Airflow control device, control program, and method for manufacturing air conditioning equipment

Abstract

To provide an air amount adjustment device which can perform evaluation of air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning device without adjusting the air amount of conditioned air blown out from a blowout port of the air conditioning device, a control program, and an air conditioning device manufacturing method.SOLUTION: An air amount adjustment device 700 used for evaluation of air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning device 900 includes an air duct 110, a draft resistance adjustment mechanism 200, a measurement device 300, and a control device 400. To a first opening 111 at one end of the air duct 110, a blowout port 932 of the air conditioning device 900 is connected. The draft resistance adjustment mechanism 200 adjusts draft resistance received when conditioned air passes through a second opening 112 at the other end of the air duct 110. The measurement device 300 measures an air amount or an air amount corresponding amount of conditioned air inside the air duct 110. The control device 400 brings the air amount or the air amount corresponding amount close to a predetermined target value by controlling the draft resistance adjustment mechanism 200 by using the measurement result of the measurement device 300.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air volume adjustment device, a control program, and a method for manufacturing an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, an air conditioner includes a heat exchanger, a fan that forms an air flow passing through the heat exchanger, and a housing that houses the heat exchanger and the fan. The air flow passing through the heat exchanger is blown out to the outside from the air outlet of the housing. There is also known an air conditioner having an air volume control function for controlling the air volume of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet (see Patent Document 1 below).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When manufacturing an air conditioner or performing maintenance on an existing air conditioner, there may be a case where it is desired to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as the air conditioning capacity).

[0005] It is desirable to evaluate the air conditioning capacity with the air volume of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet maintained at a target value suitable for the evaluation. For this reason, when the air conditioner does not have an air volume control function, or when the operation of setting the air volume of the conditioned air to the target value by controlling the air conditioner is complicated, etc., the evaluation has been troublesome.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air volume adjustment device, a control program, and a method for manufacturing an air conditioner that can evaluate the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner without adjusting the air volume of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet of the air conditioner.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The airflow control device according to this disclosure is used to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out. The airflow control device according to this disclosure comprises an air conduit, a measuring instrument, and a control device. The air duct has a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other end. The outlet is connected to the first opening of the air duct. The ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism adjusts the ventilation resistance that the conditioned air experiences when passing through the second opening at the other end of the air conduit. The measuring instrument measures the airflow rate of conditioned air inside the air conduit, or the airflow equivalent, which is a physical quantity dependent on the airflow rate. The control device adjusts the airflow resistance adjustment mechanism using the measurement results from the measuring instrument, thereby bringing the airflow rate or equivalent airflow rate closer to a predetermined target value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the airflow adjustment device described herein, the control device controls the airflow resistance adjustment mechanism, thereby bringing the airflow or airflow-dependent amount inside the air conduit closer to the target value. Therefore, without adjusting the airflow of the conditioned air blown out from the air outlet of the air conditioner, the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner can be evaluated while the airflow or airflow-dependent amount inside the air conduit is close to the target value. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the airflow control device according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] Flowchart of the evaluation process according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 4] Flowchart of the airflow adjustment process according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 5A] This graph shows the change in the position of the shielding member when the airflow adjustment process according to Embodiment 1 is adopted and the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit is increased from 25 Pa to 30 Pa. [Figure 5B] Graph showing the change in the position of the shielding member when the dynamic pressure inside the air duct is decreased from 30 Pa to 25 Pa, adopting the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 6] Flowchart of the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 7] Timing chart showing the operating period of the motor according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 8A] Graph showing the change in the position of the shielding member when the dynamic pressure inside the air duct is increased from 25 Pa to 30 Pa, adopting the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 8B] Graph showing the change in the position of the shielding member when the dynamic pressure inside the air duct is decreased from 30 Pa to 25 Pa, adopting the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 2 [Figure 9] Timing chart showing the operating period of the motor according to Embodiment 3 [Figure 10] Timing chart showing the operating period of the motor according to Embodiment 4 [Figure 11] Timing chart showing the operating period of the motor according to Embodiment 5 [Figure 12] Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the displacement detector according to Embodiment 6 [Figure 13] Flowchart of the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 6 [Figure 14] Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the displacement detector according to Embodiment 7 [Figure 15] Flowchart of the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 8 [Figure 16] Flowchart of the air volume adjustment process according to Embodiment 9 [Figure 17] Conceptual diagram showing the functions of the control device according to Embodiment 10 [Figure 18] Conceptual diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control device according to Embodiment 10 [Figure 19] Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the air volume adjustment device according to Embodiment 11

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an air volume adjustment device according to an embodiment will be described. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an air volume adjustment device 700 according to Embodiment 1. This air volume adjustment device 700 is used for evaluating the air conditioning capacity of the assembled air conditioner 900 in the manufacturing process of the air conditioner 900. The evaluation of the air conditioning capacity is performed to determine whether the air conditioner 900 has the quality for shipment. Hereinafter, first, the configuration of the air conditioner 900 will be described.

[0012] The air conditioner 900 includes an indoor heat exchanger 910 through which a refrigerant circulates inside, a fan 920 that forms an air flow passing through the indoor heat exchanger 910, and a housing 930 that houses the indoor heat exchanger 910 and the fan 920. The indoor heat exchanger 910 is an example of the heat exchanger according to the present disclosure.

[0013] In the housing 930, a suction port 931 and a blowout port 932 that communicate with the outside are respectively formed. By the fan 920, the air outside the housing 930 is sucked into the housing 930 through the suction port 931. The sucked air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 910 and is then blown out from the blowout port 932 to the outside of the housing 930.

[0014] Hereinafter, the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 910, that is, the air that has exchanged heat with the indoor heat exchanger 910, is referred to as "harmonious air".

[0015] [[ID=2 + 5]]Note that, when the air conditioner 900 is in use, the air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 910 is the air in the space to be air-conditioned. The indoor heat exchanger 910 functions as an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant or a condenser that condenses the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the compressor, the expansion valve, and the outdoor heat exchanger that constitute the refrigeration cycle together with the indoor heat exchanger 910 is omitted.

[0016] Next, the configuration of the airflow control device 700 will be described. The airflow control device 700 includes a hollow tubular air conduit 110 with open ends. The air conduit 110 extends in a straight line. One end of the air conduit 110 is connected to the air outlet 932 of the air conditioning device 900. In other words, the opening 111 at one end of the air conduit 110 (hereinafter referred to as the first opening) is connected to the air outlet 932.

[0017] The conditioned air blown out from the outlet 932 of the air conditioning unit 900 flows into the air duct 110 through the first opening 111, passes through the inside of the air duct 110, and then flows out to the outside through the opening (hereinafter referred to as the second opening) 112 at the other end of the air duct 110.

[0018] Inside the air conduit 110, a flow straightening member 120 is arranged to regulate the airflow of the conditioned air and suppress the generation of turbulence. The flow straightening member 120 can be made of a grid, wire mesh, or a combination of a grid and wire mesh.

[0019] Furthermore, the airflow adjustment device 700 includes an airflow resistance adjustment mechanism 200 attached to the other end of the air conduit 110. The airflow resistance adjustment mechanism 200 adjusts the airflow resistance that the conditioned air experiences when passing through the second opening 112 at the other end of the air conduit 110. Even if the rotation speed of the fan 920 is kept constant, the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit 110 can be controlled by the airflow resistance at the second opening 112.

[0020] Referring to Figure 2, the configuration of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 will be described in detail. The ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 includes a shielding member 210 positioned facing the second opening 112. The shielding member 210 obstructs the passage of conditioned air. Specifically, the shielding member 210 prevents the outflow of conditioned air from the second opening 112 of the air duct 110. By displacing the shielding member 210 in the longitudinal direction of the air duct 110, the ventilation resistance at the second opening 112 is adjusted.

[0021] More specifically, the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 comprises a lead screw 220, which is a rod-shaped male screw positioned to coincide with the virtual center line of the air duct 110, and a slider 230, which is a female screw fitted onto the lead screw 220. The shielding member 210 is fixed to the slider 230.

[0022] In this context, the "virtual centerline of the air conduit 110" refers to a virtual straight line that passes through the center of the cross-section (hereinafter referred to as the transverse plane) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air conduit 110 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the air conduit 110.

[0023] The shielding member 210 has the shape of a straight cone, specifically a cone. The conical shielding member 210 is held in a position where the apex of the cone faces the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, and the virtual center line of the cone is aligned with the lead screw 220. The apex of the conical shielding member 210 is fixed to the slider 230.

[0024] In this context, the "virtual centerline of the cone" refers to a virtual straight line that passes through the vertex of the cone and extends in the direction of its height.

[0025] Furthermore, the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 includes a guide 240 that prevents the shielding member 210 from rotating around the lead screw 220, and a motor 250 that rotates the lead screw. Since the slider 230 is fixed to the shielding member 210, the rotation of the slider 230 around the lead screw 220 is also prevented by the guide 240.

[0026] Therefore, when the lead screw 220 is rotated by the motor 250, the slider 230 and the shielding member 210 are displaced along the lead screw 220 in the longitudinal direction of the lead screw 220 (hereinafter also referred to as the forward and backward direction). In other words, the lead screw 220, slider 230, guide 240, and motor 250 described above constitute a displacement mechanism that displaces the shielding member 210 in the forward and backward direction.

[0027] Depending on the direction of rotation of the lead screw 220, the slider 230 and the shielding member 210 can be moved closer to the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, or further away from the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1. The guide 240 also plays a role in guiding the movement of the shielding member 210 in the forward and backward directions.

[0028] When the slider 230 is in the position of the air conduit 110, the closer the slider 230 and the shielding member 210 are to the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, the smaller the area of ​​the region through which conditioned air can pass in the cross-section at the position of the second opening 112 becomes. As a result, the airflow resistance at the second opening 112 increases, and the airflow rate of conditioned air inside the air conduit 110 decreases.

[0029] In the following, the rotation of the lead screw 220 in a direction that brings the slider 230 and shielding member 210 closer to the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as "forward rotation." Furthermore, the act of using the motor 250 to rotate the lead screw 220 in the forward direction will also be described as "rotating the motor 250 in the forward direction."

[0030] On the other hand, the further the slider 230 and shielding member 210 are moved away from the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, the larger the area of ​​the region through which conditioned air can pass in the cross-section at the position of the second opening 112 becomes. As a result, the ventilation resistance at the second opening 112 decreases, and the airflow rate of conditioned air inside the air conduit 110 increases.

[0031] Figure 2 illustrates a state in which the slider 230 and shielding member 210 are located outside the air conduit 110. In this state, the entire area of ​​the second opening 112 is open to the outside.

[0032] In the following, the rotation of the lead screw 220 in a direction that moves the slider 230 and shielding member 210 away from the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1 will be referred to as "reverse rotation." Furthermore, the act of using the motor 250 to reverse the rotation of the lead screw 220 will also be described as "reverse rotation of the motor 250."

[0033] Returning to Figure 1, let's continue the explanation. The airflow control device 700 also includes a measuring instrument 300 that measures a physical quantity (hereinafter referred to as the airflow equivalent) that depends on the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit 110. The measuring instrument 300 is located inside the air conduit 110, downstream of the rectifier 120. Therefore, the airflow regulated by the rectifier 120 is the target of measurement by the measuring instrument 300.

[0034] In this embodiment, the measuring instrument 300 consists of a Pitot tube for detecting the total pressure and static pressure inside the air conduit 110, and a manometer for detecting the dynamic pressure, which is the difference between the total pressure and static pressure detected by the Pitot tube.

[0035] Furthermore, the dynamic pressure detected by the measuring instrument 300 can also be converted to the airflow rate of conditioned air using Bernoulli's theorem and the known cross-sectional area of ​​the hollow section of the air conduit 110. In other words, the dynamic pressure detected by the measuring instrument 300 is an example of the airflow rate equivalent mentioned above. A larger dynamic pressure as an airflow rate equivalent means a larger airflow rate.

[0036] Furthermore, the airflow adjustment device 700 also includes a control device 400 that controls the airflow resistance adjustment mechanism 200 using the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300. Specifically, the control device 400 uses the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300 to feedback control the motor 250, thereby bringing the airflow equivalent amount, which is the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300, closer to a predetermined target value.

[0037] In this context, "target value" refers to the target value for the equivalent airflow. The target value for the equivalent airflow refers to the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 when the airflow of the conditioned air inside the air conduit 110 reaches a predetermined value suitable for evaluating the air conditioning capacity.

[0038] The following describes the method for manufacturing an air conditioning system according to this embodiment.

[0039] First, the air conditioning unit 900 is assembled (assembly process). Next, the assembled air conditioning unit 900 is used for evaluation, and its air conditioning capacity is evaluated using the airflow control device 700 (evaluation process). The evaluation of the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 is performed based on the measurement results of physical quantities related to the airflow of conditioned air inside the air conduit 110, while the amount of conditioned air equivalent inside the air conduit 110 is brought close to the target value. As a result of the evaluation, only air conditioning units 900 that are determined to meet predetermined standards for air conditioning capacity are put up for shipment.

[0040] Next, we will explain the evaluation process performed by the airflow control device 700 in the evaluation process described above.

[0041] Figure 3 shows the procedure for the evaluation process. First, the control device 400 of the airflow control device 700 starts the operation of the air conditioning unit 900 that is the subject of evaluation and waits until the rotation speed of the fan 920 of the air conditioning unit 900 stabilizes (step S101).

[0042] Here, "starting the operation of the air conditioning unit 900" means not only starting the fan 920 of the air conditioning unit 900, but also starting the compressor (not shown) which, together with the indoor heat exchanger 910, constitutes the refrigeration cycle.

[0043] As the air conditioning unit 900 starts operation, the airflow of conditioned air blown out from the outlet 932 is formed inside the air duct 110. In this state, the control device 400 performs an airflow adjustment process to bring the amount of conditioned air equivalent to the airflow volume inside the air duct 110 closer to the target value (step S200).

[0044] Next, the control device 400 determines whether or not it is possible to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 based on whether or not predetermined termination conditions are met (step S102). Specifically, the termination condition is that the amount of airflow equivalent identified by the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300 has converged to the target value.

[0045] More specifically, in step S102, the control device 400 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the airflow equivalent amount identified by the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 and the target value is less than or equal to an allowable value indicating that the airflow equivalent amount has converged to the target value.

[0046] If the absolute value of the difference between the airflow equivalent determined by the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300 and the target value exceeds the allowable value, then the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 cannot be evaluated (Step S102; NO). Therefore, in this case, the process returns to Step S200.

[0047] On the other hand, a state in which the absolute value of the difference between the airflow equivalent amount identified by the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300 and the target value is less than or equal to the allowable value can be said to be a state in which the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 can be evaluated (Step S102; YES). In this case, the control device 400 determines whether or not it has finished evaluating the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 (Step S103).

[0048] The air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 is evaluated using an evaluation device (not shown). The evaluation device evaluates the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit 900 based on the measurement results of physical quantities related to the airflow of conditioned air inside the air duct 110, specifically temperature, when the amount of conditioned air equivalent inside the air duct 110 is brought close to the target value.

[0049] If the evaluation by the evaluation device is not yet complete (step S103; NO), the process returns to step S200. On the other hand, if the evaluation by the evaluation device is complete (step S103; YES), the control device 400 stops the fan 920 of the air conditioning unit 900 (step S104) and ends this process.

[0050] The airflow adjustment process in step S200 described above will be explained in detail below.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, first, the control device 400 obtains a measurement value of the airflow equivalent from the measuring instrument 300 as a measurement result (step S210). As previously described, in this embodiment, the airflow equivalent is specifically the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110.

[0052] Next, the control device 400 determines whether the measured value of the airflow equivalent obtained from the measuring instrument 300 has converged to a predetermined target value for the airflow equivalent (step S220). Specifically, in step S220, the control device 400 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent and the target value is less than or equal to an allowable value indicating that the airflow equivalent has converged to the target value.

[0053] If the absolute value of the difference between the measured airflow equivalent and the target value exceeds the allowable value (step S220; YES), the control device 400 further determines whether the measured airflow equivalent is greater than the target value (step S230).

[0054] If the measured value of the airflow equivalent is greater than the target value (step S230; YES), it means that the airflow inside the air duct 110 is greater than the value desired when evaluating the air conditioning system 900. In this case, the control device 400 rotates the motor 250 in the forward direction for a predetermined first time length in order to reduce the airflow inside the air duct 110 (step S240). The rotational speed of the motor 250 remains constant.

[0055] As a result, the slider 230 and the shielding member 210 move closer to the first opening 111, increasing the ventilation resistance at the second opening 112. Consequently, the airflow rate of conditioned air inside the air duct 110 decreases.

[0056] On the other hand, if the measured value of the airflow equivalent is smaller than the target value (step S230; NO), it means that the airflow inside the air conduit 110 is smaller than the value desired when evaluating the air conditioning system 900. In this case, the control device 400 reverses the rotation of the motor 250 for the aforementioned first time length in order to increase the airflow inside the air conduit 110 (step S250).

[0057] As a result, the slider 230 and the shielding member 210 move away from the first opening 111, reducing the ventilation resistance at the second opening 112. Consequently, the airflow rate of conditioned air inside the air duct 110 increases.

[0058] The processes described above, from step S210 to S240 and from step S210 to S250, are examples of unit drive control that drives the displacement mechanism for a predetermined time duration.

[0059] On the other hand, in step S220, if the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent and the target value is less than or equal to the allowable value (step S220; NO), that is, if the airflow equivalent has converged to the target value, the control device 400 will wait for the aforementioned first time length without driving the motor 250 (step S260).

[0060] After steps S240, S250, and S260 described above, the process proceeds to step S102 in Figure 3. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, the airflow adjustment process (step S200) described above can be repeated. Therefore, the unit drive control shown in Figure 4 can also be repeated.

[0061] The unit drive control is stopped not only when "YES" is determined in step S102 in Figure 3, but also when "NO" is determined in step S220 in Figure 4. In other words, a determination of "NO" in step S220 in Figure 4 corresponds to the fulfillment of the previously described termination condition, which indicates that the airflow equivalent has converged to the target value.

[0062] As shown in Figure 4, in the airflow adjustment process according to this embodiment, the time duration for operating the motor 250 in step S240, the time duration for operating the motor 250 in step S250, and the waiting time duration in step S260 are all set to the first time duration described above. This makes it possible to set the repetition period of the airflow adjustment process regardless of the determination results in steps S220 and S230.

[0063] As described above, the airflow adjustment device 700 controls the motor 250 of the airflow resistance adjustment mechanism 200 by the control device 400, thereby bringing the amount of airflow dependent inside the air duct 110 closer to the target value. Therefore, without adjusting the airflow rate of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet 932 of the air conditioner 900, the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioner 900 can be evaluated with the amount of airflow dependent inside the air duct 110 closer to a target value suitable for evaluation.

[0064] [Embodiment 2] As described above, the control device 400 repeatedly performs unit drive control, driving the motor 250 for a predetermined time length, known as a first time length, until a termination condition is met, which indicates that the airflow equivalent has converged to a target value. During this repetition process, a delay may occur in the response of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 to the control of the control device 400.

[0065] Therefore, a waiting period may be provided in the airflow adjustment process to suppress the instability of the airflow and the amount equivalent to the airflow caused by the delay in response. In other words, the control device 400 may provide a waiting period to stop the motor 250 from driving between one unit drive control and the next unit drive control during the process of repeating unit drive control. This will be explained in detail below.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6, in the airflow adjustment process according to this embodiment, after step S240, S250, or S260, the control device 400 waits for a second time length (step S270). The second time length is predetermined to represent the degree of delay in the response of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 to the control of the control device 400. The period during which the control device 400 waits in step S270 corresponds to the waiting period described above.

[0067] Note that in Figure 6, the processes other than step S270 are the same as in Figure 4. After step S270, the process proceeds to step S102 in Figure 3. As a result, the airflow adjustment process may be repeated as described above. And as the airflow adjustment process is repeated, the control of the motor 250 in step S240 or S250 in Figure 6, that is, the unit drive control described above, may be repeated.

[0068] Figure 7 is a timing chart showing the operating period of the motor 250 when the unit drive control is repeated in this manner.

[0069] In the previously described step S240 or S250, the motor 250 is operated for a first time length. In the next step S270, the control device 400 remains idle for a second time length, so the motor 250 is stopped for a second time length. In this way, the airflow adjustment process can be repeated with a period (hereinafter referred to as the control period) equal to the sum of the first and second time lengths.

[0070] In this embodiment, both the first time length and the second time length are predetermined and fixed values. For example, the first time length and the second time length may be equal. In other words, half of the control period may be the first time length and the other half may be the second time length.

[0071] As described above, in this embodiment, the control device 400 waits for a second time length in step S270. Therefore, even if the control of the motor 250 in step S240 or S250 is repeated as the airflow adjustment process is repeated, the next control is performed after waiting for the response delay of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200, which includes the motor 250. As a result, instability in the airflow caused by the response delay of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 is suppressed.

[0072] The following describes the simulation results that demonstrate the significance of including step S270. While the control device 400 is performing feedback control to bring the airflow equivalent closer to the target value, the change in the position of the shielding member 210 was investigated when the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110 was intentionally changed.

[0073] Figures 5A and 5B show the change in the position of the shielding member 210 and the change in dynamic pressure when the airflow adjustment process according to Embodiment 1, which does not include step S270 described above, is adopted.

[0074] Figure 5A shows the change in the position of the shielding member 210 when the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110 is increased from 25 Pa to 30 Pa. The shielding member 210 continues to move even as the dynamic pressure approaches 30 Pa, indicating that the dynamic pressure is not stable.

[0075] Figure 5B shows the change in the position of the shielding member 210 when the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110 is reduced from 30 Pa to 25 Pa. Similar to Figure 5A, the shielding member 210 continues to move even as the dynamic pressure approaches 25 Pa, indicating that the dynamic pressure is not stable.

[0076] As described above, the reason why the results in Figures 5A and 5B show that the dynamic pressure is difficult to stabilize is that there was a delay in the response of the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200 to the control of the control device 400. The causes of the response delay include backlash between the lead screw 220 and the slider 230, elastic deformation of the various components constituting the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200, and the existence of a time difference between the time the motor 250 receives control from the control device 400 and the time the motor 250 starts up.

[0077] On the other hand, Figures 8A and 8B show the change in the position of the shielding member 210 and the change in dynamic pressure when the airflow adjustment process according to Embodiment 2, which includes step S270 described above, is adopted. The ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200, which is the object of control, is the same as the one used to obtain the results in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0078] Figure 8A shows the change in the position of the shielding member 210 when the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110 is increased from 25 Pa to 30 Pa. When the dynamic pressure reaches 30 Pa, the movement of the shielding member 210 stops, and therefore the dynamic pressure stabilizes at 30 Pa.

[0079] Figure 8B shows the change in the position of the shielding member 210 when the dynamic pressure inside the air conduit 110 is reduced from 30 Pa to 25 Pa. Similar to Figure 8A, when the dynamic pressure reaches 25 Pa, the movement of the shielding member 210 stops, and therefore the dynamic pressure stabilizes at 25 Pa.

[0080] As described above, when using the same ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism 200, the amount of airflow equivalent inside the air conduit 110 is less likely to become unstable when an airflow adjustment process that includes a second-hour waiting period is adopted compared to when an airflow adjustment process that does not include a second-hour waiting period is adopted.

[0081] [Embodiment 3] Figure 9 shows the operating period of the motor 250 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the first time period for operating the motor 250 in step S240 or S250 described above is made variable. The second time period for which the control device 400 is in standby in step S270 is a fixed value, as in the case of Embodiment 2.

[0082] In this embodiment, since the first time length is variable, the control period is also variable. Thus, in this specification, a variable period is included in the concept of "period."

[0083] In this embodiment, in steps S240 and S250, the control device 400 first determines the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent obtained from the measuring instrument 300 in step S210 and the target value, and determines the first time length according to that absolute value. The first time length is calculated under the condition that it becomes longer when the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent and the target value is large, and shorter when the absolute value of the difference is small.

[0084] The control device 400 then operates the motor 250 for the calculated first time length. Similar to embodiments 1 and 2, the motor 250 is rotated forward when the equivalent airflow is greater than the target value, and reversed when the equivalent airflow is less than the target value.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the period during which the control device 400 waits in step S260 is not the first time length, but a predetermined fixed time length. This time length may, for example, be estimated as the average value of a variable first time length, or it may be a value less than or equal to half of the second time length. Also, in this embodiment, the waiting period in step S260 may be omitted.

[0086] [Embodiment 4] Figure 10 shows the operating period of the motor 250 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment as well as in embodiment 3, the first time length for operating the motor 250 in step S240 or S250 described above is made variable. The method for determining the first time length and the method for determining the time length for which the control device 400 is in standby in step S260 is the same as in embodiment 3.

[0087] However, in this embodiment, unlike embodiment 3, the control period is set to a predetermined fixed value. That is, the second time period, which is the result of subtracting the first time period from the control period time period, becomes shorter as the first time period is longer, and longer as the first time period is shorter.

[0088] [Embodiment 5] Figure 11 shows the operating period of the motor 250 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment as well as in Embodiment 3, the first time length for operating the motor 250 in step S240 or S250 described above is made variable. The method for determining the first time length is the same as in Embodiment 3.

[0089] Furthermore, unlike in Embodiment 4, in this embodiment, the second time period during which the control device 400 waits in step S270 following step S240 or S250 is also variable. This second time period is calculated under the condition that the larger the absolute difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent obtained from the measuring instrument 300 in step S210 and the target value, the shorter the second time period, and the smaller the absolute difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent and the target value, the longer the second time period.

[0090] In this embodiment, since both the first time length and the second time length are variable, the control period is also variable.

[0091] The method for determining the period during which the control device 400 remains idle in step S260 is the same as in Embodiment 3. In this embodiment, however, the duration for which the control device 400 remains idle in step S270 following step S260 is predetermined and fixed, rather than being a second duration.

[0092] [Embodiment 6] In embodiments 1 to 5 described above, the completion of the unit drive control, that is, the completion of the motor 250 drive in steps S240 and S250, was determined by time. In other words, the control device 400 according to embodiments 1 to 5 determined the completion of the control in steps S240 and S250 when the duration for which the motor 250 was continuously driven reached a first duration. The control device 400 may also determine the completion of the control in steps S240 and S250 by the amount of displacement of the shielding member 210. This will be explained in detail below.

[0093] As shown in Figure 12, the airflow adjustment device 700 according to this embodiment further includes a displacement detector 500 that detects the displacement of the shielding member 210 in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit 110.

[0094] The displacement detector 500 has a scale 511 fixed to the air conduit 110 and a head 512 fixed to the shielding member 210. The scale 511 is attached to the guide 240. The scale 511 extends in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit 110 and has markings on the scale 511 that indicate the position in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit 110. The head 512 reads the markings on the scale 511.

[0095] In the following, displacing the shielding member 210 toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1 by the forward rotation of the motor 250 is referred to as "advancing the shielding member 210." Conversely, displacing the shielding member 210 toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1 by the reverse rotation of the motor 250 is referred to as "retracting the shielding member 210."

[0096] In this embodiment, the reading result from the head 512 is output to the control device 400 shown in Figure 1. Based on the reading result from the head 512, the control device 400 can determine the amount of displacement of the shielding member 210 in the direction of moving toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, and the amount of displacement of the shielding member 210 in the direction of moving toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1.

[0097] Figure 13 shows a flowchart of the airflow adjustment process according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, if the determination result of step S230 is "YES", the control device 400 instructs the motor 250 to advance the shielding member 210 by a predetermined first displacement amount (step S241). In step S241, the control device 400 determines that the displacement amount of the advance of the shielding member 210 has reached the first displacement amount based on the reading result of the head 512.

[0098] On the other hand, if the result of step S230 is "NO", the control device 400 instructs the motor 250 to retract the shielding member 210 by the first displacement amount described above (step S251). In step S251, the control device 400 determines that the displacement amount of the retraction of the shielding member 210 has reached the first displacement amount based on the reading result of the head 512.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the determination result of step S220 is "NO", the control device 400 waits for a predetermined third time length (step S261). This third time length is predetermined to represent the time length required for the processing in step S241 or S251, that is, the time length required to displace the shielding member 210 by the first displacement amount described above by the rotation of the motor 250. Other processing is the same as in Embodiment 2.

[0100] In this embodiment, the first displacement is set to a predetermined fixed value, but the first displacement may be set to a variable value according to the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300.

[0101] When the first displacement is variable, the control device 400 first determines the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent obtained from the measuring instrument 300 in step S210 and the target value in steps S241 and S251, and sets the first displacement according to that absolute value. The first displacement is calculated under the condition that it is larger when the absolute value of the difference between the measured value of the airflow equivalent and the target value is large, and smaller when the absolute value of the difference is small. Then, the control device 400 moves the shielding member 210 by the calculated first displacement.

[0102] [Embodiment 7] As shown in Figure 14, in this embodiment, the displacement detector 500 is composed of a reflector 521 and a laser rangefinder 522. The reflector 521 is fixed to the shielding member 210. The laser rangefinder 522 is fixed in the air conduit 110 at a position facing the reflector 521 in the forward and backward direction.

[0103] The laser rangefinder 522 emits laser light toward the reflector 521. The emitted laser light is reflected by the reflector 521 and returns to the laser rangefinder 522. The laser rangefinder 522 uses the laser light emitted toward the reflector 521 to detect the distance between itself and the reflector 521 in the forward and backward directions.

[0104] In this embodiment, the detection result of the laser rangefinder 522 is output to the control device 400 shown in Figure 1. Based on the detection result of the laser rangefinder 522, the control device 400 can determine the amount of displacement of the shielding member 210 in the direction of moving toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1, and the amount of displacement of the shielding member 210 in the direction of moving toward the first opening 111 shown in Figure 1. The other configurations and operations are the same as in Embodiment 6.

[0105] Although Figure 14 illustrates a configuration in which the reflector 521 is fixed to the shielding member 210 and the laser rangefinder 522 is fixed to the air conduit 110, the laser rangefinder 522 may be fixed to the shielding member 210 and the reflector 521 may be fixed to the air conduit 110.

[0106] [Embodiment 8] Figure 15 shows a flowchart of the airflow adjustment process according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, if the result of step S230 is "YES", the control device 400 determines whether or not the shielding member 210 can be advanced (step S281).

[0107] In the following, the endpoint of the range of motion in which the slider 230 can move linearly back and forth along the lead screw 220 that is closer to the first opening 111 is referred to as the "forward limit point," and the endpoint that is further away from the first opening 111 is referred to as the "rear limit point."

[0108] The control device 400 can detect, based on the results of the displacement detector 500, whether the slider 230 is located at the forward limit point or at the rear limit point.

[0109] If the slider 230 is at the forward limit point, the shielding member 210 can no longer be advanced (step S281; NO). In this case, the control device 400 issues an alarm (step S283) and terminates the process.

[0110] On the other hand, if the slider 230 is not located at the forward limit point, the shielding member 210 can be advanced (step S281; YES). In this case, the process proceeds to step S241 described above.

[0111] Similarly, in this embodiment, if the result of step S230 is "NO", the control device 400 determines whether or not the shielding member 210 can be retracted (step S282).

[0112] If the slider 230 is at the rear limit point, the shielding member 210 can no longer be retracted (step S282; NO). In this case, the control device 400 issues an alarm (step S283) and terminates the process.

[0113] On the other hand, if the slider 230 is not at the rear limit point, the shielding member 210 can be retracted (step S282; YES). In this case, the process proceeds to step S251 described above. The other processes are the same as the flow shown in Figure 13.

[0114] As described above, in the unit drive control, the control device 400 of this embodiment determines whether or not the shielding member 210 can move in the forward and backward directions, and drives the motor 250 if it determines that the shielding member 210 can move. If the control device 400 determines that the shielding member 210 cannot move, it issues an alarm and terminates the unit drive control without driving the motor 250.

[0115] In this embodiment, the displacement detector 500 detects whether the slider 230 is at the forward limit point or the rear limit point. However, the provision of the displacement detector 500 is not essential. The processes in steps S281, S282, and S283 can also be added to the flow shown in Figure 4 or Figure 6.

[0116] In other words, the control device 400 can determine the current position of the shielding member 210 in the forward and backward directions from the difference between the cumulative time duration of the motor 250 rotating in the forward direction and the cumulative time duration of the motor 250 rotating in the reverse direction. Therefore, even without a displacement detector 500, the control device 400 can detect whether the slider 230 is at its forward limit point or at its rear limit point.

[0117] [Embodiment 9] In embodiments 1 to 8 described above, a measuring instrument 300 for measuring the equivalent airflow was used. In this embodiment, the measuring instrument 300 measures the airflow of the conditioned air inside the air conduit 110 itself, rather than the equivalent airflow.

[0118] Figure 16 shows a flowchart of the airflow adjustment process according to this embodiment. First, the control device 400 obtains the measured airflow value as a measurement result from the measuring instrument 300 (step S211).

[0119] Next, the control device 400 determines whether the measured airflow value obtained from the measuring instrument 300 has converged to a predetermined target value for airflow (step S221). Specifically, in step S221, the control device 400 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the measured airflow value and the target value is less than or equal to an allowable value indicating that the airflow has converged to the target value.

[0120] If the absolute value of the difference between the measured airflow and the target value exceeds the allowable value (step S221; YES), the control device 400 further determines whether the measured airflow is greater than the target value (step S231).

[0121] If the measured airflow is greater than the target value (step S231; YES), the control device 400 rotates the motor 250 in the forward direction for a first time length to reduce the airflow inside the air conduit 110 (step S240).

[0122] On the other hand, if the measured airflow is smaller than the target value (step S231; NO), the control device 400 reverses the motor 250 for a first time length in order to increase the airflow inside the air conduit 110 (step S250).

[0123] On the other hand, if the control device 400 determines in step S221 that the measured airflow has converged to the target value (step S221; NO), it waits for a first time length (step S260). The other processes are the same as the flow shown in Figure 6.

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, step S102 in Figure 3 determines whether the airflow rate identified by the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 has converged to the target value. Specifically, in step S102, the control device 400 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the airflow rate identified by the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 and the target value is less than or equal to an allowable value indicating that the airflow rate has converged to the target value. Other processes are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0125] [Embodiment 10] As described above, the unit drive control that drives the motor 250 is repeated until the termination condition is met, which indicates that the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 has converged to the target value. In embodiments 1 and 2 described above, Figures 4 and 6 illustrate unit drive control that drives the motor 250 for a first time length. In embodiments 6 and 8 described above, Figures 13 and 15 illustrate unit drive control that displaces the shielding member 210 by a first displacement amount using the motor 250.

[0126] In the following, the first time duration for driving the motor 250 with unit drive control, and the first displacement amount for displacing the shielding member 210 with unit drive control, will be collectively referred to as the "unit drive amount." In other words, with unit drive control, the motor 250 is driven only by the unit drive amount.

[0127] The unit drive amount may be determined using a trained model each time unit drive control is performed. Alternatively, the second time length, which is the length of the waiting period following the unit drive control, may be made variable, and this second time length may also be determined using a trained model. A specific example using a trained model is described below.

[0128] As shown in Figure 17, the control device 400 according to this embodiment has a control unit 410 that repeatedly performs unit drive control. The control unit 410 has a measurement result acquisition unit 411 that acquires measurement results from a measuring instrument 300 when unit drive control is started, a specification unit 412 that specifies the unit drive amount using the acquired measurement results, and a motor drive unit 414 that drives the motor 250 by the specified unit drive amount.

[0129] The unit drive amount specified by the specific unit 412 may be a first time length or a first displacement amount.

[0130] The case where the unit drive amount is the first time length will be explained. In this case, the concept of the unit drive amount also includes information on whether the motor 250 is rotated forward or backward. The motor drive unit 414 rotates the motor 250 forward or backward for the first time length specified by the specification unit 412.

[0131] The case where the unit drive amount is the first displacement amount will be explained. In this case, the concept of the unit drive amount also includes information on whether to advance or retract the shielding member 210. The motor drive unit 414, while referring to the detection result of the displacement detector 500, instructs the motor 250 to advance or retract the shielding member 210 by the first displacement amount specified by the specification unit 412.

[0132] Furthermore, the operation of the measurement result acquisition unit 411, the identification unit 412, and the motor drive unit 414 described above can also be applied to embodiments 1, 2, 6, or 8 described above.

[0133] The most distinctive feature of this embodiment is that a trained model 413 is used to determine the unit drive quantity, and the second time length is also determined using the trained model 413. The trained model 413 is a machine learning model that uses the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300 to determine the unit drive quantity and the second time length necessary to converge the airflow or airflow equivalent to a target value.

[0134] In other words, the specific unit 412 inputs the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300, which represents the airflow or equivalent airflow, to the learned model 413 each time unit drive control is performed. The learned model 413 outputs the unit drive amount and the second time length corresponding to the input measurement result to the specific unit 412.

[0135] The unit drive amount and second time length identified by the identification unit 412 are the unit drive amount and second time length output from the trained model 413. The motor drive unit 414 drives the motor 250 by that unit drive amount and then stops the motor 250 for that second time length.

[0136] As described above, the identification unit 412 uses the learned model 413 to determine, each time a unit drive control is performed, the unit drive amount to drive the motor 250 in that unit drive control, and the second time length, which is the length of the waiting period to be secured between that unit drive control and the next unit drive control.

[0137] Furthermore, the control device 400 according to this embodiment also includes a learning unit 420 that generates a trained model 413. The learning unit 420 includes a learning data acquisition unit 422 that acquires training data 421 used to generate the trained model 413.

[0138] The training data 421 is a set of data that includes multiple sets of the following: (a) the starting deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 at the start of the unit drive control, i.e., before the motor 250 is driven, and the target value; (b) the unit drive amount used to drive the motor 250 in that unit drive control; (c) the ending deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument 300 at the end of the unit drive control, i.e., after the motor 250 is driven, and the target value; and (d) the second time length, which is the length of the waiting period between that unit drive control and the previous unit drive control.

[0139] The learning data acquisition unit 422 may sequentially acquire this information (a)-(d) from the control unit 410 while the airflow adjustment device 700 is in operation, and associate the acquired information (a)-(d) with each other to form the above set. The learning data acquisition unit 422 may also acquire learning data 421 created by other devices from those devices. If multiple airflow adjustment devices 700 are installed on a manufacturing line, inspection line, etc., learning data 421 may be created using multiple sets of information (a)-(d) acquired from different airflow adjustment devices 700.

[0140] Furthermore, the learning unit 420 also includes a generation unit 423 that generates a trained model 413 through supervised learning using the learning data 421 acquired by the learning data acquisition unit 422. The generation unit 423 uses the learning data 421 to learn specific strategies for the unit drive amount and the second time length in order to converge the airflow or airflow equivalent amount to the target value as quickly as possible. The trained model 413 is generated through this machine learning process.

[0141] Here, "the airflow or airflow equivalent converges to the target value" specifically means that the difference between the airflow or airflow equivalent and the target value becomes less than or equal to a predetermined allowable value.

[0142] The generation unit 423 is composed of a neural network. The neural network has an input layer consisting of multiple neurons, a hidden layer consisting of multiple neurons, and an output layer consisting of multiple neurons. The hidden layer may be one or two or more.

[0143] Figure 18 shows the hardware configuration of the control device 400. The control device 400 includes a communication unit 400a, which is hardware necessary for acquiring data. The communication unit 400a is responsible for acquiring measurement results from the measuring instrument 300, acquiring detection results from the displacement detector 500, and outputting commands to the motor 250 to drive the motor 250.

[0144] The control device 400 also includes a memory unit 400c. The memory unit 400c stores a control program 400b that defines the procedure for feedback-controlling the motor 250 based on the measurement results of the measuring instrument 300. The memory unit 400c also stores the previously described learned model 413 and learning data 421.

[0145] Furthermore, the control device 400 includes a processor 400d that executes the control program 400b. The processor 400d executes the control program 400b, thereby realizing the functions of the control unit 410 and the learning unit 420 shown in Figure 17. [Embodiment 11] Figure 19 shows the air duct 110 according to this embodiment. The air duct 110 according to this embodiment has a widened portion 110a between one end and the other end. The widened portion 110a constitutes a second opening 112. The widened portion 110a has a tapered structure in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion through which conditioned air flows increases as it approaches the second opening 112.

[0146] The remaining portion of the air conduit 110, excluding the flared portion 110a, is comprised of the straight portion 110b that constitutes the first opening 111. In the straight portion 110b, the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion through which conditioned air flows is constant regardless of its position in the longitudinal direction. In other words, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the second opening 112 is larger than the area of ​​the first opening 111.

[0147] According to this embodiment, since the air duct 110 has a widened portion 110a, the pressure loss at the second opening 112 is mitigated, resulting in a sufficient airflow volume being secured inside the air duct 110. The configuration according to this embodiment can be combined with any of the embodiments 1-10 described above.

[0148] Embodiments 1-11 have been described above. The following modifications are also possible.

[0149] In Embodiment 1, dynamic pressure was used as an example of the equivalent airflow quantity, but the equivalent airflow quantity is not limited to dynamic pressure. The equivalent airflow quantity can be any physical quantity that depends on the airflow quantity. Another example of the equivalent airflow quantity is wind speed. That is, the measuring instrument 300 may measure the wind speed of the conditioned air inside the air conduit 110. The greater the wind speed, the greater the airflow quantity. The airflow quantity, which is the volume per unit time, can also be obtained by multiplying the wind speed by the cross-sectional area of ​​the air conduit 110.

[0150] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a conical shielding member 210, but the shape of the shielding member 210 is not particularly limited. The shielding member 210 may have the shape of a polygonal pyramid, such as a square pyramid or an octagonal pyramid. Furthermore, the shielding member 210 may be formed in a plate shape.

[0151] In Embodiment 10, supervised learning was given as an example of a learning algorithm for generating the trained model 413. However, the learning algorithm is not limited to supervised learning. The learning unit 420 may use known methods such as unsupervised learning or reinforcement learning as a learning algorithm for generating the trained model 413. Furthermore, deep learning, genetic programming, functional logic programming, support vector machines, etc., may be used to generate the trained model 413.

[0152] In Embodiment 10, the provision of a learning unit 420 for generating the trained model 413 is not essential. The trained model 413 may be acquired externally by the control device 400 and installed in the control device 400.

[0153] If multiple airflow control devices 700 are installed on a manufacturing line, inspection line, etc., the learned model 413 generated or used in the first airflow control device 700 may be installed in the second airflow control device 700, and the learned model 413 in the second airflow control device 700 may be updated. The update can be performed by the generation unit 423 of the second airflow control device 700 using the learning data 421 acquired from the second airflow control device 700 while the second airflow control device 700 is operating with the learned model 413.

[0154] The control device 400 according to Embodiment 10 can be configured by adding the functions of the learning unit 420 according to Embodiment 10 to an existing computer, or the functions of the learning unit 420 can be removed from the control device 400 according to Embodiment 10, independently of the functions of the control unit 410.

[0155] The functions of the memory unit 400c shown in Figure 18 may be realized by a single storage medium or by multiple storage mediums arranged in a distributed manner. For example, the storage medium that stores the trained model 413 may be different from the storage medium that stores the control program 400b. The trained model 413 can also be distributed independently via a communication network.

[0156] In Figure 17, the functions of the measurement result acquisition unit 411, which acquires measurement results from the measuring instrument 300 in order to perform feedback control of the motor 25 by inference of the trained model 413, and the functions of the training data acquisition unit 422, which acquires training data 421 in order to generate the trained model 413, may be handled by common hardware or by separate hardware.

[0157] The control device 400 according to each of the embodiments described above can be implemented using an existing computer. That is, by installing the control program 400b shown in Figure 18 onto a computer, that computer can be made to function as the control device 400. The control program 400b may be distributed via a communication network, or it may be stored on a computer-readable, non-temporary recording medium and then distributed.

[0158] The various aspects of this disclosure are described below.

[0159] (Note 1) An airflow control device used to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An air conduit having a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other end, with the air outlet connected to the first opening, The other end of the air conduit is provided with a ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism that adjusts the ventilation resistance experienced by the conditioned air as it passes through the second opening, A measuring instrument for measuring the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or an airflow equivalent amount which is a physical quantity that depends on the airflow rate, A control device that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism using the measurement results of the measuring instrument to bring the airflow or the equivalent airflow amount closer to a predetermined target value, An airflow control device equipped with the following features.

[0160] (Note 2) The aforementioned ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism is A shielding member is positioned facing the second opening and obstructs the passage of the conditioned air, A displacement mechanism for displacing the shielding member in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, It has, The control device repeats the unit drive control that drives the displacement mechanism until a termination condition is met, which indicates that the airflow or the amount equivalent to the airflow has converged to the target value. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 1.

[0161] (Note 3) The control device drives the displacement mechanism for a predetermined time length or a time length corresponding to the measurement result of the measuring instrument in the unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 2.

[0162] (Note 4) A displacement detector for detecting the displacement of the shielding member in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, Furthermore, In the unit drive control, the control device uses the detection result of the displacement detector to cause the displacement mechanism to displace the shielding member by a predetermined amount of displacement or an amount of displacement corresponding to the measurement result of the measuring instrument. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 2.

[0163] (Note 5) The displacement detector is A scale fixed to the air conduit and having markings indicating the position in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, A head fixed to the shielding member and used to read the scale markings on the scale, An airflow control device as described in Appendix 4, having the following features.

[0164] (Note 6) The displacement detector is A reflector fixed to either the air conduit or the shielding member, In the other of the air conduit and the shielding member, a laser rangefinder is fixed in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit at a position facing the reflector, and detects the distance in the longitudinal direction between the reflector and the other using laser light emitted toward the reflector. An airflow control device as described in Appendix 4, having the following features.

[0165] (Note 7) The control device ensures a waiting period between the unit drive control and the next unit drive control in the process of repeating the unit drive control, thereby stopping the drive of the displacement mechanism. An airflow adjustment device as described in any of the appendices 2 to 6.

[0166] (Note 8) The control device, in the unit drive control, determines whether the shielding member can move in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, and if it determines that the shielding member can move, drives the displacement mechanism. An airflow adjustment device as described in any of Appendix 2 to 7.

[0167] (Note 9) Each time the unit drive control is performed, the control device will Using a trained model that has undergone machine learning to identify a unit drive amount representing the time length for driving the displacement mechanism or the amount of displacement that displaces the shielding member in order to converge the airflow or the equivalent airflow amount to the target value, the unit drive amount is identified according to the measurement result of the measuring instrument, and the displacement mechanism is driven by the identified unit drive amount. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 2.

[0168] (Note 10) During the repetition of the aforementioned unit drive control, a waiting period is ensured between one unit drive control and the next unit drive control to stop the drive of the displacement mechanism. The control device, each time it performs a unit drive control, uses the learned model to determine the length of the waiting period to be secured between that unit drive control and the next unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 9.

[0169] (Note 11) A learning data acquisition unit acquires learning data including: a starting deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument and the target value at the start of the unit drive control; the unit drive amount used to drive the displacement mechanism with the unit drive control; and a ending deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument and the target value at the end of the unit drive control. A generation unit generates the trained model using machine learning with the training data acquired by the training data acquisition unit, An airflow control device as described in Appendix 9 or 10, further comprising:

[0170] (Note 12) The learning data also includes the length of the waiting period between the unit drive control and the previous unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device described in Appendix 11, which references Appendix 10.

[0171] (Note 13) The area of ​​the second opening is larger than the area of ​​the first opening. The aforementioned air conduit is Between the aforementioned one end and the aforementioned other end, there is a widening portion in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion through which the conditioned air flows increases as it approaches the second opening. An airflow control device having any of the features described in Appendix 1 to 12.

[0172] (Note 14) An airflow control device used to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An air conduit having a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other end, with the air outlet connected to the first opening, The other end of the air conduit is provided with a ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism that adjusts the ventilation resistance experienced by the conditioned air as it passes through the second opening, A measuring instrument for measuring the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or an airflow equivalent amount which is a physical quantity that depends on the airflow rate, A computer that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism of an airflow adjustment device equipped with the following: A control device that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism using the measurement results of the measuring instrument to bring the airflow or the equivalent amount of airflow closer to a predetermined target value. A control program that enables the function of being a control program.

[0173] (Note 15) An assembly process for assembling an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An evaluation step in which the air conditioning system assembled in the assembly step is the subject of evaluation, and the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning system is evaluated based on the measurement results of physical quantities relating to the airflow of the conditioned air inside the air conduit, while the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or the amount equivalent to the airflow rate is brought close to the target value using the airflow rate adjustment device described in any of the appendices 1 to 13, A method for manufacturing air conditioning equipment, including the method described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 110 Air conduit, 110a Widening section, 110b Straight section, 111 First opening, 112 Second opening, 120 Rectifying member, 200 Air resistance adjustment mechanism, 210 Shielding member, 220 Lead screw (displacement mechanism), 230 Slider (displacement mechanism), 240 Guide (displacement mechanism), 250 Motor (displacement mechanism), 300 Measuring instrument, 400 Control device, 400a Communication unit, 400b Control program, 400c Memory unit, 400d Processor, 410 Control unit, 411 Measurement result acquisition unit, 412 Identification unit, 413 Learned model, 414 Motor drive unit, 420 Learning unit, 421 Learning data, 422 Learning data acquisition unit, 423 Generation unit, 500 Displacement detector, 511 Scale, 512 Head, 521 Reflector, 522 Laser rangefinder, 700 Air volume control device, 900 Air conditioning unit, 910 Indoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger), 920 Fan, 930 Enclosure, 931 Intake port, 932 Outlet port.

Claims

1. An airflow control device used to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An air conduit having a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other end, with the air outlet connected to the first opening, The other end of the air conduit is provided with a ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism that adjusts the ventilation resistance experienced by the conditioned air as it passes through the second opening, A measuring instrument for measuring the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or an airflow equivalent amount which is a physical quantity that depends on the airflow rate, A control device that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism using the measurement results of the measuring instrument to bring the airflow or the equivalent airflow amount closer to a predetermined target value, An airflow control device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism is A shielding member is positioned facing the second opening and obstructs the passage of the conditioned air, A displacement mechanism for displacing the shielding member in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, It has, The control device repeats the unit drive control that drives the displacement mechanism until a termination condition is met, which indicates that the airflow or the amount equivalent to the airflow has converged to the target value. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 1.

3. The control device drives the displacement mechanism for a predetermined time length or a time length corresponding to the measurement result of the measuring instrument in the unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 2.

4. A displacement detector for detecting the displacement of the shielding member in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, Furthermore, In the unit drive control, the control device uses the detection result of the displacement detector to cause the displacement mechanism to displace the shielding member by a predetermined amount of displacement or an amount of displacement corresponding to the measurement result of the measuring instrument. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 2.

5. The displacement detector is A scale fixed to the air duct and having markings indicating the position in the longitudinal direction of the air duct, A head fixed to the shielding member and for reading the scale markings of the scale, The airflow adjustment device according to claim 4, having the following features.

6. The displacement detector is A reflector fixed to either the air conduit or the shielding member, In the other of the air conduit and the shielding member, a laser rangefinder is fixed in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit at a position facing the reflector, and detects the distance in the longitudinal direction between the reflector and the other using laser light emitted toward the reflector. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 4, having the following features.

7. The control device ensures a waiting period between the unit drive control and the next unit drive control in the process of repeating the unit drive control, thereby stopping the drive of the displacement mechanism. The airflow adjustment device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The control device, in the unit drive control, determines whether the shielding member can move in the longitudinal direction of the air conduit, and if it determines that the shielding member can move, drives the displacement mechanism. The airflow adjustment device according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

9. Each time the unit drive control is performed, the control device will Using a trained model that has undergone machine learning to identify a unit drive amount representing the time length for driving the displacement mechanism or the amount of displacement that displaces the shielding member in order to converge the airflow or the equivalent airflow amount to the target value, the unit drive amount is identified according to the measurement result of the measuring instrument, and the displacement mechanism is driven by the identified unit drive amount. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 2.

10. During the repetition of the aforementioned unit drive control, a waiting period is ensured between one unit drive control and the next unit drive control to stop the drive of the displacement mechanism. The control device, each time it performs a unit drive control, uses the learned model to determine the length of the waiting period to be secured between that unit drive control and the next unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 9.

11. A learning data acquisition unit acquires learning data including: a starting deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument and the target value at the start of the unit drive control; the unit drive amount used to drive the displacement mechanism with the unit drive control; and a ending deviation, which is the difference between the measurement result of the measuring instrument and the target value at the end of the unit drive control. A generation unit generates the trained model using machine learning with the training data acquired by the training data acquisition unit, The airflow adjustment device according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising:

12. The learning data also includes the length of the waiting period between the unit drive control and the previous unit drive control. The airflow adjustment device according to claim 11, referencing claim 10.

13. The area of ​​the second opening is larger than the area of ​​the first opening. The aforementioned air conduit is Between the one end and the other end, there is a widening portion in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the portion through which the conditioned air flows increases as it approaches the second opening. An airflow adjustment device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, or 10, having the following:

14. An airflow control device used to evaluate the air conditioning capacity of an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An air conduit having a first opening at one end and a second opening at the other end, with the air outlet connected to the first opening, The other end of the air conduit is provided with a ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism that adjusts the ventilation resistance experienced by the conditioned air as it passes through the second opening, A measuring instrument for measuring the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or an airflow equivalent amount which is a physical quantity that depends on the airflow rate, A computer that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism of an airflow adjustment device equipped with the following: A control device that controls the ventilation resistance adjustment mechanism using the measurement results of the measuring instrument to bring the airflow or the equivalent amount of airflow closer to a predetermined target value. A control program that enables the function of being a control program.

15. An assembly process for assembling an air conditioning system having an outlet from which conditioned air that has passed through a heat exchanger is blown out, An evaluation step in which the air conditioning system assembled in the assembly step is the subject of evaluation, and using the airflow adjustment device described in claim 1, the airflow rate of the conditioned air inside the air conduit or the amount equivalent to the airflow rate is brought close to the target value, and the air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning system is evaluated based on the measurement results of the physical quantities of the airflow of the conditioned air inside the air conduit. A method for manufacturing air conditioning equipment, including the method described above.

Images