CN102967007A - A humidifying device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a humidifying device. A refrigerant loop (30) of the humidifying device is provided with a refrigerant side switching part (32, 36a), which can be switched between a first state, where refrigerant releases heat in a first adsorption heat exchanger (33a) and an auxiliary heat exchanger (35) and absorbs heat in a second adsorption heat exchanger (33b), and a second state, where the refrigerant releases heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b) and the auxiliary heat exchanger (35) and absorbs heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a). Therefore, the humidifying device can operate well even under the condition that the temperature of outdoor air (external air temperature) is relatively low.

Description

Humidity control device

technical field

The invention relates to a humidity control device, in particular to a technology for preheating acquired outdoor air.

Background technique

The following humidity control devices are known so far. The humidity control devices include a refrigerant circuit connected with two adsorption heat exchangers. The humidity control devices adjust the humidity of outdoor air and indoor air and supply the conditioned air to to the interior. As described in Patent Document 1, in this humidity control device, by reversibly switching the circulation direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, that is, it is possible to alternately perform the operation of the first adsorption heat exchanger as a condenser and the operation of the second adsorption heat exchanger. An operation in which the exchanger operates as an evaporator, and an operation in which the first adsorption heat exchanger operates as an evaporator and the second adsorption heat exchanger operates as a condenser. In addition, in this humidity control device, one of the air passing through each adsorption heat exchanger is supplied indoors and the other is discharged outdoors, that is, dehumidification operation or humidification operation can be performed. For example, in the case of dehumidification operation, the air that has passed through the adsorption heat exchanger serving as the evaporator is supplied indoors; in the case of humidification operation, the air that has passed through the adsorption heat exchanger serving as the condenser is supplied indoors.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-291532

Contents of the invention

－The technical problem to be solved by the invention－

However, in an environment where the temperature of the outdoor air (external air temperature) is low (for example, minus 15° C.), there is a problem that the dampers and the like for switching the operation of the adsorption heat exchangers may freeze, or the air flow from each adsorption heat exchanger may be frozen. Condensate is produced in the adsorption heat exchanger, which may also freeze.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable a humidity control device to operate satisfactorily even when the temperature of outdoor air (outside air temperature) is low.

-Technical solutions to solve technical problems-

The first aspect of the invention is directed to a humidity control device. This humidity control device includes refrigerant circuits 30 , 170 , air side switching units D1 - D4 , D13 - D16 , and refrigerant side switching units 32 , 36 a , 173 , 188 . The refrigerant circuit 30, 170 is formed by combining the compressor 31, 172, the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 176 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, 175 loaded with adsorbent, the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 and The expansion mechanisms 37 , 38 , 198 , and 195 are connected to each other, and the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuits 30 , 170 to perform a refrigeration cycle. The air-side switching parts D1-D4, D13-D16 can be switched to the second mode in which the outdoor air that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 is conditioned by the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 176. A state, and a second state in which the outdoor air that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger 35 , 194 is conditioned by the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33 b , 175 . The refrigerant-side switching units 32, 36a, 173, 188 are connected to the refrigerant circuits 30, 170, and can be switched so that the refrigerant flows between the first adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 176 and the auxiliary heat exchangers. 35, 194 in the first state where the refrigerant absorbs heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, 175, and the refrigerant exchanges heat between the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, 175 and the auxiliary heat exchanger The second state is that heat is released in the heat exchanger 35, 194 and the refrigerant absorbs heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 176. When the refrigerant side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, 188 are in the first state, the refrigerant having passed through the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 176 flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194, When the refrigerant-side switching portion 32 , 36 a , 173 , 188 is in the second state, the refrigerant that has passed through the second adsorption heat exchanger 33 b , 175 flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 35 , 194 .

In the invention of the first aspect, it is made possible to introduce the outdoor air heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35 , 194 into the adsorption heat exchanger 33 a , 33 b , 175 , 176 . Here, the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 30 , 170 is switched by the refrigerant side switching unit 32 , 36 a , 173 , 188 . For example, when the refrigerant side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, 188 are in the first state, the refrigerant sequentially flows through the compressors 31, 172, the first adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 176, the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194. Expansion mechanisms 37, 38, 198, 195 and second adsorption heat exchangers 33b, 175. When the refrigerant-side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, and 188 are in the second state, the refrigerant flows through the compressors 31, 172, the second adsorption heat exchangers 33b, 175, and the auxiliary heat exchangers 35, 194 in sequence. , expansion mechanisms 37, 38, 198, 195 and first adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 176. Therefore, the auxiliary heat exchangers 35 and 194 always serve as radiators regardless of which of the first state and the second state the refrigerant-side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, and 188 are in. In this way, regardless of the switching operation of the refrigerant side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, 188, the outdoor air heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 can always be introduced into the adsorption heat exchanger. .

In the second invention, in the first invention, the refrigerant circuit (30, 170) is provided with a bypass passage (36b, 197) that bypasses the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194).

In the invention of the second aspect, for example, when the temperature of the outdoor air is high and there is no adverse phenomenon such as freezing of condensed water in the adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 33b, 175, 176, it is not necessary to heat the outdoor air, Therefore, bypass passages 36b and 197 are provided to detour the refrigerant flowing to the auxiliary heat exchangers 35 and 194 .

The third aspect of the invention is that, in the second aspect of the invention, the expansion mechanism (37, 38, 198, 195) is a first expansion mechanism that decompresses the refrigerant flowing in the bypass passage (36b, 197). valve 37, 198 and a second expansion valve 38, 195 that depressurizes the refrigerant that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194.

In the third aspect of the invention, the first expansion valve (37, 198) and the second expansion valve (38, 195) can perform the expansion operation for expanding the refrigerant involved in the refrigeration cycle and the auxiliary heat exchanger. 35, 194 involved in the adjustment of the refrigerant bypass amount adjustment action. By completely closing the first expansion valve 37, 198 and properly adjusting the second expansion valve 38, 195 (for example, adjusting so that the degree of superheat of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 31, 172 becomes a predetermined value), while While performing a refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit 30 , 170 , the outdoor air is heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35 , 194 .

By fully closing the second expansion valve 38, 195 and adjusting the first expansion valve 37, 198 appropriately, it is then possible to heat up the outside air in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 in the refrigerant circuit Refrigeration cycle is carried out in 30,170. At this time, if the second expansion valve 38 , 195 is completely closed, the refrigerant may accumulate in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35 , 194 . In this case, by slightly opening the second expansion valve 38, 195 so that a small amount of refrigerant flows through the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from accumulating in the auxiliary heat exchanger. In device 35,194.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the refrigerant side switching parts 32, 36a, 173, 188 have check valve bridge circuits 36a, 188, and the check valve bridge circuits 36a, 188 There are first to fourth check valves CV-1...CV-4, 189a-191a. The first refrigerant passage 6 extending between the first check valve CV-1, 189a and the second check valve CV-2, 190a is connected to one end of the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 176 , the second refrigerant passage 7 extending from between the first check valve CV-1, 189a and the third check valve CV-3, 191a is connected to the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 At one end, the third refrigerant passage 8 extending from between the third check valve CV-3, 191a and the fourth check valve CV-4, 192a is connected to the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, 175 The fourth refrigerant passage 9 extending from between the fourth check valve CV-4, 192a and the second check valve CV-2, 190a is connected to the The other end of the auxiliary heat exchanger 35,194. The bypass passages 36 b and 197 connect the second refrigerant passage 7 and the fourth refrigerant passage 9 .

In the fourth aspect of the invention, the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) and the second expansion valve (38, 195) are bypassed, and the refrigerant flows through the bypass passage (36b, 197). In this case, not all of the refrigerant flows toward the bypass passages 36b, 197, but a part of the refrigerant flows toward the auxiliary heat exchangers 35, 194 and the second expansion valve 38, 195 to be accumulated.

Assuming that the bypass passage 36b, 197 has connected the first refrigerant passage 6 and the third refrigerant passage 8, the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194, all The second expansion valve 38, 195 and the check valve bridging circuit 36a, 188, the check valve bridging circuit 36a, 188 will also accumulate refrigerant. Like the fourth aspect of the invention, if the bypass passages 36b, 197 are provided, the refrigerant will not accumulate in the check valve bridge circuits 36a, 188, and the accumulation of refrigerant will not cause the Insufficient refrigerant during humidity control operation.

－Effects of the invention－

According to the present invention, when the refrigerant side switching unit 32, 36a, 173, 188 is switched to any one of the first state and the second state, the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 always becomes The radiator can heat the lower temperature outdoor air in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194, and then introduce the heated outdoor air into the adsorption heat exchanger 33a, 33b, 175, 176. In this way, there will be no problems such as freezing of condensed water in the adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 33b, 175, 176, and the humidity control device can be operated well even when the temperature of the outdoor air is low. .

According to the second aspect of the invention above, by providing the bypass passages 36b and 197 in the refrigerant circuits 30 and 170, the refrigerant directed toward the auxiliary heat exchangers 35 and 194 can pass through the bypass passages 36b and 197. At least a portion of the refrigerant is detoured. In this way, for example, when the outdoor air temperature is high, it is possible to prevent the outdoor air from being heated in vain.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve (37, 38, 198, 195) can not only perform the expansion operation of expanding the refrigerant involved in the refrigeration cycle, but also perform the auxiliary operation. An adjustment operation for adjusting the bypass amount of the refrigerant related to the heat exchangers 35 and 194 . This eliminates the need to provide one valve for the expansion operation to expand the refrigerant and another valve for the adjustment operation to adjust the bypass amount. Two valves can be provided, thereby reducing the number of parts in the humidity control device. , and finally can realize the cost reduction of the humidity control device.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, compared with the case where the first refrigerant passage 6 and the third refrigerant passage 8 are connected by the bypass passages 36 b and 197 , the storage amount of the refrigerant can be reduced. The reduction does not bypass the check valve bridge circuit 36a, 188 as much, thereby enabling a reduction in the amount of refrigerant trapped. In this way, when the bypass operation in which the refrigerant passes through the bypass passages 36b and 197 is performed, it is difficult to cause a shortage of refrigerant due to accumulation of the refrigerant, and the bypass operation can be performed stably.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a humidity control device according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of the internal structure of the casing according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 (A) to Fig. 3 (E) are the structural sketches of the humidity control device involved in the first embodiment respectively, what Fig. 3 (A) shows is a plan view, Fig. 3 (B) is along Fig. 3 (A) ) in the direction of the W-W arrow in Fig. 3(C) is a schematic diagram of the structure seen in the direction of the X-X arrow in Fig. 3(A), and Fig. 3(D) is along the direction of Fig. 3(A) The schematic diagram of the structure seen in the direction of the Y-Y arrow, and Fig. 3 (E) is the schematic diagram of the structure seen in the direction of the Z-Z arrow in Fig. 3 (A).

4 is a perspective view for explaining the flow of air taken in from the outdoor air inlet in the first operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation and the humidification and ventilation operation of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

5 is a perspective view for explaining the flow of air taken in from the indoor air inlet in the first operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation and the humidification and ventilation operation of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

6 is a perspective view for explaining the flow of air taken in from the outdoor air inlet in the second operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation and the humidification and ventilation operation of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

7 is a perspective view for explaining the flow of air taken in from the indoor air inlet in the second operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation and the humidification and ventilation operation of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the adsorption heat exchanger in the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a piping diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of air sucked in from the outdoor air inlet of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of air sucked in from the indoor air inlet of the humidity control device according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing the internal structure of a casing of a humidity control device according to a conventional example.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the housing structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the frame structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment.

15(A) to 15(D) are schematic configuration diagrams of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment. Figure 15(A) shows the humidity control device seen from top to bottom, Figure 15(B) shows the internal structure of the humidity control device seen from the front and back, and Figure 15(C) shows the internal structure of the humidity control device seen from the left Figure 15(D) shows the internal structure of the humidity control device seen from the right side.

Fig. 16(A) to Fig. 16(B) are structural schematic diagrams of the humidity control device involved in the second embodiment, and Fig. 16(A) is the humidity control device seen along the Y-Y arrow direction in Fig. 15(A) 16(B) is the internal structure of the humidity control device seen along the Z-Z arrow direction in FIG. 16(A).

17 is an assembled perspective view showing the internal structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, particularly the internal structure of the lower space.

Fig. 18 is an assembled perspective view showing the internal structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, particularly the structure around the reheat heat exchanger.

19 is an assembled perspective view showing the internal structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, particularly the structure around the lower damper.

20 is an assembled perspective view showing the internal structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, particularly the structure around the upper damper.

FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of the adsorption heat exchanger according to the second embodiment, with the surrounding humidity-controlling chambers drawn with dashed-two dotted lines.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, particularly the internal structure of the upper space.

Fig. 23 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant circuit of a humidity control device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 24 shows the flow of air in the first operation during the dehumidification operation or the first operation during the humidification operation of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 15 .

FIG. 25 shows the flow of air in the first operation during the dehumidification operation or the first operation during the humidification operation of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 16 .

FIG. 26 shows the flow of air in the second operation during the dehumidification operation or the second operation during the humidification operation of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 15 .

FIG. 27 shows the flow of air in the second operation during the dehumidification operation or the second operation during the humidification operation of the humidity control device according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 16 .

-Symbol Description-

111-housing; 129-mounting plate; 130-pipe connecting part; 150-outdoor suction port; 151-indoor air supply port; 170-refrigerant circuit; 175-second adsorption heat exchanger; 176-first adsorption Heat exchanger; 194-auxiliary heat exchanger; 195-second electric valve; 196-bypass circuit.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(first embodiment of the invention)

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the humidity control device 110 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a floor-standing humidity control device that is installed on the floor of a room to adjust indoor humidity. Humidity control device 110 is configured to be installed in, for example, a storage space of a closet for storing clothes or the like.

The humidity control device 110 includes a rectangular parallelepiped casing 111 formed vertically. It should be noted that, in the following description, the up-down direction and the left-right direction refer to the respective directions viewed from the front side of the casing 111 in FIG. 1 .

The housing 111 includes a front cover 112 that covers the front surface of the housing 111 and is detachably mounted on the housing 111 . A rear panel 115 is mounted on the rear side of the casing 111 .

A top plate 116 is installed on the upper end of the housing 111 , and a bottom plate 117 is installed on the lower end thereof. A right side panel 113 is attached to the right end of the casing 111, and a left side panel 114 is attached to the left end thereof.

Four air duct connection ports 150 - 153 are formed on the top plate 116 . These air duct connection ports 150 - 153 are adjacent to each other corresponding to the four corners of the top plate 116 . Specifically, the four air pipe connection ports 150-153 are formed by the outdoor air inlet 150 formed on the top plate 116 on the front left side, the indoor air supply port 151 formed on the top plate 116 on the rear side right side, and the air inlet port 151 formed on the top plate 116. The upper front right indoor air intake port 152 and the outdoor air exhaust port 153 formed at the rear of the top plate 116 are left. That is, an outdoor air inlet 150 , an indoor air supply port 151 , an indoor air inlet 152 , and an outdoor air outlet 153 are collectively formed on the upper surface of the casing 111 .

Air ducts (not shown) through which air can circulate are respectively connected to the air duct connection ports 150-153. Each air duct extends upward toward the indoor ceiling side, passes through the back of the ceiling, and is arranged in a fixed space. The outdoor air inlet 150 and the outdoor air outlet 153 communicate with the outdoor space through these air ducts, and the indoor air inlet 152 and the indoor air supply port 151 communicate with the indoor space through these air ducts. The outdoor air inlet 150 is also connected to the air duct via a filter unit 154 . The filter unit 154 is provided on the upper portion of the outdoor air inlet 150, and an external air filter 156 is installed therein. That is to say, the outdoor air flowing in the air duct flows into the filter unit 154 , passes through the outdoor air filter 156 , and is taken into the casing 111 from the outdoor air inlet 150 . The outdoor air inlet 150 is formed as an opening for introducing outdoor air OA into the inside of the housing 111; the indoor air inlet 152 is formed as an opening for introducing indoor air RA into the inside of the housing 111; the outdoor air outlet 153 is configured to The air in the casing 111 is an opening for discharging the air in the casing 111 to the outside as the exhaust air EA; the indoor air supply port 151 constitutes an opening for supplying the air in the casing 111 to the indoors as the supply air SA.

The front cover 112 is configured to be attachable to the casing 111 to cover the opening on the front side of the casing 111 and to be detachable from the casing 111 . An operation switch (not shown) is provided on the front cover 112 for the user of the humidity control device 110 to switch the operation mode of the humidity control device 110 . An opening to which filters 155 and 156 can be attached and detached, and an opening and closing cover capable of opening and closing the opening are provided on the upper portion of the front cover 112 . The access cover is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the front cover 112 .

The casing 111 has a rectangular parallelepiped space inside it. An upper partition 120 and a lower partition 121 are arranged vertically inside the housing 111 . The upper partition 120 and the lower partition 121 are formed as rectangular plates, and are horizontally supported inside the housing 111 .

A flat rectangular parallelepiped machine room 160 is formed between the lower partition 121 and the bottom plate 117 . The machine compartment 160 houses a compressor 172 connected to a refrigerant circuit 170 described later, a four-way switching valve 173 , a control board 161 , and the like. The compressor 172 is configured as a vertical compressor, and is mounted on the bottom plate 117 of the casing 111 . The compressor 172 has, for example, a scroll type or a rotary type compression mechanism.

On the upper surface of the lower partition plate 121, a drip pan 1102 for storing moisture condensed in the adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 is provided. This drip pan 1102 is formed over the first humidity control chamber 127 and the second humidity control chamber 128 which will be described later.

A flat cuboid space is formed between the upper partition 120 and the top plate 116 . A longitudinal partition 118 and a transverse partition 119 are provided in this space. The longitudinal partition plate 118 is formed in a plate shape with its long sides extending in the front-rear direction, and the transverse partition plate 119 is supported by the casing 111 in a vertical state with its long sides extending in the left-right direction. The vertical partition 118 and the transverse partition 119 divide the space between the upper partition 120 and the ceiling 116 into a first chamber 145 , a second chamber 146 , a third chamber 147 , and a fourth chamber 148 . The first chamber 145 is formed in the left front of the casing 111; the second chamber 146 is formed in the right front of the casing 111; the third chamber 147 is formed in the right rear of the casing 111, and the fourth chamber 148 is formed in the left of the casing 111. rear.

As shown in Fig. 3 to Fig. 7, a first opening 141 is formed at a slightly rear position of the part dividing the first chamber 145 and the second chamber 146 on the longitudinal septum 118; Parts of the third chamber 147 and the fourth chamber 148 are formed with a fourth opening 144 slightly forward. The first opening 141 communicates the first chamber 145 and the second chamber 146 ; the fourth opening 144 communicates the third chamber 147 and the fourth chamber 148 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 , first, second, seventh and eighth flow ports 131 , 132 , 137 , 138 and second and third openings 142 , 143 are formed on the upper partition 120 . The first flow port 131 is formed on the upper partition 120 and faces the first chamber 145; the second opening 142 is formed on the upper partition 120 and faces the front side of the second chamber 146; the second flow port 132 The seventh flow port 137 is formed on the upper partition 120 and faces the third chamber 147 on the front side. The third opening 143 is formed on the upper partition 120 at the rear side of the portion facing the third chamber 147 ; the eighth flow port 138 is formed on the upper partition 120 facing the fourth chamber 148 .

An auxiliary heat exchanger 194 mounted on the mounting plate 129 is provided in the space between the first chamber 145 and the top plate 116 and the upper partition 120 . The mounting plate 129 is formed as an approximately rectangular frame from front to back. The mounting plate 129 is installed obliquely in the first chamber 145 , and the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is embedded in the lower side of the mounting plate 129 . A pipe communication portion 130 for leading the reheat refrigerant pipe 7 to the air downstream side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is formed on a side portion of the mounting plate 129 . The tube communicating portion 130 is an opening extending along one side portion of the mounting plate 129, and constitutes an opening according to the present invention. The reheating refrigerant pipe 7 is connected to the heat transfer pipe of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 via the pipe communicating portion 130 .

The auxiliary heat exchanger 194 preheats the outdoor air sucked in from the outdoor air inlet 150 . The auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is composed of a transverse fin type fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Auxiliary heat exchanger 194 includes copper heat transfer tubes and aluminum fins. The auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is embedded in the mounting plate 129 formed into a rectangular frame. That is, the internal space of the first chamber 145 is divided into two spaces on the air upstream side and the air downstream side by the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 and the mounting plate 129 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , in the first chamber 145 and on the air downstream side of the mounting plate 129 and the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 , there are reheating refrigerant pipelines 7 , a second electric valve 195 , a bypass pipe 197 and a second electric valve 197 . An electric valve 198. The bypass pipe 197 constitutes a bypass passage.

An external air passage cover 162 is provided in the second chamber 146 at a lower position between the top plate 116 and the upper partition plate 120 . A space communicating with both the first opening 141 and the second flow port 132 is formed by the external air passage cover 162 . The external air passage cover 162 is disposed in the second chamber 146 and defines the first opening 141 , the second flow port 132 and the second opening 142 .

An internal air filter 155 is provided on the second flow port 132 in the second chamber 146 . The indoor air filter 155 is provided below the indoor air inlet 152 . The internal air filter 155 is formed in a plate shape or a sheet shape, and is attached to the second flow port 132 to cover the second flow port 132 . The internal air filter 155 is configured to be able to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction in the second chamber 146 .

An exhaust passage cover 163 is provided on the lower side between the top plate 116 and the upper partition plate 120 in the third chamber 147 . A space communicating with both the fourth opening 144 and the seventh communication port 137 is formed by the exhaust passage cover 163 . The exhaust passage cover 163 is provided in the third chamber 147 , and defines the fourth opening 144 , the seventh communication port 137 and the third opening 143 .

An intake fan 157 is provided in the third chamber 147 and above the exhaust passage cover 163 , and an exhaust fan 158 is provided in the fourth chamber 148 . These fans 157 and 158 are respectively constituted by centrifugal multi-blade fans (so-called Sirocco fans). The intake fan 157 sends the air drawn in from the third opening 143 toward the indoor air supply port 151 . The exhaust fan 158 exhausts the air drawn in from the seventh circulation port 137 or the eighth circulation port 138 toward the outdoor exhaust port 153 .

A cuboid space is defined between the lower partition 121 and the upper partition 120 . A front partition 123 and a rear partition 124 are provided in this space. The front partition 123 and the rear partition 124 are formed from the lower partition 121 to the upper partition 120 and supported on the casing 111 in a vertical state parallel to the front cover 112 and the rear panel 115 of the casing 111 . The front side partition 123 and the rear side partition 124 divide the space between the lower partition 121 and the upper partition 120 into three spaces.

Third and fourth communication ports 133 and 134 are formed in the front side partition 123 . The third circulation port 133 is formed at the lower part of the front side partition 123 to the left, corresponding to the second adsorption heat exchanger 175; the fourth circulation port 134 is formed at the lower part of the front side partition 123 to the right, corresponding to the first Adsorption heat exchanger 176 corresponds.

Fifth and sixth communication ports 135 and 136 are formed in the rear side partition 124 . The fifth circulation port 135 is formed on the lower part of the front side partition 123 to the left, and the fifth circulation port 135 corresponds to the second adsorption heat exchanger 175; the sixth circulation port 136 is formed on the lower part of the front side partition 123 to the right, and the sixth The flow port 136 corresponds to the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 .

The space on the front side among the three spaces constitutes the first intermediate passage 125 . The first intermediate passage 125 is formed between the front side partition 123 and the front cover 112 of the housing 111 . The rearward space among the three spaces constitutes the second intermediate passage 126 . The second intermediate passage 126 is formed between the rear partition 124 and the rear panel 115 of the case 111 .

The upper end of the first intermediate passage 125 communicates with the second opening 142 , and the lower end thereof is closed by the lower partition 121 . The upper end of the second intermediate passage 126 communicates with the third opening 143 , and the lower end thereof is closed by the lower partition 121 .

The central space among the three spaces is divided into left and right two spaces by the central partition 122 . And, among the left and right spaces, the space on the left side constitutes the first humidity control chamber 127 , and the space on the right side constitutes the second humidity control chamber 128 . That is, the first humidity control chamber 127 and the second humidity control chamber 128 are formed side by side and adjacent to each other with the central partition 122 interposed therebetween.

The second adsorption heat exchanger 175 is installed in the first humidity control chamber 127 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 is installed in the second humidity control chamber 128 . The respective adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 are installed horizontally in the respective humidity control chambers 127 and 128 . The second adsorption heat exchanger 175 and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 are connected in series to a refrigerant circuit 170 described later. That is, the respective adsorption heat exchangers 175 , 176 are arranged on the air downstream side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 .

The adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 are composed of transverse fin-type fin-and-tube heat exchangers. As shown in FIG. 8 , these adsorption heat exchangers 175 , 176 include heat transfer tubes 177 made of copper and fins 178 made of aluminum. The plurality of fins 178 provided in the adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 are each formed in a rectangular shape and arranged at regular intervals. The heat transfer tubes 177 have a meandering shape along the direction in which the fins 178 are arranged. That is, the heat transfer tubes 177 are alternately composed of straight tube portions penetrating the fins 178 and “U”-shaped tube portions connecting adjacent straight tube portions.

In each of the adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 , an adsorbent is supported on the surface of each fin 178 , and the air passing between the fins 178 and the fins 178 is in contact with the adsorbent carried by the fin 178 . As the adsorbent, materials having certain adsorption and desorption performance for moisture in the air, such as zeolite, silica gel, activated carbon, and organic polymer materials having hydrophilic functional groups, are used.

As described above, the first, second, seventh, and eighth communication ports 131 , 132 , 137 , 138 and the first and second openings 141 , 142 are formed on the upper partition 120 . The first communication port 131 communicates with the first chamber 145 and the first humidity control chamber 127; the second communication port 132 communicates with the second humidity control chamber 128 and the first chamber 145 through the first opening 141; The four openings 144 communicate the second humidity control chamber 128 with the fourth chamber 148 ; the eighth communication port 138 communicates the first humidity control chamber 127 with the fourth chamber 148 . In addition, as described above, the first opening 141 communicates the first chamber 145 and the second chamber 146 ; the fourth opening 144 communicates the third chamber 147 and the fourth chamber 148 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 , third and fourth flow ports 133 , 134 are formed on the front side partition 123 . The third communication port 133 communicates the first intermediate passage 125 with the first humidity control chamber 127 ; the fourth communication port 134 communicates the first intermediate passage 125 with the second humidity control chamber 128 .

Fifth and sixth communication ports 135 and 136 are formed in the rear side partition 124 . The fifth communication port 135 communicates the second intermediate passage 126 with the first humidity control chamber 127 ; the sixth communication port 136 communicates the second intermediate passage 126 with the second humidity control chamber 128 .

Dampers are provided on the upper partition 120 , the front partition 123 and the rear partition 124 , and the dampers allow the corresponding flow ports 131 - 138 to be freely opened and closed. Specifically, the upper partition 120 is provided with a first damper D11 for opening and closing the first flow port 131, a second damper D12 for opening and closing the second flow port 132, and a second damper D12 for opening and closing the seventh flow port 137. The seventh damper D17 that opens and closes, and the eighth damper D18 that opens and closes the eighth communication port 138 . The front partition 123 is provided with a third damper D13 for opening and closing the third communication port 133 and a fourth damper D14 for opening and closing the fourth communication port 134 . The rear partition 124 is provided with a fifth damper D15 for opening and closing the fifth communication port 135 and a sixth damper D16 for opening and closing the sixth communication port 136 .

Each damper D11-D18 has, for example, two dampers and a motor that rotates each damper around a horizontal axis. That is, in each of the dampers D11-D18, the two baffles are driven by the motor to be displaced, and the corresponding flow ports 131-138 are switched into an open state and a closed state, and these dampers D11-D18 constitute an air side switching part .

- Composition of Refrigerant Circuit -

The refrigerant circuit 170 installed in the humidity control device 110 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . Refrigerant circuit 170 is composed of main circuit 171 and bypass circuit 196 .

The main circuit 171 is a second adsorption heat exchanger 175, first adsorption heat exchanger 176, compressor 172, four-way reversing valve 173, bridge circuit 188, auxiliary heat exchanger 194 and The closed circuit formed after the second electric valve 195 is connected with each other. The main circuit 171 performs a vapor compression refrigeration cycle by circulating the refrigerant inside the refrigerant pipe 185 . Among the refrigerant pipes 185 , the refrigerant pipe 185 communicating with the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is configured as the reheating refrigerant pipe 7 . The reheating refrigerant pipe 7 is provided on the air downstream side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 in the first chamber 145 . Therefore, when the outdoor air temperature is low, the air preheated in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 flows around the reheating refrigerant pipe 7 .

The jet side of the compressor 172 is connected to the first valve port of the four-way reversing valve 173 , and its suction side is connected to the second valve port of the four-way reversing valve 173 through the gas-liquid separator 179 . A discharge temperature sensor 180 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 172 and a discharge temperature sensor 180 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 172 are arranged in the high-pressure refrigerant piping system 186 that communicates the discharge side of the compressor 172 with the first valve port. A pressure discharge pressure sensor 181 and a high pressure cutoff switch 182 for automatically stopping the operation of the compressor 172 when the discharge pressure of the compressor 172 becomes higher than a predetermined pressure. A thermal variable resistor 1101, a suction temperature sensor 183 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 172, and a compressor for detecting 172 Suction pressure sensor 184 for suction side refrigerant pressure.

The four-way reversing valve 173 is in the first state where the first valve port communicates with the fourth valve port and the second valve port communicates with the third valve port, the first valve port communicates with the third valve port and the second valve port communicates with the third valve port. Switch between the second state communicating with the fourth valve port.

The second adsorption heat exchanger 175, the filter 1100, the bridge circuit 188, the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, the second electric valve 195, the strainer 199 and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 follow the third The sequence from the valve port to the fourth valve port is connected sequentially.

The bridging circuit 188 controls the flow direction of the refrigerant. According to the switching state (the first state or the second state) of the four-way reversing valve 173, no matter which direction the refrigerant flows in the reversible two directions, the refrigerant The direction is the same when passing through the first electric valve 195 .

The bridge circuit 188 is arranged in the liquid refrigerant piping system between the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . The bridge circuit 188 is composed of first to fourth pipelines 189, 190, 191, 192 connected in a bridge shape, first to fourth check valves 189a, 190a, 191a, 192a and the one-way passage 9 connecting the outflow sides of the first pipe 189 and the third pipe 191 with the inflow sides of the second pipe 190 and the fourth pipe 192 . The one-way passage 9 is a refrigerant passage in which the refrigerant that has been condensed in the two adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 flows in one direction among the refrigerant flowing in the main circuit 171 , and is a part of the refrigerant pipe 185 .

The inflow side of the first pipe 189 and the outflow side of the second pipe 190 are connected to the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 through the first refrigerant passage 6. On the other hand, the inflow side of the third pipe 191 and the outflow side of the fourth pipe 192 The outflow side is connected to the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 via the third refrigerant passage 8 . The inflow side of the second pipe 190 and the fourth pipe 192 is connected to the outflow side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, on the other hand, the outflow side of the first pipe 189 and the third pipe 191 is connected to the inflow side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194. connect.

The auxiliary heat exchanger 194 condenses (releases heat) the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe 185 to supercool it. The refrigerant flowing out of the bridge circuit 188 flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 , while the outdoor air OA taken in from the outdoor air inlet 150 passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 . That is, the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is configured to heat the passing outdoor air by using the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out from the two adsorption heat exchangers 175 and 176 .

The second electric valve 195 constitutes an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 . The second electric valve 195 is provided on the refrigerant downstream side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 , and expands and decompresses the refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 .

The refrigerant flowing out of each adsorption heat exchanger 175 , 176 flows through said bypass circuit 196 , which bypasses the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 and the second electric valve 195 . Connecting the first electric valve 198 to the bypass pipe 197 constitutes the bypass circuit 196 .

The refrigerant flowing in the one-way passage 9 of the bridge circuit 188 flows through the bypass pipe 197 . The bypass pipe 197 is formed in a tubular shape in which refrigerant circulates, one end thereof is connected between the outflow side of the first pipe 189 and the third pipe 191 of the bridge circuit 188 and the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, and the other end thereof is connected to the bridge circuit 188 . Between the inflow side of the second conduit 190 and the fourth conduit 192 of the circuit 188 and the second electric valve 195 . The bypass pipe 197 is connected with a first electric valve 198 on its way.

The first electric valve 198 constitutes an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant circulating in the bypass circuit 196 . The first electric valve 198 is provided on the way of the bypass pipe 197 . The refrigerant flowing in the bypass pipe 197 flows into the second pipe 190 and the fourth pipe 192 after being expanded by the first electric valve 198 .

－Operating action－

The humidity control device 110 in the above-mentioned first embodiment selectively performs the "dehumidification and ventilation operation" and the "humidification and ventilation operation". In the "dehumidification and ventilation operation" and "humidification and ventilation operation", after adjusting the humidity of the acquired outdoor air OA, the outdoor air OA with the adjusted humidity is supplied to the room as supply air SA, and simultaneously The captured room air RA is discharged to the outside as discharge air EA. These operations will be described in detail below.

〈Dehumidification and ventilation operation〉

In the humidity control device 110 performing the dehumidification and ventilation operation, a first operation and a second operation described later are alternately repeated at predetermined time intervals (for example, 3 minutes).

In the humidity control device 110 performing the dehumidification and ventilation operation, after the intake fan 157 operates, outdoor air is taken in as the first air from the outdoor air inlet 150 into the housing 111 . After the exhaust fan 158 operates, the indoor air is taken into the casing 111 from the indoor air inlet 152 as the second air. In addition, in normal operation, the second electric valve 195 is set to a closed state, and the first electric valve 198 is used as a valve for control.

First, the first operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , in the first action, the states of the dampers D11-D18 are switched, and the first flow port 131, the fourth flow port 134, the fifth flow port 135, and the seventh flow port 137 are switched. In the open state, the second flow port 132 , the third flow port 133 , the sixth flow port 136 and the eighth flow port 138 are in the closed state.

In the refrigerant circuit 170 performing the first operation, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9 , the four-way selector valve 173 is set in the first state. The refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 170 in this state to perform a refrigeration cycle. At this time, in the refrigerant circuit 170, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 172 sequentially passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, the bridge circuit 188, the bypass pipe 197, the first electric valve 198 and the second adsorption heat exchanger. 175, the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 becomes a condenser, and the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 becomes an evaporator.

As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 5 , FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the air that has passed through the air duct and the external air filter 156 flows into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air inlet 150 . Dust contained in the first air is captured by the external air filter 156 . The first air that has flowed into the first chamber 145 flows into the first humidity control chamber 127 after passing through the first flow port 131 . The first air passes through the first humidity control chamber 127 and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 . In the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, the moisture in the first air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the heat of adsorption generated at this time is absorbed by the refrigerant. The first air dehumidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 flows out from the fifth flow port 135 toward the second intermediate passage 126 . The first air flows toward the upper right in the second intermediate passage 126, flows into the third chamber 147 from the third opening 143, flows through the third chamber 147, and flows out from the indoor air supply port 151 toward the air duct to be For indoor use.

On the other hand, the second air that has flowed into the second chamber 146 from the indoor air inlet 152 passes through the internal air filter 155 . Dust contained in the second air is captured by the interior air filter 155 . The second air that has passed through the internal air filter 155 flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the second opening 142 , and flows into the second humidity control chamber 128 from the fourth circulation port 134 . The second air flows through the second humidity control chamber 128 and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . In the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent that has been heated by the refrigerant, and the desorbed moisture is released to the secondary air. The second air for regenerating the adsorbent of the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 flows into the third chamber 147 from the seventh flow port 137 , and flows into the fourth chamber 148 through the fourth opening 144 . After the second air flows through the fourth chamber 148, it flows out from the outdoor air outlet 153 towards the air duct and is exhausted outdoors.

Next, the second operation of the dehumidification and ventilation operation will be described. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the second action, the states of the dampers D11-D18 are switched, the second flow port 132, the third flow port 133, the sixth flow port 136 and the eighth flow port 138 In the open state, the first flow port 131 , the fourth flow port 134 , the fifth flow port 135 and the seventh flow port 137 are in the closed state.

In the refrigerant circuit 170 performing the second operation, the four-way selector valve 173 is set to the second state as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9 . The refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 170 in this state to perform a refrigeration cycle. At this time, in the refrigerant circuit 170, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 172 sequentially passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, the bridge circuit 188, the bypass pipe 197, the first electric valve 198, the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 becomes a condenser, and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 becomes an evaporator.

As shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the air that has passed through the air duct and the external air filter 156 flows into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air inlet 150 . Dust contained in the first air is captured by the external air filter 156 . The first air that has flowed into the first chamber 145 flows into the second chamber 146 through the first opening 141 , flows through the second flow port 132 , and then flows into the second humidity-conditioning chamber 128 . The first air passes through the second humidity control chamber 128 and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . In the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, the moisture in the first air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the generated adsorption heat is absorbed by the refrigerant. The first air dehumidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 flows out from the sixth flow port 136 to the second intermediate passage 126 . The first air flows upward in the second intermediate passage 126, flows into the third chamber 147, passes through the third chamber 147, flows out from the indoor air supply port 151 toward the air duct, and is supplied into the room.

On the other hand, the second air that has flowed into the second chamber 146 from the indoor air inlet 152 passes through the internal air filter 155 . Dust contained in the second air is captured by the interior air filter 155 . The second air that has passed through the internal air filter 155 flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the second opening 142 , and flows into the first humidity control chamber 127 from the third circulation port 133 . The second air passes through the first humidity control chamber 127 and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 . In the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent that has been heated by the refrigerant, and the desorbed moisture is released to the secondary air. The second air for regenerating the adsorbent of the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 flows into the fourth chamber 148 from the eighth flow port 138 . After the second air flows through the fourth chamber 148, it flows out from the outdoor air outlet 153 towards the air duct and is exhausted outdoors.

<Humidification and ventilation operation>

In the humidity control device 110 performing the humidification and ventilation operation, the first operation and the second operation described later are alternately repeated at predetermined time intervals (for example, 3 minutes).

In the humidity control device 110 performing the humidification and ventilation operation, after the intake fan 157 operates, outdoor air is taken into the casing 111 from the outdoor air inlet 150 as the first air. After the exhaust fan 158 operates, the indoor air is taken into the casing 111 from the indoor air inlet 152 as the second air. In addition, in normal operation, the second electric valve 195 is used as a valve for control, and the first electric valve 198 is set to a closed state.

First, the first operation in the humidification and ventilation operation will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , in the first action, the states of the dampers D11-D18 are switched, and the first flow port 131, the fourth flow port 134, the fifth flow port 135, and the seventh flow port 137 are switched. In the open state, the second flow port 132 , the third flow port 133 , the sixth flow port 136 and the eighth flow port 138 are in the closed state. Furthermore, in the refrigerant circuit 170 performing the first operation, the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 functions as a condenser, and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 functions as an evaporator.

As shown in FIG. 4 , FIG. 5 , FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the air that has passed through the air duct and the external air filter 156 flows into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air inlet 150 . The first air that has flowed into the first chamber 145 flows into the first humidity control chamber 127 after passing through the first flow port 131 . The first air passes through the first humidity control chamber 127 and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 . In the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent that has been heated by the refrigerant, and the desorbed moisture is released to the first air. The first air humidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 flows out from the fifth flow port 135 to the second intermediate passage 126 . The first air flows toward the upper right of the second intermediate passage 126, flows into the third chamber 147 from the third opening 143, flows through the third chamber 147, and flows out from the indoor air supply port 151 toward the air duct to be supplied. to the interior.

On the other hand, the second air that has flowed into the second chamber 146 from the indoor air inlet 152 passes through the inner air filter 155, flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the second opening 142, and flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the fourth flow port 134. Two humidity control chamber 128. The second air passes through the second humidity control chamber 128 and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . In the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, the moisture in the second air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the generated adsorption heat is absorbed by the refrigerant. The second air dehumidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 flows into the third chamber 147 from the seventh flow port 137 , and flows into the fourth chamber 148 through the fourth opening 144 . After the second air flows through the fourth chamber 148, it flows out from the outdoor air outlet 153 towards the air duct and is exhausted outdoors.

Next, the second operation of the humidification and ventilation operation will be described. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in the second action, the states of the dampers D11-D18 are switched, the second flow port 132, the third flow port 133, the sixth flow port 136 and the eighth flow port 138 In the open state, the first flow port 131 , the fourth flow port 134 , the fifth flow port 135 and the seventh flow port 137 are in the closed state. Furthermore, in the refrigerant circuit 170 performing the second operation, the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 serves as an evaporator, and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 serves as a condenser.

As shown in FIG. 6 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the air that has passed through the air duct and the external air filter 156 flows into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air inlet 150 . The first air that has flowed into the first chamber 145 flows into the second chamber 146 through the first opening 141 , flows through the second flow port 132 , and then flows into the second humidity-conditioning chamber 128 . The first air passes through the second humidity control chamber 128 and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . In the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, moisture is desorbed from the adsorbent that has been heated by the refrigerant, and the desorbed moisture is released to the primary air. The first air humidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 flows out from the sixth flow port 136 to the second intermediate passage 126 . The first air flows upward through the first intermediate passage 125 , flows into the third chamber 147 , flows in the third chamber 147 , flows out from the indoor air supply port 151 toward the air duct, and is supplied into the room.

On the other hand, the second air that has flowed into the second chamber 146 from the indoor air inlet 152 passes through the inner air filter 155, flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the second opening 142, and flows into the first intermediate passage 125 from the third circulation port 133. A humidity control room 127. The second air passes through the first humidity control chamber 127 and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 . In the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, moisture in the second air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and the heat of adsorption generated at this time is absorbed by the refrigerant. The second air dehumidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 flows into the fourth chamber 148 from the eighth circulation port 138 . The second air flows in the fourth chamber 148, flows out from the outdoor air outlet 153 toward the air duct, and is exhausted outdoors.

<Operation in winter or when the outdoor temperature is low>

Next, the dehumidification and ventilation operation or the humidification and ventilation operation performed in winter or when the outdoor temperature is low will be described. In an environment where the outdoor air temperature is low in winter (for example, below minus 5° C.), the second electric valve 195 is set to an open state and the first electric valve 198 is set to a closed state by a controller or the like.

First, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 9 , the refrigerant circuit 170 in the first state will be described. In the refrigerant circuit 170 in this state, the refrigerant circulates to perform a refrigeration cycle. At this time, in the refrigerant circuit 170, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 172 flows into the first adsorption heat exchanger 176, and exchanges heat with the surrounding air. The refrigerant flowing from the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 then flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 via the bridge circuit 188 . In the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 , heat is exchanged between the air sucked into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air intake port 150 and the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out from the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . As a result, outdoor air sucked into the first chamber 145 is heated. The refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 passes through the second electric valve 195 , the bridge circuit 188 and the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 in sequence, and evaporates in the second adsorption heat exchanger 175 .

Next, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9 , the refrigerant circuit 170 in the second state will be described. In the refrigerant circuit 170 in this state, the refrigerant circulates to perform a refrigeration cycle. At this time, in the refrigerant circuit 170, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 172 flows into the second adsorption heat exchanger 175, and exchanges heat with the surrounding air. The refrigerant flowing from the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 then flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 via the bridge circuit 188 . In the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 , heat is exchanged between the air sucked into the first chamber 145 from the outdoor air intake port 150 and the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out from the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 . As a result, outdoor air sucked into the first chamber 145 is heated. The refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 passes through the second electric valve 195 , the bridge circuit 188 , and the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 in sequence, and evaporates in the first adsorption heat exchanger 176 .

-Effect of the first embodiment-

According to the above-described first embodiment, since the reheating refrigerant pipe 7 is provided on the air downstream side of the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, the temperature of the air flowing around the reheating refrigerant pipe 7 can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the amount of heat released from the reheating refrigerant pipe 7 to the surrounding air. In this way, the temperature drop of the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant pipe 185 into the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 can be suppressed. As a result, in the humidity control device including the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 which preheats the taken outdoor air, it is possible to suppress a decrease in preheating performance in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 .

Secondly, because the refrigerant that has been condensed in each adsorption heat exchanger 175, 176 flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, it is possible to use the condensed gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant to heat the air taken from the outdoor air inlet 150. , so that the sensible heat capacity can also be improved.

Secondly, since the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is installed on the lower side of the mounting plate 129 and the opening 130 is provided on the mounting plate 129, the refrigerant pipe 185 connected to the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 can be arranged in the auxiliary heat exchange. The air downstream side of device 194.

Finally, since the bypass circuit 196 is provided so that the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit 170 bypasses the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being sucked in from the outdoor air inlet 150 when, for example, the outdoor temperature is high. The air is heated by auxiliary heat exchanger 194.

According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, when the flow direction of the refrigerant involved in the above-mentioned refrigerant circuit is switched to a certain direction by using the four-way reversing valve 173 and the bridge circuit 188, the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 is always As a radiator, after heating the outdoor air with a relatively low temperature in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, the heated outdoor air can be introduced into the adsorption heat exchangers 176 and 175. In this way, there is no trouble such as freezing of condensed water in the adsorption heat exchangers 176 and 175, and the humidity control device can be operated satisfactorily even when the temperature of the outdoor air is low.

According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, by providing the bypass pipe 197 in the refrigerant circuit 170 , at least a part of the refrigerant flowing toward the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 can be detoured through the bypass pipe 197 . In this way, for example, when the temperature of the outdoor air is high, it is possible to prevent the outdoor air from being heated in vain.

According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, the first electric valve and the second electric valve 198 , 195 can not only perform the expansion operation for expanding the refrigerant involved in the refrigeration cycle, but also can perform the expansion operation for the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 . The adjustment action involves adjusting the amount of refrigerant bypassed. This eliminates the need to provide one valve for the expansion operation to expand the refrigerant and another valve for the adjustment operation to adjust the bypass amount. Two valves can be provided, thereby reducing the number of parts in the humidity control device. , and finally can realize the cost reduction of the humidity control device.

According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, by fully opening the first electric valve 198 and adjusting the second electric valve 195 to an appropriate opening degree (for example, adjusting so that the degree of superheat of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 172 reaches a predetermined value), the outdoor air can be heated in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 while performing a refrigeration cycle in the refrigerant circuit 170 .

By fully opening the second electric valve 195 and adjusting the first electric valve 198 to an appropriate opening degree, it is not necessary to heat the outdoor air in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, and the refrigerant circuit 170 can in the refrigeration cycle. At this time, if the second electric valve 195 is completely closed, the refrigerant may accumulate in the auxiliary heat exchanger 194 . In this case, the second electric valve 195 is opened slightly so that only a small amount of refrigerant flows through the auxiliary heat exchanger 194, so that the refrigerant can be prevented from accumulating in the auxiliary heat exchanger 35, 194 in.

According to the above-mentioned first embodiment, compared with the case where the bypass pipe 197 connects the first refrigerant passage 6 and the third refrigerant passage 8, it is possible to reduce the accumulated amount of refrigerant without reducing the amount of the refrigerant. Bypass the check valve bridge circuit 188 by that much. In this way, when performing the bypass operation in which the refrigerant passes through the bypass pipe 197 , it is difficult to cause insufficient refrigerant due to accumulation of the refrigerant, and the bypass operation can be performed stably.

(Second Embodiment of the Invention)

The humidity control device 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a floor type humidity control device that is installed on the floor of a room to adjust indoor humidity. The humidity control device 10 is configured to be installed in, for example, a storage space of a closet for storing clothes and the like.

The structure of the humidity control device 10 will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that in the following descriptions, the descriptions in the directions of "up", "down", "right", "left", "front", and "rear" are, in principle, as shown in Fig. 13 seen from the front side. The humidity control device 10 shown is used as a reference. Fig. 15 (A) to Fig. 15 (D) and Fig. 16 (A) and Fig. 16 (B) have shown the humidity control device 10 schematically, Fig. 15 (A) has shown the upper surface of the humidity control device 10, Fig. 15(B) shows the internal structure of the front side of the humidity control device 10, Figure 15(C) shows the internal structure of the left side of the humidity control device 10, and Figure 15(D) shows the internal structure of the right side of the humidity control device internal structure. Figure 16(A) shows the internal structure of the humidity control device in Figure 15(A) seen along the Y-Y arrow direction, and Figure 16(B) shows the internal structure of Figure 16(A) seen along the Z-Z arrow direction ) The internal structure of the humidity control device.

<Shell structure>

As shown in FIG. 13 , the humidity control device 10 includes a vertically tall rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped casing 11 . The casing 11 includes a rectangular plate-shaped bottom plate 12 , a top plate 13 and four rectangular plate-shaped panels 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 corresponding to respective four sides of the bottom plate 12 and the top plate 13 . These panels 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 are composed of a front panel 14 on the front side, a rear panel 15 on the rear side, a right side panel 16 on the right side, and a left side panel 17 on the left side. The case body 11 includes a bottom plate 12 , a top plate 13 , a rear panel 15 , a right side panel 16 , and a left side panel 17 to form a case main body 11 a having an open surface on the front side. The front panel 14 is configured to be able to be attached to the case main body 11a by fastening members such as screws, and to be detachable from the case main body 11a. The rear panel 15 of the housing 11 is arranged near the wall of the room.

The front panel 14 is composed of a lower panel 14 a covering the lower space S1 of the housing 11 , an upper panel 14 b covering the upper space S3 of the housing 11 , and a middle panel 14 c covering the intermediate space S2 of the housing 11 . Furthermore, the filter maintenance panel 14d is provided in the corner part of the lower left side of the lower panel 14a. The front panel 14 is configured such that these panels 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d are individually detachable.

Four air pipe connection ports 18 are arranged on the top plate 13 . Specifically, an air supply connection port 18a is provided on the front side of the top plate 13 to the right; an exhaust connection port 18b is provided on the rear side to the right; and an external air connection port is provided on the rear side to the left. 18c; an internal air connection port 18d is provided at the front side to the left. The air supply connection port 18a and the internal air connection port 18d are respectively connected to the indoor space through the air pipe; the exhaust connection port 18b and the external air connection port 18c are respectively connected to the outdoor space through the air pipe. That is to say, in the humidity control device 10, the air supply connection port 18a and the internal air connection port 18d communicated with the indoor space are collectively arranged on the front side of the housing 11, and the exhaust connection port 18b communicated with the outdoor space and the external air The connection ports 18c are collectively arranged on the rear side of the housing 11 . Outdoor air OA is sucked into the outside air connection port 18c, and room air RA is sucked into the inside air connection port 18d. The supply air SA is blown into the room from the air supply connection port 18a, and the exhaust air EA is blown out of the room from the exhaust connection port 18b.

<frame structure>

As shown in FIG. 14 , four vertical frames (pillar members) 21 corresponding to the four corners of the bottom plate 12 are provided inside the casing 11 . These vertical frames 21 are comprised from the 1st vertical frame 21a of the front right, the 2nd vertical frame 21b of the rear right, the 3rd vertical frame 21c of the rear left, and the 4th vertical frame 21d of the front left. Each vertical frame 21 extends vertically to a position slightly above the middle portion in the height direction of the casing 11 . That is, inside the casing 11 , no vertical frame directly connected to the bottom plate 12 is provided in the space between the top plate 13 and the upper end of each vertical frame 21 .

Four horizontal frames 22 (beam members) extending in the horizontal direction are erected on top of each vertical frame 21 . These horizontal frames 22 consist of a first horizontal frame 22a between the first vertical frame 21a and the second vertical frame 21b, a second horizontal frame 22b between the second vertical frame 21b and the third vertical frame 21c, and a third vertical frame 21c. and the third horizontal frame 22c between the fourth vertical frame 21d, and the fourth horizontal frame 22d between the fourth vertical frame 21d and the first vertical frame 21a. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th horizontal frame 22b, 22c, 22d is connected with the upper end part of each corresponding vertical frame 21. On the other hand, the first horizontal frame 22a is connected at a position slightly lower than the upper ends of the first and second vertical frames 21a, 21b.

Three horizontally extending middle frames 23 are arranged on the lower side of the horizontal frame 22 . These middle frames 23 are composed of a first middle frame 23a formed on the lower side of the first horizontal frame 22a, a second middle frame 23b formed on the lower side of the second horizontal frame 22b, and a third middle frame formed on the lower side of the third horizontal frame 22c. Box 23c constitutes.

Among the constituent parts of the humidity control device 10, the loads of heavy objects (damper plates 45, 48 and adsorption heat exchanger 33 to be described later) act on the vertical frame 21, the horizontal frame 22, and the middle frame. 23, the vertical frame 21, the horizontal frame 22 and the middle frame 23 constitute the supporting parts supporting these heavy objects.

<Inner space of housing>

As shown in FIG. 14, the inside of the casing 11 can be roughly divided into a lower space S1 formed on the back side of the lower panel 14a, an intermediate space S2 formed on the back side of the middle panel 14c, and a back space formed on the back side of the upper panel 14b. The upper space S3 on one side.

<Components of the lower space>

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , a lower dividing member 41 is provided along the left side panel 17 in the lower space S1 . The lower partition member 41 is made of a resin material such as polystyrene, and is formed in a frame shape with open upper and lower sides. The lower dividing member 41 has a lower dividing part 41a that divides the lower space S1 into left and right spaces, a small cylindrical part 41b that is placed close to the third vertical frame 21c and has a substantially rectangular cross section, and a small cylindrical part that is close to the fourth vertical frame 21d and that has a nearly rectangular cross section. Large cylinder part 41c. The inside of the small cylindrical portion 41b forms an external air inflow passage 61 . The inside of the large cylindrical portion 41c serves as a reheat chamber 63 . The external air inflow path 61 and the reheat chamber 63 communicate with each other through the connecting valve port 62 (see FIG. 18 ).

In the reheat chamber 63, an upper support plate 41d integrally formed with the lower partition member 41 is provided. The upper support plate 41d is in contact with the left inner wall of the large cylindrical portion 41c and is supported in a horizontal state parallel to the bottom plate 12 . In the reheat chamber 63, a lower external air passage 63a communicating with the valve port 62 is formed on the lower side of the upper supporting plate 41d, and a lower external air passage 63a communicating with the lower external air passage 63a is formed on the upper side of the upper supporting plate 41d. The upper external air flow path 63b (see FIG. 15(B) and FIG. 18 ). That is, in the reheat chamber 63 , an air flow path approximately U-shaped ("U") in longitudinal section is formed from the inflow side of the lower external air flow path 63a to the outflow side of the upper external air flow path 63b.

As shown in FIG. 18 etc., the insect filter 26, the pleated filter 27, and the reheating unit 28 are provided in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the lower external air flow path 63a.

The insect filter 26 is a mesh member that traps insects, relatively large dust, and the like in the outdoor air. The pleated filter 27 is an air-purifying filter having finer meshes than the insect filter 26, and captures small dust in the outdoor air. A maintenance cover 41e is provided on the rear side of the filter maintenance panel 14d in the lower partition member 41 (see FIG. 17 ). The maintenance cover 41e is configured so that the maintenance openings of the insect filter 26 and the pleat filter 27 can be opened, and the maintenance openings of the insect filter 26 and the pleat filter 27 can be closed. That is, if the filter maintenance panel 14d is removed and then the maintenance cover 41e is opened, the front ends of the insect filter 26 and the pleated filter 27 will be exposed outside the case main body 11a.

The reheat unit 28 has a frame body 29 and a reheat heat exchanger 35 fixed inside the frame body 29 . The frame body 29 has a pair of side stays (stay) 29a and a frame main body 29b whose inner wall faces obliquely downward across the pair of side stays 29a. An obliquely inclined opening surface 29c is formed in the frame main body 29b, and the reheat heat exchanger 35 is provided along the opening surface 29c. The reheat heat exchanger 35 constitutes a heating heat exchanger for heating outdoor air with refrigerant.

As shown in FIG. 17 , a machine room 60 is defined in about half of the space on the right side of the lower space S1 (the outer side of the lower dividing member 41 ). An electrical and electronic component box 90 is provided on the back side of the front panel 14 in the machine room 60 . Electrical and electronic components such as a printed circuit board that is a power supply circuit of the motor in the compressor 31 , and a reactor electrically connected to the circuit on the printed circuit board are mounted in the electrical and electronic component box 90 . A compressor 31 , a four-way reversing valve 32 and the like are arranged on the back side of the electrical and electronic component box 90 in the machine room 60 . That is, when the lower panel 14a of the front panel 14 is removed, the electrical and electronic component box 90 is exposed outside the case main body 11a. Moreover, when the electrical and electronic component box 90 is removed and taken outside, the compressor 31 and the four-way reversing valve 32 will be exposed outside the casing main body 11a.

〈intermediate space〉

In the middle space S2, a first middle dividing member 43, a second middle dividing member 44, and a third middle dividing member 47 are sequentially disposed in order from the lower side toward the upper side. Any one of these middle dividing members 43, 44, 47 is an integrally molded resin member such as polystyrene.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the first middle dividing member 43 seals the upper open portion of the machine room 60 . On the upper surface of the first middle dividing member 43 are formed a protruding rectangular frame portion 43a and a pair of grooves 43c, 43c formed on the left and right outer sides of the frame portion 43a. The frame portion 43 a is formed across the front and back of the first middle dividing member 43 . A water receiving portion for receiving condensed water generated in the humidity control chambers 66a, 66b is formed inside the frame portion 43a. The water receiving portion is formed across the front and back of the first middle dividing member 43 . The bottom surface of the water receiving portion is slightly inclined upwardly than the horizontal plane. That is, the water stored in the water receiving portion is guided forward along the inclined bottom surface. The grooves 43c, 43c extend back and forth along the left and right side walls of the frame portion 43a.

As shown in FIG. 20, the second middle dividing member 44 is supported by the first middle frame 23a and the second middle frame 23b, and is arranged on the first middle dividing member 43 with a predetermined interval maintained between the first middle dividing member 43. upper side. Grooves 44 a , 44 a extending in the front-rear direction are formed on the second middle dividing member 44 at positions corresponding to the respective grooves 43 c , 43 c on the first middle dividing member 43 .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19 , two lower damper partitions 45 and one transverse partition 46 are formed between the first middle dividing member 43 and the second middle dividing member 44 . The two lower damper partitions 45 and one horizontal partition 46 are arranged vertically so that the thickness direction of each is horizontal. The two lower damper partitions 45 are composed of an outside air damper partition 45a and an exhaust damper partition 45b.

The lower end of the outside air damper partition 45 a fits in the left groove 43 c of the first middle dividing member 43 , and the upper end fits in the left groove 44 a of the second middle dividing member 44 . The lower end of the exhaust damper partition 45 b fits into the right groove 43 c of the first middle dividing member 43 , and the upper end fits into the left groove 44 a of the second middle dividing member 44 . The front end portion of the lower damper partition 45 is located on the rear side of the front panel 14 . That is, when the front panel 14 is removed, the front end portion of the lower damper partition 45 is exposed to the outside of the case main body 11a. In a state where the front panel 14 is detached, the side damper partition 45 can be pulled out or pushed in the front-rear direction along the grooves 43c and 44a.

As shown in FIG. 15 , FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 , the intermediate external air passage 64 communicating with the reheat chamber 63 extends forward and backward and is formed on the left side of the external air damper partition plate 45 a. A first damper D1 is provided on the front side of the external air damper partition plate 45a, and a second damper D2 is placed on the rear side. The middle exhaust flow path 65 is formed extending forward and backward on the right side of the exhaust damper partition 45b. A third damper D3 is provided at a position near the front of the exhaust damper partition plate 45b, and a fourth damper D4 is disposed at a position near the rear. These dampers D1-D4 constitute an air-side switching unit.

As shown in FIG. 19 and FIG. 21 , the space between the external air damper partition 45 a and the exhaust damper partition 45 b is divided into two front and rear humidity control chambers 66 by a transverse partition 46 . The front space among these humidity control chambers 66 constitutes the first humidity control chamber 66a, and the rear space constitutes the second humidity control chamber 66b. The first humidity control chamber 66a is formed at a position corresponding to the first damper D1 and the third damper D3, and the second humidity control chamber 66b is formed at a position corresponding to the second damper D2 and the fourth damper D4. The first humidity control chamber 66 a and the second humidity control chamber 66 b are formed across the inside of the second middle dividing member 44 .

As shown in FIG. 21, the two adsorption heat exchangers 33 are composed of a first adsorption heat exchanger 33a installed in the first humidity-conditioning chamber 66a and a second adsorption heat exchanger 33b installed in the second humidity-conditioning chamber 66b. . The adsorption heat exchanger 33 is constituted by supporting an adsorbent on the surface of the transverse fin-type fin-and-tube heat exchanger 34 .

The heat exchanger main body 34 of the adsorption heat exchanger 33 has copper heat transfer tubes 34a and many aluminum fins 34b. The heat transfer tubes 34a are formed in a meandering shape alternately and continuously from straight tube parts and "U"-shaped parts. The fin 34b is formed in a vertically tall plate shape, and the straight tube portion of the heat transfer tube 34a penetrates the fin 34b along the thickness direction of the fin 34b. That is, many fins 34b are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the straight tube portion in the heat transfer tube 34a.

The adsorbent is carried on the surfaces of many fins 34b and heat transfer tubes 34a. At the interface between the adsorbent and the air, moisture in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent or the adsorbed moisture is desorbed toward the air (the adsorbent is regenerated). As the adsorbent, zeolite, silica gel, activated carbon, an organic polymer material having a hydrophilic functional group, and the like are used. Furthermore, as the adsorbent, a material having not only the function of adsorbing moisture but also the function of absorbing moisture (so-called adsorption absorbent) can also be used.

The adsorption heat exchanger 33 is installed in the installation chamber 67. At this time, the short side of the fin 34b is in a vertical state, and the "U" part of the heat transfer tube 34a is located on the left and right sides of the fin 34b.

As shown in FIG. 20 , the third middle dividing member 47 is stacked on the upper side of the second middle dividing member 44 . A pair of wide grooves 47a, 47a having a wide width are formed on the upper surface of the third middle dividing member 47 and on the left and right sides. A pair of upper side damper partitions 48 are fitted into these wide grooves 47a in the thickness direction. These upper side damper partitions 48 are horizontally arranged in a vertical manner in the plate thickness direction. The front end portion of the upper damper partition 48 is located on the rear side of the front panel 14 . That is, when the front panel 14 is detached, the front end portion of the upper damper partition 48 is exposed to the outside of the case main body 11a. In the state where the front panel 14 is detached, the upper damper partition 48 can be pulled out or pushed in the front-rear direction along each wide groove 47a.

A pair of upper damper partitions 48 are composed of a left inner air damper partition 48a and a right supply air damper partition 48b. A fifth damper D5 is provided at the front position on the interior air damper partition plate 48a, and a sixth damper D6 is disposed at the rear position. A seventh damper D7 is provided at the front position on the air supply damper partition plate 48b, and an eighth damper D8 is disposed at the rear position. The fifth damper D5 and the seventh damper D7 are formed at positions corresponding to the first humidity control chamber 66a, and the sixth damper D6 and eighth damper D8 are formed at positions corresponding to the second humidity control chamber 66b. These dampers D5-D8 constitute an air-side switching valve.

At the right rear corners of the second middle dividing member 44 and the third middle dividing member 47 , there are formed through holes extending forward and backward with a large lateral size, and these through holes are connected to form an exhaust communication flow path 68 .

At the left rear corner of the intermediate space S2, the outside air duct portion 53 of the first upper partition member 51 extends up and down (see FIGS. 20 and 22 ). The lower end of the outside air duct portion 53 is in contact with the large cylindrical portion 41 c of the lower partition member 41 . A spacer member 24 is provided in the intermediate space S2 on the front side of the first humidity control chamber 66a. The spacer member 24 is provided between the first middle dividing member 43 and the first middle frame 23a to ensure a prescribed space therebetween.

〈upper space〉

As shown in FIG. 22, a first upper dividing member 51, a second upper dividing member 54, and a third upper dividing member 80 are provided in the upper space S3. Any one of these partition members 51, 54, and 80 is an integrally molded resin member such as polystyrene. The upper space S3 is divided into four upper chambers 19 by these dividing members 51 , 54 , and 80 . These upper chambers 19 are composed of an indoor air supply chamber 19a on the front right, an outdoor exhaust chamber 19b on the rear right, an outside air suction chamber 19c on the rear left, and an inside air suction chamber 19d on the front left. The indoor air supply chamber 19a communicates with the air supply connection port 18a, the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b communicates with the exhaust connection port 18b, the external air suction chamber 19c communicates with the external air connection port 18c, and the internal air suction chamber 19d communicates with the internal air connection port 18d. connected. An intake fan unit 84 is arranged in the indoor air supply chamber 19a; an exhaust fan unit 87 is arranged in the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b.

The first upper dividing part 51 is disposed at a leftward position of the upper space S3. The first upper partition member 51 has a left side wall portion 52 formed across the front and rear ends of the casing 11 along the left side panel 17 and a cylindrical outside air duct portion 53 extending up and down along the third vertical frame 21c. The outside air duct part 53 has a large air duct part 53a and a small air duct part 53b. The large air duct part 53a is arranged in the upper space S3, and the inside is divided into the outside air suction chamber 19c; The lower end of the pipe portion 53a is disposed in the intermediate space S2 and has a smaller diameter than the large air pipe portion 53a.

In the upper space S3, an outside air suction chamber 19c is formed inside the large air duct portion 53a, and an inside air suction chamber 19d is formed on the front side outside the large air duct portion 53a. In the upper space S3 , the space from the lower side outside the large air duct portion 53 a to the front panel 14 becomes the upper inner air flow path 69 . The upper end of the upper internal air passage 69 communicates with the internal air suction chamber 19d. The fifth damper D5 and the sixth damper D6 of the interior air damper partition 48 a are located in the upper interior air passage 69 . Inside the small air duct portion 53b, an air duct inner flow path 71 communicating with the external air inflow path 61 is formed (see FIG. 15(B)).

The second upper dividing member 54 has a right side wall portion 55 formed across the front and rear ends of the housing 11 along the right side panel 16 of the housing 11, a central dividing portion 56 dividing the upper space S3 into left and right spaces, and then the right side. Rear side wall portion 57 of each rear end portion of wall portion 55 and central partition portion 56 .

A base portion 55 a is formed inside the right side wall portion 55 . The base portion 55 a is formed in an “L” shape in longitudinal section, and extends forward and backward across the front panel 14 side from the rear side wall portion 57 . On the upper end surface of the base portion 55a, a first installation surface 55c is formed, on which the fan units 84, 87 and the third upper partition member 80 are arranged, and the first installation surface 55c guides each The fan units 84, 87 and the third upper dividing member 80 move back and forth.

A columnar first contact portion 55 b extending up and down is formed at the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the right side wall portion 55 . The rear end portion of the third upper dividing member 80 is in contact with the front end of the first contact portion 55b. A sealant (not shown) is formed on a contact surface of the first contact portion 55 b that contacts the third upper partition member 80 .

The central partition 56 has a vertical first vertical wall 56a, a horizontal wall 56b curved horizontally from the lower end of the first vertical wall 56a, and a second vertical wall 56c vertically curved from the right end of the horizontal wall 56b. A second installation surface 56d is formed on the upper end surface of the central division part 56, and each fan unit 84, 87 and the third upper division member 80 are arranged on the second installation surface 56d, and the second installation surface 56d guides each fan unit. The units 84, 87 and the third upper dividing member 80 are free to move back and forth.

The central partition 56 constitutes a main partition extending along the front and rear of the casing 11, and the central partition 56 partitions left and right to divide the external air suction chamber 19c and the internal air suction chamber 19d arranged in front and rear, and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b arranged in front and behind. And indoor air supply chamber 19a. Since the central partition 56 is integrally formed with the right side wall 55 and the rear side wall 57 formed along the housing 11, only the central partition 56 cannot be detached independently of other components.

A columnar second contact portion 56 e extending up and down is formed at a middle portion in the front-rear direction of the central partition portion 56 . The rear end portion of the third upper dividing member 80 is in contact with the front end of the second contact portion 56e. A sealant (not shown) is formed on the contact surface of the second contact portion 56e that contacts the third upper partition member 80 .

Insertion portions 58 are respectively formed at the corner between the right side wall portion 55 and the rear side wall portion 57 and the corner between the central partition portion 56 and the rear side wall portion 57 on the second upper partition member 54 . A reinforcing rib 75 is inserted into each insertion portion 58 . The upper end of each reinforcing rib 75 is fixed on the top plate 13 of the casing 11 . These reinforcing ribs 75 constitute mounting members that fix and support the exhaust fan unit 87 .

On the lower side of the exhaust fan unit 87 on the second upper dividing member 54, a lateral partition 59 is integrally formed with the second upper dividing member 54 (see FIG. 16(A) and FIG. 17). The upper side of the lateral partition 59 in the upper space S3 is formed as an outdoor exhaust chamber 19b, and the space spanning from the lower side of the lateral partition 59 to the front panel 14 in the upper space S3 is formed as an upper air supply passage 70 . The outdoor exhaust chamber 19b communicates with the exhaust communication flow path 68 shown in FIG. 20 . The upper end of the upper air supply passage 70 communicates with the indoor air supply chamber 19a. The seventh damper D7 and the eighth damper D8 of the air supply damper partition 48 b are located in the upper air supply passage 70 .

As shown in FIG. 17 , a columnar third contact portion 59 a extending left and right is formed on the upper surface of the front edge of the lateral partition portion 59 . The rear end portion of the third upper dividing member 80 is in contact with the front end of the third contact portion 59a. A sealant (not shown) is formed on the contact surface of the third contact portion 59 a that contacts the third upper partition member 80 .

As shown in FIG. 22 , the third upper dividing member 80 has a first side plate portion 81 formed along the right side wall portion 55 of the second upper dividing member 54 , and a central dividing portion 56 along the second upper dividing member 54 . The second side plate portion 82 is formed and the middle side plate portion 83 is formed across the rear end portion of the first side plate portion 81 and the rear end portion of the second side plate portion 82 . That is, the cross-sectional shape of the third upper dividing member 80 is an approximate "U" shape ("U" shape) opened on the front side.

The lower ends of the side plate portions 81, 82 on the third upper dividing member 80 are respectively arranged on the installation surfaces 55c, 56d of the second upper dividing member 54, and the left and right ends of the middle side plate portion 83 are arranged to be aligned with each other. The respective contact portions 55b, 56e, and 59a on the second upper dividing member 54 are in contact. After the third upper dividing member 80 is set like this, the space between the right side wall portion 55 and the central dividing portion 56 is just divided into two spaces (ie, the indoor air supply chamber 19a and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b) before and after. The third upper dividing member 80 constitutes an intake and exhaust dividing part, is detachably mounted on the housing 11, and divides the indoor air supply chamber 19a and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b in front and rear thereof.

The intake fan unit 84 is composed of an intake fan 85 and an air supply side mounting plate 86 for supporting the intake fan 85 . The intake fan 85 is a centrifugal multiblade fan (so-called Sirocco fan). The air supply side mounting plate 86 is composed of a main body portion 86a for mounting the motor of the intake fan 85, side plate portions 86b formed on the left and right sides of the main body portion 86a, and an upper plate portion 86c formed on the upper side of the main body portion 86a. . Each side plate part 86b of the air supply side mounting plate 86 is installed on each installation surface 55c, 56d of the 2nd upper partition member 54. As shown in FIG. The side plate portion 86b and the upper plate portion 86c on the right side of the air supply side mounting plate 86 are fixed to the front panel 14 (see FIG. 13 ) via fastening members such as screws.

The exhaust fan unit 87 is composed of an exhaust fan 88 and an exhaust-side mounting plate 89 for supporting the exhaust fan 88 . The exhaust fan 88 is a centrifugal multiblade fan (so-called Sirocco fan). The exhaust-side mounting plate 89 is composed of a main body portion 89a for mounting the motor of the exhaust fan 88, and side plate portions 89b formed on the left and right sides of the main body portion 89a. The respective side plate portions 89b of the exhaust side mounting plate 89 are provided on the respective installation surfaces 55c and 56d of the second upper dividing member 54 . These side plate portions 89b are fixed to the top plate 13 by the reinforcing ribs 75 .

<Configuration of Refrigerant Circuit>

The humidity control device 10 includes a refrigerant circuit 30 configured by connecting the compressor 31 and the adsorption heat exchanger 33 and the like. The configuration of the refrigerant circuit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 23 .

The refrigerant circuit 30 is a closed circuit formed by connecting refrigerant pipes, and the refrigerant is filled inside. In the refrigerant circuit 30, refrigerant circulates to perform a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. In the refrigerant circuit 30, the compressor 31, the four-way reversing valve 32, the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a and the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b are connected to each other.

The compressor 31 is configured such that its operating capacity (operating frequency) can be changed by so-called inverter control. That is, the motor of the compressor 31 is configured so that the rotational speed can be adjusted according to the output frequency (operating frequency) of the supplied AC power.

The four-way reversing valve 32 has first to fourth valve ports, and the communication states of these valve ports can be switched. The first valve port of the four-way reversing valve 32 is connected with the air injection pipe 31 a of the compressor 31 , and the third valve port of the four-way reversing valve 32 is connected with the suction pipe 31 b of the compressor 31 . The second valve port of the four-way reversing valve 32 is connected to one end of the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, and the fourth valve port of the four-way reversing valve 32 is connected to one end of the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b. The four-way reversing valve 32 is constituted as: the first valve port can communicate with the fourth valve port and the second valve port can communicate with the third valve port (the first state shown by the solid line in Fig. 23 ), the second valve port can communicate with the third valve port. The first valve port communicates with the second valve port and the third valve port communicates with the fourth valve port (the second state shown by the dotted line in FIG. 23 ). That is, the four-way reversing valve 32 constitutes a refrigerant flow path switching mechanism for switching the flow paths of the refrigerant circuit 30 where the refrigerant releases heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b and flows in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33b. A flow path through which the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger 33a, and a flow path through which the refrigerant releases heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a and evaporates the refrigerant in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b.

A one-way circuit 36 is provided in the refrigerant circuit 30 , and even if the state of the four-way reversing valve 32 is switched, the refrigerant flows in the same direction in the one-way circuit 36 . The one-way circuit 36 has a bridge circuit 36 a formed by connecting first to fourth check valves CV- 1 , CV- 2 , CV- 3 , and CV- 4 in a bridge shape. The respective check valves CV-1, CV-2, CV-3, CV-4 in the bridge circuit 36a allow the refrigerant to flow in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 23 and prohibit the refrigerant to flow in the direction opposite to this direction. The four-way switching valve 32 and the bridge circuit 36a constitute a refrigerant side switching unit.

The first refrigerant passage 6 extending from between the first check valve CV-1 and the second check valve CV-2 is connected to the other end of the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, from which The second refrigerant passage 7 extending between the first check valve CV-1 and the third check valve CV-3 is connected to one end of the reheat heat exchanger 35, from the third check valve The third refrigerant passage 8 extending between the return valve CV-3 and the fourth check valve CV-4 is connected to the other end of the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, from the fourth check valve CV The fourth refrigerant passage 9 extending between -4 and the second check valve CV-2 is connected to the other end of the reheat heat exchanger 35 through the reheat side expansion valve 38 . In addition, the second refrigerant passage 7 is provided on the downstream side of the air passing through the reheat heat exchanger 35 . The reheat side expansion valve 38 constitutes a second expansion valve.

A bypass pipe 36 b connecting the second refrigerant passage 7 and the fourth refrigerant passage 9 is provided in the refrigerant circuit 30 . The main expansion valve 37 is attached to this bypass pipe 36b. The main expansion valve 37 and the reheat-side expansion valve 38 are electric flow control valves with variable openings, and are composed of, for example, electronic expansion valves. The bypass pipe 36b constitutes a bypass passage, and the main expansion valve 37 constitutes a first expansion valve.

〈Control Unit and Sensor〉

As shown in FIG. 23 , the humidity control device 10 includes a controller 100 and various sensors. The controller 100 adjusts the operating capacity of the compressor 31, the opening degrees of the expansion valves 37 and 38, and the like according to the operating conditions and the detection values of the sensors. The controller 100 adjusts the opening and closing states of the air valves D1-D8, the air volumes of the fans 85, 88, etc. according to the operating conditions.

As schematically shown in FIG. 15(B), the humidity control device 10 in the second embodiment includes: an inside air sensor 111 , an outside air humidity sensor 113 , a first outside air temperature sensor 114 and a second outside air temperature sensor 115 .

The interior air sensor 111 is arranged in the upper interior air passage 69 . The indoor air sensor 111 detects the humidity (relative humidity) of the indoor air RA taken into the indoor air suction chamber 19d.

The outside air humidity sensor 113 and the first outside air temperature sensor 114 are provided between the filters 26 , 27 and the reheat heat exchanger 35 in the lower outside air passage 63 a. The outside air humidity sensor 113 detects the humidity (relative humidity) of the outdoor air OA upstream of the reheat heat exchanger 35 , and the first outside air temperature sensor 114 detects the temperature of the outdoor air OA upstream of the reheat heat exchanger 35 . detection. The second outside air temperature sensor 115 is provided downstream of the reheat heat exchanger 35 in the lower outside air passage 63 a, and the second outside air temperature sensor 115 detects the temperature of the outside air OA downstream of the reheat heat exchanger 35 .

The controller 100 of the second embodiment determines the humidity control capability (the dehumidification load when performing the dehumidification operation, the humidification load when performing the humidification operation) that the humidity control device 10 needs to provide based on the detection values of these sensors 111, 113, 114, and 115. )Request. The controller 100 controls the operating capacity of the compressor 31 (that is, the refrigerant circulation amount of the refrigerant circuit 30 ) to satisfy the humidity control capacity.

－Operating action－

Next, the operation of the humidity control device 10 will be described with reference to the drawings. The humidity control device 10 switches between a dehumidification operation for dehumidifying the room and a humidification operation for humidifying the room.

<Dehumidification operation>

The dehumidification operation is performed in summer and other conditions where the outdoor temperature and humidity are high. In this dehumidification operation, the outdoor air OA is dehumidified, and the dehumidified air is supplied into the room as supply air SA. At the same time, during the dehumidification operation, the room air RA is discharged to the outside as discharge air EA. In this dehumidification operation, the first operation and the second operation are alternately performed at predetermined time intervals to continuously dehumidify the room.

In the first action of the dehumidification operation, in the refrigerant circuit 30 shown in FIG. The valve 37 is opened with a predetermined opening degree. After the compressor 31 starts running, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 31 releases heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b, passes through the bridge circuit 36a, and flows into the bypass pipe 36b. The refrigerant is decompressed by the main expansion valve 37 in the bypass pipe 36b. The refrigerant decompressed by the main expansion valve 37 passes through the bridge circuit 36 a, evaporates in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33 a, and is sucked into the compressor 31 .

In the second action of the dehumidification operation, in the refrigerant circuit 30 shown in FIG. The valve 37 is opened with a predetermined opening degree. After the compressor 31 starts running, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 31 releases heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a, passes through the bridge circuit 36a, and flows into the bypass pipe 36b. In the bypass pipe 36 b, the refrigerant is decompressed by the main expansion valve 37 . The refrigerant decompressed by the main expansion valve 37 passes through the bridge circuit 36 a, evaporates in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33 b, and is drawn into the compressor 31 .

As described above, in the dehumidification operation of the humidity control device 10 , in principle, the refrigerant is not supplied to the reheat heat exchanger 35 . That is, during the dehumidification operation, the reheat heat exchanger 35 is in a stopped state.

As shown in Figure 24 and Figure 25, under the first action of the dehumidification operation, the first damper D1, the fourth damper D4, the sixth damper D6 and the seventh damper D7 are in an open state, and the second damper D2 , the third air valve D3, the fifth air valve D5 and the eighth air valve D8 are in the closed state, and the intake fan 85 and the exhaust fan 88 are running. In addition, in FIGS. 24 to 27 , the hatched damper indicates that the damper is in a closed state, and the white damper indicates that the damper is in an open state. In FIGS. 24 to 27 , white arrows indicate air supplied from the outside to the room (outdoor air OA or supply air SA), and black arrows indicate air discharged from the room to the outside (room air RA or exhaust air EA).

In the first action of the dehumidification operation, the outdoor air OA flowing into the outside air suction chamber 19c through the air duct flows through the air duct inner flow path 71 and the outside air inflow path 61 sequentially, and then flows into the lower outside air path 63a. The air flows through the insect filter 26 and the pleated filter 27 in sequence and is purified, and then passes through the reheating heat exchanger 35 . In the dehumidification operation, as described above, the reheat heat exchanger 35 is in a stopped state. Therefore, the air is not heated in the reheat heat exchanger 35 .

The air that has passed through the reheat heat exchanger 35 sequentially flows through the upper external air passage 63b, the middle external air passage 64, and the first damper D1, and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a. Water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a serving as an evaporator. The heat of adsorption generated at this time is used as the heat of evaporation of the refrigerant. The air adsorbed and dehumidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a sequentially flows through the seventh damper D7, the upper air supply passage 70, and the indoor air supply chamber 19a, and is supplied to the indoor space as supply air SA through the air duct.

In the first operation of the dehumidification operation, the indoor air RA flowing into the indoor air suction chamber 19d through the indoor air duct sequentially flows through the upper internal air passage 69, the sixth damper D6, and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b. In the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b serving as a radiator, water vapor is desorbed from the adsorbent to the air, and the adsorbent is regenerated. The air used to regenerate the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b flows sequentially through the fourth damper D4, the intermediate exhaust flow path 65, the exhaust connection flow path 68, and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b, and passes through the air duct as The exhaust air EA is exhausted to the outdoor space.

As shown in Figure 26 and Figure 27, under the second action of the dehumidification operation, the second damper D2, the third damper D3, the fifth damper D5 and the eighth damper D8 are in an open state, and the first damper D1 , the fourth air valve D4, the sixth air valve D6 and the seventh air valve D7 are in the closed state, and the intake fan 85 and the exhaust fan 88 are running.

In the second operation of the dehumidification operation, the outdoor air OA flowing into the outside air suction chamber 19c through the air duct flows through the air duct inner flow path 71 and the outside air inflow path 61 sequentially, and then flows into the lower outside air path 63a. The air flows through the insect filter 26 and the pleated filter 27 in sequence to be purified, and then passes through the reheating heat exchanger 35 . In the dehumidification operation, as described above, the reheat heat exchanger 35 is in a stopped state. Therefore, the air is not heated in the reheat heat exchanger 35 .

The air that has passed through the reheat heat exchanger 35 sequentially flows through the upper external air passage 63b, the middle external air passage 64, and the second damper D2, and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b. In the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b serving as an evaporator, water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent. The heat of adsorption generated at this time is used as the heat of evaporation of the refrigerant. The air adsorbed and dehumidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b flows sequentially through the eighth damper D8, the upper air supply passage 70, and the indoor air supply chamber 19a, and is supplied to the indoor space as supply air SA through the air duct.

In the second operation of the dehumidification operation, the indoor air RA flowing into the indoor air suction chamber 19d through the indoor side air duct sequentially flows through the upper internal air passage 69, the fifth damper D5, and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a. In the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a serving as a radiator, water vapor is desorbed from the adsorbent to the air, and the adsorbent is regenerated. The air used to regenerate the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a passes through the third damper D3, flows through the intermediate exhaust flow path 65, the exhaust communication flow path 68, and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b in sequence, and passes through The air duct is discharged to the outdoor space as discharge air EA.

<Humidification operation>

Humidification operation is performed in winter and other conditions where the outdoor temperature and humidity are low. In this humidification operation, the outdoor air OA is humidified, and the humidified air is supplied into the room as supply air SA. At the same time, during the humidification operation, the room air RA is discharged to the outside as discharge air EA. In this humidification operation, the first operation and the second operation are alternately performed at predetermined time intervals to continuously humidify the room.

In the first operation of the humidification operation, in the refrigerant circuit 30 shown in FIG. The opening is opened. After the compressor 31 is in operation, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 31 releases heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a and passes through the bridge circuit 36a. The high-pressure refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state that has passed through the bridge circuit 36 a flows through the reheat heat exchanger 35 , and the refrigerant radiates heat to the air (outdoor air OA). The refrigerant that has released heat in the reheat heat exchanger 35 is decompressed by the reheat side expansion valve 38 . The refrigerant decompressed by the reheat-side expansion valve 38 passes through the bridge circuit 36 a, evaporates in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33 b, and is sucked into the compressor 31 .

In the second operation of the humidification operation, in the refrigerant circuit 30 shown in FIG. The opening is opened. After the compressor 31 starts to operate, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 31 releases heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b and passes through the bridge circuit 36a. The high-pressure refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state that has passed through the bridge circuit 36 a flows through the reheat heat exchanger 35 , and the refrigerant radiates heat to the air (outdoor air OA). The refrigerant that has released heat in the reheat heat exchanger 35 is decompressed by the reheat side expansion valve 38 . The refrigerant decompressed by the reheat-side expansion valve 38 passes through the bridge circuit 36 a, evaporates in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33 a, and is sucked into the compressor 31 .

As described above, in the humidification operation of the humidity control device 10, the refrigerant is supplied to the reheat heat exchanger 35, and the reheat heat exchanger 35 operates. The heating capacity of the reheat heat exchanger 35 can be appropriately adjusted according to the opening degree of the reheat side expansion valve 38 . When the temperature of the outdoor air OA becomes higher than a predetermined temperature during the humidification operation, the reheat side expansion valve 38 is nearly completely closed, and the main expansion valve 37 is opened at a predetermined opening degree. In this way, the air can be humidified in each of the adsorption heat exchangers 33a and 33b while the reheat heat exchanger 35 is stopped.

As shown in Figure 24 and Figure 25, under the first action of the humidification operation, the first damper D1, the fourth damper D4, the sixth damper D6 and the seventh damper D7 are in an open state, and the second damper D2 , the third air valve D3, the fifth air valve D5 and the eighth air valve D8 are in the closed state, and the intake fan 85 and the exhaust fan 88 are running.

In the first operation of the humidification operation, the outdoor air OA flowing into the outside air suction chamber 19c through the air duct flows through the air duct inner flow path 71 and the outside air inflow path 61 sequentially, and then flows into the lower outside air path 63a. The air flows through the insect filter 26 and the pleated filter 27 in sequence and is purified, and then passes through the reheating heat exchanger 35 . During the humidification operation, the refrigerant is appropriately supplied to the reheat heat exchanger 35 , and the outdoor air OA is heated by the reheat heat exchanger 35 .

The air heated in the reheat heat exchanger 35 sequentially flows through the upper external air passage 63b, the middle external air passage 64, and the first damper D1, and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a. In the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a serving as a radiator, water vapor is desorbed from the adsorbent to air, and the air is humidified. The air humidified in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a flows sequentially through the seventh damper D7, the upper air supply passage 70, and the indoor air supply chamber 19a, and is supplied to the indoor space as supply air SA through the air duct.

In the first operation of the humidification operation, the indoor air RA flowing into the indoor air suction chamber 19d through the indoor air duct sequentially flows through the upper internal air passage 69, the sixth damper D6, and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b. In the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b serving as an evaporator, water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and moisture is given to the adsorbent. Moisture has given to the air of the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b to flow through the fourth damper D4, the middle exhaust flow path 65, the exhaust connection flow path 68, and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b successively, and pass through the air duct as The exhaust air EA is exhausted to the outdoor space.

As shown in Figure 26 and Figure 27, under the second action of the humidification operation, the second damper D2, the third damper D3, the fifth damper D5 and the eighth damper D8 are in an open state, and the first damper D1 , the fourth air valve D4, the sixth air valve D6 and the seventh air valve D7 are in the closed state, and the intake fan 85 and the exhaust fan 88 are running.

In the second operation of the humidification operation, the outdoor air OA flowing into the outside air suction chamber 19c through the air duct flows through the air duct inner flow path 71 and the outside air inflow path 61 sequentially, and then flows into the lower outside air flow path 63a. The air flows through the insect filter 26 and the pleated filter 27 in sequence and is purified, and then passes through the reheating heat exchanger 35 . During the humidification operation, the refrigerant is appropriately supplied to the reheat heat exchanger 35 , and the outdoor air OA is heated by the reheat heat exchanger 35 .

The air heated in the reheat heat exchanger 35 sequentially flows through the upper external air passage 63b, the middle external air passage 64, and the second damper D2, and then passes through the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b. In the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b serving as a radiator, water vapor is desorbed from the adsorbent to the air, and the air is humidified. The air humidified in the second adsorption heat exchanger 33b flows sequentially through the eighth damper D8, the upper air supply passage 70, and the indoor air supply chamber 19a, and is supplied to the indoor space as supply air SA through the air duct.

In the second operation of the humidification operation, the indoor air RA flowing into the indoor air suction chamber 19d through the indoor air duct sequentially flows through the upper internal air passage 69, the fifth damper D5, and then passes through the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a. In the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a serving as an evaporator, water vapor in the air is adsorbed by the adsorbent, and moisture is given to the adsorbent. The air that moisture has given to the adsorbent in the first adsorption heat exchanger 33a flows sequentially through the third damper D3, the intermediate exhaust flow path 65, the exhaust connection flow path 68, and the outdoor exhaust chamber 19b, and passes through the air duct as The exhaust air EA is exhausted to the outdoor space.

-Effect of the second embodiment-

According to the second embodiment, when the refrigerant flow direction involved in the refrigerant circuit 30 is switched to one direction by using the four-way reversing valve 32 and the bridge circuit 36a, the reheat heat exchanger 35 always serves as a heat radiator, so that the outdoor air at a lower temperature can be heated in the reheat heat exchanger 35, and then the heated outdoor air is introduced into the adsorption heat exchangers 33a, 33b. In this way, the condensed water in the adsorption heat exchangers 33a and 33b will not freeze, and the humidity control device can operate well even when the outdoor air temperature is low.

According to the second embodiment, by providing the bypass pipe 36 b in the refrigerant circuit 30 , at least part of the refrigerant flowing toward the reheat heat exchanger 35 can be detoured through the bypass pipe 36 b. In this way, for example, when the temperature of the outdoor air is high, it is possible to prevent the outdoor air from being heated in vain.

According to the second embodiment, the main expansion valve and the reheat side expansion valves 37 and 38 can perform an expansion operation for expanding the refrigerant involved in the refrigeration cycle, and can perform an expansion operation for expanding the refrigerant involved in the reheat heat exchanger 35 . Adjustment operation to adjust the bypass amount of refrigerant. In this way, there is no need to set up a valve for the expansion of the refrigerant, and another valve for the adjustment of the bypass amount, and two valves, so that the number of parts of the humidity control device can be reduced, and finally the humidity control device can be realized. Low cost.

According to the second embodiment, compared with the case where the bypass pipe 36b connects the first refrigerant passage 6 and the third refrigerant passage 8, it is possible to reduce the accumulated amount of refrigerant and reduce the bridging. Loop 36a bypasses that much. In this way, when performing the bypass operation in which the refrigerant passes through the bypass pipe 36b, it is difficult to cause insufficient refrigerant due to accumulation of the refrigerant, and the bypass operation can be performed stably.

<Other Embodiments>

The present invention can also take the following structures in the above-described embodiments.

In the above-mentioned first embodiment, materials that mainly adsorb water vapor, such as zeolite and silica gel, are used as the adsorbent, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and materials that adsorb and absorb water vapor (so-called adsorbents) can also be used. .

Specifically, the adsorbent in other embodiments of the present invention uses a hygroscopic organic polymer material. In the organic polymer material used as an adsorbent, multiple polymer main chains having hydrophilic polar groups in the molecule are cross-linked with each other, and the multiple polymer main chains that have been cross-linked form a three-dimensional structure.

The adsorbent in this embodiment swells by trapping water vapor (ie, absorbing moisture). The mechanism by which this adsorbent swells by moisture absorption is presumed as follows. That is to say, when the adsorbent absorbs moisture, water vapor is adsorbed around the hydrophilic polar group, and the electrical force generated by the reaction between water vapor and the hydrophilic polar group acts on the polymer main chain. . As a result, the polymer main chain is deformed. Water vapor enters the gap between the deformed polymer main chains under the action of capillary force, and the three-dimensional structure composed of multiple polymer main chains will expand due to the water vapor entering. As a result, the volume of the adsorbent increases.

Thus, in the adsorbent of the present embodiment, both the phenomenon of water vapor being adsorbed by the adsorbent and the phenomenon of water vapor being absorbed by the adsorbent occur. That is, water vapor is adsorbed and absorbed by the adsorbent. The water vapor captured by the adsorbent not only enters the surface of the three-dimensional structure formed by a plurality of cross-linked polymer main chains, but also enters its interior. As a result, the amount of water vapor captured by this adsorption absorbent is larger than that of zeolite or the like that only adsorbs water vapor on the surface.

The sorbent shrinks by releasing water vapor (ie dehumidification). In other words, when the adsorbent dehumidifies, the water trapped in the gap between the polymer main chains decreases, and the shape of the three-dimensional structure composed of a plurality of polymer main chains recovers, so the adsorbent Reduced in size.

In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment is the example which is preferable in nature, and it does not intend to limit this invention, its applied thing, and its use range.

- Practicality -

From the above, the present invention is useful for humidity control devices.

Claims (4)

1. A humidity control device comprising a refrigerant circuit (30, 170), an air-side switching unit (D1-D4, D13-D16) and a refrigerant-side switching unit (32, 36a, 173, 188), The refrigerant circuit (30, 170) is composed of a compressor (31, 172), a first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176) and a second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175) loaded with adsorbent, The auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) and the expansion mechanism (37, 38, 198, 195) are connected to form a refrigerant circuit (30, 170) in which the refrigerant circulates to perform a refrigeration cycle, The air side switching unit (D1-D4, D13-D16) can be switched so that the outdoor air that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) is adsorbed by the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176). The first state in which the humidity is conditioned by the agent, and the second state in which the outdoor air that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) is conditioned by the adsorbent in the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175), The refrigerant-side switching unit (32, 36a, 173, 188) is connected to the refrigerant circuit (30, 170), and can switch between the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176) and the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176). The first state in which the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) releases heat and the refrigerant absorbs heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175), and the refrigerant exchanges heat in the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175). The second state in which heat is released in the heat exchanger (33b, 175) and the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) and the refrigerant absorbs heat in the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176), When the refrigerant side switching part (32, 36a, 173, 188) is in the first state, the refrigerant having passed through the first adsorption heat exchanger (33a, 176) flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194), when the refrigerant side switching unit (32, 36a, 173, 188) is in the second state, the refrigerant that has passed through the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175) flows into The auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194). 2. The humidity control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bypass passage (36b, 197) that bypasses the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) is provided in the refrigerant circuit (30, 170). 3. The humidity control device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The expansion mechanism (37, 38, 198, 195) is a first expansion valve (37, 198) that decompresses the refrigerant flowing in the bypass passage (36b, 197) and depressurizes the refrigerant that has passed through the auxiliary A second expansion valve (38, 195) for depressurizing the refrigerant of the heat exchanger (35, 194). 4. The humidity control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The refrigerant side switching portion (32, 36a, 173, 188) has a check valve bridge circuit (36a, 188) having first to fourth check valves (CV -1...CV-4, 189a-191a), The first refrigerant passage (6) extending between the first check valve (CV-1, 189a) and the second check valve (CV-2, 190a) is connected to the first adsorption heat exchange One end of the device (33a, 176), the second refrigerant passage ( 7) Connected at one end of the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194), from between the third check valve (CV-3, 191a) and the fourth check valve (CV-4, 192a) The extended third refrigerant passage (8) is connected to one end of the second adsorption heat exchanger (33b, 175), from the fourth check valve (CV-4, 192a) and the second check valve The fourth refrigerant passage (9) extending between (CV-2, 190a) is connected to the other end of the auxiliary heat exchanger (35, 194) through the second expansion valve (38, 195), The bypass passage (36b, 197) connects the second refrigerant passage (7) and the fourth refrigerant passage (9).

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