Air conditioner and control program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioner systems waste energy as the electric heater remains operational even when the indoor unit's heating capacity can fulfill demands, due to a fixed heater stop condition, which is not energy-efficient.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system with an indoor unit, outdoor unit, and a control device that dynamically adjusts the operation of the electric heater based on outdoor and indoor temperatures, using variable thresholds set by the user to enable or disable heater control, ensuring the heater is only active when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed heater stop condition is used, then the control logic is simple, but the electric heater operates wastefully even when indoor heating capacity is sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a fixed heater stop condition to a dynamic determination method that adjusts the stop condition based on outdoor air temperature. The control device calculates the heater stop condition dynamically using the outdoor temperature and predetermined parameters, allowing the system to adapt to varying environmental conditions and avoid unnecessary heater operation while maintaining simple control logic.
2Ease of operation
If the heater operates based on fixed conditions, then the control is easy to implement, but energy saving opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the heater stop condition parameter based on outdoor air temperature. Instead of using a fixed threshold, the system calculates the stop condition dynamically using the outdoor temperature as a variable parameter. This allows the heater control to adapt to changing environmental conditions, improving energy efficiency while maintaining straightforward control implementation through automated calculations.
3Loss of energy
If dynamic threshold adjustment is implemented, then energy saving is improved, but user customization capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a system that serves multiple functions: it automatically determines heater stop conditions based on outdoor temperature for energy efficiency, while also allowing users to manually input custom stop conditions when desired. The control device universally handles both automated dynamic determination and user-specific customizations, ensuring the system adapts to different user needs and preferences while maintaining energy-saving benefits.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A storage unit stores threshold data indicating first and second thresholds. A heater control determination unit reads the threshold data from the storage unit, enables a heater control when an outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than the first threshold, and disables the heater control when the outdoor air temperature is equal to or higher than the second threshold. A heater operation control unit sets a heater operation to be always-off when the heater control is disabled, and ON/OFF controls the heater operation based on a relation between an indoor temperature and a set temperature when the heater control is enabled. A reception unit receives a threshold designation signal input by a user and designating at least one of the first and second thresholds. A threshold setting unit sets, based on designation by the received threshold designation signal, the threshold data stored in the storage unit.