Control device for air conditioning apparatus, air conditioning system, control method for air conditioning apparatus, and program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioning systems fail to efficiently control both indoor and surface temperatures of building partitions, leading to discomfort due to inadequate processing of heat stored in building frames, especially during initial operations.
Innovation Solution
A control device and method for an air conditioning system that uses a mobile terminal to execute preliminary heating and cooling operations, adjusting both indoor and surface temperatures of partitions (such as floors, walls, and ceilings) to target temperatures at a specified time, utilizing a refrigerant circuit with a four-way switching valve and sensors for precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional air conditioning systems operate based only on indoor temperature control, then the system operation is simple, but discomfort occurs due to inadequate processing of heat stored in building frames
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating or cooling of the building frame (walls, floors, ceilings) before the actual air conditioning operation. By pre-processing the heat stored in the building frame, the system prepares the thermal environment in advance, preventing discomfort from wall surface radiation during occupancy. This is achieved by detecting wall temperature and initiating frame heating/cooling operations before the indoor temperature reaches the setpoint.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system controls both indoor temperature and surface temperature of partitions, then comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The building frame itself serves as both the object to be controlled and the medium for heat storage. The system utilizes the thermal mass of the building frame to automatically regulate surface temperature, reducing the need for additional active control components. The frame's inherent thermal properties are leveraged to maintain comfortable surface temperatures without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
3Loss of energy
If preliminary heating and cooling operations are executed to converge temperatures at target time, then energy efficiency is improved, but the control process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system executes preliminary heating or cooling operations that start before the target time and converge both indoor temperature and partition surface temperature to their respective target values at the target time. This pre-conditioning of the thermal environment reduces the energy required during actual occupancy, as the building frame has already absorbed or released stored heat, minimizing the workload on the air conditioning system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors both indoor temperature and partition surface temperature, using this feedback to dynamically adjust the preliminary heating/cooling operations. By detecting the actual thermal state of the building frame and comparing it with the target state, the control system optimizes the preliminary operations to achieve temperature convergence at the target time while minimizing energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively converges indoor and surface temperatures to target values at the desired time, improving comfort and energy efficiency by optimizing heating and cooling operations even when the space is unoccupied.
Implementation Method 1
an outdoor unit configured to perform heat exchange with outdoor air; a refrigerant circuit connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit
Implementation Method 2
a first sensor configured to detect at least one of the indoor temperature and the surface temperature of the partition portion; a second sensor configured to detect the other one of the indoor temperature and the surface temperature of the partition portion
Data Source
AI summary
A control device causes an air conditioning apparatus to execute a temperature adjustment operation of causing a first temperature to approach a first target temperature at a target time point and causing a second temperature to approach a second target temperature at the target time point. The first temperature is a surface temperature of a partition portion including at least one of a floor, a wall, and a ceiling facing a target space. The second temperature is an indoor temperature of the target space.