MONITORING SYSTEM FOR AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20110209487A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Kitade, Yukio, Tanaka, Masahiro, Tachiki, Chieko, Tachiki, Hiroshi, Itou, Shingo, Suko, Kzuo, Tachiki, Aya, Tachiki, Tomo, Nagasawa, Kouji
• Application Number:
  US12/672,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20110209487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/129
• 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers

Abstract

An air conditioner monitoring system includes: a plurality of air conditioners (10) each including a refrigerant circuit (11) for performing a vapor compression refrigeration cycle; a local controller (60) provided for each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners (10) for receiving data output by the each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners (10), and transmitting predetermined operation data; and a host controller (70) for receiving the operation data of the plurality of air conditioners (10) transmitted by the local controllers (60) through communication lines (53). The host controller (70) calculates air conditioning capability and power consumption of each of the air conditioners (10) in the each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners (10), and calculates energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioners (10).

Claims

1. An air conditioner monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of air conditioners each including a refrigerant circuit for performing a vapor compression refrigeration cycle;

a local controller provided for each of the air conditioners or each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners for receiving data output by the each of the air conditioners or the each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners, and transmitting predetermined operation data;

a host controller for receiving the operation data of the plurality of air conditioners transmitted by the local controllers through communication lines;

a capability calculator for calculating air conditioning capability of each of the air conditioners in the each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners;

an electric power calculator for calculating power consumption of each of the air conditioners in the each of sets of several ones of the air conditioners; and

an energy calculator for calculating energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioners based on the air conditioning capability calculated by the capability calculator, and the power consumption calculated by the electric power calculator.

2. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1, wherein

the energy calculator provided in a management controller for managing each of the air conditioners by previously classifying the air conditioners into a plurality of air conditioning blocks according to predetermined relationship, and the energy calculator is configured to calculate the energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioners, and calculate the energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioning blocks.

3. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1 or 2, wherein

the capability calculator is configured to calculate the air conditioning capability of each of the air conditioners based on a saturation temperature Tc corresponding to a condensing pressure in the refrigerant circuit, a saturation temperature Te corresponding to an evaporating pressure in the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant temperature Ti before pressure decrease in the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant suction temperature Ts in the compressor in the refrigerant circuit, and characteristics of the compressor in the refrigerant circuit.

4. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1 or 2, wherein

the electric power calculator is configured to calculate the power consumption of each of the air conditioners based on a saturation temperature Tc corresponding to a condensing pressure in the refrigerant circuit, a saturation temperature Te corresponding to an evaporating pressure in the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant temperature Ti before pressure decrease in the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant suction temperature Ts in the compressor in the refrigerant circuit, and characteristics of the compressor in the refrigerant circuit.

5. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1 or 2, wherein

the electric power calculator is configured to calculate the power consumption of the air conditioner based on a current value sensed by a current sensor provided in the air conditioner, and a power supply voltage.

6. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1 or 2, wherein

the electric power calculator is configured to calculate the power consumption of each of the air conditioners based on a current value sensed by a current sensor provided in the air conditioner, a power factor of the air conditioner, and a power supply voltage of the air conditioner.

7. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 6, wherein the current sensor is a control sensor for sensing a current fed to each device in the air conditioner.

8. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 1, wherein

the capability calculator, the electric power calculator, and the energy calculator are provided in the host controller.

9. The air conditioner monitoring system of claim 2, wherein

the management controller includes a display means for displaying the energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioners, and the energy utilization efficiency of each of the air conditioning blocks calculated by the energy calculator.