Air-Conditioning System Mode Switching for Multi-Unit Energy Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In air-conditioning systems where all units are switched to either heating or cooling operation, excessive energy consumption occurs due to lack of individual control over heating and cooling, preventing effective energy savings, especially in regions with large temperature differences.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning system with a controller that allows individual air-conditioning apparatuses to operate in two modes: one maintaining a set temperature and another between upper and lower limits, enabling the system to switch between heating and cooling based on temperature differences, thus optimizing energy use and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all air-conditioning apparatuses are switched to either heating or cooling operation collectively, then the system can be simplified and ease of operation is improved, but individual temperature control is lost and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments air-conditioning apparatuses into two groups: those that can individually switch between heating and cooling modes, and those that are collectively switched. This segmentation allows individual control for energy efficiency while maintaining simplified operation for the collectively controlled units, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and energy consumption.
2Device complexity
If all air-conditioning apparatuses are collectively switched to heating or cooling operation, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to adapt to different temperature requirements is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides air-conditioning apparatuses into two segments: individually controllable units that can adapt to specific temperature requirements, and collectively controlled units that simplify device complexity. This segmentation allows the system to balance between reduced complexity and maintained adaptability by assigning different control strategies to different groups of apparatuses.
3Adaptability or versatility
If individual air-conditioning apparatuses can switch between heating and cooling modes, then adaptability to temperature requirements is improved, but device complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments apparatuses into individually controllable and collectively controlled groups, allowing adaptability where needed while limiting complexity to specific units. This selective segmentation enables the system to provide individual temperature control for certain apparatuses without requiring all apparatuses to have complex individual control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the control of multiple air-conditioning apparatuses into a collective switching mechanism for certain groups, reducing device complexity. By combining control for specific apparatuses while maintaining individual control for others, the system balances adaptability and complexity through strategic merging and segmentation.
Data Source
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Figure 3(a)~3(b)
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AI summary
There is provided an air-conditioning system in which at least one or some of a plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses are each controllable such that the indoor temperature is maintained between two set temperatures. All the plurality of air-conditioning apparatuses are switched to either one of heating operation and cooling operation on the basis of a temperature difference between the indoor temperature related to an air-conditioning apparatus that is in the first operation mode and a set target temperature and a temperature difference between the indoor temperature related to an air-conditioning apparatuses that is in the second operation mode and an upper temperature limit or a lower temperature limit.