Thermal Storage Air-Conditioning Control for Fast Power Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air-conditioning systems face challenges in quickly responding to commands for reducing or promoting commercial power consumption due to the time required to reach a steady state during switching operations, leading to potential exceedance or decrease in power consumption beyond predetermined limits.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning system with a refrigerant circuit, compressor, and thermal storage heat exchanger, controlled by a power reduction section and control device to synchronize operations with power commands, ensuring commercial power consumption remains within set values by adjusting compressor activity and air-conditioning capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If the air-conditioning system switches to an operation that reduces commercial power consumption, then the cooling or heating can be performed with less power, but it takes time for the refrigeration cycle to reach a steady state causing the commercial power consumption to exceed the predetermined upper limit right after the reduction command is given
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary control actions in synchronization with the timing of operation switching. When switching to a power reduction operation, the control device proactively adjusts the compressor operation and thermal storage heat exchanger configuration before the steady state is reached, ensuring that the commercial power consumption is quickly reduced to equal to or lower than the first value (target power consumption) from the moment of operation start.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If the air-conditioning system switches to an operation that promotes commercial power consumption, then the cooling or heating can be performed with higher power, but it takes time for the refrigeration cycle to reach a steady state causing the commercial power consumption to decrease below the predetermined lower limit right after the promotion command is given
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary control actions in synchronization with the timing of operation switching. When switching to a power promotion operation, the control device proactively adjusts the compressor operation and thermal storage heat exchanger configuration from the moment of operation start, ensuring that the commercial power consumption is quickly increased to equal to or higher than the third value (target power consumption) without waiting for the steady state to be reached.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If the compressor is controlled to quickly reduce commercial power consumption, then the power consumption can be reduced to the target value, but the air-conditioning capacity may be insufficient during the transition period
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal storage heat exchanger acts as an intermediary to decouple the compressor operation from the immediate air-conditioning load. During power reduction operations, the thermal storage heat exchanger stores thermal energy while the compressor operates at reduced capacity. During power promotion operations, the thermal storage heat exchanger releases stored thermal energy to supplement the air-conditioning capacity while the compressor increases power consumption. This intermediary mechanism allows the compressor to respond quickly to power consumption commands without directly compromising air-conditioning capacity.
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
Enables rapid and reliable reduction or promotion of commercial power consumption to meet target values, even before the refrigeration cycle reaches a steady state, effectively addressing the system's responsiveness and efficiency issues.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigerant circuit (50) to which a compressor (11), a utilization-side heat exchanger (41) performing air conditioning of an indoor space, and a thermal storage heat exchanger (21) are connected, and which is configured to perform a refrigeration cycle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An air-conditioning system (1) executes a first operation in accordance with a reduction command to reduce commercial power consumption in the entire system, the first operation allowing a utilization-side heat exchanger (41) to perform air conditioning using a thermal storage heat exchanger (21) as a heat source. The air-conditioning system (1) includes a power reduction section (5, 11, 100) performing a first control in synchronization with a timing of the start of the first operation, the first control making the commercial power consumption in the entire system equal to or lower than a first value.