JP7767015B2 - Air conditioner control device, air conditioner, air conditioning method, and air conditioning program - Google Patents

Description

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

Air conditioning systems control temperature and humidity to create a comfortable indoor environment. Patent Document 1 also discloses controlling a ventilation system according to the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor environment in order to bring in air from outside the building.

Patent No. 6415720

However, if only temperature and humidity are considered when determining indoor comfort, the comfort may not be sufficient.

Furthermore, since the purpose of Patent Document 1 is ventilation, ventilation control is performed taking into account only the carbon dioxide concentration, and it is not possible to comprehensively evaluate indoor comfort by taking into account temperature and humidity as well.

This disclosure was made in light of these circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioning device control device, an air conditioning device, an air conditioning method, and an air conditioning program that can perform comfort evaluation more effectively.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for an air conditioning device, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room that is to be air-conditioned; an evaluation unit that evaluates the comfort of a user in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information; and a control unit that controls at least one of the control objects of the air conditioning airflow, the target temperature, and the target humidity in the room based on the comfort evaluation result, wherein indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room that is to be air -conditioned, the evaluation unit evaluates the comfort based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration, the evaluation unit evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where the comfort range for temperature and humidity and the comfort range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap, and evaluates the comfort as poor if it is outside the range , and the control unit performs comfort improvement control to increase the air conditioning airflow if the comfort is evaluated as poor.

With the above configuration, comfort can be evaluated more effectively by taking into account not only temperature and humidity but also the carbon dioxide concentration in the room, based on temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information acquired as environmental information for the room to be air-conditioned.

According to the above configuration, the comfortable ranges of temperature and humidity are preset in accordance with the carbon dioxide concentration, so that it is possible to evaluate the comfort level in consideration of the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity, thereby enabling a more effective evaluation of the comfort level.
According to the above-described configuration, the comfort level of the room can be recognized as an evaluation result, and therefore, control can be performed to improve comfort. When controlling the air conditioning airflow, carbon dioxide stagnating in the room (e.g., around the user) can be stirred, thereby preventing local increases in carbon dioxide concentration in the room. Furthermore, when controlling the target temperature or target humidity, it is possible to reduce the user's discomfort by, for example, lowering the target temperature or target humidity.

The air conditioning device control device may also be provided with a notification unit that notifies the user of the comfort evaluation results.

With the above configuration, the user can recognize the indoor environment (visualize the level of air pollution) based on the comfort evaluation results that take carbon dioxide concentration into account. For example, if a user is notified that the indoor environment is poor, they can improve the indoor environment by ventilating the room.

The air conditioning device control device may include a prediction unit that predicts an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration based on the number of users in the room, and the evaluation unit may evaluate the comfort level after a predetermined time has elapsed based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the prediction result, using the prediction result instead of the concentration information.

With the above configuration, it is possible to predict the increase in carbon dioxide concentration based on the number of users in the room, thereby evaluating the comfort level in the room after a predetermined time has passed. This makes it possible to know in advance whether the carbon dioxide concentration will increase after a predetermined time has passed, potentially reducing comfort.

In the air conditioning device control device described above, the notification unit may notify the user of outdoor environment information.

With the above configuration, outdoor environment information is notified to the user, allowing the user to more efficiently decide whether or not to ventilate the room.

In the above-mentioned air conditioning device control device, the outdoor environment information may include at least one of outdoor temperature information, pollen information, and particulate matter information.

With the above configuration, the outdoor environment information includes at least one of outside temperature information, pollen information, and particulate matter information, allowing the user to more efficiently determine whether or not to ventilate the room.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioning device having a refrigerant circuit and the above-described air conditioning device control device.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioning method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room to be air-conditioned; an evaluation step of evaluating user comfort in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information; and a control step of controlling at least one of control objects, i.e., air conditioning airflow rate, target temperature, and target humidity , in the room based on the comfort evaluation result, wherein indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room to be air-conditioned; the evaluation step evaluates the comfort based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration; the evaluation step evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where the comfort ranges for temperature and humidity and the comfort range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap; and evaluates the comfort as poor if it is outside the range ; and the control step performs comfort improvement control by increasing the air conditioning airflow rate if the comfort is evaluated as poor.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioning program that causes a computer to execute an acquisition process that acquires temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room that is to be air-conditioned; an evaluation process that evaluates user comfort in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information; and a control process that controls at least one of control objects, i.e., air conditioning airflow, target temperature, and target humidity in the room, based on the comfort evaluation result, wherein indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room that is to be air -conditioned; the evaluation process evaluates the comfort based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration; the evaluation process evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where the comfort range for temperature and humidity and the comfort range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap, and evaluates the comfort as poor if it is outside the range ; and the control process performs comfort improvement control that increases the air conditioning airflow if the comfort is evaluated as poor.

This disclosure has the effect of enabling more effective comfort evaluation.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of an indoor unit of an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing functions of a control device in an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of reference information held by a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of reference information held by a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of comfort improvement control in a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of comfort improvement control in a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of comfort improvement control in a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of comfort improvement control in a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of processing in a control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air conditioning device control device, an air conditioning device, an air conditioning method, and an air conditioning program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air conditioning apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to this embodiment mainly comprises an outdoor unit 3 and an indoor unit 11. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, a case will be described in which one indoor unit 11 is connected to one outdoor unit 3, but the number of indoor units 11 is not limited to the above configuration.

The outdoor unit 3 is placed, for example, outdoors in a facility, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating through a refrigerant circuit (described below) and the outside air. The refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange in the outdoor unit 3 is supplied to the indoor unit 11 via the refrigerant circuit.

The indoor unit 11 is placed, for example, indoors (to be air-conditioned) in a facility or the like, and exchanges heat between the indoor air and the refrigerant circulating through a refrigerant circuit (described below). The refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange in the indoor unit 11 is supplied to the outdoor unit 3 via the refrigerant circuit. The number of indoor units 11 connected to one outdoor unit 3 can be changed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 1, a user of the indoor unit 11 can use a remote control 2 to send operation commands to the indoor unit 11. The remote control 2 is arranged in correspondence with the indoor unit 11. That is, the user can control the air conditioning device 1 by sending commands to the indoor unit 11 using the remote control 2. For example, the user (a person in the room) can use the remote control 2 to start/stop the air conditioning device, set the air conditioning air volume, target temperature, target humidity, etc. Note that commands can also be sent to the indoor unit 11 using operation buttons or the like provided on the indoor unit 11.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the exterior of the indoor unit 11. The indoor unit 11 is provided with a measurement unit (hereinafter referred to as the " _CO2 sensor") 15 that measures the concentration of carbon dioxide, a human presence sensor 18, and a display unit 16. The _CO2 sensor 15 is a measuring instrument that measures the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room to be air-conditioned, and the human presence sensor 18 is a detector that detects the presence or absence of people (the number of people) in the room to be air-conditioned. The detection results of the _CO2 sensor 15 and the human presence sensor 18 are used by the control device 20, which will be described later. The indoor unit 11 is also provided with a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor that detect the temperature and humidity in the room. The display unit 16 is controlled by the control device 20, which will be described later, to display various information.

Next, the refrigerant circuit in the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 2 shows a refrigerant circuit diagram of the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment. The air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit 3 and an indoor unit 11. Note that the refrigerant circuit shown in Fig. 2 is an example, and the refrigerant circuit is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 2.

The outdoor unit 3 includes an inverter-driven compressor 13 that compresses the refrigerant, a muffler (silencer) 12 that suppresses vibration noise generated by the compressor 13, a four-way switching valve 17 that switches the refrigerant circulation direction, an outdoor heat exchanger 19 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outside air, a receiver 26 that stores liquid refrigerant, an expansion valve (EEV) 49, a strainer 14 that removes debris (solids) contained in the liquid refrigerant, an accumulator 31 that separates the liquid component from the refrigerant gas drawn into the compressor 13 and draws only the gas component into the compressor 13, a gas-side operating valve 33, and a liquid-side operating valve 35.

The above-mentioned devices on the outdoor unit 3 side are connected in a known manner via refrigerant pipes such as a discharge pipe 37A, a gas pipe 37B, a liquid pipe 37C, and a suction pipe 37E to form an outdoor refrigerant circuit 39.
The outdoor unit 3 is also provided with an outdoor fan 41 that blows outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger 19 .

The gas side pipe 5 and liquid side pipe 7 are refrigerant pipes equipped with the gas side operating valve 33 and liquid side operating valve 35 of the outdoor unit 3, and are connected to the indoor unit 11. This forms a sealed single-system refrigeration cycle 45.

The indoor unit 11 is equipped with an indoor heat exchanger 47 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and indoor air to provide indoor air conditioning, and an indoor fan 51 that circulates indoor air through the indoor heat exchanger 47.

In the air conditioner 1, the cooling operation is performed as follows.
The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 13 is discharged to the discharge pipe 37A and supplied to the four-way switching valve 17 via the muffler 12.
Thereafter, the refrigerant gas is circulated to the gas pipe 37B side by the four-way switching valve 17, and is condensed and liquefied by heat exchange with outside air blown by the outdoor fan 41 in the outdoor heat exchanger 19.
This liquid refrigerant is temporarily stored in the receiver 26 via the liquid pipe 37C.

The liquid refrigerant, the circulation amount of which has been adjusted in the receiver 26, passes through the liquid side pipe 7 and is adiabatically expanded in the expansion valve 49.
This liquid refrigerant is discharged from the outdoor unit 3 through the strainer 14 and the liquid side operating valve 35 and supplied to the indoor unit 11 .

The liquid refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger 47 in the indoor unit 11. In the indoor heat exchanger 47, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and indoor air circulated by the indoor fan 51, and the indoor air is cooled to cool the room. Meanwhile, the refrigerant is gasified and flows through the gas side piping 5 and the gas side operating valve 33 to the four-way switching valve 17, and is introduced into the accumulator 31 via the suction piping 37E.
In the accumulator 31 , the liquid component contained in the refrigerant gas is separated, and only the gas component is sucked into the compressor 13 .
This refrigerant is compressed again in the compressor 13, and the above cycle is repeated to perform cooling operation.

On the other hand, the heating operation is carried out as follows.
The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 13 is discharged into the discharge pipe 37A, supplied to the four-way switching valve 17 via the muffler 12, and then circulated to the gas side pipe 5 side by the four-way switching valve 17.
This refrigerant is discharged from the outdoor unit 3 through the gas side operating valve 33 and introduced into the indoor unit 11 .

The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas introduced into the indoor unit 11 exchanges heat with indoor air circulated via an indoor fan 51 in the indoor heat exchanger 47, and the indoor air is heated and used to heat the room.
The liquid refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 47 is returned to the outdoor unit 3 .

The refrigerant that has returned to the outdoor unit 3 flows into the receiver 26 via the liquid side control valve 35, the strainer 14, and the expansion valve 49, and is temporarily stored therein, whereby the circulation amount is adjusted.
This liquid refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 19 via the liquid pipe 37C.

In the outdoor heat exchanger 19, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the outside air blown by the outdoor fan 41, and the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside air and is evaporated into gas.
This refrigerant is introduced from the outdoor heat exchanger 19 through the gas pipe 37B, the four-way switching valve 17, and the suction pipe 37E into the accumulator 31. In the accumulator 31, the liquid component contained in the refrigerant gas is separated, and only the gas component is drawn into the compressor 13, where it is compressed again. The heating operation is performed by repeating the above cycle.

Next, control related to the air conditioning apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.
The control device 20 controls the air conditioning device 1. The control device 20 also evaluates the comfort of the room that is the target of air conditioning, and performs comfort improvement control based on the comfort evaluation results.

The control device 20 is composed of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and computer-readable recording media (not shown). A series of processing steps for realizing the various functions described below are recorded in the form of a program on a recording medium, and the CPU reads this program into RAM and executes information processing and calculations to realize the various functions described below. The program may be pre-installed on a ROM or other storage medium, provided stored on a computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. Examples of computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the control device 20 in the air conditioning device 1. As shown in Figure 4, the control device 20 has an acquisition unit 21, an evaluation unit 22, a notification unit 23, a control unit 24, and a prediction unit 25.

The acquisition unit 21 acquires temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information for the room to be air-conditioned. Specifically, the acquisition unit 21 acquires detection results of temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration as indoor environmental information from the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and _CO2 sensor 15 provided in the indoor unit 11. Note that if the information allows for indirect estimation of the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration, it may be acquired as temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information without directly acquiring the information. In the following description, since values are acquired directly from the respective sensors, temperature is used as temperature information, humidity is used as humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration is used as carbon dioxide concentration information.

In this way, the acquisition unit 21 acquires current indoor environment information. The acquired information is then output to the evaluation unit 22.

The evaluation unit 22 evaluates the user's comfort indoors based on temperature information (temperature), humidity information (humidity), and concentration information (carbon dioxide concentration). Specifically, the evaluation unit 22 evaluates comfort based on a preset comfortable temperature and humidity range corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration. In other words, it is possible to more effectively evaluate comfort by taking into account temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration.

The evaluation unit 22 has information (reference information) indicating a comfort range in which temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration are correlated. This information does not have to be stored in the evaluation unit 22; it may be acquired by downloading or the like from another information processing device. FIG. 5 shows an example of the reference information (graph) held by the evaluation unit 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the reference information sets ranges for temperature and humidity (relative humidity) within which user comfort is expected to be ensured. That is, for temperature, comfort is ensured in a temperature range from T1 to T2, and for humidity, comfort is ensured in a humidity range from H1 to H2. That is, for temperature and humidity, the ranges bounded by T1 to T2 and H1 to H2 are the comfortable ranges. As an example, T1 is 17°C, T2 is 28°C, H1 is 40%, and H2 is 70%. The comfortable ranges of temperature and humidity may be set, for example, based on the indoor air quality standards in the Building Management Act, or may be set arbitrarily as ranges of temperature and humidity that ensure comfort.

The reference information also shows boundary lines (contours) that indicate the boundaries of the temperature and humidity ranges where the user may feel uncomfortable relative to the carbon dioxide concentration. In Fig. 5, boundary lines L1, L2, and L3 are shown, with boundary line L1 being the highest, boundary line L2 being the next highest, and boundary line L3 being the lowest carbon dioxide concentration. As an example, the carbon dioxide concentration corresponding to boundary line L1 is 1500 ppm, the carbon dioxide concentration corresponding to boundary line L2 is 1000 ppm, and the carbon dioxide concentration corresponding to boundary line L3 is 400 ppm.

Each boundary line indicates that comfort is ensured for the corresponding carbon dioxide concentration as long as the temperature and humidity range is lower than the boundary line (i.e., the area to the lower left of the boundary line in Figure 5 is the comfortable range). Users tend to perceive air quality as good when the temperature and humidity are appropriately low relative to the carbon dioxide concentration, so the higher the carbon dioxide concentration, the lower the temperature and humidity range that is set for the boundary line.

In other words, taking into account temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration, an indoor environment is evaluated as comfortable if it is within the range (comfort range) where the comfortable range for temperature and humidity (the range bounded by T1 to T2 and H1 to H2) and the comfortable range for carbon dioxide concentration (the temperature and humidity range lower than the boundary line corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration) overlap, and is evaluated as uncomfortable (uncomfortable) if it is outside.

Specifically, in the current indoor environment, if the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the area R1 in Figure 5 becomes the comfort range. For example, if the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the temperature is t1, and the humidity is h1, the indoor environment is within the comfort range and is therefore evaluated as comfortable. On the other hand, if the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the temperature is t2, and the humidity is h2, the indoor environment is not within the comfort range and is therefore evaluated as uncomfortable.

In this way, by setting a comfort range based on the relationship between temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration, it becomes possible to more efficiently evaluate comfort by taking into account the three elements of temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration.

Note that Figure 5 is an example of the reference information, and it can be set appropriately based on the relationship between temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. For example, if the boundary line is arc-shaped and the arc is maximum for humidity at T1 and the arc is maximum for temperature at H1, then each boundary line for carbon dioxide concentration will be a quarter arc (i.e., the boundary line set for the comfortable range of temperature and humidity will be a quarter arc).

Furthermore, if the comfort ranges for temperature and humidity are specified only by maximum values, the reference information will have a form such as that shown in Figure 6, for example.

As such, the reference information is not limited to the graph shapes shown in Figures 5 and 6, as long as it shows a comfort range that correlates temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration. Furthermore, as long as the reference information shows a comfort range, it is not limited to a graph and may be shown in other formats, such as an evaluation formula.

In addition, the evaluation method is not limited to evaluating comfort or discomfort relative to the boundary line. It is also possible to set an area that includes the boundary line (for example, an area surrounded by parallel lines at a certain distance on both sides of the boundary line), and evaluate it in stages, with high discomfort being felt on the outside in the direction where the temperature and humidity are higher than in the area, low discomfort being felt on the inside, and comfortable being felt on the outside in the direction where the temperature and humidity are lower.

The notification unit 23 notifies the user of the comfort evaluation result. Specifically, the notification unit 23 displays the comfort evaluation result on the display unit 16 of the indoor unit 11 and notifies the user. The notification unit 23 may display the result on the remote control 2 or on the user's mobile device (e.g., a smartphone). When displaying the result on the user's mobile device, a communication network (public notification network) such as Wi-Fi may be used. The notification method used by the notification unit 23 is not limited to visual methods on the display unit 16, and any method that can be recognized by the user (e.g., auditory methods) can be used.

The comfort evaluation results are displayed on the display unit 16 to indicate comfort or discomfort. For example, "blue" indicates comfort, and "red" indicates discomfort. Furthermore, if the evaluation is performed in stages, the display unit 16 may display "blue" for comfort, "yellow" for low discomfort, and "red" for high discomfort. Note that the display method is not limited to the above, and any method that is recognizable by the user can be used. For example, a method of displaying the evaluation results in stages or as a score can be used.

The notification unit 23 also notifies the user of outdoor environmental information. The outdoor environmental information includes at least one of outside temperature information, pollen information, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) information. The display of the comfort rating may prompt the user to ventilate the room. However, ventilating the room may allow hot outside air, pollen, and other particles to enter the room, reducing comfort. Therefore, by notifying the user of outdoor temperature information, pollen information, and fine particulate matter information as outdoor environmental information, the user can more efficiently determine whether or not to ventilate the room based on the comfort rating. The outdoor environmental information may be displayed on the indoor unit 11 or remote control 2, or on the user's mobile device (e.g., a smartphone).

The control unit 24 controls at least one of the control targets of the indoor air conditioning airflow, target temperature, and target humidity based on the comfort evaluation result. Specifically, if the evaluation unit 22 evaluates the comfort as poor (uncomfortable), the control unit 24 performs comfort improvement control to improve the indoor environment. In this embodiment, the control targets are the air conditioning airflow, target temperature, and target humidity, but comfort improvement control may also be performed on at least one of these as the control target.

First, a case where the air conditioning air volume is the object to be controlled will be described.
In a room that is the target of air conditioning, the carbon dioxide concentration may become high in certain areas (localized areas) within the space. In particular, if the carbon dioxide concentration is high in the area surrounding the user, the user is likely to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, when the comfort evaluation result is determined to be uncomfortable, the control unit 24 increases the airflow rate of the air conditioning system to promote the flow of air in the room and agitate the carbon dioxide, thereby preventing the carbon dioxide concentration from becoming high in certain areas. Regarding the airflow rate, the control unit 24 increases the rotation speed of the indoor fan 51, for example, to increase the amount of air blown into the room.

In this way, by increasing the air conditioning airflow, the boundary line L1 corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration can be shifted to the lower concentration side (L1'), as shown in Figure 7, for example, thereby improving comfort even when the indoor environment (temperature and humidity) is at point P1.

In addition, if the air conditioning unit 1 has a ventilation function (a function to exhaust indoor air to the outside and bring outdoor air into the room), the ventilation function can be used to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration in the room, improving comfort in the same way as in Figure 7.

Next, a case where the target temperature is the object of control will be described.
As shown in Figure 5, lowering the temperature relative to the carbon dioxide concentration tends to make the user feel comfortable. Therefore, when the comfort evaluation result is determined to be uncomfortable, the control unit 24 controls the indoor temperature by lowering the target temperature. Note that the air conditioning device 1 is controlled to follow the set target temperature.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, if the indoor environment (temperature and humidity) is at point P2 and the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the control unit 24 lowers the target temperature and changes the indoor environment to point P2'. Point P2' is within the comfort range, so the user's comfort is improved.

When changing the target temperature, the target temperature may be lowered by a preset fixed value, or the target temperature may be lowered based on reference information so that the indoor environment falls within a comfortable range.

Next, a case where the target humidity is the object of control will be described.
As shown in Figure 5, by lowering the humidity relative to the carbon dioxide concentration, the user tends to feel more comfortable. Therefore, when the comfort evaluation result is determined to be uncomfortable, the control unit 24 controls the indoor humidity by lowering the target humidity. Note that the air conditioning device 1 controls the humidity to follow the set target humidity.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, if the indoor environment (temperature and humidity) is at point P3 and the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the control unit 24 lowers the target humidity and changes the indoor environment to point P3'. Point P3' is within the comfortable range, so the user's comfort is improved.

When changing the target humidity, the target humidity may be lowered by a preset fixed value, or the target humidity may be lowered based on reference information so that the indoor environment falls within a comfortable range.

It is also effective to control both the target temperature and the target humidity. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, if the indoor environment (temperature and humidity) is at point P4 and the carbon dioxide concentration corresponds to boundary line L1, the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the control unit 24 lowers the target temperature and target humidity, changing the indoor environment to point P4'. Point P4' is within the comfortable range, so the user's comfort is improved.

It is also possible to control the air conditioning air volume, target temperature, and target humidity simultaneously.

In this way, the control unit 24 improves indoor comfort by performing comfort improvement control on at least one of the air conditioning air volume, target temperature, and target humidity as control targets.

The prediction unit 25 predicts an increase in carbon dioxide concentration based on the number of users in the room. The more people in the room, the greater the increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the room, which is likely to lead to a deterioration in the indoor environment (a decrease in comfort). For this reason, the prediction unit 25 predicts an increase in carbon dioxide concentration in order to prevent a decrease in comfort.

Specifically, the prediction unit 25 obtains the number of people in the room based on information from the human presence sensor 18. Then, based on the obtained number of people, it estimates the future increase (increasing trend) in carbon dioxide concentration. For example, it estimates the amount of increase in carbon dioxide concentration per hour based on the number of people and sets the future increasing trend.

In addition, the increase in carbon dioxide concentration may be estimated taking into account factors such as the volume of the room to be air-conditioned.

The prediction unit 25 then estimates the carbon dioxide concentration after a predetermined time has elapsed and outputs the estimate to the evaluation unit 22. The predetermined time can be set arbitrarily, for example, one hour. The evaluation unit 22 then evaluates the comfort after the predetermined time has elapsed based on the temperature information, humidity information, and the prediction result (carbon dioxide concentration after the predetermined time has elapsed). That is, the evaluation unit 22 uses the prediction result of the prediction unit 25 instead of the carbon dioxide concentration information acquired from the _CO2 sensor 15 to evaluate the comfort after the predetermined time has elapsed. The method of evaluating comfort is the same as above.

By estimating the carbon dioxide concentration after a predetermined time has elapsed in the prediction unit 25, the evaluation unit 22 can evaluate the comfort level after the predetermined time has elapsed. The evaluation results are then used in the notification unit 23 and control unit 24 to notify the user of the comfort level after the predetermined time has elapsed, and comfort improvement control is performed based on the comfort level after the predetermined time has elapsed.

This makes it possible to assess in advance whether there is a risk of the carbon dioxide concentration increasing after a certain period of time and causing a loss of comfort, and take appropriate action.

Next, the processing in the control device 20 described above will be explained with reference to Figure 11. The flow shown in Figure 11 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined control cycle when the air conditioning device 1 is activated.

First, temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information are acquired (S101).

Next, comfort is evaluated based on the acquired temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information (S102).

Next, the evaluation results are notified to the user (S103).

Next, it is determined whether the comfort evaluation is good (S104). In other words, it is determined whether the comfort evaluation result is comfortable.

If the comfort rating is good (YES in S104), processing ends.

If the comfort evaluation is not good (NO in S104), comfort improvement control is performed (S105). Comfort improvement control is a control that improves comfort by controlling at least one of the control targets of the air conditioning airflow, target temperature, and target humidity in the room.

Note that the order of the processing in S103 and the processing in S104 and S105 may be changed, or only one of the processing steps may be performed.

As described above, the air conditioning device control device, air conditioning device, air conditioning method, and air conditioning program of this embodiment are based on temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information acquired as environmental information for the room to be air-conditioned, and can more effectively evaluate comfort by taking into account not only temperature and humidity but also the carbon dioxide concentration in the room.

In addition, because the comfortable temperature and humidity ranges are preset according to the carbon dioxide concentration, it is possible to evaluate comfort by taking into account the relationship between carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity.

In addition, the comfort assessment results, which take carbon dioxide concentration into account, allow users to recognize the indoor environment (visualizing the level of air pollution). For example, if a user is notified that the comfort level is poor, they can improve the indoor environment by ventilating the room.

In addition, since the indoor comfort level can be recognized as a result of the evaluation, it becomes possible to carry out comfort improvement control. Specifically, when controlling the air conditioning airflow, it is possible to agitate carbon dioxide stagnating in the room (for example, around the user), thereby preventing localized increases in carbon dioxide concentration in the room. Furthermore, when controlling the target temperature or target humidity, it is possible to reduce the user's discomfort by, for example, lowering the target temperature or target humidity.

In addition, by predicting the increase in carbon dioxide concentration based on the number of users in the room, it is possible to evaluate the comfort level in the room after a certain amount of time has passed. This makes it possible to know in advance whether the carbon dioxide concentration will increase after a certain amount of time has passed, resulting in a loss of comfort.

This disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Air conditioning device 2: Remote control 3: Outdoor unit 5: Gas side piping 7: Liquid side piping 11: Indoor unit 12: Muffler 13: Compressor 14: Strainer 15: _CO2 sensor 16: Display unit 17: Four-way switching valve 18: Human presence sensor 19: Outdoor heat exchanger 20: Control device 21: Acquisition unit 22: Evaluation unit 23: Notification unit 24: Control unit 25: Prediction unit 26: Receiver 31: Accumulator 33: Gas side operating valve 35: Liquid side operating valve 37A: Discharge piping 37B: Gas piping 37C: Liquid piping 37E: Suction piping 39: Outdoor side refrigerant circuit 41: Outdoor fan 45: Refrigeration cycle 47: Indoor heat exchanger 49: Expansion valve 51: Indoor fan

Claims (8)

an acquisition unit that acquires temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room that is an air-conditioning target;
an evaluation unit that evaluates the comfort of the user in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information;
a control unit that controls at least one of an air conditioning airflow rate, a target temperature, and a target humidity in the room based on the comfort evaluation result;
Equipped with
The indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room to be air-conditioned,
the evaluation unit evaluates the comfort level based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset in accordance with the concentration of carbon dioxide;
the evaluation unit evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where a comfortable range for temperature and humidity and a comfortable range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap, and evaluates the indoor environment information as poor if it is outside the range ,
The control unit performs comfort improvement control to increase the air conditioning airflow when the comfort is evaluated to be poor.
Air conditioning device control device. The air conditioning device control device of claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies the user of the comfort evaluation results. a prediction unit that predicts the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide based on the number of users in the room;
The air conditioning device control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the evaluation unit uses the result of the prediction instead of the concentration information to evaluate the comfort after a predetermined time has elapsed. The air conditioning device control device of claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the user of outdoor environment information. The air conditioning device control device of claim 4, wherein the outdoor environment information includes at least one of outdoor temperature information, pollen information, and particulate matter information. A refrigerant circuit;
An air conditioner comprising the air conditioner control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. an acquisition step of acquiring temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room to be air-conditioned;
an evaluation step of evaluating the comfort of the user in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information;
a control step of controlling at least one of an air conditioning airflow rate, a target temperature, and a target humidity in the room based on the comfort evaluation result;
and
The indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room to be air-conditioned,
the evaluation step evaluates the comfort level based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset in accordance with the concentration of carbon dioxide;
the evaluation step evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where a comfortable range for temperature and humidity and a comfortable range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap, and evaluates the indoor environment information as poor if it is outside the range ,
The control step performs comfort improvement control by increasing the airflow rate of the air conditioning when the comfort level is evaluated as poor.
Air conditioning methods. an acquisition process for acquiring temperature information, humidity information, and carbon dioxide concentration information of a room to be air-conditioned;
an evaluation process for evaluating the comfort of the user in the room based on the temperature information, the humidity information, and the concentration information;
a control process for controlling at least one of an air conditioning airflow rate, a target temperature, and a target humidity in the room based on the comfort evaluation result;
on the computer,
The indoor environment information is the temperature information, the humidity information, and the carbon dioxide concentration information of the room to be air-conditioned,
the evaluation process evaluates the comfort level based on a comfort range of temperature and humidity that is preset in accordance with the concentration of carbon dioxide;
the evaluation process evaluates the indoor environment information as comfortable if it is within a range where a comfortable range for temperature and humidity and a comfortable range for carbon dioxide concentration overlap, and evaluates the indoor environment information as poor if it is outside the range ;
The control process performs comfort improvement control by increasing the air conditioning airflow rate when the comfort level is evaluated to be poor.
Air conditioning program.