CONTROLLER AND AIR CONDITIONING PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20130167571A1
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/176.4
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0008 for air-humidification F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/00 Control inputs relating to environmental factors not covered by group F24F2110/00
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/10 Weather information or forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption

Abstract

A controller controls the operations of a humidity control apparatus and an air conditioner. The controller includes a power consumption detector, a target value setting processor, and an operation control unit. The power consumption detector detects the power consumption of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner. The target value setting processor performs optimal target value setting processing by performing first or second processing. The first processing lowers a target operating frequency of a humidity controlling compressor and a target evaporation temperature in a utilization-side heat exchanger. The second processing raises the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature. The optimal target value setting processing sets the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature so as to minimize the power consumption. The operation control unit controls the humidity control apparatus to achieve the target operating frequency and the air conditioner to achieve the target evaporation temperature.

Claims

1. A controller configured to control operations of

a humidity control apparatus arranged and configured to perform humidity control processing of a predetermined space, the humidity control apparatus including a humidity controlling refrigerant circuit having a humidity controlling compressor, a first adsorption heat exchanger, a second adsorption heat exchanger, a humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and a switching mechanism interconnected to each other, the switching mechanism being switchable between

a first switched state allowing refrigerant discharged from the humidity controlling compressor to circulate in order through the first adsorption heat exchanger, the humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and the second adsorption heat exchanger and

a second switched state allowing the refrigerant discharged from the humidity controlling compressor to circulate in order through the second adsorption heat exchanger, the humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and the first adsorption heat exchanger, and

an air conditioner arranged and configured to perform air conditioning processing of the predetermined space, the air condition including an air conditioning refrigerant circuit having at least an air conditioning compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, a utilization-side heat exchanger, and an air conditioning expansion mechanism interconnected to each other,

the controller comprising:

a power consumption detector arranged and configured to detect power consumption of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner;

a target value setting processor configured to perform one of

a first processing lowering a target operating frequency of the humidity controlling compressor and lowering a target evaporation temperature in the utilization-side heat exchanger, and

a second processing raising the target operating frequency and raising the target evaporation temperature,

in order to perform optimal target value setting processing in which the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature are set so as to minimize the power consumption; and

an operation control unit configured to control

the humidity controlling compressor to achieve the target operating frequency and

at least one of the air conditioning compressor and the air conditioning expansion mechanism to achieve the target evaporation temperature.

2. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage unit configured to store a power consumption minimizing logic, with the operating frequency of the humidity controlling compressor, the evaporation temperature in the utilization-side heat exchanger, the power consumption, and operating conditions being associated with each other in the power consumption minimizing logic,

the target value setting processor setting the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature based on the operating conditions at that time and the power consumption minimizing logic.

3. The controller according to claim 2, wherein

the operating conditions relate to a latent heat load and a sensible heat load in the predetermined space, a target temperature and a target humidity of the predetermined space, a space temperature and a space humidity of the predetermined space, and an outside air temperature and an outside air humidity.

4. The controller according to claim 2, wherein

in a case where it is determined that humidity of the predetermined space at that time is divergent from the target humidity of the predetermined space, the controller is configured to correct the target operating frequency of the humidity controlling compressor in the power consumption minimizing logic such that the humidity of the predetermined space matches the target humidity of the predetermined space.

5. The controller according to claim 2, further comprising

a transceiver unit connected to a network, the transceiver unit being configured

to transmit operating state data of one of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner to a remotely located network center via the network, and

to receive an optimal power consumption minimizing logic, the optimal power consumption minimizing logic being updated so as to become more optimal than the power consumption minimizing logic based on the operating state data;

and

a logic updater configured to update the power consumption minimizing logic to the optimal power consumption minimizing logic that the transceiver unit receives.

6. The controller according to claim 5, wherein

the transceiver unit is further configured to receive weather forecast information, and

the target value setting processor is further configured to employ the received weather forecast information as the outside air temperature and the outside air humidity as two of the operating conditions to set the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature.

7. The controller according to claim 1, wherein

the operation control unit is further configured to control the humidity controlling compressor to achieve no more than the target operating frequency and

at least one of the air conditioning compressor and the air conditioning expansion mechanism to achieve no more than the target evaporation temperature.

8. The controller according to claim 1, further comprising

a latent heat processing efficiency determiner configured to determine whether the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls,

the target value setting processor being further configured to not perform the optimal target value setting processing in a case where it is determined that the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls.

9. The controller according to claim 8, wherein

the latent heat processing efficiency determiner determines that the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls in a case where a value obtained by dividing

a difference between an absolute humidity of outside air and an absolute humidity of outlet air blown out into the predetermined space from the humidity control apparatus by

a difference between the absolute humidity of the outside air and an absolute humidity of the predetermined space

exceeds a predetermined value.

11. The controller according to claim 2, wherein the operation control unit is further configured to control

the humidity controlling compressor to achieve no more than the target operating frequency and

at least one of the air conditioning compressor and the air conditioning expansion mechanism to achieve no more than the target evaporation temperature.

12. The controller according to claim 2, further comprising

a latent heat processing efficiency determiner configured to determine whether the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus

the target value setting processor being further configured to not perform the optimal target value setting processing in a case where it is determined that the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls.

13. The controller according to claim 7, further comprising

a latent heat processing efficiency determiner configured to determine whether the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls,

the target value setting processor being further configured to not perform the optimal target value setting processing in a case where it is determined that the latent heat processing efficiency in the humidity control apparatus falls.

14. The controller according to claim 3, wherein

in a case where it is determined that humidity of the predetermined space at that time is divergent from the target humidity of the predetermined space, the controller is configured to correct the target operating frequency of the humidity controlling compressor in the power consumption minimizing logic such that the humidity of the predetermined space matches the target humidity of the predetermined space.

15. The controller according to claim 3, further comprising

a transceiver unit connected to a network, the transceiver unit being configured

to transmit operating state data of one of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner to a remotely located network center via the network, and

to receive an optimal power consumption minimizing logic, the optimal power consumption minimizing logic being updated so as to become more optimal than the power consumption minimizing logic based on the operating state data;

and

a logic updater configured to update the power consumption minimizing logic to the optimal power consumption minimizing logic that the transceiver unit receives.

16. The controller according to claim 4, further comprising

a transceiver unit connected to a network, the transceiver unit being configured

to transmit operating state data of one of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner to a remotely located network center via the network, and

to receive an optimal power consumption minimizing logic, the optimal power consumption minimizing logic being updated so as to become more optimal than the power consumption minimizing logic based on the operating state data;

and

a logic updater configured to update the power consumption minimizing logic to the optimal power consumption minimizing logic that the transceiver unit receives.

10. An air conditioning processing system comprising:

a humidity control apparatus arranged and configured to perform humidity control processing of a predetermined space, the humidity control apparatus including a humidity controlling refrigerant circuit having a humidity controlling compressor, a first adsorption heat exchanger, a second adsorption heat exchanger, a humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and a switching mechanism interconnected to each other, the switching mechanism being switchable between

a first switched state allowing refrigerant discharged from the humidity controlling compressor to circulate in order through the first adsorption heat exchanger, the humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and the second adsorption heat exchanger and

a second switched state allowing the refrigerant discharged from the humidity controlling compressor to circulate in order through the second adsorption heat exchanger, the humidity controlling expansion mechanism, and the first adsorption heat exchanger;

an air conditioner arranged and configured to perform air conditioning processing of the predetermined space, the air condition including an air conditioning refrigerant circuit having at least an air conditioning compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, a utilization-side heat exchanger, and an air conditioning expansion mechanism interconnected to each other; and

a controller including

a power consumption detector arranged and configured to detect a power consumption of the humidity control apparatus and the air conditioner,

a target value setting processor configured to perform one of

a first processing lowering a target operating frequency of the humidity controlling compressor and lowering a target evaporation temperature in the utilization-side heat exchanger, and

a second processing raising the target operating frequency and raising the target evaporation temperature, in order to perform optimal target value setting processing in which the target operating frequency and the target evaporation temperature are set so as to minimize the power consumption, and

an operation control unit configured to control

the humidity controlling compressor to achieve the target operating frequency and

at least one of the air conditioning compressor and the air conditioning expansion mechanism to achieve the target evaporation temperature.