System and method for controlling the diffusion of air in a plurality of enclosures and installation employing such system

Abstract

A system is disclosed for enabling the total operation of an installation for the diffusion of air in a plurality of enclosures to be reduced. The present system includes apparatus for measuring a signal related to the state of operation of a thermal treatment apparatus for the air associated with each enclosure and/or related to the temperature desired independently in each enclosure, a module for calculation, on the basis of the measured signals, a setpoint blowing temperature that makes it possible to reduce the total operation of the whole of the thermal treatment means. A setpoint blowing throughput is also determined in order to optimize the total operation of the air diffusion installation.

1 . A system for controlling the diffusion of air into a plurality of enclosures, said air diffusion being carried out by an installation comprising:
 an air diffusion system for each of said enclosures, said system being associated with means of thermal treatment of the air, and means of diffusion of the air into said enclosure;   a central air treatment station, common to the air diffusion systems, connected to said systems by an air circuit and supplying at least partially the air diffused into said enclosures at a temperature called the blowing temperature;   means for selecting a temperature for each of said enclosures independently of the other enclosures;   
       said system comprising:
 means for providing a signal relating to an operating state of the thermal treatment means of each of the air diffusion systems associated with each of said enclosures and/or a signal relating to the selected temperature in each of said enclosures; 
 a calculation module determining, as a function of said signals, a set blowing temperature making it possible to reduce the operation of the thermal treatment means as a whole; and 
 control means of said station in order to obtain said set blowing temperature. 
 
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the thermal treatment means comprise a terminal unit, the signal relating to an operating state of the thermal treatment means comprising a signal relating to the percentage use of said terminal unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the air thermal treatment means of each diffusion system comprise means for heating and/or cooling the air, the calculation module comprising instructions for determining the diffusion system the thermal treatment means of which have the lowest operating state, the set temperature being determined as a function of the temperature of the enclosure with which said diffusion system is associated. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the means of thermal treatment of the air of each diffusion system comprise means for heating and/or cooling of the air, the calculation module comprising instructions for determining the set temperature of blowing so as to minimize the operation of the thermal treatment means as a whole, as a function of:
 the effective operating state of the thermal treatment means of each of the air diffusion systems and/or the set temperatures required by the user in each of the enclosures independently, and/or   a consumption figure, per unit of temperature, of the thermal treatment means associated with each of the air diffusion systems.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each air diffusion system comprises means for regulating the flow rate of the air diffused into the enclosure with which said system is associated, the system according to the invention comprising moreover:
 means for providing a signal relating to the operating state of the flow rate regulating means and/or to an air diffusion flow rate for each of the enclosures;   a calculation module determining a set flow rate of blowing as a function of said signals; and   control means:
 of the central air treatment station in order to obtain said set flow rate of blowing, and 
 of the flow rate regulating means of each of the enclosures in order to maintain an air diffusion flow rate independently for each of the enclosures. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the regulation means of each air diffusion system comprise an air flow controller ( 14 ), the signal relating to the operational state of said flow rate regulation means comprising a signal relating to the percentage opening of said air flow controller. 
     
     
         7 . An air diffusion installation comprising at least one air diffusion control system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling the diffusion of air into a plurality of enclosures, said air diffusion being carried out by an installation comprising:
 an air diffusion system for each of said enclosures, said system including means of thermal treatment of the air, and means of diffusion of the air into said enclosure;   a central air treatment station, common to the air diffusion systems, connected to said systems by an air circuit and supplying at least partially the air diffused into said enclosures at a temperature called the blowing temperature;   means for selecting a temperature for each of said enclosures independently of the other enclosures;   
       said method comprising the following steps:
 measuring a signal relating to the thermal treatment carried out at the level of each of the air diffusion systems associated with each of said enclosures and/or a signal relating to the selected temperature in each of said enclosures; 
 calculating a set blowing temperature making it possible to reduce the operation of the thermal treatment means as a whole, as a function of said signals; and 
 controlling said station in order to achieve said set blowing temperature. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , characterized in that each air diffusion system comprises flow rate regulating means of the air diffused into the enclosure with which said system is associated, the method comprising moreover the following steps:
 measuring a signal relating to the operating state of the flow regulation means and/or to an air diffusion flow rate for each of the enclosures;   calculating a set flow rate of blowing as a function of said signals; and,   controlling:
 the central air treatment station in order to obtain said set flow rate of blowing, and 
 the flow rate regulating means of each of the enclosures in order to maintain a required flow rate independently for each of the enclosures.