Outdoor unit arrangement condition presentation device for air conditioner and outdoor unit arrangement condition presentation method for air conditioner

Abstract

This outdoor unit arrangement condition presentation device for an air conditioner comprises: an estimation unit that estimates, in a correspondence table in which installation area information indicating the surface area of an area in which a plurality of outdoor units are installed, installation specification information relating to the specifications of the outdoor units, and a short circuit occurrence rate, which is the occurrence rate of short circuits occurring in the plurality of outdoor units, stored in a storage unit are associated with each other, an arrangement condition corresponding to all of designated installation specification information, designated installation area information, and a short circuit occurrence rate threshold input to an input unit; and a presentation unit that presents the estimated arrangement condition.

Description

Apparatus and method for presenting outdoor unit layout conditions for air conditioners

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning device and an outdoor unit layout condition presentation method for an air conditioning device that present candidate outdoor unit layout conditions when multiple outdoor units that constitute an air conditioning device are installed.

[0002] When multiple outdoor units that make up an air conditioning system are installed together in a fixed location, such as on the roof of a building, a short circuit may occur in which hot or cold air discharged from the air outlet of one outdoor unit is sucked back into the air inlet of the other outdoor unit, or into the air inlet of another outdoor unit.When a short circuit occurs, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit decreases compared to when there is no short circuit, and the operating efficiency of the outdoor unit decreases.

[0003] When multiple outdoor units are installed together in a designated installation location, it is desirable to determine placement conditions that indicate the conditions for arranging the multiple outdoor units so that such short circuits do not occur as much as possible, such as the placement position of each outdoor unit, the distance between the outdoor units, the orientation of the outdoor units, etc.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for calculating the heat retention conditions at the installation location for various different outdoor unit placement conditions, and determining outdoor unit placement conditions that will prevent the short circuit phenomenon from occurring based on the calculated heat retention conditions.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-313011

[0006] However, when calculating the heat retention state using a thermal fluid simulation as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a calculation method for calculating the heat retention state for each of various different outdoor unit placement conditions needs to be designed by an expert with knowledge and experience in thermal fluid simulation. In this case, if the designers designing the outdoor unit placement do not have an expert in thermal fluid simulation, there is a problem in that it is not possible to determine appropriate outdoor unit placement conditions.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an outdoor unit placement condition presentation device for an air conditioning device and an outdoor unit placement condition presentation method for an air conditioning device that can present candidate outdoor unit placement conditions that will reduce the occurrence of short circuit phenomena when multiple outdoor units are installed at an installation location, without using thermal fluid simulation, thereby assisting designers who design the placement of outdoor units in determining placement conditions, even if they do not have an expert in thermal fluid simulation.

[0008] The outdoor unit placement condition presentation device for an air conditioning device according to the present disclosure comprises an estimation unit that estimates placement conditions corresponding to all of the specified installation specification information, specified installation area information, and short circuit occurrence rate thresholds input to the input unit in a correspondence table that associates installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area in which multiple outdoor units are installed, installation specification information relating to the specifications of the outdoor units, and short circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units, stored in a memory unit, and a presentation unit that presents the estimated placement conditions.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, in a correspondence table stored in a memory unit that associates installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area where multiple outdoor units that make up an air conditioning system are installed, installation specification information regarding the specifications of the outdoor units, and short circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in multiple outdoor units, placement conditions that correspond to all of the short circuit occurrence rate thresholds, designated installation area information, and designated installation specification information input to the input unit are estimated by an estimation unit, and the estimated placement conditions are presented by a presentation unit.Therefore, the designer who designs the placement of the outdoor units can be supported in his or her work by being presented with candidate placement conditions that satisfy the desired constraints, and appropriate placement conditions for the outdoor units can be determined even without an expert in thermal fluid simulation.

[0010] 5 is an external view showing an example of a specific information input screen for inputting specific information in the device for presenting outdoor unit placement conditions for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1, and an estimation result display screen in which the presentation unit displays an estimation result estimated by the estimation unit, in the device for presenting outdoor unit placement conditions for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which outdoor units of air conditioning devices are collectively installed in a designated area. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the dotted line A in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of an example of a configuration of a three-layer neural network. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of a learning device according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of an inference device according to Embodiment 2.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a simplified external view of an outdoor unit 100 of an air conditioner. As shown in Fig. 1, the outdoor unit 100 has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and includes a housing 110 having an air inlet 111 and an outlet 112. The housing 110 houses an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown), a blower (not shown), a compressor, an electrical equipment box (not shown), and other components (not shown). The outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. Switching between cooling operation and heating operation is performed by switching the flow path using a four-way valve (not shown).

[0013] When the blower rotates, an airflow is generated inside the housing 110 from the air inlet 111 toward the air outlet 112, and air outside the outdoor unit 100 is drawn into the housing 110 through the air inlet 111. This air comes into contact with the outer surface of the outdoor heat exchanger, and heat exchange occurs between the air and the refrigerant flowing inside the outdoor heat exchanger. The refrigerant cooled or heated by this heat exchange is sent to the indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit installed indoors and used to adjust the temperature in the room.

[0014] The air that has undergone heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger flows along the air flow generated by the blower and is blown out of the outdoor unit 100 from the outlet 112. For example, during cooling operation, the air drawn in through the inlet 111 is heated by the outdoor heat exchanger, becomes air at a higher temperature than before it was drawn in, and is blown out as warm air from the outlet 112. During heating operation, the air drawn in through the inlet 111 is cooled by the outdoor heat exchanger, becomes air at a lower temperature than before it was drawn in, and is blown out as cool air from the outlet 112.

[0015] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which outdoor units 100A to 100F of an air conditioning system are collectively installed in a designated area, such as on the rooftop of a building. When six outdoor units 100A to 100F are installed, the area occupied by this group of outdoor units, i.e., the area surrounded by a line connecting the outermost peripheries of any of the outdoor units, is installation area AREA1. Furthermore, the largest area allowed for installation of outdoor unit 100 at the installation location is designated area AREA2.

[0016] The installation area AREA1 has dimension information including an installation area width W1 and an installation area depth L1. In the installation state shown in FIG. 2, the value obtained by multiplying the installation area width W1 and the installation area depth L1 corresponds to the installation area S1, which is the area of ​​the installation area AREA1. The designated area AREA2 has dimension information including a designated area width W2 and a designated area depth L2. In the installation state shown in FIG. 2, the value obtained by multiplying the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2 corresponds to the designated area S2, which is the area of ​​the designated area AREA2.

[0017] In this way, when multiple outdoor units 100 are installed close to each other in a predetermined designated area AREA2, the air blown out from the air outlet 112 of one outdoor unit 100 may hit another adjacent outdoor unit 100 and change direction, with some of the air being drawn into the air inlet 111 of another outdoor unit 100. Alternatively, the air flow in the installation area AREA1 may be impeded by the multiple outdoor units 100 in close proximity, causing the air blown out from the air outlet 112 to stagnate nearby, with some of the air being drawn into the air inlet 111 of the outdoor unit 100 that blows out the air. Figure 3 is an enlarged view showing the area indicated by the dotted line A in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, part of the air blown out from the air outlet 112A of the outdoor unit 100A, air AIR1, stagnates nearby and is then drawn into the air inlet 111A of the outdoor unit 100A. Furthermore, part of the air AIR2 blown out from the air outlet 112A of the outdoor unit 100A hits the outdoor unit 100D and changes direction, causing it to be sucked into the air inlet 111B of the adjacent outdoor unit 100B. This phenomenon in which air blown out from the outdoor unit 100 is sucked into the air inlet 111 of the outdoor unit 100 that blows out the air or another outdoor unit 100 is called a short circuit.

[0018] If a short circuit occurs in outdoor unit 100 during cooling operation, the warm air blown out from outlet 112A of outdoor unit 100A is sucked into inlet 111A of outdoor unit 100A and inlet 111B of outdoor unit 100B, causing the temperature of the air exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchangers of outdoor unit 100A and outdoor unit 100B to become higher than when a short circuit does not occur, reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger and therefore reducing the operating efficiency of the air conditioning unit. Conversely, if a short circuit occurs in outdoor unit 100 during heating operation, the cold air blown out from outlet 112A of outdoor unit 100A is sucked into inlet 111A of outdoor unit 100A and inlet 111B of outdoor unit 100B, and the temperature of the air exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchangers of outdoor unit 100A and outdoor unit 100B becomes lower than when a short circuit does not occur, reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger and therefore the operating efficiency of the air conditioning unit.

[0019] When multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together in a predetermined designated area AREA2, it is desirable to determine the installation method of the multiple outdoor units 100, such as the placement position of each outdoor unit 100, the separation distance between the outdoor units 100, and the orientation of the outdoor units 100, so as to minimize the occurrence of such short circuits. However, due to the constraints of the designated area S2 of the designated area AREA2, it is undesirable to make the separation distance between the outdoor units 100 greater than necessary. Furthermore, it is desirable to reduce the installation area S1 of the installation area AREA1 for the multiple outdoor units 100, as this has the effect of reducing the travel distance of the outdoor unit 100 installer, increasing the selection of outdoor units 100 that can be installed, and improving the appearance of the building.

[0020] In this way, when multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together in a predetermined designated area AREA2, it is required that the installation area AREA1 be large in order to suppress the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC, which is the rate at which short circuits occur, but it is required that the installation area AREA1 be small in order to meet the area restrictions of the designated area AREA2, workability during installation, and the appearance, etc., and the designer who designs the layout of the outdoor units 100 must find a compromise between these conflicting requirements and decide on an installation method for the multiple outdoor units 100. The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1 can support the designer who designs the layout of the outdoor units 100 when deciding on layout conditions that suppress the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC and accommodate other constraints, even if the designer does not have an expert in thermal fluid simulation, and the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1 will be described in detail below.

[0021] 4 is a functional block diagram of the device 1 for presenting outdoor unit placement conditions for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the device 1 for presenting outdoor unit placement conditions for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1 has a storage unit 5, an input unit 10, an estimation unit 15, a presentation unit 20, and a short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25.

[0022] The storage unit 5 stores a table (hereinafter referred to as "correspondence table 6") in which installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area in which the plurality of outdoor units 100 are installed, installation specification information relating to the specifications of the outdoor units 100, a short circuit occurrence rate RSC which is the rate at which short circuits occur in the plurality of outdoor units 100, and installation dimension information indicating the dimensions of the area in which the plurality of outdoor units 100 are installed are associated with each other. Specific examples of the placement conditions and the correspondence table 6 will be described later. The storage unit 5 may exist on a cloud, for example.

[0023] The input unit 10 inputs designated installation specification information that specifies the specifications of the outdoor unit 100, designated area information that specifies the area of ​​the area in which multiple outdoor units 100 are installed, a short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X that specifies the threshold for the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC, and designated dimension information that specifies the dimensions of the area in which multiple outdoor units 100 are installed. Specific examples of the information to be input to the input unit 10 will be described later. The input unit 10 may be a terminal device such as a tablet or smartphone, in which case information may be input using a touch panel. Alternatively, the input unit 10 may be a personal computer that allows information to be input using a keyboard or mouse.

[0024] The estimation unit 15 estimates, in the correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5, placement conditions indicating installation methods corresponding to all of the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC corresponding to the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X input to the input unit 10, installation area information indicating an area corresponding to the area indicated by the specified area information input to the input unit 10, and installation specification information corresponding to the specified installation specification information input to the input unit 10. Specific examples of placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15 will be described later. An example of the estimation unit 15 is composed of, for example, a processor and a memory. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program stored in the memory. In this case, the function of the estimation unit 15 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware can be stored in the memory as a program. With this configuration, the program for realizing the function of the estimation unit 15 is executed by a computer. Like the storage unit 5, the estimation unit 15 may be present, for example, on a cloud. The estimation unit 15 may be configured, for example, by a large-scale database and a search engine that searches the database, or may be configured by an artificial intelligence system with a learning function.

[0025] The presentation unit 20 presents the placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15. The presentation unit 20 may be, for example, a terminal device such as a tablet or a smartphone, or may be a liquid crystal display or the like.

[0026] The short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25 calculates the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC when a plurality of outdoor units 100 are installed together. The calculated short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is stored in a correspondence table 6 provided in the storage unit 5. A calculation method for the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC calculated by the short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25 will be described later. The short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25 may exist on the cloud, for example, like the storage unit 5 and the estimation unit 15.

[0027] 5 is a table diagram showing an example of the correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5. The correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5 includes, for example, information summarizing installation drawings for properties (property A...property Z) constructed in the past, placement conditions for a plurality of outdoor units 100, etc., as shown below.

[0028] [Installation Diagram] An installation diagram is a diagram showing the installation status of multiple outdoor units 100 in each property. The installation diagram shown in FIG. 5 is a reduced view to allow for a general overview, and an example of a detailed installation diagram is shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an installation diagram corresponding to property A in the correspondence table 6 shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the installation diagram shows the arrangement of multiple outdoor units 100 as a diagram, and also displays various parameters such as the distance between the outdoor units 100 and the direction in which the air outlets 112 of the outdoor units 100 face, as well as attributes of the outdoor units 100. The installation diagram also allows the user to read the rough outline and dimensions of the outdoor units 100. Note that the installation diagram shown in FIG. 6 is an example, and the information included in the installation diagram is not limited to that described above. Furthermore, although an example of an installation diagram of the outdoor units 100 is described in Figure 6, the installation diagram stored in the correspondence table 6 is not limited to this, and any diagram showing the distance between the outdoor units 100, the direction and orientation of the air outlets 112 of the outdoor units 100, etc. may be used, and the installation diagram may include information expressed in text or a table, for example.

[0029] Next, a description will be given of the placement conditions included in the correspondence table 6. In the first embodiment, the information constituting the placement conditions is "installation area information," "outdoor unit installation specification information," and "short circuit occurrence rate."

[0030] [Installation Area Information] The installation area information is information relating to the installation area AREA1 occupied by the outdoor units 100 when multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together, and includes installation area information and installation dimension information. The installation area information is information relating to the installation area S1 indicating the area of ​​the installation area AREA1, and the installation dimension information is information relating to the installation area width W1, which is the dimension in the width direction of the installation area AREA1, and the installation area depth L1, which is the dimension in the depth direction of the installation area AREA1 of the multiple outdoor units 100. Note that the installation area information does not necessarily need to include all of the above information, as long as it is information relating to the installation area AREA1 occupied by the outdoor units 100 when multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together, and may also include information other than the above.

[0031] [Outdoor Unit Installation Specification Information] The installation specification information of the outdoor unit 100 is information relating to the installation state of the outdoor unit 100 installed in each property and the equipment specifications of the outdoor unit 100, such as the area in which the outdoor unit 100 is installed, the orientation of the installed outdoor units 100, the separation distance between multiple installed outdoor units 100, the arrangement of the installed outdoor units 100, the type of the installed outdoor units 100, the capacity per installed outdoor unit 100, and the number of installed outdoor units 100. Here, the type of the installed outdoor unit 100 is information indicating the structure, performance, and characteristics of the outdoor unit 100, such as the position where the air outlet 112 is formed, the direction of air blown out from the air outlet 112, and the number of fans provided in one outdoor unit 100, for example. The installation specification information of the outdoor unit 100 does not necessarily need to include all of the above information, and may also include information other than the above information, as long as it is information regarding the installation status of the outdoor unit 100 installed in each property and the equipment specifications of the outdoor unit 100.

[0032] [Short-Circuit Occurrence Rate] The short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is the probability that a short circuit will occur in an outdoor unit 100 while the air conditioning system is operating in an installation area where multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together. The short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is calculated by the short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25 using a method described below, and the calculated short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is stored in the correspondence table 6.

[0033] Next, we will explain the information input to the input unit 10 of the device 1 for presenting outdoor unit placement conditions for an air conditioning system according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a table diagram showing a table defining the information input to the input unit 10. In this embodiment, the information input to the input unit 10 is defined as "outdoor unit designated installation specification information," "designated area information," "short circuit occurrence rate threshold," and "designated dimension information," and the contents of this information will be explained below.

[0034] [Designated installation specification information for outdoor unit] The designated installation specification information for the outdoor unit 100 is information relating to the installation state of the outdoor unit 100 and the equipment specifications of the outdoor unit 100 that a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100 wants to specify as constraints when determining appropriate layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100, and includes dimensions such as the height [mm], width [mm], and depth [mm] of the outdoor unit 100, the weight [kg] of the outdoor unit 100, the capacity per outdoor unit 100, the number of outdoor units 100, the position where the piping for the outdoor unit 100 comes out, the position of the pipe shaft for the outdoor unit 100, the installation area for the outdoor unit 100, the height above ground of the installation location for the outdoor unit 100, and the shape of the installation location for the outdoor unit 100. The specified installation specification information of the outdoor unit 100 is not limited to the information shown in FIG. 7, as long as it is information relating to the installation state of the outdoor unit 100 and the equipment specifications of the outdoor unit 100, among the information to be specified as constraint conditions.

[0035] [Designated Area Information] The designated area information is information regarding the area of ​​a designated area AREA2 that is acceptable for arranging multiple outdoor units 100, among the information that a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor units 100 wants to specify as a constraint when determining appropriate layout conditions for the outdoor units 100. That is, the designated area S2 indicates the area of ​​the designated area AREA2. For example, in the state in which the outdoor units 100 are installed together as shown in FIG. 2 , the designated area S2 may be obtained by multiplying the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2. Alternatively, the designated area S3 may be obtained by further multiplying the product of the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2 by a coefficient. Note that the designated area information does not necessarily need to include all of the above information, as long as it is information regarding the area of ​​the designated area AREA2 that is determined when installing multiple outdoor units 100 together. Information other than the above may also be used.

[0036] [Short-circuit occurrence rate threshold] The short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X [%] is information regarding an allowable threshold value of the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC, which is information that a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100 wants to specify as a constraint condition when determining appropriate layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100. An example of the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X [%] is, for example, 5% or less.

[0037] [Designated Dimension Information] The designated dimension information is information regarding the dimensions of a designated area AREA2 in which multiple outdoor units 100 can be placed, among the information that a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor units 100 wants to specify as a constraint when determining appropriate layout conditions for the outdoor units 100. That is, the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2 indicate the dimensions of the designated area AREA2. For example, in the state in which the outdoor units 100 are installed together as shown in FIG. 2, the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2 may each be used as the designated dimension information. Alternatively, the designated area width W2 and the designated area depth L2 may be further multiplied by a coefficient to obtain the designated area width W3 and the designated area depth L3, and these may each be used as the designated dimension information. Note that the designated dimension information does not necessarily need to include all of the above information, as long as it is information regarding the dimensions of the designated area AREA2 that is determined when multiple outdoor units 100 are installed together. Furthermore, information other than the above may also be used.

[0038] Next, the information estimated by the estimation unit 15 will be described based on the correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5 as shown in Fig. 5 and the information input to the input unit 10 as shown in Fig. 7. The information estimated by the estimation unit 15 is the following "outdoor unit placement conditions" and "method for reducing the installation area of ​​the outdoor unit."

[0039] [Placement conditions of outdoor units] The placement conditions of the outdoor units 100 estimated by the estimation unit 15 indicate an installation method of the outdoor units 100 that conforms to the constraints specified by the designer, and are, for example, various parameters such as the distance between the outdoor units 100, the direction of the air outlets 112 of the outdoor units 100, the short circuit occurrence rate RSC, the installation area S1 of the outdoor units 100, attributes of the outdoor units 100, etc.

[0040] [Method for Reducing the Installation Area of ​​the Outdoor Unit] The method for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 is information related to a method for further reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 compared to the layout conditions of the outdoor unit 100 that match the constraints specified by the designer. The estimation unit 15 estimates this information and presents it to the designer via the presentation unit 20, which will be described later, so that the designer can be suggested a method for further reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100. A specific example of a method for further reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 is, for example, the installation of an air direction duct. By installing an air direction duct at the air outlet 112 of the outdoor unit 100, the occurrence rate of short circuits can be reduced, thereby reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 by that amount. Any information other than the above may be used as long as it is information related to a method for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100.

[0041] Next, a description will be given of a presentation example when the presentation unit 20 presents the placement conditions of the outdoor unit 100 estimated by the estimation unit 15. Fig. 8 is an external view showing an example of a specified information input screen IS1 on which a designer who designs the placement of the outdoor unit 100 inputs specified information for specifying constraints into the input unit 10, and an estimation result display screen DS on which the presentation unit 20 displays the estimation results estimated by the estimation unit 15 for the installation method corresponding to the input specified information. Here, a case will be described in which the air outlet direction of the outdoor unit 100, the capacity of the outdoor unit 100, the number of outdoor units 100, the specified area S2, and the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X [%] are input as constraints to be input into the specified information input screen IS1 of the input unit 10, and [Placement conditions of the outdoor unit] is displayed on a first estimation result display screen DS1 of the estimation result display screen DS, and [Proposal of a method for reducing the installation area of ​​the outdoor unit] is displayed on a second estimation result display screen DS2 of the estimation result display screen DS, as the estimation results estimated by the estimation unit 15.

[0042] In the example of [Outdoor unit placement conditions] shown on the first estimation result display screen DS1 in Fig. 8, the installation method of the outdoor units 100 is shown as a diagram, and this diagram displays information such as the separation distance between the outdoor units 100 and the direction and orientation of the air outlets 112 of the outdoor units 100. In addition to this information, the [Outdoor unit placement conditions] may also display the short circuit occurrence rate RSC, the installation area S1 of the outdoor units 100, etc. In this way, by using the installation diagram of the outdoor units 100 as the placement conditions, it is possible to present placement conditions that will enable the installer of the outdoor units 100 to fully understand how to install the outdoor units 100.

[0043] In the example of "Method for reducing the installation area of ​​the outdoor unit" shown on the second estimation result display screen DS2 in Fig. 8, the installation method for the outdoor unit 100 displayed in "Outdoor unit placement conditions" on the first estimation result display screen DS1 suggests installing an air direction duct so that the air outlet 112 of the outdoor unit 100 faces west. Note that information other than the above may also be presented as long as it is information related to a method for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100.

[0044] The information presented on the first estimation result display screen DS1 and the second estimation result display screen DS2 in Fig. 8 is merely an example, and the information presented by the presentation unit 20 is not limited to the above. Furthermore, while an example has been described in which an installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 is displayed as the placement conditions on the first estimation result display screen DS1 in Fig. 8 , the placement conditions presented on the presentation unit 20 are not limited to this, and any information indicating the conditions for placing multiple outdoor units 100 may be displayed. For example, information expressed in text or a table may be displayed, or this information may be displayed together with the installation diagram. Furthermore, information such as the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC of the outdoor unit 100, the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100, etc. may be displayed, or this information may be displayed together with the installation diagram.

[0045] Next, there will be described the operation of the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device according to Embodiment 1.

[0046] First, in step S101, when the designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100 inputs designated installation specification information, designated area information, and short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X into the designated information input screen IS1 of the input unit 10 shown in Fig. 8, the input unit 10 sends the designated installation specification information, designated area information, and short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X to the estimation unit 15. Although input of designated dimension information is optional, inputting the designated dimension information into the input unit 10 can improve the accuracy of the layout conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15.

[0047] Next, in step S102, the estimation unit 15 estimates, in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5, placement conditions indicating an installation method corresponding to all of the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC corresponding to the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X input to the input unit 10, the installation area information indicating an area corresponding to the area indicated by the specified area information input to the input unit 10, and the installation specification information corresponding to the specified installation specification information input to the input unit 10.

[0048] Specifically, the estimation unit 15 refers to the correspondence table 6 and extracts properties that satisfy the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC corresponding to the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X input to the input unit 10, i.e., properties for which the relationship between the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC and the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X satisfies RSC<X (hereinafter referred to as extraction process 1). The estimation unit 15 also refers to the correspondence table 6 and extracts properties that satisfy installation area information corresponding to the area indicated by the specified area information input to the input unit 10, i.e., properties for which the relationship between the installation area S1 and the specified area S2 satisfies S1<S2 (hereinafter referred to as extraction process 2). The estimation unit 15 also refers to the correspondence table 6 and extracts properties that satisfy installation specification information corresponding to the specified installation specification information input to the input unit 10, i.e., properties that match or are close to the specified installation specification information (hereinafter referred to as extraction process 3).

[0049] The estimation unit 15 then selects properties included in all of the properties extracted above, i.e., properties that satisfy RSC<X and S1<S2 and match or are close to the designated installation specification information (hereinafter referred to as selection processing), and estimates the placement conditions of the selected properties, such as various parameters and attributes of the outdoor units 100, as placement conditions that indicate an installation method that matches the input conditions. The placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15 include information such as the placement position of each outdoor unit 100, the separation distance between the outdoor units 100, the orientation of the outdoor units 100, etc.

[0050] Here, a description will be given of a method for calculating the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC executed by the short-circuit occurrence rate calculation unit 25 in the above extraction process 1. The short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is calculated based on the layout conditions of a plurality of outdoor units 100 in properties where construction has been carried out in the past, which are included in the correspondence table 6, and the operating data of the outdoor units 100 in properties where construction has been carried out in the past. The operating data of the outdoor units 100 is, for example, information relating to the actual results of the suction temperature Ts [°C], discharge temperature Td [°C], and outside air temperature T [°C] of the outdoor units 100, and the operating data stored in a memory provided in the outdoor units 100 may be used.

[0051] If the intake temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is Ts [°C], the outside air temperature is T [°C], the number of calculations of the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is C1, and the number of times (Ts - T) > 0 is C2, the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is expressed by the following equation 1.

[0052]

[0053] Alternatively, the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC may be calculated as follows: When the air outlet temperature of the outdoor unit 100 is Td [°C], the short-circuit occurrence time T1 is calculated by the following Equation 2.

[0054]

[0055] The time when the relationship between the short-circuit occurrence time T1 and the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X [%] satisfies T1≧X is defined as the short-circuit occurrence time T2. When the total operation time of the outdoor unit 100 is T3, the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC is expressed by the following Equation 3.

[0056]

[0057] The short-circuit occurrence rate RSC stored in the correspondence table 6 of the storage unit 5 may be different values ​​for summer (cooling season) and winter (heating season).

[0058] Using the above-described method for calculating the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC, in extraction process 1, the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC of the properties stored in the correspondence table 6 of the storage unit 5 is calculated, and the calculation results are used to extract properties that satisfy the conditions of the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X. Then, step S102, which includes this extraction process 1, estimates the placement conditions that indicate the installation method corresponding to the information input to the input unit 10, as described above.

[0059] Next, in step S103, the presentation unit 20 presents the placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15 in step S102 on the first estimation result display screen DS1 of Fig. 8. The placement conditions presented by the presentation unit 20 may be all placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15, or only the property for which the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 is smallest among the placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit 15 may be presented as placement conditions. By having the designer who designs the placement of the outdoor unit 100 check the placement conditions presented by the presentation unit 20, the designer can recognize that there are candidate placement conditions for the outdoor unit 100.

[0060] Next, in step S104, the estimation unit 15 estimates a method for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100. For example, the estimation unit 15 references the correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5 and estimates information about a method for further reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 compared to the placement conditions of the outdoor unit 100 that match the constraints specified by the designer. An example of a method for reducing the installation area S1 is, as described above, installing an air direction duct at the air outlet 112 of the outdoor unit 100 to reduce the occurrence rate of short circuits and thereby reduce the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100. The estimation unit 15 may estimate the characteristics by using, for example, a learning function provided in an artificial intelligence system. The estimation unit 15 may estimate multiple methods for reducing the installation area S1.

[0061] Next, in step S105, the presentation unit 20 presents, on the second estimation result display screen DS2, methods for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 estimated by the estimation unit 15. As shown in FIG. 8 , the presentation unit 20 presents only those methods that minimize the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100, among the methods for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 estimated by the estimation unit 15. Note that the methods for reducing the installation area S1 presented by the presentation unit 20 on the second estimation result display screen DS2 are not limited to those that minimize the installation area S1 as shown in FIG. 8 . A plurality of methods estimated by the estimation unit 15 may be presented on the second estimation result display screen DS2, or the methods may be presented one by one by changing pages. By having the designer check the methods for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 presented by the presentation unit 20, the designer can recognize that there are candidate layout conditions that can reduce the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100.

[0062] As described above, the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment includes an estimation unit 15 that estimates layout conditions corresponding to all of the designated installation specification information, designated installation area information, and short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X input to the input unit 10 in a correspondence table 6 that associates installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area where multiple outdoor units 100 are installed, installation specification information related to the specifications of the outdoor units 100, and the short-circuit occurrence rate RSC, which is the rate at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units 100, all stored in a storage unit 5. This estimates layout conditions corresponding to all of the designated installation specification information, designated installation area information, and short-circuit occurrence rate threshold X input to the input unit 10, and a presentation unit 20 that presents the estimated layout conditions. This makes it possible to support the designer who designs the layout of the outdoor units 100 by presenting candidate layout conditions that satisfy desired constraints, and thus makes it possible to determine appropriate layout conditions for the outdoor units 100 even without an expert in thermal fluid simulation. Specifically, the layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100 are presented in an easy-to-understand manner on the first estimation result display screen DS1 of the presentation unit 20, making it easier for the designer designing the layout of the outdoor unit 100 to grasp candidate layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100, thereby supporting the designer designing the layout of the outdoor unit 100. In addition, the second estimation result display screen DS2 of the presentation unit 20 presents in an easy-to-understand manner methods for reducing the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100, allowing the designer designing the layout of the outdoor unit 100 to adopt a method that allows for a layout that reduces the installation area S1 of the outdoor unit 100 while maintaining the same short-circuit occurrence rate RSC. Note that if it is only necessary to present candidate layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100 to the designer, steps S104 and S105 of FIG. 9 may be omitted.

[0063] Embodiment 2. In the first embodiment, the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device was described, in which the estimation unit 15 references the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5, selects a property that satisfies RSC<X and S1<S2 and matches or is close to the designated installation specification information, and estimates the selected property as the layout condition. In the second embodiment, the estimation unit 15a is configured with a learning device 50 and an inference device 60, and an outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning device is described, which estimates the layout conditions using a learning function. Note that a description of matters common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and matters different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0064] 10 is a functional block diagram of an outdoor unit arrangement condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 2. The outdoor unit arrangement condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 2 includes a trained model storage unit 55, and further includes a learning device 50 and an inference device 60 in an estimation unit 15a.

[0065] The learning device 50 includes a learning data acquisition unit 51 and a model generation unit 52. When the learning device 50 learns the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 in advance, the learning data acquisition unit 51 acquires the placement conditions of the outdoor unit 100 and the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 included in the correspondence table 6 stored in the storage unit 5 as learning data from the storage unit 5.

[0066] The model generation unit 52 uses a learning algorithm to learn the installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 based on the learning data including the placement conditions and the installation drawing output from the learning data acquisition unit 51. Here, the learning data is data in which the placement conditions and the installation drawing are associated with each other. This generates a trained model that infers the optimal installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 from the placement conditions and the installation drawing. The learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 52 can be any known learning algorithm such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning. As an example of the learning algorithm, a case where a neural network is used will be described.

[0067] The model generation unit 52 learns the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100, for example, using a neural network, so-called supervised learning. Here, supervised learning refers to a technique in which pairs of input and result (label) data are provided to the learning device 50, and the features of the learning data are learned. The neural network is composed of an input layer consisting of multiple neurons, an intermediate layer (hidden layer) consisting of multiple neurons, and an output layer consisting of multiple neurons. The intermediate layer may be one layer or two or more layers. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a three-layer neural network. When multiple inputs are input to the input layer (X1-X3), the values ​​are multiplied by weights WT1 (wt11-wt16) and input to the intermediate layer (Y1-Y2). The result is further multiplied by weights WT2 (wt21-wt26) and output from the output layer (Z1-Z3). This output result varies depending on the values ​​of the weights WT1 and WT2. The neural network learns the installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 by so-called supervised learning in accordance with learning data created based on a combination of the placement conditions and installation drawings acquired by the learning data acquisition unit 51. That is, the neural network learns by inputting the placement conditions into the input layer and adjusting the weights WT1 and WT2 so that the result output from the output layer approaches the installation drawing. The model generation unit 52 generates and outputs a trained model by executing the above-mentioned learning. The trained model storage unit 55 stores the trained model output from the model generation unit 52.

[0068] Next, the inference device 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10 , the inference device 60 includes a data acquisition unit 61 and an inference unit 62. When the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioner is used after the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 has been learned by the learning device 50, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires designated installation specification information input to the input unit 10 by a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100. The inference unit 62 infers the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 obtained using the trained model. That is, by reading the trained model from the trained model storage unit 55 and inputting the designated installation specification information into the read trained model, the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 can be inferred from the designated installation specification information. The installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 inferred by the inference unit 62 is output to the presentation unit 20, and is presented by the presentation unit 20 to the designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100.

[0069] Next, the learning operation of the learning device 50 according to the second embodiment, i.e., the operation of the learning phase, will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the learning device 50 according to the second embodiment. First, in step S201, the learning data acquisition unit 51 acquires learning data including layout conditions and installation drawings from the storage unit 5. Note that while the layout conditions and installation drawings are acquired simultaneously, the layout conditions and installation drawing data may be acquired at different times as long as they are input in association with each other. Next, in step S202, the model generation unit 52 generates a trained model for inferring the installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 from the layout conditions through so-called supervised learning using the layout conditions and installation drawings acquired by the learning data acquisition unit 51. Note that the model generation unit 52 is not limited to a combination of all information included in the layout conditions and the installation drawings, and may generate a trained model based on only one of the layout conditions and information included in the installation drawings. Next, in step S203, the trained model storage unit 55 stores the trained model generated by the model generation unit 52 in step S202. Through the above-described operations in the learning phase, the learned model is stored in the learned model storage unit 55.

[0070] Next, the operation of the inference device 60 when utilizing the air conditioning unit outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a to output an installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 based on the trained model storage unit 55 will be described, i.e., the operation in the utilization phase. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the inference device 60 according to the second embodiment. First, in step S301, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires, from the input unit 10, specified installation specification information input to the input unit 10 by a designer who designs the layout of the outdoor unit 100. Next, in step S302, the inference unit 62 reads out a trained model from the trained model storage unit 55. Next, in step S303, the inference unit 62 uses the trained model read out in step S302 to infer an installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 as an output based on the specified installation specification information acquired by the data acquisition unit 61. Next, in step S304, the inference unit 62 outputs the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 inferred in step S303 to the presentation unit 20. By having the presentation unit 20 present the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 output from the inference unit 62, it is possible to present placement conditions that will enable the installer of the outdoor unit 100 to fully understand how to install the outdoor unit 100.

[0071] In the second embodiment, a case has been described in which supervised learning is applied to the learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 52, but the learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 52 is not limited to this. As for the learning algorithm, reinforcement learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or the like can also be applied in addition to supervised learning. The learning algorithm used by the model generation unit 52 can be deep learning, which learns to extract feature quantities themselves, or machine learning can be performed according to other known methods, such as genetic programming, functional logic programming, or support vector machines.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, it has been described that the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 is output using a trained model trained by the model generation unit 52 of the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning system, but it is also possible to obtain a trained model from outside the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1a for another air conditioning system, and output the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 based on this trained model.

[0073] Furthermore, in the functional block diagram of Figure 10, the learning device 50 and the inference device 60 are shown configured as a single unit, but they do not have to be configured on the same hardware. For example, devices having the above-mentioned functions may be configured on a separate cloud server, and these may be connected via a network to form the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1a for this air conditioning device.

[0074] The model generation unit 52 may also learn the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 according to learning data created for the outdoor unit layout condition presentation devices 1a for multiple air conditioning units. Note that the model generation unit 52 may acquire learning data from the outdoor unit layout condition presentation devices 1a for multiple air conditioning units used in the same area, or may learn the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 using learning data collected from the outdoor unit layout condition presentation devices 1a for multiple air conditioning units that operate independently in different areas.

[0075] It is also possible to add or remove outdoor unit layout condition presentation devices 1a for air conditioning devices that collect learning data from the list of targets at any time.Furthermore, a learning device 50 that has learned the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 for an outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for a certain air conditioning device may be applied to an outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for a different air conditioning device, and the installation diagram of the outdoor unit 100 for the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for the different air conditioning device may be re-learned and updated.

[0076] As described above, the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 2 includes a learning device 50 having, in its estimation unit 15a, a learning data acquisition unit 51 that acquires learning data including layout conditions and an installation diagram showing the installation state of the outdoor unit 100, and a model generation unit 52 that uses the learning data to generate a trained model for inferring an installation diagram for the outdoor unit 100 from the layout conditions. The estimation unit 15a also includes an inference device 60 having, in its estimation unit 15a, a data acquisition unit 61 that acquires designated installation specification information input to the input unit 10, and an inference unit 62 that outputs an installation diagram for the outdoor unit 100 from the designated installation specification information input from the data acquisition unit 61 using a trained model for inferring an installation diagram for the outdoor unit 100 from the designated installation specification information. This improves the accuracy of estimating the layout conditions for the outdoor unit 100 compared to the outdoor unit layout condition presentation device 1 according to embodiment 1. Specifically, the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1 for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 1 selects a property that matches or is close to the specified installation specification information from the properties included in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5 and provides the placement conditions, whereas the outdoor unit placement condition presentation device 1a for an air conditioning device according to embodiment 2 not only selects a property that matches or is close to the specified installation specification information from the properties included in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5 and provides the placement conditions, but is also able to provide placement conditions that go beyond the scope of the properties included in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5. In other words, the learning device 50 learns the characteristics of the property contained in the learning data in which the placement conditions and installation drawings are associated with each other, and constructs a learned model, and this learned model is used to infer and provide an installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 corresponding to the specified installation specification information, using the property characteristics contained in the learning data as the basis for inference.Since there is an added possibility that placement conditions other than those belonging to the property contained in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5 may be inferred, it is possible to provide placement conditions that go beyond the scope of placement conditions belonging to the property contained in the correspondence table 6 stored in the memory unit 5, and the estimation accuracy of the installation drawing of the outdoor unit 100 estimated by the inference device 60 can be improved.

[0077] The features of the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0078] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 1) An outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit, comprising: a memory unit that stores a correspondence table in which installation area information indicating the area of ​​an area in which multiple outdoor units that constitute an air conditioning unit are installed, installation specification information related to the specifications of the outdoor units, and short circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units; an input unit that inputs designated installation specification information that specifies the specifications of the outdoor units, designated area information that specifies the area of ​​the area in which the multiple outdoor units are installed, and a short circuit occurrence rate threshold that specifies a threshold for the short circuit occurrence rate; an estimation unit that estimates layout conditions that indicate installation methods that correspond to all of the short circuit occurrence rate that corresponds to the short circuit occurrence rate threshold input to the input unit, the installation area information that indicates the area that corresponds to the area indicated by the designated area information input to the input unit, and the installation specification information that corresponds to the designated installation specification information input to the input unit, in the correspondence table stored in the memory unit; and a presentation unit that presents the layout conditions estimated by the estimation unit. (Supplementary Note 2) The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the storage unit stores the correspondence table to which installation dimension information indicating dimensions of an area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed is further associated, the input unit further inputs designated dimension information specifying the dimensions of the area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed, and the estimation unit estimates the layout condition corresponding to the installation dimension information indicating dimensions corresponding to the dimensions indicated by the designated dimension information input to the input unit in the correspondence table stored in the storage unit. (Supplementary Note 3) The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning device according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the estimation unit further estimates information relating to a method for making the area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed even smaller than the layout condition, and the presentation unit presents the layout condition estimated by the estimation unit and a method for making the area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed even smaller.(Supplementary Note 4) The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the estimation unit comprises a learning device having: a learning data acquisition unit that acquires learning data including the layout conditions and an installation diagram showing the installation state of the outdoor unit, and a model generation unit that generates a trained model for inferring an installation diagram for the outdoor unit from the layout conditions using the learning data. (Supplementary Note 5) The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning device according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the estimation unit comprises an inference device having: a data acquisition unit that acquires the designated installation specification information input to the input unit, and an inference unit that outputs the installation diagram for the outdoor unit from the designated installation specification information input from the data acquisition unit using a trained model for inferring the installation diagram for the outdoor unit from the designated installation specification information. (Supplementary Note 6) A method for presenting outdoor unit layout conditions for an air conditioning unit, comprising: a step of storing a correspondence table in which installation area information indicating the area of ​​an area in which multiple outdoor units constituting an air conditioning unit are installed, installation specification information related to the specifications of the outdoor units, and short-circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units; a step of inputting designated installation specification information specifying the specifications of the outdoor units, designated area information specifying the area of ​​the area in which the multiple outdoor units are installed, and a short-circuit occurrence rate threshold specifying a threshold for the short-circuit occurrence rate; a step of estimating, in the correspondence table stored by the storing step, layout conditions indicating an installation method corresponding to all of the short-circuit occurrence rate corresponding to the short-circuit occurrence rate threshold input by the inputting step, the installation area information indicating the area corresponding to the area indicated by the designated area information input by the inputting step, and the installation specification information corresponding to the designated installation specification information input by the inputting step; and a step of presenting the layout conditions estimated by the estimating step.

[0080] 1, 1a: Air conditioning system outdoor unit placement condition presentation device, 5: Memory unit, 6: Correspondence table, 10: Input unit, 15, 15a: Estimation unit, 20: Presentation unit, 50: Learning device, 51: Learning data acquisition unit, 52: Model generation unit, 55: Learned model storage unit, 60: Inference device, 61: Data acquisition unit, 62: Inference unit, 100: Outdoor unit, RSC: Short circuit occurrence rate, X: Short circuit occurrence rate threshold.

Claims

1. An outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit, comprising: a memory unit that stores a correspondence table in which installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area where multiple outdoor units that make up an air conditioning unit are installed, installation specification information related to the specifications of the outdoor units, and short circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units; an input unit that inputs designated installation specification information that specifies the specifications of the outdoor units, designated area information that specifies the area of ​​the area where the multiple outdoor units are installed, and a short circuit occurrence rate threshold that specifies a threshold for the short circuit occurrence rate; an estimation unit that estimates layout conditions that indicate installation methods that correspond to all of the short circuit occurrence rate that corresponds to the short circuit occurrence rate threshold input to the input unit, the installation area information that indicates the area that corresponds to the area indicated by the designated area information input to the input unit, and the installation specification information that corresponds to the designated installation specification information input to the input unit, in the correspondence table stored in the memory unit; and a presentation unit that presents the layout conditions estimated by the estimation unit.

2. The outdoor unit placement condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit described in claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores the correspondence table to which installation dimension information indicating the dimensions of the area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed is further associated, the input unit further inputs specified dimension information specifying the dimensions of the area in which the multiple outdoor units will be installed, and the estimation unit estimates the placement conditions corresponding to the installation dimension information indicating dimensions corresponding to the dimensions indicated by the specified dimension information input to the input unit in the correspondence table stored in the memory unit.

3. The outdoor unit placement condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the estimation unit further estimates information regarding a method for making the area in which the multiple outdoor units are installed even smaller than the placement conditions, and the presentation unit presents the placement conditions estimated by the estimation unit and a method for making the area in which the multiple outdoor units are installed even smaller.

4. The outdoor unit layout condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the estimation unit is equipped with a learning device having a learning data acquisition unit that acquires learning data including the layout conditions and an installation diagram showing the installation state of the outdoor unit, and a model generation unit that uses the learning data to generate a trained model for inferring the installation diagram of the outdoor unit from the layout conditions.

5. The outdoor unit placement condition presentation device for an air conditioning unit described in claim 4, wherein the estimation unit comprises an inference device having a data acquisition unit that acquires the designated installation specification information input to the input unit, and an inference unit that outputs the installation diagram of the outdoor unit from the designated installation specification information input from the data acquisition unit using a trained model for inferring the installation diagram of the outdoor unit from the designated installation specification information.

6. A method for presenting outdoor unit layout conditions for an air conditioning unit, comprising: a step of storing a correspondence table in which installation area information indicating the area of ​​the area in which multiple outdoor units constituting an air conditioning unit are installed, installation specification information related to the specifications of the outdoor units, and short circuit occurrence rates, which are the rates at which short circuits occur in the multiple outdoor units; a step of inputting designated installation specification information specifying the specifications of the outdoor units, designated area information specifying the area of ​​the area in which the multiple outdoor units are installed, and a short circuit occurrence rate threshold specifying a threshold for the short circuit occurrence rate; a step of estimating, in the correspondence table stored by the storing step, layout conditions indicating an installation method corresponding to all of the short circuit occurrence rate corresponding to the short circuit occurrence rate threshold input by the inputting step, the installation area information indicating the area corresponding to the area indicated by the designated area information input by the inputting step, and the installation specification information corresponding to the designated installation specification information input by the inputting step; and a step of presenting the layout conditions estimated by the estimating step.

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