Equipment management system and management method

Abstract

An equipment management system includes: a plurality of equipments each having a refrigerant; an acquisition unit configured to acquire from each of the plurality of equipments, measurement information indicating a result of measuring a temperature of the refrigerant in the equipment, electrical characteristics of the equipment, and environmental information around the equipment; an estimation unit configured to estimate an amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments, based on the measurement information acquired by the acquisition unit, equipment information on the equipment and equipment installation information on an installation environment of the equipment, the equipment information and the equipment installation information being preset; and a data management unit configured to cause a storage to store the amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments estimated by the estimation unit in association with a refrigerant type.

1 . An equipment management system comprising:
 a plurality of equipments each having a refrigerant;   an acquisition unit configured to acquire from each of the plurality of equipments, measurement information indicating a result of measuring a temperature of the refrigerant in the equipment, electrical characteristics of the equipment, and environmental information around the equipment;   an estimation unit configured to estimate an amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments, based on the measurement information acquired by the acquisition unit, equipment information on the equipment and equipment installation information on an installation environment of the equipment, the equipment information and the equipment installation information being preset; and   a data management unit configured to cause a storage to store the amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments estimated by the estimation unit in association with a refrigerant type.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the data management unit is configured to
 for each of the plurality of equipments installed in one space, multiply the estimated amount of the refrigerant and a global warming potential (GWP) determined by a refrigerant type used in each of the plurality of equipments to calculate a GWP total amount value, and 
 determine whether or not a GWP total amount value for the one space, which is a sum of the calculated GWP total amount value for each of the plurality of equipments, is within a regulation value of an upper limit of the GWP total amount value for the one space, 
   wherein the refrigerant type used in each of the plurality of equipments includes different refrigerant types.   
     
     
         3 . The equipment management system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the data management unit is configured to
 cause the storage to store the amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments estimated by the estimation unit in association with the refrigerant type, and 
 cause the storage to store determination information based on a result of determining whether or not the GWP total amount value for the one space is within the regulation value of the upper limit of the GWP total amount value for the one space. 
   
     
     
         4 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the data management unit is configured to
 cause the storage to store the amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments estimated by the estimation unit in associated with the refrigerant type for each of the plurality of equipments, 
 determine whether or not the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments is to be recovered, based on the refrigerant type for each of the plurality of equipments, and 
 cause the storage to store determination information based on a result of the determination. 
   
     
     
         5 . The equipment management system according to  claim 3 , comprising:
 an output unit configured to visually or audibly output via an external device, the information on the amount and type of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments, which the data management unit stores in the storage.   
     
     
         6 . The equipment management system according to  claim 3 , comprising:
 an output unit configured to visually or audibly output via an external device, the determination information which the data management unit stores in the storage.   
     
     
         7 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the acquisition unit is configured to acquire information on a refrigerant type and a refrigerant amount of the refrigerant recovered from any of the plurality of equipments, and   the data management unit is configured to cause the storage to store a total amount of the refrigerant in the plurality of equipments for each refrigerant type which is estimated by the estimation unit and a recovered amount of the refrigerant in association with each other for each refrigerant type.   
     
     
         8 . The equipment management system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the acquisition unit is configured to acquire, for each refrigerant type, information on a recycled amount of the refrigerant shipped by recycling the refrigerant recovered from any of the plurality of equipments, and   the data management unit is configured to cause the storage to further store the recycled amount of the refrigerant shipped in association with each refrigerant type.   
     
     
         9 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the equipment information includes at least information on a volume of a space in which the refrigerant can flow in the equipment and a type of the refrigerant that the equipment has.   
     
     
         10 . The equipment management system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the estimation unit is configured to calculate the amount of the refrigerant in the equipment based on the volume of the space in which the refrigerant can flow in the equipment, and a refrigerant density determined based on the temperature of the refrigerant in the equipment and the refrigerant type.   
     
     
         11 . The equipment management system according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the estimation unit is further configured to calculate the amount of the refrigerant in the equipment by adding an amount of the refrigerant dissolved in a refrigerating machine oil used in the equipment and an amount of the refrigerant in a liquid retention portion to the calculated amount of the refrigerant.   
     
     
         12 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the equipment, an outdoor unit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an expansion valve, and an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger are connected by a connection pipe through which the refrigerant flows, and   the equipment installation information includes at least information on a volume of the connection pipe.   
     
     
         13 . The equipment management system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the environmental information around the equipment includes at least information on an ambient temperature of the equipment.   
     
     
         14 . A management method for an equipment management system comprising a plurality of equipments each having a refrigerant, the management method comprising:
 acquisition unit acquiring from each of the plurality of equipments, measurement information indicating a result of measuring a temperature of the refrigerant in the equipment, electrical characteristics of the equipment, and environmental information around the equipment;   estimation unit estimating an amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments, based on the acquired measurement information, equipment information on the equipment and equipment installation information on an installation environment of the equipment, the equipment information and the equipment installation information being preset; and   storing the estimated amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments in association with a refrigerant type.   
     
     
         15 . The management method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 for each of the plurality of equipments installed in one space, multiplying the estimated amount of the refrigerant and a global warming potential (GWP) determined by a refrigerant type used in each of the plurality of equipments to calculate a GWP total amount value; and   determining whether or not a GWP total amount value for the one space, which is a sum of the calculated GWP total amount value for each of the plurality of equipments, is within a regulation value of an upper limit of the GWP total amount value for the one space,   wherein the refrigerant type used in each of the plurality of equipments includes different refrigerant types.   
     
     
         16 . The management method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 storing the estimated amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments in association with the refrigerant type; and   storing determination information based on a result of determining whether or not the GWP total amount value for the one space is within the regulation value of the upper limit of the GWP total amount value for the one space.   
     
     
         17 . The management method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 storing the estimated amount of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments in associated with the refrigerant type for each of the plurality of equipments;   determining whether or not the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments is to be recovered, based on the refrigerant type for each of the plurality of equipments; and   storing determination information based on a result of the determination.   
     
     
         18 . The management method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 visually or audibly outputting via an external device, the information on the stored amount and type of the refrigerant in each of the plurality of equipments.   
     
     
         19 . The management method according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 visually or audibly outputting the stored determination information via an external device.   
     
     
         20 . The management method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 acquiring information on a refrigerant type and a refrigerant amount of the refrigerant recovered from any of the plurality of equipments; and   storing a total amount of the refrigerant in the plurality of equipments for each refrigerant type which is estimated and a recovered amount of the refrigerant in association with each other for each refrigerant type.