Air conditioning control device, air conditioning system, air conditioning control method, and program

Abstract

Each indoor unit (10) switches between thermo-on and thermo-off on the basis of the suction temperature measured by using a sensor (12). An air conditioning control device (30) collects time-series data items of the operation state and the suction temperature of the indoor units (10). The air conditioning control device (30) identifies, from the time-series data items of the suction temperature in the thermo-off period of the respective indoor units, a first indoor unit in which the suction temperature fluctuates during the thermo-off period, and identifies, from the time-series data items of the operation state of the respective indoor units, a second indoor unit in which the operation state changes during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit. The air conditioning control device (30) estimates the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the temporal change of the suction temperature of the first indoor unit and the temporal change of the operation state of the second indoor unit during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit.

Description

Air conditioning control device, air conditioning system, air conditioning control method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program.

[0002] There is known an air conditioning system that uses multiple air conditioners to condition a target space. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-105387 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air conditioning system that includes multiple air conditioners installed at predetermined intervals in a target space, multiple controllers that respectively control the multiple air conditioners, and an air conditioning control device that controls each controller.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, an air conditioning control device causes multiple air conditioners to perform predetermined air conditioning operations (hereinafter referred to as "adjustment operations") and determines operating conditions for the multiple air conditioners to generate circulating airflow in a target space based on changes in the air condition in the target space caused by the adjustment operations. More specifically, the air conditioning control device obtains the positional relationship of each air conditioner by identifying the air conditioner closest to each air conditioner based on measurement data obtained while each air conditioner is performing the adjustment operation. Then, based on the obtained positional relationship of each air conditioner, the air conditioning control device determines operating conditions for each air conditioner so that each air conditioner does not interfere with the flow of air discharged from the other air conditioners.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-105387

[0005] According to Patent Document 1, an air conditioning control device can determine operating conditions for generating a circulating air flow within a target space for multiple air conditioners by obtaining the positional relationship between multiple air conditioners.

[0006] However, on the other hand, in order to obtain the positional relationship between multiple air conditioners, it is necessary to cause the multiple air conditioners to perform predetermined adjustment operations, which poses a problem in that it takes time to determine the operating conditions.

[0007] Furthermore, if there are people in the target space, the adjustment operation may impair the comfort of the target space, so it is not possible to have multiple air conditioners perform the adjustment operation. Therefore, the timing when the adjustment operation can be performed is limited to times when there are no people in the target space, such as at night or on holidays. Furthermore, since there is no need to condition the target space when there are no people in the target space, there is a concern that having multiple air conditioners perform the adjustment operation at such times will be counterproductive to the energy-saving effect.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program that are capable of estimating the relative positional relationship between multiple indoor units during normal operation of the multiple indoor units.

[0009] An air conditioning control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls multiple indoor units. Each of the multiple indoor units has a sensor that measures the suction temperature of air drawn into the indoor unit. Each indoor unit is configured to switch between a thermo-on mode, which performs air conditioning operation by blowing out air that has exchanged heat with a refrigerant, and a thermo-off mode, which stops air conditioning operation, based on the suction temperature measured by the sensor and a set temperature. The air conditioning control device includes a data collection unit that collects time-series data on the operating states and suction temperatures of the multiple indoor units, and an estimation unit that estimates the relative positions of the multiple indoor units based on the time-series data collected by the data collection unit. The estimation unit identifies a first indoor unit whose suction temperature oscillates during the thermo-off period based on the time-series data on the suction temperatures of each indoor unit during the thermo-off period. The estimation unit identifies a second indoor unit whose operating state changes during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit based on the time-series data on the operating states of each indoor unit. The estimation unit estimates the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the change over time in the intake temperature of the first indoor unit with the change over time in the operating state of the second indoor unit during the period when the thermostat of the first indoor unit is off.

[0010] The air conditioning control method disclosed herein is an air conditioning control method for controlling multiple indoor units. Each of the multiple indoor units has a temperature sensor that measures the intake temperature of air drawn into the indoor unit. Each indoor unit is configured to switch between a thermo-on state, in which the air is conditioned by blowing out air that has exchanged heat with a refrigerant, and a thermo-off state, in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, based on the intake temperature measured by the temperature sensor and a set temperature. The air conditioning control method includes the steps of collecting time-series data on the operating states and intake temperatures of the multiple indoor units, and estimating the relative positions of the multiple indoor units based on the collected time-series data. The estimation step includes a step of identifying a first indoor unit whose suction temperature is fluctuating during the thermo-off period based on time series data of the suction temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit; a step of identifying a second indoor unit whose thermo-on state is in the thermo-on state during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit based on time series data of the operating state of each indoor unit; and a step of estimating the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the time change in the suction temperature of the first indoor unit with the time change in the operating state of the second indoor unit during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an air conditioning control device, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program that are capable of estimating the relative positional relationship of multiple indoor units during normal operation of the multiple indoor units.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a server. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an indoor unit and a server. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of operation data of an indoor unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the relative positional relationship of a plurality of indoor units. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing information showing the relative positional relationship of a plurality of indoor units. FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining an example of the processing of the estimating unit shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining the processing of an indoor unit thermal interference presence / absence determining unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining the processing of an indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimating unit. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an indoor unit and a server in an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 2.

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] Embodiment 1. <Configuration of Air Conditioning System> Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. Air conditioning system 100 according to Embodiment 1 is a system that air-conditions a target space by controlling a plurality of indoor units installed in the target space.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1 , the air conditioning system 100 includes a plurality of indoor units 10_1, 10_2, . . . , 10_n (n is an integer of 2 or more), at least one outdoor unit 20, and a server 30.

[0016] The indoor units 10_1, 10_2, ... 10_n are arranged at an appropriate distance within the target space. Hereinafter, the indoor units 10_1, ... 10_n may be collectively referred to as "indoor unit 10." For example, the indoor units 10 are arranged on one floor of an office building. This floor is divided into multiple rooms by partitions or the like. Each room is an independent air-conditioned space. The indoor units 10 are distributed and arranged in multiple rooms (air-conditioned spaces). One or multiple indoor units 10 are arranged in each room. It is also possible that all of the indoor units 10 are arranged in one room.

[0017] Each indoor unit 10 is installed, for example, by being embedded in the ceiling of a floor, and is connected to an outdoor unit 20 via refrigerant piping 15. A refrigerant is circulated between each indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20 through the refrigerant piping 15. Note that, although the example in Fig. 1 shows a configuration example in which a plurality of indoor units 10 are connected to one outdoor unit 20, the number of outdoor units 20 is not limited to one.

[0018] The outdoor unit 20 has, for example, a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, and an evaporator (not shown), and a refrigeration cycle circuit is formed for circulating refrigerant between the outdoor unit 20 and each of the indoor units 10. The outdoor unit 20 is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant from each of the indoor units 10 and outside air, and return the refrigerant to each of the indoor units 10. The outdoor unit 20 includes a control device that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle circuit.

[0019] Each indoor unit 10 has, for example, an expansion valve, a load-side heat exchanger, and a fan (not shown), and a refrigeration cycle circuit is formed between the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20. The fan draws air from the target space and supplies it to the load-side heat exchanger. The fan also sends the air to the target space after heat exchange with the refrigerant in the load-side heat exchanger. In other words, each indoor unit 10 is configured to exchange heat between the drawn-in air and the refrigerant and blow out conditioned air. Each indoor unit 10 is equipped with a sensor 12 for measuring the temperature of the air drawn into the indoor unit 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the "suction temperature").

[0020] Each indoor unit 10 individually performs air conditioning operation during normal operation. Specifically, each indoor unit 10 switches between thermo-on and thermo-off based on the suction temperature measured by the sensor 12 and the set temperature. Thermo-on means that the expansion valve of the indoor unit 10 is opened to perform air conditioning operation (cooling operation or heating operation). Thermo-off means that the expansion valve of the indoor unit 10 is closed to stop air conditioning operation.

[0021] In one aspect, when the suction temperature approaches the set temperature during cooling operation, the indoor unit 10 transitions to thermo-off, which stops cooling operation, by closing the expansion valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing into the load-side heat exchanger. In the thermo-off state, the indoor unit 10 blows air that has not exchanged heat with the refrigerant into the target space, causing the room temperature to gradually rise depending on the load in the target space. Then, when the suction temperature drops or rises and deviates from the set temperature, the indoor unit 10 transitions from thermo-off to thermo-on by adjusting the opening of the expansion valve to an opening corresponding to the required air conditioning capacity. In the thermo-on state, the indoor unit 10 resumes blowing air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant.

[0022] A different unit number is assigned to each indoor unit 10. In the example of Fig. 1, the indoor unit 10_1 is assigned unit number 1, the indoor unit 10_2 is assigned unit number 2, and the indoor unit 10_n is assigned unit number n.

[0023] The server 30 is a device for controlling the operation of the multiple indoor units 10 and outdoor units 20. The server 30 is communicably connected to the multiple indoor units 10 and outdoor units 20 via communication lines 35. The server 30 and the multiple indoor units 10 and outdoor units 20 may also be connected to enable wireless communication. For example, the server 30 can be realized by a so-called cloud server connected to a network. Alternatively, the server 30 can be realized by a computer installed in any of the multiple indoor units 10 and outdoor units 20.

[0024] The server 30 controls the operation and stop of each indoor unit 10, selects the heating / cooling operation mode, sets the temperature and airflow, etc. The server 30 also collects operation data of each indoor unit 10 via a communication line 35. The operation data of each indoor unit 10 includes time-series data on the operating state of each indoor unit 10 and time-series data on the intake temperature measured by the sensor 12. The server 30 estimates the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10 based on the collected operation data of each indoor unit 10. The server 30 corresponds to one embodiment of an "air conditioning control device." The server 30 will be described in detail later.

[0025] <Hardware Configuration of Server> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 30. As shown in Fig. 2, the server 30 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 302, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 303, an IF (Interface) device 304, and a storage device 305. The CPU 301, RAM 302, ROM 303, I / F device 304, and storage device 305 exchange various types of data via a communication bus 306.

[0026] The CPU 301 loads a program stored in the ROM 303 into the RAM 302 and executes the program. The program stored in the ROM 303 describes the processes to be executed by the server 30.

[0027] The IF device 304 is an input / output device for exchanging signals and data with each indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20. The IF device 304 receives operation data of each indoor unit 10 from each indoor unit 10.

[0028] The storage device 305 is a storage for storing various types of information, and stores information on the multiple indoor units 10, information on the outdoor units 20, information acquired or generated by the server 30, etc. The storage device 305 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0029] <Functional Configuration> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the indoor unit 10 and the server 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the indoor unit 10 is configured to include a communication unit 14, a control unit 16, a drive unit 18, and a sensor 12.

[0030] The sensor 12 measures the intake temperature of the indoor unit 10. The communication unit 14 exchanges signals and data with the server 30 and the outdoor unit 20 via a communication line 35.

[0031] The control unit 16 is a calculation unit equipped with, for example, a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and controls the entire indoor unit 10. The control unit 16 also generates operating data for the indoor unit 10 based on the intake temperature measured by the sensor 12 and the operating state of the indoor unit 10, and transmits the generated operating data to the server 30 via the communication unit 14.

[0032] The drive unit 18 is, for example, an actuator, and drives the expansion valve and the load-side heat exchanger described above, thereby circulating the refrigerant between the outdoor unit 20 and the drive unit 18 .

[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of operating data of the indoor unit 10. FIG. 4 shows an example of operating data for indoor unit 10_1 with unit number 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the operating data of the indoor unit 10 includes time-series data of the suction temperature of the indoor unit 10 and time-series data of the operating state of the indoor unit 10. The time-series data of the suction temperature indicates the time change in the suction temperature measured by the sensor 12. The time-series data of the operating state indicates the time change in the thermostat state of the indoor unit 10. As described above, the indoor unit 10 switches between thermo-on and thermo-off based on the suction temperature and the set temperature. Therefore, the thermostat state of the indoor unit 10 transitions between the thermo-on state and the thermo-off state in accordance with the time change in the suction temperature.

[0034] Returning to FIG. 3 , the server 30 includes a communication unit 32, an arithmetic processing unit 34, a control unit 36, and a storage unit 38. Each function of the server 30 is realized by the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 2 executing a program. Note that all or part of each function of the server 30 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Alternatively, the program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0035] The communication unit 32 exchanges signals and data with each indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20 (not shown) via the communication line 35. The communication unit 32 receives operating data from each indoor unit 10 (see FIG. 4).

[0036] The calculation processing unit 34 estimates the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10 based on the operation data received from each indoor unit 10. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 34 estimates, based on the operation data of each indoor unit 10, whether the multiple indoor units 10 are in a positional relationship that will cause thermal interference with each other.

[0037] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the relative positional relationship of multiple indoor units 10. Fig. 5 shows an indoor unit with unit number 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "first indoor unit") 10_1, an indoor unit with unit number 2 (hereinafter also referred to as the "second indoor unit") 10_2, and an indoor unit with unit number 3 (hereinafter also referred to as the "third indoor unit") 10_3.

[0038] The floor of the target space has two rooms (room 1 and room 2) separated by a wall. The first indoor unit 10_1 is disposed in room 1, and the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are disposed in room 2.

[0039] During normal operation, each indoor unit 10 switches between thermo-on and thermo-off based on the set temperature and the suction temperature (i.e., the room temperature) measured by the sensor 12. When in the thermo-on state, each indoor unit 10 blows air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant into the room, and when in the thermo-off state, blows air that has not exchanged heat with the refrigerant into the room.

[0040] Only the first indoor unit 10_1 is arranged in room 1, and room 1 and room 2 are independent of each other, so the first indoor unit 10_1 does not draw in air blown out by the indoor units 10_2 and 10_3. Furthermore, the indoor units 10_2 and 10_3 do not draw in air blown out by the first indoor unit 10_1. Therefore, no heat is exchanged between the first indoor unit 10_1 and the indoor units 10_2 and 10_3. In other words, the first indoor unit 10_1 and the second indoor unit 10_2 are not in a positional relationship that causes mutual thermal interference. Furthermore, the first indoor unit 10_1 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are not in a positional relationship that causes mutual thermal interference.

[0041] On the other hand, since the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are arranged in room 2, there are cases where air blown out by one indoor unit 10 is sucked in by the other indoor unit 10. In this case, heat is exchanged between the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3. In other words, the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference between them.

[0042] Such thermal interference can occur, for example, when the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are placed close to each other. Conversely, even if the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are placed in the same room 2, mutual thermal interference may not occur if the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are far apart. Alternatively, even if the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are placed close to each other, mutual thermal interference may not occur if a new partition or the like is installed between the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3.

[0043] 3, the calculation processing unit 34 includes a data collection unit 340 and an estimation unit 342. The data collection unit 340 collects the operation data of the plurality of indoor units 10 received by the communication unit 32.

[0044] The estimation unit 342 estimates the relative positional relationships of the multiple indoor units 10 based on the collected operation data of the multiple indoor units 10, and outputs information indicating the estimated positional relationships. The estimation unit 342 outputs, for example, a table such as that shown in FIG. 6. In the table shown in FIG. 6, the multiple indoor units 10 are grouped into groups of indoor units that are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference between them, and each group is assigned an identifier (relationship number). Based on the relative positional relationships of the indoor units 10_1 to 10_3 shown in FIG. 5, the first indoor unit 10_1 belongs to the group with relationship number 1, and the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 belong to the group with relationship number 2. The estimation unit 342 will be explained in more detail later.

[0045] The control unit 36 ​​controls the operation of the multiple indoor units 10 using the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10 estimated by the estimation unit 342. As one mode of energy-saving control, the control unit 36 ​​executes rotation operation in which a predetermined number of the multiple indoor units 10 are sequentially stopped at a time. For example, the control unit 36 ​​operates some of the multiple indoor units 10 and stops the rest. Then, after a certain time has passed, the control unit 36 ​​stops all or some of the indoor units 10 that were operating, and starts all or some of the indoor units 10 that were stopped. By rotating the multiple indoor units 10 at regular intervals, the operating load is equalized, enabling highly energy-efficient air conditioning.

[0046] However, in rotation operation, if one of a group of indoor units (for example, the second indoor unit 10_2) that are positioned so that thermal interference occurs between them is stopped, the operation load on the remaining indoor unit of the group (the third indoor unit 10_3) will temporarily increase in order to maintain the room temperature of Room 2 at the set temperature as the second indoor unit 10_2 is stopped, which may result in reduced energy efficiency.

[0047] Therefore, the control unit 36 ​​is configured to stop an indoor unit 10 that is in a relationship where there is no mutual thermal interference with the stopped indoor unit 10 next, based on the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10. This makes it possible to suppress a temporary increase in the operating load of the other indoor units 10 due to the stopping of some indoor units 10, thereby improving energy efficiency.

[0048] The storage unit 38 stores various information such as information relating to the relative positional relationships of the plurality of indoor units 10 estimated by the estimation unit 342 (table shown in FIG. 6 ).

[0049] <Example of Processing by Estimation Unit> Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing by the estimation unit 342 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 7, the estimation unit 342 is configured to include a time-series data division unit 350, an indoor unit thermal interference presence / absence determination unit 352, and an indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354.

[0050] The data collection unit 340 collects operating data of a plurality of indoor units 10 via the communication unit 32 (FIG. 3) and provides the collected operating data to the time-series data division unit 350. As shown in FIG. 4, the operating data of the indoor units 10 includes time-series data of the intake temperature of the indoor units 10 and time-series data of the operating state (thermo state) of the indoor units 10.

[0051] The time-series data dividing unit 350 divides the time-series data of the intake temperature of each indoor unit 10. Specifically, the time-series data dividing unit 350 divides the time-series data of the intake temperature for each indoor unit 10 in accordance with the thermostat state of the indoor unit 10 by referring to the time-series data of the operating state of the indoor unit 10.

[0052] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of time-series data of the intake temperature of the indoor unit 10. Fig. 8 shows the change over time in the intake temperature when the indoor unit 10 is performing cooling operation.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8 , the time-series data of the suction temperature is subdivided into multiple waveforms corresponding to the thermo-on and thermo-off periods of the indoor unit 10. During the thermo-on period, the indoor unit 10 is operating in cooling mode, so the suction temperature monotonically decreases. When the suction temperature approaches the set temperature, the indoor unit 10 transitions from thermo-on to thermo-off. During the thermo-off period, the indoor unit 10 stops operating in cooling mode, so the decrease in the suction temperature stops and the suction temperature begins to increase. When the suction temperature deviates from the set temperature, the indoor unit 10 transitions from thermo-off to thermo-on. As the thermo-on and thermo-off states are alternately repeated in this manner, the suction temperature alternates between increasing and decreasing. Note that, although not shown in the figure, when the indoor unit 10 is operating in heating mode, the suction temperature alternates between increasing and decreasing as the thermo-on and thermo-off states are alternately repeated.

[0054] However, oscillations may appear in the waveform of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period, as shown in Figure 8. This oscillation in the waveform of the intake temperature indicates that, during the thermo-off period of an indoor unit 10, one indoor unit 10 is sucking in air blown out by another indoor unit 10 performing cooling operation, resulting in heat transfer (thermal interference) between the two indoor units 10.

[0055] The indoor unit thermal interference determination unit 352 focuses on the waveform of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit 10, and determines from this waveform whether or not thermal interference is occurring between each indoor unit 10 and another indoor unit 10. Figure 9 is a diagram explaining the processing of the indoor unit thermal interference determination unit 352.

[0056] The waveform of the suction temperature during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit 10_1 is shown in the upper part of Fig. 9. The waveform of the suction temperature during the thermo-off period of the second indoor unit 10_2 is shown in the lower part of Fig. 9. These waveforms are obtained by extracting the waveform of the suction temperature during the thermo-off period from the time-series data of the suction temperature of each indoor unit 10 that has been time-divided by the time-series data dividing section 350.

[0057] In the first indoor unit 10_1, the intake temperature rises substantially monotonically during all three thermo-off periods, with no oscillations appearing in the waveform. Therefore, it is determined that there is no thermal interference between the first indoor unit 10_1 and the other indoor units 10.

[0058] On the other hand, in the second indoor unit 10_2, the suction temperature rises almost monotonically in two of the three thermo-off periods, but oscillations appear in the waveform of the suction temperature in one thermo-off period. Therefore, it is determined that thermal interference is occurring between the second indoor unit 10_2 and the other indoor units 10.

[0059] The method of determining whether or not thermal interference exists in the indoor unit thermal interference determination unit 352 can be, for example, to determine whether or not oscillations appear in the suction temperature waveforms of multiple suction temperature waveforms for one indoor unit 10, in order of the longest thermo-off period, and if the number of waveforms showing oscillations exceeds a predetermined number, determine that the indoor unit 10 is in a relationship where mutual thermal interference occurs with other indoor units 10.

[0060] In this way, the indoor unit thermal interference determination unit 352 detects, from among the multiple indoor units 10, an indoor unit 10 that is experiencing thermal interference with other indoor units 10, based on the waveform of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit 10.

[0061] The indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 estimates the indoor unit 10 on the other side of the thermal interference for each indoor unit 10 determined to be experiencing thermal interference with another indoor unit 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the processing of the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354. The upper part of Fig. 10 shows time series data for the suction temperature and operating state (heat state) of the second indoor unit 10_2. The lower part of Fig. 10 shows time series data for the suction temperature and operating state (heat state) of the third indoor unit 10_3.

[0062] The time series data of the second indoor unit 10_2 and the time series data of the third indoor unit 10_3 are on the same time axis. In the time series data of each indoor unit 10, the period indicated by diagonal lines corresponds to the thermo-on period of the indoor unit 10, and the period between two adjacent diagonal lines corresponds to the thermo-off period of the indoor unit 10.

[0063] In the time series data of the second indoor unit 10_2, periods T1 to T5 indicate periods during the thermo-off period of the second indoor unit 10_2 when oscillations appear in the waveform of the suction temperature. In the time series data of the third indoor unit 10_3, periods T11 to T13 indicate periods during the thermo-off period of the third indoor unit 10_3 when oscillations appear in the waveform of the suction temperature.

[0064] The indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 compares the change over time in the intake temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 during the period T1 to T5 with the change over time in the thermostat state of the other indoor units 10 during the period T1 to T5, thereby estimating which indoor unit 10 is experiencing thermal interference with the second indoor unit 10_2.

[0065] Specifically, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 first identifies as a comparison target an indoor unit 10 whose thermal state has changed during at least one of the periods T1 to T5 by referencing the time-series data on the thermal state of each indoor unit 10 that has been determined to be experiencing thermal interference with other indoor units 10. In the example of Figure 10, the third indoor unit 10_3 is identified as a comparison target because its thermal state has changed during all of the periods T1 to T5.

[0066] Next, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 detects the number of times the suction temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 oscillates for each of the periods T1 to T5. For example, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 detects the number of times the suction temperature oscillates by calculating the number of peaks (or valleys) in the waveform of the suction temperature in each period.

[0067] Next, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 detects the number of times that the third indoor unit 10_3 switches between search on and search off for each of the periods T1 to T5. For example, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 detects the number of times that search on and search off are switched by calculating the number of search ons (or search offs) in each period.

[0068] Next, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 compares the number of times the suction temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 oscillates with the number of times the search on and search off of the third indoor unit 10_3 are switched for each of the periods T1 to T5, to determine whether the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference with each other.

[0069] For example, if, during at least part of the periods T1 to T5, the deviation between the number of times the suction temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 oscillates and the number of times the third indoor unit 10_3 switches between search on and search off is less than a predetermined threshold, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimator 354 determines that the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are in a positional relationship that causes mutual thermal interference. In the example of Figure 10, during all of the periods T1 to T5, the deviation between the number of times the suction temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 oscillates and the number of times the third indoor unit 10_3 switches between search on and search off is less than the predetermined threshold.

[0070] For indoor units 10 other than the third indoor unit 10_3 that have been specified as comparison targets, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 compares the number of times the suction temperature of the second indoor unit 10_2 oscillates with the number of times that search on and search off of that indoor unit 10 are switched over for each of the periods T1 to T5, thereby determining whether the second indoor unit 10_2 and that indoor unit 10 are in a positional relationship that will cause thermal interference.

[0071] Similarly, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 estimates which indoor unit 10 is experiencing thermal interference with the third indoor unit 10_3 based on the time-varying change in the intake temperature of the third indoor unit 10_3 during the period T11 to T13 and the time-varying change in the thermostat state of the other indoor units 10 during the period T11 to T13. In the example of Figure 10, the deviation between the number of times the intake temperature of the third indoor unit 10_3 oscillates and the number of times the search on and search off of the second indoor unit 10_2 are switched is less than a predetermined threshold during all of the periods T11 to T13. Therefore, the indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 determines that the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference with each other.

[0072] The indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 uses the method described above to estimate the indoor unit 10 that is the other side of the thermal interference for each indoor unit 10 that is determined to be experiencing thermal interference with another indoor unit 10. The indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit 354 then outputs information indicating the relative positional relationships of the multiple indoor units 10 (the table in FIG. 6 ) as the estimation result.

[0073] <Effects of Embodiment 1> As described above, with the air conditioning control device according to Embodiment 1, it is possible to estimate the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10 from the operating data of each indoor unit 10 when the multiple indoor units 10 are operating normally (time-series data on the operating state and intake temperature of the indoor units 10). Therefore, it is not necessary to cause the multiple indoor units 10 to perform predetermined adjustment operations in order to estimate the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in energy efficiency due to the adjustment operations.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the air conditioning control device of embodiment 1, the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10 is estimated by detecting the thermal interference that occurs during normal operation from the operating data of each indoor unit 10, rather than performing a predetermined adjustment operation, so that when rotation operation is applied to the multiple indoor units 10, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the thermal influence that each indoor unit 10 will receive from the other indoor units 10.

[0075] Furthermore, with the air conditioning control device according to Embodiment 1, during normal operation of the multiple indoor units 10, it is possible to acquire operating data for each indoor unit 10 at predetermined intervals and estimate the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10. This makes it possible to accurately estimate the relative positional relationship of the multiple indoor units 10, which changes in response to changes in the target space due to the installation or removal of partitions.

[0076] As the number of indoor units 10 placed in the target space increases, the number of combinations of indoor units 10 that are compared to one indoor unit 10 also increases, which may increase the load on the calculation processing unit 34 of the server 30. In such cases, a configuration can be adopted in which the comparison targets are narrowed down by weighting each indoor unit 10 based on the address information of each indoor unit 10, so that the weight is heavier for indoor units 10 that have addresses closer to one indoor unit 10.

[0077] Embodiment 2. In the above-described embodiment 1, a configuration was described in which the relative positional relationship of a plurality of indoor units 10 is estimated from operating data during normal operation. In embodiment 2, a configuration will be described in which, for a group of indoor units estimated to be in a positional relationship in which mutual thermal interference occurs, operation priorities in energy-saving control are assigned based on the operating data of each indoor unit 10.

[0078] The configuration of the air conditioning system 100 according to the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment, except for the functional configuration of the server 30, and therefore detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0079] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the indoor unit 10 and the server 30 in the air conditioning system 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 11, the server 30 according to the second embodiment differs from the server 30 shown in FIG. 3 in that the arithmetic processing unit 34 includes a setting unit 344 .

[0081] The setting unit 344 sets operational priorities for energy saving control for a group of indoor units estimated to be in a positional relationship that will cause mutual thermal interference, based on the operating data of each indoor unit 10. The processing of the setting unit 344 will be described using Fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows the operating data of the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3, which are estimated to be in a positional relationship that will cause mutual thermal interference. The operating data of the second indoor unit 10_2 and the operating data of the third indoor unit 10_3 are on the same time axis. The second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 have the same operating time. This means that the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are operating in parallel.

[0082] The setting unit 344 sets operational priorities in energy saving control for the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 based on time series data of the operating state of the second indoor unit 10_2 and time series data of the operating state of the third indoor unit 10_3.

[0083] Specifically, the setting unit 344 calculates the proportion of the time the second indoor unit 10_2 is in the thermo-on state during the operation time. For example, the setting unit 344 calculates the proportion of the time the second indoor unit 10_2 is in the thermo-on state by dividing the total sum of the time the second indoor unit 10_2 is in the thermo-on state by the operation time. The setting unit 344 also calculates the proportion of the time the third indoor unit 10_3 is in the thermo-on state during the operation time. For example, the setting unit 344 calculates the proportion of the time the third indoor unit 10_3 is in the thermo-on state by dividing the total sum of the time the third indoor unit 10_3 is in the thermo-on state by the operation time.

[0084] The setting unit 344 then sets priorities for the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 so that the greater the proportion of the time that the thermo-on time is in the total operating time, the higher the priority.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 5 , when the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3 are placed in the same room 2 and operate in parallel, the operating state of each indoor unit 10 may differ depending on the location of the indoor units 10. For example, assume that the second indoor unit 10_2 is placed by a window in the room 2, and the third indoor unit 10_3 is placed in the center of the room 2. In this case, a temperature difference may occur between the window side and the center of the room 2 due to the influence of the outside temperature and heat dissipation from electronic devices in the room 2. This causes a difference in the air conditioning load between the second indoor unit 10_2 and the third indoor unit 10_3, which in turn causes a difference in the operating state of the indoor units 10.

[0086] For example, in a situation where the temperature change is greater on the window side of Room 2 than on the central side during a certain operating period, the proportion of time that the second indoor unit 10_2 has its thermo-on function during that operating period may be greater than the proportion of time that the third indoor unit 10_3 has its thermo-on function. In such a case, performing energy-saving control on the second indoor unit 10_2 may result in a decrease in the comfort of Room 2. Conversely, performing energy-saving control on the third indoor unit 10_3 is thought to have little effect on the comfort of Room 2. Therefore, by subjecting the third indoor unit 10_3 to energy-saving control, it is possible to increase energy efficiency without compromising the comfort of Room 2.

[0087] On the other hand, in a situation where the proportion of the time during which the third indoor unit 10_3 is in the thermo-on state during operation is greater than the proportion of the time during which the second indoor unit 10_2 is in the thermo-on state, energy saving can be improved without compromising the comfort of room 2 by subjecting the second indoor unit 10_2 to energy saving control.

[0088] The control unit 36 ​​determines the indoor units 10 to be subject to energy saving control based on the operation priority order set by the setting unit 344. Specifically, the control unit 36 ​​determines at least one indoor unit 10 with a low priority order as the subject of energy saving control in a group of indoor units estimated to be in a positional relationship that causes mutual thermal interference. For example, if the priority order of the third indoor unit 10_3 is lower than the priority order of the second indoor unit 10_2, the third indoor unit 10_3 is determined to be the subject of energy saving control.

[0089] The control unit 36 ​​executes energy saving control on the indoor units 10 determined to be targets of energy saving control. In one aspect, the control unit 36 ​​changes the set temperature of the indoor units 10 that are targets of energy saving control by a predetermined temperature (for example, 1°C). When each indoor unit 10 performs cooling operation, the control unit 36 ​​increases the set temperature of the indoor units 10 that are targets of energy saving control by a predetermined temperature. When each indoor unit 10 performs heating operation, the control unit 36 ​​decreases the set temperature of the indoor units 10 that are targets of energy saving control by a predetermined temperature. In another aspect, the control unit 36 ​​stops the indoor units 10 that are targets of energy saving control for a certain period of time.

[0090] In this way, with the air conditioning control device according to embodiment 2, operational priorities are assigned to groups of indoor units that are positioned in a way that causes thermal interference between them, and energy-saving control is performed on the indoor units 10 with lower priorities, thereby increasing energy efficiency without compromising the comfort of the target space.

[0091] The proportion of time that each indoor unit 10 is thermo-on during operation varies depending on the indoor and outdoor conditions during that operation, so the setting unit 344 can achieve high energy efficiency without compromising the air-conditioning environment by repeating the setting of the priority at predetermined intervals.

[0092] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The technical scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0093] 10 Indoor unit, 12 Sensor, 14, 32 Communication unit, 15 Refrigerant piping, 16, 36 Control unit, 18 Drive unit, 20 Outdoor unit, 30 Server, 34 Arithmetic processing unit, 35 Communication line, 38 Memory unit, 100 Air conditioning system, 301 CPU, 302 RAM, 303 ROM, 304 IF device, 305 Storage device, 306 Communication bus, 340 Data collection unit, 342 Estimation unit, 344 Setting unit, 350 Time series data division unit, 352 Indoor unit thermal interference presence / absence determination unit, 354 Indoor unit thermal interference relationship estimation unit.

Claims

1. An air conditioning control device that controls a plurality of indoor units, each of the plurality of indoor units having a sensor that measures the intake temperature of air drawn into the indoor unit, and configured to switch between a thermo-on mode that performs air conditioning operation by blowing out air that has exchanged heat with a refrigerant and a thermo-off mode that stops the air conditioning operation based on the intake temperature measured by the sensor and a set temperature; and comprising: a data collection unit that collects time series data on the operating states and intake temperatures of the plurality of indoor units; and an estimation unit that estimates the relative positional relationships of the plurality of indoor units based on the time series data collected by the data collection unit, wherein the estimation unit identifies a first indoor unit whose intake temperature is fluctuating during the thermo-off period based on the time series data of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit, and identifies a second indoor unit whose operating state changes during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit based on the time series data of the operating state of each indoor unit, An air conditioning control device that estimates the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the change over time of the suction temperature of the first indoor unit with the change over time of the operating state of the second indoor unit during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit.

2. The air conditioning control device of claim 1, wherein the estimation unit detects the number of times the suction temperature of the first indoor unit oscillates during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit, detects the number of times the thermo-on and thermo-off of the second indoor unit are switched during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit, and estimates the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the number of times the suction temperature of the first indoor unit oscillates with the number of times the thermo-on and thermo-off of the second indoor unit are switched.

3. The air conditioning control device of claim 2, wherein the estimation unit estimates that the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference with each other when the deviation between the number of times the suction temperature of the first indoor unit oscillates and the number of times the thermo-on and thermo-off of the second indoor unit is switched is less than a predetermined threshold value.

4. An air conditioning control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a control unit that performs rotation operation to sequentially stop some of the plurality of indoor units based on the relative positional relationship of the plurality of indoor units estimated by the estimation unit.

5. An air conditioning control device as described in claim 4, wherein the control unit next stops an indoor unit among the plurality of indoor units that is estimated not to be in a positional relationship that would cause thermal interference with the stopped indoor unit.

6. An air conditioning control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a setting unit that sets operational priorities for the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit based on the time series data of the operating states of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit when it is estimated that the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit are in a positional relationship that causes thermal interference with each other; and a control unit that executes energy saving control on the indoor unit with the lower priority out of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit.

7. The air conditioning control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit changes the set temperature of the indoor unit having the lower priority out of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit.

8. The air conditioning control device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit stops the indoor unit having the lower priority out of the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit.

9. An air conditioning control device as described in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the setting unit calculates the proportion of time that the thermo-on time of the first indoor unit is in a predetermined operating time from the time series data of the operating state of the first indoor unit, calculates the proportion of time that the thermo-on time of the second indoor unit is in the predetermined operating time from the time series data of the operating state of the second indoor unit, and sets the priorities for the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit so that the greater the proportion of time that the thermo-on time is, the higher the priority.

10. An air conditioning system comprising the plurality of indoor units and the air conditioning control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An air conditioning control method for controlling a plurality of indoor units, wherein each of the plurality of indoor units has a temperature sensor that measures the intake temperature of air drawn into the indoor unit, and is configured to switch between a thermo-on state in which air conditioning operation is performed by blowing out air that has exchanged heat with a refrigerant, and a thermo-off state in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, based on the intake temperature measured by the temperature sensor and a set temperature, the air conditioning control method comprising the steps of: collecting time series data on the operating states and intake temperatures of the plurality of indoor units; and estimating the relative positional relationship of the plurality of indoor units based on the collected time series data, wherein the estimating step comprises: identifying a first indoor unit whose intake temperature is oscillating during the thermo-off period, based on the time series data of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit; and identifying a second indoor unit whose thermo-on state is in the thermo-on state during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit, based on the time series data on the operating states of each indoor unit. an air conditioning control method including a step of estimating a relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing a change over time in the intake temperature of the first indoor unit with a change over time in the operating state of the second indoor unit during a period when the thermostat of the first indoor unit is off.

12. A program causing a computer to execute an air conditioning control method for controlling a plurality of indoor units, wherein each of the plurality of indoor units has a temperature sensor that measures the intake temperature of air drawn into the indoor unit, and is configured to switch between a thermo-on state in which air conditioning operation is performed by blowing out air that has exchanged heat with a refrigerant, and a thermo-off state in which the air conditioning operation is stopped, based on the intake temperature measured by the temperature sensor and a set temperature, the air conditioning control method comprising the steps of: collecting time series data on the operating states and intake temperatures of the plurality of indoor units; and estimating the relative positional relationship of the plurality of indoor units based on the collected time series data, wherein the estimating step comprises: identifying a first indoor unit whose intake temperature is oscillating during the thermo-off period, based on the time series data of the intake temperature during the thermo-off period of each indoor unit; and identifying a second indoor unit whose thermo-on state is in the thermo-on state during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit, based on the time series data on the operating states of each indoor unit. and estimating the relative positional relationship between the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit by comparing the change over time in the intake temperature of the first indoor unit with the change over time in the operating state of the second indoor unit during the thermo-off period of the first indoor unit.