Electric valve control device and electric valve device including the same

Solution Overview

Problem

Electric valves in refrigeration systems, such as those used in air conditioners, face delays and increased energy consumption due to the need for initializing operations when power is restored or a sleep mode is cancelled, as they cannot determine the current valve opening degree without an initializing operation, which shortens the valve's mechanical lifetime.

Innovation Solution

An electric valve control device that stores valve opening degree information in a nonvolatile storage unit, allowing it to resume control based on this information when power is restored or the sleep mode is cancelled, eliminating the need for initializing operations and reducing energy consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an initializing operation is performed to determine the valve opening degree position, then the control reference position can be established, but the startup time is delayed and energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve position control accuracyVSAvoidstartup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by storing the valve opening degree information in a nonvolatile storage unit before power-off or sleep mode transition occurs. This allows the system to retrieve the stored position information immediately upon power restoration, eliminating the need for time-consuming initializing operations and thereby reducing startup time while maintaining control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical initializing operation (physical valve movement to determine position) with an electronic information retrieval process. By substituting the mechanical positioning method with nonvolatile storage and digital retrieval of position data, the system achieves faster startup without mechanical wear and reduced energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If an initializing operation is performed to determine the valve opening degree position, then the control reference position can be established, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve position control accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by storing the valve opening degree information in a nonvolatile storage unit before power-off or sleep mode transition occurs. This allows the system to retrieve the stored position information immediately upon power restoration, eliminating the need for time-consuming initializing operations and thereby reducing startup time while maintaining control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical initializing operation (physical valve movement to determine position) with an electronic information retrieval process. By substituting the mechanical positioning method with nonvolatile storage and digital retrieval of position data, the system achieves faster startup without mechanical wear and reduced energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If frequent initializing operations are performed to determine the valve opening degree position, then the control reference position can be re-established, but the mechanical lifetime of the electric valve is shortened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevalve position control accuracyVSAvoidelectric valve lifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by storing the valve opening degree information in a nonvolatile storage unit before power-off or sleep mode transition occurs. This allows the system to retrieve the stored position information immediately upon power restoration, eliminating the need for time-consuming initializing operations and thereby reducing startup time while maintaining control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical initializing operation (physical valve movement to determine position) with an electronic information retrieval process. By substituting the mechanical positioning method with nonvolatile storage and digital retrieval of position data, the system achieves faster startup without mechanical wear and reduced energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10571875B2Electric valve control device and electric valve device including the same

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 FUJIKOKI CORP

AI summary

To provide an electric valve control device capable of preventing a delay at the time of starting a control of an electric valve by shortening a standby time of an air conditioner or the like when power is input again or a sleep mode is cancelled and an electric valve device including the same. After receiving a power-off signal predicting a power-off operation of an electric valve 9 or a sleep transition signal predicting a sleep mode transition operation thereof from an outside, (current) valve opening degree information at the time of stopping an operation of the electric valve 9 is stored in an EEPROM (a nonvolatile storage unit) 11c. At the time of inputting power again or cancelling a sleep mode, the current (immediately precedent) valve opening degree information stored in the EEPROM 11c is read from the EEPROM 11c to resume a control of the electric valve 9.