Control device

Abstract

A control device according to the present disclosure is equipped with a non-contact temperature sensor that detects a temperature distribution in a prescribed range including a plurality of units and a plurality of coolers; an extraction unit that extracts, on the basis of the temperature distribution, a plurality of current temperatures corresponding respectively to a plurality of registered spots within the prescribed range; and a drive value determination unit that determines a plurality of second drive values with which to drive each of the plurality of coolers on the basis of the plurality of current temperatures and a plurality of first drive values with which to drive each of the plurality of units. In addition to the plurality of current temperatures and the plurality of first drive values, the drive value determination unit determines the plurality of second drive values on the basis of a first set of coefficients representing the extent to which a temperature rise in each of the plurality of units affects a temperature rise at the plurality of registered spots and a second set of coefficients representing the extent to which a cooling effect provided by each of the plurality of coolers influences a temperature drop at the plurality of registered spots.

Description

Control device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for controlling multiple coolers.

[0002] A technique for cooling an electric unit such as a computing device using a cooler such as a fan to protect the electric unit from heat-induced performance degradation or heat-induced failure is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A control panel of a machine tool includes a plurality of electric units and a plurality of coolers for cooling the electric units. Conventionally, the temperatures of the electric units are monitored using contact-type temperature sensors such as thermistors and thermocouples, and the coolers are controlled by a closed-loop system in which, if the temperature of the electric unit rises, the drive value of the cooler for cooling the electric unit is increased to increase the cooling effect of the cooler, and, if the temperature of the electric unit drops, the drive value of the cooler for cooling the electric unit is decreased to decrease the cooling effect of the cooler.

[0003] However, when controlling a cooler using a closed-loop method, the cooling effect of the cooler installed in the electric unit does not take into account the impact on the cooling effect of points surrounding the electric unit, so the cooler's drive value must be repeatedly changed. Furthermore, when using contact-type temperature sensors, many temperature sensors are required in the control panel, which increases parts costs and installation labor. Furthermore, even if a point where a temperature sensor is not installed becomes unexpectedly hot, it is not possible to respond because it is not possible to know that the point is hot in the first place.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-298657

[0005] There is a need to propose a technology for controlling multiple coolers using non-contact temperature sensors such as thermal image sensors.

[0006] A control device according to the present disclosure is a device for controlling a plurality of coolers arranged together with a plurality of units within a predetermined range, and includes a non-contact temperature sensor that detects a temperature distribution within the predetermined range including the plurality of units and the plurality of coolers, an extractor that extracts a plurality of current temperatures corresponding to a plurality of registered locations within the predetermined range based on the temperature distribution, and a drive value determiner that determines a plurality of second drive values ​​for driving the plurality of coolers, respectively, based on the plurality of current temperatures and a plurality of first drive values ​​for driving the plurality of units, respectively. The drive value determiner determines the plurality of second drive values ​​based on the plurality of current temperatures and the plurality of first drive values, as well as a first coefficient group that represents the degree to which a temperature increase in each of the plurality of units affects a temperature increase at the plurality of registered locations, and a second coefficient group that represents the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers affects a temperature decrease at the plurality of registered locations.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cooling system including a control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a supplementary diagram for explaining details of the processing of the temperature extraction unit of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a supplementary diagram for explaining an overview of the control processing of a cooler by the control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the control processing of a cooler by the control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the control processing of a cooler by the control device according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 is a supplementary diagram for explaining the calculation formula update processing by the calculation formula update unit of FIG. 3.

[0008] The control device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooling system including a control device according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the cooling system 1 is configured by connecting a non-contact temperature sensor 6 and an information processing terminal 5 to a control device 2 that functions as the core of the system.

[0010] The control device 2 is a computer device having the function of controlling multiple coolers 7 arranged in the control panel 3 and the function of controlling multiple units 8 arranged in the control panel 3, and is realized by a PC or the like. The coolers 7 are controlled by the control device 2 and provide cooling effects according to drive power supplied directly from the control device 2 or supplied from other devices under the control of the control device 2. The units 8 are controlled by the control device 2 and are driven by drive power supplied directly from the control device 2 or supplied from other devices under the control of the control device 2. The drive power of the units 8 may be a fixed value regardless of the control sequence of the units 8, or may vary according to the control sequence. In this embodiment, the interior of the control panel 3 is defined as the predetermined range, and multiple electric units 8 and multiple coolers 7 are arranged within the control panel 3. However, the predetermined range is not limited to the interior of the control panel 3. For example, the predetermined range can be any range where multiple electric units and multiple coolers are densely arranged, such as the interior of a control device for industrial machinery or the interior of a large-scale computer device. Of course, the predetermined range does not have to be the interior of a specific device.

[0011] In this embodiment, a specific example will be described assuming that eight coolers 7 (7a, 7b, . . . 7h) and eight units 8 (8a, 8b, . . . 8h) are mounted on the control panel 3.

[0012] The non-contact temperature sensor 6 is directly connected to the control device 2 via a cable. The non-contact temperature sensor 6 measures the surface temperature over the entire sensing range within the control panel 3 and generates an image (temperature distribution image) that shows the distribution of surface temperatures over the entire range within the control panel 3. Each pixel that makes up the temperature distribution image is displayed in a color or pattern that corresponds to the surface temperature. The temperature distribution image generated by the non-contact temperature sensor 6 is input to the control device 2. For example, the non-contact temperature sensor 6 is realized by a thermograph that measures the temperature of an object surface by analyzing infrared rays emitted from the object and generates an image that shows the temperature distribution in colors that correspond to the temperature.

[0013] The information processing terminal 5 is connected to the control device 2 via a network such as the Internet so as to be able to communicate data with the control device 2. The information processing terminal 5 is a terminal that functions as an input device for inputting user operations to the control device 2, and is realized by a smartphone, a tablet, or the like.

[0014] The function of accepting user operations that the information processing terminal 5 has may be provided by the control device 2. That is, the control device 2 may have, as functions necessary for accepting user operations, a display device that displays a screen created by the control device 2 and an operation device that accepts user operations on the screen displayed on the display device.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control device 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 2 is configured by connecting a RAM 12, a ROM 13, a storage device 14, a communication device 15, a sensor I / F 16, a cooler I / F 17, and a unit I / F 18 to a processor 11 via a data / control bus 10. The processor 11 is implemented by a CPU, a GPU, etc. The RAM 12 functions as the processor 11's main memory, work area, etc. The ROM 13 stores a BIOS, an OS, etc. The storage device 14 stores a control program for the cooler 7. The communication device 15 is implemented by a communication module conforming to an arbitrary communication standard, and transmits and receives data to and from an information processing terminal 55 under the control of the processor 11. A non-contact temperature sensor 6 is connected to the sensor I / F 16. Multiple coolers 7 are connected to the cooler I / F 17. The multiple coolers 7 are driven under the control of the processor 11. A plurality of units 8 are connected to the unit I / F 18. The plurality of units 8 are driven under the control of the processor 11.

[0016] 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the control device 2. When the processor 11 executes the control program for the cooler 7 loaded from the storage device 14 to the RAM 12, the control device 2 functions as a transmitter 21, an operation information input unit 22, a temperature distribution input unit 23, a unit controller 24, a memory unit 26, a screen creator 27, a temperature extractor 28, a temperature rise predictor 29, a predicted temperature calculator 30, a cooler drive value determiner 31, a cooler controller 32, a location register 33, and a calculation formula updater 34.

[0017] The transmitter 21 transmits data of various screens related to the control program created by the screen creator 27 to the information processing terminal 5. The operation information input unit 22 inputs user operations via the information processing terminal 5. Specifically, the operation information input unit 22 inputs instructions for registering a location to be monitored, user instructions for setting or changing a calculation formula, and instructions for starting control processing. The temperature distribution input unit 23 inputs a temperature distribution image representing the temperature distribution on the control panel 3 detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 6. The unit controller 24 controls the multiple units 8 in accordance with a preset control sequence. Specifically, the unit controller 24 determines a drive value (first drive value) for each of the multiple units 8 in accordance with the control sequence, and supplies drive power having the determined drive value to each unit 8.

[0018] The memory unit 26 stores various information related to the processing of the control program. Specifically, the memory unit 26 stores registered point information regarding multiple registered points on the control panel 3 to be monitored. The registered point information includes the position coordinates of the registered points, the upper limit temperature of the registered points, etc. The position coordinates of the registered points are expressed in an image coordinate system defined on the temperature distribution image. The upper limit temperature of the registered point is the maximum temperature allowed at that registered point. For example, if the position of a PLC implemented in the control panel 3 is set as the registered point, the upper limit temperature is set to the maximum operating temperature of the PLC. Of course, the upper limit temperature may be set to the target value of the operating temperature or to any value within the operating temperature range.

[0019] The screen creation unit 27 creates various screens related to the control program according to a predetermined format. The various screens include a registration screen for accepting registration of monitored locations, a setting screen for accepting settings related to the coefficient matrix ε and the coefficient matrix θ, and a reception screen for accepting an instruction to start control processing for the cooler 7. The temperature extraction unit 28 extracts multiple surface temperatures corresponding to the multiple registered locations based on the temperature distribution image input via the temperature distribution input unit 23. Details of the processing by the temperature extraction unit 28 will be described later. The temperature rise prediction unit 29 predicts multiple temperature rise values ​​corresponding to the multiple registered locations based on multiple drive values ​​at which the multiple units 8 are driven. Details of the processing by the temperature rise prediction unit 29 will be described later.

[0020] The predicted temperature calculation unit 30 calculates the predicted temperature for each registered point by adding the temperature rise value to the surface temperature.

[0021] The cooler drive value determination unit 31 determines the drive value (second drive value) of the cooler 7 using a calculation formula stored in the storage unit 26. The calculation formula will be described in detail later.

[0022] The cooler control unit 32 controls the cooling operation of the plurality of coolers 7. Specifically, the cooler control unit 32 supplies the coolers 7 with drive power having the drive value determined by the cooler drive value determination unit 31.

[0023] The point registration unit 33 searches for points showing high temperatures in the temperature distribution image and extracts unregistered points showing temperatures higher than a predetermined threshold.The point registration unit 33 then registers the extracted unregistered points as registered points to be monitored, either in accordance with a user instruction or automatically.Specifically, the point registration unit 33 records the position coordinates of the unregistered points showing high temperatures.The position coordinates are expressed in the image coordinate system defined in the temperature distribution image.

[0024] When a new location is registered as a monitoring target, the calculation formula update unit 34 updates the calculation formula. Details of the calculation formula update process will be described later.

[0025] The extraction process by the temperature extraction unit 28 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an example of a temperature distribution image input from the non-contact temperature sensor 6. Each pixel constituting the temperature distribution image is represented by a color, pattern, or the like so that the surface temperature can be identified. In Fig. 4, each pixel constituting the temperature distribution image is represented by a pattern corresponding to the surface temperature. Reference numerals 41 to 48 represent eight registered points, respectively.

[0026] The temperature extraction unit 28 sets an image coordinate system for the temperature distribution image according to a predetermined rule. For example, the rule specifies that the origin of the image coordinate system should be set at the center position of the temperature distribution image in all directions, that the X axis of the image coordinate system should be set in a direction from left to right, and that the Y axis of the image coordinate system should be set in a direction from bottom to top. After setting the image coordinate system for the temperature distribution image, the temperature extraction unit 28 then extracts surface temperatures of registered points from the image distribution image based on the coordinates of the registered points that have been registered in advance. Specifically, the temperature extraction unit 28 identifies pixels corresponding to the coordinates of the registered points from among the multiple pixels that make up the temperature distribution image, and identifies the surface temperature represented by the pattern of the identified pixels as the surface temperature of the registered point.

[0027] An overview of cooler control by the control device 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 includes a graph showing the change over time in the surface temperature at a registered point on the control panel 3. Time t is the current time, and the surface temperature at the registered point at the current time t is referred to as the current temperature and denoted as Tf(t). A temperature rise value at the registered point predicted at the current time t based on multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple units 8 is denoted as Tp(t), and the upper limit temperature at the registered point is denoted as Ta(t). The temperature obtained by adding the temperature rise value Tp(t) to the current temperature Tf(t) is referred to as the predicted temperature, and the difference between the predicted temperature and the upper limit temperature Ta(t) is referred to as the temperature drop value. The temperature drop value is denoted as To(t). A positive sign for To(t) means that the predicted temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature. The control device 2 determines multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple coolers 7 so that the temperature drop at the registered point due to the cooling effect of the multiple coolers 7 is the same as the temperature drop value To(t). For example, the drive value of a cooler 7 that has a large effect on the temperature drop at the registered point, such as a cooler 7 located close to the registered point, is determined to be a higher value than the drive value of a cooler 7 that has a small effect on the temperature drop at the registered point, such as a cooler 7 located far from the registered point. In this way, the control device 2 comprehensively determines multiple drive values ​​corresponding to multiple coolers 7, respectively, for each of the multiple registered points so that the predicted temperature is below the upper limit temperature.

[0028] Hereinafter, calculation formulas for the plurality of drive values ​​corresponding to the plurality of coolers 7 will be described with reference to Equations (1) to (9). As described with reference to Fig. 5, the temperature decrease value To(t) can be expressed as Equation (1) using the current temperature Tf(t), the upper limit temperature Ta(t), and the temperature increase value Tp(t).

[0029] In this embodiment, since there are eight registered locations to be monitored, the temperature drop value To(t), current temperature Tf(t), temperature rise value Tp(t), and upper limit temperature Ta(t) in formula (1) can be expressed as an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector) as shown in formulas (2), (3), (4), and (5), respectively.

[0030] In equation (2), To1(t), To2(t), . . . To8(t) represent the temperature drop values ​​at the first registered point, the second registered point, .

[0031] Tf1(t), Tf2(t), . . . Tf8(t) in equation (3) represent the current temperatures at the first registered point, the second registered point, .

[0032] In equation (4), Tp1(t), Tp2(t), . . . Tp8(t) represent the temperature rise values ​​at the first registered point, the second registered point, .

[0033] In the formula (5), Ta1(t), Ta2(t), . . . , Ta8(t) represent the upper limit temperatures at the first registered point, the second registered point, .

[0034] The 8-row, 1-column matrix relating to the temperature decrease value To(t) expressed by Equation (2) is expressed as the product of the coefficient matrix θ and the drive value Wc(t) of the cooler 7, as shown in Equation (6). In this embodiment, since there are eight coolers 7 mounted on the control panel 3, the drive value Wc(t) of the cooler 7 is expressed as an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector). Wc1(t), Wc2(t), ...., Wc8(t) in Equation (6) represent the drive values ​​of the first cooler 7, the second cooler 7, ...., the eighth cooler 7, respectively. The coefficient matrix θ (second coefficient group) represents the correlation between the drive values ​​for driving the multiple coolers 7 and the multiple temperature decrease values ​​corresponding to the multiple registered locations. In other words, the coefficient matrix θ represents the extent to which the cooling effect of each cooler 7 affects the temperature decrease at each registered location. The coefficient matrix θ can be obtained by simulation or actual measurement. Furthermore, the coefficient matrix θ may be a fixed value or a variable value. When the coefficient matrix θ is a variable value, one coefficient matrix θ corresponding to the overall temperature of the control panel 3, the temperature around the cooler 7, etc. is selected from the multiple coefficient matrices θ as the coefficient matrix to be used in the calculation.

[0035] In this embodiment, since there are eight registered locations and eight coolers 7, the coefficient matrix θ can be expressed as an 8-row, 8-column matrix. The coefficient θ11 represents the correlation between the drive value of the first cooler 7 and the temperature decrease value at the first registered location. For example, if the first cooler 7 is located close to the first registered location, the cooling effect of the first cooler 7 has a large impact on the cooling of the first registered location, so the coefficient θ11 shows a high value. On the other hand, if the first cooler 7 is located far from the first registered location, the cooling effect of the first cooler 7 has a small impact on the cooling of the first registered location, so the coefficient θ11 shows a low value.

[0036] The 8-row, 1-column matrix relating to the temperature rise value To(t) expressed by Equation (4) is expressed as the product of the coefficient matrix ε and the drive value Wu(t) of the unit 8, as shown in Equation (7). In this embodiment, since the number of units 8 mounted on the control panel 3 is eight, the drive value Wu(t) of the unit 8 is expressed as an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector). Wu1(t), Wu2(t), ...., Wu8(t) in Equation (7) represent the drive values ​​of the first unit 8, the second unit 8, ...., the eighth unit 8, respectively. The coefficient matrix ε (first coefficient group) represents the correlation between the drive values ​​for driving the multiple units 8 and the multiple temperature rise values ​​corresponding to the multiple registered locations. In other words, the coefficient matrix ε represents the degree of influence that the temperature rise of each unit 8 has on the temperature rise of each registered location. The coefficient matrix ε can be obtained by simulation or actual measurement. Furthermore, the coefficient matrix ε may be a fixed value or a variable value. Furthermore, each of the coefficients constituting the coefficient matrix may be a fixed value or a variable value. When the coefficient matrix (coefficient) is a variable value, one coefficient matrix (coefficient) corresponding to the overall temperature of the control panel 3 or the temperature around the unit 8 is selected from multiple coefficient matrices (coefficients) as the coefficient matrix (coefficient) to be used in the calculation.

[0037] In this embodiment, since there are eight registered locations and eight units 8, the coefficient matrix ε can be expressed as an 8-row, 8-column matrix. The coefficient ε11 represents the correlation between the drive value of the first unit 8 and the temperature rise value at the first registered location. For example, if the first unit 8 is located close to the first registered location, the temperature rise of the first unit 8 has a large impact on the temperature rise at the first registered location, so the coefficient ε11 shows a high value. On the other hand, if the first unit 8 is located far from the first registered location, the temperature rise of the first unit 8 has a small impact on the temperature rise at the first registered location, so the coefficient ε11 shows a low value. The temperature rise prediction unit predicts the temperature rise values ​​corresponding to the multiple registered locations by substituting the drive values ​​corresponding to the multiple units 8, respectively, into Equation (7).

[0038] According to the formulas (2) to (7), the formula (1) can be expressed as the formula (8).

[0039] When the formula (8) is transformed so that an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector) relating to the drive value of the cooler 7 can be calculated, the formula (8) can be expressed as the formula (9).

[0040] By using equation (9), it is possible to calculate a plurality of drive values ​​(Wc1(t), Wc2(t), . . . Wc8(t)) corresponding to the plurality of coolers 7 at the current time t.

[0041] An example of the procedure for controlling the cooler 7 by the control device 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. 6 . FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the control process for the cooler 7 by the control device 2. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the control process for the cooler 7 is started, the control device 2 inputs a plurality of drive values ​​for driving each of the plurality of units 8 (S11) and predicts a temperature rise value for each registered point (S12). The control device 2 also inputs a temperature distribution image from the non-contact temperature sensor 6 (S13) and extracts a plurality of current temperatures corresponding to each registered point (S14). The control device 2 calculates a predicted temperature for each registered point by adding the temperature rise value to the current temperature (S15) and compares it with the upper limit temperature.

[0042] If there are no registered locations where the predicted temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature (S16; No), it is determined that there is no need to change the drive power supplied to the coolers 7 at this time, and the control process for the coolers 7 by the control device 2 is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if there are registered locations where the predicted temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature (S16; Yes), the control device 2 controls the coolers 7 to change the drive values ​​of the coolers 7. Specifically, the control device 2 determines multiple drive values ​​corresponding to the multiple coolers 7 based on multiple current temperatures, multiple upper limit temperatures, and multiple drive values ​​corresponding to the multiple units 8 (S17). If the drive values ​​determined in step S17 do not exceed the maximum drive value of each corresponding cooler 7 (S18; No), the control device 2 controls each cooler 7 and supplies each cooler 7 with drive power having the drive value determined in step S17 (S19), and returns to step S13. As a result of step S19, the cooling effect of each cooler 7 is varied. On the other hand, when each of the drive values ​​determined in step S17 exceeds the maximum drive value of each corresponding cooler 7 (S18; Yes), the control device 2 outputs an alarm to notify the user that the drive value of the drive power supplied to the cooler 7 cannot be changed, in other words, that the control of the cooler 7 cannot prevent the predicted temperature at the registered location from exceeding the upper limit temperature (S20), and temporarily terminates the control process of the cooler 7.

[0043] The control device 2 repeatedly executes the control process of the cooler 7 relating to steps S11 to S20 at a predetermined sampling period. However, the control process of the cooler 7 may be executed at a specific non-periodic timing. The specific timing may be, for example, when the drive value of the unit 8 arranged in the control panel 3 changes by a predetermined percentage, or when a load is applied to the unit 8 arranged in the control panel 3. In this way, by executing the control process of the cooler 7 by the control device 2 only at the necessary timing, rather than periodically, the calculation load of the control device 2 can be reduced.

[0044] The control process for the coolers 7 by the control device 2 described with reference to FIG. 6 achieves the following effects. That is, when a predicted temperature, obtained by adding a predicted temperature rise value to the current temperature for each registered location, exceeds an upper limit temperature, the control device 2 can determine multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple coolers 7 to reduce the temperature by the excess amount. The calculation formula for calculating the multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple coolers 7 uses a coefficient matrix ε that represents the degree to which the temperature rise (drive value) of each of the multiple units 8 arranged in the control panel 3 affects the temperature rise at the multiple registered locations, and a coefficient matrix θ that represents the degree to which the cooling effect (drive value) of each of the multiple coolers 7 arranged in the control panel 3 affects the temperature drop at the multiple registered locations. That is, the control device 2 comprehensively determines the multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple coolers 7 so that the current temperature at each registered location does not exceed the upper limit temperature, taking into account the degree to which the temperature rise of each of the multiple units 8 affects the temperature rise at the multiple registered locations and the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the multiple coolers 7 affects the temperature drop at the multiple registered locations. This allows the multiple drive values ​​corresponding to each of the multiple coolers 7 to be determined to the minimum value required to maintain the current temperature of each registered point at the upper limit temperature or a temperature close to the upper limit temperature, thereby enabling efficient control of the multiple coolers 7 arranged within the control panel 3 (within a specified range).

[0045] 5, only the current temperature at the registered point that has been registered in advance is monitored, and the drive value of the cooler 7 is changed based on the current temperature at the registered point. However, if there is a point (non-registered point) that is not a registered point but shows a high temperature in the temperature distribution image input from the non-contact temperature sensor 6, that point may be registered as a new monitoring target.

[0046] Another example of the procedure for the control process of the cooler 7 by the control device 2 will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the control process of the cooler 7 by the control device 2. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is obtained by adding processes from step S31 to step S35 to the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. Therefore, detailed description of the processes related to step S11 to step S20 will be omitted in the description of Fig. 7.

[0047] The control device 2 searches for unregistered points showing high temperatures in the temperature distribution image input from the non-contact temperature sensor 6. If there are no unregistered points showing high temperatures in the temperature distribution image (S31; No), the control device 2 proceeds to step S14, similar to the control procedure for the cooler 7 shown in FIG. 5 . On the other hand, if there is an unregistered point showing high temperatures in the temperature distribution image (S31; Yes), the control device 2 outputs a warning to notify the user that there is an unregistered point showing high temperatures (S32) and registers the unregistered point as a registered point to be monitored (S33). The control device 2 then sets an upper limit temperature for the newly registered point (S34) and updates the calculation formula to take into account the cooling effect for the newly registered point (S35). Once the calculation formula has been updated by the processing of step S35, the process proceeds to step S17. In order to change the drive value of the cooler 7, the control device 2 determines a plurality of drive values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of coolers 7 using a plurality of current temperatures, a plurality of upper limit temperatures, and a plurality of drive values ​​corresponding to each of the plurality of units 8, each corresponding to a plurality of registered points including the new registered point, and the calculation formula updated in step S35 (S17).

[0048] According to the control process procedure for the cooler 7 described with reference to FIG. 7 , a temperature distribution image can be acquired from the non-contact temperature sensor 6, with the entire area of ​​the control panel 3 as its sensing range. Therefore, based on the temperature distribution image, unexpected locations other than the registered locations where the temperature is high can be extracted. Then, it is possible to verify whether the extracted unexpected locations can be cooled by the existing cooler 7 by actually changing the drive value of the existing cooler 7. If it is determined that the temperature of the unexpected location can be cooled by the existing cooler 7, the labor and cost of installing a new cooler 7 can be reduced. On the other hand, even if the temperature of the unexpected location cannot be cooled by the existing cooler 7, the user can understand this and be prompted to take action.

[0049] The calculation formula update process will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 and Equations (10) to (19). For specific explanation, in FIG. 8 , the first registered location 41 to the eighth registered location 48 are previously registered locations, and the ninth registered location 49 is a newly registered location. As the number of registered locations increases from eight to nine, the temperature decrease value To(t), the current temperature Tf(t), the temperature increase value Tp(t), and the upper limit temperature Ta(t), which are respectively represented by 8-row, 1-column matrices (column vectors) as in Equations (2), (3), (4), and (5), are updated to 9-row, 1-column matrices (column vectors) as in Equations (10), (11), (12), and (13), respectively.

[0050] To9(t) in equation (10) represents the temperature drop value at the newly registered ninth registration point.

[0051] Tf9(t) in equation (11) represents the current temperature at the newly registered ninth registration point.

[0052] Tp9(t) in equation (12) represents the temperature rise value at the newly registered ninth registration point.

[0053] In equation (13), Ta9(t) represents the upper limit temperature of the newly registered ninth registration point. For example, the upper limit temperature Ta9(t) of the ninth registration point 49 is automatically set to the upper limit temperature Ta8(t) of the eighth registration point 48, which is closest to the ninth registration point 49. Of course, the upper limit temperature Ta9(t) of the ninth registration point 49 may also be set manually, for example, to the upper limit temperature of the registration point 49 corresponding to the same type of unit 8 as the unit 8 installed at the ninth registration point 49.

[0054] The 8-row, 8-column coefficient matrix θ in Equation (6) is updated to 9-row, 8-column, as shown in Equation (14). Coefficients θ91, θ92, ..., θ98 correspond to a fourth group of coefficients that represent the extent to which the cooling effect of each of the multiple coolers 7 affects the temperature drop at the newly registered ninth registered location (an unregistered location). Note that, because the number of coolers 7 does not change, the drive value Wc(t) of the cooler 7 is expressed as an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector), similar to Equation (6). For example, the coefficient θ91, which represents the extent to which the cooling effect of the first cooler 7a affects the temperature decrease at the ninth registration point 49, is determined by Equation (15), which is a weighted average calculation formula using coefficients θ51, θ61, and θ81, which represent the extent to which the cooling effect of the first cooler 7a affects the temperature decrease at each of the fifth registration point 45, the sixth registration point 46, and the eighth registration point 48, which are three registration points closest to the ninth registration point 49, and distances Rc51, Rc61, and Rc81 from the first cooler 7a to the fifth registration point 45, the sixth registration point 46, and the eighth registration point 48, respectively. Of course, the coefficient θ91 may be the coefficient θ81 of the eighth registration point 48, which is the closest to the ninth registration point 49. The coefficients θ92 to θ98 can be determined using a method similar to that for the coefficient θ91.

[0055]

[0056] The 8-row, 8-column coefficient matrix ε in equation (7) is updated to 9-row, 8-column as shown in equation (16). Coefficients ε91, ε92, ..., ε98 correspond to a third group of coefficients that represent the degree to which the temperature rise of each of the multiple units 8 affects the temperature rise of the newly registered 9th registered point (unregistered point). Note that, because the number of units 8 does not change, the drive value Wu(t) of unit 8 is expressed as an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector), similar to equation (7). For example, coefficient ε91, which represents the degree to which the temperature increase caused by the first unit 8a affects the temperature increase at the ninth registered point 49, is set by equation (17), which is a weighted averaging formula using coefficients ε51, ε61, and ε81, which represent the degree to which the temperature increase caused by the first unit 8a affects the temperature increase at the fifth registered point 45, the sixth registered point 46, and the eighth registered point 48, which are the three registered points closest to the ninth registered point 49, and distances Ru51, Ru61, and Ru81 from the first unit 8a to the fifth registered point 45, the sixth registered point 46, and the eighth registered point 48, respectively. Of course, coefficient ε91 may also be coefficient ε81 of the eighth registered point 48, which is the closest to the ninth registered point 49. Coefficients ε92 to ε98 can be set by the same method as coefficient ε91.

[0057]

[0058] According to the formulas (10) to (17), the formula (1) can be expressed as the formula (18).

[0059] When the formula (18) is modified so that an 8-row, 1-column matrix (column vector) relating to the drive value Wc(t) of the cooler 7 can be calculated, the formula (18) can be expressed as the formula (19).

[0060] By using equation (19), it is possible to calculate a plurality of drive values ​​(Wc1(t), Wc2(t), . . . Wc8(t)) corresponding to the plurality of coolers 7 at the current time t.

[0061] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding this embodiment and the modified examples. (Supplementary Note 1) The control device 2 is a device for controlling a plurality of coolers 77 arranged with a plurality of units 88, and includes a non-contact temperature sensor 6 for detecting a temperature distribution in an area including the plurality of units 8 and the plurality of coolers 7, an extractor 28 for extracting a plurality of current temperatures corresponding to a plurality of registered points within the area based on the temperature distribution, and a drive value determiner 31 for determining a plurality of second drive values ​​for driving each of the plurality of coolers 7 based on the plurality of current temperatures and a plurality of first drive values ​​for driving each of the plurality of units 8. The drive value determiner 31 determines the plurality of second drive values ​​based on the plurality of current temperatures and the plurality of first drive values, as well as a first coefficient group representing the degree to which a temperature rise in each of the plurality of units 8 affects a temperature rise at the plurality of registered points, and a second coefficient group representing the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers 7 affects a temperature drop at the plurality of registered points. (Supplementary Note 2) The control device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1 further includes a temperature rise prediction unit 29 that predicts a plurality of temperature rise values ​​corresponding to a plurality of registered locations based on a plurality of first drive values ​​and a first set of coefficients. The drive value determination unit 31 determines a plurality of second drive values ​​for each of the plurality of registered locations so that a temperature obtained by adding the temperature rise value to the current temperature is less than an upper limit temperature specified for each of the registered locations. (Supplementary Note 3) The control device 2 described in Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2 further includes an unregistered location extraction unit 33 that extracts unregistered locations that exceed a predetermined temperature within a range based on a temperature distribution, and an update unit 34 that calculates a third set of coefficients that represent the degree to which a temperature rise of each of the plurality of units 8 affects a temperature rise at the unregistered locations and a fourth set of coefficients that represent the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers 7 affects a temperature decrease at the unregistered locations, and updates the first set of coefficients based on the third set of coefficients and updates the second set of coefficients based on the fourth set of coefficients.(Appendix 4) In the control device 2 described in Appendix 3, the update unit 34 calculates a third group of coefficients based on a coefficient representing the extent to which the temperature rise of each of the multiple units 8 affects the temperature rise of at least one registered point among the multiple registered points that is close to the unregistered point, and calculates a fourth group of coefficients based on a coefficient representing the extent to which the cooling effect of each of the multiple coolers 7 spreads to a temperature decrease of at least one registered point among the multiple registered points that is close to the unregistered point.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention or the concept and spirit of the present invention derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0063] 1...Cooling system, 2...Control device, 3...Control panel, 4...Network, 5...Information processing terminal, 6...Non-contact temperature sensor, 7...Cooler, 8...Unit, 10...Data / control bus, 11...Processor, 12...RAM, 13...ROM, 14...Storage device, 15...Communication device, 16...Sensor I / F, 17...Cooler I / F, 18...Unit I / F, 21...Transmitting unit, 22...Operation information input unit, 23...Temperature distribution input unit, 24...Unit control unit, 26...Memory unit, 27...Screen creation unit, 28...Temperature extraction unit, 29...Temperature rise prediction unit, 30...Predicted temperature calculation unit, 31...Cooler drive value determination unit, 32...Cooler control unit, 33...Location registration unit, 34...Calculation formula update unit.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a plurality of coolers arranged together with a plurality of units, the control device comprising: a non-contact temperature sensor that detects a temperature distribution in a range including the plurality of units and the plurality of coolers; an extraction unit that extracts a plurality of current temperatures respectively corresponding to a plurality of registered points within the range based on the temperature distribution; and a drive value determination unit that determines a plurality of second drive values for driving the plurality of coolers respectively based on the plurality of current temperatures and a plurality of first drive values for driving the plurality of units respectively, wherein the drive value determination unit determines the plurality of second drive values based on, in addition to the plurality of current temperatures and the plurality of first drive values, a first coefficient group representing the degree to which the temperature rise of each of the plurality of units affects the temperature rise of the plurality of registered points, and a second coefficient group representing the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers spreads to the temperature drop of the plurality of registered points.

2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature rise prediction unit that predicts a plurality of temperature rise values respectively corresponding to the plurality of registered points based on the plurality of first drive values and the first coefficient group, wherein the drive value determination unit determines the plurality of second drive values such that, for each of the plurality of registered points, the temperature obtained by adding the temperature rise value to the current temperature is less than an upper limit temperature defined for the registered point.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: an unregistered point extraction unit that extracts unregistered points within the range that exceed a predetermined temperature based on the temperature distribution; and an update unit that calculates a third coefficient group representing the degree to which the temperature rise of each of the plurality of units affects the temperature rise of the unregistered points, and a fourth coefficient group representing the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers spreads to the temperature drop of the unregistered points, and updates the first coefficient group based on the third coefficient group and updates the second coefficient group based on the fourth coefficient group.

4. The updating unit calculates the third coefficient group based on a coefficient representing the degree to which the temperature rise of each of the plurality of units affects the temperature rise of at least one registered point close to the unregistered point among the plurality of registered points, and calculates the fourth coefficient group based on a coefficient representing the degree to which the cooling effect of each of the plurality of coolers spreads to the temperature drop of at least one registered point close to the unregistered point among the plurality of registered points. The control device according to claim 3.

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