CN116829877B

CN116829877B - Humidifying device

Info

Publication number: CN116829877B
Application number: CN202180092267.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 中山惠裕; 齐藤祯司; 栗原幸大; 野田清治; 吉田龙贵; 高田胜
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2021-02-02
Filing date: 2021-02-02
Publication date: 2024-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-02
Also published as: WO2022168152A1; JP6996665B1; JPWO2022168152A1; CN116829877A

Abstract

A humidifying device (100) is provided with: a humidifying unit (4), wherein the humidifying unit (4) gasifies water into air; a supply unit (1), wherein the supply unit (1) supplies water to the humidification unit (4); a desalted water supply unit (2), wherein the desalted water supply unit (2) supplies desalted water to the humidifying unit (4); and a control unit (3), wherein the control unit (3) controls the supply of water from the supply unit (1) to the humidification unit (4), and the control unit (3) controls the supply of desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit (2) to the humidification unit (4) when the operation condition of the humidification unit (4) or the operation condition of the supply unit (1) satisfies a preset reference.

Description

Humidifying device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a humidifying device.

Background

Disclosed is a humidifying device which supplies tap water to a humidifying unit for washing after the end of a humidifying mode. This can reduce the concentration of scale-forming ions in the humidifying section, and can suppress precipitation of scale (see, for example, patent document 1).

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2015-152214

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, even when the humidifying portion is washed with tap water, there is a problem that the inhibition of scale deposition is insufficient because scale ions (hereinafter, referred to as "ionic substances") are contained in tap water.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a humidifying device capable of suppressing deposition of scale in a humidifying portion.

Means for solving the problems

The humidifying device of the present disclosure is provided with: a humidifying unit that gasifies water into air; a supply unit that supplies water to the humidifying unit; a desalted water supply unit that supplies desalted water to the humidifying unit; and a control unit that controls supply of water from the supply unit to the humidification unit, and that controls supply of desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit to the humidification unit when an operation condition of the humidification unit or an operation condition of the supply unit satisfies a preset reference.

Effects of the invention

According to the present disclosure, scale deposition in the humidifying portion can be suppressed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a humidifying device according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing control of the control unit of the humidifier according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a structural diagram showing the humidifier according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a water treatment section of the humidifier according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing control of the control unit of the humidifier according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 6 is a structural diagram showing a humidifier according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 7 is a structural diagram showing a humidifier according to embodiment 3.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following description, and can be modified appropriately without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In the present specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description thereof is omitted. The relative positions of the members shown in the drawings do not necessarily accurately represent the actual dimensional and positional relationships between the members.

Embodiment 1.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a humidifying device 100a according to embodiment 1. The humidifying device 100a includes a supply unit 1, a desalted water supply unit 2, a control unit 3, and a humidifying unit 4. The humidifying device 100a further includes a valve 5, a valve 6, and a drain valve 7. Details will be described below.

The supply unit 1 is connected to a humidifying unit 4 (described later) via a pipe. The valve 5 is disposed in a pipe connecting the supply unit 1 and the humidification unit 4. The supply unit 1 supplies water to the humidifying unit 4. The supply unit 1 is, for example, a water plug, a water pipe, or the like for supplying tap water, industrial water, or the like. The supply unit 1 may be, for example, a tank, or water may be supplied from the tank to the humidifying unit 4. In the case where water is supplied from the tank to the humidifying unit 4, a water delivery device such as a pump may be provided in the supplying unit 1.

The desalted water supply unit 2 is connected to the humidifying unit 4 via a pipe. The valve 6 is disposed in a pipe connecting the desalted water supply unit 2 and the humidifying unit 4. The desalted water supply unit 2 supplies desalted water to the humidifying unit 4. The ion concentration of the desalted water is lower than that of the water supplied from the supply unit 1 to the humidifying unit 4. The desalted water supply unit 2 may be any device as long as it supplies desalted water, and may be provided as a reverse osmosis membrane treatment device, an electrodialysis device, an ion exchange resin column, an ion exchange membrane device, a capacitive deionization device, or the like, for example. The desalted water supply unit 2 may be, for example, a tank in which desalted water is stored, or the desalted water may be supplied from the tank to the humidifying unit 4. In the case where the desalinated water is supplied from the tank to the humidification unit 4, a water delivery device such as a pump may be provided in the desalinated water supply unit 2.

As the humidifying unit 4, for example, any type may be used as long as it is a type in which scale may be deposited, such as a drop-down type, a gasification type, or an ultrasonic type, or a type in which performance is degraded due to deposition of scale. The humidifying unit 4 of the present disclosure is shown by taking the gasifying humidifying unit 4 as an example. The drain valve 7 is connected to the humidifying unit 4 via a pipe. The drain valve 7 is controlled to be opened by a control unit 3 described later, and the water and desalted water supplied from the supply unit 1 and the desalted water supply unit 2 are discharged from the humidifying unit 4.

The control unit 3 is communicably connected to each of the humidification unit 4, the valve 5, the valve 6, and the drain valve 7. Accordingly, the connection between the control unit 3 and the humidification unit 4, the valve 5, the valve 6, and the drain valve 7 may be wired or wireless. The control unit 3 controls the supply of water from the supply unit 1 to the humidification unit 4, and when the operation condition of the humidification unit 4 or the operation condition of the supply unit 1 (described later, respectively) satisfies a preset reference, the control unit 3 controls the supply of desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit 2 to the humidification unit 4. In the humidifying device 100a, the operation condition of the humidifying section 4 is the operation time of the humidifying section 4. Here, the operation of the humidifying unit 4 refers to a humidifying operation of gasifying water and humidifying air. When the humidifying unit 4 performs a humidifying operation, the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to be opened, controls the valve 6 to be closed, and controls the drain valve 7 to be opened.

As the control unit 3, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller: programmable logic controller), a sequencer, a numerical controller, or the like for operating the device under a predetermined condition may be used. The control unit 3 may have a storage unit that stores the operation state of the humidification unit 4. The control unit 3 may have a timer for storing the operation time of the humidification unit 4.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing control of the control unit 3 of the humidifying device 100a according to embodiment 1. First, the control unit 3 checks whether or not the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step ST 1). The time at which the measurement of the operation time is started is, for example, the time at which the desalted water supply unit 2 ends the supply of desalted water to the humidifying unit 4 and the humidifying unit 4 starts operating.

When the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is less than the preset time (step ST1; no), the control unit 3 checks whether the humidification unit 4 is operating (step ST 2). When the humidification unit 4 is operating (step ST2; yes), the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to open and controls the valve 6 to close, so that the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to remain open and the valve 6 to remain closed, and continues the supply of water from the supply unit 1 to the humidification unit 4 (step ST 3). After the lapse of the predetermined time, the control unit 3 returns to the determination in step ST 1.

When the humidification unit 4 is not operating (step ST2; no), the control unit 3 controls the valves 5 and 6 to be closed, respectively, so that the control unit 3 controls the valves 5 and 6 to remain closed, and after a predetermined time elapses, the process returns to the determination in step ST 2. Here, "the humidification unit 4 is not operated" means that the humidification unit 4 is in a standby state.

When the operation time of the humidifier 4 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time (step ST1; yes), the controller 3 checks whether the humidifier 4 is operating (step ST 4). When the humidification unit 4 is operating (step ST4; yes), the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to open and controls the valve 6 to close, and therefore, the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to close and controls the valve 6 to remain closed, thereby setting the humidification unit 4 in a standby state (step ST 5). Thereafter, the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to be kept closed, controls the valve 6 to be opened, and controls the drain valve 7 to be opened, so that the desalinated water is supplied from the desalinated water supply unit 2 to the humidification unit 4, and the humidification unit 4 is cleaned with the desalinated water (step ST 6). In the humidifying device 100a, the humidifying unit 4 may be set to a standby state by a user operation, or the humidifying unit 4 may be set to a standby state by control of the control unit 3.

When the humidifier 4 is not operated (step ST4; no), the valves 5 and 6 are controlled to be closed by the controller 3, and therefore, the controller 3 controls the valves 5 to remain closed, controls the valve 6 to be opened, and controls the drain valve 7 to be opened, so that desalted water is supplied from the desalted water supply unit 2 to the humidifier 4 (step ST 7). Hereinafter, the case where the desalted water is supplied from the desalted water supply unit 2 to the humidifying unit 4 will be referred to as "washing of the humidifying unit 4".

The control unit 3 checks whether or not the time period set in advance has elapsed for the cleaning of the humidification unit 4 in step ST6 and step ST7 (step ST 8), and if the time period set in advance has not elapsed (step ST8; no), the control unit 3 continues the cleaning of the humidification unit 4 (step ST 9).

When the time period set in advance has elapsed for the cleaning of the humidification cells 4 in step ST6 and step ST7 (step ST8; yes), the control unit 3 controls the valve 6 to be closed while maintaining the valve 5 closed, controls the drain valve 7 to be closed, and sets the humidification cells 4 to be in a standby state (step ST 10), and ends the control. For example, after a lapse of a predetermined time from step ST10, the control unit 3 returns to the determination in step ST1, and repeats the above-described control.

As described above, the humidifying device 100a includes: a humidifying unit 4, wherein the humidifying unit 4 gasifies water into air; a supply unit 1, wherein the supply unit 1 supplies water to the humidifying unit 4; a desalted water supply unit 2, wherein the desalted water supply unit 2 supplies desalted water to the humidifying unit 4; and a control unit 3, wherein the control unit 3 controls the supply of water from the supply unit 1 to the humidification unit 4, and the control unit 3 controls the supply of desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit 2 to the humidification unit 4 when the operation condition of the humidification unit 4 or the operation condition of the supply unit 1 satisfies a preset reference.

With the above configuration, the humidifying device 100a cleans the humidifying section 4 with desalted water having a low ion concentration, as compared with the case where the humidifying section 4 is cleaned with water supplied from the supply section 1 such as tap water, and therefore, it is possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying section 4.

In the humidifying device 100a, although the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to be closed and the valve 6 to be closed and sets the humidifying unit 4 to be in the standby state in step ST5, the control unit 3 may control the valve 5 to be closed and the valve 6 to be opened without setting the humidifying unit 4 to be in the standby state, that is, without performing the process of step ST5, and supply the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit 2 to the humidifying unit 4 for a predetermined time. Thereafter, the control unit 3 may control the valve 5 to be opened and the valve 6 to be closed, and supply water from the supply unit 1 to the humidification unit 4. Thus, the humidifier 4 can be cleaned without waiting for the humidifier 4 to be in a standby state.

Embodiment 2.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a humidifying device 100b according to embodiment 2. The humidifying device 100b differs from the humidifying device 100a in that: the desalted water supply unit 2 of the humidifying device 100a includes the first water storage tank 8, the valve 9, the valve 10, the three-way valve 11, the water treatment unit 12, the drain valve 13, the pump 14, and the three-way valve 15, and does not include the valve 6. In fig. 3, the same reference numerals as those in fig. 1 denote the same or corresponding structures as those of the humidifying device 100a, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The humidifying device 100b includes a supply unit 1, a control unit 3, a humidifying unit 4, a first water storage tank 8, and a water treatment unit 12. The humidifying device 100b further includes a valve 5, a drain valve 7, a valve 9, a valve 10, a three-way valve 11, a drain valve 13, a pump 14, a three-way valve 15, a first pipe 16a and a first pipe 16b (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "first pipe 16"), a second pipe 17, and a third pipe 18. Details are described below.

The supply unit 1 is connected to the humidification unit 4 via a pipe, and supplies water to the humidification unit 4. The valve 5 is disposed in a pipe connecting the supply unit 1 and the humidification unit 4. The supply unit 1 is connected to the first water storage tank 8 via a first pipe 16 a. A three-way valve 11 is disposed in a first pipe 16a connecting the supply unit 1 and the first water storage tank 8, and the three-way valve 11 switches between supplying water from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8 and supplying desalinated water from the water treatment unit 12 to the first water storage tank 8. The valve 10 is disposed in a first pipe 16b connecting the supply unit 1 and the water treatment unit 12. In the first pipe 16a of fig. 3, the valve 9 is disposed on the supply unit 1 side, and the three-way valve 11 is disposed on the first water storage tank 8 and the water treatment unit 12 side.

The first water storage tank 8 is connected to the humidifying unit 4 and the water treatment unit 12 via pipes. The three-way valve 15 can be used to switch between supply of the desalted water supplied from the first water storage tank 8 to the humidifying unit 4 and supply of the desalted water to the water treatment unit 12. Here, the pipe connecting the three-way valve 15 and the humidifying unit 4 is referred to as a second pipe 17, and the pipe connecting the three-way valve 15 and the three-way valve 11 via the water treatment unit 12 is referred to as a third pipe 18.

The water treatment unit 12 removes ionic substances contained in the water supplied from the supply unit 1, and generates desalted water. The drain valve 13 is connected to the water treatment unit 12 via a pipe. The control unit 3 controls the drain valve 13 to be opened, and the water supplied from the supply unit 1 is discharged from the water treatment unit 12.

When water is supplied from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8, the first water storage tank 8 stores the water. Then, the water stored in the first water storage tank 8 is supplied to the water treatment unit 12 through the third pipe 18 by the pump 14. In the water treatment section 12, ionic substances contained in water are removed by a treatment described later, and desalted water is produced. By switching the three-way valve 11, the desalinated water generated by the water treatment unit 12 is supplied again to the first water storage tank 8 through the third pipe 18. In this way, desalted water having a lower ion concentration than water is stored in the first water storage tank 8 and supplied to the humidifying unit 4 under the control of the control unit 3.

The control unit 3 is communicably connected to each of the humidifying unit 4, the valve 5, the drain valve 7, the valve 9, the valve 10, the three-way valve 11, the water treatment unit 12, the drain valve 13, the pump 14, and the three-way valve 15. Accordingly, the connection between the control unit 3 and the humidification unit 4, the valve 5, the drain valve 7, the valve 9, the valve 10, the three-way valve 11, the water treatment unit 12, the drain valve 13, the pump 14, and the three-way valve 15 may be wired or wireless. The control performed by the control unit 3 will be described later.

The details of the water treatment section 12 will be described below. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the water treatment section 12 of the humidifying device 100b according to embodiment 2. The water treatment unit 12 of the humidifying device 100b is described as an example of removing ions by a capacitive deionization method, but the ion removal may be performed by a treatment capable of removing ions in water, for example, a treatment using a reverse osmosis membrane, a treatment using an ion exchange resin, a treatment using an electrodialysis device, a treatment using an evaporation device capable of obtaining distilled water, or the like.

The water treatment section 12 includes a direct current power supply 120, an inflow port 121, a pair of current collectors 122, a pair of electrodes 123, a separator 124, and an outflow port 125. The pair of electrodes 123 are each arranged to sandwich the separator 124. The pair of current collectors 122 are disposed so as to sandwich the pair of electrodes 123 from above and below, respectively.

The current collector 122 is connected to the dc power supply 120, and electric power is applied from the dc power supply 120 to the current collector 122, thereby applying electric power to the electrode 123. When the "ion removal step" for removing the ionic substances in the water is performed, electric power is applied to the electrode 123, and the ionic substances contained in the water supplied from the supply unit 1 are adsorbed on the electrode 123. The separator 124 suppresses short-circuiting between the electrodes 123.

After the ion removal step, the water treatment unit 12 performs a "regeneration step" of releasing the ionic substances adsorbed to the electrode 123 into water under the control of the control unit 3. Specifically, the control unit 3 performs release of the voltage application or release of the current application in the ion removal step, for example, performs at least one of stopping the application of the voltage or current to the electrodes 123, shorting the electrodes 123, and applying a voltage in a direction opposite to the voltage applied in the ion removal step, that is, when desalted water is generated. In the regeneration step of the water treatment section 12, the current collector 122 collects electric power when discharging from the electrode 123. The electrode 123 can be cleaned in the regeneration step, and the ionic substance can be removed again. Although not shown in fig. 4, a dc power supply 120 for applying electric power to the electrode 123 is connected to the control unit 3, and the ion removal step and the regeneration step in the water treatment unit 12 are controlled by the control unit 3. In the regeneration step, the ionic substance adsorbed to the electrode 123 is released into water, but the water from which the ionic substance is released is supplied from the supply unit 1 to the water treatment unit 12 through the first pipe 16 b.

Next, control of the humidifying device 100b by the control unit 3 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing control of the control unit of the humidifying device 100b according to embodiment 2. First, the control unit 3 checks whether or not the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step ST 1).

When the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is less than the predetermined time (step ST1; no), the control unit 3 checks whether or not the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step ST 11). Here, the water level in the first water storage tank 8 may be determined by providing a water level sensor (not shown in fig. 3) connected to the control unit 3 in the first water storage tank 8, or may be controlled by the control unit 3 so as to supply water from the supply unit 1 for a predetermined time. When the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is smaller than the preset value (step ST11; no), the control unit 3 controls the valve 9 to be opened, and water is supplied from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8 until the water level reaches the preset water level (step ST 12). After supplying water to the first water storage tank 8, the control unit 3 controls the valve 9 to be closed (not shown in fig. 5), and returns to the determination in step ST 11.

When the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is equal to or higher than the preset value (step ST11; yes), the control unit 3 determines whether or not the water treatment unit 12 is usable. The term "usable" of the water treatment section 12 means a state in which the water treatment section 12 can remove ionic substances from water. When the water treatment unit 12 is not used (step ST13; no), the control unit 3 performs a regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 (step ST 14). The control unit 3 controls the valve 9 to be closed, the valve 10 to be opened, and the drain valve 13 to be opened. Although the three-way valve 11 is switched by the control unit 3 to supply water from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8, the valve 9 is controlled by the control unit 3 to be closed, so that water is not supplied from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8.

Water is supplied from the supply unit 1 to the water treatment unit 12 through the first pipe 16 b. The water supplied from the supply unit 1 to the water treatment unit 12 contains the ionic substance released from the water treatment unit 12 in the regeneration step. The water containing the ionic substances released from the water treatment section 12 is discharged from the drain valve 13. Although the three-way valve 15 is switched to supply the desalted water from the pump 14 to the humidifying unit 4, the control unit 3 controls the pump 14 to be off, so that the desalted water is not supplied to the humidifying unit 4. The control unit 3 turns off the dc power supply 120 to perform at least one of stopping the application of the voltage or current to the electrodes 123, shorting the electrodes 123, and applying a voltage in a direction opposite to the voltage applied in the ion removal step. After the end of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12, the control unit 3 returns to the determination in step ST 13.

When the water treatment unit 12 is available (step ST13; yes), the control unit 3 desalts the water or desalted water in the first water storage tank 8 by the water treatment unit 12 to generate desalted water (step ST 15). At this time, the control unit 3 controls the valve 10 to be closed and controls the drain valve 13 to be closed. The control unit 3 turns on the pump 14 to supply water or desalinated water from the first water storage tank 8 to the water treatment unit 12. The control unit 3 controls the dc power supply 120 to be turned on, and generates desalted water by the water treatment unit 12. The desalted water produced by the water treatment unit 12 is supplied to the first water storage tank 8 and stored.

The control unit 3 checks whether or not the desalination by the water treatment unit 12 has elapsed a predetermined time (step ST 16). When the predetermined time has not elapsed (step ST16; no), the control unit 3 continues desalination by the water treatment unit 12 (step ST 17), and returns to step ST16.

When the predetermined time has elapsed (step ST16; yes), the control unit 3 performs a regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 (step ST 18). Since the process of step ST18 is the same as the process of step ST14, the explanation thereof is omitted.

The control unit 3 confirms whether or not the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is completed (step ST 19), and when the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is not completed (step ST19; no), the control unit 3 continues the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 (step ST 20) and returns to step ST19.

Here, a determination of completion of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 in step ST19 will be described. The control unit 3 determines the completion of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12, for example, based on the elapsed time of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12. Specifically, when the elapsed time of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is a predetermined time, the control unit 3 determines that the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is completed, and ends the regeneration process. The elapsed time of the regeneration step of the water treatment unit 12 may be measured by providing a timer or the like in the control unit 3. The "preset time" may be set by evaluating the time required for the regeneration of the water treatment section 12 by an experiment or the like in advance and recording the result in the control section 3.

The control unit 3 may determine that the elapsed time after completion of the regeneration step is the following time: the time change in voltage or current between the current collectors 122 in the regeneration step of the water treatment unit 12 is measured and recorded in the control unit 3, and the elapsed time is the time until the voltage or current becomes constant or the time until the voltage or current becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. At this time, a time measuring unit for measuring the elapsed time of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 and an electric power inspection unit for measuring the voltage between the current collectors 122 of the water treatment unit 12 or the current flowing between the current collectors 122 may be connected to the water treatment unit 12 and the control unit 3, respectively. The time measuring unit is a timer, for example. The power inspection unit is, for example, a voltmeter that measures the voltage between the current collectors 122 of the water treatment unit 12. The power inspection unit is, for example, a ammeter that measures current flowing between the current collectors 122.

The control unit 3 determines the completion of the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 based on, for example, the voltage between the current collectors 122 of the water treatment unit 12, the current value flowing when the pair of current collectors 122 are short-circuited, and the like. Specifically, the control unit 3 determines that the timing at which the voltage or current between the current collectors 122 in the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is constant or the timing at which the voltage or current is equal to or less than a predetermined value is the timing at which the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is completed, and ends the regeneration process. At this time, the electric power inspection unit that measures the voltage between the current collectors 122 of the water treatment unit 12 or the current flowing between the current collectors 122 may be connected to the water treatment unit 12 and the control unit 3. As described above, the power inspection unit is, for example, a voltmeter or a ammeter.

When the regeneration process of the water treatment unit 12 is completed (step ST19; yes), the control unit 3 puts the water treatment unit 12 into a standby state (step ST 21). At this time, the control unit 3 controls the valve 10 and the drain valve 13 to be closed, respectively. The control unit 3 controls the dc power supply 120 to be turned off, and short-circuits the current collectors 122. For example, after a lapse of a predetermined time from step ST21, the control unit 3 returns to the determination in step ST1, and repeats the above-described control.

When the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (step ST1; yes), the control unit 3 determines whether or not the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is equal to or longer than a predetermined value (step ST 22). When the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is smaller than the preset value (step ST22; no), the control unit 3 performs the process of step ST12, that is, the process of supplying water from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8. After the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is set to a predetermined value or more in step ST12, the process proceeds to step ST13.

When the water level in the first water storage tank 8 is equal to or higher than the preset value (step ST22; yes), the control unit 3 checks whether or not there is a history of the water in the first water storage tank 8 being treated by the water treatment unit 12 (step ST 23). When there is a history that the water in the first water storage tank 8 has been treated by the water treatment unit 12, desalted water having a lower ion concentration than water is stored in the first water storage tank 8. When there is no history of the water in the first water storage tank 8 being treated by the water treatment unit 12, water is stored in the first water storage tank 8. If there is no history of the water in the first water storage tank 8 being processed by the water processing unit 12 (step ST23; no), the control unit 3 performs a determination in step ST13, that is, a determination to confirm whether or not the water processing unit 12 is available for use. Although not shown in fig. 5, the control unit 3 determines that the water treatment unit 12 is available, desalts the water or desalted water in the first water storage tank 8 (step ST 15), and after a predetermined time elapses (step ST 16), the control unit 3 proceeds to step ST24.

If there is a history of the water in the first water storage tank 8 being treated by the water treatment unit 12 (step ST23; yes), the control unit 3 checks whether or not the humidifying unit 4 is operating (step ST 24). When the humidification unit 4 is not operating (step ST24; no), the valves 5 and 9 are controlled to be closed by the control unit 3, and therefore, the control unit 3 proceeds to the processing of step ST26 and step ST27 described later.

When the humidification unit 4 is operating (step ST24; yes), the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to open and controls the valve 9 to close, and therefore, the control unit 3 controls the valve 5 to close and controls the valve 9 to remain closed, thereby setting the humidification unit 4 in a standby state (step ST 25). Then, the control unit 3 proceeds to the processing of step ST26 and step ST27 described later.

In step ST26, the humidifier 4 is cleaned. At this time, the control unit 3 controls the pump 14 to be turned on so as to keep the valves 5 and 9 closed, respectively. Desalted water is supplied from the first water storage tank 8 to the humidifying unit 4 by the pump 14. Although the three-way valve 11 is switched by the control unit 3 to supply water from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8, the valve 9 is controlled by the control unit 3 to be closed, so that water is not supplied from the supply unit 1 to the first water storage tank 8.

The control unit 3 checks whether or not the preset time has elapsed (step ST 28), and if the preset time has not elapsed (step ST28; no), the control unit 3 controls the valves 5 and 9 to be kept closed and the pump 14 to be kept on, as shown in step ST 26. The cleaning of the humidification unit 4 is continued (step ST 29), and the process returns to the determination of step ST 28. When the preset time has elapsed (step ST28; yes), the control unit 3 controls the pumps 14 to be turned off while keeping the valves 5 and 9 closed, respectively, and sets the humidification unit 4 in a standby state (step ST 30). For example, after a lapse of a predetermined time from step ST30, the control unit 3 returns to the determination in step ST1, and repeats the above-described control.

In step ST27, the water treatment unit 12 is regenerated. At this time, the valve 10 and the drain valve 13 are controlled to be closed by the control unit 3, and therefore, the control unit 3 controls the valve 10 and the drain valve 13 to be opened. The control unit 3 turns off the dc power supply 120 to short-circuit the current collectors 122. After the regeneration process of the water treatment section 12 is performed, the control section 3 proceeds to a determination in step ST19, that is, to a determination for confirming whether the regeneration process of the water treatment section 12 is completed. In addition, at the start time point of step ST27, when the regeneration process of the water treatment section 12 is completed, step ST27 may be omitted. In addition, even when the regeneration process of the water treatment section 12 is completed, the control section 3 may perform step ST27. In this case, in the regeneration step, it is preferable that the ions are desorbed by stopping the application of the voltage or current to the electrodes 123 or by shorting the electrodes 123 without applying a voltage in the opposite direction to the voltage applied in the ion removal step.

With the above configuration, the humidifying device 100b cleans the humidifying section 4 with desalted water having a low ion concentration, as compared with the case where the humidifying section 4 is cleaned with water supplied from the supply section 1 such as tap water, and therefore, it is possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying section 4.

Further, in the humidifying device 100b, since the capacitive deionization method is used in the water treatment section 12, desalination treatment and regeneration of the water treatment section 12 can be performed by the water treatment section 12 by applying electric power to the current collectors 122 by the direct current power source 120 and stopping switching between the application of electric power to the current collectors 122 and short-circuiting between the current collectors 122 by the direct current power source 120. As a result, the humidification unit 4 can be continuously washed with desalted water without requiring a chemical solution or the like during regeneration of the water treatment unit 12, and the effect of suppressing scale deposition can be continuously obtained.

In the humidifier 100b, the first water storage tank 8, the three-way valve 11, the water treatment unit 12, the pump 14, the three-way valve 15, and the third pipe 18 constitute a circulation circuit. This allows the water in the first water storage tank 8 to be circulated by the water treatment unit 12, and desalted water having a low ion concentration to be stored in the first water storage tank 8.

In embodiment 2, the supply unit 1 may not be one. The supply unit 1 may be divided into, for example, a portion connected to the humidification unit 4, a portion connected to the first water storage tank 8, and a portion connected to the water treatment unit 12. When the supply unit 1 is divided in this way, the quality of water supplied to each supply destination can be changed.

In the case of using the capacitive deionization method in the water treatment unit 12 as in embodiment 2, the dc power supply 120 may be a dc power supply device, a dc stabilized power supply device, or the like as long as it can supply dc power. In addition, the power from the socket may be converted into direct current by a converter or the like.

In embodiment 2, the control unit 3 determines whether or not there is a treatment history of the water in the first water storage tank 8, but a sensor (first sensor) such as a conductivity meter for measuring the ion concentration of the water or desalted water in the first water storage tank 8 may be disposed in the first water storage tank 8. The sensor disposed in the first water storage tank 8 may be connected to the control unit 3, and the control unit 3 may determine whether or not the ion concentration is less than a predetermined concentration, thereby determining whether or not the water or desalted water in the first water storage tank 8 has been desalted by the water treatment unit 12. In the case of the ion concentration, the ion concentration of the water supplied from the supply unit 1 may be set to be the maximum and the concentration lower than the ion concentration of the water may be set to be the reference concentration of desalted water.

In embodiment 2, the first water storage tank 8 is provided, but in the case where the required water amount can be supplied only through the third pipe 18, the circulation circuit may be formed by only the third pipe 18 between the three-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 15. This makes it possible to miniaturize the humidifier 100b as compared with the humidifier 100b having the first water storage tank 8.

Embodiment 3.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a humidifying device 100c according to embodiment 3. The humidifying device 100c includes a supply unit 1, a control unit 3, and a humidifying unit 4. The humidifier 100c further includes a valve 5, a drain valve 7, a water treatment unit 12, a drain valve 13, a valve 19, a valve 20, a fourth pipe 21, and a fifth pipe 22. The humidifying device 100c differs from the humidifying device 100a in that: the desalted water supply unit 2 of the humidifying device 100a includes the valve 19, the water treatment unit 12, and the valve 20, and does not include the valve 6. In fig. 6, the same reference numerals as those in fig. 1 and 3 denote the same or corresponding structures as the humidifying device 100a and the humidifying device 100b, and therefore, detailed description thereof is omitted.

The supply unit 1 is connected to the humidification unit 4, and supplies water to the humidification unit 4. The valve 5 is disposed in a pipe connecting the supply unit 1 and the humidification unit 4. The supply unit 1 is connected to the water treatment unit 12, and supplies water to the water treatment unit 12. The fourth pipe 21 is a pipe connecting the supply unit 1 and the water treatment unit 12. The valve 19 is disposed in the fourth pipe 21.

The water treatment unit 12 is connected to the humidification unit 4, and supplies desalted water to the humidification unit 4. The fifth pipe 22 is a pipe connecting the water treatment section 12 and the humidification section 4. The valve 20 is disposed in a fifth pipe 22.

The control unit 3 is connected to the humidification unit 4, the valve 5, the drain valve 7, the water treatment unit 12, the drain valve 13, the valve 19, and the valve 20, respectively.

In the humidifier 100c, when the control unit 3 determines that the humidification unit 4 needs to be cleaned, the control unit 3 controls the valves 19 and 20 to be opened, respectively, so that water is supplied from the supply unit 1 to the water treatment unit 12. Then, the control unit 3 starts the water treatment unit 12, and performs control to desalt the water supplied from the supply unit 1 by the water treatment unit 12. The desalted water produced by the water treatment unit 12 is supplied to the humidification unit 4, and the humidification unit 4 is cleaned. At the end of the washing of the humidification module 4, the control module 3 controls the drain valve 13 to open, controls the valve 19 to open, and controls the valve 20 to close, thereby performing the regeneration process of the water treatment module 12.

With the above configuration, the humidifying device 100c cleans the humidifying section 4 with desalted water having a low ion concentration, as compared with the case where the humidifying section 4 is cleaned with water supplied from the supply section 1 such as tap water, and therefore, it is possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying section 4.

In addition, the humidifying device 100c can be miniaturized as compared with the humidifying device 100 b.

The water treatment unit 12 of the humidifier 100c may be configured to be capable of circulating water. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a humidifying device 100d according to embodiment 3. The humidifying device 100d is a modification of the humidifying device 100 c. In fig. 7, the same reference numerals as those in fig. 6 denote the same or corresponding structures as those of the humidifying device 100c, and therefore, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The humidifying device 100d is provided with a three-way valve 28 in the fourth pipe 21 and a three-way valve 29 in the fifth pipe 22. The three-way valve 28 and the three-way valve 15 are connected by a sixth pipe 30. The second water storage tank 31 (described later) and the pump 32 are disposed in the sixth pipe 30.

The water supplied from the supply unit 1 to the water treatment unit 12 is desalted by the water treatment unit 12 and supplied to the humidifying unit 4. Then, the desalinated water desalinated by the water treatment unit 12 is supplied to the second water storage tank 31 by switching the three-way valve 29. The desalted water supplied to the second water storage tank 31 and stored therein is returned to the water treatment unit 12 by the pump 32. The desalted water supplied from the second water storage tank 31 to the water treatment unit 12 is subjected to the ion removal step again, and is supplied to the humidifying unit 4.

With the above configuration, the humidifying device 100d cleans the humidifying section 4 with desalted water having a low ion concentration, as compared with the case where the humidifying section 4 is cleaned with water supplied from the supply section 1 such as tap water, and therefore, it is possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying section 4.

Further, the humidifying device 100d can generate desalted water by circulating the water treatment unit 12, the sixth pipe 30, the second water storage tank 31, and the pump 32, and can generate desalted water having a lower ion concentration, and therefore, the deposition of scale on the humidifying unit 4 can be further suppressed.

In the present disclosure, in the humidification apparatuses 100a to 100d (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "humidification apparatuses 100"), the control unit 3 determines whether or not the operation time of the humidification unit 4 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time as information related to the operation condition of the humidification unit 4, and controls the execution of the washing of the humidification unit 4 with desalted water based on the determination, but the information related to the operation condition of the humidification unit 4 is not limited to the operation time of the humidification unit 4. As the operation condition of the humidifying unit 4, the number of operations of the humidifying unit 4 may be used. The number of operations of the humidification unit 4 is the number of switching operations of the humidification unit 4. The control unit 3 may have a device for counting the operation signal and the stop signal of the humidification unit 4, for example. When at least one of the number of times of the operation signal and the stop signal of the humidification unit 4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times, the control unit 3 controls the supply of the desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit 2 to the humidification unit 4. This makes it possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying unit 4 by the humidifying device 100.

In the present disclosure, as the operation condition of the humidification unit 4, the humidification apparatus 100 may use the cumulative humidification amount by the humidification unit 4. A sensor (second sensor) capable of measuring humidity may be provided in the humidifying device 100, and the sensor may be connected to the control unit 3. The cumulative humidification amount by the humidification unit 4 is measured by a sensor, and when the measured cumulative humidification amount is equal to or greater than a preset cumulative humidification amount, the control unit 3 performs control of supplying desalted water from the desalted water supply unit 2 to the humidification unit 4. This makes it possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying unit 4 by the humidifying device 100. Further, since the accumulated humidification amount is an index reflecting the possibility of actual scale deposition in the humidification portion 4, scale deposition in the humidification portion 4 can be further suppressed.

In the present disclosure, the operation time of the humidifying unit 4 may be used as the operation condition of the humidifying unit 4 by the humidifying device 100. When the humidifying unit 4 is not operated for a predetermined operation time or longer, the control unit 3 controls the supply of desalinated water from the desalinated water supply unit 2 to the humidifying unit. For example, in japan and the like, the frequency of needs for autumn and winter humidification is high, and the frequency of needs for spring and summer humidification is low. In this way, when the frequency of humidification needs varies for each season, the humidification unit 4 is periodically cleaned even when the frequency of humidification needs is low, so that the deposition of scale on the humidification unit 4 can be further suppressed, and the humidification unit 4 can be kept sanitary. In addition, when the humidifying unit 4 is cleaned, the control unit 3 may perform control of supplying the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit 2 to the humidifying unit 4 after performing control of supplying the water from the supply unit 1 to the humidifying unit 4 a predetermined number of times or a predetermined time. Accordingly, the number of times of generating desalinated water is reduced, so that the number of times of regenerating processes of the water treatment unit 12 can be suppressed, and the power consumption can be reduced.

In addition, in the present disclosure, the humidifying device 100 may use the operation condition of the humidifying section 4. The operation state of the supply unit 1 is the cumulative supply amount of water supplied from the supply unit 1 to the humidification unit 4. When the ion amount estimated based on the cumulative supply amount is equal to or larger than the preset ion amount, the control unit 3 controls the supply of the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit to the humidifying unit 4. This makes it possible to suppress scale deposition in the humidifying unit 4 by the humidifying device 100.

In the present disclosure, the humidifying device 100 may perform a drying operation by blowing air or the like to the humidifying unit 4 after the completion of the washing of the humidifying unit 4. This makes it possible to dry the inside of the humidifying section 4 uniformly, as compared with the case where the humidifying section 4 naturally dries, and it is possible to suppress the concentration and precipitation of scale in a part of the inside of the humidifying section 4 during the drying process.

In the present disclosure, the current collector 122 and the electrode 123 are provided in one pair, but a plurality of pairs may be provided. The number of the spacers 124 may be plural.

In the present disclosure, a material having conductivity and flexibility may be used as the current collector 122. As a material of the current collector 122, for example, a graphite sheet, flexible graphite, conductive rubber, or a metal sheet or a metal plate sandwiched or covered with these materials may be used.

In the present disclosure, as the electrode 123, for example, a material having conductivity and a large specific surface area may be used in order to increase the capacitance as a capacitor. As a material of the electrode 123, activated carbon, porous conductive beads, porous metal, or the like may be used. The conductive material is in the form of powder, granule, fiber, etc. In the case of a powdery or granular material, the outer diameter thereof may be, for example, 100nm or more and 10mm or less. In the case of a fibrous material, for example, a thickness of 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less may be used. In addition, a cloth, a filter, or the like formed using a conductive material may be used.

In the present disclosure, when the electrode 123 may flow out from the water treatment portion 12, an outflow preventing member may be disposed in the first pipe 16, the inflow port 121, or the outflow port 125. This can prevent members such as electrode materials from flowing out of the water treatment section 12.

In the present disclosure, as a material of the separator 124, for example, a material having electrical insulation that is permeable to liquid but not to conductive material, such as filter paper, porous film, nonwoven fabric, or foaming agent, may be used.

Description of the reference numerals

A 1 supply part, a 2 desalted water supply part, a 3 control part, a 4 humidification part,

5. 6, 9, 10, 19, 20 valves, 7, 13 drain valves, 8 first water storage tanks,

11. 15, 28, 29 three-way valves, 12 water treatment parts, 14, 32 pumps,

16 first pipe, 17 second pipe, 18 third pipe, 21 fourth pipe, 22 first pipe

Five pipes,

30 sixth piping, 31 second water storage tank, 100 humidifying device, 120 DC power supply,

121 inlet, 122 collector, 123 electrode, 124 separator,

125 outflow openings.

Claims

1. A humidifying device, wherein the humidifying device comprises:

a humidifying unit that gasifies water into air;

a supply unit that supplies the water to the humidifying unit;

a desalted water supply unit that supplies desalted water to the humidifying unit; and

a control unit that controls supply of the water from the supply unit to the humidification unit and supply of the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit to the humidification unit,

when the humidifying unit performs a humidifying operation for vaporizing the water into air, the control unit supplies the water from the supply unit to the humidifying unit,

The control unit controls the supply of the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit to the humidification unit to clean the humidification unit when the operation condition of the humidification unit or the operation condition of the supply unit satisfies a preset reference.

2. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the operation condition of the humidifying part is the operation time of the humidifying part,

the control unit controls the desalted water supply unit to supply the desalted water to the humidifying unit when the operation time of the humidifying unit is equal to or longer than a preset operation time.

3. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the control unit controls the desalted water supply unit to supply the desalted water to the humidifying unit after the control of the supply of the water from the supply unit to the humidifying unit is performed a predetermined number of times or a predetermined time.

4. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the operation condition of the humidifying part is the operation times of the humidifying part,

the control unit controls the desalted water supply unit to supply the desalted water to the humidifying unit when at least one of the number of times of the operation signal and the stop signal of the humidifying unit is equal to or greater than a preset number of times.

5. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the operation state of the humidifying part is the accumulated humidifying amount of the humidifying part,

the control unit controls the desalted water supply unit to supply the desalted water to the humidifying unit when the measured cumulative humidification amount of the humidifying unit is equal to or greater than a preset cumulative humidification amount.

6. The humidifying device according to claim 1, wherein,

the operation condition of the supply unit is the cumulative supply amount supplied from the supply unit to the humidification unit,

the control unit controls the supply of the desalted water from the desalted water supply unit to the humidifying unit when the ion amount estimated based on the accumulated supply amount is equal to or larger than a preset ion amount.

7. The humidifying device according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein,

the desalted water supply unit has a water treatment unit that removes ionic substances from the water and generates desalted water.

8. The humidifying device according to claim 7, wherein,

the water treatment part is connected with the supply part,

and removing the ionic substance in the water supplied from the supply unit.

9. The humidifying device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein,

the humidifying device further comprises a first water storage tank connected to the water treatment unit and the humidifying unit, and storing the desalted water from which the ionic substances are removed by the water treatment unit,

the first water storage tank supplies the desalinated water stored therein to the humidifying unit.

10. The humidifying device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein,

the humidifying device further comprises a second water storage tank connected to the water treatment unit, for storing the desalted water generated by the water treatment unit and for returning the stored desalted water to the water treatment unit,

the water treatment unit supplies the desalted water to the humidification unit.

11. The humidifying device according to any one of claims 7-10, wherein,

the water treatment section has an electrode for generating the desalted water,

the water treatment unit adsorbs the ionic substances in the water to the electrode to which the voltage is applied, based on the control of the control unit, and releases the adsorbed ionic substances into the water by at least one of stopping the application of the voltage or current to the electrode, shorting the electrodes, and applying a voltage in a direction opposite to the voltage applied to the electrode when the desalted water is generated.

12. The humidifying device according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein,

the humidification unit performs a drying operation after the desalted water is supplied thereto.