A method for configuring setpoints for a vapour compression system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large vapour compression systems face complexity in configuring operating setpoints, leading to potential conflicts and reduced user flexibility due to the need for manual configuration, which can be cumbersome and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A method that divides operating setpoints into manually and automatically generated groups, with a setpoint manager ensuring compliance with predefined rules, allowing users to select manual settings while automatically adjusting as needed to prevent conflicts and ensure appropriate operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If operating setpoints are configured manually for large vapour compression systems, then user flexibility and freedom to configure according to special needs is improved, but the complexity and time consumption of configuration increases significantly and conflicts between setpoints may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration process into two distinct groups: manually configurable setpoints (first group) and automatically generated setpoints (second group). This segmentation allows users to directly configure only the critical setpoints they need flexibility for, while the system automatically handles the remaining setpoints based on rules and relationships, thereby reducing overall configuration complexity while preserving user flexibility where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the controller's automatic generation logic) that mediates between user needs and system requirements. This intermediary automatically generates appropriate setpoints based on predefined rules, relationships, and the manually configured setpoints, ensuring consistency and preventing conflicts without requiring users to manually configure every parameter.
2Adaptability or versatility
If operating setpoints are configured manually for large vapour compression systems, then user freedom to configure according to special needs is improved, but the risk of conflicts between setpoints increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a framework of predefined rules and relationships before user configuration. These rules encode the physical and operational constraints of the vapour compression system, ensuring that any manually configured setpoints will be checked against these pre-established criteria, thereby preventing conflicts and maintaining reliability while allowing user freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the controller automatically generates setpoints based on the manually configured ones and the predefined rules. This feedback loop ensures that if manual configurations create conflicts or inconsistencies, the system can detect and resolve them automatically, maintaining setpoint consistency and reliability while preserving user freedom for critical parameters.
3Reliability
If operating setpoints are configured automatically for large vapour compression systems, then the risk of conflicts and inappropriate setpoints is minimized, but user flexibility and freedom to configure according to special needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different degrees of automation for different groups of setpoints. The first group of setpoints maintains manual configuration for high user flexibility, while the second group uses automatic generation for high reliability. This localized approach to configuration strategy ensures that user flexibility is preserved where needed while automatic generation provides reliability where appropriate.
4Reliability
If a limited number of operating setpoints are allowed to be configured manually, then the risk of conflicts is minimized, but the freedom of the user to configure the operating setpoints as desired is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of user freedom from being a fixed limitation to a dynamic characteristic. Users can configure the first group of setpoints manually according to their specific needs, and the system's automatic generation of the second group adapts based on these manual configurations and predefined rules. This parameter change allows user freedom to be optimized for each specific application while maintaining conflict prevention through the structured approach.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for configuring a plurality of operating setpoints for a vapour compression system (1) is disclosed. The plurality of operating setpoints are divided into a first group (12) of operating setpoints to be generated manually and a second group (13) of operating setpoints to be generated automatically, and the operating setpoints are operated in accordance therewith. The manually generated operating setpoints (12) and the automatically generated operating setpoints (13) are provided to a setpoint manager (11), and the setpoint manager (11) checks if the provided operating setpoints (12, 13) are in compliance with a set of rules. In the case that at least some of the provided operating setpoints (12, 13) are not in compliance with the set of rules, the setpoint manager (11) adjusts at least some of the provided operating setpoints (12, 13) in accordance with the set of rules, thereby obtaining an adjusted set of operating setpoints. The vapour compression system (1) is subsequently controlled in accordance with the adjusted set of operating setpoints.