Water spray device and water spray method

Abstract

This water spray device sprays water to radiation fins of a condenser in a heat pump apparatus having a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, the condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by piping, and comprises: a water spray part for spraying water to the condenser; and a water spray control unit for causing the water spray part to spray water at a predictively-calculated timing of the drive operation of the compressor in the heat pump apparatus.

Description

Water sprinkler and water sprinkler method

[0001] This technology relates to a sprinkler device and a sprinkler method used in a heat pump device, and in particular to a device for cooling a condenser of the heat pump device by sprinkling water during high temperatures in summer.

[0002] The technology of extracting thermal energy from the air using a heat pump is widely used in air-cooled heat source machines and air conditioners. In air-cooled heat source machines and air conditioners equipped with an air heat exchanger, spraying water onto the air heat exchanger during the summer when the outdoor air temperature is high can cool the air heat exchanger to a temperature lower than the outdoor air temperature and promote the condensation of the refrigerant in the air heat exchanger. This increases the energy consumption efficiency (COP) and reduces power consumption.

[0003] A sprinkler system and method for spraying water onto an air-cooled heat source machine have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, a problem with the sprinkler system is that spraying water onto the heat dissipation fins can cause scale components to adhere to the fin surfaces. To prevent this, it has been proposed to use pure water that does not contain minerals, such as reverse osmosis water. Furthermore, to reduce the amount of pure water used, a heat exchanger efficiency improvement device has been proposed that includes a control unit that intermittently controls the sprinkling time so that the pure water sprayed by the sprinkler unit is spaced apart long enough to evaporate while still adhering to the heat dissipation fins (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3).

[0004] JP 2016-142436 A Japanese Patent No. 6690067 A Japanese Patent No. 5456075 A

[0005] However, the sprinkler systems in the aforementioned patent documents control the timing and duration of sprinkling water continuously or intermittently, or are controlled in response to the conditions of the air conditioner or the compressor of the air conditioner and the outside air temperature. The power consumption of a compressor is highest from the time the compressor is started up until immediately after startup. Therefore, timer-based intermittent sprinkling watering and sprinkling watering in response to the compressor's operation do not synchronize the timing of the condenser temperature rise caused by the operation of the system and the sprinkling of water by the sprinkler system, making it difficult to efficiently reduce the power consumption of the system.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler device and a sprinkler method that can reduce the power consumption of a heat pump device by sprinkling water at a more efficient timing.

[0007] The disclosed sprinkler device is a sprinkler device that sprinkles water on the heat dissipation fins of the condenser of a heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by piping, and is equipped with a sprinkler unit that sprinkles water on the condenser, and a sprinkler control unit that causes the sprinkler unit to sprinkle water at a timing calculated by predicting the driving operation of the compressor of the heat pump device.

[0008] In addition, the disclosed sprinkling method is a sprinkling method for sprinkling water on the heat dissipation fins of the condenser of a heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by piping, and includes a prediction calculation process for predicting and calculating the driving operation of the compressor based on physical quantities detected by a physical quantity detector attached to the heat pump device, and a control process for causing the sprinkling section to sprinkle water at a timing based on the prediction calculation result.

[0009] According to the disclosed sprinkler device and sprinkler method, for example, a sprinkler control unit predicts the drive operation of a compressor of a heat pump device based on the value of a physical quantity and causes the sprinkler unit to sprinkle water at a timing based on the results of the prediction. By sprinkling water based on the drive operation of the compressor predicted by the sprinkler control unit, the condenser can be cooled efficiently and the power consumption of the heat pump device can be reduced.

[0010] 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a heat pump system centered on a sprinkler device 200 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the timing of the drive operation of a compressor 110 and the sprinkling operation of a sprinkler device 200 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of sprinkling control of a sprinkler device 200 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another example of the timing of the drive operation of a compressor 110 and the sprinkling operation of a sprinkler device 200 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a sprinkler device 200 centered on a sprinkler unit 210 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the timing of the drive operation of a compressor 110 and the sprinkling operation of a sprinkler device 200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the flow of sprinkling control of a sprinkler device 200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of the flow of sprinkling control of a sprinkler device 200 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the calculation of a calculation unit 222 according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management system centered on a sprinkler device 200 according to a fourth embodiment.

[0011] The following describes sprinkler systems and other devices according to embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent, and are common throughout the following embodiments. The dimensional relationships between components in the drawings may differ from those in reality. The configurations of components shown throughout the specification are merely illustrative and are not limited to those described in the specification. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to those in each embodiment, and components described in other embodiments may be applied to other embodiments. Furthermore, the levels of pressure and temperature are not determined in relation to absolute values, but are determined relatively in terms of the state, operation, etc. of the device. When multiple similar devices are distinguished by subscripts, the subscripts may be omitted if there is no need to distinguish or identify them.

[0012] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a heat pump system centered around a sprinkler system 200 according to embodiment 1. The heat pump system according to embodiment 1 is a system that cools target air, objects, etc. The heat pump system according to embodiment 1 includes a heat pump unit 100 and a sprinkler system 200.

[0013] The heat pump device 100 has a refrigerant circuit configured by connecting a compressor 110, a condenser 120, an expansion valve 130, and an evaporator 140 with refrigerant piping, and circulates the refrigerant to cool an object to be cooled.

[0014] The compressor 110 compresses the drawn refrigerant and discharges it. The compressor 110 includes a compressor inverter drive device (not shown). The compressor inverter drive device can change the capacity of the compressor 110, which is the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time, by arbitrarily changing the drive frequency of the compressor 110 based on instructions from a heat pump control unit 150 (described later).

[0015] Condenser 120 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air (outdoor air). In the first embodiment, condenser 120 also exchanges heat between the refrigerant and water sprayed by sprinkler system 200. Condenser 120 condenses and liquefies the refrigerant. Here, condenser 120 is, for example, a fin-tube heat exchanger having a heat transfer tube through which the refrigerant passes and heat dissipation fins that increase the heat transfer area of ​​the refrigerant.

[0016] The expansion valve 130, such as a throttle device that serves as a pressure reducing device, is a valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it. For example, when configured as an electronic expansion valve, the expansion valve 130 adjusts its opening based on instructions from a heat pump control unit 150 (described later). The evaporator 140 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air to be cooled. The evaporator 140 evaporates the refrigerant and vaporizes it.

[0017] The heat pump unit 100 in the first embodiment also has a heat pump control unit 150. The heat pump control unit 150 controls each device in the heat pump unit 100. The heat pump control unit 150 can also communicate with a sprinkler control unit 220 included in the sprinkler unit 200, which will be described later. Here, the heat pump control unit 150 sends a signal to the sprinkler control unit 220 that includes, as data, the value of the suction temperature detected by the physical quantity detector 160, which will be described later, and the value of the indoor set temperature, which is the set temperature of the indoor air.

[0018] The heat pump unit 100 is equipped with a physical quantity detector 160. The physical quantity detector 160 is a device such as a sensor that detects the value of a physical quantity related to the operation of the heat pump unit 100 and converts the detected value into a detection signal. The detection signal is input to the heat pump control unit 150. Specifically, the physical quantity detector 160 is, for example, a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple, a pressure gauge, or the like. In this example, at least an intake air temperature sensor that detects the intake temperature of the air flowing into the evaporator 140 is attached as the physical quantity detector 160. The intake temperature detected by the intake air temperature sensor is the temperature of the indoor air. However, the type and number of physical quantity detectors 160 are not particularly limited, and the physical quantity detector 160 may be any device that detects a physical quantity related to the driving operation of the compressor 110. For example, an acceleration sensor that detects vibrations of the compressor 110, a humidity sensor that measures humidity, an air velocity sensor that detects air velocity, an infrared sensor that detects whether the surface of the condenser 120 is wet, or the like may be used.

[0019] Sprinkler device 200 sprays water onto condenser 120 (particularly the heat dissipation fins that make up condenser 120) to cool condenser 120. Sprinkling water onto condenser 120 by sprinkler device 200 promotes heat dissipation from condenser 120, cools the refrigerant, and improves heat exchange efficiency. Sprinkler device 200 in embodiment 1 has sprinkler control unit 220 and sprinkler unit 210.

[0020] The water spray unit 210 sprays water onto the heat radiation fins of the condenser 120 of the heat pump unit 100 based on a control signal sent from the control unit 223 .

[0021] Sprinkler control unit 220 is a device that controls the operation of sprinkler device 200 based on the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by physical quantity detector 160. Sprinkler control unit 220 in embodiment 1 has a communication unit 221, a calculation unit 222, a control unit 223, a storage unit 224, and a timing unit 225.

[0022] The communication unit 221 serves as an interface when the sprinkler control unit 220 communicates with the heat pump control unit 150, and performs signal conversion and the like. The calculation unit 222 performs calculations based on data contained in signals sent from the heat pump unit 100 that are input via the communication unit 221, such as values ​​of physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160. The calculation unit 222 in the first embodiment particularly performs a predictive calculation step that predicts the drive operation of the compressor 110 of the heat pump unit 100. The calculation unit 222 predicts the timing at which the compressor 110 will start driving, the drive state (e.g., driving or stopped), and the load and physical quantities of the compressor 110 related to the drive operation of the compressor 110. The calculation method and formulas used by the calculation unit 222 to predict the drive operation of the compressor 110 may be determined based on the physical quantities used in the calculations, and are not particularly limited.

[0023] The control unit 223 performs a control process of controlling the equipment of the sprinkler unit 210 based on the predictive calculation result of the compressor 110, which is the calculation result calculated by the calculation unit 222. The control unit 223 sends a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 to control the timing (time) of sprinkling the water in the sprinkling operation performed on the condenser 120. The memory unit 224 stores, for example, various data used when the calculation unit 222 performs calculations. Furthermore, the timing unit 225 measures the time when the calculation unit 222 performs predictive calculations and when the control unit 223 controls the sprinkling of the sprinkler device 200, for example.

[0024] Here, sprinkler control unit 220 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing device then executes processing based on a program stored in memory unit 224 to achieve the processing. However, this is not a limitation, and each unit of sprinkler control unit 220 may be configured independently as a dedicated device (hardware) that achieves the function of that unit.

[0025] The storage unit 224 also has a volatile storage device (not shown) such as a random access memory (RAM) that can temporarily store data. The storage unit 224 also has a non-volatile auxiliary storage device (not shown) such as a flash memory that can store data on past values ​​of physical quantities such as temperature and humidity, and programs over the long term. The storage unit 224 also has data that is a program that executes the processing procedures performed by the processing device described above.

[0026] Next, the processing of the calculation unit 222 in the first embodiment will be further described. The calculation unit 222 performs calculations to predict the drive operation of the compressor 110 at a preset time (here, referred to as one time) ahead, based on the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160. At this time, the calculation unit 222 feeds back the calculated predicted value, calculates the difference between the calculated predicted value and the actual value of the physical quantity, and uses the resulting predicted value for the next prediction calculation, and repeats this process.

[0027] Specifically, the calculation unit 222 predicts and calculates physical quantities necessary for the drive operation of the compressor 110 and the next predictive calculation at time t=1, based on the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160 at time t=0, etc. Then, the calculation unit 222 stores the predictive calculation results for time t=1 as data in the storage unit 224. Furthermore, the calculation unit 222 predicts and calculates the values ​​of the physical quantities necessary for the drive operation of the compressor 110 and the next predictive calculation at time t=2, based on the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160 at time t=2 and the predictive calculation results for time t=1 stored in the storage unit 224.

[0028] Here, an example of a method for predicting the drive operation of the compressor 110 performed by the calculation unit 222 will be described. However, as mentioned above, the prediction calculation method is not limited to this method. First, the heat pump control unit 150 controls the start, stop, or continuation of the drive operation of the compressor 110 based on a threshold value based on a set temperature set in the heat pump device 100 to control the target temperature. Here, the heat pump control unit 150 performs hysteresis control based on a threshold value that takes into account a tolerance for the set value, for example. However, this is not limited to hysteresis control, and the prediction calculation described above can be applied to other types of control.

[0029] As described above, the physical quantity detector 160 in the first embodiment is an intake air temperature sensor, and the intake temperature detected by the intake air temperature sensor is the temperature of the indoor air. Here, the temperature at which the compressor 110 starts operating based on the set temperature is defined as the operation start temperature (threshold value Xt-up). The operation start temperature is the set temperature plus a margin. The heat pump control unit 150 starts operating the compressor 110 when it determines that the indoor air temperature has risen above the operation start temperature from a temperature lower than the operation start temperature. The temperature at which the compressor 110 stops operating is defined as the operation stop temperature (threshold value Xt-down). The operation stop temperature is the set temperature minus a margin. The heat pump control unit 150 starts operating the compressor 110 when it determines that the indoor air temperature has fallen below the operation stop temperature from a temperature higher than the operation stop temperature. From the above, the current indoor temperature is defined as the current temperature T. The rate of change (slope) of the indoor temperature one time ahead, dt, is defined as dT / dt. At this time, the indoor temperature changes by dT. Here, dT / dt may be calculated based on a time period shorter than one time period.

[0030] For example, since the operation start temperature (threshold value Xt-up) of the compressor 110 is a temperature value determined by the set temperature, it is possible to predict whether the operation start time of the compressor 110 will occur one hour ahead based on the relationship between T+dT / dt and the operation start temperature (threshold value Xt-up). Similarly, since the operation stop temperature (threshold value Xt-down) of the compressor 110 is a temperature value determined by the set temperature, it is possible to predict whether the operation stop time of the compressor 110 will occur one hour ahead based on the relationship between T+dT / dt and the operation stop temperature (threshold value Xt-down). In this way, the calculation unit 222 can predict the operation of the compressor 110 based on the indoor air temperature indicated by the suction temperature detected by the suction air temperature sensor and the set temperature.

[0031] As described above, the calculation unit 222 generally calculates and predicts the drive operation and physical quantities of the compressor 110 at time t=m (m<r) using data from the prediction calculation results at time t=m-1, which is one time before any time t=m (m<r). The calculation unit 222 inputs the values ​​of the drive operation and physical quantities of the compressor 110 at time t=m and sequentially repeats the prediction calculation to predict and calculate the drive operation and physical quantities of the compressor 110 at any time t=r, thereby calculating the prediction calculation at time t=r. Here, one time is assumed to be one second, but this is not limited to this. For example, one time may be one minute or ten minutes.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the timing of the drive operation of the compressor 110 and the sprinkler operation of the sprinkler device 200 according to the first embodiment. Using the prediction calculation results from time t=1 to time t=n stored in the memory unit 224, the calculation unit 222 predicts the time t=Xon at which the operating state of the compressor 110 switches from stopped to driven, and outputs the prediction calculation result. The control unit 223 then outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 so that the sprinkler device 200 starts sprinkling water at time t=Xon. The calculation unit 222 also predicts the time t=Xoff at which the operating state of the compressor 110 switches from driven to stopped, and outputs the prediction calculation result. The control unit 223 then outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 so that the sprinkler device 200 stops sprinkling water at time t=Xoff. The period from time t=Xon to time t=Xoff will be described as the water sprinkling period. Based on the results of the prediction calculation in the calculation unit 222, the control unit 223 controls the sprinkler device 200 to spray water continuously or intermittently at any interval during the watering period.

[0033] 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of sprinkling control of sprinkler device 200 according to Embodiment 1. Here, the explanation will be given assuming that sprinkling control is performed by sprinkler control unit 220. Sprinkler control unit 220 repeatedly performs sprinkling control at regular intervals.

[0034] The communication unit 221 of the sprinkler control unit 220 receives a signal including data such as the value of the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detector 160 from the heat pump control unit 150 of the heat pump device 100 (step S1).

[0035] As described above, the calculation unit 222 of the sprinkler control unit 220 uses the values ​​of the physical quantities and the like to predict the drive operation and physical quantities of the compressor 110 (step S2). Then, the calculation unit 222 outputs the time t = Xon when sprinkler starts and the time t = Xoff when sprinkler ends as the prediction calculation results.

[0036] When control unit 223 of sprinkler control unit 220 determines, based on the timing of timer 225, that time t = Xon (step S3), it outputs a control signal to sprinkler unit 210 to start sprinkling (step S4). When control unit 223 determines, based on the timing of timer 225, that time t = Xoff (step S5), it outputs a control signal to sprinkler unit 210 to stop sprinkling (step S6).

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another example of the timing of the drive operation of the compressor 110 and the sprinkler operation of the sprinkler device 200 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2 described above, the sprinkler device 200 is described as starting to sprinkle water at time t=Xon, when the compressor 110 starts to drive. In the example shown in FIG. 4, a control signal is output so that the sprinkler device 200 starts sprinkling water at time t=Xon-n, which is before time t=Xon. By having the sprinkler device 200 sprinkle water to cool the condenser 120 before time t=Xon, when the compressor 110 starts to drive, the efficiency of heat exchange in the condenser 120 can be improved.

[0038] Here, the condition for sprinkling water at time t = Xon-n is met when the temperature of the water to be sprinkled is lower than the outside air temperature and the surface temperature of the heat radiation fins of the condenser 120 of the heat pump device 100. For example, the calculation unit 222 predicts and calculates the amount of water to be sprinkled and the time required to cool the temperature of the heat radiation fins of the condenser 120 to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature, based on the values ​​of physical quantities, etc., and determines the time t = Xon-n. If the condition for sprinkling water at time t = Xon-n is not met and there is no need to cool the condenser 120 in advance, the sprinkler device 200 can simply spray water at time t = Xon.

[0039] As described above, according to the sprinkler device 200 of the first embodiment, the calculation unit 222 of the sprinkler control unit 220 performs calculations based on the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160 to predict the drive operation of the compressor 110 of the heat pump device 100. The control unit 223 of the sprinkler control unit 220 then controls the sprinkler unit 210 based on the results of the predicted calculations for the compressor 110. By having the sprinkler control unit 220 predict the drive operation of the compressor 110 and sprinkle water while the compressor 110 is operating, the condenser 120 can be efficiently cooled and the power consumption of the heat pump device 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the sprinkler device 200 only needs to sprinkle water during the time the compressor 110 is operating, the sprinkler time can be shortened. This reduces the amount of water sprinkled by the sprinkler device 200, thereby saving water. Furthermore, the liquid junction time in the heat dissipation fins of the condenser 120 can be shortened, thereby suppressing the progression of corrosion in the heat dissipation fins.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the sprinkler device 200 of the first embodiment, the calculation unit 222 of the sprinkler control unit 220 stores the calculated predictive value in the memory unit 224 and feeds it back at the time of the next predictive calculation. This improves the prediction accuracy. Furthermore, the calculation unit 222 predicts the operation of the compressor 110 using the suction temperature (actual indoor temperature) value measured by the physical quantity detector 160 attached to the heat pump device 100 and the set indoor temperature value as data. This allows the calculation unit 222 to predict the operation of the compressor 110 with fewer parameters.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the sprinkler device 200 of the first embodiment, by sprinkling water on the condenser 120 before the compressor 110 of the heat pump unit 100 starts operating, the temperature of the heat radiation fins of the condenser 120 is cooled in advance to below the outside air temperature. This improves the heat exchange performance of the condenser 120 when the compressor 110 starts operating, and shortens the operating time of the compressor 110. Therefore, the sprinkler device 200 can reduce the power consumption of the heat pump unit 100.

[0042] Embodiment 2. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of sprinkler device 200, centered on sprinkler unit 210, according to embodiment 2. In Figure 5, devices and the like that are given the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 and the like are the same as those described in embodiment 1. Sprinkler unit 210 in Figure 5 includes upstream piping 211, deionizer 212, switching electromagnetic valve 213, tap water downstream piping 214, deionized water downstream piping 215, downstream piping 216, downstream electromagnetic valve 217, and sprinkler nozzle unit 218.

[0043] The upstream pipe 211 is a pipe that guides tap water supplied from a water source 300, such as a tap water faucet, to the switching solenoid valve 213. The material of the upstream pipe 211 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a pipe for carrying tap water. For example, the upstream pipe 211 may be a metal pipe or hose, such as a commonly used copper pipe. However, the upstream pipe 211 is preferably made of a material that minimizes metal elution, such as resin. The water source 300 and one end (upstream side) of the upstream pipe 211 are fixed. The method of fixation is not particularly limited, as long as the tap water discharged from the water source 300 is supplied into the upstream pipe 211 while maintaining discharge pressure. For example, the water source 300 may be inserted into the upstream pipe 211 through the most upstream opening of the upstream pipe 211, and the upstream pipe 211 may be fixed so as to prevent it from coming off the water source 300. Alternatively, a separate member may be interposed between the upstream pipe 211 and the water source 300 to connect and fix them. Furthermore, the other end (downstream) of the upstream pipe 211 is fixed to the switching solenoid valve 213 and the inlet of the deionizer 212. The method of fixation is not particularly limited as long as the tap water discharged from the water source 300 is supplied to the switching solenoid valve 213 and the deionizer 212 while maintaining the discharge pressure. For example, the inlet of the deionizer 212 may be fitted into the upstream pipe 211 via the downstream opening of the upstream pipe 211, and the upstream pipe 211 may be fixed so as not to come off the inlet of the deionizer 212. Alternatively, a separate member may be interposed between the upstream pipe 211 and the inlet of the deionizer 212 to connect and fix them. The upstream pipe 211 may be composed of multiple pipes (for example, with valves, pressure reducing valves, etc., interposed between the pipes, as shown in FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, the water in the water source 300 is not limited to tap water, but may be other water such as well water.

[0044] The switching solenoid valve 213 switches the valve based on instructions from the control unit 223, and causes tap water to flow to the tap water downstream pipe 214 or the water purifier 212. The tap water downstream pipe 214 is a water source side pipe that passes tap water to be guided to the downstream side pipe 216.

[0045] The water purifier 212 is, for example, a cylindrical container having a water inlet and outlet and serving as a column filled with ion exchange resin. The water purifier 212 converts tap water received via the upstream piping 211 and the switching solenoid valve 213 into ion-exchanged water by filtering or other methods. The ion-exchange resin packed in the water purifier 212 is preferably a mixture of a strong acid cation exchange resin and a strong basic anion exchange resin to prevent the accumulation of metal salts such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, and silicic acid. The amount of ion-exchange resin is preferably sufficient to cover the required water volume for one season without replacement or regeneration. The ion-exchanged water is not limited to this, and any water containing impurities, such as minerals, that may corrode the heat dissipation fins of the condenser 120 may be used. Hereinafter, the water flowing out of the water purifier 212 will be described as pure water. The amount of ion exchange resin filled in the water purifier 212 is set so that the water pressure of the tap water supplied from the water source 300 alone will cause the pure water to flow out, pass through the pure water downstream piping 215, the downstream piping 216, and the spray nozzle section 218, and spray onto the condenser 120, without the need for a pump or the like. For example, the amount is set so that the SV value is 0.2 to 10 (preferably 1 to 5, more preferably 1 to 3). Here, the SV value is the space velocity value, which is an index of the speed at which water is treated, and is the value obtained by dividing the volume of water that can be treated in one hour by the volume of the device's filter media.

[0046] The pure water downstream pipe 215 is a pure water-side pipe through which the pure water purifier 212 passes the pure water that replaces the tap water and leads it to the downstream pipe 216. The tap water downstream pipe 214 and the pure water downstream pipe 215 may be made of any material, as long as they are pipes for passing pure water. The tap water downstream pipe 214 and the pure water downstream pipe 215 may be made of, for example, commonly used metal pipes or hoses, such as copper pipes. Materials that minimize the elution of deposition-causing components onto the heat dissipation fins of the condenser 120 are preferred. The tap water downstream pipe 214 and the pure water downstream pipe 215 may be made of multiple pipes. Furthermore, one end (the most upstream end) of the pure water downstream pipe 215 is fixed to the outlet of the pure water purifier 212. The method of fixation is not particularly limited. For example, the outlet of the deionizer 212 may be fitted into the downstream pure water pipe 215 via the upstream opening of the downstream pure water pipe 215, and the downstream pure water pipe 215 may be fixed so as not to come off the outlet of the deionizer 212. Alternatively, a separate member for connecting and fixing the downstream pure water pipe 215 and the outlet of the deionizer 212 may be interposed between them.

[0047] The tap water that has passed through the tap water downstream pipe 214 or the pure water that has passed through the pure water downstream pipe 215 branches off and passes through downstream pipes 216A and 216B. The downstream pipes 216 (downstream pipes 216A and 216B) are pipes that guide the passing water to the watering nozzle unit 218.

[0048] Downstream solenoid valves 217 (downstream solenoid valves 217A and 217B) are on-off valves that open and close based on instructions from control unit 223, and control the supply of water passing through each downstream pipe 216 to spray nozzle unit 218. In the second embodiment, downstream solenoid valve 217 controls the supply of pure water to spray nozzle unit 218.

[0049] Here, the downstream solenoid valve 217 is not particularly limited as long as it is a valve that can switch between allowing water to pass and not allowing water to pass. Furthermore, the installation position of the downstream solenoid valve 217 is also not particularly limited as long as it can switch between allowing water to pass and not allowing water to pass, and it may be located downstream or upstream of the water purifier 212, for example. However, as shown in Fig. 5 , if the downstream piping 216 branches into multiple pipes and a downstream solenoid valve 217 is provided for each of the branched downstream piping 216, the downstream solenoid valve 217 is installed downstream of the water purifier 212.

[0050] Sprinkler nozzle units 218 (sprinkler nozzle units 218A and 218B) spray water passing through each downstream pipe 216 onto condenser 120 to cool the heat dissipation fins of condenser 120. In FIG. 5 , each spray nozzle unit 218 has four nozzles and is attached to each downstream pipe 216. If spray nozzle units 218 are installed outside a protective net (not shown) protecting the heat dissipation fins of condenser 120, water from spray nozzle units 218 will splash onto the protective net, resulting in unnecessary water consumption. Therefore, it is preferable to install spray nozzle units 218 between the protective net and the heat dissipation fins. Furthermore, as described below, sprinkler device 200 of embodiment 2 intermittently and frequently sprays small amounts of water onto the heat dissipation fins of condenser 120. In this case, if downstream piping 216 is located at a higher position than sprinkler nozzle unit 218, when sprinkling is stopped, the water in downstream piping 216 will drip from sprinkler nozzle unit 218 and be wasted. Therefore, it is preferable to install sprinkler nozzle unit 218 at a higher position than downstream piping 216.

[0051] When sprinkler nozzle unit 218 sprinkles tap water, sufficient flow rate and water pressure can be ensured by the water pressure from water source 300. This results in a uniform spray pattern from sprinkler nozzle unit 218. Therefore, when tap water flows into downstream pipes 216, downstream solenoid valves 217 in each downstream pipe 216 are all controlled to be open.

[0052] On the other hand, the water pressure of the pure water is lower than the water pressure from the water source 300 because the water from the water source 300 passes through the pure water purifier 212. For this reason, if all of the downstream solenoid valves 217 are opened when the sprinkler nozzle unit 218 sprays pure water, the water pressure of the pure water flowing through each downstream pipe 216 will be low. Therefore, the sprinkler device 200 may not be able to spray water on the heat dissipation fins of the condenser 120, or even if it is able to spray water, the spray pattern of the sprinkler nozzle unit 218 may be uneven.

[0053] Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the switching solenoid valve 213 is switched so that tap water that has passed through the upstream pipe 211 passes through the deionizer 212, the control unit 223 controls one downstream solenoid valve 217 to open, allowing the deionized water to pass through one downstream pipe 216. The other downstream solenoid valves 217 are controlled to close. This ensures the water pressure required to spray the deionized water.

[0054] The sprinkler system 200 in the second embodiment starts sprinkling with inexpensive tap water and switches to pure water midway through the process. The pure water washes away the scale components of the tap water that have adhered to the heat dissipation fins of the condenser 120, thereby maintaining the heat exchange efficiency of the condenser 120.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the timing of the drive operation of the compressor 110 and the sprinkler operation of the sprinkler device 200 according to the second embodiment. Using the predictively calculated values ​​from time t=1 to time t=n stored in the memory unit 224, the calculation unit 222 predicts the time t=Xon at which the operating state of the compressor 110 switches from stopped to driven, and outputs the predicted calculation result. The control unit 223 then outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 so that the sprinkler device 200 starts sprinkling tap water at time t=Xon. The calculation unit 222 also predicts the time t=Xoff-n at which the switching solenoid valve 213 of the sprinkler unit 210 switches, and outputs the predicted calculation result. The control unit 223 then outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 so that the switching solenoid valve 213 switches at time t=Xoff-n, causing the sprinkler device 200 to stop supplying tap water and start sprinkling pure water. Furthermore, the calculation unit 222 predicts the time t = Xoff when the operating state of the compressor 110 switches from driving to stopping, and outputs the prediction calculation result. Then, the control unit 223 outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210 so that the sprinkler device 200 stops sprinkling pure water at the time t = Xoff.

[0056] 7 is a diagram illustrating the flow of sprinkling control of sprinkler device 200 according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2 as well, the sprinkling control unit 220 will be described as repeatedly performing sprinkling control at regular intervals.

[0057] The communication unit 221 of the sprinkler control unit 220 receives a signal including data such as the value of the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detector 160 from the heat pump control unit 150 of the heat pump device 100 (step S11).

[0058] The calculation unit 222 of the sprinkler control unit 220 uses the values ​​of the physical quantities to predict the drive operation and physical quantities of the compressor 110 (step S12). Then, the calculation unit 222 outputs the predicted calculation results, which are the time t=Xon when sprinkler starts, the time t=Xoff-n when switching the switching solenoid valve 213, and the time t=Xoff when sprinkler ends.

[0059] When control unit 223 of sprinkler control unit 220 determines that time t = Xon based on the timing of timing unit 225 (step S13), it outputs a control signal to sprinkler unit 210. Sprinkler unit 210 switches switching solenoid valve 213 to the tap water downstream piping 214 side, and starts sprinkling tap water from sprinkler nozzle unit 218 (step S14).

[0060] Then, when the control unit 223 determines that the time t=Xoff-n has arrived based on the timekeeping by the timing unit 225 (step S15), it outputs a control signal to the sprinkler unit 210. The sprinkler unit 210 switches the switching electromagnetic valve 213 to the side of the water purifier 212, and starts sprinkling pure water from the sprinkler nozzle unit 218 (step S16).

[0061] After the pure water is sprayed, when the control unit 223 determines that the time t=Xoff has arrived based on the timing of the timing unit 225 (step S17), it outputs a control signal to the spray unit 210. The spray unit 210 closes the downstream electromagnetic valve 217 to stop the spraying (step S18).

[0062] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating another example of the flow of sprinkling control of sprinkler system 200 according to embodiment 2. In Fig. 8, steps having the same step numbers as those in Fig. 7 perform the same processing.

[0063] In FIG. 4 described in the first embodiment, a control signal is output so that the sprinkler device 200 starts sprinkling water at the timing of time t=Xon-n, which is before time t=Xon.

[0064] Therefore, in step S12, calculation unit 222 performs a predictive calculation and outputs time t = Xon-n as the time to start sprinkling as the result of the predictive calculation. Then, when control unit 223 of sprinkling control unit 220 determines that time t = Xon-n has arrived based on the timing of timing unit 225 (step S13A), it outputs a control signal to sprinkler unit 210.

[0065] As described above, the sprinkler device 200 in the second embodiment can switch between tap water from the water source 300 and pure water passed through the pure water purifier 212 using the switching solenoid valve 213 in the sprinkler section 210, and spray water from the sprinkler nozzle section 218. Therefore, the sprinkler device 200 can wash away scale components adhering to the condenser 120 by spraying tap water, thereby suppressing the adhesion of scale components. This allows the condenser 120 to maintain high heat exchange efficiency for a long period of time. Furthermore, the sprinkler device 200 can save the amount of water used for ion exchange in the pure water purifier 212. This extends the life of the ion exchange resin in the pure water purifier 212, improving the economic efficiency of the sprinkler device 200.

[0066] Third Embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the calculation of the calculation unit 222 according to the third embodiment. The calculation of the calculation unit 222 in the third embodiment uses a neural network as a calculation algorithm. A neural network is, for example, a processing mechanism configured by modeling and networking nerve cells (neurons) that constitute the brain. In the calculation unit 222 according to the third embodiment, conceptually, multiple neurons are connected to the network, and calculation results are transmitted and received between the neurons based on data such as physical quantity values ​​from the heat pump apparatus 100, and data on final predicted calculation results is output. For example, even when a large amount of data related to physical quantity values ​​or time used to predict the drive operation of the compressor 110 is input, the use of a neural network enables calculations corresponding to the large amount of data, thereby improving the speed and accuracy of calculations. The calculation unit 222 performs processing based on a multilayer neural network having, for example, an input layer corresponding to the number of input data, an output layer corresponding to the dimensionality of the output data, and one or more intermediate layers (hidden layers) between the input and output layers.

[0067] The values ​​obtained by the predictive calculation may deviate from the true values ​​of the physical quantities at any time and the true values ​​of the driving operation of the compressor 110. The calculation unit 222 acquires the true values ​​at any interval, calculates the error from the predicted value, and adjusts the coefficients of the mathematical formula used in the predictive calculation or the setting parameters or weights of the neural network to reduce the error.

[0068] As described above, according to the sprinkler system 200 of the third embodiment, the calculation unit 222 of the sprinkler control unit 220 performs calculations using a neural network. This allows for high-speed and high-accuracy calculations even when a large amount of data is used to predict the drive operation of the compressor 110. The values ​​obtained by the predictive calculations may deviate from the true values ​​of the physical quantities and the true values ​​of the drive operation of the compressor 110 at any given time. In this case, the calculation unit 222 calculates the error between the true value of the physical quantity and the predicted value, and makes adjustments to reduce the error, thereby improving accuracy by continuing the calculations.

[0069] Embodiment 4. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system centered around a sprinkler device 200 according to embodiment 4. The management system according to embodiment 4 has a management device 400 in addition to the heat pump device 100 and sprinkler device 200 described in embodiments 1 to 3. The management device 400 manages the sprinkler device 200 and the heat pump device 100. The management device 400 has a management communication unit 410, a management control unit 420, and a management storage unit 430.

[0070] The management communication unit 410 serves as an interface when the management device 400 communicates with the sprinkler device 200 via the electrical communication line 500, and performs signal conversion, etc. The management control unit 420 records and stores in the management memory unit 430 various data included in signals sent from the management device 400.

[0071] The management memory unit 430 is a device that records and stores various data processed by the management control unit 420. The management memory unit 430 functions as a database. The management memory unit 430 stores data such as the values ​​of the physical quantities detected by the physical quantity detector 160 described in the first embodiment, values ​​related to the predicted drive operation of the compressor 110, the actual values ​​of the drive operation of the compressor 110, and the predicted error of the drive operation of the compressor 110. Furthermore, the management memory unit 430 preferably records and stores data such as the model, manufacturing date, serial number, installation location, and weather at the installation location of the heat pump device 100. The data recorded and stored by the management memory unit 430 is not limited to these, and may record and store other data that can predict physical quantities related to the heat pump device 100 and the operation of the compressor 110. The management memory unit 430 may also record and store data for multiple sprinkler devices 200.

[0072] For example, the sprinkler device 200 described in the third embodiment performs learning calculations using data included in a signal sent from the management device 400 via the telecommunications line 500 as training data, and updates the parameters of the neural network in the calculation unit 222. In this case, if the management device 400 processes data from multiple sprinkler devices 200 and stores the data in the management storage unit 430, the calculation unit 222 can efficiently obtain data that serves as training data for constructing a neural network that performs predictive calculations on the drive operation of the compressor 110. By performing learning processing and the like using data obtained from different individual sprinkler devices 200, the calculation unit 222 can individually set neural network parameters that take into account seasonality, installation location, model, and the like.

[0073] As described above, in the sprinkler device 200 of embodiment 4, by using data related to the heat pump device 100, such as the model and installation location of the heat pump device 100, managed by the management device 400, the calculation unit 222 can perform highly accurate predictive calculations.

[0074] The heat pump device 100 of the above-described first to fourth embodiments can be applied to devices that form a refrigerant circuit and perform cooling, dehumidification, humidification, etc., such as air conditioning devices that perform air conditioning and refrigeration devices that freeze items.

[0075] 100 Heat pump device, 110 Compressor, 120 Condenser, 130 Expansion valve, 140 Evaporator, 150 Heat pump control unit, 160 Physical quantity detector, 200 Sprinkler device, 210 Sprinkler unit, 211 Upstream piping, 212 Pure water purifier, 213 Switching solenoid valve, 214 Tap water downstream piping, 215 Pure water downstream piping, 216, 216A, 216B Downstream piping, 217, 217A, 217B Downstream solenoid valve, 218, 218A, 218B Sprinkler nozzle unit, 220 Sprinkler control unit, 221 Communication unit, 222 Calculation unit, 223 Control unit, 224 Memory unit, 225 Timer unit, 300 Water source, 400 Management device, 410 Management communication unit, 420 Management control unit, 430 Management memory unit, 500 Telecommunications line.

Claims

1. A sprinkler device that sprinkles water on heat dissipation fins of a condenser of a heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by piping, the sprinkler device comprising: a sprinkler unit that sprinkles water on the condenser; and a sprinkler control unit that causes the sprinkler unit to sprinkle water at a timing calculated by predicting the drive operation of the compressor of the heat pump device.

2. The sprinkler device of claim 1, wherein the sprinkler control unit has: a calculation unit that predicts and calculates the drive operation of the compressor based on a physical quantity detected by a physical quantity detector; and a control unit that causes the sprinkler unit to sprinkle water at a timing based on the result of the prediction calculation by the calculation unit.

3. The sprinkler device of claim 2, wherein the calculation unit performs a process of predicting and calculating the physical quantity and the drive operation of the compressor after a set time based on the physical quantity from the physical quantity detector at a certain time, and further performs a process of predicting and calculating the physical quantity and the drive operation of the compressor after the next set time based on the result of the prediction calculation and the physical quantity from the physical quantity detector after the set time.

4. A sprinkler device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sprinkler control unit causes the sprinkler unit to sprinkle water at a timing before the compressor starts driving operation based on the results of the predictive calculation.

5. The sprinkler device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sprinkler section comprises: a sprinkler nozzle section which sprays water onto the condenser; a water source side pipe through which water from a water source passes to be sent to the sprinkler nozzle section; a water purifier which converts the water from the water source into pure water; a pure water side pipe through which the pure water from the water purifier passes to be sent to the sprinkler nozzle section; and a switching solenoid valve which selects whether the water from the water source is passed through the water source side pipe or the pure water purifier.

6. A sprinkler device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the physical quantity detector is an intake air temperature sensor that detects the temperature of air flowing into the evaporator, and the sprinkler control unit predicts and calculates the timing at which the compressor will start operating based on at least the temperature detected by the intake air temperature sensor and the indoor set temperature.

7. A sprinkling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sprinkling control unit uses a calculation algorithm formed by a neural network.

8. The sprinkler device of claim 7, wherein the sprinkler control unit calculates the difference between the value of the physical quantity from a physical quantity detector and the value of the predictive calculation result, and adjusts at least one of the coefficients of the mathematical formula used in the predictive calculation and the setting parameters of the neural network so as to minimize the difference.

9. The sprinkler control unit has a communication unit that communicates with an external management device having a management memory unit that stores data related to the heat pump device, and adjusts the setting parameters of the neural network based on the data related to the heat pump device contained in a signal sent from the management device via the communication unit. A sprinkler device as described in claim 7 or claim 8.

10. A sprinkling method for sprinkling water on heat dissipation fins of a condenser of a heat pump device having a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator are connected by piping, the sprinkling method comprising: a prediction calculation step of predicting and calculating the driving operation of the compressor based on a physical quantity detected by a physical quantity detector attached to the heat pump device; and a control step of causing the sprinkling section to spray water at a timing based on the result of the prediction calculation.

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