CN113701268A

CN113701268A - Environment forming device

Info

Publication number: CN113701268A
Application number: CN202110476414.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 上田正胜
Original assignee: Espec Corp
Current assignee: Espec Corp
Priority date: 2020-05-20
Filing date: 2021-04-29
Publication date: 2021-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 2041-04-29
Also published as: JP7225160B2; DE102021205079A1; JP2021181955A; CN113701268B

Abstract

The invention provides an environment forming device with a humidifier, which can restrain burst type ejection of steam during humidification and can easily realize control for proper humidification. The environmental test device includes: a humidity sensor for measuring humidity of the test chamber; a humidifier having a reservoir and a heater; a second temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the water in the storage tank; and a controller. The controller has: a humidification calculation unit that calculates a humidification output based on the humidity set value and the measurement value of the humidity sensor; a preheating calculation unit that calculates a preheating output based on a preheating temperature set value and a measurement value of the second temperature sensor; and an output switching section. The output switching section controls the output of the heater such that: the output of the heater becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than a predetermined value, and becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is less than or equal to the predetermined value.

Description

Environment forming device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an environment forming apparatus including a steam humidifier for humidifying the inside of a laboratory.

Background

An environment forming apparatus having a steam humidifier for setting the interior of a test room in which a sample is placed to a predetermined humidity is known. In the steam humidifier, when a humidity control signal is received, steam generated by heating and boiling water stored in a storage tank by a heater is sent into the interior of a laboratory to humidify the water.

In the humidifier described above, there are cases where: steam cannot be sufficiently generated until the water in the storage tank boils after the humidity control signal is received, and thus the humidity control cannot be performed quickly. In this case, although the humidity control signal is received, humidification is not performed in the interior of the test chamber, the output of the heater continues to increase, and when the water in the storage tank reaches the boiling point, overshoot of steam (explosive ejection of steam) may occur, and the interior of the test chamber may be excessively humidified.

As a configuration for preventing the above-described situation, patent document 1 discloses a steam generator (steam humidifier) provided with a preheating heater for preheating water in a water tank (storage tank), wherein the preheating heater is operated regardless of an input of a humidity control signal to constantly keep the water in the water tank near an evaporation point.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese Kokai publication Hei-5-96701

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the humidifier of patent document 1, a humidifying heater and a preheating heater for generating steam and humidifying the steam are individually controlled, and the preheating heater is turned off when the humidifying heater receives a humidity control signal and the water temperature in the water tank reaches an evaporation point. Therefore, the output of the humidifying heater needs to be readjusted because the preheating heater loses the heating of the inside of the water tank, and it is difficult to perform appropriate humidification.

The invention aims to provide an environment forming device which restrains burst type ejection of steam during humidification and easily realizes control for appropriate humidification.

Means for solving the problems

An environment forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is an environment forming apparatus for adjusting an environment inside a test room in which a sample is placed, the environment forming apparatus including: a humidity sensor measuring humidity of an interior of the test chamber; a humidifier which is a steam type humidifier for humidifying the inside of the test chamber by generating steam and which has a storage tank for storing water and a heater for heating the water in the storage tank; a temperature sensor that directly or indirectly measures the temperature of the water in the storage tank; and a control section, wherein the control section has: a humidification calculation unit that calculates a humidification output to be output by the heater when the humidity inside the test chamber is set to the humidity set value, based on a predetermined humidity set value and a measurement value of the humidity sensor; a preheating calculation unit that calculates a preheating output to be output by the heater when the water in the storage tank is heated to the preheating temperature setting value, based on a preheating temperature setting value that is a temperature lower than a boiling point and a measurement value of the temperature sensor; and an output switching unit that controls the output of the heater so that: the output of the heater becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than a predetermined value, the output of the heater becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is less than the predetermined value, and the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output when the humidification output is the same as the predetermined value.

According to the first invention, the heater may output either one of the humidification output and the warm-up output based on the comparison between the humidification output and the predetermined value. Therefore, by preheating the water in the storage tank at least when the humidification output is smaller than the predetermined value, the burst ejection of steam during humidification can be suppressed. Further, when the humidification output is larger than the predetermined value, humidification is performed by switching the output of the heater from the warm-up output to the humidification output, and therefore humidification control becomes easy.

An environment forming apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is an environment forming apparatus for adjusting an environment inside a test room in which a sample is placed, the environment forming apparatus including: a humidity sensor measuring humidity of an interior of the test chamber; a humidifier which is a steam type humidifier for humidifying the inside of the test chamber by generating steam and which has a storage tank for storing water and a heater for heating the water in the storage tank; a temperature sensor that directly or indirectly measures the temperature of the water in the storage tank; and a control section, wherein the control section has: a humidification calculation unit that calculates a humidification output to be output by the heater when the humidity inside the test chamber is set to the humidity set value, based on a predetermined humidity set value and a measurement value of the humidity sensor; a preheating calculation unit that calculates a preheating output to be output by the heater when the water in the storage tank is heated to the preheating temperature setting value, based on a preheating temperature setting value that is a temperature lower than a boiling point and a measurement value of the temperature sensor; and an output switching section that controls an output of the heater so that: the output of the heater becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the warm-up output, the output of the heater becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is less than the warm-up output, and the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output when the humidification output is the same as the warm-up output.

According to the second invention, the heater may always output either one of the humidification output and the warm-up output based on the comparison between the humidification output and the warm-up output. Therefore, by preheating the water in the storage tank when the humidification output is small, it is possible to suppress the burst ejection of steam when humidification is performed later. Further, when the humidification output is large, humidification is performed by switching the output of the heater from the warm-up output to the humidification output, and therefore humidification control becomes easy.

The environment forming apparatus according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the environment forming apparatus according to the first and second inventions, the control section performs control of: performing two types of operations, a humidifying operation in which the inside of the test chamber is humidified by the humidifier and a non-humidifying operation in which the inside of the test chamber is not humidified by the humidifier, in a predetermined order; controlling, by the output switching unit, an output of the heater so that the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output during the humidification operation; and supplying a current to the heater so that an output of the heater becomes the warm-up output within a predetermined period traced back from a predetermined timing of ending the non-humidification operation performed immediately before the humidification operation.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the water in the storage tank is heated in advance before the humidification operation is performed, so that the humidity in the test chamber can be quickly brought to the humidity set value after the humidification operation is started.

In the environment forming apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the environment forming apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, the control unit further includes a warm-up time calculation unit that calculates a warm-up time required to heat the water in the storage tank to the warm-up temperature set value based on the warm-up temperature set value and a measurement value of the temperature sensor, wherein the predetermined period is set to a period from a predetermined time point when the non-humidification operation ends to a time point after the warm-up time.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the interior of the storage tank can be set to the preheating temperature set value when the humidification operation is started, and the heater can be prevented from performing an excessive output. Therefore, the humidity in the test chamber can be made to reach the humidity set value more quickly after the humidification operation is started, and power saving can be achieved.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, burst-type ejection of steam during humidification can be suppressed, and control for appropriate humidification can be easily achieved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an environment testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the controller of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the humidifier and the humidification control unit.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the environment testing apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the environment testing apparatus according to the first modification.

Description of the reference numerals

1 Environment testing device (Environment forming device)

10 test cell

10a1 laboratory

10a2 air-conditioning room

14 humidity sensor

22 heater

23 Cooling dehumidifier

24 humidifier

24a storage tank

24b heater

24c second temperature sensor (temperature sensor)

30 power supply unit

40 controller (control part)

51 humidification arithmetic unit

52 preheating calculation part

53 output switching part

54 preheating time calculating part

P predetermined value

Detailed Description

(Overall configuration of Environment testing apparatus 1)

First, the overall configuration of an environmental test apparatus 1 (an environment forming apparatus of the present invention) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1. Hereinafter, the vertical direction and the front-rear direction defined in fig. 1 are defined as the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the environmental test apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the environmental test apparatus 1 includes: a test chamber 10, a power supply unit 30, and a controller 40 (control unit of the present invention). The environmental test apparatus 1 is an apparatus for performing an environmental test on a sample M, and is used for inspecting the performance of the sample M (parts, materials, etc.) in the fields of, for example, electric and electronics, automobiles, material engineering, and the like.

The internal space 10a of the test cell 10 is divided into two spaces (a test chamber 10a1 and an air-conditioning chamber 10a2) by a partition 12. The test chamber 10a1 and the air-conditioning chamber 10a2 communicate with each other via the upper opening 12a and the lower opening 12b of the partition 12.

In the laboratory 10a1, there are provided: a shelf 11 for placing the test specimen M, a temperature sensor 13 for measuring the temperature of the test chamber 10a1, and a humidity sensor 14 for measuring the humidity of the test chamber 10a 1. An openable/closable door 15 is provided at the front of the test cell 10. In a state where the door 15 is opened, the sample M is carried into the test chamber 10a1 from the outside, or carried out from the test chamber 10a1 to the outside.

The air conditioning room 10a2 is provided with a blower 21, a heater 22, a cooling dehumidifier 23, and a humidifier 24. The heater 22 heats the air-conditioning room 10a2, and is constituted by an electric heater such as a sheath heater, for example. The cooling dehumidifier 23 cools and dehumidifies the air-conditioning room 10a2, and is connected to the refrigerator 23 a. In the present embodiment, a vapor compression refrigerator is used as the refrigerator 23a, but a stirling refrigerator may be used. Further, as the cooling dehumidifier 23, a peltier element, a heat pipe, a heat tunnel, or the like may be used. The humidifier 24 generates steam to perform humidification of the air-conditioning chamber 10a2, which will be described in detail later.

By driving the blower 21, the air whose temperature and humidity have been adjusted by the heater 22, the dehumidifier 23, and the humidifier 24 in the air-conditioning room 10a2 flows from the air-conditioning room 10a2 to the test room 10a1 through the upper opening 12 a. The air flowing into the laboratory 10a1 through the upper opening 12a moves from the upper side to the lower side in the laboratory 10a1, and flows into the air-conditioning room 10a2 through the lower opening 12 b. Thus, air circulates in the test room 10a1 and the air-conditioning room 10a 2.

As shown in fig. 2, the power supply unit 30 is connected to a commercial power supply, not shown, and the controller 40, and supplies power transmitted from the commercial power supply to the controller 40.

As shown in fig. 2, the controller 40 is electrically connected to the blower 21, the heater 22, the refrigerator 23a, and the humidifier 24, respectively. The controller 40 is constituted by a personal computer, for example. Such a computer houses hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk, and various types of software including a program for controlling the operation of the entire environment testing apparatus 1 are stored in the hard disk. By combining these hardware and software, the humidification control unit 41, the air blow control unit 42, the temperature control unit 43, the dehumidification control unit 44, and the storage unit 45 are constructed.

The blower control unit 42 controls the driving of the blower 21. The temperature control unit 43 controls the driving of the heater 22 and the refrigerator 23a based on the measurement value of the temperature sensor 13 so that the temperature of the laboratory 10a1 becomes a predetermined temperature. In order to set the humidity of the test chamber 10a1 to a predetermined level, the humidification control unit 41 controls the driving of the humidifier 24 based on the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14, and the dehumidification control unit 44 controls the driving of the refrigerator 23a based on the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14. In order to make the laboratory 10a1 a desired environment, two or three of the heater 22, the refrigerator 23a, and the humidifier 24 are sometimes driven at the same time. The storage unit 45 stores preset temperature set values, humidity set values, and the like of the laboratory 10a 1. The configuration of the humidification control unit 41 will be described in detail later.

(humidifier 24)

Next, the structure of the humidifier 24 will be described below with reference to fig. 3. As shown in fig. 3, the humidifier 24 includes a reservoir 24a, a heater 24b, and a vapor discharge portion 24 d. Water is stored in the storage tank 24 a. The heater 24b heats the water in the storage tank 24 a. Further, a second temperature sensor 24c for measuring the temperature of the water in the storage tank 24a is provided. The second temperature sensor 24c may directly measure the temperature of the water, or may indirectly measure the temperature of the water by measuring the temperature of the storage tank 24a or the like. The steam discharge portion 24d is a portion for discharging steam generated by boiling water in the storage tank 24a to the air-conditioning compartment 10a 2.

(humidification control unit 41)

The heater 24b is connected to the humidification control unit 41 of the controller 40, and output control is performed by the current supplied from the humidification control unit 41. The structure of the humidification control unit 41 will be described below with reference to fig. 3. The humidification control unit 41 includes a humidification calculation unit 51, a warm-up calculation unit 52, an output switching unit 53, and a warm-up time calculation unit 54.

The humidification calculation unit 51 calculates the humidification output from the heater 24b when the humidity in the laboratory 10a1 is set to the humidity set value, based on the humidity set value stored in the storage unit 45 and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14. As described above, the humidity set value is a value set in advance by the user and is stored in the storage unit 45. When the humidity set value is smaller than the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14, the humidification output becomes a smaller value (minimum 0) as the difference between the humidity set value and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14 becomes larger, and when the humidity set value is larger than the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14, the humidification output becomes a larger value as the difference between the humidity set value and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14 becomes larger. Further, when the humidity set value and the measured value of the humidity sensor 14 are the same, the humidification output becomes an output value required to maintain the humidity of the laboratory 10a1 at the humidity set value.

The preheating calculation unit 52 calculates the preheating output from the heater 24b when the water in the storage tank 24a is heated to the preheating temperature set value (for example, 90 ℃) based on the preheating temperature set value that is the temperature lower than the boiling point and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24 c. The preheating temperature set value is, for example, a preset value, and is stored in the storage unit 45. When the preheating temperature setting value is smaller than the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c, the larger the difference between the preheating temperature setting value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c, the smaller the preheating output becomes (the minimum is 0), and when the preheating temperature setting value is larger than the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c, the larger the difference between the preheating temperature setting value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c, the larger the preheating output becomes. Further, when the preheating temperature set value and the measured value of the second temperature sensor 24c are the same, the preheating output becomes an output value required to keep the water in the reservoir tank 24a at the preheating temperature set value.

The output switching unit 53 is an arithmetic circuit for inputting an output signal to a relay unit 55 described later so that the output of the heater 24b becomes either a humidification output or a warm-up output. The output switching unit 53 determines which output signal is input to the relay unit 55, and the output signal corresponds to the humidification output or the warm-up output, so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P, and the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P. In the present embodiment, the predetermined value P is 0, and is the minimum value of the humidification output when the humidity set value is smaller than the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14, or the value of the humidification output during the non-humidification operation described later. The relay unit 55 is connected to the output switching unit 53, the power supply unit 30, and the heater 24 b. The power supply unit 30 supplies current to the relay unit 55. Then, the relay unit 55 supplies the heater 24b with a current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching unit 53. In the present embodiment, the relay unit 55 is assumed to be an SSR, but may be another relay.

The predetermined value may be any value larger than 0. For example, when the maximum output of the heater 24b that defines the maximum humidification performance of the humidifier 24 is set to 100, the predetermined value may be set to any value such as 5 or 10.

The preheating time calculation section 54 calculates the preheating time required for the heater 24b to output the preheating output to heat the water in the storage tank 24a to the preheating temperature setting value based on the preheating temperature setting value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24 c.

(operation of environmental test device 1)

Next, the operation of the environment testing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment when adjusting the environment of the test room 10a1 in which the sample M is placed will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 4.

In the present embodiment, the controller 40 of the environment testing apparatus 1 performs a so-called program operation that executes two types of operations in a predetermined order: a humidifying operation of humidifying the laboratory 10a1 by the humidifier 24; and a non-humidified operation in which the test chamber 10a1 is not humidified by the humidifier 24. In addition, there are a plurality of operations with different conditions such as temperature and time in the humidification operation, and a plurality of operations with different conditions such as temperature and time in the non-humidification operation. In the present embodiment, temperature control and dehumidification are performed in a plurality of humidification operations and a plurality of non-humidification operations.

First, the user sets a program for executing a plurality of humidification operations under different conditions and a plurality of non-humidification operations under different conditions in a predetermined order (step S1). The program includes humidity set values of the test chamber 10a1 in the plurality of humidification operations, temperature set values in the plurality of humidification operations and non-humidification operations, and operation time periods thereof, which are also set in advance by the user. The program is stored in the storage unit 45. Next, a preheating temperature set value that is a temperature lower than the boiling point is set by the user (step S2). The preheating temperature set value is stored in the storage section 45.

After that, the controller 40 starts the program operation based on the program stored in the storage unit 45 (step S3). First, the controller 40 determines whether or not the operation to be performed thereafter is the humidification operation (step S4). When it is determined that the operation to be performed thereafter is the humidification operation (yes in S4), the controller 40 calculates a humidification output by the humidification arithmetic unit 51 based on the humidity set value corresponding to the humidification operation and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14. Then, it is determined whether or not the calculated humidification output is greater than 0, which is a predetermined value P (step S5).

When determining that the humidification output is greater than 0 (yes in S5), the humidification control unit 41 of the controller 40 inputs an output signal corresponding to the humidification output to the relay unit 55 via the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output. Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the humidification output by supplying the current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching portion 53 to the heater 24b through the relay portion 55 (step S6). When determining that the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P, i.e., 0 (S5: no), the warm-up calculation unit 52 calculates the warm-up output based on the warm-up temperature set value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24 c. The humidification control unit 41 of the controller 40 inputs an output signal corresponding to the warm-up output to the relay unit 55 through the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the calculated warm-up output. Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output by supplying the current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching section 53 to the heater 24b through the relay section 55 (step S7).

The controller 40 determines whether the humidification operation is ended (step S8). The judgment as to whether the humidification operation is completed or not is performed at regular intervals during the time when the humidification operation is performed, for example. If it is determined that the humidification operation has not been completed (no in S8), the controller 40 returns to step S5 to calculate the humidification output again based on the measured value of the humidity sensor 14 and the humidity set value acquired at that time, and to determine whether or not the calculated humidification output is greater than 0.

In step S4, if it is determined that the operation performed thereafter is not the humidification operation (S4: no), the controller 40 determines whether the operation performed next in the program operation is the humidification operation (step S9). If it is determined that the operation to be performed next is not the humidification operation (S9: no), the controller 40 performs the non-humidification operation based on the temperature set value, the operation time, and the like stored in the storage unit 45 (step S10). In the non-humidification operation, at least the temperature of the test chamber 10a1 is adjusted by the heater 22 and the dehumidifier 23.

When it is determined that the next operation to be performed is the humidification operation (yes in S9), the controller 40 calculates the warm-up time required for heating the water in the storage tank 24a to the warm-up temperature set value based on the warm-up temperature set value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c by the warm-up time calculation section 54 (step S11).

After the warm-up time is calculated, the controller 40 executes the non-humidification operation based on the temperature set value, the operation time, and the like stored in the storage unit 45 (step S12). In the non-humidification operation of step S12, the controller 40 inputs an output signal corresponding to the warm-up output to the relay unit 55 via the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output during a period from the scheduled end time of the non-humidification operation to the time traced back to the warm-up time. Then, the controller 40 supplies the heater 24b with a current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching unit 53 through the relay unit 55, thereby setting the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output. Here, it is assumed that the warm-up time calculated in step S11 is shorter than the time of the non-humidification operation in step S12, but the warm-up time is longer than the time of the non-humidification operation in step S12, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output through the output switching unit 53 and the relay unit 55 from the beginning of the non-humidification operation in step S12.

When it is determined that the humidification operation is ended (yes in S8), or when the non-humidification operation is ended (S10 or S12), the controller 40 determines whether or not the program operation is ended (step S13). If it is determined that the program operation has not been completed (no in S13), the controller 40 returns to step S4 to determine whether the operation to be performed thereafter is the humidification operation. When it is determined that the program operation is ended (yes in S13), the operation of the environment testing apparatus 1 is ended.

(Effect)

In the present embodiment, the output switching unit 53 controls the output of the heater 24b so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P, and the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P. Therefore, the heater 24b can output either one of the humidification output and the warm-up output based on the comparison of the humidification output with the predetermined value P. Therefore, when the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P, the water in the storage tank 24a is preheated, whereby burst ejection of steam during humidification can be suppressed. Further, when the humidification output is larger than the predetermined value P, humidification is performed by switching the output of the heater 24b from the warm-up output to the humidification output, and thus the humidification control is easily performed.

In the present embodiment, the controller 40 controls the output of the heater 24b by the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes either the humidification output or the warm-up output during the humidification operation. Further, the controller 40 controls the output of the heater 24b so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output during a period from a scheduled end time of the non-humidification operation executed immediately before the humidification operation to a time traced back to the warm-up time. Therefore, when the humidification operation is started, the inside of the storage tank 24a can be set to the preheating temperature set value, and the heater 24b can be prevented from performing an excessive output. Therefore, the humidity in the test chamber 10a1 can be set to the humidity set value more quickly after the humidification operation is started, and power can be saved.

(modification example)

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

(first modification)

First, the environmental test apparatus 1 according to the first modification will be described below. However, portions having the same configurations as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the output switching section 53 controls the output of the heater 24b so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P, and the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P. However, in the first modification, the output switching section 53 controls the output of the heater 24b such that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the warm-up output, and the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is equal to or less than the warm-up output. In the above embodiment, the controller 40 performs the program operation in which the plurality of humidification operations and the plurality of non-humidification operations are performed in a predetermined order. However, in the first modification, the controller 40 does not perform the program operation. Next, the operation of the environment testing apparatus 1 according to the first modification when the environment of the test room 10a1 in which the sample M is placed is adjusted will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 5.

First, a preheating temperature set value that is a temperature lower than the boiling point is set by the user (step S21). The preheating temperature set value is stored in the storage section 45. Next, the controller 40 starts an environmental test for adjusting the environment (temperature, humidity, etc.) of the laboratory 10a1 (step S22).

After the start of the environmental test, the controller 40 calculates the humidification output by the humidification arithmetic unit 51 and the warm-up output by the warm-up arithmetic unit 52. Then, it is determined whether or not the calculated humidification output is larger than the calculated warm-up output (step S23). When determining that the humidification output is greater than the warm-up output (yes in S23), the humidification control unit 41 of the controller 40 inputs an output signal corresponding to the humidification output to the relay unit 55 via the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output. Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the humidification output by supplying the current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching portion 53 to the heater 24b through the relay portion 55 (step S24).

When determining that the humidification output is equal to or less than the warm-up output (S23: no), the humidification control unit 41 of the controller 40 inputs an output signal corresponding to the warm-up output to the relay unit 55 via the output switching unit 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output. Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output by supplying the current corresponding to the output signal input from the output switching section 53 to the heater 24b through the relay section 55 (step S25).

Next, the controller 40 determines whether the environmental test is ended (step S26). If it is determined that the environmental test has not been completed (no in S26), the controller 40 returns to step S23 to obtain the humidity in the test chamber 10a1 and the temperature of the water in the storage tank 24a again, then calculate the humidification output and the warm-up output, and determine whether or not the calculated humidification output is greater than the calculated warm-up output. When it is determined that the environmental test is completed (yes in S26), the operation of the environmental test apparatus 1 is completed.

Here, as in the above-described embodiment, both the humidification output and the warm-up output have a variable value, and the magnitude relationship therebetween also varies. Therefore, it is preferable to always determine whether the humidification output is larger than the warm-up output (S23). Therefore, in the first modification, the determination (S26) as to whether the environmental test is completed and the determination (S23) as to whether the humidification output is larger than the warm-up output by the controller 40 are always performed until the environmental test is completed.

According to the configuration of the first modification, the heater 24b can always output either one of the humidification output and the warm-up output based on the comparison between the humidification output and the warm-up output. Therefore, when the humidification output is small, the water in the storage tank 24a is preheated, and thereby the burst ejection of steam during humidification thereafter can be suppressed. Further, when the humidification output becomes large, humidification is performed by switching the output of the heater 24b from the warm-up output to the humidification output, and therefore, humidification control is easily performed.

(other modification example)

In the above embodiment, the controller 40 determines whether or not the humidification output is larger than the predetermined value P when the humidification operation is performed (S5). Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the humidification output by the output switching unit 53 when determining that the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P, and sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output by the output switching unit 53 when determining that the humidification output is equal to or less than the predetermined value P. However, the controller 40 may determine whether or not the humidification output is equal to or greater than a predetermined value when the humidification operation is performed. In this case, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the humidification output through the output switching portion 53 when the humidification output is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output through the output switching portion 53 when the humidification output is less than the predetermined value.

This is also the same for the first modification described above. That is, after the environmental test is started, the controller 40 determines whether or not the humidification output is equal to or greater than the warm-up output. Then, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the humidification output by the output switching unit 53 when the humidification output is equal to or higher than the warm-up output, and sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output by the output switching unit 53 when the humidification output is smaller than the warm-up output.

In the above embodiment, the controller 40 determines in step S5 whether the calculated humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P. Then, when determining that the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P (S5: YES), the controller 40 controls the output of the heater 24b through the output switching section 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output (step S6). However, the controller 40 may also execute step S23 in the above-described first modification between step S5 and step S6. That is, when determining that the humidification output is greater than the predetermined value P, the controller 40 calculates the humidification output by the humidification arithmetic unit 51 and calculates the warm-up output by the warm-up arithmetic unit 52. Then, it may be determined whether or not the calculated humidification output is greater than the calculated warm-up output. In this case, when the humidification output is larger than the warm-up output, the controller 40 controls the output of the heater 24b through the output switching portion 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the humidification output. When the humidification output is equal to or less than the warm-up output, the controller 40 controls the output of the heater 24b through the output switching portion 53 so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output.

In the non-humidification operation at step S12 in the above embodiment, when the warm-up time is longer than the time of the non-humidification operation at step S12, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output from the beginning of the non-humidification operation at S12. However, in the case where the warm-up time is longer than the time of the non-humidification operation of S12, the controller 40 may set the output of the heater 24b to the warm-up output through the output switching section 53 and the relay section 55 from the time when the next operation is the non-humidification operation performed before the non-humidification operation, which is the humidification operation. Specifically, the controller 40 determines in step S9 whether or not the humidification operation is included in the operations to be executed later. If the humidification operation is not included in the operations to be performed later, the controller 40 performs the non-humidification operation at S10. In the case where the humidification operation is included in the operations to be performed later, the controller 40 executes step S11 for calculating the warm-up time. Next, the controller 40 determines whether or not the warm-up needs to be started in the non-humidification operation performed thereafter. In the case where the warm-up does not need to be started, the controller 40 performs the non-humidification operation of S10. In the case where the warm-up needs to be started, the controller 40 performs the non-humidifying operation of S12 accompanied by the warm-up. The case where the warm-up needs to be started is a case where the time traced back from the start predetermined time of the humidification operation performed first (or the end predetermined time of the non-humidification operation performed immediately before the humidification operation) in the humidification operation performed later is included in the non-humidification operation performed later. In the non-humidification operation at S12, the controller 40 sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output during a period from the time when the warm-up time is traced from the start predetermined time of the humidification operation performed first (or the end predetermined time of the non-humidification operation performed immediately before the humidification operation) to the start predetermined time of the humidification operation (or the end predetermined time of the non-humidification operation performed immediately before the humidification operation) in the humidification operation performed later.

In the above embodiment, when the humidity set value is larger than the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14, the humidification output becomes a larger value as the difference between the humidity set value and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14 becomes larger. However, in order to set the humidity of the laboratory 10a1 to the humidity set value in the shortest time, the humidification output may be the maximum output of the heater 24b regardless of the difference between the humidity set value and the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14 when the humidity set value is greater than the measurement value of the humidity sensor 14. Furthermore, the algorithm used to calculate the humidification output may include not only the humidity set point and the measured value of the humidity sensor 14, but may also include parameters in addition to these.

In the above embodiment, when the preheating temperature setting value is larger than the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c, the preheating output calculated by the preheating calculation unit 52 becomes a larger value as the difference between the preheating temperature setting value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24c becomes larger. However, the warm-up output may be an output generated by repeatedly supplying a pulse-shaped current to the heater 24b as long as the temperature of the water in the reservoir tank 24a is set to the warm-up temperature set value or less. Further, the algorithm for calculating the warm-up output may include not only the warm-up temperature set value and the measured value of the second temperature sensor 24c, but also parameters other than these.

In the above embodiment, the warm-up time calculation section 54 calculates the warm-up time required to heat the water in the storage tank 24a to the warm-up temperature set value based on the warm-up temperature set value and the measurement value of the second temperature sensor 24 c. However, the warm-up time may be a fixed time or may be predetermined by a user or the like. In addition, when the environmental test using the environmental test apparatus 1 is performed a plurality of times, the warm-up time at the time of the first environmental test may be stored in the storage unit 45, and the warm-up time stored in the storage unit 45 may be used in the second and subsequent environmental tests.

In the above embodiment, steps S9, S11, and S12 may not be performed. That is, in step S4, when determining that the operation to be performed thereafter is not the humidification operation, the controller 40 may perform the non-humidification operation based only on the temperature set value, the operation time, and the like stored in the storage unit 45.

Further, in the above embodiment, steps S9 and S10 may not be performed. That is, in step S4, in the case where it is determined that the operation performed thereafter is not the humidification operation, the controller 40 performs the calculation of the warm-up time (S11) and the non-humidification operation with warm-up (S12). At this time, the calculation of the warm-up time may not be performed (S11). In this case, the controller 40 may set the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output during a period from the scheduled end time of the non-humidification operation at S12 to a time traced back by a preset time, or may compare a required time to the scheduled start time of the humidification operation or the scheduled end time of the non-humidification operation with a preset warm-up time and start warm-up at a time when the required time and the warm-up time are equal in time length.

Further, in step S12 in the above embodiment, the controller 40 may control the output of the heater 24b so that the output of the heater 24b becomes the warm-up output for a time longer than the warm-up time calculated in step S11 or shorter than the warm-up time calculated in step S11.

In the above embodiment, the environment testing apparatus 1 as the environment forming apparatus can adjust the temperature and humidity of the test chamber 10a 1. However, the present invention may also be applied to an environment forming apparatus such as a constant humidity apparatus that adjusts only the humidity of the laboratory 10a 1.

In the above embodiment, the preheating temperature set value is set by a user or the like (S2). However, the preheating temperature setting value may be set in advance at the manufacturing stage of the atmosphere forming apparatus.

In the above embodiment, the controller 40 calculates the time traced back from the predetermined end time of the non-humidification operation (or the predetermined start time of the humidification operation to be executed next) to the warm-up time, and sets the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output during the period from the start of the time to the predetermined end time of the non-humidification operation (or the predetermined start time of the humidification operation to be executed next). However, the controller 40 may compare the required time until the predetermined time for ending the non-humidification operation (or the predetermined time for starting the humidification operation to be executed next) with the warm-up time (or the pre-set warm-up time) calculated by the warm-up time calculation unit 54, and set the output of the heater 24b as the warm-up output when the time lengths of the required time and the warm-up time become the same.

Claims

1. An environment forming apparatus that adjusts an environment inside a test room in which a sample is placed, the apparatus comprising:

a humidity sensor measuring humidity of an interior of the test chamber;

a humidifier which is a steam type humidifier for humidifying the inside of the test chamber by generating steam and which has a storage tank for storing water and a heater for heating the water in the storage tank;

a temperature sensor that directly or indirectly measures the temperature of the water in the storage tank; and

a control part for controlling the operation of the display device,

wherein the control unit includes:

a humidification calculation unit that calculates a humidification output to be output by the heater when the humidity inside the test chamber is set to the humidity set value, based on a predetermined humidity set value and a measurement value of the humidity sensor;

a preheating calculation unit that calculates a preheating output to be output by the heater when the water in the storage tank is heated to the preheating temperature setting value, based on a preheating temperature setting value that is a temperature lower than a boiling point and a measurement value of the temperature sensor; and

an output switching section that controls an output of the heater so that: the output of the heater becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than a predetermined value, the output of the heater becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is less than the predetermined value, and the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output when the humidification output is the same as the predetermined value.

2. An environment forming apparatus that adjusts an environment inside a test room in which a sample is placed, the apparatus comprising:

a humidity sensor measuring humidity of an interior of the test chamber;

a control part for controlling the operation of the display device,

wherein the control unit includes:

an output switching section that controls an output of the heater so that: the output of the heater becomes the humidification output when the humidification output is greater than the warm-up output, the output of the heater becomes the warm-up output when the humidification output is less than the warm-up output, and the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output when the humidification output is the same as the warm-up output.

3. The environment forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control portion performs the following control:

performing two types of operations, a humidifying operation in which the inside of the test chamber is humidified by the humidifier and a non-humidifying operation in which the inside of the test chamber is not humidified by the humidifier, in a predetermined order;

controlling, by the output switching unit, an output of the heater so that the output of the heater becomes one of the humidification output and the warm-up output during the humidification operation; and

controlling the output of the heater so that the output of the heater becomes the warm-up output within a predetermined period traced back from a predetermined timing of ending of the non-humidification operation performed immediately before the humidification operation.

4. The environment forming apparatus of claim 3,

the control section further has a preheating time calculation section that calculates a preheating time required to heat the water in the storage tank to the preheating temperature set value based on the preheating temperature set value and a measurement value of the temperature sensor,

wherein the predetermined period is set to a period from a predetermined time point of ending the non-humidification operation to a time point traced back by the warm-up time.