers, outlets, lighting fixtures, etc., and coordinate information indicating where they are located on the drawing.

[0035] Next, the shape and length of the line segment elements connecting the equipment symbols are identified as wiring route information. At this time, attribute information associated with the line segment elements, such as the type of cable, number of cores, size, or wiring method, is also acquired.

[0036] In particular, an important function of the drawing acquisition means 11 is to extract physical connection relationships from the drawing data including the acquired spatial layout information as logical connection relationship information for electrical systems. For example, based on coordinate information on the drawing, it identifies the connection points (end points and nodes) of equipment symbols and line elements, and logically links physically adjacent or connected elements.

[0037] In this case, even if the equipment symbol and line segment are not completely connected, a correction function is provided that considers them to be connected as long as it is within a set tolerance. Furthermore, the attribute information of each element (type of equipment, rating, wiring type, etc.) is also extracted, and connection information that includes electrical attributes in addition to the physical connection relationship is generated.

[0038] This makes it possible to apply it to not only complex electrical systems that branch out in multiple stages both vertically and horizontally, such as the vertical systems in apartment buildings, but also to any electrical equipment with a wiring structure, such as general buildings, commercial facilities, factory equipment, substation equipment, data centers, renewable energy equipment, etc. Furthermore, regardless of whether the drawing is in two-dimensional or three-dimensional format, it is possible to provide basic data for generating systematic connections (electrical topology) from the power source side to the load side using the various means described below.

[0039] In this way, the drawing acquisition means 11 not only captures visual drawing images, but also extracts electrical attributes and spatial connection information required for design calculations from the drawing data, and can assign or supplement them as needed based on external parts libraries, design condition tables, template information, or user input, convert them into a data structure within the system, and output them. This process relieves the designer from the burden of manually inputting ordered path configurations for calculations, even for electrical systems with complex tree diagrams.

[0040] In this application, "electrical topology" refers to a data structure that logically represents the connection relationships, connection order, and hierarchical structure between devices in an electrical facility, from the power supply equipment to the terminal electrical devices. Specifically, it is network-like connection information in which each device (power supply, distribution board, circuit breaker, load, etc.) is a node and the wiring (main line, branch line, etc.) that connects them is an edge, and each node and edge is associated with electrical attributes such as voltage, current, capacity, and impedance.

[0041] <System configuration generation means 12> The system configuration generation means 12 is a means for analyzing the connection relationships and system structure of the entire electrical equipment, from the power supply equipment to the electrical devices, based on the drawing data acquired by the drawing acquisition means 11, and generating a logical system configuration.

[0042] Specifically, the system configuration generation means 12 converts the connection relationships on the physical drawing into a logical tree structure or mesh structure that can be processed by a computer, using the coordinate information of each device symbol input from the drawing acquisition means 11 and the connection point information of the line segment elements connecting them. In other words, it builds a network structure by regarding each device as a node and the wiring routes as edges.

[0043] In the process of constructing this system structure, connections are traced sequentially starting from the power supply node, and the electrical "parent-child relationships" or "upstream-downstream relationships" from the power source to the terminals are determined hierarchically, i.e., which devices are connected to which trunk lines and which circuits and loads exist beyond them.

[0044] In addition to simple connection relationships, the system configuration generation means 12 associates and stores attribute information (capacity, run length, cable size, etc.) extracted by the drawing acquisition means 11 with each node (device) and edge (wiring). Furthermore, when a system is divided between different drawing files, a single integrated electrical topology can be constructed, for example, by analyzing the identification text information of the connection end to determine logical identity. The system configuration data generated in this way serves as basic information for conversion into an information group of "electrical topology" that is directly used in design calculations by the data generation means described below. Note that the method of connecting systems across different drawings is selected appropriately depending on how the connection relationships are defined, and is not limited to the specific embodiment described below.

[0045] <Data generation means 13> The data generation means 13 is a means for determining the calculation order to be used for design calculations based on the system configuration data (electrical topology) of the electrical equipment generated by the aforementioned system configuration generation means 12, and generating calculation data in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged so that design calculations can be performed in accordance with the calculation order.

[0046] Specifically, the data generating means 13 analyzes the hierarchical connections (upstream-downstream relationships) from the power source side to the load side contained in the system configuration data. Then, in the case of a design calculation such as a voltage drop calculation in which "interval values ​​are calculated by accumulating them from the power source side toward the terminal load," the data generating means 13 determines the calculation order in which the calculation starts from the power source node and proceeds in order toward the terminal load side.

[0047] Based on the calculation order determined in this way, the data generation means 13 sorts the attribute data of each node and edge that makes up the system into a data structure suitable for executing design calculations and outputs it as calculation data. Specifically, the tree structure of an electrical system that includes complex multi-stage branches is constructed as a unique calculation list sorted based on electrical dependencies. This ensures that the calculation order is always unique, eliminating the need for route searches and overlap checks during execution, thereby improving the efficiency of implementing and executing design calculations.

[0048] The specific search method and sorting method for generating the calculation list are not limited to a specific method, and any means can be used that can form a structure that uniquely determines the order required for calculation while maintaining the parent-child relationship and upstream-downstream relationship of the electrical equipment. For example, search or order generation methods such as depth-first search, breadth-first search, and topological sort can be used, but these are merely examples of implementation methods, and the specific search method itself is not the essence of the present invention.

[0049] Among these, the mode of configuring a calculation list in which each processing target is arranged without overlap according to the calculation order is preferable in terms of improving the efficiency of implementation and execution of design calculations, since the calculation order is uniquely determined and processing branching and order determination during calculation can be simplified. Furthermore, the arrangement order between branch elements can be determined based on predetermined rules such as the placement position on the drawing and the order of identifiers, thereby uniquely determining the order as a one-dimensional calculation sequence.

[0050] This means automatically generates consistent calculation data that does not result in duplicated routes or inconsistent sequences during calculation, even for electrical systems with complex tree diagrams, enabling accurate and efficient design calculations to be achieved in the design evaluation means described below.

[0051] <Design judgment means 14> The design judgment means 14 is a means for executing design calculations using the electrical attributes of the electrical equipment, such as the length, capacity, current value, and voltage drop, based on the calculation data sorted by the data generation means 13, and for judging whether the results of the design calculations satisfy predetermined compatibility standards.

[0052] Specifically, the design determination means 14 calculates voltage drop and the like from the power supply side to the load side and load summary and the like from the load side to the power supply side in two directions by scanning a unique calculation list (scanning process) based on the calculation data received from the data generation means 13. Through this two-way calculation, the consistency of the entire system is confirmed and accurate electrical attribute values ​​are calculated.

[0053] If the result of the judgment is non-compliant (NG), the system has the function to automatically select the minimum main line size and circuit breaker capacity required to satisfy the compliance criteria by back-calculating based on the extracted connection structure and outputting the result as a correction proposal.A non-compliant (NG) judgment can occur, for example, when the operator (user) manually fixes the cable size or circuit breaker capacity, when the upper limit of the setting range for automatic cable or circuit breaker selection is reached, or when the attribute values ​​of the load parts, etc., themselves do not satisfy the conditions for establishment.

[0054] The calculated attribute values ​​are compared with predetermined conformance standards. These conformance standards are, for example, values ​​determined by the Electrical Equipment Technical Standards, the Internal Wiring Regulations (JEAC 8001), the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), or in-house standards, and include the allowable current value, the allowable voltage drop rate, and circuit breaker selection criteria. Regarding voltage drop in particular, the Internal Wiring Regulations require that the voltage drop be 2% or less of the standard voltage for both trunk and branch circuits (however, if electricity is supplied from a transformer within the electricity usage location, the voltage drop must be 3% or less for the trunk). For power lines longer than 60 meters, the standard is relaxed depending on the distance (e.g., 3% to 5%). Furthermore, in trunk line design, calculations are performed taking into account design coefficients such as the demand rate and the overlap rate depending on the load configuration and number of dwelling units to be connected, and the calculation results reflecting these design coefficients are compared with the predetermined conformance standards.

[0055] The design judgment means 14 judges whether the result of the comparison satisfies the criteria. In making this judgment, calculation formulas for each wiring method specified in the interior wiring regulations and impedance values ​​(AC resistance and reactance) according to the type of electric wire are used as reference data. The judgment result is output as, for example, "Compliant (OK)" if the criteria are met, or "Non-compliant (NG)" if the criteria are not met. This output includes detailed information indicating which section and which item did not comply with which criteria, allowing the designer to review the design efficiently.

[0056] For the above reasons, what is crucial in this system is a series of "structure conversion algorithms" by the system configuration generation means 12 and the data generation means 13. First, the system configuration generation means 12 automatically reconstructs a "logical system structure" that has electrical meaning while absorbing minute imperfections in the drawing by using proximity determination based on coordinate analysis for a set of geometric "points and lines" on the drawing.

[0057] This is different from simply digitizing drawing information, and has great technical significance in that it replaces and automates the highly advanced cognitive process of "deciphering connection relationships from drawings," which was previously carried out in the head of a designer with specialized knowledge, with geometric calculations on a computer.

[0058] Second, the data generation means 13 arranges the extracted complex hierarchical structure into linear calculation data (calculation list) with a uniquely determined calculation order. This "unique ordering" eliminates calculation loops and duplications, even in complex systems with multi-stage branches, and enables bidirectional calculation processing upstream and downstream to be completed in a single scanning process. This effect is not dependent on a specific search method, but is achieved by generating a calculation order that maintains order constraints in accordance with electrical parent-child relationships.

[0059] In this way, the present invention achieves both improved efficiency in design work and reduced human error by automatically converting drawing data into a consistent data structure suitable for design calculations while eliminating the physical and geometric incompleteness inherent in the drawing data. The present invention does not assume a specific building type or equipment configuration, but has a technical feature in that it provides a series of processes that analyze the connection relationships of electrical equipment from unstructured information such as drawings and converts them into structured data in which the calculation order is uniquely determined based on the connection relationships.

[0060] In other words, the essential technical content to be protected by this invention is the structural transformation algorithm itself, which automatically generates an electrical topology from a power source to a load using a blueprint as input, and then reconstructs the electrical topology into a unique one-dimensional structure suitable for calculation. This structural transformation algorithm is applicable to all electrical facilities with wiring structures, and will contribute widely to the automation of electrical design work not only for apartment buildings but also for various buildings and facilities.

[0061] When the processes performed by the drawing acquisition means 11, system configuration generation means 12, data generation means 13, and design judgment means 14 are executed on a computer, they are realized as an electrical equipment design judgment support program for causing the computer to execute these processes. This program realizes the processing functions corresponding to each means as software, and the specific processing content is defined based on the embodiment of the invention of the electrical equipment design judgment support method described below.

[0062] Next, specific processing steps of a computer-implemented method for supporting design calculations and conformance standard judgments for electrical equipment (hereinafter referred to as "this judgment support method") will be described with reference to the drawings. A flowchart showing the steps of this judgment support method is shown in Figure 2. Note that this judgment support method will be described as being executed by the respective means of the electrical equipment design judgment support system described above as shown in Figure 2, but is not limited to this and can also be executed by any computer having similar functions.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 2, this judgment support method includes a drawing acquisition step S001 in which a computer acquires drawing data of the electrical equipment, a system configuration generation step S002 in which a system configuration of the electrical equipment is generated based on the acquired drawing data, a data generation step S003 in which calculation data is generated based on the generated system configuration, and a design judgment step S004 in which design calculations and judgment of compliance criteria are performed using the generated calculation data. Details of each of the drawing acquisition step S001, system configuration generation step S002, data generation step S003, and design judgment step S004 will be explained in order below.

[0064] <Drawing acquisition process S001> The drawing acquisition step S001 is the starting point of the process in this judgment support method, and the computer acquires drawing data including design information of the electrical equipment to be designed. Note that the drawing data is not limited to data loaded from an external CAD system, a server, or a local storage unit, but also includes drawing data generated by an operator arranging and connecting parts of the electrical equipment within an application.

[0065] The drawing data acquired here is preferably digital data generated by an operator arranging and connecting parts of electrical equipment within an application, but is not limited to this and may be plan view data that holds coordinate information and attribute information of elements, three-dimensional model data, or data in an assignable format.

[0066] Specifically, in the drawing acquisition step S001, the computer first acquires, as equipment layout information, the types of electrical equipment symbols such as power supply equipment (e.g., transformers), distribution boards, circuit breakers, and loads (lighting fixtures, outlets, motors, etc.), as well as coordinate information indicating their locations on the drawing. Next, as wiring route information, the computer identifies the shapes and lengths of the line elements connecting the above equipment symbols. At this time, attribute information associated with the line elements, such as the cable type, number of cores, size, or wiring method, is also acquired. In addition, text information (system number, capacity value, room name, etc.) placed on the drawing is linked to the coordinate information and extracted as attribute data.

[0067] In particular, an important process in the drawing acquisition process S001 is to extract physical connection relationships from the drawing data, including the acquired spatial layout information, as logical electrical system connection relationship information. In this process, the connection points (end points and nodes) of equipment symbols and line elements are identified based on coordinate information on the drawing, and physically adjacent or connected elements are logically linked.

[0068] At this time, the attribute information of each element is also extracted, and connection information that includes electrical attributes in addition to the physical connection relationships is generated. This provides basic data for generating systematic connections from the power source side to the load side in the next process, even for complex systems such as the vertical systems of an apartment building. This process relieves designers of the burden of manually inputting ordered routing configurations for calculations, even for electrical systems with complex tree diagrams.

[0069] <System configuration generation step S002> In the system configuration generation process S002, the computer analyzes the connection relationships and system structure of the entire electrical equipment, from the power supply equipment to the electrical devices, based on the drawing data (equipment layout information, wiring route information, connection relationship information) acquired in the previous drawing acquisition process S001, and generates a logical system configuration.

[0070] Specifically, the coordinate information of each device symbol and the connection point information of the line segment elements connecting them are used to convert the connection relationships on the physical drawing into a logical network structure (for example, a tree structure) that can be processed by a computer. In other words, it is constructed by regarding each device as a node and the wiring route as an edge.

[0071] In this system configuration generation process, the connections are traced sequentially starting from the power supply node, and the electrical "parent-child relationships" or "upstream-downstream relationships" from the power source to the terminal are determined hierarchically. It's worth noting that in this process, even if the connection relationship between the line element and the symbol on the drawing is not explicitly defined, and the line element and the symbol are not physically connected at all, but are drawn in a discontinuous state, the coordinates of the endpoints of the two are compared, and if the distance is within a preset tolerance (threshold), the electrical topology can be constructed assuming that they are electrically connected.

[0072] Furthermore, for systems that span different drawings, if the connection relationships are not explicitly defined by connection point IDs or the like, text information such as "destination display" attached to the endpoints can be analyzed, and nodes with the same identification information can be logically linked to generate a single system configuration data that maintains the continuity of the system. Attribute information extracted in the previous process is associated with each node and edge and stored.

[0073] <Data generation process S003> In the data generation step S003, the computer determines the calculation order to be used in the design calculation based on the system configuration data of the electrical equipment generated in the previous system configuration generation step S002, and generates calculation data in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged so that the design calculation can be performed in accordance with the calculation order.

[0074] Specifically, the hierarchical connections (upstream-downstream relationships) from the power source side to the load side in the system configuration data are analyzed, and when accumulation from the power source side to the terminal load is required, such as in voltage drop calculations, an order suitable for that processing is determined. Conversely, when accumulation from the terminal side to the power source side is required, such as in capacity accumulation, an order suitable for processing in the reverse direction is determined.

[0075] According to the calculation order determined in this way, the computer sorts the attribute data of each element that makes up the system into a data structure suitable for processing and outputs it as calculation data. In this process, a tree-like system structure containing complex multi-stage branches is reconstructed as a linear list sorted based on the dependency relationships between calculations.

[0076] This significantly reduces the calculation load because the totaling and calculation of the entire system can be completed simply by scanning the list sequentially from the top, without the need for complex recursive searches or repeated conditional branching in the actual calculation process. Furthermore, since a unique calculation list is always reproduced for the same system diagram, regardless of drawing habits or symbol placement methods, the objectivity and reliability of design calculations are improved.

[0077] This uniquely determines the calculation order, simplifying the process branching and order determination during calculation.In addition, the same calculation list is always generated for the same system diagram, regardless of drawing habits or symbol placement methods, improving the reproducibility and reliability of design calculations.

[0078] <Design judgment process S004> In the design evaluation step S004, the computer performs design calculations using the electrical attributes of the electrical equipment, such as the length, capacity, current value, and voltage drop, based on the calculation data arranged in the previous data generation step S003, and determines whether the results of the design calculations meet predetermined compatibility standards.

[0079] Specifically, the computer performs design calculations that aggregate data in both directions between the power supply and the load, following the calculation order specified in the calculation data. For example, it propagates "cumulative line length" and "voltage drop value" downstream (from power supply to load), and aggregates and accumulates "load capacity" and "composite load current taking into account demand rate and superposition rate" upstream (from load to power supply). This simultaneous bidirectional calculation instantly calculates the accurate electrical status of each wiring section and panel.

[0080] In this application, the term "demand rate" refers to a coefficient used to correct the cumulative load capacity according to the number of homes connected to one main line, anticipating simultaneous use of the load. For example, if 10 homes, each with a capacity of 10 kVA, are connected, the simple cumulative load capacity will be 100 kVA, but in the main line calculation, the trunk line capacity is calculated as 70 kVA by multiplying it by the demand rate of 0.7 corresponding to the number of homes.

[0081] In addition, in this application, the "overlap rate" refers to a coefficient that represents the expected proportion of general loads that will occur simultaneously during the operating hours of late-night loads in an all-electric home. For example, the simultaneous occurrence of late-night loads and general loads is estimated by multiplying the general load (daytime system) by 0.7 or 0.8 (for non-microcomputer water heaters). On the other hand, in a home that uses both gas and electricity, there is no late-night load, so the overlap rate is set to 1.0.

[0082] Next, the calculated attribute value is compared with compliance standards stored in advance in the memory unit. Compliance standards include allowable current values, allowable voltage drop rates, and circuit breaker selection standards based on electrical equipment technical standards and internal wiring regulations. If the judgment result meets the standards, the system outputs a judgment result of "Compliant (OK)"; if not, the system outputs a judgment result of "Non-compliant (NG)." If the result is non-compliant, the system displays and notifies which section and which item deviates from the standards.

[0083] Furthermore, for items that are judged as NG, the system performs a process of back-calculating corrections based on the hierarchical structure of the calculation data to propose corrections to meet the compliance criteria (for example, if the voltage drop exceeds a limit, the minimum cable size required to clear that limit) and presents the recommended values. This allows designers to efficiently correct non-compliant areas without trial and error.

[0084] For these reasons, the key to this judgment support method is the process of "stepwise information abstraction and structuring" that transforms drawing data into calculation data. Specifically, in the system configuration generation step S002, the process of dynamically extracting the "connection continuity" of the entire system from the coordinate information of the "points and lines" of each element on the drawing is extremely important. The procedure in this step, which restores a logical electrical topology from discontinuous drawing data by threshold judgment, is fundamentally different from the conventional method of simply reading CAD data, and enables extremely detailed system analysis that is not dependent on the accuracy of the drawing.

[0085] Furthermore, the method has a significant advantage in that the extracted multi-layer topology structure is converted into a linear data string with a uniquely determined calculation order in the data generation step S003. This conversion step allows the "bidirectional calculation processing" from the power supply side to the load side and from the load side to the power supply side in the subsequent design evaluation step S004 to be performed quickly and accurately using a consistent algorithm without calculation conflicts or logical contradictions.

[0086] In other words, this judgment support method incorporates a unique process of converting unstructured visual information such as drawings into structured data with a unique calculation order, thereby simultaneously reducing the calculation load in design judgments on complex electrical equipment and achieving high calculation accuracy by physically eliminating human error.

[0087] (Example: Electrical equipment with branch structure) Next, an embodiment will be described in which the electrical equipment design decision support system (this system) or this decision support method according to the present invention is applied to electrical equipment with a branch structure. For example, this embodiment can be applied to the main lighting system of an apartment building with multiple dwelling units. A connection configuration diagram of the electrical equipment of this embodiment is shown in Figure 3, and a calculation list based on the connection configuration of the electrical equipment shown in Figure 3 is shown in Figure 4.

[0088] The calculation list shown in Figure 4 shows an example of the display of calculation results, and calculation information such as the number of load units (e.g., number of dwelling units), demand rate, and overlap rate is stored as internal data and used in the design calculations, and some of this information has been omitted for ease of understanding. Also, Figures 3 and 4 are simplified for the purpose of explaining this embodiment, and only representative examples of some of the terminal loads having a repeating structure are shown, with the rest omitted. Identification information and attribute information related to the omitted terminal loads is stored as drawing data or calculation data and used in the design calculations.

[0089] This embodiment targets electrical equipment having a branch structure in which a transformer TR1 is the starting point and multiple terminal loads are connected via a trunk line, a distribution panel, and a branch section, as shown in Figure 3. For example, this embodiment can be applied to electrical equipment in an apartment building to which multiple dwelling unit loads (terminal loads) are connected. Specifically, in the connection configuration diagram of this embodiment, system element T101, which serves as the most upstream trunk line, extends via distribution panel B1 (B11, B12, B13) and B2 (B21, B22) to system elements T102, T103, T104, T105, and T106, which serve as multiple branch sections, and system elements T1021, T1031, T1051, and T1061, which serve as terminal loads (dwelling unit loads), respectively.

[0090] Furthermore, Figure 4 is a visual output in tabular form of a calculation list with a uniquely determined calculation order, which was generated for executing design calculations as a result of this system analyzing the electrical equipment connection configuration diagram (drawing data) shown in Figure 3. Note that Figure 4 shows the calculation results for all trunk line sections shown in Figure 3, but the calculation results and judgment results for system element T101 as the trunk line and system elements T102, T1021, T104, etc. as representative branch sections and loads will be extracted and explained below.

[0091] In the electrical system of this embodiment, first, the drawing acquisition means (drawing acquisition step) and the system configuration generation means (system configuration generation step) identify system element T101 as a trunk line on the power supply side from the drawing data shown in Fig. 3. The system element T101 is recognized as a trunk line that receives power from a transformer TR1 with a single-phase three-wire (1φ3W) phase and line system and a voltage of 100 / 200V, and the system automatically acquires a section length of 2.0m and a cumulative length of 2.0m.

[0092] Furthermore, the system configuration generating means automatically analyzes that a plurality of branch sections indicated by system elements T102, T103, and T104 are connected downstream of the system element T101 based on the drawing data shown in Fig. 3, and constructs a logical parent-child relationship (electrical topology). Note that in this embodiment, the "system element" refers to a structural unit for individually identifying each element of the wiring section, distribution board, and load equipment that make up the electrical system.

[0093] Next, the data generation means (data generation process) generates the calculation list shown in Figure 4, in which each element is arranged in calculation order based on the parent-child relationships described above. As a typical calculation example, focusing on system element T102, the design judgment means (design judgment process) automatically adds the cumulative run length of 10.0 m of the section to the cumulative run length of 2.0 m of the preceding system element T101 on the calculation list based on the attribute information (single-phase two-wire system (1φ2W), circuit breaker 20A, cable CV3.5-2C, section length 10.0 m) extracted from the drawing data shown in Figure 3, thereby calculating a cumulative run length of 12.0 m. This calculation is performed by the system scanning the calculation list shown in Figure 4 in the order of arrangement. In addition, the hierarchical structure on the calculation list identifies that a terminal load T1021 (capacity 1.5 kVA) is connected downstream of system element T102.

[0094] Similarly, for other representative branch sections such as system element T104 (single-phase three-wire 100 / 200V, circuit breaker 50A, cable CV8-3C, section length 8.0m, cumulative length 10.0m), the system scans the calculation list and calculates the values ​​sequentially. The terminal loads of system elements T1021, T1031, etc. extracted by diagram analysis are automatically linked to the ends of each of these branch sections according to their own unique calculation order.

[0095] The design evaluation means (design evaluation step) automatically calculates the load capacity based on the calculation list shown in Figure 4, starting from each terminal load section and proceeding upstream from the load side toward the power source side. As a result, for example, in branch section T102, a cumulative capacity of 1.5 kVA is calculated based on system element T1021, which is the connected terminal load. Furthermore, in the most upstream system element T101, the load capacities of all branch sections included in the list are added together, and a cumulative capacity of 12 kVA is automatically calculated.

[0096] For example, if this embodiment is an electrical facility having multiple load units, the data generation means (data generation process) associates each terminal load with a respective load unit (e.g., dwelling unit) and accumulates information on the number of load units upstream on the calculation list. The design judgment means (design judgment process) automatically acquires from the calculation list the number of load units (e.g., number of dwelling units) borne by the trunk or branch section of system element T101, and automatically applies the demand rate or superposition rate corresponding to the number of load units during the design calculation process. This method of applying design coefficients according to the number of load units (number of dwelling units) is based on a concept that is also commonly used in trunk line design in electrical facility design for apartment buildings.

[0097] The design evaluation means (design evaluation step) calculates the voltage drop of each section (section voltage drop) and the accumulated value from the power source (cumulative voltage drop) based on the aforementioned cumulative length and the calculated load current. For example, in the system element T102 as a representative branch section, a section voltage drop of 1.53 V and a cumulative voltage drop of 1.59 V, which is the sum of the values ​​of the system element T101 as the upstream section, are automatically calculated.

[0098] Finally, the design judgment means (design judgment process) compares the calculation results for each section with the compatibility criteria stored in advance. In this embodiment, since the cumulative voltage drop for each of the representative system elements T101, T102, T104, etc. shown in the calculation list in Fig. 4 meets the allowable criteria, the judgment result is automatically output as "OK (compatible)."

[0099] If the design evaluation means (design evaluation process) determines that the system is "NG (non-compliant)," the system does not simply display the result; instead, it automatically back-calculates and presents the minimum wire size and circuit breaker capacity required to meet the compliance criteria based on the hierarchical structure and wiring attributes in the calculation list. For example, if automatic selection is enabled and within the specified range, the system will internally repeatedly increase the wire size or circuit breaker capacity for the trunk line determined to be "non-compliant" when the user instructs the system to execute automatic selection, starting from the trunk line determined to be "non-compliant." The system will then recalculate the wire size or circuit breaker capacity for that trunk line and any trunk lines upstream of it, until it determines that the trunk line is "compliant" (OK). During this process, care is taken to avoid extreme size differences between the upstream and downstream trunk lines.

[0100] In this way, by using this system and method, designers can objectively and consistently perform everything from system extraction to final compatibility assessment and even assistance with design modifications, starting only from the drawing data, without having to manually organize calculation conditions from complex drawings. Note that the system of the present invention supports the adjustment of design values ​​such as wire size and circuit breaker capacity to obtain compatibility assessment, and does not include a function to automatically propose changes to the electrical system structure itself.

[0101] In this way, the system calculates the cumulative cable length and cumulative voltage drop for all sections, and the farthest load section from the power supply equipment in the entire system is automatically identified without the need for the designer's judgment.The design evaluation means (design evaluation process) uses the cumulative voltage drop and load current at the farthest end as a reference to comprehensively evaluate the appropriateness of the cable size and circuit breaker capacity in the trunk section and branch section while maintaining the consistency of the entire system.

[0102] As described above, according to this embodiment, by simply creating an electrical system diagram for electrical equipment with a complex branch structure, main line calculations and design judgments, including cumulative line length, cumulative load capacity, number of load units (e.g., number of dwelling units), current value, and voltage drop, can be performed as a series of automatic processes based on a uniquely sorted calculation list for electrical equipment with a complex branch structure. This enables automatic conversion of spatial layout information on the drawing into structured data suitable for design calculations, achieving dramatic improvements in the efficiency of design work and the accuracy of judgments.

[0103] Note that the present invention describes examples of electrical equipment with a branching structure, and refers to an apartment building merely as an example of a typical structure in which the electrical system branches into multiple stages and attribute aggregation is required in both upstream and downstream directions. This is intended to illustrate a structure in which the effects of the present invention are particularly pronounced, and is not intended to limit the application of the present invention to apartment buildings. The technical essence of the present invention does not depend on specific building uses or equipment conditions, but lies in the process of analyzing the electrical equipment connections from drawing data and converting them into computable structural data based on those connections. Therefore, individual calculation conditions and numerical values ​​such as demand rate, superposition rate, and voltage drop rate are merely additional elements that are set depending on the application of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0104] In particular, electrical equipment with a branching structure, such as the main lighting lines in apartment buildings, has multiple wiring sections connected in a hierarchical manner, including transformers, distribution boards, horizontal main lines, vertical main lines, branch cables, and wiring within the dwelling units, and the loads are branched in multiple stages at each floor and load unit, making it difficult to grasp at a glance from a drawing the route farthest from the power supply equipment.In addition, the cumulative length up to the farthest point must be calculated by sequentially adding up the lengths of multiple wiring sections, and manual calculations are prone to errors in the calculation order or omissions.

[0105] Furthermore, in electrical equipment with a branch structure, such as in an apartment building, it is necessary to calculate the design capacity by switching the demand rate and superposition rate according to the number of load units (number of dwelling units, etc.) electrically borne by each main line.However, in the past, designers would refer to drawings to determine the number of dwelling units and manually set the demand rate, etc. to be applied as calculation conditions, so there was a risk that an error in setting the number of dwelling units condition would directly lead to an error in the design capacity of the entire main line.

[0106] In contrast, the electrical equipment design decision support system of the present invention automatically tallys up the loads and number of load units (number of dwelling units, etc.) connected to each trunk line based on the electrical topology extracted by the drawing acquisition means and the system configuration generation means, and can automatically apply the demand rate and superposition rate based on the tallying results in the design calculation process.In addition, the cumulative length of all paths from the power supply equipment to each load is automatically calculated based on the extracted electrical topology and calculation data, making it possible to mechanically identify the farthest route, and determine the voltage drop based on the farthest end, and select the cable size and circuit breaker capacity that will satisfy this, as the results of the design calculation can be consistently derived. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1: Electrical equipment design decision support system, 11: Drawing acquisition means, 12: System configuration generation means, 13: Data generation means, 14: Design decision means, S001: Drawing acquisition process, S002: System configuration generation process, S003: Data generation process, S004: Design decision process, B1 to B22: Distribution board, L1 to L4: Terminal load (in-house load), T101 to T1061: System element (wiring section, distribution board, terminal load), TR1: Transformer

Claims

1. 1. An electrical equipment design judgment support system for supporting design calculations and judgment of compliance standards for electrical equipment, comprising: drawing acquisition means for acquiring drawing data of the electrical equipment that expresses wiring routes, equipment layout, and connection relationships of the electrical equipment; system configuration generation means for analyzing connection relationships and system structure of the electrical equipment from power supply equipment to electrical devices based on the drawing data, and generating a system configuration of the electrical equipment including the connection relationships; data generation means for determining a calculation order to be used in design calculations of the electrical equipment based on the system configuration, and generating calculation data in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged so that design calculations can be performed in accordance with the calculation order; and design judgment means for executing the design calculations that aggregate data in both directions between the power source side and the load side using electrical attributes of the electrical equipment based on the calculation data, and judging whether or not the results of the design calculations satisfy the compliance standards.

2. 2. The electrical equipment design decision support system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation data is a calculation list in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged according to the calculation order, and the calculation order is uniquely determined.

3. 3. A design decision support program for electrical equipment, which causes a computer to execute the processes executed by each of the means according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 1. A method for supporting design calculations and conformance criteria determination for electrical equipment executed by a computer, comprising: a drawing acquisition step in which the computer acquires drawing data for the electrical equipment, the drawing data representing wiring routes, equipment layout, and connection relationships of the electrical equipment; a system configuration generation step in which the computer analyzes the connection relationships and system structure of the electrical equipment from power supply equipment to electrical devices based on the drawing data, and generates a system configuration for the electrical equipment including the connection relationships; a data generation step in which the computer determines a calculation order to be used in the design calculations for the electrical equipment, based on the system configuration, and generates calculation data in which data related to the electrical equipment is arranged in accordance with the calculation order; and a design determination step in which the computer executes design calculations to aggregate data in both directions between a power source side and a load side using electrical attributes of the electrical equipment, based on the calculation data, and determines whether the results of the design calculations satisfy the conformance criteria.

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