U.S. patent application number 09/750041 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-16 for heat source apparatus of ice storage type.
Invention is credited to Agekura, Masanori, Aoyama, Mitsugu, Kaneko, Ken, Mishima, Akira, Takagi, Kenji.
Application Number | 20010013230 09/750041 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18563252 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010013230 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Agekura, Masanori ; et
al. |
August 16, 2001 |
Heat source apparatus of ice storage type
Abstract
A heat source apparatus of ice storage type for performing the
cool storage operation and the air-conditioning operation utilizing
the stored cool, includes a heat source unit, a cool storage tank
connected to the heat source unit, a water level sensor for
measuring the stored cool amount by detecting the water level in
the cool storage tank, and an operation panel having a menu screen
for setting the starting and ending time of the cool storage
operation and the air-conditioning operation, wherein the setting
of the starting and ending time of the air-conditioning operation
can be canceled and a predetermined stored cool amount can be set
on the operation panel.
Inventors: |
Agekura, Masanori; (Shimizu,
JP) ; Aoyama, Mitsugu; (Shimizu, JP) ; Takagi,
Kenji; (Shimizu, JP) ; Kaneko, Ken; (Shimizu,
JP) ; Mishima, Akira; (Shimizu, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP
Suite 1800
1300 North Seventeenth Street
Arlington
VA
22209
US
|
Family ID: |
18563252 |
Appl. No.: |
09/750041 |
Filed: |
December 29, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/436 ;
62/430 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 5/0017 20130101;
Y02E 60/14 20130101; F25D 16/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/436 ;
62/430 |
International
Class: |
F25D 011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 14, 2000 |
JP |
2000-39733 |
Claims
1. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type comprising: a heat
source unit; a cool storage tank connected to said heat source
unit; a water level sensor for measuring the stored cool amount by
detecting the water level of said cool storage tank; and an
operation panel having a menu screen for setting the starting and
ending time of the cool storage operation and the starting and
ending time of the air-conditioning operation, wherein the setting
of said starting and ending time of said air-conditioning operation
can be canceled and the stored cool amount can be set from said
operation panel.
2. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type according to claim
1, wherein said operation panel includes a liquid crystal display
screen for displaying said menu screen, a DISPLAY/SET switching
key, and an UP key and a DOWN key for scrolling said menu screen
upward and downward respectively.
3. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type according to claim
1, wherein said predetermined stored cool amount that can be set
from the operation panel can be selected from a plurality of
stages.
4. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type according to claim
1, wherein whether said cool storage operation is carried out or
not can be selected after canceling said setting of the starting
and ending time of said air-conditioning operation.
5. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type for storing cold and
heat, comprising: a heat source unit; a cool storage tank connected
to said heat source unit; a water level sensor for measuring the
stored cool amount by detecting the water level of said cool
storage tank; means for setting the starting and ending time of the
cool storage operation and the starting and ending time of the
air-conditioning operation; means for canceling the setting of the
starting and ending time of said air-conditioning operation; and
means for determining whether the cool storage operation is carried
out or not after canceling the setting of the starting and ending
time of said air-conditioning operation, wherein the stored cool
amount can be selectable from a plurality of stages not higher than
100% of the stored cool amount.
6. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type according to claim
5, wherein the cool storage operation is continued until the water
level detected by said water level sensor reaches a cool storage
completing water level.
7. A heat source apparatus of ice storage type according to claim
5, further comprising means for permitting the stored cool amount
to be set, wherein the cool storage operation is continued until
the water level detected by said water level sensor reaches a value
corresponding to said set stored cool amount.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a heat source apparatus of
ice storage type for performing the cool storage operation and the
air-conditioning operation utilizing the cool storage, or in
particular to a heat source apparatus of ice storage type having
the function of the scheduled operation in which the starting and
ending time of the cool storage operation and the starting and
ending time of the air-conditioning operation are set for each
day.
[0002] In the prior art, JP-A-11-132533 discloses a method in which
the cool storage operation time is changed at the time of starting
the cool storage operation based on the residual stored cool in the
heat storage tank in order to eliminate the overage and shortage of
the amount of cool stored.
[0003] The residual stored cool occurs on a day (a day of the week)
when the setting of the starting and ending time of the
air-conditioning operation is canceled in the scheduled operation,
i.e. on a day when the air-conditioning operation is not performed
as scheduled in spite of the cool storage operation performed on
the immediately preceding day. In the prior art described above,
the apparatus is controlled to limit the cool storage operation
time based on the residual stored cool in preparation for the
following day in the case where the air-conditioning operation is
set for the following day, and therefore the stored cool amount may
run short and the load may not be met as required for the
air-conditioning operation on the following day.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The object of the present invention is to solve the problems
of the prior art described and above and to provide a user-friendly
heat source apparatus of ice storage type in which even in the case
where the air-conditioning operation is canceled for a given day,
the shortage of the stored cool amount for the air-conditioning
operation on the next day is conveniently prevented while at the
same time assuring efficient utilization of the stored cool by
suppressing the use of extraneous power due to excessive storage of
cool.
[0005] According to the present invention, in order to solve the
problem mentioned above, there is provided a heat source apparatus
of ice storage type comprising a heat source unit, a cool storage
tank connected to the heat source unit, a water level sensor for
measuring the stored cool amount by detecting the water level of
the cool storage tank, and an operation panel having a menu screen
for setting the starting and ending time of the cool storage
operation and the starting and ending time of the air-conditioning
operation, wherein the starting and ending time of the
air-conditioning operation can be canceled and a predetermined
stored cool amount can be set from the operation panel.
[0006] Even in the case where the air-conditioning operation is
canceled on a given day, a predetermined stored cool amount can be
set easily on the operation panel, and therefore the required
stored cool amount can be secured for the air-conditioning load for
the next day. In this way, the shortage and overage of the stored
cool amount can be prevented, and the power consumption can be
suppressed to achieve a flexible, economical operation.
[0007] According to this invention, the heat source apparatus of
ice storage type described above preferably comprises an operation
panel including a liquid crystal display screen, a DISPLAY/SET
switching key, and an UP key and a DOWN key for vertically
scrolling the menu screen on display.
[0008] Also, in the heat source apparatus according to this
invention described above, the predetermined stored cool amount
that can be set can be preferably selected from among a plurality
of stages.
[0009] Further, in the heat source apparatus according to this
invention described above, whether the cool storage operation is
carried out or not can be preferably selected after canceling the
setting of the starting and ending time of the air-conditioning
operation.
[0010] Furthermore, according to this invention, there is provided
a heat source apparatus of ice storage type comprising a heat
source unit, a cool storage tank connected to the heat source unit,
a water level sensor for measuring the stored cool amount by
detecting the water level in the cool storage tank, means for
setting the starting and ending time of the cool storage operation
and the starting and ending time of the air-conditioning operation,
means for canceling the setting of the starting and ending time of
the air-conditioning operation, means for determining whether the
cool storage operation is carried out or not after canceling the
setting of the starting and ending time of the air-conditioning
operation, and means for selecting the stored heat amount of not
higher than 100% in a plurality of levels.
[0011] In addition, according to this invention, the cool storage
operation is desirably carried out until the water level detected
by the water level sensor reaches the level at which the cool
storage operation is complete.
[0012] What is more, the heat source apparatus according to this
invention preferably comprises means for setting the stored cool
amount, wherein the cool storage operation is preferably carried
out until the water level detected by the water level sensor comes
to assume a value corresponding to the set stored cool amount.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a piping system for a heat
source apparatus of ice storage type according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an example of the scheduled
operation according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a control flowchart according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a control flowchart according to another
embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a front view showing an operation panel
configuration according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the specifics of a liquid
crystal display screen according to an embodiment of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0019] The present invention will be described in detail below with
reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a piping
system of a refrigeration apparatus of ice storage type according
to an embodiment of the invention.
[0020] In the cool storage operation for refrigeration, an
electrically-operated two-way valve A6 is fully closed, an
electrically-operated two-way valve B7 is fully opened, and a brine
pump 5 and a heat source unit 1 are operated. Thus, the brine
solution supercooled by the heat source unit 1 flows through the
pipe in an ice-making heat exchanger 4, exchanges heat with the
chilled water stored in the cool storage tank 3 and returns to the
heat source unit 1. The cool storage operation is performed by
exchanging heat with the chilled water in the cool storage tank 3
and forming ice on the outer surface of the pipe of the ice-making
heat exchanger 4 thereby to accumulate the stored cool amount.
[0021] In accumulating the stored cool amount, the stored cool
amount can be controlled by detecting the volume increase due to
the phase change from water to ice by a water level sensor 10
arranged in the cool storage tank 3 and converting it to a cool
storage-completing water level. In the cooling air-conditioning
operation, on the other hand, the electrically-operated two-way
valve A6 is fully opened, the electrically-operated two-way valve
B7 is fully closed, and the chilled water stored in the cool
storage tank 3 by the cool storage operation is mixed with the
chilled water circulated by a chilld/hot water pump 8 and returned
to the load side through a brine/water heat exchanger 2, so that a
predetermined amount of the chilled water is supplied to the load
side.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows an example of the scheduled operation, in which
the cooling heat storage starting time is set to 22:00, the cool
storage ending time to 7.55, the air-conditioning starting time to
8:00, the air-conditioning ending time to 18:00, and the
cancellation day, i.e. the day on which the apparatus is not
operated to Sunday. According to this schedule, the cool storage
operation is not performed from 22:00 to 7:55 on Saturday nor the
air-conditioning operation from 8:00 to 18:00 on Sunday.
[0023] In the prior art, in the case where the residual stored cool
exists at the time of starting the cool storage operation B from
22:00 to 7:55 on Sunday, for example, it is erroneously determined
by estimation that the small load for the air-conditioning
operation on Sunday would reduce the air-conditioning load on
Monday, so that the cool storage operation B is performed by
limiting the stored cool amount, with the result that the stored
cool amount runs short and cannot meet the load for the
air-conditioning operation C from 8:00 to 18:00 on Monday.
[0024] According to this embodiment, on the other hand, in the case
where the air-conditioning load for Monday can be estimated in
advance, the cool storage operation A or B which otherwise would be
canceled is made possible, and the amount of cool stored by the
cool storage operation A or B is selectively set as one of six
stages. As a result, 100% of the stored cool amount can be secured
by the air-conditioning operation C from 8:00 to 18:00 on
Monday.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a control flowchart according to an embodiment of
the invention.
[0026] First, whether it is the time to start the cool storage or
not is checked, and the in the case where it is the time to start
the cool storage, it is determined whether it is a cancellation day
of the week or not. In the case where it is a cancellation day of
the week, whether or not the arbitrary stored cool amount setting
is selected or not. If the arbitrary stored cool amount setting is
selected, the stored cool amount is selected from the six stages
and the stored cool amount a is checked. Assuming that the cool
storage completing water level with 100% of stored cool amount is
h, the cool storage completing water level h for the stored cool
amount a is given as ha=h.times. a.
[0027] Then, the present water level hn is measured by the water
level sensor 10 and it is determined whether the following
condition is met or not.
(Present water level hn).gtoreq.(Cool storage completing water
level ha for stored cool amount a)
[0028] In the case where this condition is satisfied, the cool
storage operation is not carried out, while in the case where this
condition fails to be met, the cool storage operation is carried
out to accumulate to the set arbitrary amount of cool as indicated
by the following equation.
(Present water level hn)=(Cool storage completing water level ha
for stored cool amount a)
[0029] FIG. 4 is a control flowchart according to another
embodiment of the invention.
[0030] First, it is determined whether the time is to start the
cool storage or not, and in the case where the time is to start the
cool storage, it is determined which is selected, the stored cool
amount limiting control mode or the arbitrary stored cool amount
setting control mode. In the case where the arbitrary stored cool
amount setting is selected, the set stored cool amount a is
checked. Assuming that the cool storage completing water level for
the stored cool amount of 100% is h, the cool storage completing
water level for the stored cool amount a is given as ha=h.times.
a.
[0031] Then, the present water level is measured by the water level
sensor 10, and it is determined whether the following condition is
met or not.
(Present water level hn).gtoreq.(Cool storage completing water
level ha for stored cool amount a)
[0032] In the case where this condition is satisfied, the cool
storage operation is not carried out, while in the case where this
condition fails to be met, the cool storage operation is carried
out to accumulate to the set arbitrary amount of heat as indicated
by the following equation.
(Present water level hn)=(Cool storage completion water level ha
for stored cool amount a)
[0033] In the case where the stored cool amount limiting control
mode is selected, on the other hand, the residual stored cool
amount is checked. In the case where the residual stored cool
exists, the present water level is measured by the water level
sensor 10 arranged in the cool storage tank 3 to check the
air-conditioning load during the daytime by calculating the present
stored cool amount, and the stored cool amount to be accumulated is
determined. In the case where there is no residual stored cool, the
cool storage operation is carried out for accumulating 100% of the
stored cool mount.
[0034] According to this embodiment, the stored cool amount
limiting control mode is selected for the air-conditioning
equipment having the air-conditioning load not undergoing a great
daily change, while the stored cool amount corresponding to the
load can be secured by selecting the arbitrary stored cool amount
setting control mode for the air-conditioning equipment with the
daily air-conditioning load thereof known to increase or decrease.
Thus, the stored cool amount is prevented from running short to
such an extent that the air-conditioning load cannot be met and the
air-conditioning operation becomes impossible. Also, it is possible
to prevent deterioration of economy which would otherwise be caused
by the increased power consumption due to an increased stored cool
amount in spite of a small air-conditioning load.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows a configuration of the operation panel
according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0036] In a liquid crystal display screen 11, the setting screen,
the operation information, etc. are classified into a upper menu, a
middle menu and a lower menu, which are switched by depressing a
DISPLAY/SET switching key 12. Each menu screen can be scrolled up
by depressing an UP key 13 and scrolled down by depressing a DOWN
key 14.
[0037] FIG. 6 shows the specifics of the liquid crystal display
screen according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0038] The selection and setting of the stored cool amount in six
stages will be explained. First, set the cursor to VARIOUS SET from
the upper menu, and the DISPLAY/SET switching key 12 is depressed
thereby to display the middle menu. From the middle menu thus
displayed, the cursor is moved downward by the DOWN key 13, set to
SET TIME, and the "DISPLAY/SET" switching key 12 is depressed
thereby to display the lower menu. From the lower menu on display,
the cursor is set to "CANCEL SUN" by the DOWN key 14 and the
DISPLAY/SET switching key 12 is depressed.
[0039] An explanation given further about the setting of the
cancellation of the cool storage operation and the air-conditioning
operation on Sunday. For cancellation, the UP key 13 and the DOWN
key 14 are depressed to display "YES", and the DISPLAY/SET
switching key 12 is depressed. The "HEAT STORAGE OPERATION" is
displayed. Setting the cursor to "COOL STORAGE OPERATION", the
DISPLAY/SET key 12 is depressed, followed by depressing the UP key
13 and the DOWN key 14 thereby to display ON. The DISPLAY/SET
switching key 12 is depressed thereby to display "STORED COOL
AMOUNT", and the DISPLAY/SET switching key 12 is depressed again.
Thus, the stored heat amount to be accumulated by the cool storage
operation can be selected from the six stages of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80,
100 by depressing the UP key 13 and the DOWN key 14.
[0040] In the case where 60 is selected, for example, the stored
cool amount accumulated by the cool storage operation on the
cancellation day of the week is set to 60%. The setting is now
over. To leave the screen, the DOWN key is depressed to set the
cursor to RETURN displayed at the lowest position of each menu
screen, and the DISPLAY/SET switching key 12 is depressed. The menu
screens are sequentially displayed in reverse way.
[0041] According to the embodiment described above, the cool
storage operation for accumulating the stored cool amount
selectively set from the six stages for the set cancellation day of
the week is made possible as a scheduled operation. When performing
the operation for accumulating the stored cool amount selectively
set from the six stages in preparation for the air-conditioning
operation for the following day, the stored cool amount can be set
in advance in accordance with the load, thereby avoiding the
situation in which the air-conditioning operation is impossible due
to the shortage of the load for the following day.
[0042] Also, the operation for limiting the stored cool amount in
accordance with the residual stored cool amount or the operation
for storing an arbitrary set amount of cool can be selected for
each day regardless whether it is a cancellation day of the week or
not in a scheduled operation. In the case where an increase or
decrease in the air-conditioning load for the following day can be
predicted, it is possible to prevent the air-conditioning operation
from failing due to the shortage of the load or the power
consumption from being increased by excessive stored cool
amount.
[0043] It will thus be understood from the foregoing description
that according to this invention, the stored cool amount can be set
from the operation panel even for the day for which the
air-conditioning operation is canceled, and therefore the required
stored cool amount can be easily secured in accordance with the
air-conditioning load for the following day. In this way, an
insufficient stored cool amount and an excessive stored cool amount
can be eliminated, which in turn suppresses the power consumption
while at the same time making it possible conveniently to use the
stored cool efficiently.
* * * * *