JP7684615B2 - Control device, air conditioning control method and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a control device, an air conditioning control method, and a program.

Air conditioners and air conditioning systems that can switch between multiple control methods are used. As a method for evaluating such control methods, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an energy saving effect estimation method that calculates an approximation formula based on the amount of power consumed when energy saving operation control is applied and outdoor air information, and calculates an estimated value of the amount of power consumed when energy saving operation control is virtually applied based on the outdoor air information and the approximation formula when energy saving operation control is not applied.

JP 2003-070163 A

However, conventional technology does not allow for a highly accurate evaluation of the air conditioning control performance of each control method for each operating condition of the air conditioner.

This disclosure provides technology that acquires information that can be used to evaluate the difference in air conditioning control performance for each control method.

The control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device having a control unit that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between multiple control methods, and the control unit acquires information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner and determines the control method for operating the air conditioner based on the difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each of the control methods.

According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain information that allows the performance difference of air conditioning control for each control method to be evaluated.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the first aspect, in which, when the information on the operating conditions is divided into certain sections, the control unit determines the control method that is not being executed in the section into which the information on the operating conditions is divided, as the control method for operating the air conditioner.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the first or second aspect, in which the control unit acquires information related to the operating state of the air conditioner, and outputs a performance evaluation index for air conditioning control by the control method based on the information related to the operating conditions for each control method and the information related to the operating state.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the third aspect, in which the control unit determines the control method for a predetermined period of time and outputs the performance evaluation index based on information related to the operating conditions and information related to the operating state acquired during the predetermined period of time.

A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the fourth aspect, in which the control unit determines the control method until the information on the operating conditions divided into predetermined ranges becomes an amount of information that allows a comparable evaluation index for the performance of each control method to be calculated.

A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the fourth or fifth aspect, in which the control unit acquires information on the operating conditions after the specified period, and when the information on the operating conditions is divided into a certain section, if the information on the operating conditions acquired during the specified period is divided into a section different from the divided section, the control method that is not being executed in the different section is determined to be the control method for operating the air conditioner.

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the sixth aspect, in which the control unit updates the performance evaluation index when the information on the operating conditions divided into the different sections becomes an amount of information that allows a comparable evaluation index for the performance of each of the control methods to be calculated.

The eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, in which the control unit calculates an evaluation value for the operating conditions for each of the control methods, and determines the control method for operating the air conditioner such that the evaluation value satisfies a predetermined condition.

A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the eighth aspect, in which the evaluation value indicates a difference between the control methods in a value calculated based on at least one or more pieces of information related to the operation time of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the operation frequency of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the occurrence range of the operating conditions, the occurrence pattern of the operating conditions, or information related to the operation time of the air conditioner.

A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to the eighth or ninth aspect, in which the predetermined condition is that the evaluation value calculated for each of the control methods is minimized.

An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to any one of the third to seventh aspects, in which the control unit displays the performance evaluation index on an external display device.

A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is a control device according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, in which the control unit outputs information indicating a comparison result of the performance evaluation index between the control methods, and compares the performance evaluation index between the specified period and after the specified period using different methods.

In the air conditioning control method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a control unit in a control device that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between multiple control methods acquires information about the operating conditions of the air conditioner, and determines the control method for operating the air conditioner based on the information about the operating conditions for each of the control methods.

The program according to the fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure causes a control unit of a control device that controls an air conditioner that can be operated by switching between multiple control methods to execute a process of acquiring information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner and determining the control method for operating the air conditioner based on the difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each of the control methods.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of performance evaluation of an air conditioner. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a control schedule during a learning period. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an air conditioning system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control device. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of an air conditioning control method. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method determination process. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information regarding the occurrence frequency of an operating condition. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating an evaluation value. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating an evaluation value. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a performance evaluation process during a learning period. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a difference function. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for calculating a performance evaluation index. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a performance evaluation report for a learning period. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for reconstructing a prediction model. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a performance evaluation process during an operation period. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of performance evaluation during an operation period. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a performance evaluation report for an operation period.

Each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[Embodiment]
An embodiment of the present disclosure is an air conditioning system that conditions air in a predetermined space by using one or more air conditioners. The air conditioners in this embodiment are air conditioners that are capable of operating by switching between a plurality of control methods.

The control method in this embodiment includes, for example, energy-saving operation control aimed at reducing energy consumption. The multiple control methods may include, for example, a control method that performs energy-saving operation control (energy-saving control) and a control method that does not perform energy-saving operation control (non-energy-saving control).

The air conditioning system in this embodiment outputs an index (performance evaluation index) for evaluating the results of air conditioning control for each control method. The performance evaluation index is, for example, a comparable evaluation index regarding the performance of each control method under the same operating conditions. The performance of air conditioning control is, for example, the energy saving effect. The energy saving effect is expressed, for example, as the difference between the amount of energy consumed when operating with energy saving control and the amount of energy consumed when operating with non-energy saving control. The greater the difference in the amount of energy consumed, the higher the energy saving effect can be evaluated to be.

At any given time, an air conditioner operates in only one control method. Therefore, in order to compare the performance of air conditioning control, it is necessary to predict the performance of air conditioning control in other control methods. To predict the performance of air conditioning control, for example, a prediction model constructed based on the relationship between the operating conditions of the air conditioner and the performance of the air conditioning control is used. A prediction model is constructed for each control method using operating data when the control method is used. In this case, if the range of operating conditions when the operating data was collected is not the same between the control methods, the prediction accuracy of the prediction model may decrease. The operating conditions include, for example, the operating conditions of the air conditioner or the environmental conditions in which the air conditioner is used.

In addition, when installing a new air conditioner, updating an existing one, or changing the use of the air conditioner or the layout of a room, there is no past operating data available for performance evaluation. In such cases, predictive models or energy simulations based on the design specifications of the air conditioner may be used instead. However, it is difficult to reproduce the actual installation environment using predictive models or energy simulations based on the design specifications.

In particular, when the difference in air conditioning control performance is not large, the impact of prediction errors becomes relatively large. Therefore, if the prediction accuracy of air conditioning control performance is low, it becomes more difficult to correctly evaluate the difference in air conditioning control performance under operating conditions where the difference in air conditioning control performance is small.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of performance evaluation of an air conditioner in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the operating period of the air conditioner is divided into a learning period and an operation period.

The learning period is a period for collecting operating data to build a predictive model. During the learning period, the air conditioner determines the control method and operates at a predetermined time interval (switching interval). In Figure 1, ON indicates energy saving control, and OFF indicates non-energy saving control.

When the learning period ends, a prediction model for each control method is constructed based on the operating data collected during the learning period. Also, during the learning period, a report evaluating the performance of air conditioning control (learning period performance evaluation report) is output based on the operating data collected during the learning period. The learning period performance evaluation report includes information based on the performance evaluation index of air conditioning control for each control method during the learning period. The learning period should be long enough to cover all the operating conditions of the air conditioner. The learning period may be a predetermined period (e.g., one year). The learning period may be until sufficient operating data has been collected to construct a prediction model.

The operation period is a period during which the air conditioner is operated with the control method fixed. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the air conditioner is operated with the energy saving control fixed (ON). The operation period includes multiple evaluation periods. The evaluation period is a period during which the performance of the air conditioning control is evaluated using the constructed prediction model. During the evaluation period, a report evaluating the performance of the air conditioning control (performance evaluation report for the operation period) is repeatedly output at a predetermined time interval (evaluation interval). The performance evaluation report for the operation period may be output on demand in response to an instruction from the user or manager of the air conditioner. The performance evaluation report for the operation period includes information based on the performance evaluation index of the air conditioning control for each control method during the evaluation period. The evaluation period may be a predetermined time interval (e.g., 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year).

For example, consider offering energy saving control as an optional function for air conditioners. In this case, users of the air conditioner may want to evaluate in an actual environment whether or not to introduce energy saving control. If energy saving control is made available for trial use during a learning period, users of the air conditioner can evaluate the benefits of energy saving control by referring to a performance evaluation report from the learning period. Furthermore, if energy saving control is introduced and the air conditioner is operated with energy saving control at all times, users of the air conditioner can verify whether or not they are enjoying the benefits by periodically referring to a performance evaluation report from the operating period.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of a control schedule during a learning period. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the control method switching interval is 24 hours. Therefore, the air conditioner operates by switching between energy saving control (ON) and non-energy saving control (OFF) alternately every day. However, the control method switching interval is not limited to 24 hours and may be set to any length of time.

As in the example shown in Figure 2, if the control method is switched every day, it is expected that the range of operating conditions, such as the day of the week, set temperature, or outdoor temperature, in the collected operating data will be equivalent between control methods. However, if the days of the week or time periods during which the air conditioner operates are irregular due to factors such as the installation environment of the air conditioner, the range of operating conditions may not be equivalent even if the control method is switched every day. In addition, because operating conditions are affected by climate or weather, such as outdoor temperature or solar radiation, making the range of operating conditions equivalent between control methods based on time intervals involves uncertainty.

The purpose of this embodiment is to improve the estimation accuracy of the performance evaluation index of air conditioning control. For example, if a control method is determined so that the range of operating conditions of the collected operating data is equivalent for each control method, it is possible to obtain actual measured values of each control method for each operating condition one or more times. As a result, the accuracy of the prediction model is improved, and it becomes possible to evaluate the performance difference between multiple air conditioning controls with high accuracy.

<Overall composition>
3 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an air conditioning system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG 3, the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a control device 10, one or more outdoor units 20, one or more indoor units 30, and a terminal device 40.

The control device 10 is an information processing device that controls the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30. The control device 10 collects operation data that is periodically transmitted by the outdoor unit 20. The control device 10 transmits control signals that control the operation of the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30 based on the collected operation data.

The control device 10 may be integrated with the control unit of the outdoor unit 20 and configured inside the outdoor unit 20. The control device 10 may be installed in a data center or the like that can communicate with the outdoor unit 20 via a communication network. The control device 10 may be provided as a service by cloud computing or the like.

The control device 10 also outputs a performance evaluation report for the learning period based on the collected operating data. Furthermore, the control device 10 constructs a prediction model based on the collected operating data, and outputs a performance evaluation report for the operation period based on the constructed prediction model.

The outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30 constitute an air conditioner that is installed in a facility such as a building to condition the air of a specified indoor space including one or more rooms. The outdoor unit 20 is, for example, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. The indoor unit 30 is, for example, an indoor unit of an air conditioner. In this example, the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30 are connected by a refrigerant pipe.

The terminal device 40 is an information processing terminal such as a personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc. that displays the report output by the control device 10. The terminal device 40 requests the control device 10 to output a report in response to an operation by an administrator of the air conditioning system 1, etc. The terminal device 40 outputs the report received from the control device 10 to a display device such as a display (an example of an external display device). The terminal device 40 may transmit the report received from the control device 10 to another device via a communication network.

The control device 10 is connected to the outdoor unit 20 via a communication line N1. The outdoor unit 20 is connected to one or more indoor units 30 via a communication line N2. The control device 10 is connected to the terminal device 40 via a communication line N3. When the air conditioning system 1 includes multiple outdoor units 20, the control device 10 and the outdoor units 20 may be connected in any form, such as bus wiring or star wiring.

The air conditioning system 1 can operate by switching between multiple control methods. The control method for operating the air conditioning system 1 is determined by the control device 10. The control device 10 may determine the control method based on input from an administrator of the air conditioning system 1, etc. The control device 10 transmits a control signal for switching the control method to the outdoor unit 20 via the communication line N1. The outdoor unit 20 switches the control method to perform, for example, energy saving control.

<Hardware Configuration>
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the control device in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 10 has a processor 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an operation device 104, a display device 105, a communication device 106, and a drive device 107. Each piece of hardware of the control device 10 is connected to each other via a bus 108.

The processor 101 has various computing devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 101 reads various programs installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 onto the memory 102 and executes them.

The memory 102 has a primary storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The processor 101 and the memory 102 form a so-called computer (hereinafter also referred to as a "control unit"), and the processor 101 executes various programs read onto the memory 102, causing the computer to realize various functions.

The auxiliary storage device 103 (hereinafter also referred to as the "storage unit") stores various programs and various data used when the various programs are executed by the processor 101.

The operation device 104 is an operation device that allows the user of the control device 10 to perform various operations. The display device 105 is a display device that displays the results of various processes executed by the control device 10.

The communication device 106 is a communication device for communicating with external devices via a network (not shown).

The drive device 107 is a device for setting the storage medium 109. The storage medium 109 here includes media that store information optically, electrically, or magnetically, such as CD-ROMs, flexible disks, and magneto-optical disks. The storage medium 109 may also include semiconductor memory that stores information electrically, such as ROMs and flash memories.

The various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 are installed, for example, by setting the distributed storage medium 109 in the drive device 107 and reading the various programs stored in the storage medium 109 by the drive device 107. Alternatively, the various programs to be installed in the auxiliary storage device 103 may be installed by downloading them from a network via the communication device 106.

<Flow of air conditioning control method>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an air conditioning control method executed by the control device 10 in this embodiment.

In step S1, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the air conditioner. The control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the air conditioner at a predetermined switching interval. In this embodiment, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the air conditioner every 24 hours.

In this embodiment, the control method of the air conditioner includes energy saving control and non-energy saving control. However, the control method of the air conditioner is not limited to these two, and various control methods can be configured. In addition, the control methods that the air conditioner can adopt may be three or more.

<Control method determination process>
6 is a flowchart showing an example of the control method determination process in this embodiment. The control method determination process corresponds to step S1 in FIG.

In step S1-1, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires information about the operating state of the air conditioner up to now. The information about the operating state includes information about the control method and information about the operating state of the air conditioner. Information about the operating state of the air conditioner is, for example, flag information indicating whether the air conditioner is on or off. Information about the operating state is, for example, operating data that records information observed by various sensors equipped in the air conditioner, and the operating control state such as during startup, during steady operation, and after the set temperature has been changed.

In step S1-2, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires information about the operating conditions for each control method based on the operating data collected up to now. The information about the operating conditions includes information about the operating conditions of the air conditioner or information about the environmental conditions in which the air conditioner is used.

Information about usage conditions includes, for example, information about indoor temperature, indoor humidity, set temperature, air conditioning heat load, number of people in the air-conditioned space, layout of the air-conditioned space, day of the week, time, etc. Information about environmental conditions includes, for example, information about outside temperature, outside humidity, solar radiation, season, etc.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of information on the occurrence frequency of an operating condition based on the acquired information on the operating condition. As shown in Figure 7, the information on the occurrence frequency of an operating condition may be, for example, a matrix having a row indicating the set temperature and a column indicating the outside temperature, with values indicating the occurrence frequency for combinations of the set temperature and the outside temperature. The occurrence frequency is the number of operating data collected for a combination of the set temperature and the outside temperature.

As shown in FIG. 7, information on the occurrence frequency of operating conditions is generated by dividing the collected operating data into predetermined intervals based on the operating conditions. In the example of FIG. 7, the set temperature and outside air temperature are divided into intervals in 1°C increments, and the operating data is divided into each combination of set temperature and outside air temperature.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the set temperature is used as an example of a usage condition, and the outside air temperature is used as an example of an environmental condition, but the usage conditions and environmental conditions may be other items. Also, the example shown in FIG. 7 is a matrix with usage conditions as rows and environmental conditions as columns, but the rows and columns may be reversed. Also, the information on the occurrence frequency of operating conditions does not have to be a matrix, and may be information that has an occurrence frequency for a unique operating condition. Also, the information on the occurrence frequency of operating conditions may indicate the number of data collected for one item, or the number of operating data collected for a combination of three or more items.

When multiple indoor units 30 are present, it is possible that the set temperatures of the indoor units 30 may differ. In this case, the set temperature may be determined by, for example, averaging the set temperatures of the indoor units 30, and the frequency of occurrence may be calculated.

Returning to FIG. 6, the explanation will be given. In step S1-3, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires the operating conditions of the air conditioner for the next time interval. The environmental conditions included in the operating conditions may be acquired from an external data source, or may be determined from a predetermined prediction model. For example, the outside temperature, which is an example of an environmental condition, can be acquired from weather forecast data provided by a weather information service. The usage conditions included in the operating conditions can be predicted from the environmental conditions based on past operating data. For example, the set temperature, which is an example of a usage condition, can be predicted by a machine learning model that has learned the relationship between the outside temperature and the set temperature based on operating data.

The next time interval is the time interval from when the current control method is determined to when the next control method is determined. Therefore, the length of the next time interval is equal to the predetermined switching interval. In this embodiment, the switching interval is 24 hours, so the next time interval includes the immediately following 24 hours.

Here, an example of predicting driving conditions for a single immediately following time interval has been described, but driving conditions for multiple consecutive time intervals may also be predicted. If long-term environmental conditions can be obtained from an external data source, it is possible to predict driving conditions for multiple time intervals. For example, if a week's worth of weather forecast data is provided from a meteorological information service, it is possible to predict driving conditions for a week based on the expected temperature for each day.

In step S1-4, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates an evaluation value for each control method based on information about the operating conditions. The evaluation value is a value that indicates the difference in operating conditions between the control methods. The evaluation value is calculated based on, for example, the operating time for each operating condition, the occurrence frequency for each operating condition taking into account a time interval (in other words, the operating frequency of the air conditioner for each operating condition), the occurrence range of the operating conditions, the occurrence pattern of the operating conditions, or information about the operating time of the air conditioner.

Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 adds the operating conditions acquired in step S1-3 to the operating conditions acquired in step S1-2 for each control method. As a result, the operating conditions when operating with a certain control method and the operating conditions when operating with another control method in the next time interval are obtained. Next, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates a predetermined evaluation value based on the operating conditions when operating with a certain control method. The control unit of the control device 10 also calculates a predetermined evaluation value based on the operating conditions when operating with the other control method. As a result, the control unit of the control device 10 can calculate an evaluation value for each control method.

The calculation method of the evaluation value in this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. As shown in Fig. 8, it is assumed that the operating conditions 201 (energy saving control operating information) based on the operating data collected when operating with energy saving control and the operating conditions 202 (non-energy saving control operating information) based on the operating data collected when operating with non-energy saving control are acquired. At this time, the operating conditions 203 (predicted operating information) acquired in the next time interval are added to the energy saving control operating conditions 201 and the non-energy saving control operating conditions 202. As a result, as shown in Fig. 9, the operating conditions 211 (predicted energy saving control operating conditions) in which the predicted operating conditions 203 are added to the energy saving control operating conditions 201 and the operating conditions 212 (predicted non-energy saving control operating conditions) in which the predicted operating conditions 203 are added to the non-energy saving control operating conditions 202 are generated.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a first evaluation value 213 is calculated based on the predicted energy saving control operating conditions 211 and the non-energy saving control operating conditions 202. The first evaluation value 213 is an evaluation value for the operating conditions when operating with energy saving control in the next time interval. In addition, a second evaluation value 214 is calculated based on the energy saving control operating conditions 201 and the predicted non-energy saving control operating conditions 212. The second evaluation value 214 is an evaluation value for the operating conditions when operating with non-energy saving control in the next time interval.

Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates each evaluation value using formula (1).

where X is a predetermined threshold value. The number of occurrences with an occurrence frequency of X or more is the number of combinations of set temperature and outside air temperature with an occurrence frequency of X or more under both operating conditions. The occurrence frequency is the number of operating data collected under that operating condition.

The control unit of the control device 10 may calculate each evaluation value using formula (2).

Note that α, β, and γ are predetermined coefficients. The occurrence range is the range of operating conditions for which one or more pieces of operating data are collected. The occurrence range difference is the difference between the occurrence ranges in two operating conditions, and is the range in which one or more pieces of operating data are collected in one operating condition and no operating data is collected in the other operating condition. The average outside temperature and the average set temperature are weighted averages, with the occurrence frequency as the weight.

The control unit of the control device 10 may calculate each evaluation value using formula (3).

However, occurrences with the same frequency are combinations of set temperature and outside temperature that occur with the same frequency under two operating conditions.

The control unit of the control device 10 may calculate each evaluation value using formula (4).

Here, i is the index of the usage conditions and j is the index of the environmental conditions.

Returning to FIG. 6, in step S1-5, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the air conditioner in the next time interval based on the evaluation value calculated in step S1-4. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method so that the evaluation value for each control method satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is set so that the difference in operating conditions for each control method is small.

The specified condition differs depending on the type of evaluation value. If the evaluation value increases as the difference between operating conditions increases, the specified condition may be that the evaluation value is minimized. On the other hand, if the evaluation value increases as the difference between operating conditions decreases, the specified condition may be that the evaluation value is maximized.

For example, when the evaluation value is calculated using formula (1), the predetermined condition is that the evaluation value is minimized. That is, the control unit of the control device 10 compares the first evaluation value 213 related to the energy saving control operating condition with the second evaluation value 214 related to the non-energy saving control operating condition, and if the first evaluation value 213 is smaller than the second evaluation value 214, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the next time interval to be energy saving control. On the other hand, if the first evaluation value 213 is larger than the second evaluation value 214, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the next time interval to be non-energy saving control.

Here, an example of determining the control method for the immediately following time interval has been described, but if the operating conditions are predicted for multiple consecutive time intervals, the control method may be determined for multiple consecutive time intervals.

As described above, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for operating the air conditioner in the next time interval based on an evaluation value that indicates the difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each control method.

For example, when dividing information about operating conditions into predetermined intervals, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine a control method that is not being executed in the interval into which the information about operating conditions is divided, as the control method for operating the air conditioner in the next time interval. In other words, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine a control method for which no operating data has been collected for a combination of set temperature and outside air temperature, as the control method for the next time interval.

Also, for example, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine the control method so that all control methods are executed in all sections when the information on the operating conditions is divided into predetermined sections. In other words, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine the control method for the next time section so as to collect one or more operating data for all combinations of the set temperature and the outside air temperature.

Also, for example, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine the control method such that all control methods are executed in the section included in the predetermined range when the information on the operating conditions is divided into predetermined sections. In other words, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine the control method for the next time section such that one or more pieces of operating data are collected for all combinations of a set temperature in a predetermined range and an outside air temperature in a predetermined range.

The predetermined range may be set, for example, to a range in which all control methods are executed at a predetermined rate among all the intervals when the information on the operating conditions is divided into predetermined intervals. The predetermined rate may be, for example, about 80%. In other words, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine the control method for the next time interval so as to collect one or more pieces of operating data for about 80% of all combinations of set temperature and outside air temperature. Such combinations of set temperature and outside air temperature depend on the installation environment of the air conditioner, but an example is a range in which the outside air temperature is 25 to 37°C and the set temperature is 22 to 27°C for cooling. Also, for heating, a range in which the outside air temperature is 0 to 15°C and the set temperature is 20 to 25°C for heating.

Returning to FIG. 5, in step S2, the control unit of the control device 10 controls the air conditioner to operate using the control method determined in step S1. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 transmits a control signal to the outdoor unit 20 to change to the control method determined in step S1. The outdoor unit 20 changes the control method based on the control signal received from the control device 10.

If the control method determined in step S1 is the same as the control method currently being used, step S2 can be skipped.

In step S3, the control unit of the control device 10 determines whether the learning period has ended. If the learning period has ended (YES), the control unit of the control device 10 proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the learning period has not ended (NO), the control unit of the control device 10 returns the process to step S1.

The end condition for the learning period may be a condition based on the range in which the operating conditions occur. For example, the end condition for the learning period may be when all control methods have been executed in all sections when the information on the operating conditions is divided into specified sections. Also, for example, the end condition for the learning period may be when all control methods have been executed in sections included in a specified range when the information on the operating conditions is divided into specified sections.

The condition for ending the learning period may be a condition based on the amount of information about the operating conditions. For example, it may be when the amount of information about the operating conditions becomes an amount of information that allows the calculation of a performance evaluation index of air conditioning control for each control method. The amount of information that allows the calculation of a performance evaluation index may be determined in advance depending on the type of performance evaluation index. For example, taking into account the operating data in cooling operation and the operating data in heating operation, the learning period may be set to one year from the start of the learning period.

In step S4, the control unit of the control device 10 outputs a performance evaluation report for the learning period that evaluates the performance of air conditioning control during the learning period. The performance evaluation report for the learning period is created based on the performance evaluation index of air conditioning control for each control method. The performance evaluation index of air conditioning control may be a function or a value. The performance evaluation index may be created using a function, a statistical model, or a machine learning model with the operating conditions as parameters.

The performance evaluation index for air conditioning control is an evaluation index that allows comparison of the performance of each control method under the same operating conditions. The same operating conditions mean that information on the operating conditions of the air conditioner or information on the environmental conditions in which the air conditioner is used is equivalent between control methods at the unit of information acquisition. In other words, the same operating conditions mean that at least one of the following can be evaluated as equivalent: indoor temperature, indoor humidity, set temperature, air conditioning heat load, number of people in the air-conditioned space, layout of the air-conditioned space, day of the week, time of day, outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, solar radiation, or season.

The value of the performance evaluation index is a value that indicates the performance of air conditioning control across all operating conditions. The performance of air conditioning control is, for example, an index that indicates energy saving, comfort, greenhouse gas reduction, economy, reliability, or controllability. An index that indicates energy saving is, for example, the difference in power consumption between control methods.

The function of the performance evaluation index is a function that indicates the performance of air conditioning control according to the operating conditions. For example, the function of the evaluation index is a function that takes a combination of a set temperature and an outside temperature as input, and outputs the difference in the amount of energy consumed for each control method. The function of the evaluation index is, for example, a matrix having rows indicating set temperatures and columns indicating outside temperatures, and having values indicating the difference in the amount of energy consumed. The function of the evaluation index may also be a function that takes three or more operating condition items as input.

<Performance evaluation process during learning period>
10 is a flowchart showing an example of the performance evaluation process during the learning period in this embodiment. The performance evaluation process during the learning period corresponds to step S4 in FIG.

In step S4-1, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires the air conditioning control performance for each control method. The air conditioning control performance is acquired for each operating condition based on the operating data collected for each operating condition. The air conditioning control performance is, for example, the amount of energy consumed. The control unit of the control device 10 acquires the amount of energy consumed from the operating data for each combination of outside air temperature and set temperature, and calculates the average value of these. This generates information indicating the air conditioning control performance for each operating condition for each control method.

In step S4-2, the control unit of the control device 10 constructs a prediction model for each control method based on the information indicating the performance of air conditioning control for each operating condition generated in step S4-1. The control unit of the control device 10 constructs a prediction model based on, for example, a function (differential function) indicating the difference in air conditioning control performance for each control method. The control unit of the control device 10 stores the constructed prediction model in the memory unit.

The prediction model is constructed, for example, based on a function (differential function) that indicates the difference in air conditioning control performance for each control method. For example, the control unit of the control device 10 performs linear regression for each control method with the operating conditions as explanatory variables and the average energy consumption as the objective variable. Next, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates the difference in the average energy consumption obtained as the regression result under each operating condition for each control method. This generates a differential function for each control method. Note that multiple differential functions may be generated based on the operating state or operating conditions.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a differential function. As shown in Figure 11, the differential function is a matrix having rows indicating set temperatures and columns indicating outside air temperatures, with values indicating the difference in average energy consumption for each control method for a combination of set temperatures and outside air temperatures. Figure 11 shows a differential function (energy saving control differential function) for evaluating performance when operating with energy saving control. The energy saving control differential function is a function that shows the difference obtained by subtracting the amount of energy consumed when operating with non-energy saving control from the amount of energy consumed when operating with energy saving control.

In the difference function shown in Figure 11, the difference in the average energy consumption is expressed as the ratio of the average energy consumption when operating under energy saving control to the average energy consumption when operating under non-energy saving control. In other words, the difference in the average energy consumption is calculated as "(average energy consumption under energy saving control - average energy consumption under non-energy saving control) / average energy consumption under non-energy saving control".

The control unit of the control device 10 generates a difference function (non-energy saving control difference function) for evaluating the performance when operating under non-energy saving control, in addition to the energy saving control difference function. The non-energy saving control difference function is a function that indicates the difference obtained by subtracting the amount of energy consumed when operating under energy saving control from the amount of energy consumed when operating under non-energy saving control.

In the non-energy saving control difference function, the difference in the average energy consumption is expressed as the ratio of the average energy consumption when operating under energy saving control to the average energy consumption when operating under non-energy saving control. In other words, the difference in the average energy consumption is calculated as "(average energy consumption under non-energy saving control - average energy consumption under energy saving control) / average energy consumption under energy saving control".

Returning to FIG. 10, in step S4-3, the control unit of the control device 10 predicts, for each control method, the performance of air conditioning control when operating with that control method throughout the entire learning period, based on the prediction model based on the differential function generated in step S4-2. During the learning period, the air conditioner is operated while switching control methods, so that during a period when it is operated with a certain control method, there is no operating data for operation with another control method during the same period. However, by using the differential function, it is possible to take into account the performance of air conditioning control actually measured under the same conditions over a different period when operating with a certain control method, and therefore it is possible to predict the performance of air conditioning control when operating with another control method.

The calculation method of the performance evaluation index in this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an example of the calculation method of the performance evaluation index. As shown in FIG. 12, during the learning period, the air conditioner operates by alternately switching between energy saving control (ON) and non-energy saving control (OFF). Therefore, the actual measured value of the amount of energy consumed will be a mixture of the time interval in which the amount of energy consumed when operating under energy saving control was measured and the time interval in which the amount of energy consumed when operating under non-energy saving control was measured (actual measured value of switching operation).

In this case, by using the energy saving control differential function to predict the amount of energy consumed when operating under energy saving control from the amount of energy consumed when operating under non-energy saving control, the amount of energy consumed when operating under constant energy saving control (predicted value for constant energy saving control) can be obtained over the entire learning period. Similarly, by using the non-energy saving control differential function to predict the amount of energy consumed when operating under non-energy saving control from the amount of energy consumed when operating under energy saving control, the amount of energy consumed when operating under constant non-energy saving control (predicted value for constant non-energy saving control) can be obtained over the entire learning period.

Referring back to FIG. 10, in step S4-4, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates the performance of air conditioning control over the entire learning period based on the performance of air conditioning control for each control method predicted in step S4-3. For example, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates the total amount of energy consumed over the entire learning period for each control method (predicted value of total power consumption in FIG. 12).

In step S4-5, the control unit of the control device 10 creates a performance evaluation report for the learning period. Next, the control unit of the control device 10 transmits the performance evaluation report for the learning period to the terminal device 40. The control unit of the control device 10 may transmit electronic data indicating the performance evaluation report for the learning period to the terminal device 40 via the Internet by means of e-mail or the like. The terminal device 40 receives the performance evaluation report for the learning period from the control device 10. Then, the terminal device 40 outputs the received performance evaluation report for the learning period to a display device or the like.

The performance evaluation report for the learning period displays the air conditioning control performance for each control method in a comparative manner. The air conditioning control performance for each control method may include the air conditioning control performance for each predetermined time interval and the air conditioning control performance for the entire learning period.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of a performance evaluation report for a learning period. As shown in Figure 13, the performance evaluation report 1000 for the learning period displays the difference in power consumption estimated for each control method during the learning period. For example, the performance evaluation report 1000 displays the reduction effect when energy saving is always ON, and the energy saving effect during the period. The reduction effect when energy saving is always ON is a graph that summarizes the power consumption when operating with energy saving control at all times and the reduction amount from the power consumption when operating with non-energy saving control at all times for a specified time period (here, one month). The energy saving effect during the period is a graph that summarizes the power consumption when operating with energy saving control at all times and the reduction amount from the power consumption when operating with non-energy saving control at all times for the entire learning period.

The performance evaluation report for the learning period may display reference information for evaluating performance. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the amount of reduction in power consumption (kWh), the reduction rate of power consumption (%), the amount of reduction in electricity charges (yen), the amount of CO2 reduction (t-CO2), etc. are displayed. The amount of reduction is the amount of reduction multiplied by the unit price of electricity (20 yen in the example of FIG. 13). The amount of CO2 reduction is the value obtained by multiplying the amount of reduction in power consumption by the emission coefficient (0.000441 in the example of FIG. 13).

The performance evaluation report for the learning period may display indicators for evaluating comfort. In the example shown in FIG. 13, room temperature distribution and set temperature distribution are displayed as comfort evaluation indicators. The room temperature distribution is a graph comparing the difference in frequency of occurrence for each control method for each room temperature. The set temperature distribution is a graph comparing the difference in frequency of occurrence for each control method for each set temperature.

As mentioned above, the performance evaluation report for the learning period displays information showing the results of comparing performance evaluation indicators between multiple control methods, making it possible to confirm the power consumption reduction effect of each control method. In addition, the performance evaluation report for the learning period displays comfort evaluation indicators along with the reduction effect, making it possible to confirm the impact on comfort of changing the control method.

In step S5, the control unit of the control device 10 sets the control method of the air conditioner. The control unit of the control device 10 may set the control method of the air conditioner in response to an operation by a user or administrator of the air conditioning system 1. In this embodiment, the explanation will continue assuming that the control method of the air conditioner is set to energy saving control.

The control unit of the control device 10 may not execute the processes from step S6 onwards, depending on the characteristics of the set control method. For example, if the control method of the air conditioner is set to non-energy saving control when providing energy saving control, this means that the user has decided not to use energy saving control, so the processes from step S6 onwards may not be executed. Also, for example, when the use of some rooms is changed and comfort is prioritized over energy saving, the control method of the air conditioner may be set to non-energy saving control. In this case, the processes from step S6 onwards may not be executed temporarily. Also, if the control method setting is changed at the request of the user or administrator, the processes from step S6 onwards may be executed.

In step S6, the control unit of the control device 10 determines whether or not it is necessary to reconstruct the prediction model. If it is necessary to reconstruct the prediction model (YES), the control unit of the control device 10 proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if it is not necessary to reconstruct the prediction model (NO), the control unit of the control device 10 skips step S7 and proceeds to step S8.

The control unit of the control device 10 may determine whether or not the prediction model needs to be reconstructed at a predetermined evaluation interval. The control unit of the control device 10 may determine whether or not the prediction model needs to be reconstructed at a predetermined judgment interval, or may determine whether or not the prediction model needs to be reconstructed at a time interval different from the evaluation interval and the judgment interval.

The control unit of the control device 10 compares the evaluation value based on the information on the operating conditions during the learning period and the information on the operating conditions during the operation period with a threshold value to determine whether or not it is necessary to reconstruct the prediction model. The information on the operating conditions during the learning period is obtained based on the operating data collected during the learning period. The information on the operating conditions during the operation period is obtained based on the operating data collected during the operation period.

The evaluation value is, for example, a value that indicates the difference in operating conditions between multiple periods in which the operating conditions are different. The method for calculating the evaluation value is the same as the evaluation value calculated in step S1-4.

The criteria for determining whether or not a prediction model needs to be reconstructed vary depending on the type of evaluation value. If the evaluation value increases as the difference in operating conditions increases, and the evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined that the prediction model needs to be reconstructed. On the other hand, if the evaluation value increases as the difference in operating conditions decreases, and the evaluation value is equal to or less than a threshold, it is determined that the prediction model needs to be reconstructed.

The criteria for determining whether or not it is necessary to reconstruct the prediction model may be based on the range of occurrence of the operating conditions. For example, the control unit of the control device 10 may determine that the information on the operating conditions acquired during the evaluation period is classified into a different section from the section into which the information on the operating conditions acquired during the learning period is classified. Since a prediction model has not been constructed for a section for which information on the operating conditions has not been acquired during the learning period, it is preferable to control the operation to be performed using each control method until a performance evaluation index for that section can be calculated, and to reconstruct the prediction model based on the operating data.

<Prediction model reconstruction process>
14 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for reconstructing a prediction model in this embodiment. The process for reconstructing a prediction model corresponds to step S7 in FIG.

In step S7-1, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires information about the operating state based on the operating data collected during the learning period. The learning period is a period during which the air conditioner is operated while switching the control method. In other words, the learning period is a period during which operating data is collected before constructing the predictive model in step S4-2.

In step S7-2, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires information about the driving conditions based on the driving data collected during the learning period. The learning period is the same as the period for which the driving state was acquired in step S7-1.

In step S7-3, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires the operating conditions of the air conditioner for the next time interval. The method for acquiring the operating conditions for the next time interval may be the same as the method for acquiring the operating conditions for the next time interval in step S1-3, or a different method may be used.

The next time interval is the time interval from when the current control method is determined to when the next control method is determined. The length of the next time interval may be a predetermined switching interval. For example, in this embodiment, the switching interval is 24 hours, so the next time interval may include the immediately following 24 hours. The length of the next time interval may be a predetermined determination interval, or may be a different length of time from the switching interval and the determination interval.

Here, an example of predicting the operating conditions for a single immediately following time interval has been described, but it is also possible to predict the operating conditions for multiple consecutive time intervals.

In step S7-4, the control unit of the control device 10 calculates an evaluation value for each control method based on information about the operating conditions. The evaluation value is a value that indicates the difference in operating conditions between the control methods. The method of calculating the evaluation value is the same as the method of calculating the evaluation value in step S1-4.

In step S7-5, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method for the air conditioner in the next time interval based on the evaluation value calculated in step S7-4. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 determines the control method so that the evaluation value for each control method satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is the same as the condition used in step S1-5.

In step S7-6, the control unit of the control device 10 controls the air conditioner to operate using the control method determined in step S7-5. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 transmits a control signal to the outdoor unit 20 to change to the control method determined in step S7-5. The outdoor unit 20 changes the control method based on the control signal received from the control device 10.

If the control method determined in step S7-5 is the same as the control method currently being used, step S7-6 can be skipped.

In step S7-7, the control unit of the control device 10 determines whether the re-learning period has ended. The re-learning period is a period for collecting driving data for reconstructing the prediction model. The re-learning period may be a predetermined period. The re-learning period may be until sufficient driving data is collected for reconstructing the prediction model. If the re-learning period has ended (YES), the control unit of the control device 10 proceeds to step S7-8. On the other hand, if the re-learning period has not ended (NO), the control unit of the control device 10 returns the process to step S7-1.

The end condition for the relearning period may be a condition based on the range in which the operating conditions occur. For example, the end condition for the relearning period may be when all control methods have been executed in different sections when the information on the operating conditions is divided into predetermined sections.

The condition for ending the re-learning period may be a condition based on the amount of information about the operating conditions. For example, it may be when the amount of information about the operating conditions becomes sufficient to calculate the performance evaluation index of the air conditioning control for each control method in the different sections.

The end conditions for the re-learning period may be the same as the end conditions for the learning period used in step S3, or may be different.

In step S7-8, the control unit of the control device 10 reconstructs the prediction model based on the driving data collected during the learning period and the driving data collected during the re-learning period. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 uses the driving data collected during the learning period and the driving data collected during the re-learning period to construct a prediction model in the same manner as the prediction model was constructed in step S4-2. The control unit of the control device 10 stores the prediction model reconstructed in S7-8 in the memory unit.

In addition, if it is determined in step S6 whether or not it is necessary to reconstruct the prediction model again after the prediction model has been reconstructed in steps S7-8, information regarding the driving conditions during the learning period is obtained based on both the driving data collected during the learning period and the driving data collected during the re-learning period.

In step S7-9, the control unit of the control device 10 sets the control method for the air conditioner to the control method set in step S5.

Returning to FIG. 5, in step S8, the control unit of the control device 10 controls the air conditioner to operate using the control method set in step S5 or step S7-9. Specifically, the control unit of the control device 10 transmits a control signal to the outdoor unit 20 to change the control method to the one set in step S5 or step S7-9. The outdoor unit 20 changes the control method based on the control signal received from the control device 10.

In step S9, the control unit of the control device 10 determines whether the current evaluation period has ended. If the current evaluation period has ended (YES), the control unit of the control device 10 proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if the current evaluation period has not ended (NO), the control unit of the control device 10 returns the process to step S6.

The end condition of the evaluation period may be based on a predetermined date and time. For example, it may be when the current date and time passes the predetermined date and time.

The end condition for the evaluation period may be a condition based on a predetermined period of time. For example, it may be when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the evaluation period.

Even if the evaluation period has not ended, the evaluation period may be ended in response to an operation by a user or administrator of the air conditioning system 1, and a performance evaluation for that evaluation period may be performed.

In step S10, the control unit of the control device 10 outputs a performance evaluation report for the operation period that evaluates the performance of air conditioning control during the current evaluation period. The performance evaluation report for the operation period is created using the prediction model constructed in step S4-2 (or the prediction model reconstructed in step S7-8). For example, the performance evaluation report for the operation period is a report that evaluates the degree of energy saving effect achieved by operating with energy saving control compared to operating with non-energy saving control.

<Performance evaluation process during operation>
15 is a flowchart showing an example of a performance evaluation process during operation in this embodiment. The performance evaluation process during operation corresponds to step S10 in FIG.

In step S10-1, the control unit of the control device 10 acquires the performance of air conditioning control in the current control method. The performance of air conditioning control is acquired for each operating condition based on the operating data collected during the current evaluation period. This generates information indicating the performance of air conditioning control for each operating condition in the current control method.

The performance of the air conditioning control may be obtained for each operation control state of the air conditioner. The air conditioner operation control state may include, for example, starting up, normal operation, and after the set temperature has been changed. The air conditioner operation control state is not limited to these, and any type of state that is meaningful for evaluating the performance of the air conditioning control may be determined.

In step S10-2, the control unit of the control device 10 predicts the performance of air conditioning control for each operating condition in the other control method based on the information indicating the performance of air conditioning control for each operating condition generated in step S10-1. The performance of air conditioning control in the other control method is predicted based on the prediction model constructed in step S4-2 (or the prediction model reconstructed in step S7-8). Note that the performance of air conditioning control in the other control method may be calculated based on a function or statistical model with the operating conditions as parameters.

Figure 16 is a diagram for explaining an example of performance evaluation during an operation period. As shown in Figure 16, in the performance evaluation 1100 during an operation period, the performance of air conditioning control for each control method is evaluated by comparing the trend in power consumption under energy saving control with the trend in power consumption under non-energy saving control. In the performance evaluation during an operation period, the performance of air conditioning control for each control method may be compared for each operational control state of the air conditioner.

Returning to FIG. 15, in step S10-3, the control unit of the control device 10 creates a performance evaluation report for the operation period. Next, the control unit of the control device 10 transmits the performance evaluation report for the operation period to the terminal device 40. The terminal device 40 receives the performance evaluation report for the operation period from the control device 10. The terminal device 40 then outputs the received performance evaluation report for the operation period to a display device or the like.

Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of a performance evaluation report for an operation period. As shown in Figure 17, the performance evaluation report 1200 for an operation period displays the difference between the actual value of the power consumption in the current evaluation period and the predicted value of the power consumption when operating with another control method in the current evaluation period. For example, the performance evaluation report 1200 displays the estimated reduction effect and the energy saving effect during the period. The estimated reduction effect is a graph that summarizes the power consumption when operating with constant energy saving control and the reduction amount from the power consumption when operating with constant non-energy saving control for a specified time period (here, one month). The energy saving effect during the period is a graph that summarizes the power consumption when operating with constant energy saving control and the reduction amount from the power consumption when operating with constant non-energy saving control for the entire current evaluation period.

The performance evaluation report for the operation period may display an index for evaluating comfort. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the room temperature distribution is displayed as an evaluation index for comfort. The room temperature distribution is a graph comparing the difference in occurrence frequency for each control method for each indoor temperature. The room temperature distribution may display, for example, the actual value of the occurrence frequency when operating with constant energy saving control and the predicted value of the occurrence frequency when operating with constant non-energy saving control side by side. The room temperature distribution may display, for example, only the actual value of the occurrence frequency when operating with constant energy saving control.

As mentioned above, the performance evaluation report for the operation period displays information showing the results of comparing performance evaluation indexes between multiple control methods, making it possible to confirm the power consumption reduction effect of each control method. In addition, the performance evaluation report for the operation period shows comfort evaluation indexes along with the reduction effect, making it possible to confirm the impact on comfort of fixing the control method.

Comparing the performance evaluation report 1000 for the learning period shown in FIG. 13 with the performance evaluation report 1200 for the operation period shown in FIG. 17, it can be seen that the performance evaluation indexes for each control method are compared in different ways. The purpose of the learning period is to evaluate the performance of air conditioning control for each control method. On the other hand, the purpose of the operation period is to evaluate the performance of air conditioning control achieved by fixing the control method. By changing the method of comparison of the performance evaluation indexes for each control method between the performance evaluation report for the learning period and the performance evaluation report for the operation period, the performance of air conditioning control can be appropriately evaluated.

<Summary>
As described above, according to each embodiment of the present disclosure, information that allows for evaluating differences in air conditioning control performance for each control method can be obtained. The control device 10 in this embodiment determines a control method for operating the air conditioner based on differences in information about operating conditions for each control method. According to this embodiment, since an appropriate control method can be determined based on differences in information about operating conditions, information that allows for evaluating differences in air conditioning control performance for each control method can be obtained.

When the control device 10 in this embodiment divides the information on operating conditions into certain sections, it determines the control method that is not being executed in the section into which the information on operating conditions is divided as the control method with which the air conditioner will operate. According to this embodiment, since the air conditioner is operated with a control method that is not being executed for each section, it is possible to obtain information that allows the difference in performance of air conditioning control for each control method to be evaluated for each section into which the information on operating conditions is divided.

In this embodiment, the control device 10 outputs a performance evaluation index based on information related to operating conditions and information related to the operating state acquired during a specified period. According to this embodiment, the performance of air conditioning control for each control method can be evaluated during a specified period.

In this embodiment, the control device 10 determines a control method until the amount of information regarding the operating conditions divided into a predetermined range becomes sufficient to calculate a comparable evaluation index for the performance of each control method. According to this embodiment, it is possible to output a performance evaluation index that can evaluate the performance of air conditioning control within a predetermined range.

The control device 10 in this embodiment outputs a performance evaluation index based on information on operating conditions acquired during a specified period, and if information on operating conditions acquired after the specified period is classified into a section different from the section into which the information on operating conditions acquired during the specified period was classified, a control method is determined to execute all control methods in the different section. If information on operating conditions acquired after the specified period is classified into a different section, a performance evaluation index is not output for that section. According to this embodiment, even if the operating conditions change after the performance evaluation index is output, the performance of air conditioning control for each operating condition can be evaluated for each control method.

The control device 10 in this embodiment outputs information indicating the results of comparing the performance evaluation index between the control methods, and compares the performance evaluation index using different methods for a specified period and after the specified period. The purpose of referring to the performance evaluation index differs between a period in which the air conditioner is operated by switching the control method and a period in which the air conditioner is operated by fixing the control method. According to this embodiment, the performance of air conditioning control can be compared using an appropriate evaluation method depending on the purpose of referring to the performance evaluation index.

[supplement]
Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) implemented by an electronic circuit, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), conventional circuit module, and other devices designed to execute each function described above.

Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be understood that various changes in form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

10 Control device 20 Outdoor unit 30 Indoor unit 40 Terminal device

Claims (11)

A control device having a control unit that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between a plurality of control methods,
The control unit is
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
determining a control method for operating the air conditioner based on a difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each of the control methods during a predetermined period of time ;
Acquire information regarding the operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
outputting a performance evaluation index of air conditioning control by the control method based on information on the operating conditions and information on the operating state for each of the control methods;
comparing an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during the specified period, and comparing an actual value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during a period other than the specified period;
outputting information indicating a comparison result of the performance evaluation index between the control methods;
Control device. The control unit is
When the information on the operating conditions is divided into certain sections, the control method that is not being executed in the section into which the information on the operating conditions is divided is determined to be the control method for operating the air conditioner.
The control device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
determining the control method until the information on the operating conditions divided into predetermined ranges becomes an amount of information that allows the performance evaluation index to be calculated;
The control device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
After the predetermined period, information regarding the operating condition is acquired;
When the information on the operating conditions is divided into certain intervals, if the information on the operating conditions acquired during the specified period is divided into an interval different from the divided interval, the control method that is not executed in the different interval is determined as the control method for operating the air conditioner.
The control device according to claim 1 . The control unit is
When the information regarding the operating conditions divided into the different sections has an amount of information that allows the performance evaluation index to be calculated, the performance evaluation index is updated.
The control device according to claim 4 . A control device having a control unit that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between a plurality of control methods,
The control unit is
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
Calculating an evaluation value indicating a difference in information regarding the operating condition between the control methods when operated according to each of the control methods;
determining the control method for operating the air conditioner as the control method for which the evaluation value calculated for each of the control methods is the smallest;
Acquire information regarding the operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
The evaluation value indicates a difference between the control methods in a value calculated based on at least one or more pieces of information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the operation frequency of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the occurrence range of the operating conditions, the occurrence pattern of the operating conditions, or information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner.
Control device. The control unit is
Displaying the performance evaluation index on an external display device.
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . A control unit included in a control device that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between a plurality of control methods,
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
determining a control method for operating the air conditioner based on a difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each of the control methods during a predetermined period of time ;
Acquire information regarding the operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
outputting a performance evaluation index of air conditioning control by the control method based on information on the operating conditions and information on the operating state for each of the control methods;
comparing an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during the specified period, and comparing an actual value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during a period other than the specified period;
outputting information indicating a comparison result of the performance evaluation index between the control methods;
Air conditioning control method. A control unit included in a control device that controls an air conditioner that can operate by switching between a plurality of control methods,
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
Calculating an evaluation value indicating a difference in information regarding the operating condition between the control methods when operated according to each of the control methods;
determining the control method for operating the air conditioner as the control method for which the evaluation value calculated for each of the control methods is the smallest;
Acquire information regarding the operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
The evaluation value indicates a difference between the control methods in a value calculated based on at least one or more pieces of information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the operation frequency of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the occurrence range of the operating conditions, the occurrence pattern of the operating conditions, or information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner.
Air conditioning control method. A control unit included in a control device that controls an air conditioner that can be operated by switching between a plurality of control methods,
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
determining a control method for operating the air conditioner based on a difference in information regarding the operating conditions for each of the control methods during a predetermined period of time ;
Acquire information regarding the operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
outputting a performance evaluation index of air conditioning control by the control method based on information on the operating conditions and information on the operating state for each of the control methods;
comparing an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during the specified period, and comparing an actual value of the performance evaluation index of the first control method with an estimated value of the performance evaluation index of the second control method during a period other than the specified period;
outputting information indicating a comparison result of the performance evaluation index between the control methods;
A program for executing a process. A control unit included in a control device that controls an air conditioner that can be operated by switching between a plurality of control methods,
Acquire information regarding the operating conditions of the air conditioner;
Calculating an evaluation value indicating a difference in information regarding the operating condition between the control methods when operated according to each of the control methods;
determining the control method for operating the air conditioner as the control method for which the evaluation value calculated for each of the control methods is smallest;
acquiring information about an operating state of the air conditioner operated by the determined control method;
Execute the process,
The evaluation value indicates a difference between the control methods in a value calculated based on at least one or more pieces of information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the operation frequency of the air conditioner for each of the operating conditions, the occurrence range of the operating conditions, the occurrence pattern of the operating conditions, or information regarding the operation time of the air conditioner.
program.

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