Remote Performance Monitor and Remote Performance Monitoring Method

• US 20080234869A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takagi, Yasuo, Murakami, Yoshiki, Nishimura, Nobutaka, Donen, Nobuyuki, Yonezawa, Kenzo, Ito, Yasuyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/051,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234869A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data

Abstract

A remote performance monitor to acquire monitoring data concerning an air-conditioning system of a monitoring target building and to determine an operating condition of the air-conditioning system, the remote performance monitor comprises a monitoring data receiver (11), a characteristic function calculator (12) and an operating condition calculator (13). The monitoring data receiver (11) receives monitoring data from a monitoring data collecting apparatus in the monitoring target building. The monitoring data is data concerning performance characteristics of air-conditioning machines installed in the air-conditioning system of the monitoring target building. The characteristic function calculator (12) calculates a characteristic function for the monitoring target building and for each of the air-conditioning machines based on the monitoring data. The operating condition calculator (13) calculates operating condition data to minimize a sum of amounts of energy consumed by the air-conditioning machines by using the characteristic function.

Claims

1. A remote performance monitor configured to acquire monitoring data concerning an air-conditioning system of a monitoring target building and to determine an operating condition of the air-conditioning system, the remote performance monitor comprising:

a monitoring data receiver configured to receive monitoring data from a monitoring data collecting apparatus in the monitoring target building, wherein the monitoring data is data concerning performance characteristics of air-conditioning machines installed in the air-conditioning system of the monitoring target building;

a characteristic function calculator configured to calculate a characteristic function for the monitoring target building and for each of the air-conditioning machines based on the monitoring data; and

an operating condition calculator configured to calculate operating condition data to minimize a sum of amounts of energy consumed by the air-conditioning machines by using the characteristic function.

2. The remote performance monitor according to claim 1 wherein,

when the characteristic function of the monitoring target building is calculated,

the monitoring data receiver receives a temperature of outside air and humidity of the outside air on the monitoring target building, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates a function of the air-conditioning load to the temperature and the humidity of the outside air.

3. The remote performance monitor according to claim 1 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning system is a central chiller type air-conditioning system,

each air-conditioning machine is any one of a central chiller, a cooling tower, an air-conditioner, a chilled water pump, a cooling water pump and an air fan.

4. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the central chiller,

the monitoring data receiver receives chilled water temperature of chilled water, a flow rate of the chilled water, a cooling water temperature of cooling water and a flow rate of the cooling water, wherein the chilled water is produced by the central chiller and the cooling water is taken into the central chiller and

the characteristic function calculator calculates energy consumption efficiency of the central chiller as the characteristic function.

5. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the cooling tower,

the monitoring data receiver receives outside air temperature, outside air humidity, cooling water temperature of cooling water and a flow rate of the cooling water wherein the cooling water is returning to the cooling tower, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates heat exchange efficiency of the cooling tower as the characteristic function.

6. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the air-conditioner,

the monitoring data receiver receives:

flow rate of chilled water;

as well as a flow rate, a temperature, and a humidity of each of circulating air and supplied air of the air-conditioner, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates an overall heat transmission rate of the air-conditioner as the characteristic function.

7. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the chilled water pump,

the monitoring data receiver receives an amount of energy consumed by the chilled water pump and a flow rate of chilled water, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates a function of the consumed amount of energy to the flow rate of the chilled water as the characteristic function.

8. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the cooling water pump,

the monitoring data receiver receives an amount of energy consumed by the cooling water pump and a flow rate of cooling water, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates a function of the consumed amount of energy to the flow rate of the cooling water as the characteristic function.

9. The remote performance monitor according to claim 3 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the air fan,

the monitoring data receiver receives an amount of energy consumed by the air fan and an air-conditioning load or air flow rate, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates a function of the amount of energy consumed by the air fan to the air-conditioning load or air flow rate as the characteristic function.

10. The remote performance monitor according to claim 1 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning system is a multi packaged type air-conditioner,

the air-conditioning machine is an air-conditioner including an outdoor unit and an indoor unit.

11. The remote performance monitor according to claim 10 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning machine is the air-conditioner,

the monitoring data receiver receives outside air temperature and an air-conditioning load on the air-conditioner, and

the characteristic function calculator calculates a function of energy consumption efficiency of the air-conditioner as the characteristic function.

12. A remote performance monitoring method configured to acquire monitoring data concerning an air-conditioning system of a monitoring target building and to determine an operating condition of the air-conditioning system, the remote performance monitoring method comprising:

receiving monitoring data from a monitoring data collecting apparatus in the monitoring target building, wherein the monitoring data is data concerning performance characteristics of air-conditioning machines installed in the air-conditioning system of the monitoring target building;

calculating a characteristic function for the monitoring target building and for each of the air-conditioning machines based on the monitoring data; and

calculating operating condition data to minimize the sum of amounts of energy consumed by the air-conditioning machines by using the characteristic function.

13. The remote performance monitoring method according to claim 12 wherein,

when the characteristic function of the monitoring target building is calculated,

the monitoring data is a temperature of outside air and humidity of the outside air on the monitoring target building, and

the characteristic function is a function of the air-conditioning load to the temperature of the outside air and the humidity of the outside air is calculated in the step of calculating the characteristic function.

14. The remote performance monitoring method according to claim 12 wherein,

in the case where the air-conditioning system is of a central chiller type,

each air-conditioning machine is any one of a central chiller, a cooling tower, an air-conditioner, a chilled water pump, a cooling water pump and an air fan.

15. The remote performance monitoring method according to claim 12 wherein

in the case where the air-conditioning system is a multi packaged type air-conditioner,

the air-conditioning machine is an air-conditioner including an outdoor unit and an indoor unit.

16. A remote performance monitor configured to acquire monitoring data concerning an air-conditioning system of a monitoring target building and to determine an operating condition of the air-conditioning system, the remote performance monitor comprising:

a monitoring data receiver configured to receive monitoring data from a monitoring data collecting apparatus in the monitoring target building, wherein the monitoring data is data concerning performance characteristics of air-conditioning machines installed in the air-conditioning system of the monitoring target building;

a characteristic function calculator configured to calculate a characteristic function for the monitoring target building and for each of the air-conditioning machines based on the monitoring data; and

a parameter sender configured to send parameters of the characteristic function which is calculated by the characteristic function calculator.

17. A remote performance monitoring method configured to acquire monitoring data concerning an air-conditioning system of a monitoring target building and to determine an operating condition of the air-conditioning system, the remote performance monitoring method comprising:

receiving monitoring data from a monitoring data collecting apparatus in the monitoring target building, wherein the monitoring data is data concerning performance characteristics of air-conditioning machines installed in the air-conditioning system of the monitoring target building;

calculating a characteristic function for the monitoring target building and for each of the air-conditioning machines based on the monitoring data; and

sending parameters of the characteristic function which is calculated by the calculating step.