FR3104189A1 - Evaporator shutter solar protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a solar protection device, in particular for opening a building comprising: - a flap (30) with an inner face (34) and an outer face (38), the flap comprising an absorbent material (36) forming the outer face (38), - a wetting device (20) for the absorbent material, provided with a wetting control (50, 60). In accordance with the invention, the device further comprises: - at least one humidity sensor (82a, 82b, 82c) provided on the outside of the shutter and - a control unit (80) of the solar protection device, the control unit being connected to the wetting control (50, 60) of the wetting device (20) and configured to trigger, respectively interrupt an operation of the damping device. wetting as a function of at least one measurement of the humidity sensor (82a, 82b, 82c). Application to air conditioning of buildings for residential, industrial or agricultural use Figure 1

Description

Sun protection device with evaporator shutter

The present invention relates to a shuttered solar protection device. The device is in particular intended to protect a room from the sun and from the heat. It can be fitted to openings in the room, such as doors or windows, whether glazed or not. The device can be mounted on the panel of openings, for example between the fixed frame of the carpentry and the bare facing of the facade of a building.

The invention finds applications in the field of air conditioning of residential buildings, industrial buildings and agricultural buildings.

State of the prior art

In the field of air conditioning and control of the quality of the atmosphere of residential buildings, a certain number of installations using water circulation are known.

On this subject, reference can be made to the following documents: CN201981968, GB19502827, CN103352648, US 2225963, US1750047 and JP2006057980.

Some installations, designed to be fitted to windows, operate on the principle of water evaporation to take advantage of the latent heat of evaporation for air conditioning purposes.

One of the main sources of heat which in summer lead to excessive temperatures in buildings and in particular in living quarters is solar radiation. This concerns in particular the radiation received by openings, i.e. the doors and windows of buildings.

To reduce the heat input by solar radiation, a well-known solution is to equip the openings with shutters. However, if the shutters prevent solar radiation from directly reaching the rooms they protect, they are however insufficient to protect the dwelling from the heat caused by the radiation.

Indeed, and whatever the color of the shutter, the shutter absorbs part of the solar radiation received and itself behaves like a secondary radiating object according to Stephan's law. The temperature of a shutter exposed to solar radiation can increase sharply to reach values of 50 to 60°C. The part protected from direct radiation by the shutter is thus exposed to a hot surface whose temperature can greatly exceed the outside temperature, which is, for example, 30 to 40° C. In other words, the shutter itself behaves like a radiator.

The aforementioned water evaporation devices can be used to mitigate this phenomenon but tend to cause a number of secondary problems. In particular, they can cause mold problems, bacterial propagation problems, or water infiltration problems through building openings.

Another difficulty is that the use of water tends to increase the level of humidity in the air in living rooms, which has the effect of making the heat even more unpleasant for the occupants, in spite of possibly lower temperature.

The object of the present invention is to propose a solar protection device with a shutter which makes it possible to effectively protect buildings from radiation, while avoiding constituting a source of secondary radiation and while avoiding the aforementioned difficulties linked to the use of water. .

Another object is to provide a solar protection device whose operation is autonomous and automatic.

Finally, an object of the invention is to provide a device that is particularly energy and water efficient.

To achieve these aims, the invention more specifically proposes a solar protection device, in particular for building openings comprising:
- a flap with an inner face and an outer face, the flap comprising an absorbent material exposed on the outer face,
- A device for wetting the absorbent material, provided with a wetting control.
The device further includes:
- at least one humidity sensor provided on the outer face of the shutter and
- a control unit of the solar protection device, the control unit being connected to the wetting control of the wetting device and configured to trigger, respectively interrupt an operation of the wetting device as a function of at least one measurement of the sensor humidity.

The shutter can be a rigid shutter or a flexible shutter. It can be opaque, translucent or even partially transparent. The term "shutter" is understood in the broad sense as designating an object used to protect an opening from the sun and possibly from the rain. It can be in the form of one or more panels, slats, but also in the form of a blind, a curtain, a window covering or a sun shade. The shutter can in particular be a swing shutter with one or more leaves, or a roller shutter, that is to say a shutter rolled up in the open position.

The “inside” face of the shutter is the side intended to be seen from inside a room when the shutter is closed. Conversely, the "exterior" face is the face likely to be seen from the outside of the building when the shutter is closed. The outer face is the face likely to be exposed to solar radiation when the shutter is closed.

The absorbent material can be a constituent material of a panel or a blind of the shutter but can also form a simple covering of the shutter. The material is said to be absorbent when it has a specific surface which is sufficient to absorb and retain water. The absorbent material can in particular be a porous material or a capillary material. It can be in the form of a fabric or a non-woven agglomerate of fibers, for example cotton, bamboo viscose, or polyester-polyamide microfibers. It can also be in the form of a coating layer, and in particular a layer of sintered polypropylene, a layer of sintered polyethylene, a layer of wood fibers or a layer of hydrophilic gel, such as a layer of polyacrylate, For example.

The wetting device is intended to effect wetting of the absorbent material. It can be a wetting by sprinkling, by capillarity or by soaking as specified in the following description. The wetting device is a device provided with a wetting control, i.e. a device making it possible to initiate or end a wetting operation, or even to dose the wetting of the absorbent material.

As indicated above, the solar protection device comprises one or more humidity sensors and a control unit receiving the signal from the sensor(s).

The humidity sensor(s) are provided on the outer face of the shutter so as to be sensitive to the humidity of the absorbent material. The control unit is connected to the anchor control and establishes a signal to the anchor control. This signal is a function of the humidity measured by the sensor. Thus, and by way of illustration, wetting can only be triggered if the humidity of the absorbent material is below a set value, and can be interrupted when it is above another set value.

According to another example, when the shutter comprises several humidity sensors, these can be arranged at different heights on the shutter. In this case wetting can be triggered when the lowest sensor measures a humidity value lower than a setpoint and can be interrupted when the highest sensor measures a humidity value higher than the setpoint.

According to yet another possibility, a speed or a rate of wetting can be continuously modulated between a zero value and a maximum value, depending on a measurement of the humidity of the absorbent material by the humidity sensor.

When the shutter is closed, the wetting of the absorbent material causes water to evaporate on the surface of the shutter by absorbing solar radiation. Due to the latent heat of evaporation of the water, the temperature of the shutter is lowered. The shutter thus constitutes a screen against direct solar radiation, without however constituting a secondary radiating body. The solar protection device thus makes it possible to preserve the freshness of a room with which it equips the opening. It also lowers the temperature in the vicinity of the opening and thus cools the room.

Furthermore, by dosing the wetting according to the humidity of the shutter, it is possible to guarantee sufficient wetting for the evaporation function of the shutter while avoiding excessive wetting which could cause water infiltration problems, mold, contamination or even excessive water consumption.

In addition, the wetting control prevents wetting beyond the evaporation capacity of the shutter, the solar protection device helps to maintain the air humidity level at values guaranteeing the comfort of the occupants.

According to an improvement, the solar protection device may also comprise at least one of a brightness sensor, a temperature sensor, and a shutter closing sensor, connected to the control unit. In this case, the control unit is further configured to trigger, respectively prohibit wetting according to at least one measurement, at least one of the light sensor, the temperature sensor and the closing sensor of the shutter.

In particular, the solar protection device can include a shutter closure sensor connected to the control unit and the control unit can be configured to condition the wetting on the closure of the shutter.

It is considered that the anchorage is conditional on the closure of the cover when the anchorage is authorized provided that a closed position of the cover is detected and when the anchorage is prohibited in the opposite case, that is to say if the cover is not closed or not fully closed.

The shutter closing sensor can be a simple contactor actuated by the shutter in the closed position. According to another possibility, adapted to a rolling shutter, the shutter closing sensor can be a limit switch actuated by the shutter or the shutter drive mechanism. The shutter closing sensor is used to deliver a signal, or to occupy a state (switch open or closed) allowing the control unit to be informed of the closing of the shutter.

Alternatively, the shutter may be a motorized roller shutter and the motorized roller may be connected to the drive unit and controlled by the drive unit. In this case, the control unit can be configured to trigger closing of the shutter prior to triggering the anchorage. This embodiment is suitable for the use of a flexible shutter in the form of a blind or in the form of a rolling shutter.

By prohibiting wetting when the shutter is not closed, it is possible to guarantee operation without accidental wetting of a glazing or of a part exposed behind the shutter.

According to another advantageous aspect, the solar protection device may include a light sensor connected to the control unit. In this case, the control unit can be configured to condition the wetting to a luminosity greater than a set luminosity. In other words, wetting can be authorized when a measured luminosity is greater than a set luminosity. Conversely, wetting is prohibited when the measured luminosity is lower than a set luminosity.

The luminosity sensor is for example a phototransistor, a photodiode or a photoresistor, whose state or a measurement signal informs the control unit about the ambient luminosity. When the ambient luminosity is low, and below a set value, the solar radiation is also too low to effectively cause water evaporation. In this case, wetting the cover is prohibited. This measure makes it possible to avoid untimely or unnecessary wetting, for example night wetting of the cover.

The solar protection device may also include a temperature sensor connected to the control unit. In this case, the control unit can be configured to condition the wetting at a measured temperature higher than a set temperature. Wetting is then authorized when an ambient temperature measured by the temperature sensor is higher than a set temperature. Wetting is prohibited when the temperature is below a set temperature.

This measure makes it possible to avoid causing untimely wetting of the shutter, and cooling of the shutter when the ambient temperature does not justify it. Typically, this measure makes it possible to avoid untimely operation in winter or when no cooling is desirable.

It should be specified that various measures taken into account to authorize or not the wetting of the shutter can constitute cumulative conditions. In other words, the control unit can be configured to prohibit wetting if only one of the conditions is not met and to trigger wetting of the shutter only if all the conditions are met.

In addition to taking into account the measurements of the aforementioned sensors, the control unit may include an mooring delay. In other words, the control unit can be configured to automatically suspend wetting of the shutter after a determined period, set for example by a timer. In this case, the suspension of the wetting can intervene independently of the other parameters measured. The suspension of the mooring can itself be timed.

The wetting delay and in particular an unconditional delay as mentioned above, makes it possible to avoid excessive wetting of the shutter, including in the event of failure of one or more sensors, or in the event of an erroneous measurement of a or more sensors. The time delay can also be adjustable with a view to optimal wetting of the shutter according to the characteristics and dimensions of the shutter.

The wetting device mentioned above may include at least one of a solenoid valve and a booster, connected to the control unit and forming the wetting control. The control unit can apply to one or more solenoid valves a control signal or an electrical power supply causing it to open or close respectively. Similarly, the control unit can trigger the power supply to a booster and control its operation.

When the water used for wetting is pressurized water from a distribution network, a simple solenoid valve, or a set of solenoid valves may suffice to cause or interrupt wetting of the cover. On the other hand, the use of a booster is preferred when the dampening water is contained in a water tank.

According to an advantageous particularity of the solar protection device, the shutter may also comprise a waterproof material forming the inner face.

The inner face of the shutter may in particular comprise a sealed film or a sealed wall made of plastic or metal. By way of example, the shutter may comprise a sintered and porous polypropylene film on its outer face and a sealed molded polypropylene film on its inner face.

The airtight nature of the shutter on its interior face prevents any diffusion, projection or infiltration of water towards the interior of the building and helps to avoid any mould. It also makes it possible to avoid the deposit of dew on a window or a glazing placed near the internal face of the shutter.

Finally, the tightness of the shutter on its inside helps to avoid an increase in the level of humidity of the air in the room whose opening or openings are provided with the solar protection device.

According to a particular embodiment of the wetting device, the latter may comprise at least one sprinkler oriented towards the outer face of the shutter when the shutter is in the closed position.

Preferably several sprinklers can be provided. For example, two vertical rows of sprinklers can be attached to the transom of the opening and distributed along the side and vertical edges of the shutter.

The sprinkler(s) may be connected to a pressurized water line from the building's water supply, or may be connected to a booster. The operation of the sprinklers can be controlled by one or more solenoid valves, in the manner already mentioned.

Sprinklers can take the form of sprinklers, misters, nozzles or vacuum micro-sprinklers. The sprinklers can have a flow rate comprised, for example, between 2 and 5 liters per hour.

According to another possible embodiment of the wetting device, the latter may comprise a wetting circuit integrated into the shutter.

The wetting circuit can be formed of a porous pipe, or preferably of a network of porous pipes, extending in the vicinity of the absorbent material and/or in the absorbent material, so as to wet the absorbent material by capillarity. The porous pipe may comprise a porous pipe or a cavity allowing the circulation of water between the impermeable material on the internal face of the flap and the absorbent material on the external face of the flap, and/or possibly inside the absorbent material. It is also considered that the pipe is porous when it allows the passage of water towards the absorbent material, thus allowing the wetting of the latter.

Sealing can be provided on the side edges of the shutter, i.e. on the edge of the shutter, to prevent untimely passage of water along the panels of the opening.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description with reference to the figures of the drawings. This description is given for illustrative and non-limiting purposes.

Brief description of figures

Figure 1 is a front view, from the outside, of a building opening provided with a solar protection device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a partial section of the opening of figure 1, according to a plane perpendicular to a shutter of the solar protection device and parallel to the panels of the opening.

Figure 3 is a section on a larger scale, of part of the shutter in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a mode of operation of the solar protection device of the invention.

The figures are shown in free scale.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

In the following description, identical, similar or equivalent parts of the different figures are marked with the same reference signs, so as to facilitate transfer from one figure to another.

Figure 1 shows an opening 10, for example a window, delimited by a support 12 in the lower part, side tables 14, and a lintel 16. The opening receives a glazing 18 shown in broken lines.

The opening 10 is equipped with a solar protection device 20 according to the invention. The solar protection device 20 comprises a shutter 30 which is here in the form of a rolling shutter. The shutter 30 is associated with a motorized winder 24 which makes it possible to lower the shutter and conceal the opening 10 or to raise the shutter by rolling it up, so as to expose the opening 10.

In Figure 2, which shows the shutter in section, it can be noted that the shutter 30 comprises a first layer of material 32, which forms its inner face 34, facing the glazing 18, and a second layer of material 36, which forms its outer face 38.

The first layer of material 32 is waterproof. This is, for example, a layer of molded PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or polypropylene or a layer of metal. The second layer of material 34 comprises an absorbent material, that is to say a material capable of absorbing water. As mentioned previously, it is, for example, a layer of woven cotton sintered polypropylene, bamboo viscose, polyester-polyamide microfiber, sintered polyethylene, wood fibers, or polyacrylate-type hydrophilic gel. In the remainder of the description, the second layer of material 36 is referred to as “layer of absorbent material”. The layer 36 of absorbent material and the layer of waterproof material 34 are even better visible in Figure 3 which shows a detail of the section of the shutter, on a larger scale.

Returning to Figure 1, we can note the presence of a wetting device 40 of the shutter. The wetting device is presented as an installation comprising two rows of sprinklers 42 arranged on the boards 14 of the opening 10 and oriented towards the opening 10. The sprinklers 42 are intended to project water or to mist droplets of water in the direction of the flap 10, when it is closed, so as to wet the outer face 38 and to soak the layer of absorbent material 36 with water.

The sprinklers 42 are connected to a pressurized water distribution network R via water supply pipes 44. Upstream of the sprinklers 42 we can note, in order: a solenoid valve 50, a filter 52, and a pressure limiter 56.

As a supplement, a bypass also connects the sprinklers 42 to a water reserve 62 via a suppressor 60 and a filter 53. The booster is an electric motor suppressor. The use of a water reserve 62 for the operation of the sprinkler device makes it possible, if necessary, to make it independent of the presence of a water distribution network near the opening or of a connection to a water distribution network.

In the example of Figure 1, an outlet pipe 64 from the booster is connected to the pipes 44 supplying water to the sprinklers. It should be noted that the wetting device is not necessarily connected to several water supply sources. When the wetting device is not connected to a water distribution network, but only to a booster, the presence of a solenoid valve is optional. In this case, in fact the booster can constitute a wetting control, as will appear again in the remainder of the description.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the wetting device also includes a wetting circuit 70 integrated into the shutter.

The wetting circuit 70 comprises porous pipes 74 inserted in the shutter between the first waterproof layer 32 and the layer of absorbent material 36. FIG. 2 symbolically indicates a porous pipe 74 in the form of a single broken line. Figure 3 makes it easier to distinguish a porous pipe 74 extending between the waterproof layer 34 and the layer 36 of absorbent material. Porous pipes can also extend entirely into the layer of absorbent material.

The porous pipes 74, only one of which is shown for reasons of simplification of the figures, are connected to the outlet of the solenoid valve 50, and to the outlet pipe 64 of the booster 60, via a pipe of food 45.

Automatic operation of the solar protection device 10 is ensured by a control unit 80. The main function of the control unit 80 is to trigger or interrupt the wetting of the shutter, and possibly to dose the wetting of the shutter. For this purpose, the control unit is electrically connected to the solenoid valve 50 and to the booster 60.

The solenoid valve and the booster are mooring controls. These organs, when they are controlled by the control unit 80 in fact make it possible to initiate or interrupt the wetting. In the example of Figure 1, the solenoid valve and the booster are directly powered by the control unit. Thus the control unit can deliver a control current allowing the opening of the solenoid valve or the operation of the booster. The control unit thus also serves as a power supply for the mooring controls.

The electrical energy necessary for the operation of the control unit 80, of the motorized reel 24, of the booster 60 and of the solenoid valve 50 can come from an electrical network, or from an autonomous power supply with battery and panels. electric solar.

The control unit 80 is also electrically connected to a certain number of sensors whose state it measures or from which it collects a measurement signal. In the example of FIG. 1, the control unit is connected to three humidity sensors 82a, 82b and 82c, an ambient temperature sensor 84, a brightness sensor 86 and a shutter closing sensor 88. The signals or measurements of all the sensors are processed by a programmable computer of the control unit which determines the operation of the mooring controls.

The shutter closure sensor 88 is here integrated into the motorized reel 24. It may be noted in this respect that the motorized reel 24 and more precisely an electric motor of the reel (not shown) is also connected to the control unit 80 which can also control the closing or opening of the shutter according to the signals from the sensors.

Figure 2, for reasons of simplicity, does not represent the control unit, nor the sensors nor the water pipes. On the other hand, we can note the sprinklers 42 which equip the table 14 of the opening or the porous pipes 74 running through the shutter 30.

Figure 4 gives an illustration in the form of a flowchart of one operating possibility of the control unit.

The beginning of the process begins with the operation 102 of the device, accompanied or not by a closing of the shutter. The control unit monitors 104 the state of the shutter closing sensor 88 and returns to the standby phase when the shutter is open. This operation makes it possible to avoid spraying the glazing 18 when the shutter 30 is open.

If the shutter is closed, the control unit takes into account a measurement of the luminosity sensor 86 and operates a comparison 106 of the luminosity measured with a set luminosity. If the measured luminosity is lower than the set luminosity, the process resumes at the start, at the monitoring step 104. This measure makes it possible to avoid wetting when the solar radiation would be insufficient to cause effective evaporation of the water.

If the measured brightness is greater than the setpoint brightness, the control unit takes into account a measurement from the temperature sensor 84 (thermal probe) and performs a comparison 108 of the measured temperature with a setpoint temperature. If the measured temperature is lower than a setpoint temperature, the process resumes at the start, at the monitoring step 104. This measure makes it possible to avoid wetting of the shutter when the ambient temperature is low and would be unnecessary or even inappropriate.

If the measured temperature is higher than the set temperature, the control unit controls the opening of the solenoid valve 50 or the operation of the booster 60. This operation is indicated with the reference 110.

The opening of the solenoid valve or the operation of the booster then causes wetting 120 of the flap and more particularly of the absorbent material of the flap, for example by sprinkling, by misting or by capillary diffusion.

Concomitantly with the mooring 120, a timer 122 is triggered by the control unit. The wetting of the shutter is continued until the moment when the duration t of the wetting reaches a maximum duration tmax. The time delay ensures predetermined optimal wetting of the cover and avoids excessive water consumption.

When the maximum duration of the wetting is reached, the control unit causes an interruption 124 of the wetting by closing the solenoid valve 50 or by stopping the booster 60.

After the wetting has been interrupted, the control unit takes into account a measurement from the humidity sensor(s) 82a, 82b, 82c. This is a step 130 of comparing the humidity Hvol of the shutter, and more precisely of the absorbent material of the shutter, with a set value Hmin. If the humidity of the shutter is higher than the set value, the dampening remains inactive.

If, on the other hand, the humidity of the shutter becomes lower than the set value then the process can be resumed at the start, at the monitoring step 104. This then leads, if the closing, brightness and temperature parameters remain favorable, to a new mooring 120 of the shutter. This measure ensures permanent humidification of the cover while avoiding excessive wetting of the cover and excessive water consumption.

The control unit can integrate other functions in response to the measurements of the temperature and luminosity sensors, such as the automatic closing of the shutter when the temperature and/or the luminosity are higher than setpoint values.

Claims (10)

1) Sun protection device, in particular for building opening comprising:
- a flap (30) with an inner face (34) and an outer face (38), the flap comprising an absorbent material (36) exposed on the outer face (38),
- a wetting device (20) for the absorbent material, provided with a wetting control (50, 60)
and in which:
- at least one humidity sensor (82a, 82b, 82c) provided on the outer face of the flap and
- a control unit (80) of the solar protection device, the control unit being connected to the wetting control (50, 60) of the wetting device (20) and configured to trigger, respectively interrupt an operation of the wetting based on at least one measurement of the humidity sensor (82a, 82b, 82c). 2) Device according to claim 1, comprising a flap closure sensor (88) connected to the control unit (80), and in which the control unit (80) is configured to condition the wetting to the closure of the shutter. 3) Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, comprising a light sensor (86) connected to the control unit (80), and in which the control unit (80) is configured to condition the wetting at a luminosity higher than a set luminosity. 4) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a temperature sensor (84) connected to the control unit (80), and in which the control unit (80) is configured to condition the wetting to a temperature higher than a set temperature. 5) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wetting device (20) comprises at least one of a solenoid valve (50) and a booster (60) connected to the control unit and forming the control of wetting. 6) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control unit comprises a delay (122) for wetting. 7) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the shutter (30) is a motorized roller shutter (24), in which the motorized roller is connected to the control unit (80) and in which the The control unit is configured to trigger closing of the shutter prior to triggering the anchorage. 8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flap (30) comprises a waterproof material (32) forming the inner face (34). 9) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wetting device (20) comprises at least one sprinkler (42) oriented towards the outer face (38) of the flap (30) when the flap is in the closed position. 10) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wetting device (20) comprises a wetting circuit (70, 74) integrated into the flap.