Air conditioning control device and method thereof

• US 9,250,633 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lu, Chung-Hsien, Chang, Ya-Ching, Chen, Hsiang-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/710,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 700/278, 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller

Abstract

An air conditioning control device and a method thereof are provided, and the air conditioning control method includes the following steps. A plurality of predetermined state information and a current state information are generated according to environment states of a physical space, and a target state information is selected form the plurality of predetermined state information according to a minimum energy consumption. Moreover, the current state information and the target state information are utilized to generate a current effective temperature value and a target effective temperature value, and a set temperature value and a return-air temperature value are extracted from an air conditioning controller. The current effective temperature value, the target effective temperature value, the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value are utilized to execute fuzzy inference to generate a temperature fine-tuning value. The temperature fine-tuning value is utilized to adjust the set temperature value.

Claims

1. An air conditioning control method for an air conditioning control device, the air conditioning control method comprising:

generating a plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to a target comfort index according to environment states outside a physical space;

generating a current state information according to environment states within the physical space, wherein the current state information includes a first temperature data, a first humidity data and a first carbon dioxide concentration data;

utilizing the current state information and the plurality of predetermined state information to calculate a plurality of energy consumptions required by the conversion of states and selecting a target state information from the plurality of predetermined state information according to a minimum energy consumption, when the current state information is different from the plurality of predetermined state information, wherein the step of utilizing the current state information and the plurality of predetermined state information to calculate the plurality of energy consumptions required by the conversion of states comprises;

selecting one of the plurality of predetermined state information, wherein the selected predetermined state information includes a second temperature data, a second humidity data and a second carbon dioxide concentration data;

calculating a first energy for adjusting a temperature of the physical space from the first temperature data to the second temperature data;

calculating a second energy for adjusting a humidity of the physical space from the first humidity data to the second humidity data;

calculating a third energy for adjusting a carbon dioxide concentration of the physical space from the first carbon dioxide concentration data to the second carbon dioxide concentration data; and

calculating the energy consumption corresponding to the selected predetermined state information according to the first energy, the second energy and the third energy;

utilizing the current state information and the target state information to generate a current effective temperature value and a target effective temperature value;

extracting a set temperature value and a return-air temperature value from an air conditioning controller in the air conditioning control device, wherein the air conditioning controller obtains the return-air temperature value through a sensor disposed on a return-air vent of the air conditioning control device;

utilizing the current effective temperature value, the target effective temperature value, the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value to execute fuzzy inference, so as to generate a temperature fine-tuning value; and

utilizing the temperature fine-tuning value to adjust the set temperature value.

2. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the current state information is the same as one of the plurality of predetermined state information; and

returning to the step of generating the plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to the target comfort index according to the environment states outside the physical space, when the current state information is the same as one of the plurality of predetermined state information.

3. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of generating the plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to the target comfort index according to the environment states outside the physical space comprises:

detecting a plurality of environment parameters outside the physical space, and accordingly transmitting an outdoor sensing information;

calculating an optimal state information under an optimal comfort index according to the outdoor sensing information; and

utilizing the optimal state information to obtain the plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to the target comfort index.

4. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of generating the current state information according to the environment states within the physical space comprises:

detecting the environment parameters within the physical space, and accordingly transmitting a plurality of indoor sensing information; and

utilizing the plurality of indoor sensing information to generate the current state information.

5. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the environment parameters comprise a temperature, a humidity and a carbon dioxide concentration.

6. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of utilizing the current effective temperature value, the target effective temperature value, the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value to execute the fuzzy inference so as to generate the temperature fine-tuning value comprises:

calculating a first temperature difference between the current effective temperature value and the target effective temperature value;

calculating a second temperature difference between the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value;

fuzzifying the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference to generate a fuzzy set state of an antecedent part;

generating an inference result of a consequent part according to a plurality of fuzzy rules and an inference method; and

defuzzifying the inference result to generate the temperature fine-tuning value.

7. The air conditioning control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of utilizing the temperature fine-tuning value to adjust the set temperature value comprises:

adding the temperature fine-tuning value and the set temperature value together, and accordingly generating a corrected temperature value; and

utilizing the corrected temperature value to update the set temperature value.

8. An air conditioning control device, comprising:

a wireless sensing module, generating a plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to a target comfort index according to environment states outside a physical space, and generating a current state information according to environment states within the physical space, wherein the current state information includes a first temperature data, a first humidity data and a first carbon dioxide concentration data;

an effective temperature calculator, wherein when the current state information is different from the plurality of predetermined state information, the effective temperature calculator utilizes the current state information and the plurality of predetermined state information to calculate a plurality of energy consumptions required by the conversion of states, and selects a target state information from the plurality of predetermined state information according to a minimum energy consumption, the effective temperature calculator selects one of the plurality of predetermined state information, the selected predetermined state information includes a second temperature data, a second humidity data and a second carbon dioxide concentration data,

the effective temperature calculator calculates a first energy for adjusting a temperature of the physical space from the first temperature data to the second temperature data, a second energy for adjusting a humidity of the physical space from the first humidity data to the second humidity data and a third energy for adjusting a carbon dioxide concentration of the physical space from the first carbon dioxide concentration data to the second carbon dioxide concentration data,

the effective temperature calculator calculates the energy consumption corresponding to the selected predetermined state information according to the first energy, the second energy and the third energy, and the effective temperature calculator utilizes the current state information and the target state information to generate a current effective temperature value and a target effective temperature value;

an air conditioning controller, obtaining a return-air temperature value through a sensor disposed on a return-air vent of the air conditioning control device;

a fuzzy inference system, extracting a set temperature value and the return-air temperature value from the air conditioning controller, and utilizing the current effective temperature value, the target effective temperature value, the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value to execute fuzzy inference, so as to generate a temperature fine-tuning value; and

an adder, adding the temperature fine-tuning value and the set temperature value together, and accordingly generating a corrected temperature value, and the air conditioning controller utilizing the corrected temperature value to update the set temperature value.

9. The air conditioning control device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the effective temperature calculator further determines whether the current state information is the same as one of the plurality of predetermined state information.

10. The air conditioning control device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wireless sensing module comprises:

an outdoor sensing node, disposed outside the physical space and detecting a plurality of environment parameters outside the physical space, and accordingly transmitting an outdoor sensing information;

a plurality of indoor sensing nodes, disposed within the physical space and detecting the environment parameters within the physical space, and accordingly transmitting a plurality of indoor sensing information;

a wireless data collector, receiving the outdoor sensing information and the plurality of indoor sensing information, and storing the outdoor sensing information and the plurality of indoor sensing information in an environment database; and

a comfort index building module, calculating an optimal state info nation under an optimal comfort index according to the outdoor sensing information, and utilizing the optimal state information to obtain the plurality of predetermined state information corresponding to the target comfort index, and the comfort index building module further utilizing the plurality of indoor sensing information to generate the current state information.

11. The air conditioning control device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the environment parameters comprise a temperature, a humidity and a carbon dioxide concentration.

12. The air conditioning control device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the outdoor sensing node and the indoor sensing nodes respectively comprises:

a temperature sensor, detecting a temperature of a surrounding environment;

a humidity sensor, detecting a humidity of the surrounding environment;

a carbon dioxide sensor, detecting a carbon dioxide concentration of the surrounding environment; and

a wireless transmission module, collecting the data detected by the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor, and accordingly transmitting the collected information.

13. The air conditioning control device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fuzzy inference system comprises:

a fuzzifier, calculating a first temperature difference between the current effective temperature value and the target effective temperature value and calculating a second temperature difference between the set temperature value and the return-air temperature value, wherein the fuzzifier fuzzifies the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference, so as to generate a fuzzy set state of an antecedent part;

an inference engine, generating an inference result of a consequent part according to a plurality of fuzzy rules and an inference method; and

a defuzzifier, defuzzifying the inference result to generate the temperature fine-tuning value.