Air-conditioning control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023296278-A1
Application number	US-202017909773-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2020
Priority date	May 13, 2020
Publication date	Sep 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air-conditioning control device includes an evaluation unit configured to receive inputs of package management data, air-conditioning apparatus operation data, and sensor measurement data that are received by a receiver device, an input of package placement determined by a package placement determination unit, and an input of an air-conditioning operation state of an air-conditioning apparatus determined by an air-conditioning operation determination unit, calculate as an evaluation value at least one of package temperature, temperature at a plurality of points in an indoor space, and electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus by using a package model, an environmental distribution model, and an air-conditioning apparatus model that are stored in a storage device, and determine an optimum air conditioning operation state and an optimum package placement.

First claim

1 . An air-conditioning control device configured to control an air-conditioning apparatus conditioning air in an indoor space where a package is stored, the air-conditioning control device comprising:
a receiver device configured to receive package management data including item information of the package, air-conditioning apparatus operation data including a set temperature of the air-conditioning apparatus, and sensor measurement data including a temperature in the indoor space, the temperature in the indoor space being measured by a sensor installed in the indoor space; air-conditioning operation determination circuitry configured to determine an air-conditioning operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus based on a package placement of the package, the air-conditioning operation state including either one of the set temperature of the air-conditioning apparatus and an evaporating temperature in a refrigeration cycle that is set on the air-conditioning apparatus; a memory configured to store a package model for estimating a package temperature of the package based on the package management data, an environmental distribution model for estimating the temperature in the indoor space based on the package placement of the package, the air-conditioning operation state determined by the air-conditioning operation determination unit, and the air-conditioning apparatus operation data and the sensor measurement data that are received by the receiver device, and an air-conditioning apparatus model for estimating electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus based on the air-conditioning operation state determined by the air-conditioning operation determination unit; and evaluation circuitry configured to receive inputs of the package management data, the air-conditioning apparatus operation data, and the sensor measurement data that are received by the receiver device, an input of the package placement, and an input of the air-conditioning operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus determined by the air-conditioning operation determination circuitry unit, calculate as an evaluation value at least one of the package temperature, the temperature in the indoor space, and the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus by using the package model, the environmental distribution model, and the air-conditioning apparatus model that are stored in the memory, and update the air-conditioning operation state and the package placement,

2 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the package management data includes, for an individual piece of identification information of the package,
a maintenance temperature of the package,
the item information of the package, the item information indicating a content of the package, and
at least one of a warehouse entry date and time of the package and a warehouse exit due date and time of the package.

3 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the package model is configured to estimate the package temperature by using a heat capacity of the package, the heat capacity being calculated based on the item information of the package included in the package management data.

4 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the evaluation circuitry is configured to cause on a given cycle the package model and the environmental distribution model to mutually use an estimation result calculated with the package model and an estimation result calculated with the environmental distribution model such that the package temperature calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the package model is used as an input to the environmental distribution model, and the temperature at each point of the plurality of points in the indoor space calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the environmental distribution model is used as an input to the package model.

5 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the evaluation circuitry is configured to cause on a given cycle the environmental distribution model and the air-conditioning apparatus model to mutually use an estimation result calculated with the environmental distribution model and an estimation result calculated with the air-conditioning apparatus model such that of the temperature in the indoor space calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the environmental distribution model, a temperature at a location of an air inlet of the air-conditioning apparatus is used as an input to the air-conditioning apparatus model configured to calculate a temperature of an air outlet of the air-conditioning apparatus, and the temperature of the air outlet of the air-conditioning apparatus calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the air-conditioning apparatus model is used as an input to the environmental distribution model configured to calculate the temperature at the location of the air inlet of the air-conditioning apparatus.

6 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 12 , wherein
the package placement determination circuitry is configured to determine the package placement based on any of a heat capacity of the package, the heat capacity being calculated based on the item information of the package included in the package management data, a time period elapsed since the warehouse entry date and time of the package, and a remaining storage period until a warehouse exit due date and time of the package.

7 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 12 , wherein
the memory is configured to store space characteristic information including at least one of a work efficiency, a temperature consistency, and an airflow reach level of individual regions determined by dividing the indoor space, and the package placement determination circuitry is configured to determine the package placement of the package based on at least one of the work efficiency, the temperature consistency, and the airflow reach level of the individual regions included in the space characteristic information.

8 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the air-conditioning operation determination circuitry is configured to determine an operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus based on the package placement and the package temperature.

9 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 12 , wherein
the package placement determination circuitry is configured to determine the package placement based on any one of the package temperature of the package calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the package model, the temperature in the indoor space calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the environmental distribution model, and the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the air-conditioning apparatus model, or any combination of the package temperature, the temperature at each point of the plurality of points, and the electricity consumption.

10 . The air-conditioning control device of claim 1 , wherein
the air-conditioning operation determination circuitry is configured to determine the air-conditioning operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus based on any one of the package temperature of the package calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the package model, the temperature in the indoor space calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the environmental distribution model, and the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus calculated by the evaluation circuitry with the air-conditioning apparatus model, or any combination of the package temperature, the temperature in the indoor space, and the electricity consumption.

11 . The air-cond

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Sawada Masae
• Motodani Mio
• Tanaka Ryuta

Classifications

• G06Q10/04 Primary

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• F24F11/63 Primary

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• G05B19/042

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

• G05B2219/2614

  HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control · CPC title