Space design support system, space design support method, and program

Abstract

A space design support system (10) comprises: a calculating unit (22a) that calculates a thermal load of a building on the basis of weather information and location condition information relating to the building; a selecting unit (22b) that, on the basis of the result of the thermal load calculation, selects an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to an internal space of the building, in a thermal calculation model of the internal space; a placement setting unit (22c) that sets the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting unit (22d) that sets the operation content of the selected air conditioner; a creating unit (22e) that creates the thermal calculation model on the basis of the set placement and operation content of the air conditioner; a determining unit (22f) that determines whether or not the result of the thermal calculation obtained using the thermal calculation model satisfies a predetermined requirement; and a display control unit (22g) that displays the placement of the air conditioner, which is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the predetermined requirement, on a display unit (24).

Description

Space design support system, space design support method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a space design support system, a space design support method, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system that prevents deterioration of COP and improves energy-saving performance.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-161197

[0004] When installing air conditioners in the interior spaces of buildings to create highly comfortable indoor spaces, it is not easy to determine the appropriate placement of the air conditioners.

[0005] The present invention provides a space design support system and the like that can support the determination of the placement of air conditioners.

[0006] A space design support system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a calculation unit that acquires location condition information and weather information for a building and performs a thermal load calculation for the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information; a selection unit that selects an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the building based on the results of the thermal load calculation; a placement setting unit that sets the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting unit that sets the operation content of the selected air conditioner; a creation unit that creates the thermal calculation model based on the set placement and operation content of the air conditioner; a judgment unit that judges whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements; and a display control unit that displays the placement of the air conditioner on a display unit when it is judged that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

[0007] A space design support method according to one aspect of the present invention is a space design support method executed by a computer, and includes a calculation step of acquiring location condition information and weather information for a building, and performing a heat load calculation for the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information; a selection step of selecting an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the building based on the results of the heat load calculation; a placement setting step of setting the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting step of setting the operation content of the selected air conditioner; a creation step of creating the thermal calculation model based on the set placement and operation content of the air conditioner; a determination step of determining whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements; and a display step of displaying the placement of the air conditioner on a display unit when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the computer to execute the spatial design support method.

[0009] A space design support system according to one aspect of the present invention can support the determination of the placement of air conditioners.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a space design support system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the placement of air conditioners in a target space. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of presenting the placement of air conditioners. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the cooling capacities of two air conditioners. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the installation of a first air conditioner. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of the installation of a second air conditioner.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0012] It should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily strict illustrations. In addition, in the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0013] (Embodiment) [Configuration] First, the configuration of a spatial design support system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a spatial design support system according to an embodiment.

[0014] The space design support system 10 is a system that determines the optimal placement of an air conditioner in the interior space of a building, such as a house, based on the results of thermal calculations assuming that an air conditioner is placed in the interior space of the building, and presents the determined placement to a designer. Thermal calculations refer to simulations of thermal environments, more specifically, thermal fluid simulations (CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics). An air conditioner refers to an air conditioner, which is a device (air conditioning equipment) that can blow out air with regulated temperature and humidity.

[0015] Specifically, the spatial design assistance system 10 includes an information terminal 20, a specification information management server 30, a weather information management server 40, and an information processing server 50. The devices included in the spatial design assistance system 10 will be described below.

[0016] The information terminal 20 is a computer that performs thermal calculations, such as a personal computer, and includes an input receiving unit 21, an information processing unit 22, a storage unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0017] The input accepting unit 21 accepts user input. The input accepting unit 21 is, for example, an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard, and accepts user operations (such as clicking) as input. The input accepting unit 21 may also be another input device such as a touch panel, in which case it accepts user tapping operations as input. The user is, for example, a designer of the placement of air conditioners in the interior space of a building.

[0018] The information processing unit 22 performs thermal calculations for the interior space of the building. The information processing unit 22 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor. The information processing unit 22 includes, as functional components, a calculation unit 22a, a selection unit 22b, an arrangement setting unit 22c, an operation setting unit 22d, a creation unit 22e, a determination unit 22f, and a display control unit 22g. The functions of the calculation unit 22a, the selection unit 22b, the arrangement setting unit 22c, the operation setting unit 22d, the creation unit 22e, the determination unit 22f, and the display control unit 22g are realized, for example, by the microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 22 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 23.

[0019] The storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the information processing unit 22. The storage unit 23 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0020] The display unit 24 displays a display screen (image) showing the results of the thermal calculation. The results of the thermal calculation are, for example, a three-dimensional temperature distribution in the target space. The display unit 24 is realized by a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel.

[0021] The communication unit 25 is a communication circuit (communication module) that enables the information terminal 20 to communicate with the specification information management server 30, the weather information management server 40, and the information processing server 50 via a wide area communication network 60 such as the Internet. The communication unit 25 is, for example, a wired communication circuit that performs wired communication, but may also be a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard of the communication performed by the communication unit 25.

[0022] The specification information management server 30 is a cloud computer that manages specification information of air conditioners and provides the specification information to the information terminal 20. The specification information is, for example, information that associates identification information (such as a product number or model number) indicating the model of the air conditioner with the air conditioning capacity (cooling capacity and heating capacity) of the model having the identification information.

[0023] The weather information management server 40 is a cloud computer that manages current and past weather information and provides weather information to the information terminal 20. The weather information includes solar radiation information, temperature information, humidity information, and the like.

[0024] The information processing server 50 is a cloud computer that supports the thermal calculation performed by the information terminal 20. The information processing server 50 functions, for example, as a storage server that stores data related to the thermal calculation, but may also cooperate with the information terminal 20 and execute some or all of the processing executed by the information terminal 20.

[0025] [Outline of Air Conditioner Layout Presentation Operation] An outline of the air conditioner layout presentation operation by the space design assistance system 10 will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of air conditioner layout in the interior space of a building (hereinafter also referred to as the target space) presented by the space design assistance system 10, and corresponds to a perspective view of the target space. Note that the target space is illustrated as a rectangular parallelepiped for simplicity.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the space design support system 10 presents an arrangement of the first and second air conditioners such that the airflows from the first and second air conditioners connect to generate an airflow that circulates clockwise or counterclockwise through the target space (Figure 2 shows an example of a clockwise direction). If an airflow circulates through the target space, the loss of airflow energy due to collision between the airflows from the first and second air conditioners is reduced, and the airflows from the two air conditioners circulate smoothly, resulting in a comfortable thermal environment with a relatively uniform temperature.

[0027] [Example of Operation for Presenting Air Conditioner Placement] Next, a specific example of the operation for presenting air conditioner placement will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of an example of the operation for presenting air conditioner placement. The following describes the operation when a designer is operating the information terminal 20 and the placement of air conditioners to cool a target space is presented to the designer.

[0028] The calculation unit 22a of the information terminal 20 acquires location condition information and weather information for the building (S11). The location condition information refers to the location of the building (latitude, longitude, city name), and the weather information includes temperature information, humidity information, and solar radiation information for the region (city) where the building is located. The calculation unit 22a can acquire temperature, humidity information, and solar radiation information corresponding to the region and period (e.g., August of a normal year) that are the subject of thermal calculation. The creation unit 22e, for example, communicates with the weather information management server 40 using the communication unit 25 to acquire solar radiation information, temperature information, and humidity information from the weather information management server 40, and acquires location condition information manually input into the input acceptance unit 21 by the designer. The creation unit 22e may also acquire location condition information and weather information manually input into the input acceptance unit 21 by the designer.

[0029] Next, the calculation unit 22a executes a heat load calculation based on the location condition information and weather information of the building acquired in step S11, and a BIM (Building Information Modeling) model of the building (target space) previously stored in the storage unit 23. That is, the calculation unit 22a calculates the total heat load (unit: kW) of the building (target space) (S12). The BIM model includes information indicating the shape of the building that forms the indoor space, the dimensions of the building, the components that make up the building, and the materials of the components.

[0030] Next, the selector 22b selects air conditioners to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the target space in the thermal calculation model of the target space based on the result of the heat load calculation in step S12 (the total heat load of the building) (S13). The selector 22b acquires specification information from the specification information management server 30, for example, by communicating with the specification information management server 30 using the communication unit 25, and selects two air conditioners with different cooling capacities from among the air conditioners specified in the acquired specification information, whose sum of cooling capacities is equal to or greater than the total heat load obtained in step S12. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the cooling capacities of two air conditioners.

[0031] Hereinafter, the air conditioner with the higher cooling capacity of the two selected air conditioners will be referred to as the first air conditioner, and the air conditioner with the lower cooling capacity of the two air conditioners will be referred to as the second air conditioner. That is, in step S13, the selector 22b selects the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner with a lower cooling capacity than the first air conditioner based on the results of the heat load calculation. As described with reference to FIG. 2 , the first air conditioner is located upwind from the second air conditioner, and using the air conditioner with the higher capacity as the first air conditioner allows the target space to be cooled efficiently.

[0032] The selection unit 22b may automatically select the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner based on a predetermined selection algorithm, or may select the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner specified by the designer through input to the input receiving unit 21.

[0033] When the designer specifies the first and second air conditioners, the selection unit 22b (or the display control unit 22g) displays on the display unit 24 a selection of air conditioners based on the specification information, and further displays on the display unit 24 the relationship between the total cooling capacity of the selected air conditioners and the total heat load of the building (for example, a bar graph as shown in Figure 4).

[0034] Next, the placement setting unit 22c receives designation of the first wall surface and the airflow circulation direction from the designer (S14). The designation of the first wall surface and the airflow circulation direction is realized by the designer inputting the designation to the input receiving unit 21 based on knowledge, experience, etc. Note that the designation of the first wall surface may be omitted, and the placement setting unit 22c may select the wall surface with the highest heat load as the first wall surface as a result of the heat load calculation by the calculation unit 22a.

[0035] The placement setting unit 22c sets the placement of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner selected in step S13 in the virtual space (a virtual space in the thermal calculation model corresponding to the target space) based on the specified first wall surface and the specified air flow circulation direction (S15).

[0036] First, the placement setting unit 22c places the first air conditioner on a first wall surface in the virtual space. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the placement of the first air conditioner. The specific placement position of the first air conditioner on the first wall surface may be automatically determined by the placement setting unit 22c based on a predetermined algorithm. When the first wall surface is positioned as shown in FIG. 5, for example, if a clockwise direction is specified as the airflow circulation direction, the placement setting unit 22c places the first air conditioner to the right of the center of the first wall surface, and if a counterclockwise direction is specified as the airflow circulation direction, the placement setting unit 22c places the first air conditioner to the left of the center of the first wall surface. Note that the specific placement position of the first air conditioner on the first wall surface may be specified by a designer.

[0037] Next, the placement setting unit 22c sets a first vector indicating the direction in which the first air conditioner will blow air. In other words, the placement setting unit 22c sets a predetermined angle α of the first vector. The predetermined angle α is, for example, an angle between 20° and 50°. If the first air conditioner blows air toward the center of the target space, people located in the target space may feel uncomfortable. However, if the value of the predetermined angle α is set to between 20° and 50° as described above, the discomfort felt by people can be reduced.

[0038] Next, the placement setting unit 22c selects a second wall surface that intersects with the first vector (or an extension of the first vector), and installs the second air conditioner at an intersection P1 of the selected second wall surface with the first vector. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing an example of installation of the second air conditioner.

[0039] 6, assuming that clockwise circulation is specified as the airflow direction in step S15, a vector pointing to the right side of the figure is set as the first vector, and the wall surface on the right side of the figure adjacent to the first wall is selected as the second wall. Note that if counterclockwise circulation is specified as the airflow direction in step S15, a vector pointing to the left side of the figure is set as the first vector, and the wall surface on the left side of the figure adjacent to the first wall is selected as the second wall.

[0040] Next, the operation setting unit 22d sets the operation details of the first and second air conditioners selected in step S13 (S16). The operation setting unit 22d sets, for example, the airflow direction and the air outlet temperature. Note that the operation setting unit 22d sets other operation details, such as the airflow volume, to predetermined reference values, such as values ​​listed in the air conditioner product catalog. The other operation details may also be set based on manual input by the user to the input receiving unit 21.

[0041] First, the setting of the wind direction in step S16 will be described. The operation setting unit 22d sets the wind direction of the first air conditioner so that the first air conditioner blows wind along the first vector. The operation setting unit 22d also sets the wind direction of the second air conditioner so that the second vector indicating the direction of the wind blown by the second air conditioner does not intersect with the first wall (so that the wind does not head toward the first wall). More specifically, the operation setting unit 22d sets the wind direction of the second air conditioner so that the projection vector of the first vector onto the floor and the projection vector of the second vector onto the floor form an angle of 90°, as shown in FIG. 6 . In other words, the angle formed by the two projection vectors obtained by projecting the first and second vectors onto the floor of the virtual space is 90°. Note that the "90°" here is not a strict definition.

[0042] This airflow direction allows the airflow from the first air conditioner and the airflow from the second air conditioner to flow smoothly together, generating an airflow that circulates throughout the target space. This effect is believed to be achieved if the angle between the two projection vectors is approximately 90°±15°. This is because the airflow from each air conditioner has directionality, and if the angle is greater than ±15°, the collision of the airflows will result in significant energy loss.

[0043] Furthermore, the operation setting unit 22d sets the airflow directions of the first and second air conditioners so that Az≧Bz, where Az is the vertical component of the first unit vector corresponding to the first vector and Bz is the vertical component of the second unit vector corresponding to the second vector. Because the air conditioners are installed at a relatively high position on the wall, the vertically upward direction is considered positive, and Az and Bz are negative values. During cooling, the air conditioners blow air in a direction close to horizontal. Therefore, the airflow directions of the first and second air conditioners are set so that Az≧Bz is satisfied, with the airflow of the first air conditioner being positioned higher than the airflow of the second air conditioner.

[0044] This allows the operation setting unit 22d to smoothly connect the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the air blown out by the second air conditioner.

[0045] During heating, the air conditioner blows air downward. Therefore, the operation setting unit 22d sets the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that Az≦Bz. In this way, by setting the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner depending on whether the air conditioner is in cooling or heating operation, a stable circulating airflow can be obtained.

[0046] Next, the setting of the outlet temperature in step S16 will be described. Generally, the outlet temperature of an air conditioner is controlled by a temperature sensor built into the air inlet at the top of the air conditioner. During cooling operation, the air conditioner stops operation when the temperature sensor measurement value is lower than the set temperature, and operates according to the difference when the temperature sensor measurement value is higher than the set temperature.

[0047] Generally, during cooling operation, the outlet temperature of an air conditioner is about 10°C lower than the set temperature. When the air blown out from the first air conditioner, which is located upwind of the circulating airflow, reaches the inlet of the second air conditioner, the temperature sensor at the inlet of the second air conditioner may determine that the room temperature is lower than the actual temperature, which may reduce the cooling function of the second air conditioner. As a result, the temperature of the temperature sensor of the first air conditioner rises, increasing the cooling load of the first air conditioner.

[0048] Cooling capacity and power consumption are related to the coefficient of performance (COP). COP refers to the cooling capacity (kW) per kW of power consumption, and since COP decreases when the cooling capacity is high or low, operating an air conditioner at an appropriate cooling capacity reduces the air conditioner's power consumption. If the cooling capacity of the first and second air conditioners becomes unbalanced, the first and second air conditioners will operate in an inappropriate COP range, resulting in a higher total power consumption for the first and second air conditioners.

[0049] Therefore, when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are operating in cooling mode, the operation setting unit 22d sets the temperatures of the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that the first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than the second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner, thereby improving the COP.

[0050] After step S16, the creation unit 22e creates (updates from the second time onwards) a thermal calculation model by reflecting the settings of steps S15 and S16 in the thermal calculation model of the target space previously stored in the memory unit 23 (S17).

[0051] Next, the calculation unit 22a performs a thermal calculation of the target space when the first and second air conditioners are operated based on the created thermal calculation model (S18). Various parameters (calculation conditions) required for the thermal calculation are set, for example, based on manual input by the user to the input receiving unit 21. Specifically, the calculation unit 22a calculates the distribution of temperature, humidity, and wind speed in the virtual space.

[0052] The determination unit 22f determines whether the thermal environment in the virtual space satisfies predetermined requirements based on the results of the thermal calculation (S19). The determination unit 22f, for example, calculates the spatial distribution of PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) in the virtual space and determines whether the PMV in the virtual space is within a predetermined range (a range that people find comfortable, such as -0.5 to +0.5). In other words, the predetermined requirements are, for example, requirements related to comfort, and a thermal environment satisfying the predetermined requirements means, for example, that the PMV is within the predetermined range. The PMV is an index that can be calculated from temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, airflow (wind speed), clothing amount, and activity level. For the human-related parameters (the clothing amount and activity level of the occupants) required to calculate the PMV, standard values ​​or limit values ​​may be used.

[0053] If the determination unit 22f determines that the predetermined requirements are not met (No in S19), the layout setting unit 22c resets (changes) the layout of the first and second air conditioners by shifting the installation position of the first air conditioner by a predetermined amount (S15), and the operation setting unit 22d resets the operation content (S16). The creation unit 22e updates the thermal calculation model by reflecting the reset content in steps S15 and S16 in the thermal calculation model (S17). The calculation unit 22a performs thermal calculations of the virtual space assuming that the first and second air conditioners are operating based on the updated thermal calculation model (S18). The determination unit 22f determines whether the thermal environment in the virtual space meets the predetermined requirements (S19). In this way, the processes of steps S15 to S19 are repeated until it is determined in step S19 that the thermal environment in the virtual space meets the predetermined requirements.

[0054] On the other hand, when the determination unit 22f determines that the thermal environment in the virtual space satisfies the predetermined requirements (Yes in S19), the display control unit 22g displays on the display unit 24 the arrangement of the air conditioners when it is determined that the predetermined requirements are satisfied (S20). The arrangement of the air conditioners is displayed three-dimensionally, for example, as shown in Fig. 2, but instead of or in addition to the three-dimensional display, it may be displayed two-dimensionally, as shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, in addition to the arrangement of the air conditioners, the display control unit 22g may display on the display unit 24 at least one of the airflow direction setting, the outlet temperature setting, and the results of thermal calculations such as the spatial distribution of PMV when it is determined that the predetermined requirements are satisfied.

[0055] In this way, the spatial design support system 10 can present to the designer the placement of air conditioners that will create a comfortable thermal environment in the target space (the interior space of a building). Conventionally, when installing two air conditioners in a target space, as shown in this example of presented operation, in order to achieve a highly energy-efficient and comfortable target space, trial and error was required in selecting the air conditioner model and determining the installation location of the air conditioners. In other words, it was difficult to design a target space that would achieve both thermal comfort and reduced power consumption. With the spatial design support system 10 described in the present invention, the designer can achieve both thermal comfort and reduced power consumption in the target space by applying the presented air conditioner placement method to the target space.

[0056] In the explanation of this example of the presentation operation, the placement of air conditioners for cooling the target space is presented. However, the space design support system 10 may also present the placement of air conditioners for heating the interior space. As described above, when heating operation is performed, the appropriate method for setting the airflow direction is partially different, but the space design support system 10 can basically present the placement of air conditioners to the designer using the same method.

[0057] [Variation 1 of Operation Setting] In step S18, the heat calculation is performed under the condition that both the first and second air conditioners are in cooling operation for a predetermined period. In this case, the operation setting unit 22d may set the temperatures of the air blown out by the first and second air conditioners so that a first period during which the first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than the second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner is longer than a second period other than the first period. The sum of the first period and the second period is the predetermined period.

[0058] This reduces the temperature drop at the inlet of the second air conditioner when the airflow from the first air conditioner reaches the inlet of the second air conditioner. In other words, the inlet of the second air conditioner does not become too cold. This allows the second air conditioner to accurately sense the temperature (room temperature) of the target space, reducing the period during which the second air conditioner stops cooling. As a result, the space design support system 10 can present air conditioner operation settings that allow both the first and second air conditioners to perform at their full potential and create an energy-efficient and comfortable target space.

[0059] [Variation 2 of Operation Settings] In step S18, the heat calculation may be performed under the condition that at least one of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner is operated for a predetermined period. In this case, the operation setting unit 22d sets the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to be stopped for the predetermined period so that the first period during which the first air conditioner is stopped is shorter than the second period during which the second air conditioner is stopped.

[0060] This allows the first air conditioner, which has a higher cooling capacity, to operate for a longer period of time than the second air conditioner, making it possible to present an air conditioner layout that can reduce the total amount of electromotive force (power consumption) generated each time the inverter-driven air conditioner is switched from off to on.

[0061] [Other Modifications] In the above embodiment, an example of presenting the layout of two air conditioners has been described, but the space design support system 10 may present the layout of one air conditioner, or may present the layout of three or more air conditioners.

[0062] Furthermore, the settings of the operational details for thermal calculations described in the above embodiments may be used in controlling an actual air conditioner. In other words, the invention obtained from the contents disclosed in this specification includes a control unit, a control device, or a control system that sets the operational details for thermal calculations described in the above embodiments to an actual air conditioner when controlling the actual air conditioner that is installed according to the layout presented by the spatial design support system of the above embodiments.

[0063] [Effects, etc.] Hereinafter, examples of inventions obtained from the disclosure of this specification will be given, and effects, etc. obtained from the inventions will be described.

[0064] Invention 1 is a space design support system 10 comprising a calculation unit 22a that acquires location condition information and weather information for a building and performs a thermal load calculation for the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information; a selection unit 22b that selects an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the internal space of the building based on the results of the thermal load calculation; a placement setting unit 22c that sets the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting unit 22d that sets the operation content of the selected air conditioner; a creation unit 22e that creates a thermal calculation model based on the placement and operation content of the set air conditioner; a determination unit 22f that determines whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements; and a display control unit 22g that displays the placement of the air conditioner on a display unit 24 when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

[0065] Such a space design support system 10 can support designers and others in determining the placement of air conditioners by displaying (presenting) the placement of air conditioners that meets predetermined requirements.

[0066] Invention 2 is the space design support system 10 of Invention 1, in which the placement setting unit 22c resets the placement of the selected air conditioner when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model does not satisfy the specified requirements, the creation unit 22e updates the thermal calculation model based on the reset placement of the air conditioner, and the judgment unit 22f judges whether the result of the thermal calculation using the updated thermal calculation model satisfies the specified requirements.

[0067] Such a space design support system 10 can search for an air conditioner placement that satisfies predetermined requirements by repeatedly resetting the air conditioner placement and performing thermal calculations.

[0068] Invention 3 is the space design support system 10 of Invention 1 or 2, wherein the selection unit 22b selects a first air conditioner and a second air conditioner having a lower air conditioning capacity than the first air conditioner based on the results of the heat load calculation; the placement setting unit 22c places the first air conditioner on a first wall surface of the virtual space and places the second air conditioner on a second wall surface of the virtual space adjacent to the first wall surface; and the operation setting unit 22d sets the air directions of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that a first vector indicating the direction of air blown out from the first air conditioner intersects with the second wall surface and a second vector indicating the direction of air blown out from the second air conditioner does not intersect with the first wall surface.

[0069] Such a space design support system 10 can suggest the placement of air conditioners that can generate airflow that circulates within the interior space of a building.

[0070] Invention 4 is the spatial design support system 10 of Invention 3, wherein the angle formed by two projection vectors obtained by projecting the first vector and the second vector onto the floor surface of the virtual space is 90°.

[0071] Such a space design support system 10 can present an air conditioner layout that allows for a smooth connection between the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the air blown out by the second air conditioner.

[0072] Invention 5 is the space design support system 10 of Invention 3 or 4, wherein, when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing cooling operation, the operation setting unit 22d sets the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that Az≧Bz, where Az is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the first vector and Bz is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the second vector.

[0073] Such a space design support system 10 can present operational settings for the air conditioners that enable a smooth transition between the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the air blown out by the second air conditioner during cooling operation.

[0074] Invention 6 is the space design support system 10 of any of Inventions 3 to 5, wherein, when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing heating operation, the operation setting unit 22d sets the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that Az≦Bz, where Az is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the first vector and Bz is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the second vector.

[0075] Such a space design support system 10 can present operational settings for the air conditioners that enable a smooth transition between the air blown by the first air conditioner and the air blown by the second air conditioner during heating operation.

[0076] Invention 7 is the space design support system 10 of any of Inventions 3 to 6, wherein the operation setting unit 22d sets the temperatures of the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing cooling operation so that the first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than the second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner.

[0077] Such a space design support system 10 can present air conditioner operation settings that can improve COP.

[0078] Invention 8 is the space design support system 10 of any of Inventions 3 to 6, wherein the operation setting unit 22d sets the temperatures of the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that, when a thermal calculation is performed under the condition that both the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are operating in cooling mode for a predetermined period, a first period during which a first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than a second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner is longer than a second period other than the first period.

[0079] Such a space design support system 10 can present air conditioner operation settings that can realize an energy-saving and comfortable interior space.

[0080] Invention 9 is the space design support system 10 of any of Inventions 3 to 7, wherein, when a thermal calculation is performed under the condition that at least one of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner is operated for a predetermined period, the operation setting unit 22d sets the operation of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to be stopped so that the first period during which the operation of the first air conditioner is stopped is shorter than the second period during which the operation of the second air conditioner is stopped.

[0081] Such a space design support system 10 can present operating settings that can reduce the electromotive force generated when inverter-driven air conditioners are switched from off to on by operating the first air conditioner, which has a higher cooling capacity, for a longer period of time than the second air conditioner.

[0082] Invention 10 is a space design support system according to any one of Inventions 3 to 9, in which the placement setting unit 22c receives a designation of the airflow circulation direction and the first wall surface from the designer, and places the second air conditioner on a second wall surface determined based on the designated circulation direction and the designated first wall surface.

[0083] Such a space design support system 10 can place the second air conditioner on the second wall surface determined based on the specified circulation direction and the specified first wall surface.

[0084] Invention 11 is a space design support method executed by a computer such as a space design support system 10, and includes a calculation step S12 of acquiring location condition information and weather information for a building and calculating the thermal load of the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information, a selection step S13 of selecting an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the internal space of the building based on the result of the thermal load calculation, a placement setting step S15 of setting the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space, an operation setting step S16 of setting the operation content of the selected air conditioner, a creation step S17 of creating a thermal calculation model based on the placement and operation content of the set air conditioner, a determination step S18 of determining whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements, and a display step S20 of displaying the placement of the air conditioner on a display unit 24 when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

[0085] Such a space design support method can support designers and the like in determining the placement of air conditioners by displaying (presenting) the placement of air conditioners that meet predetermined requirements.

[0086] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the spatial design support method of the eleventh aspect.

[0087] According to such a program, the computer can display (present) an air conditioner placement that meets predetermined requirements, thereby assisting designers and others in determining the placement of air conditioners.

[0088] (Other Embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0089] For example, in the above embodiment, the spatial design assistance system is realized by multiple devices. In this case, the components of the spatial design assistance system described in the above embodiment may be distributed among the multiple devices in any manner. The spatial design assistance system may also be realized as a single device. For example, the spatial design assistance system may be realized as a single device corresponding to an information terminal. The spatial design assistance system may also be realized as a client-server system in which some of the functions of the information terminal are distributed to an information processing server.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processing operations may be changed, or multiple processing operations may be performed in parallel.

[0091] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component, or by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0092] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. Each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0093] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0094] For example, the present invention may be realized as the spatial design support system or information terminal of the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention may be realized as a spatial design support method executed by a computer such as the spatial design support system of the above-described embodiment. The present invention may be realized as a program (computer program product) for causing a computer to execute such a spatial design support method, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0095] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the present invention.

[0096] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Space design support system 20 Information terminal 21 Input reception unit 22 Information processing unit 22a Calculation unit 22b Selection unit 22c Placement setting unit 22d Operation setting unit 22e Creation unit 22f Determination unit 22g Display control unit 23 Storage unit 24 Display unit 25 Communication unit 30 Specification information management server 40 Weather information management server 50 Information processing server 60 Wide area communication network

Claims

1. A space design support system comprising: a calculation unit that acquires location condition information and weather information for a building, and performs a heat load calculation for the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information; a selection unit that selects an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the internal space of the building based on the results of the thermal load calculation; a placement setting unit that sets the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting unit that sets the operation details of the selected air conditioner; a creation unit that creates the thermal calculation model based on the set placement and operation details of the air conditioner; a determination unit that determines whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements; and a display control unit that displays on a display unit the placement of the air conditioner when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

2. The space design support system of claim 1, wherein the placement setting unit resets the placement of the selected air conditioner when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model does not satisfy the specified requirements, the creation unit updates the thermal calculation model based on the reset placement of the air conditioner, and the determination unit determines whether the result of the thermal calculation using the updated thermal calculation model satisfies the specified requirements.

3. The space design support system of claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects a first air conditioner and a second air conditioner having a lower air conditioning capacity than the first air conditioner based on the results of the heat load calculation; the placement setting unit places the first air conditioner on a first wall surface of the virtual space and places the second air conditioner on a second wall surface of the virtual space adjacent to the first wall surface; and the operation setting unit sets the airflow directions of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that a first vector indicating the direction of air blown out from the first air conditioner intersects with the second wall surface and a second vector indicating the direction of air blown out from the second air conditioner does not intersect with the first wall surface.

4. The space design support system according to claim 3, wherein the angle between the two projection vectors obtained by projecting the first vector and the second vector onto the floor surface of the virtual space is 90°.

5. The space design support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing cooling operation, the operation setting unit sets the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that Az≧Bz holds, where Az is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the first vector and Bz is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the second vector.

6. The space design support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing heating operation, the operation setting unit sets the airflow direction of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that Az≦Bz holds, where Az is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the first vector and Bz is the vertical component of the unit vector corresponding to the second vector.

7. The space design support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the operation setting unit sets the temperatures of the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that, when the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are performing cooling operation, a first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than a second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner.

8. The space design support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the operation setting unit sets the temperatures of the air blown out by the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner so that, when the thermal calculation is performed under the condition that both the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner are operated in cooling mode for a predetermined period of time, a first period during which a first temperature of the air blown out by the first air conditioner is higher than a second temperature of the air blown out by the second air conditioner is longer than a second period other than the first period.

9. The space design support system of claim 3 or 4, wherein when the thermal calculation is performed under the condition that at least one of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner is operated for a predetermined period, the operation setting unit sets the operation of the first air conditioner and the second air conditioner to be stopped for the predetermined period so that a first period during which the operation of the first air conditioner is stopped is shorter than a second period during which the operation of the second air conditioner is stopped.

10. The space design support system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the placement setting unit receives from the designer the designation of the airflow circulation direction and the first wall surface, and places the second air conditioner on the second wall surface determined based on the designated airflow circulation direction and the designated first wall surface.

11. A space design support method executed by a computer, comprising: a calculation step of acquiring location condition information and weather information for a building, and calculating the heat load of the building based on the acquired location condition information and weather information; a selection step of selecting, based on the result of the heat load calculation, an air conditioner to be placed in a virtual space corresponding to the internal space in a thermal calculation model of the internal space of the building; a placement setting step of setting the placement of the selected air conditioner in the virtual space; an operation setting step of setting the operation details of the selected air conditioner; a creation step of creating the thermal calculation model based on the set placement and operation details of the air conditioner; a determination step of determining whether the result of the thermal calculation using the thermal calculation model satisfies specified requirements; and a display step of displaying the placement of the air conditioner on a display unit when it is determined that the result of the thermal calculation satisfies the specified requirements.

12. A program for causing the computer to execute the spatial design support method according to claim 11.

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