Air conditioner control apparatus, cooling system, and air conditioner control program

Abstract

An air conditioner control apparatus capable of suppressing electric power consumed by an air conditioner which is for cooling the interior of a room, as well as a cooling system and an air conditioner control program, are provided. An air conditioner control apparatus 13 according to a first embodiment makes control to carry out a dehumidifying operation for removing moisture present in the interior of a room prior to execution of a cooling operation for cooling the interior of the room in which an indoor unit 11 is installed.

1 . An air conditioner control apparatus for controlling an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected with each other through a refrigerant pipe, the air conditioner control apparatus comprising a control unit for performing a dehumidifying operation to remove moisture present in a room with the indoor unit installed therein prior to execution of a cooling operation for cooling the interior of the room. 
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a predictive outdoor temperature acquiring unit for acquiring a predictive outdoor temperature in the exterior of the room with the outdoor unit installed therein and a time zone setting unit for setting, on the basis of the predictive outdoor temperature, a cooling time zone in which the cooling operation is performed and a dehumidifying time zone in which the dehumidifying operation is performed, the time zone setting unit setting the dehumidifying time zone to a time zone in which the predictive outdoor temperature is lower than a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an indoor temperature acquiring unit for acquiring an indoor temperature in the interior of the room and a time zone setting unit for setting, on the basis of the indoor temperature, a cooling time zone in which the cooling operation is performed and a dehumidifying time zone in which the dehumidifying operation is performed, the time zone setting unit setting the dehumidifying time zone to a time zone in which only the indoor temperature or a temperature difference between a set temperature for the cooling operation and the indoor temperature is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, prior to the cooling time zone. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a predictive heat load acquiring unit for acquiring a predictive heat load in the interior of the room and a time zone setting unit for setting, on the basis of the predictive head load, a cooling time zone in which the cooling operation is performed and a dehumidifying time zone in which the dehumidifying operation is performed, the time zone setting unit setting the dehumidifying time zone to a time zone in which the predictive heat load is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. 
     
     
         5 . A cooling system comprising an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected with each other through a refrigerant pipe, a cooler having a showcase installed in the interior of a room with the indoor unit installed therein and a refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the showcase, and an air conditioner control apparatus for controlling the air conditioner and the cooler, the air conditioner control apparatus including a control unit which performs a dehumidifying operation for removing moisture present in the interior of the room before performing a cooling operation for reducing the temperature in the interior of the room with the indoor unit installed therein. 
     
     
         6 . An air conditioner control program which causes a computer, the computer functioning as an air conditioner control apparatus for controlling an air conditioner having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected with each other through a refrigerant pipe, to carry out a process A of performing a dehumidifying operation for removing moisture present in the interior of a room with the indoor unit installed therein and a process B of performing a cooling operation for reducing the temperature in the interior of the room. 
     
     
         7 . An air conditioner control apparatus to control an air conditioner for a store, permitting a timer operation involving starting an air conditioning operation at a predetermined operation start time and stopping it at an operation end time, wherein a store opening time and a store closing time are set between the operation start time and the operation end time, and when an outdoor temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in the period from the operation start time until the store opening time and/or in the period from the store closing time until the operation end time, there is performed an operation in which cold air is blown off into the store, the cold air being designed lower in temperature and smaller in air feed volume than cold air which is blown off into the store in a cooling operation performed in the period from the store opening time until the store closing time. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the cooling operation has a refrigerating cycle comprising at least a refrigerant compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device and an evaporator which are connected annularly through refrigerant pipes, and is carried out using a cooling action induced upon evaporation of a refrigerant in the evaporator, the temperature of the cold air blown off into the store being obtained by lowering the temperature of the evaporator. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature preset on the basis of past outdoor temperature information or externally available outdoor temperature information on the day preceding the operation start time. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein when the internal temperature of the store has reached a temperature of not lower than a set room temperature, a cooling operation same as the cooling operation performed in the period from the store opening time until the store closing time is carried out in the period from the operation start time until the store opening time and/or in the period from the store closing time until the operation end time. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the operation start time for starting the air conditioning operation is set subsequent to the operation end time for stopping the air conditioning operation, thereby permitting the air conditioning operation to be performed in a continuous manner. 
     
     
         12 . An air conditioner control apparatus to control an air conditioner for a 24-hour open store, the air conditioner performing a cooling operation 24 hours for the interior of the store, wherein when an outdoor temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature in the 24-hour cooling operation, there is performed an operation in which cold air is blown off into the store, the cold air being designed lower in temperature and smaller in air feed volume than cold air which is blown off into the store in the cooling operation. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the cooling operation has a refrigerating cycle comprising at least a refrigerant compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device and an evaporator which are connected annularly through refrigerant pipes, and is carried out using a cooling action induced upon evaporation of a refrigerant in the evaporator, and the temperature of the cold air blown off into the store is obtained by lowering the temperature of the evaporator. 
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature preset on the day preceding business hours of the store of the day concerned, on the basis of past outdoor temperature information or externally available outdoor temperature information. 
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein when the internal temperature of the store has reached a temperature of not lower than a set room temperature, there is performed a cooling operation same as the cooling operation performed during the store business hours. 
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein:
 the predetermined temperature is a temperature preset on the basis of past outdoor temperature information or externally available outdoor temperature information on the day preceding the operation start time;   when the internal temperature of the store has reached a temperature of not lower than a set room temperature, a cooling operation same as the cooling operation performed in the period from the store opening time until the store closing time is carried out in the period from the operation start time until the store opening time and/or in the period from the store closing time until the operation end time; and   the operation start time for starting the air conditioning operation is set subsequent to the operation end time for stopping the air conditioning operation, thereby permitting the air conditioning operation to be performed in a continuous manner.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner control apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the predetermined temperature is a temperature preset on the day preceding business hours of the store of the day concerned, on the basis of past outdoor temperature information or externally available outdoor temperature information; and   when the internal temperature of the store has reached a temperature of not lower than a set room temperature, there is performed a cooling operation same as the cooling operation performed during the store business hours.