Device and method for assisting in assigning compressor controller settings values, and compressor operation control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298724-B2
Application number	US-202017786622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Jan 6, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A device for assisting in assigning setting values of a compressor operation controller for starting or stopping one or more compressors, collecting discharged air of the compressors in an air tank, and supplying the air tank as a compressed air source in a predetermined pressure range, includes: an input unit that receives piping network information which is an element of a pressure loss of a piping flow from the compressor to a pressure control position of the controller, compressor specifications which are an upper limit of a discharge pressure of the compressor and a number of compressor starts/stops, a supply flow rate condition which is time change data of a flow rate flowing from the pressure control position of the controller, and a supply pressure condition which is a lower limit of the supply pressure at the pressure control position of the controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compressor operation control system comprising:
a plurality of compressors;
a compressor operation controller, in communication with the plurality of compressors, for starting or stopping one or more of the compressors, collecting discharged air of the compressors in an air tank, and supplying the air tank as a compressed air source in a predetermined pressure range; and
a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with the compressor operation controller, the CPU programmed to:
receive piping network information which is an element of a pressure loss of a piping flow from the compressor to a pressure control position of the controller, compressor specifications which are an upper limit of a discharge pressure of the compressor and the number of start/stop times, a supply flow rate condition which is time change data of a flow rate flowing from the pressure control position of the controller, and a supply pressure condition which is a lower limit of the supply pressure at the pressure control position of the controller,
generate, based on a predetermined rule, a combination of the controller setting values and provide the generated combination to a simulator,
calculate, by the simulator, time-series data of the supply pressure and time series data of an operating state of the compressor by combining a piping network model that simulates the pressure and flow rate of the piping network and a controller model that simulates a signal of the controller,
calculate a predicted value of the supply pressure and a number of compressor starts/stops according to calculation results output by the simulator, and
output, to the compressor operation controller, a combination of a plurality of the controller setting values, a predicted value of the supply pressure for the combination of the controller setting values, and the number of compressor starts/stops,
wherein one or more of the compressors are controlled by the compressor operation controller to start or stop, collect discharged in an air tank, and supply the air tank as a compressed air source in a predetermined pressure range.

2. The compressor operation control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the combination of the controller setting values includes a pressure target value, and setting values related to the pressure of an upper limit, and a lower limit, and after the pressure exceeds the setting value for pressure, the combination includes a setting value related a time until the compressor executes starting, loading, unloading, or stopping.

3. The compressor operation control system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the controller model in the simulator calculates a time change rate of the pressure, predicts the pressure which has changed for a certain period of time ΔT at the time change rate, and upon determining that the predicted pressure exceeds the lower limit or the upper limit, the controller model outputs a signal to start or stop the compressor, and
wherein the combination of the controller setting values includes the certain period of time ΔT, and also includes a unit time Δt for calculating the time change rate of the pressure.

4. The compressor operation control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the CPU is programmed to output a table including the combination of the plurality of controller setting values, a minimum value of the supply pressure obtained from the calculation result output by the simulator for the combination of the controller setting values, and the number of compressor starts/stops.

5. The compressor operation control system controller according to claim 1 ,
wherein the CPU is programmed to output a graph centered on a minimum value of the supply pressure obtained from the calculation result output by the simulator and the number of compressor starts/stops.

6. The compressor operation control system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the graph displays the lower limit of the supply pressure and the upper limit of the number of compressor starts/stops.

7. The compressor operation control system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the CPU is coupled to an external network, and
wherein CPU is programmed to exchange data with the external network, the device being capable of inputting and outputting.

8. A method for a compressor operation control system, the system including a plurality of compressors, a compressor operation controller for starting or stopping one or more of the compressors, collecting discharged air of the compressors in an air tank, and supplying the air tank as a compressed air source in a predetermined pressure range, and a central processing unit (CPU), the method comprising the steps of:
receiving piping network information which is an element of a pressure loss of a piping flow from the compressor to a pressure control position of the controller, compressor specifications which are an upper limit of a discharge pressure of the compressor and a number of starts/stops, a supply flow rate condition which is time change data of a flow rate flowing from the pressure control position of the controller, and a supply pressure condition which is a lower limit of the supply pressure at the pressure control position of the controller;
generating, based on a predetermined rule, a combination of the controller setting values and providing the generated combination to a simulator;
calculating, by the simulator, time-series data of the supply pressure and time series data of am operating state of the compressor by combining a piping network model that simulates the pressure and flow rate of the piping network and a controller model that simulates a signal of the controller;
calculating a predicted value of the supply pressure and a number of compressor starts/stops according to calculation results output by the simulator;
outputting, to the compressor operation controller, a combination of a plurality of the controller setting values, a predicted value of the supply pressure for the combination of the controller setting values, and the number of compressor starts/stops; and
controlling one or more of the compressors, by the compressor operation controller, to start or stop, collect discharged in an air tank, and supply the air tank as a compressed air source in a predetermined pressure range.

9. The method for assigning compressor controller settings values according to claim 8 ,
wherein the combination of the controller setting values includes a pressure target value, and setting values related to the pressure of an upper limit, and a lower limit, and after the pressure exceeds the setting value for pressure, the combination includes a setting value related a time until the compressor executes starting, loading, unloading, or stopping.

10. The method for assigning compressor controller settings values according to claim 9 ,
wherein the controller model in the simulator calculates a time change rate of the pressure, predicts the pressure which has changed for a certain period of time ΔT at the time change rate, and upon determining that the predicted pressure exceeds the lower limit or the upper limit, the controller model outputs a signal to start or stop the compressor, and
wherein the combination of the controller setting values includes the certain period of time ΔT, and also includes a unit time Δt for calculating the time change rate of the pressure.

11. The method for assigning compressor controller settings values according to claim 8 ,
wherein the outputting includes outputting a table including the combination of the plurality of controller setting values, a minimum value of the supply pressure obtained from the calculation result output by the

Assignees

• Hitachi Industry Equipment Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• KIM Eunkyeong
• Yashiki Tatsurou
• TOTTORI Nobuhiro

Classifications

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title

• Y02P80/10

  Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier · CPC title

• F04B49/02

  Stopping, starting, unloading or idling control · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title