JP2024068420A - Water treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a water treatment system that can centrally manage a temperature of circulating water circulated through a cooling tower to exchange heat with a refrigerant of a cooled device such as a refrigerator, and a chemical injected into the circulating water.SOLUTION: A water treatment system includes a cooled device a cooling device and further includes: an information processing unit that derives a recommended value or type for at least one of the following items of a set temperature of circulating water, an operating temperature range of a cooling fan, a type of chemical, an injection amount of the chemical, and a replenishment amount of the circulating water, based on at least a part of the information acquired by each information acquisition means of: temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding a temperature of an installation environment of a cooling tower; a water temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding a temperature of the circulating water at an outlet from the cooling tower and an inlet to the cooling tower; a first power information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding a power consumption of the cooled device; and a second power information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding a power consumption of the cooling device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a water treatment system.

There is known a water treatment system that includes a refrigerator and a cooling tower, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerator and the circulating water circulating through the cooling tower. A method for calculating an appropriate temperature for the circulating water to operate the refrigerator efficiently has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for calculating the temperature of the circulating water that is to be subjected to heat exchange with the refrigerant, specifically, the lower limit of the temperature of the circulating water at the inlet to the condenser of the refrigerator, depending on the operating conditions of the refrigerator.

JP 2020-41787 A

Chemicals may be injected into the circulating water circulated through a cooling tower. This is to suppress the growth of scale in the circulating water. When the temperature of the circulating water changes, the preferred type or amount of the chemical may change. For this reason, it is preferable that the temperature of the circulating water and the chemicals injected into the circulating water are managed in a centralized manner. However, to date, no technology has been proposed for centrally managing the temperature of the circulating water and the chemicals injected into the circulating water.

The present invention aims to provide a water treatment system that can centrally manage the temperature of circulating water circulated through a cooling tower and the chemicals injected into the circulating water to exchange heat with the refrigerant of a cooled device such as a refrigerator.

(1) A water treatment system including a cooled device, a cooling tower equipped with a cooling fan, and a cooling device equipped with a circulating water line that circulates circulating water containing a chemical between the cooled device and the cooling tower, further including an air temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information about the temperature of the installation environment of the cooling tower, a water temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information about the temperature of the circulating water at the outlet from the cooling tower and the inlet to the cooling tower, a first power information acquisition means for acquiring information about the power consumption of the cooled device, a second power information acquisition means for acquiring information about the power consumption of the cooling device, and an information processing unit for deriving a recommended value or type for at least one of the set temperature of the circulating water, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan, the type of the chemical, the injection amount of the chemical, and the replenishment amount of the circulating water based on at least a portion of the information acquired by each of the information acquisition means.

(2) The water treatment system described in (1), in which the recommended values or types are derived from the perspective of reducing costs.

(3) The water treatment system described in (2), wherein the costs include at least one of the cost of the chemicals, the cost of replenishing the circulating water, the operating cost of the cooled device, and the operating cost of the cooling device.

(4) The water treatment system according to (2) or (3), in which the information processing unit derives two or more recommended values or types for one of the items described in claim 1, and the information processing unit derives a cost difference for at least two of the two or more recommended values or types.

(5) A method for deriving a recommended value in a water treatment system including a cooled device, a cooling tower equipped with a cooling fan, and a cooling device equipped with a circulating water line that circulates circulating water containing a chemical between the cooled device and the cooling tower, the method comprising: acquiring information on at least one of information on the temperature of the circulating water at the outlet from the cooling tower, information on the temperature of the circulating water at the inlet to the cooling tower, information on the power consumption of the cooled device, and information on the power consumption of the cooling device; and an information processing step for deriving a recommended value or type for at least one of the items of the set temperature of the circulating water, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan equipped in the cooling tower, the type of the chemical, the injection amount of the chemical, and the replenishment amount of the circulating water, based on at least a part of the acquired information.

The present invention provides a water treatment system that can centrally manage the temperature of circulating water circulated through a cooling tower and the chemicals injected into the circulating water to exchange heat with the refrigerant of a cooled device such as a refrigerator.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a water treatment system according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the temperature setting of a cooling device and the power consumption of a water treatment system. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the temperature of circulating water and the increase/decrease trends of major costs. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of the water treatment system of the present embodiment.

(Water treatment system)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a water treatment system 10 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the water treatment system 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the water treatment system 10 includes a cooled device 20, a cooling device 40, and a hot and cold water device 60.

(Relationship between each device)
The three devices provided in the water treatment system 10 operate, for example, as follows. Consider a case where service water 70 cooled in the hot and cold water device 60 is needed. The service water 70 is cooled by heat exchange with the cooled device 20. The cooled device 20 then dissipates the heat taken in from the hot and cold water device 60 through heat exchange with the cooling device 40. The cooling device 40 then dissipates the heat taken in from the cooled device 20 from a cooling tower 42.

(Specific configuration example)
A specific configuration example of the water treatment system 10 will be described.
(Hot and cold water equipment (air conditioner))
The hot and cold water device 60 may be, for example, an air conditioner. When the hot and cold water device 60 is an air conditioner, cooled service water 70 is required to exchange heat with the air in order to cool the air in the room. The cooled device 20 is used to cool the service water 70 and obtain the cooled service water 70.

(Cooled device (refrigeration machine))
The cooled device 20 may be, for example, a refrigerator. In the refrigerator, a refrigerant 30 circulates through a compressor 22. The liquid refrigerant 30 absorbs heat when vaporizing, thereby cooling the water 70. The refrigerant 30 that absorbs heat from the water 70 becomes gaseous refrigerant 30. A cooling device 40 is used to turn the gaseous refrigerant 30 back into liquid refrigerant 30.

(Cooling device (outdoor cooling machine))
The cooling device 40 may be, for example, an outdoor cooling machine equipped with a cooling tower 42. In the outdoor cooling machine, circulating water 50 circulates through the cooling tower 42. This circulating water 50 exchanges heat with the gaseous refrigerant 30 of the cooled device 20, thereby dissipating heat contained in the gaseous refrigerant 30. The circulating water 50 of the outdoor cooling machine, whose water temperature has increased, is cooled in the cooling tower 42. This allows the circulating water 50 to repeatedly exchange heat with the gaseous refrigerant 30 of the cooled device 20.

(power consumption)
In the water treatment system 10, the device that consumes the most power is the cooled device 20. Among the cooled devices 20, the compressor 22 consumes the most power. Therefore, in order to reduce the overall power consumption of the water treatment system 10, it is effective to reduce the power consumption of the compressor 22. Below, the water treatment system 10 will be described in more detail, taking into account the viewpoint of reducing power consumption.

(Cooled device)
The configuration of the cooled device 20 will be described. The cooled device 20 includes a compressor 22, a condenser 32, an expansion valve 26, and an evaporator 34. These are connected in order via a refrigerant line 24. A refrigerant 30 flows through the refrigerant line 24. The refrigerant line 24 forms a loop as a whole. Therefore, by flowing through the refrigerant line 24, the refrigerant 30 can circulate through the compressor 22, the condenser 32, the expansion valve 26, and the evaporator 34.

(Heat absorption and release of refrigerant)
The heat absorption and release of the refrigerant 30 in the cooled device 20 will be described. The liquid refrigerant 30 expanded by opening the expansion valve 26 is vaporized in the evaporator 34, becoming gaseous refrigerant 30. When the refrigerant 30 is vaporized in the evaporator 34, it absorbs heat from the water 70 in the hot and cold water device 60. The gaseous refrigerant 30 that has absorbed the heat is compressed by the compressor 22.

The compressed gas refrigerant 30 is liquefied in the condenser 32 to become liquid refrigerant 30. When the refrigerant 30 is liquefied in the condenser 32, it releases heat to the cooling device 40. The liquid refrigerant 30 that has released heat is expanded by opening the expansion valve 26 and sent to the evaporator 34. In this way, the refrigerant 30 circulates through the refrigerant line 24. Thereafter, the refrigerant 30 repeats the same circulation.

In this circulation, the compression of the refrigerant 30 by the compressor 22 consumes the most power. The power consumption of the cooled device 20 can be approximated to the power consumption of the compressor 22. Here, the power consumption of the compressor 22 depends on the temperature of the circulating water 50 that receives heat dissipated from the condenser 32.

(Cooling system)
The cooling device 40 in which the circulating water 50 is circulated will be described. The cooling device 40 includes a circulating water pump 46 and a cooling tower 42. These are connected via a circulating water line 44. The circulating water 50 flows through the circulating water line 44. Chemicals 80 are injected into the circulating water 50. The circulating water line 44 forms a loop as a whole. Therefore, the circulating water 50 can circulate through the circulating water pump 46 and the cooling tower 42 by flowing through the circulating water line 44.

(Heat absorption and release in circulating water)
The heat absorption and release of the circulating water 50 in the cooling device 40 will be described. The circulating water 50 exchanges heat with the refrigerant 30 of the cooled device 20 in the condenser 32 of the cooled device 20. Specifically, the circulating water 50 absorbs heat from the refrigerant 30 of the cooled device 20. The circulating water 50 that has absorbed the heat is cooled in the cooling tower 42. The cooled circulating water 50 again exchanges heat with the refrigerant 30 of the cooled device 20 in the condenser 32 of the cooled device 20. In this manner, the circulating water 50 circulates through the circulating water line 44. Thereafter, the circulating water 50 repeats the same circulation.

The temperature of the circulating water 50 changes depending on how the cooling fan 52 is operated. When the temperature of the circulating water 50 changes, the power consumption of the cooled device 20 changes. This is because, as mentioned above, the power consumption of the compressor 22 depends on the temperature of the circulating water 50. The power consumption of the cooling device 40 and the power consumption of the cooled device 20 are in a trade-off relationship. This is explained in detail below.

In general, when the temperature of the circulating water 50 introduced into the condenser 32 of the cooled device 20 decreases, the power consumption of the cooled device 20 decreases. Therefore, when the cooling fan 52 is operated more frequently, the power consumption of the cooling device 40 increases, but the temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases, and thus the power consumption of the cooled device 20 decreases. Conversely, when the cooling fan 52 is operated less frequently, the power consumption of the cooling device 40 decreases, but the temperature of the circulating water 50 increases, and thus the power consumption of the cooled device 20 increases.

A specific example of the relationship between the temperature setting of the cooling device 40 and the power consumption of the water treatment system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. G1 in FIG. 2 is a graph showing the change over time in various temperatures. The horizontal axis of graph G1 is time, and the vertical axis is temperature. G2 in FIG. 2 is a graph showing the change over time in the power consumption of the compressor 22 of the cooled device 20 and the cooling fan 52 of the cooling device 40. The horizontal axis of graph G2 is time, and the vertical axis is power consumption. The time on the horizontal axis of graph G1 and graph G2 is aligned.

(Graph G1)
In FIG. 1, P1 denotes the outlet of the circulating water line 44 of the cooling device 40 from the cooling tower 42. Similarly, P2 denotes the inlet of the circulating water line 44 to the cooling tower 42. The temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet P1 is the outlet temperature. The temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet P2 is the inlet temperature. In graph G1, T-1 denotes the outlet temperature. Furthermore, T-2 denotes the inlet temperature. As shown in graph G1, the outlet temperature T-1 is lower than the inlet temperature T-2. This is because the circulating water 50 is cooled in the cooling tower 42. Furthermore, in graph G1, T-3 denotes the outside air wet-bulb temperature in the vicinity of the cooling tower 42.

(setting change)
In the example shown in graph G1, the setting regarding the operation of the cooling fan 52 of the cooling tower 42 is changed in the "setting change" shown between the time 10:30 and the time 11:00. Specifically, the setting before the setting change is to operate the cooling fan 52 when the outlet temperature T-1 rises to 20°C or higher, and to stop the operation of the cooling fan 52 when the outlet temperature T-1 falls to 16°C or lower. In contrast, the setting after the setting change is to operate the cooling fan 52 when the outlet temperature T-1 rises to 20°C or higher, and to stop the operation of the cooling fan 52 when the outlet temperature T-1 falls to 12°C or lower. Due to this setting change, the average value of the outlet temperature T-1 has fallen from about 17°C to about 13°C. In addition, the average value of the inlet temperature T-2 has also fallen from about 20°C before the setting change to about 16°C after the setting change.

(Graph G2)
Next, graph G2 will be described. C in graph G2 indicates the power consumption of the compressor 22 of the cooled device 20. FAN in graph G2 indicates the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 of the cooling tower 42. Due to the "setting change" between the time 10:30 and the time 11:00, the operating time of the cooling fan 52 is increased. Accordingly, the power consumption FAN of the cooling fan 52 is increased. This is because it is necessary to operate the cooling fan 52 more frequently in order to lower the temperature of the circulating water 50. The average power consumption of the cooling fan 52 was 2.7 kW before the setting change, but became 8.9 kW after the setting change.

On the other hand, the power consumption of the compressor 22 has decreased due to the change in settings. The average power consumption of the compressor 22 was 32.0 kW before the setting change, but was 23.0 kW after the setting change.

In this way, by changing the setting regarding the temperature of the circulating water 50, the power consumption of the cooling device 40 increases, and conversely, the power consumption of the cooled device 20 decreases.

(Total power consumption)
Here, the total power consumption is the sum of the power consumption of the cooling device 40 and the power consumption of the cooled device 20. As described above, this total power consumption can be considered as the sum of the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 and the power consumption of the compressor 22.

The power consumption of the cooling fan 52 before the setting change is 2.7 kW, and the power consumption of the compressor 22 before the setting change is 32.0 kW. The total power consumption before the setting change is 34.7 kW. In contrast, the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 after the setting change is 8.9 kW, and the power consumption of the compressor 22 after the setting change is 23.0 kW. The total power consumption after the setting change is 31.9 kW. The total power consumption has been reduced by approximately 8% due to the setting change.

(Other setting change examples)
Other examples of setting changes are shown below.
Before the setting change, the temperature of the circulating water 50 at which the cooling fan 52 starts to operate was 22° C., and the temperature of the circulating water 50 at which the cooling fan 52 stops to operate was 18° C. In contrast, after the setting change, the temperature of the circulating water 50 at which the cooling fan 52 starts to operate was 18° C., and the temperature of the circulating water 50 at which the cooling fan 52 stops to operate was 15° C. As a result of this setting change, the range of change in temperature of the circulating water 50 changed from 18° C. or more and 22° C. or less before the setting change to 15° C. or more and 18° C. or less.

In addition, as a result of the setting change, the current value of the cooling fan 52 changed from 3 A and the current value of the cooled device 20 changed from 98 A before the setting change to 5 A and 86 A. In addition, the total current value of the cooling fan 52 current value and the cooled device 20 current value changed from 101 A before the setting change to 91 A.

In this example, the change in settings increases the power consumption of the cooling device 40, but decreases the power consumption of the cooled device 20, resulting in a decrease in the total power consumption. In this example, the outside air temperature was 15°C, the relative humidity was 50%, and the outside air wet bulb temperature was 10°C.

In this way, the power consumption of the cooling device 40 and the power consumption of the cooled device 20, which are in a trade-off relationship, can be reduced by adjusting the temperature setting of the circulating water 50, which is the standard for operating the cooling fan 52.

(Hot and cold water equipment)
Here, a configuration example of the hot and cold water device 60 will be described. The configuration of the hot and cold water device 60 is not particularly limited. Below, a case where the hot and cold water device 60 is an air conditioner will be described. The hot and cold water device 60 includes a water valve 66 and an indoor unit 62. These are connected via a hot and cold water line 64. Hot and cold water 70 flows through the hot and cold water line 64. The hot and cold water line 64 forms a loop as a whole. Therefore, the hot and cold water 70 can circulate through the hot and cold water valve 66 and the indoor unit 62 by flowing through the hot and cold water line 64. Then, the hot and cold water 70 is cooled by releasing heat through heat exchange in the evaporator 34 of the cooled device 20. The cooled hot and cold water 70 exchanges heat with indoor air through the indoor unit 62. As a result, the indoor air is cooled. The hot and cold water 70 warmed by heat exchange with the indoor air is cooled again by heat exchange in the evaporator 34 of the cooled device 20. In this way, the hot and cold water 70 circulates through the hot and cold water line 64. Thereafter, the water 70 repeats the same circulation.

(Drugs)
The following describes the chemical 80 injected into the circulating water 50 of the cooling device 40. As described above, when the temperature of the circulating water 50 changes, the preferred type or the preferred amount of the chemical 80 may change.

In addition, if the set temperature of the circulating water 50 changes, it may become necessary to replenish the circulating water 50, which in turn may require the addition of chemicals 80. For example, if the set temperature of the circulating water 50 is lowered, the operating time of the cooling fan 52 of the cooling tower 42 will become longer. If the operating time of the cooling fan 52 becomes longer, the amount of water that evaporates from the circulating water 50 increases. This makes it necessary to replenish the circulating water 50. Then, as the circulating water 50 is replenished, it becomes necessary to inject additional chemicals corresponding to the amount of replenishment.

(total cost)
The overall cost of the water treatment system 10 is considered to be the sum of three main costs that constitute it. The three main costs are the water treatment cost, the power consumption of the cooling device 40, and the power consumption of the cooled device 20. The water treatment cost is the sum of the cost of the replenished circulating water 50 and the cost of the replenished chemicals 80. The power consumption of the cooling device 40 is mainly the power consumption of the cooling fan 52. The power consumption of the cooled device 20 is mainly the power consumption of the compressor 22.

(Trend of increase/decrease)
3 shows the relationship between the set temperature of the circulating water 50 and the increase or decrease in three major costs. Here, the set temperature of the circulating water 50 is, for example, a temperature that is a threshold value for starting and stopping the operation of the cooling fan 52. Specifically, for example, when the temperature of the circulating water 50 drops to the set temperature, the operation of the cooling fan 52 can be stopped, and when the temperature of the circulating water 50 rises to the set temperature, the operation of the cooling fan 52 can be started.
(Water treatment costs)
The cost of water treatment increases as the set temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases. In order to lower the temperature of the circulating water 50, the cooling fan 52 needs to be operated for a longer period of time. Operating the cooling fan 52 for a longer period of time increases the amount of evaporation of the circulating water 50. This makes it necessary to replenish more circulating water 50. In addition, it becomes necessary to newly inject chemicals into the circulating water 50 to be replenished. In this way, when the set temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases, the cost of the replenished circulating water 50 and the cost of the replenished chemicals 80 increase, and thus the cost of water treatment increases.

(Power consumption of cooling device)
The power consumption of the cooling device 40 increases as the set temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases. The power consumption of the cooling device 40 can be approximated by the power consumption of the cooling fan 52. When the set temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases, the operating time of the cooling fan 52 becomes longer in order to lower the temperature of the circulating water 50. Therefore, the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 increases, and as a result, the power consumption of the cooling device 40 increases.

(Power consumption of cooling device)
The power consumption of the cooled device 20 decreases as the set temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases. The power consumption of the cooled device 20 can be approximated by the power consumption of the compressor 22. The power consumption of the compressor 22 decreases as the temperature of the circulating water 50 decreases. For example, when the cooled device 20 is a refrigerator, as the inlet temperature of the cooling water to the refrigerator decreases, the coefficient of performance (COP), which indicates the efficiency of the refrigerator, increases, improving efficiency.

As described above, when the set temperature of the circulating water 50 is raised or lowered, the processing cost and power consumption of the cooling device 40 and the power consumption of the cooled device 20 show opposite increases and decreases. Therefore, in order to reduce the overall cost of the water treatment system 10, it is preferable to balance the costs that show opposite increases and decreases and find the set temperature of the circulating water 50 that minimizes the overall cost.

In order to find the preferred set temperature of the circulating water 50, the water treatment system 10 is equipped with various information acquisition means and an information processing unit 100. The following description will be given based on FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional outline of the water treatment system 10 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the water treatment system 10 is equipped with a cooling device 40, a cooled device 20, and a hot and cold water device 60. Heat exchange is performed between the cooling device 40 and the cooled device 20. Heat exchange is also performed between the cooled device 20 and the hot and cold water device 60.

(Information Acquisition Means)
The water treatment system 10 is equipped with air temperature information acquiring means 110, water temperature information acquiring means 120, first power information acquiring means 130, and second power information acquiring means 140 as information acquiring means.

(Temperature information acquisition means)
The temperature information acquisition means 110 is a means for acquiring information on the outside air wet-bulb temperature in the installation environment of the cooling tower 42. The outside air wet-bulb temperature can be calculated from the outside air temperature and humidity. Specifically, the outside air wet-bulb temperature can be obtained by methods such as (1) measuring the outside air temperature and humidity with a sensor, (2) using data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, or (3) measuring the outside air temperature and using data from the Japan Meteorological Agency for the humidity. Thus, an example of the temperature information acquisition means 110 can be a sensor that is placed near the cooling tower 42 and is capable of measuring the outside air temperature and humidity.

(Water temperature information acquisition means)
The water temperature information acquiring means 120 is a means for acquiring information regarding the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooling tower 42 and at the inlet to the cooling tower 42. The water temperature information acquiring means 120 may be, for example, a temperature sensor or a thermometer installed in the circulating water line 44.

The temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooling tower 42 can be considered to be the same as the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooled device 20. The temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooling tower 42 can be considered to be the same as the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooled device 20.

More specifically, the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooled device 20 is the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the condenser 32 of the cooled device 20. Also, the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooled device 20 is the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the condenser 32 of the cooled device 20.

(Power information acquisition means)
The first power information acquisition means 130 is a means for acquiring information regarding the power consumption of the cooled device 20. The power consumption of the cooled device 20 can be approximated to the power consumption of the compressor 22.
The second power information acquiring means 140 is a means for acquiring information regarding the power consumption of the cooling device 40. The power consumption of the cooling device 40 can be approximated to the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 of the cooling tower 42 provided in the cooling device 40.

(Information Processing Section)
The water treatment system 10 is provided with an information processing unit 100. The information processing unit 100 acquires information acquired by each information acquiring means. Then, based on at least a part of the acquired information, a recommended value or type is derived for at least one of the following items: the set temperature of the circulating water 50, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan 52, the type of chemical 80, the injection amount of the chemical 80, and the replenishment amount of the circulating water 50.

The information processing unit 100 can derive the above-mentioned recommended values or types from the perspective of reducing costs.

The aforementioned costs may also include at least one of the costs of the chemical 80, the costs of the replenishment circulating water 50, the operating costs of the cooled device 20, and the operating costs of the cooling device 40.

Furthermore, the information processing unit 100 can be configured to derive two or more recommended values or types for at least one of the following items: the set temperature of the circulating water 50, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan 52, the type of drug 80, the injection amount of the drug 80, and the replenishment amount of the circulating water 50. The information processing unit 100 can also be configured to derive the cost difference for at least two of these two or more recommended values or types.

(Amount of evaporated water)
In deriving the above-mentioned recommended values or types, the evaporation amount of the circulating water 50 in the cooling tower 42 can be calculated, for example, as follows.
Evaporation water volume (m ³ /h) = Circulating water volume (m ³ /h) × Cooling temperature (°C) × Specific heat (kJ/kg·K) × Load factor / Latent heat of evaporation (kJ/kg)
In the above formula, the circulating water volume is the volume of the circulating water 50 circulating through the circulating water line 44. The cooling temperature is the difference between the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet of the cooling tower 42 and the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet of the cooling tower 42. The specific heat is the specific heat of the circulating water 50.

(Water supply amount)
The amount of circulating water 50 to be replenished can be calculated, for example, as follows.
Make-up water amount (m ³ /h)=evaporation amount (m ³ /h)×concentration rate/(concentration rate−1)

4, the method of deriving the above-mentioned recommended numerical value or type in the water treatment system 10 can be shown as follows. That is, in the water treatment system 10 including the cooled device 20, the cooling tower 42 including the cooling fan 52, and the cooling device 40 including the circulating water line 44 for circulating the circulating water 50 containing the chemical 80 between the cooled device 20 and the cooling tower 42, the method of deriving the recommended value can be shown to include a step of acquiring information on at least one of information on the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooling tower 42, information on the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooling tower 42, information on the power consumption of the cooled device 20, and information on the power consumption of the cooling device 40, and an information processing step of deriving a recommended numerical value or type for at least one of the items including the set temperature of the circulating water 50, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan 52 included in the cooling tower 42, the type of chemical 80, the injection amount of the chemical 80, and the replenishment amount of the circulating water 50 based on at least a part of the acquired information. The information acquisition step is performed by the air temperature information acquisition means 110, the water temperature information acquisition means 120, the first power information acquisition means 130, and the second power information acquisition means 140. The information processing step of deriving the recommended numerical value or type is performed by the information processing unit 100.

The information processing unit 100 derives the above-mentioned recommended values or types based on the information acquired by each information acquisition means. This makes it possible to operate the water treatment system 10 while suppressing overall costs.

For example, the temperature range of the circulating water 50 for operating the cooling fan 52 can be different in summer and winter. In summer, for example, it is possible to prevent the cooling fan 52 from continuing to operate after the temperature of the circulating water 50 reaches a temperature that cannot be cooled any further, as determined from the outside air wet-bulb temperature. This makes it possible to prevent the circulating water 50 from evaporating by continuing to operate the cooling fan 52 even though the temperature of the circulating water 50 does not decrease.

In addition, if the temperature of the circulating water 50 drops too low, the operation of the cooled device 20 may become unstable. By appropriately setting the temperature range in which the cooling fan 52 operates, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the circulating water 50 from dropping too low.

The information processing unit 100 is not limited to deriving the above-mentioned recommended numerical value or type based on the information acquired by each information acquisition means, but can also derive the above-mentioned recommended numerical value or type based on actual examples, for example, by referring to accumulated past data. For example, the information processing unit 100 can derive the recommended set temperature of the circulating water 50 by referring to data acquired at a similar time in the past.

The means by which the first power information acquisition means 130 or the second power information acquisition means 140 acquires the power information is not particularly limited. For example, the power information may be acquired by measuring the power consumption, or the power information may be acquired by calculating the power consumption from the operation time of the equipment. Furthermore, the power consumption can be predicted, for example, from the outside air wet bulb temperature and the temperature of the circulating water 50 while referring to past performance. These methods can be applied to the power consumption of the cooling fan 52 of the cooling tower 42 and the power consumption of the compressor 22 of the cooled device 20.

The means by which the temperature information acquisition means 110 acquires temperature information such as the outdoor wet-bulb temperature is not particularly limited. For example, the outdoor temperature and humidity may be measured by an outdoor temperature and humidity sensor, and the outdoor wet-bulb temperature may be acquired based on the measurements, or the outdoor wet-bulb temperature may be acquired by calculating the outdoor temperature and humidity published by the Japan Meteorological Agency or the like.

The water temperature information acquisition means 120 may acquire the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooling tower 42 and the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooling tower 42 as water temperature information, or may acquire the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooled device 20 instead of the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooling tower 42, and may acquire the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the outlet from the cooled device 20 instead of the temperature of the circulating water 50 at the inlet to the cooling tower 42.

In this way, the water treatment system 10 of this embodiment can present the customer with recommended settings related to water treatment as a comprehensive judgment that includes the power consumption of each device as well as the water treatment costs (cost of chemicals and water).

10 Water treatment system 20 Cooled device (refrigerating machine)
22 Compressor 24 Refrigerant line 26 Expansion valve 30 Refrigerant 32 Condenser 34 Evaporator 40 Cooling device (outdoor cooling device)
42 Cooling tower 44 Circulating water line 46 Circulating water pump 50 Circulating water 52 Cooling fan 60 Hot and cold water device (air conditioner)
62 Indoor unit 64 Hot and cold water line 66 Service water valve 70 Service water 80 Chemical 100 Information processing unit 110 Air temperature information acquisition means 120 Water temperature information acquisition means 130 First power information acquisition means 140 Second power information acquisition means P1 Outlet from cooling tower P2 Inlet to cooling tower

Claims (5)

A cooled device;
A water treatment system comprising: a cooling tower having a cooling fan; and a cooling device having a circulating water line that circulates circulating water containing a chemical between the cooled device and the cooling tower,
An air temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the temperature of the installation environment of the cooling tower;
a water temperature information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the temperature of the circulating water at an outlet from the cooling tower and an inlet to the cooling tower;
A first power information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the power consumption of the cooled device;
A second power information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding the power consumption of the cooling device;
The water treatment system further includes an information processing unit that derives a recommended value or type for at least one of the following items: the set temperature of the circulating water, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan, the type of the chemical, the amount of the chemical injected, and the amount of the circulating water replenishment based on at least a portion of the information acquired by each of the information acquisition means. The water treatment system of claim 1, wherein the recommended values or types are derived from the perspective of cost containment. The water treatment system of claim 2, wherein the costs include at least one of the cost of the chemical, the cost of replenishing the circulating water, the operating cost of the cooled device, and the operating cost of the cooling device. The information processing unit derives two or more recommended values or types for one of the items according to claim 1 ;
The water treatment system according to claim 2 , wherein the information processing unit derives a cost difference for at least two of the two or more recommended numerical values or types. A cooled device;
A water treatment system including a cooling tower having a cooling fan, and a cooling device having a circulating water line that circulates circulating water containing a chemical between the cooled device and the cooling tower,
obtaining at least one of information regarding the temperature of the circulating water at an outlet from the cooling tower, information regarding the temperature of the circulating water at an inlet to the cooling tower, information regarding the power consumption of the cooled device, and information regarding the power consumption of the cooling device;
A method for deriving recommended values, comprising: an information processing step of deriving a recommended numerical value or type for at least one of the following items based on at least a portion of the acquired information: the set temperature of the circulating water, the operating temperature range of the cooling fan installed in the cooling tower, the type of the chemical, the amount of the chemical injected, and the amount of the circulating water replenishment.

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