JP7624614B2 - Air conditioning control system, air conditioning system, air conditioning control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an air conditioning control system that controls multiple air conditioners, an air conditioning system, an air conditioning control method, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system. This air conditioning system includes multiple air conditioners and a control calculation unit. The air conditioners have indoor and outdoor units, which form a single complete refrigeration cycle. Multiple indoor units are placed in one air-conditioned area. The control calculation unit then equalizes the air conditioning capacity of each air conditioner according to the air conditioning load detected by each air conditioner by communicating with each other between the air conditioners.

JP 2010-121798 A

This disclosure provides an air conditioning control system that makes it easy to reduce wasteful power consumption.

An air conditioning control system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit, an acquisition unit, and a determination unit. The control unit controls a plurality of air conditioners. Each of the plurality of air conditioners has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and the indoor unit is installed in a target space. The acquisition unit acquires parameters related to the operation of a compressor of the outdoor unit from each of the plurality of air conditioners. The determination unit determines the number of air conditioners to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners acquired by the acquisition unit. The control unit operates the number of air conditioners determined by the determination unit among the plurality of air conditioners. A ventilation fan, an indoor unit of a first air conditioner, and an indoor unit of a second air conditioner are installed in the target space. The indoor unit of the first air conditioner is installed in a position closer to the ventilation fan than the indoor unit of the second air conditioner. The acquisition unit acquires operation information of the ventilation fan. When the operation information indicates that both the indoor unit of the first air conditioner and the indoor unit of the second air conditioner are operating and the ventilation fan is running, the control unit stops the first air conditioner.

An air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the air conditioning control system and the plurality of air conditioners controlled by the air conditioning control system.

An air conditioning control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control step, an acquisition step, and a determination step. In the control step, a plurality of air conditioners are controlled. Each of the plurality of air conditioners has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and the indoor unit is installed in a target space. In the acquisition step, parameters related to the operation of a compressor of the outdoor unit are acquired from each of the plurality of air conditioners. In the determination step, the number of air conditioners to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners is determined based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners acquired in the acquisition step. In the control step, the number of air conditioners determined in the determination step is operated among the plurality of air conditioners. A ventilation fan, an indoor unit of a first air conditioner, and an indoor unit of a second air conditioner are installed in the target space. The indoor unit of the first air conditioner is installed in a position closer to the ventilation fan than the indoor unit of the second air conditioner. In the acquisition step, operation information of the ventilation fan is acquired. When the operation information indicates that both the indoor unit of the first air conditioner and the indoor unit of the second air conditioner are operating and the ventilation fan is running, the control step stops the first air conditioner.

A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes one or more processors to execute the air conditioning control method.

The air conditioning control system disclosed herein has the advantage of making it easier to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including an air conditioning control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency and the processing load of the air conditioner during normal operation. FIG. 3 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency and the processing load of the air conditioners during linked operation. FIG. 4 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency and the processing load of the air conditioner during switching operation. FIG. 5 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency for each outside air temperature and the processing load of the air conditioner. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing data relating to threshold values during heating operation of an air conditioner. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing data relating to threshold values when the air conditioner is in cooling operation. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram showing a first switching example of the number of operating air conditioners in an air conditioning control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram showing a first switching example of the number of operating air conditioners in the air conditioning control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a second switching example of the number of operating air conditioners in the air conditioning control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of operation in the second switching example in the air conditioning control system according to the embodiment.

(Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure)
First, the inventor's point of view will be explained below.

Conventionally, multiple air conditioners may be installed to condition the air in a target space having a relatively large area. Each air conditioner includes an indoor unit installed in the target space and an outdoor unit installed outside the target space. In such cases, a controller that controls the multiple air conditioners may operate the multiple air conditioners simultaneously, for example, so that the required load is divided equally.

Here, when the required load is relatively large, for example when the difference between the target temperature of the target space and the outdoor air temperature is large, the load processed by each air conditioner is also relatively large, and the operating efficiency of each air conditioner is unlikely to decrease. On the other hand, when the required load is relatively small, for example when the difference between the target temperature of the target space and the outdoor air temperature is small, the load processed by each air conditioner is also relatively small, and a decrease in operating efficiency may occur in at least one air conditioner. And when a decrease in operating efficiency occurs in one or more air conditioners, power consumption may increase in conjunction with the decrease in operating efficiency.

In other words, when multiple air conditioners are operating simultaneously in a target space, if the required load becomes relatively small, the overall operation will be inefficient, resulting in a tendency to waste electricity. A situation in which the required load becomes small as described above can arise, for example, when multiple air conditioners are operating in cooling mode and the outside air temperature is not very high compared to the target temperature of the target space.

In view of the above, the inventors have created this disclosure.

Below, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily redundant and to make it easier for those skilled in the art to understand.

In the following, a predetermined numerical value (for example, the total value of the operating frequencies described below) is compared with a threshold value, but in the comparison, one branching condition may include a threshold value, or the other branching condition may include a threshold value. For example, one branching condition may be that "the predetermined numerical value is equal to or greater than (or less than) the threshold value," or that "the predetermined numerical value exceeds (or falls below) the threshold value."

The inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and do not intend for them to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment)
[1-1. Overall configuration]
First, the overall configuration including an air conditioning control system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including an air conditioning control system 100 according to an embodiment. The air conditioning control system 100 is a system for controlling a plurality of air conditioners 2 installed to condition air in a target space 4. In the embodiment, the air conditioning control system 100 controls two air conditioners 2. Hereinafter, one of the two air conditioners 2 will be referred to as a first air conditioner 21, and the other air conditioner 2 will be referred to as a second air conditioner 22.

Here, the target space 4 refers to an area having a relatively large area in which air is conditioned by multiple air conditioners 2 within the facility 5. In other words, the target space 4 is basically a closed space within the facility 5. Note that the target space 4 does not have to be a space that is completely closed off from the space outside the facility 5, and may be connected to the space outside the facility 5, for example, through one or more doors provided at the entrance and exit of the facility 5 and one or more windows provided on the exterior wall of the facility 5.

The facility 5 includes, for example, a store such as a convenience store or a supermarket. Note that the facility 5 is not limited to a store, and may be, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building, or may include non-residential facilities such as offices, schools, welfare facilities, hospitals, and factories.

Each of the multiple air conditioners 2 has an indoor unit 31 and an outdoor unit 32, and the indoor unit 31 is installed in the target space 4. The indoor unit 31 and the outdoor unit 32 are provided for each air conditioner 2, and are connected to each other by refrigerant piping P1. In the embodiment, the air conditioner 2 is capable of both cooling operation and heating operation. Note that the air conditioner 2 may be a dedicated cooling unit or a dedicated heating unit.

The indoor unit 31 is, for example, a ceiling-embedded type and is installed on the ceiling of the target space 4. Note that the indoor unit 31 is not limited to a ceiling-embedded type, and may be a ceiling-suspended type, a wall-mounted type, or a floor-standing type. The indoor unit 31 has a fan 311 that blows cool or warm air into the target space 4, and a heat exchanger 312. During cooling operation, the heat exchanger 312 functions as an evaporator that absorbs ambient heat to evaporate liquid refrigerant, and during heating operation, it functions as a condenser that releases heat from the gas refrigerant to liquefy the refrigerant.

The outdoor unit 32 is installed outside the facility 5. The outdoor unit 32 has a fan 321, a heat exchanger 322, a compressor 323, a four-way valve 324, and an expansion valve 325. The fan 321 blows air to the heat exchanger 322. The heat exchanger 322 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. The compressor 323 draws in and compresses gas refrigerant, increasing the pressure. The four-way valve 324 is used to reverse the flow of the refrigerant between cooling operation and heating operation. The expansion valve 325 expands the liquid refrigerant, decreasing the pressure.

[1-2. Air conditioning control system]
Next, details of the air conditioning control system 100 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning control system 100 includes a control unit 11, an acquisition unit 12, a determination unit 13, a transmission unit 14, and a storage unit 15. In the embodiment, the air conditioning control system 100 needs to include at least the control unit 11, the acquisition unit 12, and the determination unit 13, and may not include other components. For example, the above other components may be realized by a system other than the air conditioning control system 100.

In the embodiment, the air conditioning control system 100 is realized by a controller 101 installed in the facility 5. The controller 101 may be installed in the target space 4 or outside the target space 4. The controller 101 is connected to the indoor unit 31 and the outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 by a signal line. The controller 101 communicates with the indoor unit 31 of each air conditioner 2 via the signal line. The controller 101 also communicates with the outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 via the signal line.

The controller 101 has a processor and a memory, and realizes various functions by executing computer programs stored in the memory with the processor. In the embodiment, the memory is the storage unit 15.

The control unit 11 controls the multiple air conditioners 2. In the embodiment, the control unit 11 controls each air conditioner 2 by sending a signal including a command to the indoor unit 31 and the outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 via a signal line. In the embodiment, the control unit 11 operates the multiple air conditioners 2 normally or in coordinated operation according to instructions from a user. The user here is, for example, a user of the target space 4 who has the authority to operate the air conditioning control system 100. Switching between normal operation and coordinated operation is performed, for example, by the user directly operating the controller 101 or by the user operating a remote controller installed in the target space 4.

Normal operation means that each of the multiple air conditioners 2 operates independently. During normal operation, each air conditioner 2 performs cooling or heating operation so that the temperature of the target space 4 (i.e., the intake temperature of the indoor unit 31) becomes the set temperature. Here, in the target space 4, there are places where cooling (or heating) is effective and places where cooling (or heating) is not effective. Therefore, during normal operation, the processing load of each air conditioner 2 tends to differ from one another.

Coordinated operation refers to multiple air conditioners 2 operating in coordination. During coordinated operation, each air conditioner 2 performs cooling or heating operation so that the temperature of the target space 4 (i.e., the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31) becomes the set temperature, just as in normal operation. Furthermore, during coordinated operation, each air conditioner 2 performs cooling or heating operation in coordination so that the processing load is divided equally. Therefore, during coordinated operation, the processing load of each air conditioner 2 is almost the same.

The control unit 11 also controls each air conditioner 2 so as to operate the number of air conditioners 2 determined by the determination unit 13 among the multiple air conditioners 2. In the embodiment, if the number determined by the determination unit 13 is two, the control unit 11 operates both the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22. On the other hand, if the number determined by the determination unit 13 is one, the control unit 11 stops one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, and operates only the other air conditioner 2. When reducing the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated, which air conditioner 2 to operate will be described in detail in [3. Example of switching the number of operating units] below.

The acquisition unit 12 acquires parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323 of the outdoor unit 32 from each of the multiple air conditioners 2. In the embodiment, the acquisition unit 12 acquires parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323 by receiving a signal transmitted via a signal line from the outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2. In the embodiment, the parameter related to the operation of the compressor 323 is the operating frequency of the compressor 323, that is, the rotation speed of the motor of the compressor 323.

The determination unit 13 determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated among the multiple air conditioners 2 based on the parameters (parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323) of each of the multiple air conditioners 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 12. In the embodiment, the determination unit 13 determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated based on the operating frequency of the compressor 323 of each air conditioner 2.

The following explains why the number of air conditioners 2 to operate is determined based on parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323.

First, the correlation between the operating efficiency of the air conditioner 2 and the processing load of the air conditioner 2 will be explained using Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency during normal operation and the processing load of the air conditioner 2. Figure 3 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency during linked operation and the processing load of the air conditioner 2. Figure 4 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency and the processing load of the air conditioner 2 during switchover operation. Switchover operation here refers to reducing the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated and operating only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22.

In each of Figures 2 to 4, the vertical axis represents the coefficient of performance (COP) and the horizontal axis represents the processing load of the air conditioner 2 (units: kW). The coefficient of performance is the energy consumption efficiency (in other words, the operating efficiency) of the air conditioner 2, and is an index of the effect of cooling or heating operation per kW. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) is expressed as a nonlinear function that takes the processing load of the air conditioner 2 as a variable and shows a maximum value at a specified load.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 are performing cooling or heating operations to process different loads, and the processing load of the second air conditioner 22 is greater than the processing load of the first air conditioner 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the coefficient of performance of the second air conditioner 22 is close to the maximum value, while the coefficient of performance of the first air conditioner 21 is low due to the small processing load. In other words, during normal operation, the operating efficiency of the first air conditioner 21 is low, and the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 are operating inefficiently overall.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 are performing cooling or heating operation to process the same load. As shown in FIG. 3, the processing load for the first air conditioner 21 has increased compared to normal operation, and therefore the coefficient of performance has increased. On the other hand, the processing load for the second air conditioner 22 has decreased compared to normal operation, and therefore the coefficient of performance has decreased. In other words, even during coordinated operation, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 are still operating inefficiently overall.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first air conditioner 21 is not operating, and only the second air conditioner 22 is operating in cooling or heating mode. As shown in FIG. 4, the processing load of the second air conditioner 22 has increased by the amount of the load that the first air conditioner 21 was processing, compared to when the system was operating in tandem. As a result, the coefficient of performance of the second air conditioner 22 is almost at its maximum value, and is higher than when the system was operating normally and when the system was operating in tandem. In other words, during switching operation, the first air conditioner 21 is not operating, but the second air conditioner 22 is operating efficiently.

Here, an example of the comparison result between the power consumption during linked operation and the power consumption during switched operation is described. In the following, it is assumed that the total processing load of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is 6 kW. In addition, it is assumed that the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 each have an operating performance such that the coefficient of performance is "3" when the processing load is 3 kW, and the coefficient of performance is "4" when the processing load is 6 kW.

During linked operation, the processing load is divided equally between the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, so the processing load of each of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is 3 kW. Here, the power consumption can be calculated by dividing the processing load of the air conditioner 2 by the coefficient of performance. As described above, since the coefficient of performance is "3" when the processing load is 3 kW, the power consumption of each of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is 3 kW/3 = 1 kW. In other words, the power consumption during linked operation is 2 kW, which is the sum of the power consumption of the first air conditioner 21 and the power consumption of the second air conditioner 22.

On the other hand, during switching operation, only the second air conditioner 22 processes the load, so the processing load of the second air conditioner 22 is 6 kW. As described above, since the coefficient of performance when the load to be processed is 6 kW is "4", the power consumption of the second air conditioner 22 is 6 kW/4 = 1.5 kW. In other words, the power consumption during switching operation is 1.5 kW, which is the power consumption of the second air conditioner 22, because the first air conditioner 21 is not operating.

In this way, even if the overall processing load is the same, it is possible to reduce power consumption by switching the number of air conditioners 2 to operate (number of operating units) while taking into consideration the operating efficiency. Therefore, it is conceivable to estimate the processing load of the air conditioners 2 and determine the number of operating air conditioners 2 to maximize the operating efficiency based on the estimated processing load.

Here, the processing load of the air conditioner 2 can be calculated, for example, by multiplying the enthalpy difference between the air sucked in and blown out by the indoor unit 31 of the air conditioner 2 by the air volume and air density of the air conditioner 2. However, with this calculation method, since it is necessary to obtain the humidity in the target space 4 in order to find the enthalpy difference, it is necessary to install a humidity sensor in the target space 4, which is costly. In addition, with this calculation method, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately calculate the load because the humidity measured varies depending on the installation location of the humidity sensor.

To solve the above problem, the inventors have focused on the fact that there is a correlation between the processing load of the air conditioner 2 and the operating frequency of the compressor 323 of the outdoor unit 32 equipped with the air conditioner 2. Specifically, the processing load of the air conditioner 2 is almost directly proportional to the operating frequency of the compressor 323. Therefore, in the embodiment, the operating frequency of the compressor 323 is acquired, and the number of operating air conditioners 2 is determined based on the acquired operating frequency. This method is essentially equivalent to a method of estimating the processing load of the air conditioner 2 and determining the number of operating air conditioners 2 based on the estimated processing load.

In the embodiment, the determination unit 13 compares the sum of the operating frequencies of the compressors 323 of each air conditioner 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 12 with a threshold value, and if the sum of the operating frequencies falls below the threshold value, determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated to be one. Furthermore, if the sum of the operating frequencies is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the determination unit 13 determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated to be two. Here, the operating frequency of the compressors 323 of each air conditioner 2 used in the comparison with the threshold value is, for example, a representative value of the operating frequencies acquired multiple times by the acquisition unit 12 over a certain period (e.g., several minutes). In the embodiment, the representative value is an average value, but it may also be a median, a mode, or the like.

In the embodiment, the sum of the operating frequencies at which operating one air conditioner 2 consumes less power than operating two air conditioners 2 (in other words, operating one air conditioner 2 can be operated more efficiently than operating two air conditioners 2) is stored in the memory unit 15 as a threshold value.

As already mentioned, the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) is expressed as a nonlinear function that has a maximum value at a certain load, with the processing load of the air conditioner 2 as a variable, but it can also change depending on the environment of the target space 4. Specifically, the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) can change depending on the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 (i.e., the outside air temperature) or the air volume of the air conditioner 2, etc.

An example of the change in coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) depending on the environment will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a correlation diagram between the operating efficiency for each outdoor air temperature and the processing load of the air conditioner 2. In the example shown in Figure 5, the solid line represents the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) when the outdoor air temperature is 0°C, the dotted line represents the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) when the outdoor air temperature is 7°C, and the dashed and dotted line represents the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) when the outdoor air temperature is -10°C. As shown in Figure 5, the higher the outdoor air temperature, the higher the coefficient of performance (operating efficiency) and the maximum value shifts in the direction of increasing the processing load of the air conditioner 2.

Therefore, in the embodiment, the threshold value is not a single value, but is set according to the operating state of the air conditioner 2, the intake temperature of the outdoor unit 32 (i.e., the outside air temperature), and the air volume of the air conditioner 2, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. In other words, in the embodiment, the determination unit 13 determines the number by further referring to at least one of the intake temperature of the outdoor unit 32 and the air volume of the air conditioner 2.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing data relating to threshold values when the air conditioner 2 is in heating operation. Figure 7 is a diagram showing data relating to threshold values when the air conditioner 2 is in cooling operation. In each of Figures 6 and 7, the "outdoor unit suction temperature" is the average value of the suction temperatures (outdoor air temperatures) of the multiple outdoor units 32. Also, in each of Figures 6 and 7, the "air volume" is the smallest air volume among the multiple air conditioners 2. Note that if the multiple air conditioners 2 have the same air volume, the "air volume" is the air volume of any one of the air conditioners 2. In Figures 6 and 7, the threshold values are expressed as a percentage, with the total value of the operating frequencies under the rated environment taken as 100%. Of course, the threshold value may be expressed as the total value of the operating frequencies themselves. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the threshold value is set so that it increases as the intake temperature (outdoor air temperature) of the outdoor unit 32 increases during heating operation, and decreases as the intake temperature (outdoor air temperature) of the outdoor unit 32 increases during cooling operation. Furthermore, the threshold value is set so that it increases as the air volume of the air conditioner 2 increases. The threshold value is set appropriately according to the characteristics of the air conditioner 2.

The transmitting unit 14 transmits signals including instructions to the indoor unit 31 and the outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 via a signal line. Here, the instructions may include commands to instruct each air conditioner 2 to operate normally, or commands to instruct each air conditioner 2 to operate in coordination, etc. Furthermore, the instructions may include commands to instruct each air conditioner 2 to stop operation, or commands to instruct each air conditioner 2 to start operation, etc.

The memory unit 15 is a storage device that stores information (such as computer programs) necessary for the processor of the controller 101 to perform various controls. The memory unit 15 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory, but is not particularly limited and any known means of electronic information storage can be used. The memory unit 15 stores data related to thresholds when the air conditioner 2 is in cooling operation, and data related to thresholds when the air conditioner 2 is in heating operation.

2. Operation
The operation of the air conditioning control system 100 configured as above will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment. In the following, the operation will be described on the assumption that a plurality of air conditioners 2 (here, two air conditioners, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22) are already operating in coordination with each other.

First, the acquisition unit 12 periodically acquires data on the operating state, the suction temperature (outdoor air temperature) of the outdoor unit 32, the air volume, and the operating frequency of the compressor 323 from each of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 (S1). Process S1 corresponds to acquisition step ST2 of the air conditioning control method. Next, the determination unit 13 sets a threshold by referring to the data on the operating state, the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32, and the air volume acquired by the acquisition unit 12 (S2). Then, the determination unit 13 calculates the sum of the operating frequency of the compressor 323 of the first air conditioner 21 and the operating frequency of the compressor 323 of the second air conditioner 22 acquired by the acquisition unit 12, and compares the calculated sum of the operating frequencies with the threshold (S3).

If the total value of the operating frequencies is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S3: No), the determination unit 13 determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated to be two (S4). Therefore, in this case, the number of operating air conditioners 2 does not change, and the operating states of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 are maintained (S5). On the other hand, if the total value of the operating frequencies is below the threshold value (S3: Yes), the determination unit 13 determines the number of operating air conditioners 2 to be one (S6). Then, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one by stopping the operation of either the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22 according to the number determined by the determination unit 13 (S7). Processes S2 to S4 and S6 correspond to determination step ST3 of the air conditioning control method. Processes S5 and S7 correspond to control step ST1 of the air conditioning control method.

Until a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed since the number of operating air conditioners 2 was switched from two to one (S8: No), the state in which only one of the air conditioners 2, the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22, is operated is maintained. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has elapsed since the number of operating air conditioners 2 was switched from two to one (S8: Yes), the determination unit 13 compares the total value of the operating frequency with a threshold value based on the latest data acquired by the acquisition unit 12 at that time (S9).

If the total value of the operating frequencies is below the threshold (S9: No), the determination unit 13 determines the number of operating air conditioners 2 to be one (S10). Therefore, in this case, the state in which only one of the air conditioners 2, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, is operated is maintained (S11). On the other hand, if the total value of the operating frequencies is equal to or greater than the threshold (S9: Yes), the determination unit 13 determines the number of operating air conditioners 2 to be two (S12). Then, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from one to two by restarting the operation of the air conditioners 2 that were stopped according to the number determined by the determination unit 13 (S13). Processes S9, S10, and S12 correspond to determination step ST3 of the air conditioning control method. Processes S11 and S13 correspond to control step ST1 of the air conditioning control method. The above series of processes are repeated below.

[3. Example of changing the number of operating vehicles]
Here, examples of switching the number of operating air conditioners 2 are listed. In the embodiment, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one in process S7 shown in Fig. 8 according to one of the switching examples listed below, so that only one of the air conditioners 2, either the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22, is operated. Note that the switching examples listed below are merely examples, and the control unit 11 may switch the number of operating air conditioners 2 according to rules other than the switching examples listed here.

In the first and second switching examples listed below, the acquisition unit 12 further acquires exhaust information indicating the exhaust status in the target space 4. Then, the control unit 11 determines the air conditioner 2 to operate based on the exhaust information acquired by the acquisition unit 12.

[3.1. First switching example]
First, the first switching example will be described with reference to Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B. Fig. 9A is a schematic diagram showing a first switching example of the number of operating air conditioners 2 in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 9B is a schematic diagram showing a first switching example of the number of operating air conditioners 2 in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment.

In the first switching example, it is assumed that the target space 4 is a space inside a store such as a convenience store. As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the target space 4 includes a product sales floor, a cash register counter, a kitchen, an office, an eat-in space (illustrated as "eat-in"), a back yard, and a restroom. The target space 4 is also a closed space surrounded by the exterior walls of the store. Note that the target space 4 is not a space that is completely closed off from the space outside the store, and may be connected to the space outside the store through an automatic door installed at the entrance of the store and one or more windows installed in the exterior walls of the store.

In the first switching example, the indoor unit 31 of the first air conditioner 21 and the indoor unit 31 of the second air conditioner 22 are both installed on the ceiling of the sales floor of the store. Furthermore, the indoor unit 31 of the first air conditioner 21 is installed in the space on the entrance side of the store when the store is divided into two longitudinally, and the indoor unit 31 of the second air conditioner 22 is installed in the space at the back of the store. Furthermore, in the first switching example, a ventilation fan 60 for a fryer is installed on the ceiling or wall of the kitchen.

In the first switching example, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one, so that only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is operated depending on the exhaust situation in the target space 4. Specifically, in the first switching example, the control unit 11 refers to the operating state of the ventilation fan 60 for the fryer as exhaust information.

That is, in the first switching example, one or more ventilation fans 6 (here, ventilation fans 60 for the fryer) are installed in the target space 4. The acquisition unit 12 then acquires operation information of the one or more ventilation fans 6 (here, the operating state of the ventilation fans 60 for the fryer) as exhaust information by communicating with the ventilation fans 60 for the fryer, for example, via a signal line. Then, based on the exhaust information acquired by the acquisition unit 12, when the ventilation fan 60 for the fryer is operating, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one so that only the second air conditioner 22 is operated, as shown in FIG. 9B.

Here, since the fryer ventilation fan 60 has a relatively large exhaust volume, it can not only suck in and exhaust air from the kitchen, but also suck in and exhaust air from a part of the sales floor space adjacent to the kitchen. If only the first air conditioner 21 is operated as shown in FIG. 9A while the fryer ventilation fan 60 is operating, the air blown out from the first air conditioner 21 to the sales floor is likely to be exhausted by the fryer ventilation fan 60 without circulating through the sales floor (see the open arrow in the figure), resulting in the first air conditioner 21 operating unnecessarily. In contrast, if only the second air conditioner 22 is operated as shown in FIG. 9B, the air blown out from the second air conditioner 22 to the sales floor passes through the sales floor and is then exhausted by the fryer ventilation fan 60 (see the open arrow in the figure), so the second air conditioner 22 does not operate unnecessarily.

In the first switching example, when the fryer ventilation fan 60 is not operating, the control unit 11 may operate only the first air conditioner 21 or only the second air conditioner 22. In this case, the control unit 11 may determine whether to operate only the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22 depending on, for example, whether the store is in a busy season as described below.

[3.2. Second switching example]
Next, the second switching example will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a second switching example of the number of operating air conditioners 2 in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation example in the second switching example in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment.

In the second switching example, the target space 4 is, as in the first switching example, a space within a store such as a convenience store. In the second switching example, multiple ventilation fans 6 (six in this case, the first ventilation fan 61 to the sixth ventilation fan 66) are installed in the target space 4. The first ventilation fan 61 is a ventilation fan for a fryer, as in the first switching example, and is installed in the kitchen. The second ventilation fan 62 is installed on the ceiling of the eat-in space. The third ventilation fan 63 is installed on the ceiling of the cash register counter. The fourth ventilation fan 64 is installed on the ceiling near the entrance to the back yard. The fifth ventilation fan 65 is installed on the ceiling near the entrance to the toilet. The sixth ventilation fan 66 is installed on the ceiling in the back yard.

In the second switching example, the multiple ventilation fans 6 are divided into two groups, a first group and a second group. The first group is a group to which the ventilation fans 6 installed in the space on the entrance side of the store when the store is divided into two longitudinally, and the second group is a group to which the ventilation fans 6 installed in the space at the back of the store belong. The first group includes the first ventilation fan 61 to the third ventilation fan 63, and the second group includes the fourth ventilation fan 64 to the sixth ventilation fan 66. The first group includes the first air conditioner 21, and the second group includes the second air conditioner 22.

In the second switching example, the control unit 11 switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one, so that only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is operated, depending on the operating status of the multiple ventilation fans 6. Specifically, in the second switching example, the acquisition unit 12 acquires operating information (here, the operating state of each ventilation fan 6) as exhaust information from each ventilation fan 6 by communicating with each of the multiple ventilation fans 6, for example, via a signal line. Next, the control unit 11 calculates the exhaust volume in the first group and the exhaust volume in the second group, based on the exhaust information acquired by the acquisition unit 12. Here, it is assumed that the control unit 11 knows in advance the exhaust volume of each ventilation fan 6 when it is operating.

The control unit 11 operates only the first air conditioner 21 if the exhaust volume of the first group is lower than that of the second group, and operates only the second air conditioner 22 if the exhaust volume of the first group is higher than that of the second group. In other words, the control unit 11 stops operation of the air conditioner 2 that belongs to the group with the larger exhaust volume out of the first and second groups. This makes it easier for the air blown out from the air conditioner 2 to circulate around the sales floor before being exhausted, eliminating the need for the air conditioner 2 to operate unnecessarily.

Here, in the second switching example, the control unit 11 further switches the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one so that only one of the air conditioners 2, either the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22, is operated depending on whether the store is in a busy season or not. In other words, when the store is in a busy season, the automatic doors at the store entrance are likely to open and close frequently, causing exhaust air to be exhausted from the store entrance to the space outside the store. For this reason, whether the store is in a busy season or not can have a significant impact on the exhaust situation in the target space 4, and is therefore equivalent to exhaust information. This control takes precedence over the control according to the operating status of the multiple ventilation fans 6 described above.

For example, the control unit 11 determines whether the store is in a busy season based on a preset schedule. The schedule includes time periods when it is expected that there will be a relatively large number of customers coming and going, or time periods when product sales are relatively high. Also, for example, the control unit 11 determines whether the store is in a busy season based on the number of times the automatic door at the store entrance opens and closes per unit time. In this case, the number of times the automatic door opens and closes can be obtained by communicating with a counter that counts the opening and closing of the automatic door. In other words, the schedule or the number of times the automatic door opens and closes, which are used to determine whether the store is in a busy season, can be said to correspond to the exhaust information obtained by the acquisition unit 12.

Below, an example of operation in the second switching example of the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 11, if the store is in a busy season (S14: Yes), the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2 (here, the second air conditioner 22) that is farthest from the store entrance out of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 (S15). On the other hand, if the store is not in a busy season (S14: No), the control unit 11 causes the acquisition unit 12 to acquire data on the operating state of each ventilation fan 6 (S16). The control unit 11 then compares the exhaust volume of the first group with the exhaust volume of the second group (S17).

If the exhaust volume of the first group is greater than the exhaust volume of the second group (S17: Yes), the control unit 11 stops the operation of the first air conditioner 21 and operates only the second air conditioner 22 (S18). On the other hand, if the exhaust volume of the first group is equal to or less than the exhaust volume of the second group (S17: No), the control unit 11 stops the operation of the second air conditioner 22 and operates only the first air conditioner 21 (S19).

[3.3. Other switching examples]
In addition, the control unit 11 may determine the air conditioner 2 to be operated based on the processing load of the multiple air conditioners 2. Specifically, the control unit 11 may switch the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one so that only one of the air conditioners 2, the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, is operated according to the processing load of the air conditioner 2 that is originally processed. For example, when each air conditioner 2 is performing a heating operation, the control unit 11 compares the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 of the first air conditioner 21 (or the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31) with the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 of the second air conditioner 22 (or the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31), and operates only the air conditioner 2 with the lower suction temperature (in other words, the lower processing load). Also, for example, when each air conditioner 2 is performing cooling operation, the control unit 11 compares the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 of the first air conditioner 21 (or the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31) with the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 of the second air conditioner 22 (or the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31), and operates only the air conditioner 2 with the higher suction temperature (in other words, the smaller processing load).

In addition, when a showcase for freezing or refrigerating products is installed in the sales floor, the control unit 11 may switch the number of air conditioners 2 in operation from two to one, so that only one of the air conditioners 2, the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22, is operated depending on the operating state of the showcase. Such a showcase may have a compressor inside. In this case, the ambient temperature of the showcase tends to rise due to the exhaust heat of the compressor. Therefore, when the air conditioners 2 are performing cooling operation, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2, out of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, that is closer to the showcase. On the other hand, when the air conditioners 2 are performing heating operation, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2, out of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, that is farther from the showcase.

The control unit 11 may also switch the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one, so that only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is operated depending on whether the store is in a busy season or not, regardless of the exhaust status of the target space 4. The control unit 11 determines whether the store is in a busy season or not using a method similar to that of the second switching example described above.

When the store is in a busy season, the staff tends to stay near the entrance of the store (in other words, the cash register side) to serve customers. In this case, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2 of the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22 that is closer to the store entrance. On the other hand, when the store is not in a busy season, the staff tends to stay near the back of the store to engage in tasks such as arranging products or cleaning the store. In this case, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2 of the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22 that is closer to the back of the store. In other words, the control unit 11 operates only one of the air conditioners 2, either the first air conditioner 21 or the second air conditioner 22, taking into consideration the comfort of the staff.

The control unit 11 may also switch the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one, so that only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is operated depending on the display status of the products in the store. For example, when daily necessities are displayed as products, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2 of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 that is farther from the display location of the daily necessities. Also, for example, when products that are sold mainly during a specific season, such as chocolate, are displayed as products, the control unit 11 operates only the air conditioner 2 of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 that is closer to the display location of the products.

The control unit 11 may also switch the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one, so that only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22 is operated, in response to a user's selection. The user here is a store clerk or a manager such as a store manager. In other words, the control unit 11 operates only one of the first air conditioner 21 and the second air conditioner 22, in accordance with rules set in advance by the user.

[4. Advantages, etc.]
The advantages of the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment will be described below.

As already mentioned, when multiple air conditioners 2 are operating simultaneously in the target space 4, if the required load becomes relatively small, the air conditioners will operate inefficiently overall, which can lead to unnecessary consumption of electricity.

In contrast, in the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment, the processing load of the air conditioners 2 is estimated by referring to parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323, and the number of operating air conditioners 2 is determined to maximize the operating efficiency based on the estimated processing load. Therefore, the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment has the advantage that even if the overall processing load is the same, it is easier to reduce wasteful power consumption by switching the number of operating air conditioners 2 taking into account the operating efficiency.

(Modification)
As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are appropriately made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiments to create new embodiments.

Therefore, the following are examples of modified embodiments.

In the embodiment, multiple thresholds are set according to the operating state of the air conditioner 2, the suction temperature (outdoor air temperature) of the outdoor unit 32, and the air volume of the air conditioner 2, but this is not limited to the above. For example, multiple thresholds may be set with the suction temperature of the indoor unit 31 (i.e., the indoor temperature) as an additional parameter. Also, for example, multiple thresholds may be set according to at least one parameter among the operating state of the air conditioner 2, the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32, and the air volume of the air conditioner 2. Also, for example, the threshold may be set to a single value regardless of these parameters.

In the embodiment, the parameter related to the operation of the compressor 323 is the operating frequency of the compressor 323, but is not limited to this. For example, the parameter related to the operation of the compressor 323 may be the input current or input power of the compressor 323. In other words, the parameter related to the operation of the compressor 323 only needs to have a correlation with the processing load of the air conditioner 2.

In the embodiment, when there are three or more air conditioners 2, the threshold may be set in stages. For example, when three air conditioners 2 are operating in tandem, if the sum of the operating frequencies of the compressors 323 of the air conditioners 2 falls below a first threshold, the operation of one air conditioner 2 is stopped, thereby switching the number of operating air conditioners 2 from three to two. Also, for example, when two air conditioners 2 are operating in tandem, if the sum of the operating frequencies of the compressors 323 of the air conditioners 2 falls below a second threshold, the operation of one more air conditioner 2 is stopped, thereby switching the number of operating air conditioners 2 from two to one. Which air conditioner 2 is to be stopped may be determined, for example, according to any of the switching examples listed in the embodiment.

In the embodiment, the communication between the air conditioning control system 100 and the indoor unit 31 and outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 is wired communication using a signal line, but it may be wireless communication. For example, the communication standard for communication between the air conditioning control system 100 and the indoor unit 31 and outdoor unit 32 of each air conditioner 2 may be WiFi (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), etc. Similarly, the communication between the air conditioning control system 100 and each ventilation fan 6 may be wireless communication instead of wired communication.

In an embodiment, the air conditioning control system 100 may constitute an air conditioning system 200 together with a plurality of air conditioners 2 as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the air conditioning system 200 includes the air conditioning control system 100 and a plurality of air conditioners 2 controlled by the air conditioning control system 100.

For example, in the above embodiment, the air conditioning control system 100 is realized as a single device, but it may be realized by multiple devices. When the air conditioning control system 100 is realized by multiple devices, the components of the air conditioning control system 100 may be distributed in any way among the multiple devices. For example, some of the components of the air conditioning control system 100 in the above embodiment may be provided in a server. In other words, the present disclosure may be realized by cloud computing or edge computing.

Also, for example, in the above embodiment, all or part of the components of the air conditioning control system 100 in the present disclosure may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory.

In addition, the components of the air conditioning control system 100 in the present disclosure may be configured with one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

The one or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an integrated circuit (IC), or a large scale integration (LSI). The IC or LSI may be integrated into one chip or into multiple chips. Here, we refer to it as an IC or an LSI, but depending on the degree of integration, it may be called a system LSI, a very large scale integration (VLSI), or an ultra large scale integration (ULSI). Also, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can be used for the same purpose.

In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, or a computer program. Alternatively, the present disclosure may be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD, or semiconductor memory on which the computer program is stored. For example, the present disclosure may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the air conditioning control method in the above-described embodiment. In addition, the program may be recorded on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be distributed over a communication channel such as the Internet.

As described above, the embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed herein. For this purpose, the attached drawings and detailed description have been provided.

Therefore, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to illustrate the above technology. Therefore, just because these non-essential components are described in the attached drawings or detailed description, it should not be immediately determined that these non-essential components are essential.

In addition, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology disclosed herein, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

(summary)
As described above, the air conditioning control system 100 according to the embodiment includes a control unit 11, an acquisition unit 12, and a determination unit 13. The control unit 11 controls a plurality of air conditioners 2. Each of the plurality of air conditioners 2 has an indoor unit 31 and an outdoor unit 32, and the indoor unit 31 is installed in the target space 4. The acquisition unit 12 acquires parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323 of the outdoor unit 32 from each of the plurality of air conditioners 2. The determination unit 13 determines the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners 2, based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners 2 acquired by the acquisition unit 12. The control unit 11 operates the number of air conditioners 2 determined by the determination unit 13 among the plurality of air conditioners 2.

This has the advantage that even if the overall processing load is the same, by switching the number of air conditioners 2 in operation taking into account operating efficiency, it is easier to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

For example, the parameter is the operating frequency of compressor 323.

This has the advantage that it becomes easier to estimate the processing load of the air conditioner 2 and maximize the operating efficiency.

For example, the determination unit 13 also determines the number of units by further referring to at least one of the suction temperature of the outdoor unit 32 and the air volume of the air conditioner 2.

This has the advantage that it is easier to maximize operating efficiency by taking into account the environment of the target space 4.

For example, the acquisition unit 12 further acquires exhaust information indicating the exhaust status in the target space 4. The control unit 11 determines the air conditioner 2 to operate based on the exhaust information acquired by the acquisition unit 12.

This has the advantage that the air conditioner 2 can be operated in a way that makes it easier to avoid the air being blown into the target space 4 being exhausted without circulating within the target space 4, and that the air conditioner 2 does not need to be operated unnecessarily.

For example, one or more ventilation fans 6 are installed in the target space 4. The acquisition unit 12 acquires the operation information of the one or more ventilation fans 6 as exhaust information.

This has the advantage that it becomes easier to grasp the exhaust status of the target space 4 with high accuracy.

For example, the control unit 11 also determines which air conditioner 2 to operate based on the processing load of multiple air conditioners 2.

This has the advantage that, for example, operating air conditioner 2 with a relatively large processing load makes it easier to maximize operating efficiency.

For example, the air conditioning system 200 according to the embodiment includes the above-mentioned air conditioning control system 100 and multiple air conditioners 2 controlled by the air conditioning control system 100.

This has the advantage that even if the overall processing load is the same, by switching the number of air conditioners 2 in operation taking into account operating efficiency, it is easier to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

For example, the air conditioning control method according to the embodiment includes a control step ST1, an acquisition step ST2, and a determination step ST3. In the control step ST1, a plurality of air conditioners 2 are controlled. Each of the plurality of air conditioners 2 has an indoor unit 31 and an outdoor unit 32, and the indoor unit 31 is installed in the target space 4. In the acquisition step ST2, parameters related to the operation of the compressor 323 of the outdoor unit 32 are acquired from each of the plurality of air conditioners 2. In the determination step ST3, the number of air conditioners 2 to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners 2 is determined based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners 2 acquired in the acquisition step ST2. In the control step ST1, the number of air conditioners 2 determined in the determination step ST3 is operated among the plurality of air conditioners 2.

This has the advantage that even if the overall processing load is the same, by switching the number of air conditioners 2 in operation taking into account operating efficiency, it is easier to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

Also, for example, a program according to an embodiment causes one or more processors to execute the air conditioning control method described above.

This has the advantage that even if the overall processing load is the same, by switching the number of air conditioners 2 in operation taking into account operating efficiency, it is easier to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

This disclosure can be applied to air conditioning control systems that control multiple air conditioners, for example in convenience stores and other stores.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 control unit 12 acquisition unit 13 determination unit 2 air conditioner 31 indoor unit 32 outdoor unit 323 compressor 4 target space 6 ventilation fan 100 air conditioning control system 200 air conditioning system ST1 control step ST2 acquisition step ST3 determination step

Claims (7)

A control unit that controls a plurality of air conditioners, each of which has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit and the indoor unit is installed in a target space;
an acquisition unit that acquires parameters related to operation of a compressor provided in each of the outdoor units from each of the plurality of air conditioners;
a determination unit that determines the number of air conditioners to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners acquired by the acquisition unit,
the control unit operates the number of air conditioners determined by the determination unit among the plurality of air conditioners ,
A ventilation fan, an indoor unit of a first air conditioner, and an indoor unit of a second air conditioner are installed in the target space ,
The indoor unit of the first air conditioner is installed at a position closer to the ventilation fan than the indoor unit of the second air conditioner,
The acquisition unit acquires operation information of the ventilation fan,
When the operation information indicates that both the indoor unit of the first air conditioner and the indoor unit of the second air conditioner are operating and the ventilation fan is operating, the control unit stops the first air conditioner.
Climate control system. The parameter is an operating frequency of the compressor.
The air conditioning control system according to claim 1 . the determination unit determines the number by further referring to at least one of an intake temperature of the outdoor unit and an air volume of the air conditioner.
3. An air conditioning control system according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit determines the air conditioner to be operated based on a processing load of the plurality of air conditioners.
The air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An air conditioning control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ;
The plurality of air conditioners controlled by the air conditioning control system.
Air conditioning system. a control step of controlling a plurality of air conditioners each having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the indoor unit being installed in a target space;
an acquisition step of acquiring parameters related to operation of a compressor provided in the outdoor unit from each of the plurality of air conditioners;
a determination step of determining the number of air conditioners to be operated among the plurality of air conditioners based on the parameters of each of the plurality of air conditioners acquired in the acquisition step,
In the control step, the number of air conditioners determined in the determination step is operated among the plurality of air conditioners ,
A ventilation fan, an indoor unit of a first air conditioner, and an indoor unit of a second air conditioner are installed in the target space,
The indoor unit of the first air conditioner is installed at a position closer to the ventilation fan than the indoor unit of the second air conditioner,
In the acquiring step, operation information of the ventilation fan is acquired,
When the operation information indicates that both the indoor unit of the first air conditioner and the indoor unit of the second air conditioner are operating and the ventilation fan is operating, the control step stops the first air conditioner.
Air conditioning control method. One or more processors,
Executing the air conditioning control method according to claim 6 ,
program.

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