JP2010091120A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

A conventional air conditioner that evaporates and humidifies water has a problem that water remains in the humidifying unit even during a pause, and the remaining water evaporates to reduce the water retention amount. .
SOLUTION: A humidifying means 126 for releasing water vapor to humidify indoor air provided in the indoor unit 102, and a condensate collecting means 121 for the outdoor heat exchanging means 111 provided in the outdoor unit 101 during heating operation. A water storage means 123 for collecting and storing the generated condensed water, a water absorption switching means 124, and a transport means 125 for sending the water stored in the water storage means to the humidifying means 126 are connected in an annular shape by a pipe to circulate the water storage. At the end of humidification, the water absorption switching means 124 switches so that the transport means 126 sucks air, and the water in the circulation path is collected in the water storage means 123, so that the water retention amount during stoppage is prevented from decreasing, and the outdoor heat The condensed water obtained from the exchanger 101 is used effectively.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of heating by forming a heat pump using a refrigerant, supplying condensed water generated by an outdoor heat exchanger into the room, and performing humidification.

  Conventionally, many inventions have been created for this type of air conditioner (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a conventional air conditioner equipped with the humidifier described in Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit 102 provided with the indoor heat exchanger 117 and the indoor blower 118, the outdoor unit provided with the compressor 113, the four-way valve 115, the outdoor heat exchanger 111, the outdoor blower 112, and the expansion valve 114. 101 is connected and the refrigerant is circulated in the direction of arrow 116 to constitute a heat pump cycle, and the room 103 is heated. When the four-way valve 115 is switched, the direction in which the refrigerant flows is opposite to that of the arrow 116, and cooling can be performed.

  In order to humidify the room 103, the outdoor unit 101 is provided with a water storage tank 121 for storing condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 111 and a pump 150, and the indoor unit 102 has a non-porous moisture permeability. A humidification unit 151 using a film is provided. Further, a drain valve 152 is connected to the end of the humidification unit 151.

  When humidification is performed, the water in the water storage tank is sent to the humidification unit 151 of the indoor unit 102 in the direction of the arrow 155 by the pump 150 and is evaporated by the humidification unit 151 using a non-porous moisture permeable membrane. 103. At this time, since the non-porous moisture permeable membrane allows only water molecules to pass therethrough and the remaining impurities are accumulated in the humidifying unit 151 without being evaporated, the drain valve 152 depends on the accumulated operation time of the air conditioner. And drain the water by draining the water to the drain pan. The water containing impurities discharged to the drain pan is drained from the drain hose 154.

  In an air conditioner that performs humidification using condensed water generated by an outdoor heat exchanger described in Patent Document 2, a water storage tank and a pump are provided in both the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and each water storage tank has water. A sensor to detect dirt is provided. And when the stain | pollution | contamination of water is detected, it is comprised so that the water of a water storage tank may be discharged | emitted.

  And the operation method which obtains condensed water efficiently in an outdoor heat exchanger is described.

Further, in the embodiment, when the water storage tank provided in the indoor unit overflows, when the indoor water storage tank is drained due to water contamination, or when excess water is generated without being evaporated by the humidifying unit, It is configured to return to the water tank of the machine.
Japanese Patent No. 2919711 Japanese Patent No. 3071074

However, the conventional configuration cannot always ensure abundant water for humidification. If the condensed water is intentionally obtained under conditions where it is difficult to obtain the condensed water, the efficiency of the heating operation is lowered. Therefore, it is desirable to effectively use the condensed water once obtained. Therefore, since water remains in the humidifying unit even during a pause, the remaining water evaporates and has a problem of reducing the amount of water retained.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at providing the air conditioner provided with the humidification apparatus which can use the acquired condensed water effectively and can operate | move efficiently.

  In order to solve the conventional problems, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes a humidifying unit that releases steam and humidifies indoor air, a condensed water collecting unit that collects condensed water generated during heating operation, and a recovery unit. A water storage means for storing the condensed water, a transport means for sending the water stored in the water storage means to the humidifying means, a water absorption switching means for switching the water and air sent to the transport means, and a water storage means and a water absorption switching means, The conveying means and the humidifying means are connected to each other by a pipe to circulate the stored water for humidification. At the end of humidification, the conveying means is switched to suck air by the water absorption switching means, and the water in the circulation path is collected in the water storing means. Is.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent the water retention amount from being unnecessarily reduced by evaporating water from the humidifying means during the operation stop.

  The air conditioner of the present invention prevents condensed water from being reduced by evaporating water from the humidifying means during operation stop, and effectively uses condensed water obtained from the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby acquiring condensed water. For this reason, it is possible to suppress a decrease in efficiency caused by the above, realize an efficient humidification operation, and provide a more comfortable air-conditioned space.

  The first invention is a humidifying means for humidifying indoor air by releasing water vapor, a condensed water collecting means for collecting condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchange means during heating operation, and a reservoir for storing the collected condensed water. Means, a conveying means for sending the water stored in the water storage means to the humidifying means, and a water absorption switching means for switching the storage water and air to be sent to the conveying means, and the water storage means, the water absorption switching means, the conveying means and the humidifying means are connected by piping. Humidification is performed by connecting the ring to circulate the stored water, and when the humidification is completed, the transport means is switched to suck air by the water absorption switching means, and the water in the circulation path is collected in the water storage means to humidify the operation This prevents water from evaporating from the means and reduces the amount of water retained unnecessarily, making it possible to effectively use the condensate obtained from the outdoor heat exchanger, suppressing the decrease in efficiency caused by condensate acquisition, Good It is possible to provide an apparatus for performing heating.

  In the second invention, in particular, the pipe inner diameter of the path from the transport means of the first invention through the humidification means to the water storage means is set to approximately 8 mm or less so that the water in the pipe closes the inside of the pipe. Can be collected in the water storage means without being left behind by being pushed by the air sent from the conveying means, and it is possible to suppress the reduction of the water retention amount during the suspension of operation as much as possible, and in the piping, algae, fungi, etc. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of blockage and to provide a hygienic and highly efficient device.

  In the third invention, in particular, the water storage means of the first or second invention has a heating means for heating the stored water, so that the temperature of the stored water is raised to a high temperature, or high temperature water is added to the humidification means. The sterilization and freezing prevention of the stored water and the improvement of the humidifying ability of the humidifying means can be realized, and a hygienic, highly reliable and highly humidifying apparatus can be provided.

In the fourth invention, in particular, the water storage means of the third invention can be sterilized even if algae or gonococcus newly invades by heating the water storage when there is water absorption. Can be provided in a hygienic state.

  In the fifth invention, in particular, the water storage means of any one of the first to fourth inventions has a drainage means, and drains the stored water every time the accumulated humidification amount reaches a predetermined value. As a result, it is possible to prevent precipitation and deteriorate the operation efficiency or impair the reliability, and to provide a highly reliable apparatus against water quality deterioration.

  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 102 including an indoor heat exchanger 117 that is an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan 118 that is an indoor fan, and a compressor 113. The outdoor unit 101 including the four-way valve 115, the outdoor heat exchanger 111 that is an outdoor heat exchanger, the outdoor fan 112 that is an outdoor fan, and the expansion valve 114 that is a throttle unit constitutes a refrigeration or heat pump cycle. . In FIG. 1, the refrigerant cycle indicates a heating state, the refrigerant flows in the direction of arrow 116, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 113 passes through the four-way valve 114 and is condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 117. Then, the room 103 is heated. The refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 117 is decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 114, vaporized by the outdoor heat exchanger 111, returns to the compressor 113 through the four-way valve 115.

  At the time of defrosting operation or cooling operation, the four-way valve 115 is switched, and the refrigerant is flowed from the four-way valve 115 to the four-way valve 115 through the outdoor heat exchanger 111 and the indoor heat exchanger 117 in order.

  In the case of a dedicated heating machine or the like, the four-way valve 115 is not always necessary.

  On the other hand, the humidifying unit 126 which is a humidifying means is provided in the indoor unit 102 as equipment for performing humidification. The humidifying unit 126 is configured using a moisture-permeable film, and only water vapor is released.

  The outdoor unit 101 includes an outdoor drain receiver 121 and a water supply pump 122 that are condensed water collection means, a water tank 123 that is a water storage means, and a conveyance pump 125 that is a conveyance means. Between the water tank 123 and the transfer pump 125, a three-way valve 124 serving as a water absorption switching means is disposed. Air is sucked into the conveyance pump 125 from the attached pipe.

  During the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 111 serves as an evaporator, which absorbs heat from outdoor air and evaporates the refrigerant. As a result, when outdoor air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 111, dew condensation occurs in the outdoor heat exchanger 111 when the temperature becomes a dew point or lower. Of course, the condensed water is not always abundantly condensable, and the condensed water is not abundantly obtained. Therefore, the condensed water that has flowed down to the outdoor drain receiver 121 is stored in the water tank 123 by the water supply pump 122.

  If the water for humidification still runs short, the operation will be intentionally made to produce condensed water. Specifically, during heating operation, control is performed such as reducing the rotational speed of the outdoor fan 112 or increasing the rotational speed of the compressor, or the water retention amount is operated only to obtain water when the outdoor air condition is good. The operation such as increasing is performed.

  However, such an operation is not desirable from the viewpoint of energy saving, and it is desirable to prevent it from being generated as much as possible.

  The water tank 123, the three-way valve 124, the transport pump 125, and the humidification unit 126 are annularly connected by a humidification pipe 131, and the three-way valve 124 is set to supply water from the lower part of the water tank 123 to the transport pump 125 during humidification. The water in the water tank 123 is sent to the humidification unit 126 by the transfer pump 125 as indicated by an arrow 130. Then, a part of the water evaporates in the humidifying unit 126, gets on the blown air 119, diffuses into the room 103, and is humidified. The remaining water returns to the water tank 123 and is sent again to the humidification unit 126 by the transport pump 125. Thus, the water stored in the water tank 123 continues to circulate between the water tank 123 and the humidifying unit 126 until it evaporates and is used for humidification.

  At the end of humidification, the three-way valve 124 is set so as to supply air from the air section above the water tank 123 to the transport pump 125, and the transport pump 125 sucks air and sends it out to the humidification unit 126. The water in the circulation path is pushed by the air sent out from the transport pump 125 and returns to the water tank 123. When all of the water in the path returns to the water tank 123, the transport pump 125 is stopped and the humidification operation is terminated.

  By a series of operations at the end of humidification, the inside of the humidification unit 126 is replaced with air, and no water remains. If water remains in the humidifying unit 126, the water naturally evaporates from the humidifying unit 126 even if there is no intention of humidifying during the stop. As a result, when the operation of the air conditioner is restarted and humidification is attempted, the amount of water retained is decreasing, so in some cases, the amount of energy consumed is increased and condensed water is acquired.

  In the air conditioner of the present invention, since the inside of the humidifying unit 126 is replaced with air and no water remains, it is possible to prevent the water retention amount from being reduced unnecessarily and to effectively use the condensed water obtained from the outdoor heat exchanger 101. can do.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a device that suppresses a decrease in efficiency caused by acquiring condensed water and performs efficient heating.

  In general, the pipe diameter of the circulating water system and the cross-sectional area of the flow path are determined by the flow rate per unit time, the total flow path length, the capacity of the pump, and the like.

  However, in the embodiment of the present invention, the humidifying pipe 131 and the pipe inside the humidifying unit 126 are configured in a pipe or a channel shape that has a channel area with an inner diameter of 8 mm or less or equivalent or less.

  In the configuration as in the present invention, if the inner diameter of the pipe and the cross-sectional area of the flow path are large, when air is fed from the transport pump 125 at the end of humidification, water remains in the interior at the lowermost end including the local case. It may be lost. In particular, in the case of an installation configuration in which the indoor unit is lower in the height direction than the outdoor unit, water tends to be left inside.

  However, when the inner diameter of the pipe and the cross-sectional area of the flow path are reduced, the amount of water left behind is reduced by the fact that the flow path cross-sectional area itself is reduced. So almost everything can be recovered by sending air.

  That is, in the present invention, the humidification pipe 131 and the pipe inside the humidification unit 126 have a pipe or channel shape with an inner diameter of 8 mm or less or an equivalent or less, so that water in the circulation path can be obtained. All the water can be collected in the water tank 123.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a hygienic and highly efficient device by suppressing a decrease in the amount of water retained during operation suspension as much as possible and preventing the generation of algae and gonococci in the humidifying pipe 131.

  Further, if antibacterial treatment is applied to the inner surface of the humidifying pipe 131, a higher effect can be obtained in terms of hygiene.

  In the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1, a heater 127 is further provided at the bottom of the water tank 123.

  Sterilization can be performed by heating the water in the water tank 123 with the heater 127 to a high temperature. Then, by sending the heated water to the humidification unit 126, freezing in the circulation path can be prevented. Furthermore, by raising the water temperature in the humidifying unit 126, evaporation of water can be promoted and the amount of humidification can be increased.

  As a result, it is possible to provide a device that is hygienic, excellent in reliability, and high in humidification ability.

  Further, in the air conditioner of FIG. 1, water supply from the water supply pump 122 to the water tank 123 is irregular, and condensed water is obtained in the outdoor drain receiver 121 even when humidification is not performed. If there is a vacancy, water is supplied. Therefore, there is a possibility that algae and gonococcus may enter the water tank anew, and when the water supply is finished, the water in the water tank 123 is heated by the heater 127 to a high temperature and can be sterilized. It is possible to provide a device that can always keep the water storage in a hygienic state.

  In the air conditioner of FIG. 1, when humidification is performed for a long period of time, only water evaporates from the humidification unit 126, so that a very small amount of impurities remain in the condensed water, resulting in a high concentration and poor water quality. If the water quality deteriorates, corrosion of organic impurities and structures may be accelerated, or base precipitates may be generated, leading to performance degradation and piping blockage.

  Therefore, a drainage path 132 provided with a drainage valve 128 as a drainage means is provided, and when the accumulated humidification amount reaches a predetermined value, the drainage valve 128 is opened to drain all stored water. At this time, the air valve 129 attached to the upper part of the water tank 123 is opened so that drainage can be performed smoothly. After draining the water in the water tank 123, the water is stored for humidification again.

  The air valve 129 is basically closed when the humidification is stopped to prevent evaporation of the stored water, and is opened during the humidification operation to introduce air corresponding to a decrease in water. Even when the humidification is stopped, when the condensed water is supplied by the water supply pump 122, it is opened and air corresponding to the water supply is discharged.

  In this way, against the increase in the concentration of salts, etc. in the stored water, draining the stored water every time the accumulated humidification amount reaches a predetermined value can prevent the operating efficiency from deteriorating or impairing the reliability. And a highly reliable device can be provided.

  As described above, the air conditioner according to the present invention has a humidifying function for bringing moisture from the outside, and can realize a hygienic and highly reliable humidifying function, so that it is widely applied to all air conditioners. be able to.

The block diagram of the air conditioner in Embodiment 1 of this invention Configuration diagram of conventional air conditioner

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Outdoor unit 102 Indoor unit 103 Indoor 111 Outdoor heat exchanger 112 Outdoor blower 113 Compressor 114 Expansion valve 115 Four-way valve 117 Indoor heat exchanger 118 Indoor blower 121 Outdoor drain receiving 122 Water supply pump 123 Water tank 124 Three-way valve 125 Conveyance pump 126 Humidification unit 127 Heater 128 Drain valve 129 Air valve 131 Humidification pipe 132 Drain path

Claims (5)

Indoor heat exchanging means for exchanging heat between indoor air and refrigerant; indoor air blowing means for sending indoor air to the indoor heat exchanging means; and outdoor heat exchanging means for exchanging heat between outdoor air and refrigerant. An outdoor air blowing means for sending the 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 the indoor heat exchanging means, the indoor air blowing means, the outdoor heat exchanging means, the outdoor air blowing means, the compressor, and the throttle means. Further, humidifying means for further releasing water vapor to humidify the indoor air, condensed water collecting means for collecting condensed water generated in the outdoor heat exchange means during heating operation, and storing the collected condensed water Water storage means; Transport means for sending the water stored in the water storage means to the humidification means, water absorption switching means for switching the water and air to be sent to the transport means, the water storage means, the water absorption switching means, and the transport means, The humidifying means is connected in a ring with a pipe to circulate the stored water to perform humidification. At the end of humidification, the water absorption switching means switches so that the conveying means sucks air, and water in the circulation path is supplied to the water storage means. An air conditioner characterized by recovery. 2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of a path from the transport unit to the water storage unit through the humidification unit is approximately 8 mm or less. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water storage means includes a heating means for heating the water storage. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the water storage is heated when water is supplied from the condensed water recovery means to the water storage means. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the water storage means has a drainage means, and drains the water every time the accumulated humidification amount reaches a predetermined value.