JP2024018107A - Exhaust heat utilization system for air conditioning outdoor units - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable efficient waste heat utilization according to an operation state of devices, in the case where there are a plurality of units of an outdoor unit which is an exhaust supply source and an outdoor unit which uses exhaust.SOLUTION: A waste heat utilization system includes a first row group 60 and a second row group 70. Suction ports 25D-25F of outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70 are directed to the first row group 60 side. At exhaust ports 18A-18C of the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60, louver mechanisms 40A-40C and rotary mechanisms 30A-30C are provided respectively. The louver mechanisms 40A-40C can vary a discharge angle with respect to a central axis of the exhaust ports 18A-18C. The rotary mechanisms 30A-30C can rotate the louver mechanisms 40A-40C around the central axis. Furthermore, at the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60, controllers 36A-36C are provided for controlling the louver mechanisms 40A-40C and the rotary mechanisms 30A-30C respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

In this specification, a system for utilizing exhaust heat of an outdoor unit for air conditioning is disclosed.

In large buildings such as buildings, multiple air conditioners are installed. For example, in so-called office buildings used for corporate offices and sales offices, the floor space per room is relatively large compared to residential buildings, and multiple indoor units are installed in the room. will be installed.

Also, the outdoor unit is connected to the indoor unit through piping. The outdoor unit is installed outdoors, for example. Multiple outdoor units are installed depending on the number of indoor units.

Here, for example, the operating conditions of a plurality of indoor units installed in one room may be different from each other. For example, in winter, an indoor unit installed in a so-called perimeter zone near a window or wall is relatively susceptible to the influence of outside temperature, and is set to constant heating operation, for example.

On the other hand, in so-called interior zones, which are away from windows and walls and where many heat sources such as office automation equipment are installed, the indoor temperature may exceed the set temperature even in winter. Therefore, even in winter, the indoor unit installed in the interior zone may be set to cooling operation.

Air at a temperature lower than the outside temperature is discharged from the outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit operating for heating. On the other hand, the outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit that performs cooling operation discharges air that is hotter than the outside temperature.

Furthermore, if air with a higher temperature than the outside temperature is introduced into the suction port of the outdoor unit during heating operation, the operating efficiency (COP) of the outdoor unit improves compared to when the outside temperature is directly introduced. Similarly, if air at a temperature lower than the outside temperature is introduced into the suction port of the outdoor unit during cooling operation, the operating efficiency of the outdoor unit will be improved compared to the case where the outside temperature is directly introduced.

Utilizing such characteristics, for example, in Patent Document 1, the exhaust gas (at a higher temperature than the outside air temperature) from the outdoor unit during cooling operation is supplied to the vicinity of the suction port of the outdoor unit during heating operation. Further, in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the exhaust gas (lower temperature than the outside temperature) from the outdoor unit during heating operation is supplied to the vicinity of the suction port of the outdoor unit during cooling operation.

Further, in Patent Document 4, a damper as an air path switching means is provided between a condenser of a refrigerator and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner. Then, the damper is activated in response to a change in the operation mode (cooling/heating operation) of the air conditioner to switch whether or not to supply the exhaust gas from the condenser to the outdoor unit.

Further, in Patent Document 5, a switching damper is provided between the outdoor unit of the cooling equipment and the outdoor unit of the heating equipment. Then, when the outdoor unit of the heating equipment starts defrosting operation, the switching damper is activated and the exhaust gas from the outdoor unit of the cooling equipment is supplied to the outdoor unit of the heating equipment.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-107843 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-004500 JP2017-026211A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-289532 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-167915

By the way, the prior art only discloses the use of exhaust heat in the case where both the outdoor unit that is the exhaust gas supply source and the outdoor unit that uses the exhaust gas are single units. Therefore, when there are multiple outdoor units that serve as exhaust supply sources and multiple outdoor units that use exhaust gas, there is room for more efficient exhaust heat utilization than before, depending on the operating conditions of these devices. .

In this specification, a system for utilizing exhaust heat of an outdoor unit for air conditioning is disclosed. This system includes multiple outdoor units. The outdoor unit includes an outside air inlet, a heat exchanger, and an exhaust port. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the outside air introduced from the suction port and the refrigerant. At the exhaust port, the air after heat exchange is exhausted. The exhaust heat utilization system includes a first row group and a second row group. The first row group includes a plurality of outdoor units arranged in a straight line. The second row group includes a plurality of outdoor units arranged in parallel to the first row group. The exhaust ports of the outdoor units in the first row group are installed on the top surface of the outdoor units and are directed upward. The second row group is installed higher than the first row group. The suction ports of the outdoor units in the second row group are directed toward the first row group. A louver mechanism and a rotation mechanism are provided at the exhaust ports of each outdoor unit in the first row group. The louver mechanism has a variable exhaust angle with respect to the central axis of the exhaust port. The rotation mechanism is capable of rotating the louver mechanism around the central axis. Furthermore, each outdoor unit in the first row group is provided with a controller that controls the louver mechanism and the rotation mechanism according to the operation settings of each outdoor unit in the first row group and the second row group.

According to the above configuration, using the rotation mechanism and the louver mechanism, the exhaust air from the outdoor unit in the first row group is added to the outdoor unit in the second row group that is closest to the outdoor unit, and is also It is also possible to supply to other indoor units in the matching second row group.

In the above configuration, the height direction position of the air outlet of the louver mechanism is within the range of ±h/2 from the lower end of the suction port using the height direction dimension h of the suction port of the outdoor unit of the second row group. May be determined.

By installing the air outlet with the above configuration, exhaust gas can be reliably supplied to the suction ports of the outdoor units in the second row group.

Further, in the above configuration, the controller of each outdoor unit in the first row group may set a plurality of outdoor units in the second row group as target machines to which exhaust gas can be supplied. With such settings, the outdoor units in the second row group can be set redundantly as target units for the plurality of outdoor units in the first row group.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to supply exhaust gas from the plurality of outdoor units in the first row group to a predetermined outdoor unit in the second group.

Further, in the above configuration, the controller may refer to the operating load of the indoor unit connected to each target machine. In this case, the control unit determines, as the exhaust supply outdoor unit, the outdoor unit with which the operating load of the connected indoor unit is relatively highest among the plurality of target units.

According to the above configuration, exhaust gas can be concentratedly supplied from the plurality of outdoor units in the first row group to the outdoor unit with the largest operating load.

According to the exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit disclosed in this specification, when there are a plurality of outdoor units as an exhaust supply source and a plurality of outdoor units that utilize exhaust gas, the operation of these devices is Depending on the situation, waste heat can be used more efficiently than before.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an air conditioning outdoor unit according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view illustrating the back side of the outdoor unit concerning this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example in which a rotation mechanism is attached to an exhaust port of an outdoor unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example in which a louver mechanism is attached to a rotation mechanism. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of outdoor units in a first row group and a second row group. It is a figure explaining the installation height of a 1st row group and a 2nd row group. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of each control unit of the exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a target aircraft list. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a setting flow for an exhaust gas supply outdoor unit in the exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to the present embodiment. It is a perspective view showing an example of exhaust gas supply in the exhaust heat utilization system of the outdoor unit for air conditioning concerning this embodiment. It is a perspective view showing another example of arrangement of outdoor units of a first row group and a second row group. It is a figure which shows another example of the setting flow of an exhaust gas supply outdoor unit in the exhaust heat utilization system of the outdoor unit for air conditioning which concerns on this embodiment.

Below, an exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to an embodiment will be explained using the drawings. The shape, material, number, and numerical values described below are examples for explanation, and can be changed as appropriate according to the specifications of the exhaust heat utilization system. Further, in the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements in all the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5, the exhaust heat utilization system for air conditioning outdoor units according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of outdoor units 10A to 10C included in the first row group 60 and a plurality of outdoor units 10A to 10C included in the second row group 70. It includes outdoor units 10D-10F and a frame 80.

Rotating mechanisms 30A-30C and louver mechanisms 40A-40C are attached to the exhaust ducts 17A-17C of the first row group 60. The louver mechanisms 40A-40C make the discharge angle of the ducts 17A-17C (of the exhaust ports 18A-18C) with respect to the central axis variable. Further, the rotation mechanisms 30A-30C are capable of rotating the louver mechanisms 40A-40C around the central axes of the ducts 17A-17C (of the exhaust ports 18A-18C).

As will be described later, for example, for the outdoor units 10A in the first row group 60, the outdoor unit 10D is set as the main target machine, and the outdoor unit 10E is set as the sub target machine. When supplying exhaust gas to the outdoor unit 10D, the rotational position of the louver mechanism 40A is set to the original position illustrated in FIG. 5. On the other hand, when exhaust gas is supplied to the outdoor unit 10E, the rotational position of the louver mechanism 40A is rotated by 45 degrees clockwise from the original position by the rotation mechanism 30A.

For example, the outdoor units 10A to 10C in the first row group 60 and the outdoor units 10D and 10F in the second row group 70 continue the heating operation at all times, and only the outdoor unit 10E in the second row group 70 is set to the cooling operation. There are cases. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 11, for example, exhaust gas is intensively supplied from the outdoor units 10A to 10C of the first row group 60 to the outdoor unit 10E.

In this case, for example, in the outdoor units 10A and 10C, the outdoor unit 10E, which is the sub target unit, is determined as the exhaust supply outdoor unit. Furthermore, in the outdoor unit 10B, the outdoor unit 10E, which is the main target unit, is determined to be the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit.

Based on the settings of the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit, in the outdoor unit 10A, the rotational position of the louver mechanism 40A is rotated by 45° clockwise from the origin position by the rotation mechanism 30A. The louver mechanism 40B of the outdoor unit 10B is set at the origin position. Further, the louver mechanism 40C of the outdoor unit 10C is rotated, for example, by 45 degrees counterclockwise from the original position.

By setting these rotational positions, the exhaust gas from the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60 is concentrated at the suction port 25E of the outdoor unit 10E of the second row group 70. This improves the operating efficiency (COP) of the outdoor unit 10E.

<Outdoor unit>
1 and 2 illustrate an outdoor unit 10 according to this embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 shows an example when the outdoor unit 10 is viewed from a direction opposite to that of FIG. 1. Cartesian coordinate axes are shown in FIGS. 1-4. The X-axis is the width direction axis of the outdoor unit 10. The Y-axis is an axis in the depth direction of the outdoor unit 10. The Z axis is an axis in the height direction of the outdoor unit 10.

The outdoor unit 10 houses equipment in a casing 11 of a housing. For example, a heat exchanger 26 is housed within the casing 11. The heat exchanger 26 is also called a condenser or an evaporator, and includes piping through which a refrigerant flows and fins that promote heat radiation.

The heat exchanger 26 is extended over, for example, three sides 13, 14 and a rear surface 15 of the casing 11. A service panel 20 for inspection and maintenance is provided on the front surface 12 of the casing 11.

Suction ports 23, 24, 25 are provided on the side surfaces 13, 14 and rear surface 15 of the casing 11. For example, holes are formed in the thickness direction at a plurality of locations so that the side surfaces 13, 14 and rear surface 15 of the casing 11 form a grid pattern. Outside air is taken into the outdoor unit 10 through the suction ports 23, 24, and 25. During this intake, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger 26 and the outside air.

For example, when the outdoor unit 10 is in heating operation, a refrigerant having a temperature lower than that of the outside air flows through the heat exchanger 26 . During heat exchange, heat from the outside air is absorbed by the refrigerant. Further, while the outdoor unit 10 is in cooling operation, a refrigerant having a higher temperature than the outside air flows through the heat exchanger 26. During heat exchange, the heat of the refrigerant is released to the outside air.

A duct 17 is provided on the top surface 16 of the outdoor unit 10. The duct 17 is, for example, a cylindrical pipe, and extends linearly in the vertical direction. The upper end of the duct 17 is opened and becomes an exhaust port 18. Therefore, the central axis of the exhaust port 18 becomes a vertical axis parallel to the Z-axis. In other words, the exhaust port 18 is directed upward. The air that has undergone heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 26 is discharged from the exhaust port 18.

A fan (not shown) is provided within the duct 17 or below the duct 17. As the fan rotates, outside air is taken in through the suction ports 23, 24, and 25. Further, the exhaust gas after heat exchange is discharged from the exhaust port 18. Further, the exhaust port 18 is covered with, for example, a mesh fan guard 19.

<Rotation mechanism>
FIG. 3 illustrates a rotation mechanism 30 according to this embodiment. The rotation mechanism 30 and the louver mechanism 40 are attached to the exhaust ports 18A-18C (see FIG. 4) of the outdoor units 10A-10C in the first row group 60 (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, the rotation mechanism 30 and the louver mechanism 40 are not attached to the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70.

Referring to FIG. 3, the rotation mechanism 30 includes a cross roller bearing 31, a pulley 34, a roller motor 35, and a controller 36.

The cross roller bearing 31 includes a ring-shaped inner ring 32 and an outer ring 33. The inner ring 32 and the outer ring 33 are arranged coaxially and can rotate relative to each other via, for example, cylindrical rollers (not shown).

For example, the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 32 is brought into contact with and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the duct 17. The outer ring 33 is rotatable by a roller motor 35 via a pulley 34. The rotation of the roller motor 35 is controlled by a controller 36. Details of the rotation control by the controller 36 will be described later.

For example, roller motor 35 may be a servo motor. For example, the rotational position of the outer ring 33 is determined based on a predetermined origin position. For example, the origin position is determined at a position where the shaft 44 of the louver mechanism 40 (see FIG. 4) is parallel to the width direction axis (X-axis) of the outdoor unit 10. This origin position is determined, for example, at a rotation angle of 0°. Note that FIG. 4 shows an example when the louver mechanism 40 is rotated by 90 degrees from the original position.

The rotation angle based on this origin position is also called the "ring angle." For example, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the target machine storage unit 39A of the controller 36A stores the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target machine, and the sub-target machine, to which the outdoor unit 10A (see FIG. 5) supplies exhaust gas. The ring angle of a certain outdoor unit 10E is stored.

For example, the ring angles β ₀ , β _main , and β _sub used in the setting flow of the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit illustrated in FIG. 10 are stored in the target machine storage unit 39A. For example, the ring angle β ₀ and β _main are both set to 0°. β _sub is set to 45°, for example. Note that details of the storage contents of the target aircraft storage section 39A will be described later.

<Louver mechanism>
Referring to FIG. 4, the louver mechanism 40 makes the blowing angle (discharge angle) of the exhaust gas from the outdoor unit 10 variable. For example, the louver mechanism 40 includes a casing 41, a plurality of blades 42, a plurality of shafts 44, a louver motor 54, and a controller 36.

The casing 41 is, for example, a rectangular frame, and its lower and upper ends are open. The upper end becomes the air outlet 55. The lower end is, for example, a connecting ring (not shown) having a larger diameter than the outer ring 33 (see FIG. 3) of the cross roller bearing 31, and the connecting ring and the outer ring 33 are brought into contact and fixed. Thereby, the louver mechanism 40 can be rotated by the rotation mechanism 30. The rotation axis is, for example, the central axis of the duct 17 and the exhaust port 18, that is, the vertical axis (Z-axis).

A plurality of blades 42 are provided inside the casing 41 , and, for example, the upper end portion thereof projects further upward than the air outlet 55 of the casing 41 . The plurality of blades 42 are supported by the casing 41 via the plurality of shafts 44. The shaft 44 is pivotally supported by the casing 41 via a bearing 43, for example.

The plurality of blades 42 are connected by a connecting rod 50. Further, one of the plurality of shafts 44 (the second shaft 44 from the front in FIG. 4) is connected to a louver motor 54. Louver motor 54 may be a servo motor, for example. When the shaft 44 and blade 42 connected to the louver motor 54 are rotated by the louver motor 54, the other blades 42 are also rotated via the connecting rod 50.

Similarly to the roller motor 35, the rotation of the louver motor 54 is controlled by a controller 36. For example, the rotational position of the blade 42 is determined based on a predetermined origin position. For example, the origin position is determined at a position where the blades 42 are parallel to the vertical direction (Z-axis).

The rotation angle with respect to this origin position, in other words, the discharge angle with respect to the central axis of the exhaust port 18 is also called the "louver angle." For example, referring to FIG. 8, the target machine storage unit 39A of the controller 36A stores the louver angles α ₀ , α _front , and α _back shown in steps S18, S26, S32, and S36 of FIG. 10. For example, the louver angles are set to α ₀ =0°, α _front =−45°, and α _back =+45°, respectively.

<Outdoor unit arrangement>
FIG. 5 illustrates an overall diagram of the exhaust heat utilization system according to the present embodiment. This system includes a plurality of outdoor units 10A-10C included in a first row group 60 and a plurality of outdoor units 10D-10F included in a second row group 70. For example, all of these outdoor units 10A-10F may be of the same model.

Note that the installation diagram in FIG. 5 is an example, and does not limit the number of outdoor units 10 in the first row group 60 and the second row group 70. For example, two or more outdoor units 10 are installed in both the first row group 60 and the second row group 70.

In the first row group 60, the outdoor units 10A-10C are arranged in a straight line. For example, the outdoor units 10A-10C are arranged consecutively in the horizontal direction. That is, the outdoor units 10A-10C are arranged in a straight line so that the side surface 13 (see FIG. 1) of one outdoor unit 10 and the side surface 14 (see FIG. 2) of the other outdoor unit 10 face each other.

The outdoor units 10A-10C are arranged close to each other within a range that does not interfere with the suction of outside air through the suction ports 23 and 24 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). For example, the distance between each of the outdoor units 10A to 10C is set in a range of 30 mm or more and 100 mm or less.

Also referring to FIG. 5, the second row group 70 is mounted on a pedestal 80, and the outdoor units 10A-10C are installed so that the rear surface 15 (see FIG. 2) is separated from this pedestal 80. . For example, the distance between the pedestal 80 and the outdoor units 10A to 10C is set in a range of 100 mm or more and 300 mm or less.

The second row group 70 is installed higher than the first row group 60. For example, the second row group 70 is installed on a pedestal 80. The outdoor units 10D to 10F of the second row group 70 are arranged consecutively in the horizontal direction similarly to the first row group 60. That is, the outdoor units 10A-10C are arranged in a straight line so that the side surface 13 (see FIG. 1) of one outdoor unit 10 and the side surface 14 (see FIG. 2) of the other outdoor unit 10 face each other. Further, for example, the distance between each of the outdoor units 10D to 10F is set in a range of 30 mm or more and 100 mm or less.

The second column group 70 is arranged parallel to the first column group 60. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 5, the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60 and the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group are arranged to face each other along the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction.

Note that the installation diagram in FIG. 5 is an example, and the exhaust heat utilization system according to the present embodiment is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, two outdoor units 10A and 10B may be installed as a first row group 60, and four outdoor units 10C to 10F may be installed as a second row group 70. Furthermore, a layout may be adopted in which the outdoor unit 10A is installed between the outdoor units 10C and 10D, and the outdoor unit 10B is installed between the outdoor units 10E and 10F.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70, the suction ports 25D-25F of the rear surfaces 15D-15F are directed toward the first row group 60 side. FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of FIG. 5. Although FIG. 6 shows the outdoor units 10C of the first row group 60 and the outdoor units 10F of the second row group 70, the remaining outdoor units 10A, 10B and outdoor units 10D, 10E are also set at similar heights. applies.

Referring to FIG. 6, the service panel 20 (see FIG. 1) is opened from the front surface 12F (, 12D, 12E) of the outdoor unit 10F (and the other outdoor units 10D, 10E in the second row group) to carry out maintenance and inspection work. The pedestal 80 is configured so that this is possible. For example, the width L2 of the frame 80 is set to be more than twice the width L1 of the outdoor unit 10F (, 10D, 10E).

At least a portion of the suction ports 25D-25F of the outdoor units 10D-10F are provided above the exhaust ports 18A-18C of the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60.

For example, referring to FIG. 6 and taking the outdoor unit 10F as an example, the height direction position of the air outlet 55C of the louver mechanism 40C is determined by The range is set within ±h/2 from the lower end of . This height range also applies to the outdoor units 10D and 10E. With this arrangement, it becomes possible to supply the exhaust air from the blower outlet 55C to the suction port 25F with high accuracy.

Furthermore, the outdoor units 10A to 10C in the first row group 60 may be connected to indoor units installed in a so-called perimeter zone indoors. On the other hand, the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70 may be connected to indoor units installed in a so-called interior zone.

As mentioned above, for example, in winter, the indoor unit installed in the perimeter zone is always installed in heating mode. On the other hand, indoor units installed in the interior zone may have room temperature exceeding the set temperature even in winter due to heat sources such as OA equipment installed in the interior zone, and may be switched from heating operation to cooling operation. There is.

The outdoor units 10A-10C connected to the indoor units installed in the perimeter zone are placed in the first row group 60, and the outdoor units 10D-10F connected to the indoor units installed in the interior zone are placed in the second row group 70. By arranging the outdoor units in each group, the operation settings may differ between the outdoor units in each group. In such a case, the exhaust gas from the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60 is supplied to the suction ports 25D-25F of the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70.

<Network configuration of exhaust heat utilization system>
FIG. 7 illustrates a network configuration of an air conditioning system including a system for utilizing waste heat of an air conditioning outdoor unit according to this embodiment. A building energy management system (BEMS) is known as a system that manages the equipment and power of a building including this air conditioning system, in which the air conditioning system is installed. In BEMS, communication is performed between various control devices (network devices) based on, for example, the BACnet (Building Automation and Control networking) protocol defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Generally, when applying BEMS to a predetermined building, a distributed control system is employed. That is, a lower control device (B-BC, BACnet Building Controller) is provided for each equipment group such as air conditioning equipment, lighting equipment, disaster prevention equipment, etc. Furthermore, each lower-level control device is managed and operated by a higher-level control device (B-OWS, BACnet Operator Workstation).

Referring to FIG. 7, lower control device 100 (B-BC) cooperates with direct digital controllers 90A-90F (DDC), which are lower controllers, to collect point data of various measurement points of air conditioning equipment. Manages driving schedule control, etc.

Referring to FIG. 7, for example, direct digital controllers 90A-90F are installed in pairs of indoor units and outdoor units. For example, the outdoor unit 10A of the first row group 60, the indoor unit 91A connected thereto, and its ancillary devices such as a room temperature sensor 92A and an operation panel 93A are placed under the direct digital controller 90A. Further, the direct digital controllers 90B-90F also have a similar configuration.

In addition, roller motors 35A-35C of rotation mechanisms 30A-30C and louver motors 54A-54C of louver mechanisms 40A-40C are connected to this BACnet via controllers 36A-36C that control these motors. be done.

The lower control device 100 (B-BC), the direct digital controllers 90A-90F, and the controllers 36A-36C are all composed of computer devices. The hardware configuration of the lower control device 100 is typically exemplified. The lower control device 100 includes a CPU 101 which is an arithmetic circuit, a memory 103 and a hard disk drive 104 which are storage devices, an input section 105 such as a touch panel, an output section 106 such as a display, and an input/output interface that enables communication with other devices. 102. Hard disk drive 104 may be replaced with a solid state drive (SSD). These hardware configurations also include direct digital controllers 90A-90F and controllers 36A-36C.

By the CPU 101 executing the air conditioning control program stored in the hard disk drive 104 of the lower control device 100 or stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM, the lower control device 100 has the program shown in FIG. Each functional unit shown in is constructed.

Further, an air conditioning control program is stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk drive or a CD-ROM of the direct digital controllers 90A-90F. By executing this program by the CPU of the direct digital controllers 90A-90F, each functional unit shown in FIG. 8 is constructed in the direct digital controllers 90A-90F.

Although only the functional blocks of the direct digital controller 90A are illustrated in FIG. 8, functional blocks similar to this are also constructed in the other direct digital controllers 90B to 90F. For example, in the following description, the suffix "A" at the end of the code is changed to "B" or "F" as appropriate to provide a description of the configuration of the direct digital controllers 90B-90F.

Note that the functional blocks illustrated in FIG. 8 are only related to the exhaust heat utilization system of the outdoor unit for air conditioning according to the present embodiment, and illustration of the remaining functional blocks is omitted as appropriate.

The lower control device 100 includes a transmitting/receiving section 107 and an operation setting storage section 108 as functional blocks. The direct digital controller 90A includes a transmitting/receiving section 94A, an operation setting determining section 95A, and a set temperature storage section 96A as functional blocks.

The set temperature storage section 96A of the direct digital controller 90A stores the set temperature input and set from the operation panel 93A (see FIG. 7). The operation setting determining section 95A determines the operation setting of the indoor unit 91A based on the temperature setting stored in the temperature setting storage section 96A.

For example, the operation setting determination unit 95A changes the operation settings of the indoor unit 91A when the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 92A is less than a predetermined heating threshold temperature (for example, set temperature -3°) determined from the set temperature. Set to heating mode.

Further, when the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 92A exceeds a predetermined cooling threshold temperature (for example, set temperature + 3°), the operation setting determining unit 95A changes the operation setting of the indoor unit 91A to the cooling mode. Set to driving.

Further, the operation setting determining unit 95A sets the operation setting of the indoor unit 91A to the blower operation when the room temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 92A is within a range of not less than the heating threshold temperature and not more than the cooling threshold temperature.

The operation setting information of the indoor unit 91A set by the operation setting determination section 95A is transmitted to and stored in the operation setting storage section 108 of the lower control device 100.

Here, in the BACnet protocol, control target devices such as building equipment, sensors, and operation panels are modeled into objects abstracted into functions and the like. Objects are given characteristics called properties.

For example, for one air conditioner, multiple objects such as operation/stop object, alarm signal object, operation mode (cooling/heating/ventilation) object, intake air temperature measurement value object, indoor temperature set value object, emergency stop object, etc. Object is set. Furthermore, properties are given to each object.

For example, the properties include an object identifier (Object_Identifier), an object name (Object_Name), a device type (Device_Type), and a current value (Present_Value).

An object identifier is a unique (i.e., unique) numerical code used to identify an object. The object name is a character string type property, and a name for this object (eg, room air conditioner outdoor unit 1 cooling operation) is set.

The device type is a character string type property, and is set to, for example, the name of a device that executes a function corresponding to this object (eg, room air conditioner outdoor unit 1). The current value is a so-called binary property, and is set to either INACTIVE or ACTIVE. Note that in objects where a numerical value is used as the current value, such as an indoor temperature set value object, the current value is an analog property.

Referring to FIG. 8, the operation setting information of indoor unit 91A set by operation setting determining section 95A is transmitted to and stored in operation setting storage section 108 of lower-level control device 100 in the form of an object. For example, when the operation setting of the indoor unit 91A is switched from the heating setting to the ventilation setting, the heating operation mode object data whose current value property has been switched from operating to non-operating is transmitted from the operation setting determination unit 95A to the lower control device 100. be done. In conjunction with this, the ventilation operation mode object data whose current value property has been switched from non-operation to operation is transmitted from the operation setting determination unit 95A to the lower control device 100.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the hard disk drives of the controllers 36A-36C that control the roller motors 35A-35C and the louver motors 54A-54C, or non-transitory storage media such as CD-ROMs, are equipped with exhaust gas. A setting program for the supply outdoor unit is stored. By executing the program by the CPUs of the controllers 36A-36C, the functional units shown in FIG. 8 are constructed in the controllers 36A-36C.

Note that although only the functional blocks of the controller 36A are illustrated in FIG. 8, functional blocks similar to this are also constructed for the other controllers 36B and 36C. For example, in the following description, the suffix "A" at the end of the code is changed to "B" or "C" as appropriate to provide a description of the configuration of the controllers 36B and 36C.

The controller 36A includes a transmitting/receiving section 37A, an exhaust supply outdoor unit selection section 38A, and a target machine storage section 39A as functional blocks. The target aircraft list exemplified in FIG. 9 is stored in the target aircraft storage unit 39A.

The target machine refers to a candidate machine to which exhaust gas can be supplied from the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60 among the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70 (see FIG. 5). A plurality of target machines can be set for each of the outdoor units 10A-10C.

Referring to FIG. 9, the order of main/sub is determined in advance for the target aircraft. In the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit setting flow (see FIG. 10), which will be described later, one of these is set as the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit.

For example, the outdoor unit 10D closest to the outdoor unit 10A is set as the main target unit. Furthermore, the outdoor unit 10E adjacent to the outdoor unit 10D is set as a sub-target unit. Furthermore, in the outdoor unit 10C, the outdoor unit 10F is set as the main target machine, and the outdoor unit 10E is set as the sub target machine. Further, in the outdoor unit 10B, the outdoor unit 10E is set as the main target machine, and the outdoor units 10D and 10F are set as the sub target machines. In this way, when there are multiple sub target machines, a further ranking (sub 1 and sub 2) may be set within the sub target machines.

In this way, the outdoor units 10D-10F in the second row group are set redundantly as target units for each of the outdoor units 10A-10C in the first row group.

Furthermore, the target machine list stores the device type, object name, and object identifier of each target machine. In addition, the target aircraft list stores a ring angle for sending exhaust gas to each target aircraft. For example, for the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target unit, the ring angle is set to the origin position (that is, β _main =0°). Furthermore, for the outdoor unit 10E, which is the sub-target machine, an angle rotated by 45° clockwise with respect to the origin position is set as the ring angle (that is, β _sub =45°).

<Setting flow for exhaust supply outdoor unit>
FIG. 10 illustrates a setting flow for the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit in the exhaust heat utilization system for the air conditioning outdoor unit according to the present embodiment. As explained below, in the setting flow for the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit, the controllers 36A-36C control the louver mechanisms 40A-40C and the rotation mechanisms 30A-30C. This control is executed according to the operation settings of the outdoor units 10A-10C of the first row group 60 and the outdoor units 10D-10F of the second row group 70.

Note that in the following description, the controller 36A of the outdoor unit 10A will be the main body for executing this flow, but the other controllers 36B and 36C will also execute the same process as described below.

The exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A (see FIG. 8) of the controller 36A determines whether the attached outdoor unit 10A is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension (S10). For example, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the objects of the outdoor unit 10A, “105 room air conditioning outdoor unit 1 cooling operation” and “105 room air conditioner Obtain the data for "Outdoor unit 1 heating operation". Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the current values of these objects are both "INACTIVE".

When the attached outdoor unit 10A is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle of the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5) to the origin position (α ₀ ) (S36 ). Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the origin position (β ₀ ) (S38).

In step S10, when the attached outdoor unit 10A is in heating operation or cooling operation, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines that the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target unit of the controller 36A, is in heating suspension and cooling operation. It is determined whether or not it is in hibernation (S12).

For example, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the objects of the outdoor unit 10D, “105 room air conditioning outdoor unit 4 cooling operation” and “105 room air conditioner Obtain the data for "Outdoor unit 4 heating operation". Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the current values of these objects are both "INACTIVE".

When the outdoor unit 10D is in heating operation or cooling operation, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the heating/cooling operation settings of the installed outdoor unit 10A and the main target unit 10D are different from each other. A determination is made (S14).

For example, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A refers to the current value properties of "105 Room Air Conditioning Outdoor Unit 1 Cooling Operation" and "105 Room Air Conditioning Outdoor Unit 1 Heating Operation", which are already obtained objects of the outdoor unit 10A. . Further, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A refers to the current location properties of "105 room air conditioning outdoor unit 4 cooling operation" and "105 room air conditioning outdoor unit 4 heating operation" which are objects of the outdoor unit 10D. By comparing these current value properties, it is possible to determine whether the operation settings of the outdoor units 10A and 10D are different from each other.

If the heating/cooling operation settings of the attached outdoor unit 10A and the main target unit 10D are different from each other, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target unit, as the exhaust supply outdoor unit. (S16).

Based on the above determination, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle of the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5) to the rear position (α _back ) (S18). Furthermore, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the main position (β _main ) (S20). With this angle setting, the exhaust gas from the outdoor unit 10A is supplied to the outdoor unit 10D.

Returning to step S12, if the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target device, is in a heating suspension and cooling suspension, the flow advances to step S22. Further, referring to step S14, if the heating and cooling operation settings of the outdoor unit 10A to which the controller 36A is attached are the same as the heating and cooling operation settings of the outdoor unit 10D, which is the main target device, the flow proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the outdoor unit 10E, which is the sub-target machine, is in a heating suspension period and a cooling suspension period.

For example, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the objects of the outdoor unit 10E, “105 room air conditioner outdoor unit 5 cooling operation” and “105 room air conditioner Obtain the data for "Outdoor unit 5 heating operation". Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the current values of these objects are both "INACTIVE".

When the outdoor unit 10E is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension, the process of the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A proceeds to steps S36 and S38.

On the other hand, when the outdoor unit 10E is in heating operation or cooling operation, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the heating/cooling operation settings of the attached outdoor unit 10A and the sub-target unit 10E are different from each other. (S24). In this determination, the current value properties of the cooling/heating operation objects described above are compared.

If the cooling/heating operation settings of the outdoor unit 10A to which the controller 36A is attached are the same as the cooling/heating operation settings of the outdoor unit 10E, which is the sub-target unit, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection section 38A selects the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5). The louver angle of is set to the front position (α _front ) (S26). This suppresses exhaust gas from flowing into the outdoor units 10D and 10E from the outdoor unit 10A. Furthermore, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the origin position (β ₀ ) (S28).

In step S24, if the heating/cooling operation settings of the attached outdoor unit 10A and the sub-target machine 10E are different from each other, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the outdoor unit 10E, which is the sub-target machine, to The outdoor unit is determined (S30).

Based on the above determination, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle of the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5) to the rear position (α _back ) (S32). Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the sub position (β _sub ) (S34). With such angle setting, the exhaust gas from the outdoor unit 10A is supplied to the outdoor unit 10E.

According to the setting flow for the exhaust supply outdoor unit as described above, the outdoor unit is set based on the comparison between the operation settings of the outdoor unit 10A to which the controller 36A is installed and the operation settings of the main target machine and the sub target machine. An exhaust gas supply outdoor unit that supplies exhaust gas to 10A is set.

Furthermore, by setting a plurality of target machines (main/sub) as candidates for exhaust supply outdoor units, for example, as illustrated in FIG. Exhaust air from the three outdoor units 10A to 10C in the row group 60 can be supplied centrally.

<Another example of the setting flow for the exhaust supply outdoor unit>
In the setting flow illustrated in FIG. 10, the exhaust supply outdoor unit is determined based on whether or not the target unit is in heating/cooling operation, but instead of this, the operating load of the indoor unit connected to each target unit is The exhaust gas supply outdoor unit may be determined based on the following.

In this case, the controllers 36A-36C determine, as the exhaust supply outdoor unit, the outdoor unit with the relatively highest operating load of the connected indoor unit among the plurality of target machines 10D-10F. As an index indicating the operating load, for example, an air volume setting value provided on the operation panel is referred to.

According to this example, among the outdoor units 10D to 10F in heating/cooling operation of the second row group 70, the outdoor units 10A of the first row group 60 are concentrated on the outdoor units 10 with a relatively high operating load. -10C exhaust can be supplied.

FIG. 13 illustrates a setting flow for an exhaust gas supply outdoor unit according to a different example from FIG. 10 . Note that when executing this flow, the main/sub settings are omitted from the target machine list (see FIG. 9). In other words, the ranking for the listed multiple target machines is released.

Note that in the following description, the controller 36A of the outdoor unit 10A will be the main body for executing this flow, but the other controllers 36B and 36C will also execute the same process as described below.

The exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A (see FIG. 8) of the controller 36A determines whether the attached outdoor unit 10A is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension (S40). For example, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the objects of the outdoor unit 10A, “105 room air conditioning outdoor unit 1 cooling operation” and “105 room air conditioner Obtain the data for "Outdoor unit 1 heating operation". Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the current values of these objects are both "INACTIVE".

When the attached outdoor unit 10A is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle of the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5) to the origin position (α ₀ ) (S60 ). Further, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the origin position (β ₀ ) (S62).

In step S40, when the attached outdoor unit 10A is in heating operation or cooling operation, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the counter k to an initial value of 1 (S42). This counter corresponds to the number provided at the head of the target machine list in FIG. 9.

The exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the outdoor unit 10D, which is the k-th (k=1) target machine, is in a heating suspension and a cooling suspension (S44). For example, similar to step S40, the determination is made by referring to the properties of the heating/cooling operation object corresponding to the outdoor unit 10D.

When the outdoor unit 10D is in the heating suspension and the cooling suspension, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A excludes the outdoor unit 10D from the candidate machines (S48). On the other hand, when the outdoor unit 10D is in heating operation or cooling operation, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection section 38A selects the heating/cooling mode for the outdoor unit 10A, which is the outdoor unit to which it is attached, and the outdoor unit 10D, which is the k-th target unit. It is determined whether the cooling settings are different (S45). In this determination, for example, processing similar to step S14 in FIG. 10 is executed.

If the heating/cooling settings of the outdoor unit 10A and the outdoor unit 10D are the same, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection section 38A excludes the outdoor unit 10D from the candidate machines (S48). On the other hand, if the heating/cooling settings of the outdoor unit 10A and the outdoor unit 10D are different, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection section 38A includes the outdoor unit 10D as a candidate machine (S46). Here, the candidate machine refers to the outdoor unit 10 that is a candidate for the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit.

Next, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the counter k has reached the final value k _end (S50). When the counter k has not reached the final value k _end , the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection section 38A increments the counter k (S52) and returns to the process of step S44.

When the counter k reaches the final value k _end , the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the number of candidate machines exceeds 0 (S53). If the number of candidate machines is 0, the flow advances to step S60.

Alternatively, before proceeding to step S60, a step may be provided to confirm the operation settings of the outdoor unit D, which is disposed at the rear facing the outdoor unit A to which it is attached. That is, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A determines whether the operation settings of the outdoor unit A and the outdoor unit D are the same. If they are the same, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle to α _front . Otherwise, the flow proceeds to step S60.

If the number of candidate machines exceeds 0 in step S53, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A selects the outdoor unit 10 with the maximum air volume (air volume setting value) set to the connected indoor unit among the candidate machines. The exhaust gas supply outdoor unit is determined (S54). That is, the air volume setting value is used as an index indicating the degree of operating load on the indoor unit.

For example, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A refers to the operation setting storage unit 108 of the lower-level control device 100 and acquires object data of an operation panel related to the outdoor unit 10E, which is a candidate unit. In other words, the exhaust supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A acquires the current value of the object "105 Room air conditioning indoor unit 5 air volume setting" related to the operation panel that operates on the indoor unit to which the outdoor unit 10E is connected, that is, the air volume setting value. do.

Based on the above determination, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the louver angle of the louver motor 54A (see FIG. 5) to the rear position (α _back ) (S56). Furthermore, the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit selection unit 38A sets the ring angle of the roller motor 35A to the angular position (β _k ) of the k-th outdoor unit 10 (S58).

For example, the outdoor units 10D and 10E of the second row group 70, which are target machines of the outdoor unit 10A of the first row group 60, may both have different operation settings from the outdoor unit 10A. For example, this applies to the case where the outdoor unit 10A is in heating operation and the outdoor units 10D and 10E are in cooling operation. According to the setting flow shown in FIG. 13, in such a case, it is possible to supply the exhaust gas from the outdoor unit 10A to the one of the outdoor units 10D and 10E that has a higher operating load.

Note that in the example of FIG. 13, the air volume setting value is used as an index indicating the operating load of the indoor unit, but the exhaust heat utilization system of the outdoor unit for air conditioning according to the present embodiment is not limited to this form. For example, instead of or in addition to the air volume setting value, the indoor unit with the largest difference between the set temperature and the actual room temperature value is determined as the exhaust gas supply outdoor unit.

10 outdoor unit, 18 exhaust port, 23-25 suction port, 26 heat exchanger, 30 rotation mechanism, 31 cross roller bearing, 34 pulley, 35 roller motor, 36 controller, 40 louver mechanism, 44 shaft, 54 louver motor, 55 Air outlet, 60 First row group, 70 Second row group, 80 Frame, 91A-91F Indoor unit, 92A-92F Room temperature sensor, 93A-93F Operation panel, 95A Operation setting determination section, 96A Set temperature storage section.

Claims (4)

an outside air intake port,
a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the outside air introduced from the suction port and the refrigerant;
an exhaust port through which air after heat exchange is exhausted;
Equipped with multiple outdoor units equipped with
A system for utilizing exhaust heat from an outdoor unit for air conditioning,
a first row group including a plurality of the outdoor units arranged in a linear manner;
a second row group including a plurality of the outdoor units arranged in parallel with the first row group;
Equipped with
The exhaust ports of the outdoor units in the first row group are installed on the top surface of the outdoor units and are directed upward;
The second row group is installed at a higher location than the first row group,
The suction ports of the outdoor units of the second row group are oriented toward the first row group,
The exhaust port of each of the outdoor units in the first row group includes:
a louver mechanism that can vary the exhaust angle with respect to the central axis of the exhaust port;
a rotation mechanism capable of rotating the louver mechanism around the central axis;
is established,
Furthermore, each of the outdoor units in the first row group includes a controller that controls the louver mechanism and the rotation mechanism according to the operation settings of each of the outdoor units in the first row group and the second row group. provided,
Exhaust heat utilization system for outdoor units for air conditioning. The exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to claim 1,
The height direction position of the air outlet of the louver mechanism is determined within a range of ±h/2 from the lower end of the air inlet using the height direction dimension h of the air inlet of the outdoor unit of the second row group. be able to,
Exhaust heat utilization system for outdoor units for air conditioning. The exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to claim 1 or 2,
The controller of each of the outdoor units in the first row group sets the plurality of outdoor units in the second row group as target machines to which exhaust gas can be supplied,
The outdoor unit in the second row group can be set redundantly as the target unit for the plurality of outdoor units in the first row group.
Exhaust heat utilization system for outdoor units for air conditioning. The exhaust heat utilization system for an air conditioning outdoor unit according to claim 3,
The controller is
Referring to the operating load on the indoor unit connected to each target machine,
Among the plurality of target machines, the outdoor unit having the relatively highest operating load of the indoor unit to which it is connected is determined as the exhaust supply outdoor unit;
Exhaust heat utilization system for outdoor units for air conditioning.