JP2010084979A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The conventional technique using an adsorption rotor has a problem that the apparatus becomes large, or the diameter of a humidifying duct is large and the workability is poor.
A humidifier 200 provided in an outdoor unit 104 includes a heating unit 201 as humidified air generating means, a pump 202 as water supplying means, a water tank 203 as water storing means, and a blower 204 as humidified air conveying means. The indoor unit 101 includes an indoor temperature / humidity sensor 119, the outdoor unit 104 includes an outdoor temperature / humidity sensor 121, and the humidifier 200 includes a humidified air temperature sensor 214. By determining the outputs of the heating unit 201, the pump 202, and the blower 204 from the temperature / humidity signal, the humidified air temperature signal, and the like, a hygienic and highly reliable humidification function is realized.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of performing humidification by humidifying outdoor air and supplying the air indoors.

  Conventionally, many inventions have been devised for this type of air conditioner. Among them, a typical device that is currently widely used as a product is an air conditioner equipped with a humidifying device shown in Patent Document 1, while rotating a rotor made of an adsorbent while in outdoor air. Moisture is adsorbed, heated and removed to obtain air with high humidity, and sent to the room to perform humidification.

  FIG. 4 shows the configuration of an air conditioner equipped with a conventional air conditioner humidifier described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit 101 including an indoor heat exchanger 102 and an indoor fan 103, a compressor 107, a four-way valve 109, an outdoor heat exchanger 105, an outdoor fan 106, and an expansion valve 108. The outdoor unit 104 includes a humidifier 300.

  The humidifier 300 includes an adsorption rotor 301 in which a material that adsorbs water vapor such as zeolite is formed into a honeycomb-like rotor, a drive belt 302, a drive motor 303, blowers 304 and 305, and a heater 306.

A refrigerant cycle 116 in FIG. 4 shows a heating state, and flows in the directions of arrows 116 a, 116 b, 116 c, 116 d, and 116 e, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 107 passes through the four-way valve 109 to the room. The heat exchanger 102 condenses and heats the room 100. The refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 102 is decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 108, vaporized by the outdoor heat exchanger 105, returns to the compressor 107 through the four-way valve 109.
The air blowers 304 and 305 form separate air passages, and the air passage 307 of the air blower 304 is for adsorbing water vapor in the outside air to the adsorption rotor 301, and the outside air taken into the device is an arrow. It flows in the direction of 304a, passes through the adsorption rotor 301, is deprived of humidity, and is released again to the outside as indicated by an arrow 304b.

  The humidified air conveyance path 117 through which the humidified air is sent by the blower 305 is for separating the moisture adsorbed by the adsorption rotor 301 and conveying the humidified air. The outside air taken into the apparatus is heated by the heater 306. Then, the moisture of the adsorption rotor 301 is released to become high humidity air. Then, the air is sucked into the blower 305, flows in the directions of arrows 306a and 305a, is transported to the indoor unit 101, and humidifies the room 100.

In addition, there are a technique of spraying water on the carrier air as in Patent Document 2, and a technique of transporting the drain water of the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and naturally vaporizing and humidifying it as in Patent Document 3.
Japanese Patent No. 3559421 Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 60-53823 Japanese Patent No. 2919711

However, in the conventional technology of spraying water on the carrier air and the technology of transporting the drain water of the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and naturally vaporizing it, there is a concern about the growth of gonococci and algae, which is a sanitary problem. And problems such as clogging of the transport path.
Moreover, in the technique using an adsorption | suction rotor, it has the subject that two fans and an adsorption | suction rotor require a big volume, and an apparatus enlarges. Furthermore, the technique for spraying water on the carrier air also has a problem that the space for spraying is necessary and the reason is the same, although the reason is different.
Further, in the technique using the adsorption rotor, the heated air must have the amount of heat for detachment because the moisture is desorbed by the heated air. Therefore, in order to increase the humidification amount, it is necessary to increase the temperature of the heated air or increase the carrier air.
In reality, there is an upper temperature limit due to the device configuration, so a large amount of carrier air is required for the amount of humidification, and accordingly, there is a problem that the cross-sectional area of the conveyance path becomes large and the installation workability deteriorates. Have.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is free from problems such as sanitary problems due to the propagation of gonococci and algae and problems such as clogging of the conveyance path, and is an air conditioner having a humidification function that is small and excellent in installation workability. The purpose is to provide a machine.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, an air conditioner having a humidifying function of the present invention is a humidified air generating means that heats the outdoor air and water taken in to produce humidified air having a high absolute humidity at a high temperature, The outdoor unit includes a humidifying unit having a water supply unit that supplies water to the humidified air generating unit, a water storage unit for taking in water by the water supply unit, and a humidified air conveying unit that sends the humidified air to the indoor unit. Is.

  As a result, air and water can be sterilized by heating, and only one humidified air generating means, one water supply means, and one humidified air conveying means can be configured to produce high-temperature and high-humidified humidified air. It can be transported on a transport path with a small cross-sectional area.

Since the air conditioner of the present invention can sterilize air and water by heating, it can prevent the propagation of gonococci and algae and clog the conveyance path, and can realize a hygienic and highly reliable humidification function. Moreover, since it can comprise only one humidified air production | generation means, one water supply means, and one humidified air conveyance means, a small apparatus can be provided. Furthermore, since high-temperature and high-humidity humidified air can be generated and transported through a transport path having a small cross-sectional area, excellent workability can be realized.

  1st invention is an air conditioner which connects an indoor unit and an outdoor unit and constitutes a heat pump cycle, and heats the taken outdoor air and water to produce humidified air at high temperature and high absolute humidity Air generating means, water supply means for supplying water to the humidified air generating means, water storage means for the water supply means to take in water, and humidified air conveying means for sending the humidified air to the indoor unit, By providing the humidifying means in the outdoor unit, air and water can be sterilized by heating, and it can be composed of only two small heating means and one humidified air conveying means. It can be transported on a transport path with a small cross-sectional area, can realize a hygienic and highly reliable humidification function, and can provide a small-sized apparatus with excellent workability.

  In the second invention, in particular, since the humidified air conveying means of the first invention is arranged upstream of the humidified air generating means, high-temperature air or water vapor does not pass through the humidified air conveying means, so that it deteriorates due to heat. Therefore, heat loss can be reduced, and a highly reliable and efficient apparatus can be provided.

  In the third invention, in particular, the humidified air generating means of the first or second invention has a heating means for heating air and water, and the heating means heats water by an air heating unit for heating air. By providing the steam generating unit that generates water vapor, it is possible to adopt a structure suitable for heating each of them, and it is possible to configure an efficient humidified air generating means.

  In the fourth invention, in particular, the steam generating part of the heating means of the third invention has a concave shape, and the air heating part is provided with fins to eliminate the scattering and dripping of water in the air heating part. The heat exchange with can be promoted, and the humidified air generating means with high heat efficiency and excellent safety can be configured with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

  In the fifth invention, in particular, the heating part of the heating means of the fourth invention has a flat plate shape, a steam generating part is arranged on one side, and an air heating part having fins is arranged on the other side. By doing so, the concave steam generator and the air heating part with fins can be arranged without wasting space, and it is possible to generate humid air with high safety and excellent safety with a compact, simple and inexpensive configuration. Means can be configured.

  In particular, the sixth invention includes a humidified air temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the humidified air after the humidified air generating means according to any one of the third to fifth inventions, and the humidified air after the humidified air generating means. Adjust the output of the heating means so that the temperature becomes a predetermined temperature, and adjust the output of the water supply means according to the target humidification amount, thereby adjusting the temperature and humidity of the humidified air to the desired state. The amount of humidification can be controlled while avoiding condensation, and the reliability is high and excellent comfort can be obtained.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, by adjusting the output of the humidified air conveying means and the humidified air generating means in accordance with the distance of conveying the humidified air of any one of the first to sixth inventions, the conveying distance is increased. Even if it changes, it conveys a predetermined amount of humidified air, avoids a decrease in maximum humidification amount and excessive amount of conveyance, can perform highly reliable and efficient humidification, stable capacity, efficient humidification Can be realized.

In an eighth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, an indoor temperature / humidity detection unit that detects an indoor temperature and humidity is provided, and the target humidity and the detected humidity of the indoor temperature / humidity detection unit are By determining the humidification amount according to the difference and adjusting the output of the humidified air generating means, it is possible to improve the responsiveness of the humidity control and to obtain excellent comfort.
In particular, the ninth invention includes an outdoor temperature / humidity detecting means for detecting an outdoor temperature and humidity in the eighth invention, and the humidification amount is detected by the indoor target temperature / humidity and the indoor temperature / humidity detecting means. By calculating from the temperature and humidity and the outdoor temperature and humidity detected by the outdoor temperature and humidity detection means, even if the absolute humidity of the outdoor air changes, the absolute humidity of the humidified air is accurately controlled, and the target humidification amount On the other hand, it can be prevented that the absolute humidity of the humidified air becomes too high and the dew condensation occurs, and a highly reliable apparatus for dew condensation in the transport path can be obtained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner according to the first embodiment includes an indoor unit 101 including an indoor heat exchanger 102 that is an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan 103 that is an indoor fan, and a compressor 107. The outdoor unit 104 includes a four-way valve 109, an outdoor heat exchanger 105 that is an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan 106 that is an outdoor fan, an expansion valve 108 that is a throttle, and a humidifier 200. In FIG. 1, the refrigerant cycle 116 indicates a heating state, and flows in the directions of arrows 116 a, 116 b, 116 c, 116 d, and 116 e, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 107 passes through the four-way valve 109. The indoor heat exchanger 102 condenses and heats the room 100. The refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 102 is decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 108, vaporized by the outdoor heat exchanger 105, returns to the compressor 107 through the four-way valve 109.

  During the defrosting operation or the cooling operation, the four-way valve 109 is switched so that the refrigerant flows from the four-way valve 109 sequentially to the four-way valve 109 through the outdoor heat exchanger 105 and the indoor heat exchanger 102.

  In the case of a dedicated heating machine or the like, the four-way valve 109 is not always necessary.

  The humidifying device 200 includes a heating unit 201 that is humidified air generating means, a pump 202 that is water supplying means, a water tank 203 that is water storing means, a blower 204 that is humidified air conveying means, and a humidification control unit 205. . Further, the indoor unit 101 is provided with an indoor temperature / humidity sensor 119, the outdoor unit 104 is provided with an outdoor temperature / humidity sensor 121, and the humidifier 200 is provided with a humidified air temperature sensor 214. It is sent to the humidification control unit 205. The humidification control unit 205 determines the outputs 206, 207, and 208 of the heating unit 201, the pump 202, and the blower 204 from the ON / OFF of the humidification operation, the indoor target humidity, the temperature / humidity signals 120 and 122, the humidified air temperature signal 215, and the like. .

The condensed water in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 stored in the water tank 203 is carried to the heating unit 201 by the pump 202 as indicated by an arrow 202a. On the other hand, the outside air taken in by the blower 204 as indicated by an arrow 204a is carried to the heating unit 201 as indicated by an arrow 204b.
The pump 202 used here is not a large flow rate for circulating normal water, but a pump capable of controlling the flow rate with a small capacity (about 50 cc / min) is desirable. The heating unit 201 can be reduced in size by using a heater with high output density.

  In the heating unit 201, the condensed water and the outside air that are carried are heated, the condensed water boils and evaporates, the outside air becomes high-temperature air and mixes with each other, and becomes high-temperature and high-humidity humidified air. In this way, it is carried to the indoor unit 101 to humidify the room 100.

  In the heating unit 201, the condensed water supplied by the pump 203 is heated and boiled to form water vapor, so that it is sterilized and sanitary. Concerning the outside air, if the air is heated to a temperature exceeding 100 ° C., dew condensation can be prevented and a good sanitary condition can be obtained. In this respect, the present invention is superior to a technique for transporting water with liquid and vaporizing or a technique for spraying water.

  Furthermore, since one small pump 202, one small heating unit 201, and a humidified air conveying means can be composed of only one blower 204, in addition to the bulky adsorbent rotor and conveying, it is for adsorption. Compared to the adsorption-type technology that uses this type of blower, a smaller device can be configured.

Further, in the adsorption type, all the heat necessary for detachment of moisture is carried by heated air. The amount of heat required for the release of moisture is almost similar to the latent heat of water, and zeolite having a high adsorption capacity requires a little more heat than the latent heat of water. For example, when 100 g of water is mixed with 1 kg of dry air to create moist air (dew point is about 53 ° C.), the latent heat of water is 2300 J / g and the specific heat of air is 1.006 J / (g · K). In order to release water, the air needs to be at least 229 ° C. or higher. If the temperature of the humidified air is set to 100 ° C. to prevent dew condensation, the temperature of the air before contacting the adsorption rotor needs to be at least 330 ° C., and the materials used are limited and the configuration of the apparatus is difficult.
To avoid this, the amount of air used for moisture removal is increased and the temperature of the air is lowered. As a result, the total mass of humidified air to be transported increases, and a duct having a large cross-sectional area commensurate with this is required.
On the other hand, in the present invention, output of the water supply amount of the pump 202, the intake amount of the outside air by the blower 204, the heating amount in the heating unit 201, and the like can be controlled, so that high-temperature and high-humidity humidified air can be easily produced. Therefore, the total mass of the humidified air to be conveyed can be reduced, and a duct having a small cross-sectional area can be used, so that excellent workability can be realized.
Further, since the blower 204 is upstream of the heating unit 201, high-temperature or high-temperature and high-humidity air does not pass through the inside, so that deterioration of the blower 204 due to heat can be prevented and heat loss can be reduced.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of the heating unit 201 of the air conditioner shown in FIG.

  2A is a side cross-sectional view of the heating unit 201, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view from the surface side perpendicular to the flow path.

  The heating unit 201 includes heating means including an evaporating dish 209 that is a steam generation unit, heat radiation fins 210 and 211 that are air heating units, and a flat plate heater 212, and is supplied from the pump 202 of FIG. 1 as indicated by an arrow 202a. The condensed water thus supplied is supplied from the water supply nozzle 213 to the evaporating dish 209 and evaporates. On the other hand, the outside air taken in by the blower 204 in FIG. 1 is taken into the heating unit 201 as indicated by an arrow 204b, and part of the air is heated through the side of the heat dissipating fins 210, while the rest passes through the evaporating dish 209 and the heat dissipating fins 210. It is further heated while containing water vapor, merges again and becomes high-temperature and high-humidified humidified air and is carried as indicated by an arrow 201a.

The heater 212 is subjected to insulation treatment and is in close contact with the evaporating dish 209 and the heat radiation fins 210 and 211 to dissipate heat. The heating unit 201 effectively uses both sides. The heating unit 201 includes the evaporating dish 209, the heat radiation fins 210 and 211, etc. , And takes a form according to the object to be heated, and each can perform efficient heating.

  In particular, by adopting the concave evaporating dish 209, it is possible to eliminate the scattering and dripping of water, so that it is possible to avoid the risk of water entering from the lead wire take-out portion of the heater 212 and causing an insulation failure. Further, the evaporating dish 209, the heat radiation fins 210 and 211, etc. can be made at low cost because it is not necessary to add active parts such as a heater and a motor with a simple shape.

  Therefore, it is possible to configure the heating unit 201 having a simple and inexpensive configuration and excellent in safety and having high thermal efficiency.

  In addition, since the heater 212 has a flat plate shape, it is possible to dispose the heat radiation fins 210 on one side and the evaporation dish 209 and the heat radiation fins 211 on the other side, eliminating space waste, small, simple and inexpensive. A heating unit 201 having excellent safety and good thermal efficiency can be configured.

  In FIG. 2, the flow paths are horizontal, but when it is desired to arrange them vertically, it is preferable to arrange the evaporating dish 209 upward as shown in FIG. 3.

Moreover, if the output of the pump 202 is increased to increase the amount of humidification and the supply amount of condensed water is increased, the heat amount of the heater 212 is deprived of much heat by the evaporation of the condensed water. As a result, although the dew point of the humidified air at the outlet of the heating unit 201 rises, the temperature falls, so that condensation tends to occur during the conveyance.
Therefore, the humidified air temperature sensor 214 detects the temperature of the humidified air at the outlet of the heating unit 201, and adjusts the output of the heater 212 so that the detected value becomes a predetermined value. Thereby, the humidification amount can be controlled while adjusting the temperature and humidity of the humidified air to a desired state and avoiding condensation.
The similar control is effective because a similar phenomenon occurs not only when the humidification amount changes but also when the outside air temperature changes.

  By the way, in FIG. 1, when the distance between the indoor unit 101 and the outdoor unit 104 becomes longer, the resistance when the humidified air is transported increases, and if the output of the blower 112 is the same, the amount of transported air decreases. The dew point becomes high, the outlet temperature is lowered, and condensation tends to occur. Therefore, when the output of the blower 204 and the heater 212 of the heating unit 201 is increased, condensation can be prevented and humidification with high reliability can be performed.

  Conversely, if the distance between the indoor unit 101 and the outdoor unit 104 is shortened, the amount of air transport increases and the decrease in outlet temperature decreases, so the outputs of the blower 204 and the heater 212 become larger than necessary. When the output is lowered, efficient humidification can be performed.

  Further, when the detection value of the indoor temperature / humidity sensor 119 is significantly smaller than the target humidity, the output of the pump 202 is increased to increase the humidification amount. When the detection value is slightly smaller, the output of the pump 202 is decreased to reduce the humidification amount. Controllability is improved and a comfortable temperature and humidity environment can be obtained. Incidentally, when the detected value of the indoor temperature / humidity sensor 119 exceeds the target humidity, it is desirable not to perform humidification.

  Moreover, since the actual humidification amount changes not only with the output of the pump 202 but also with the temperature and humidity of the outside air, when the absolute humidity of the outside air is high, the output of the pump 202 is given in the same manner as when the humidity is low. The dew point of the humidified air becomes high and condensation tends to occur. Therefore, in consideration of the detection value of the outdoor temperature / humidity sensor 121, if the output of the pump 202 is reduced when the absolute humidity of the outside air is high, condensation can be prevented and highly reliable humidification can be performed.

  In the air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is used for humidification, but it may be configured to supply water manually or automatically from the water supply. It is.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, an air conditioner that configures a heat pump cycle by connecting an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, and heats the outdoor air and water taken in at a high temperature and has an absolute humidity. Humidified air generating means for producing high humidified air, water supply means for supplying water to the humidified air generating means, water storage means for taking up water by the water supply means, and humidified air for sending the humidified air to the indoor unit Since the outdoor unit is equipped with a humidifying means having a conveying means, air and water can be sterilized by heating, and it can be composed of only two small heating means and one humidified air conveying means. Highly humidified air can be generated and transported through a transport path with a small cross-sectional area, and a hygienic and highly reliable humidification function can be realized, and a compact and excellent workability apparatus can be provided.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention has a humidifying function for bringing moisture into the room from the outside, can realize a hygienic and highly reliable humidifying function, and can provide a small device. Because it can realize excellent workability, it can be applied to general air conditioners that humidify such as air conditioners and ventilators.

The block diagram of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention (A) Side sectional view of the heating unit in Embodiment 1 of the present invention (b) Cross sectional view from the surface side perpendicular to the flow path Side sectional view which shows another structure of the heating unit in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Configuration diagram of humidifier of conventional air conditioner

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Indoor unit 102 Indoor heat exchanger 103 Indoor fan 104 Outdoor unit 105 Outdoor heat exchanger 106 Outdoor fan 107 Compressor 108 Expansion valve 200 Humidifier 201 Heating unit 202 Pump 203 Water tank 204 Blower 205 Humidification control unit 119 Indoor temperature / humidity sensor 121 outdoor temperature / humidity sensor 214 humidified air temperature sensor

Claims (9)

An indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanging means for exchanging heat between indoor air and the refrigerant and an indoor air blowing means for sending the indoor air to the indoor heat exchanging means, and an outdoor unit for exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant A heat exchanging means, an outdoor air blowing means for sending outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanging means, a compressor for sucking and compressing the refrigerant, and a throttle means for adjusting the flow resistance of the refrigerant to decompress and expand the high-pressure refrigerant. An air conditioner that constitutes a heat pump cycle by connecting to an outdoor unit having a high temperature and a high absolute humidity by heating the outdoor air and water taken in by the humidifying means provided in the outdoor unit Humidified air generating means for creating humidified air, water supply means for supplying water to the humidified air generating means, water storage means for taking in water by the water supply means, and humidified air conveyance for sending the humidified air to the indoor unit Means For example, an air conditioner, characterized by humidifying the indoor air. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the humidified air conveying means is disposed upstream of the humidified air generating means. The humidified air generating means includes a heating means for heating air and water, and the heating means includes an air heating part for heating the air and a steam generating part for heating the water to generate water vapor. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the steam generating part of the heating means has a concave shape, and the air heating part is provided with fins. 5. The heating unit of the heating means has a flat plate shape, the steam generating unit is disposed on one surface, and the air heating unit having the fins is disposed on the other surface. Air conditioner as described in. Humidified air temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the humidified air is provided after the humidified air generating means, and the output of the heating means is adjusted so that the temperature of the humidified air after the humidified air generating means becomes a predetermined temperature. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the air conditioner is adjusted and the output of the water supply means is adjusted according to a target humidification amount. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein outputs of the humidified air conveying means and the humidified air generating means are adjusted according to a distance for conveying the humidified air. Provided with an indoor temperature / humidity detecting means for detecting the indoor temperature and humidity, the humidification amount is determined according to the difference between the target humidity and the detected humidity of the indoor temperature / humidity detecting means, and the output of the humidified air generating means is adjusted The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The outdoor temperature / humidity detection means for detecting the outdoor temperature and humidity is provided, and the humidification amount is determined based on the target temperature / humidity in the room, the indoor temperature / humidity detected by the indoor temperature / humidity detection means, and the outdoor temperature / humidity. 9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the air conditioner is calculated from the outdoor temperature and humidity detected by the detecting means.