Air-conditioning controller and air-conditioning system

Abstract

An air-conditioning controller that controls an air-conditioning apparatus includes an obtainer, an indoor model constructor, a coupled analysis unit, a control target determiner, and a commander. The obtainer obtains room shape information and air state information. The indoor model constructor constructs an indoor model used for CFD simulation, based on the room shape information and the air state information. The coupled analysis unit executes the CFD simulation based on the indoor model to derive a state quantity, to derive a deviation of the state quantity, and to integrate the deviations, thereby deriving an optimal solution of a control parameter of the air-conditioning apparatus such that an objective function including an integrated value obtained by integrating the deviations is minimized. The control target determiner determines a control target value based on the optimal solution. The commander controls the air-conditioning apparatus based on the control target value.

1 . An air-conditioning controller configured to control an air-conditioning apparatus that performs air conditioning for an air-conditioned space, comprising:
 an obtainer configured to obtain room shape information indicating a shape of the air-conditioned space and air state information indicating a state of air in the air-conditioned space:   an indoor model constructor configured to construct an indoor model used for CFD simulation, based on the room shape information and the air state information:   a coupled analysis unit configured to execute the CFD simulation based on the indoor model to derive a state quantity indicating the state of air at each time point within a first time range, which is predetermined, to derive a deviation of the state quantity at each time point from a target state quantity, which is preset, to integrate the deviations at the individual time points within the first time range, and to derive an optimal solution of a control parameter of the air-conditioning apparatus such that an objective function including an integrated value obtained by integrating the deviations is minimized;   a control target determiner configured to determine a control target value, the control target value being a target value of the control parameter, based on the optimal solution; and   a commander configured to control the air-conditioning apparatus based on the control target value.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 1 , wherein
 the obtainer is configured to obtain occupant stay information indicating an area where an occupant stays within the air-conditioned space,   the air-conditioning controller further comprises   a target area determiner configured to determine a target area based on the occupant stay information, the target area being an area to be air-conditioned within the air-conditioned space, and   the coupled analysis unit is configured to derive the objective function by integrating the deviations at the individual time points within the first time range in the target area.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 2 , wherein
 the occupant stay information is temperature distribution information indicating a temperature distribution in the air-conditioned space, and   the target area determiner is configured to specify an area where an occupant is present in the air-conditioned space based on the temperature distribution information, to obtain a frequency of presence of the occupant in the specified area, and to determine the target area based on the frequency.   
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 2 , wherein
 the occupant stay information is temperature distribution information indicating a temperature distribution in the air-conditioned space,   the obtainer is configured to receive a radio wave from a remote controller or a terminal device and to obtain radio wave information indicating an intensity and a receiving direction of the radio wave, the remote controller and the terminal device each being used for operating the air-conditioning apparatus, and   the target area determiner includes an estimator configured to determine the target area based on a learning model, the learning model being obtained from the radio wave information and the temperature distribution information and being used for estimating an area where an occupant is present in the air-conditioned space.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 4 , wherein the target area determiner further includes a learning model generator configured to obtain position information indicating a position of the remote controller or the terminal device based on the radio wave information and to generate the learning model, which is used for estimating the area where an occupant is present in the air-conditioned space, based on the position information and the temperature distribution information. 
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 2 , wherein
 the occupant stay information is temperature distribution information indicating a temperature distribution in the air-conditioned space,   the obtainer is configured to obtain, from a remote controller or a terminal device, position information indicating a position of the remote controller or the terminal device, the remote controller and the terminal device each being used for operating the air-conditioning apparatus, and   the target area determiner includes an estimator configured to determine the target area based on a learning model, the learning model being obtained from the position information and the temperature distribution information and being used for estimating an area where an occupant is present in the air-conditioned space.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 6 , wherein the target area determiner further includes a learning model generator configured to generate the learning model, which is used for estimating the area where an occupant is present in the air-conditioned space, based on the position information and the temperature distribution information. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 1 , wherein
 the coupled analysis unit is configured to select a plurality of check time points within the first time range,   the coupled analysis unit is configured to conduct, based on the state quantities at the plurality of check time points, forward analysis in each set of check time points of the plurality of check time points to derive the state quantity at each time point in each set of check time points of the plurality of check time points,   the coupled analysis unit is configured to conduct inverse analysis in each set of check time points of the plurality of check time points to derive an adjoint variable based on the state quantity at each time point in each set of check time points of the plurality of check time points,   the coupled analysis unit is configured to derive sensitivity at each time point in each set of check time points of the plurality of check time points, based on the state quantity and the adjoint variable at a corresponding time point in a corresponding set of check time points of the plurality of check time points, the sensitivity being a quantity representing a degree of influence on the objective function when a value of the control parameter is changed, and the coupled analysis unit is configured to derive the optimal solution based on the sensitivity.   
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 1 , wherein the control target determiner is configured to determine the control target value, based on a temperature at a first position, which is predetermined, on a temperature distribution in the air-conditioned space, the temperature distribution being achieved by the optimal solution. 
     
     
         10 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 1 , wherein
 the obtainer is configured to obtain device information from the air-conditioning apparatus, the device information indicating performance of the air-conditioning apparatus,   the air-conditioning controller further comprises   a device model constructor configured to construct a device model, which determines a condition for a value of the control parameter, based on the device information, and   the coupled analysis unit is configured to derive the objective function based on the device model.   
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 10 , wherein the indoor model includes the state quantity at an outlet of air output from the air-conditioning apparatus, the state quantity at the outlet of air being based on the device model. 
     
     
         12 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 10 , wherein the device model includes information indicating correlation between a coefficient of performance of the air-conditioning apparatus and the value of the control parameter. 
     
     
         13 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 10 , wherein
 the obtainer is configured to obtain instruction information indicating a setting input into the air-conditioning apparatus by a user, and   the target state quantity is determined based on the instruction information.   
     
     
         14 . The air-conditioning controller of  claim 13 , further comprising
 a storage configured to store the indoor model, the target state quantity, the device model, and the optimal solution in association with each other,   wherein the control target determiner is configured to derive the control target value based on the optimal solution stored in the storage if the target state quantity based on the instruction information that is re-obtained by the obtainer at a specific timing is equal to the target state quantity stored in the storage and if the indoor model based on the air state information that is re-obtained by the obtainer at the specific timing is equal to the indoor model stored in the storage and if the device model based on the device information that is re-obtained by the obtainer at the specific timing is equal to the device model stored in the storage.   
     
     
         15 . An air-conditioning controller configured to control an air-conditioning apparatus that performs air conditioning for an air-conditioned space, comprising:
 an obtainer configured to obtain room shape information indicating a shape of the air-conditioned space and air state information indicating a state of air in the air-conditioned space:   an indoor model constructor configured to construct an indoor model used for CFD simulation, based on the room shape information and the air state information; and   a first communication unit configured to send the indoor model to a server,   the server being configured to execute the CFD simulation based on the indoor model to derive a state quantity indicating the state of air at each time point within a first time range, which is predetermined, to derive a deviation of the state quantity at each time point from a target state quantity, which is preset, to integrate the deviations at the individual time points within the first time range, to derive an optimal solution of a control parameter of the air-conditioning apparatus such that an objective function including an integrated value obtained by integrating the deviations is minimized, and to send the optimal solution to the air-conditioning controller,   the air-conditioning controller further comprising:   a control target determiner configured to determine a control target value, the control target value being a target value of the control parameter, based on the optimal solution obtained from the server; and   a commander configured to control the air-conditioning apparatus based on the control target value.   
     
     
         16 . An air-conditioning system comprising:
 an air-conditioning controller configured to control an air-conditioning apparatus that performs air conditioning for an air-conditioned space; and   a server configured to communicate with the air-conditioning controller,   the air-conditioning controller including   an obtainer configured to obtain room shape information indicating a shape of the air-conditioned space and air state information indicating a state of air in the air-conditioned space,   an indoor model constructor configured to construct an indoor model used for CFD simulation, based on the room shape information and the air state information, and   a first communication unit configured to send the indoor model to the server,   the server including   a coupled analysis unit configured to execute the CFD simulation based on the indoor model to derive a state quantity indicating the state of air at each time point within a first time range, which is predetermined, to derive a deviation of the state quantity at each time point from a target state quantity, which is preset, to integrate the deviations at the individual time points within the first time range, and to derive an optimal solution of a control parameter of the air-conditioning apparatus such that an objective function including an integrated value obtained by integrating the deviations is minimized, and   a second communication unit configured to send the optimal solution to the air-conditioning controller,   the air-conditioning controller further including   a control target determiner configured to determine a control target value, the control target value being a target value of the control parameter, based on the optimal solution obtained from the server, and   a commander configured to control the air-conditioning apparatus based on the control target value.