JP2001280667A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the air blown out of an air conditioner from being contaminated with mold or bacteria which grow in the fan or heat exchanger of the indoor unit of the air conditioner due to the dew condensation which occurs in the fan or exchanger after the operation is stopped when the air conditioner is operated for cooling or dehumidifying and the temperature of the fan or exchanger becomes lower. SOLUTION: The blowing circuit of the indoor unit is provided with a cooling section 8 and a heating section 9 separately from elements from which condensate must be removed and, after the blowing circuit is operated for cooling and defrosting, the circuit is operated for removing condensate by dehumidifying and heating the air flowing in the indoor fan 2 and heat exchanger 3 by controlling the capacities, air volumes, wind directions of the cooling section 8 and heating section 9 after cooling or dehumidifying operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner for performing a cooling or dehumidifying operation, and in particular, to remove dew in an indoor unit after the cooling or dehumidifying operation is completed, thereby preventing the occurrence of mold and the like. It relates to an air conditioner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hygiene problems such as the generation of offensive odors have been reported from molds generated in fans and heat exchangers of indoor units of air conditioners. This is due to the formation of mold on these parts due to debris that has adhered to the fans and heat exchangers of the air conditioner, as well as moisture, humidity, temperature, and nutrients that have condensed after cooling and dehumidifying operations. Is what you do. Normal temperature 20 ~ 30 ℃, humidity 60 ~
It is said that molds are easy to propagate under the condition of about 80%.

[0003] Further, a fan is particularly problematic as a mold-generating site. Since the condensation of the fan is difficult to remove after cooling or dehumidifying operation, the mold becomes highly humid and easily molds.
In addition, since it does not have the effect of washing away with dew condensation water as in a heat exchanger, it may grow into a large lump in some cases.

In order to suppress the generation of mold, a conventional air conditioner that removes dew after cooling or dehumidifying operation is, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 4-24454. The main body of the air conditioner is operated by performing a so-called short-circuit operation for a certain period of time by operating the air conditioner and controlling the wind direction changing device (flap or the like) of the indoor unit to directly take in the air blown from the indoor unit from the suction port. There is something to dry.

In another air conditioner, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-116992, a short circuit circuit forming means is fitted in the housing of the indoor unit of the air conditioner or in the housing. In some cases, a short circuit circuit is formed, and a heating operation is performed to raise the temperature of air in the circuit and sterilize the circuit.

[0006]

However, the following problems can be considered in the conventional air conditioner. In other words, when the main body of the air conditioner is dried by short circuit operation using a high-temperature heat source such as heating operation, the dew condensation water becomes high temperature, evaporates and then diffuses into the room to be air-conditioned. Will be done. In addition, in the case of heating at a high temperature using a refrigeration cycle for sterilization, a condensing temperature of about 70 ° C. is required, so that a refrigeration cycle, particularly a compressor, is subjected to a pressure load, and the compressor is driven. Requires a lot of energy. Further, it is necessary to design the housing and components constituting the indoor unit in consideration of heat resistance so as to be able to cope with a high temperature of 70 ° C.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is directed to an air conditioner that performs a dew-condensation removing operation in order to suppress the generation of mold and bacteria due to the formation of dew water after a cooling or dehumidifying operation. A highly clean air conditioner that eliminates dew condensation efficiently with a simple configuration and does not require any heat-resistant design, and does not re-condensate even if air in the surrounding environment flows in after dew condensation has been removed. Things.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, an air conditioner according to the present invention comprises a blower circuit upstream of a part such as an indoor heat exchanger or a fan which is desirably dried in view of fungi. A cooling unit and a heating unit are arranged on the side, or a heating unit is arranged on the upstream side and a cooling unit is arranged on the downstream side, or these heat sources are used by using a refrigeration cycle attached to the air conditioner as these heat sources. The dew condensation operation is performed by appropriately controlling the capacity, air volume, wind direction, and the like.

Further, in the present invention, a dew condensation removing operation is performed by using a thermoelectric module as a heat transfer means to which a thermoelectric element is applied as a cooling unit and a heating unit, and disposed between a suction unit and a blowing unit. is there.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 shows a configuration diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. A fan 2 and an indoor heat exchanger 3 are arranged in an indoor unit housing 1 and an air suction portion 4 (hereinafter, referred to as an air suction portion 4).
The flow of the air filter 5, the indoor heat exchanger 3, the fan 2, and the blowout unit 6 forms an air blowing circuit. According to the present invention, for example, a cooling pipe (cooling unit) 8 is provided upstream of the blower circuit of a dew-condensation removing element (an element or a part such as the fan 2 or the indoor heat exchanger 3 which needs to remove dew condensation).
A heater (heating unit) 9 is arranged, and the capacity thereof is controlled by a microcomputer (control means) 10. Although the microcomputer 10 is shown outside the housing of the indoor unit in FIG. 1, it is usually housed inside the indoor unit. The cold heat source of the cooling pipe 8 can be obtained, for example, by configuring a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner as shown in FIG. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner of the present invention. The air conditioner basically connects the outdoor unit 11 and the indoor unit 12 using a connection pipe 13, and a compressor 14, a four-way valve 15, an outdoor heat exchanger 16, an expansion valve 17, and a connection pipe 1.
3. The refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting the indoor heat exchangers 3 annularly. The cooling pipe 8 is disposed in parallel with the indoor heat exchanger, and is configured so that the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle can be switched using the circuit switching valve 18. In the ordinary cooling / heating / dehumidifying operation, the circuit switching valve 18 is in the state shown in FIG. 2, and the refrigerant flows through the indoor heat exchanger 3. On the other hand, in order to obtain a cold heat source in the decondensing operation, the four-way valve 15 is switched so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 14 first flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 16 as shown by the solid line, and the circuit switching valve 18 is switched. Switching is performed so that the refrigerant flows through the cooling pipe 8.

Further, the cold surface of a heat exchanger using thermoelectric elements may be used as a cold source of the cooling section.

As described above, the elements of the indoor unit
It is the fan that generates the largest amount of mold among the parts and may affect the cleanliness of the blown air when the dew condensation target is limited due to issues such as equipment configuration and cost It is effective to remove at least the condensation of the fan. Therefore, it is not always necessary to include the indoor heat exchanger and other parts as the dew condensation removing element. That is, if only the fan is a target of the dew-condensation removal element, the heating unit / cooling unit may be, for example, between the fan in the air blowing circuit and the indoor heat exchanger.

When both the heating unit and the cooling unit are arranged on the windward side of the dew-condensation removing element, the heating unit may be arranged on the windward side of the cooling unit, but preferably, as shown in FIG. The section is located more upwind than the heating section. As a result, the air that has been dehumidified and dried is sent to the heating unit, so that the air becomes hotter for a predetermined heating amount, which is effective for the decondensing operation.

Although not shown in the figure, it is also effective to arrange the heating section on the windward side of the dew-condensation removing element and the cooling section on the lee side of the dew-condensation removing element. With this arrangement, unlike the case where both the heating unit and the cooling unit are arranged upwind of the decondensing removal element, the moisture removed from the fan and indoor heat exchanger is dehumidified at the outlet of the ventilation circuit and supplemented. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the amount of water that diffuses into the air-conditioned space. Therefore, the dew condensation removal operation can be performed without impairing the comfort of the air-conditioned space.

It is also effective that any one of the heating section and the cooling section is configured using a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner. Not only does not require any component of the heating section or the cooling section, but it is not necessary to install a separate cooling or heating circuit for dew condensation removal operation, the configuration is simpler, and it can be configured at low cost. .

Next, a procedure for removing dew condensation from the fan and the indoor heat exchanger after the cooling or dehumidifying operation, which is the main feature of the present invention, using the air conditioner having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example of a control algorithm for the decondensing operation.

In the decondensing operation, for example, a cooling or dehumidifying operation stop signal is transmitted (step 101), or a decondensing operation start signal is manually transmitted through a remote controller or a switch of the main body when the user requires it. (Step 102), the algorithm of the decondensing operation is executed. When a cooling or dehumidifying operation signal is transmitted (step 101), it may be controlled so as to insert a timer 1 (step 103) that delays a predetermined time before execution. This is because when you want to return to the original operation mode immediately when the operation stop signal (OFF signal) is transmitted “incorrectly” by remote control operation, etc. When the vehicle enters, the signal for recovery is not accepted, and as a result, it takes extra time contrary to the intention of the user before restarting in the original operation mode. Therefore, it is preferable to delay the start of the dew condensation operation for a certain period of time so that the restart signal can be received during this period and the above-described problem can be avoided.

Next, when a dew condensation removal start signal is issued,
The process proceeds to the dew condensation removal operation initial setting (step 105), and the air volume, the wind direction, the circuit switching valve, the cooling amount, the heating amount, and the like of the air conditioner are adjusted to be the circuits and values set in advance for the dew condensation removal operation. . For example, the air volume and the air direction may be in the state of the cooling or dehumidifying operation, or the number of rotations of the fan 2 may be adjusted to a low air volume so that the air does not directly hit a person present in the room to be air-conditioned, or The flap 19 may be made more horizontal. Further, it is effective to control the air flow to be short-circuited around the indoor unit. That is, control is performed such that the wind blown out from the outlet directly flows into the inlet. For example, the air volume may be set to a low air volume, and the air direction may be set to blow the flap more horizontally. If the blower is short-circuited during the decondensing operation, the moisture evaporated from the fan 2 and the indoor heat exchanger 3 during the decondensing operation can be prevented from diffusing into the room as much as possible, and the environment to be air-conditioned is comfortable. Sex can be kept from being impaired as much as possible.

Next, the control of the amount of cooling and the amount of heating provided and received by the cooling unit and the heating unit will be described. First, the cooling amount needs to be such that the temperature of the cooling pipe 8 is equal to or lower than the dew point of the intake air and that it is capable of sufficiently dehumidifying.
When the refrigeration cycle of FIG. 2 is used, the operation is controlled by changing the operating frequency of the compressor 14 or adjusting the expansion valve 17 to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant. Further, the control amounts of the compressor, the expansion valve, and the like are set in advance so as to satisfy the above conditions by experiments and the like, as shown below. In other words, the higher the number of revolutions of the compressor, the higher the cooling capacity can be. However, if the cooling temperature is too low, frost is formed, which causes a new problem of defrosting. In addition, the higher the heater input as a heating source, the more effective it is to remove dew condensation quickly. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, not only will energy be wasted, Since high-energy radiant heat is emitted to the surrounding indoor unit components, it is necessary to increase the heat resistance of the components or to perform a more advanced structural design that is influenced by the radiant heat. Therefore, the cooling pipe temperature which does not form frost at the air volume at the time of the dew condensation removal operation, and which is lower than the suction air dew point temperature for dew condensation removal, and higher than the dew point temperature of the surrounding air,
In addition, the control amounts such as the heater, the compressor frequency, the expansion valve, the air volume, and the like may be determined so that a heating temperature that does not adversely affect surrounding components can be obtained.

On the other hand, as for the heating amount, an input amount determined through experiments or the like is set in advance so that the capacity of the condensation of the fan 2 and the indoor heat exchanger 3 is sufficient to evaporate. When a refrigeration cycle is used as the heating unit, the operating frequency of the compressor 14, the air flow rate of the fan 2, the expansion valve 17 throttle amount, and the like are adjusted from the same viewpoint to control the condensation temperature in the indoor heat exchanger 3 and the like. Each control amount is set in advance so as to obtain a predetermined capacity by controlling the refrigerant circulation amount.

Next, the timer 2 (step 106) keeps the state of the set value in step 105 for a certain period of time for removal of dew. An appropriate value for the time set by the timer 2 is also determined in advance by experiments or the like.

After the timer 2 has timed out, the dew condensation end signal (step 107) is output to end the dew condensation operation, and the main body stops if no other main body control is performed.

In order to control the capacity of the cooling unit and the heating unit more efficiently, the heating amount / cooling amount control (step 108) is executed as shown in FIG. For controlling the heating amount / cooling amount, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the suction air temperature sensor 20 for detecting the suction air temperature (Ti) of the surrounding environment, the suction air humidity for detecting the suction air humidity (RHi) as shown in FIG. Sensor 21, a cooling pipe temperature sensor 22 for detecting a cooling pipe temperature (Tref), and a fan blowing temperature (T
An outlet temperature sensor 23 for detecting o) is provided, and the microcomputer 10 receives the output. The cooling pipe temperature sensor 22 is located so as to be able to measure the surface temperature of the fins or the like of the cooling section, or is disposed inside the pipe so as to detect the surface of the cooling pipe itself or the refrigerant temperature. Is also good.

Next, a specific control step in the case where the heating amount and the cooling amount are controlled more efficiently by using the above-mentioned sensors will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the detailed control of the heating amount / cooling amount control (step 108).

First, the microcomputer 10 detects the suction air temperature Ti and the suction air humidity RHi (step 111) in both cases of controlling the heating amount and the cooling amount, and determines the dew point temperature (Tdew, hereinafter simply referred to as "dew point temperature") of the suction air. ") Is calculated (step 112). Subsequently, in the case of the cooling amount control, step 109 is performed, and in the case of the heating amount control, step 1 is performed.
However, these methods do not necessarily employ either the heating amount control or the cooling amount control in view of the configuration and the cost, and if at least one of them is selected and incorporated, the high efficiency control is performed. Is feasible. When both the heating amount control and the cooling amount control are adopted, the control is performed in parallel.

Next, an example of the cooling amount control will be described. The cooling pipe temperature Tref is detected (step 113),
As shown in steps 114 and 115, (Td
ew-α) <Tref <(Tdew-β), where
The cooling amount is controlled so as to be in a predetermined temperature range such that α, β> 0 and α> β). α and β may be set in advance by experiments or the like, and vary depending on the specifications of the cooling unit to be controlled, the accuracy of the sensor, and the like.

For example, when the cooling pipe 8 is used, it is necessary to control the refrigeration cycle.
Temperature sensor with an accuracy of ± 1 ° C.
If it is empirically determined by experiments or the like that the cooling pipe temperature is preferably at least 3 ° C. lower than the dew point of the ambient air for removing condensation, α = 4 and β = 9. However, if Tdew-β falls below 0 ° C. at a predetermined air volume, frost will form, so it is necessary to adjust the value of β.
However, the values of α and β here are examples in the description of the present embodiment, and the control of the present invention is not limited to these values. (Hereinafter, the values of γ, δ, ε, and ζ are not limited to the numerical values described above.) If it is determined in step 114 that the cooling pipe temperature Tref enters a temperature range that satisfies the conditions, Timer 3 (step 116)
When it is determined that (Tdew-α) <Tref <(Tdew-β) is still satisfied in step 117 after that, the cooling amount is determined to be appropriate, and the flag Cool is set. "TRUE" is given (step 118). On the other hand, if the temperature does not fall within the predetermined temperature range after the time-out of the timer 3, the Cool flag is set to "F".
ALSE "(step 119).

Next, an example of the heating amount control will be described. The fan outlet temperature To is detected (step 121),
As shown in steps 122 and 123, (Td
ew + γ) <To <(Tdew + δ), where γ,
The cooling amount is controlled so as to be in a predetermined temperature range such that δ> 0 and δ> γ). Because, because To> Tdew, the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger and the fan becomes equal to or higher than the dew point of the suction air by the decondensing operation. Dew condensation does not occur again on the surface of the dew condensation target element. Further, by controlling so that the fan blowing temperature To becomes too high, that is, not to supply an excessive heating capacity, it is possible to execute a more efficient dew condensation removing operation. Note that γ and δ may be set in advance by experiments or the like, and differ depending on the specifications of the heating unit to be controlled, the accuracy of the sensor, and the like.

For example, when a heater is used in the heating section, the control is relatively easy. Therefore, the temperature control width is set to about 2 ° C., and a temperature sensor with an accuracy of ± 1 ° C. is used to remove the dew. Therefore, if it is empirically determined by experiments that the blown air temperature To is preferably at least 3 ° C. higher than the dew point of the ambient air, γ = 4 and δ = 7. However, if Tdew + δ has a thermal adverse effect such as deforming surrounding components, it is necessary to adjust the value of δ.

Next, at step 122, the fan outlet temperature To
If the timer enters the temperature range that satisfies the conditions, the timer 4
A predetermined time has elapsed by (Step 124), and (Tdew + γ) <To <(Td)
ew + δ), it is determined that the heating amount is appropriate and the flag “Heat” is set to “TRU”.
E "is given (step 126). On the other hand, if the temperature does not fall within the predetermined temperature range after the timer 4 has timed out, He is used.
"FALSE" is given to the at flag (step 12)
7).

If only the heating amount control is adopted in step 120, only the Heat flag is set, and if only the cooling amount control is adopted, Cool is used.
Check only the flag, and if both controls are adopted, check the Heat flag and the Cool flag. If the value of the flag is “TRUE”, end the heating amount / cooling amount control.
Return to the main flow of the decondensing operation shown in FIG.

By the above control, a sufficient amount of heating or cooling is supplied for the dew removal operation, so that dew can be reliably removed and excess energy supply can be avoided, and efficient operation can be achieved. Will be possible.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the difference from the first embodiment is that instead of individually disposing a heating unit and a cooling unit as a heat source used in the dew condensation removing operation, a thermoelectric module 24 having a heating unit and a cooling unit as one component is used. This is the point that is used. The thermoelectric module is used by exposing the high-temperature side and the low-temperature side of the thermoelectric element, respectively, or preferably, as shown in FIG.
At least one surface of the thermoelectric element 25 is provided with a heat exchange promoting component 27 such as an aluminum fin for promoting heat exchange. As a structure for promoting heat exchange, a structure such as a heat sink may be used.
At this time, it is desirable that fins and the like be installed substantially parallel to the air flow line so that the heat exchange promoting component does not become resistant to the flow of air (arrow in FIG. 6). In addition, it is desirable that an antibacterial agent is applied or kneaded so as to have an antibacterial property and / or a water-repellent film is formed so as to have a water-repellent property on heat transfer portions such as fins.

The thermoelectric module 24 is arranged such that one surface serving as a heat source is exposed to the suction portion 4 side of the blower circuit and the other surface is exposed to the blowout portion 6 side of the blower circuit. In order to install the thermoelectric module 24, it is necessary to close and fix the blower circuit between the suction part 4 and the blowing part 6 so as not to be short-circuited. The other components are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore are numbered in FIG. 5 and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

By arranging as shown in FIG. 5,
During the dehumidifying operation, the surface exposed to the suction part 4 is on the cooling side (low temperature side), and the surface exposed to the blowing part 6 is the heating side (high temperature side).
By controlling the input to the thermoelectric module 24 such that the cooling capacity of the thermoelectric module can be increased, the dehumidification can be performed without reducing the temperature of the blown air too much. Dehumidifying operation becomes possible, and it becomes possible to use it for operation control with high comfort.

Next, a description will be given of a control in the case of performing the dew condensation removing operation in the air conditioner having the above configuration. (Since the start of the decondensing operation and the determination of the end of the decondensing operation are basically the same as those in the first embodiment, the detailed description is omitted here.) First, the first control method is air. The refrigeration cycle of the conditioner was stopped, the fan 2 and the flap 19 were adjusted so that the air volume and the air direction were set in advance, and the surface exposed to the suction portion 4 was exposed to the blowing portion 6 on the heating side (high temperature side). The thermoelectric module is controlled with a preset input such that the surface is on the cooling side (low temperature side). By controlling in this manner, the dew condensation removing operation can be performed without operating the accompanying refrigeration cycle, and the control can be simplified, and all the elements in the ventilation circuit can be subjected to dew condensation removal. There is an advantage that can be.

In the second control method, after starting the decondensing operation, the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner is switched to the cooling circuit in the normal operation so that the indoor heat exchanger operates as an evaporator. Alternatively, if a dew-removing operation signal is output during the cooling or dehumidifying operation, the compressor operating frequency, air volume, air direction, and the like are adjusted while operating with the circuit configuration of the refrigeration cycle. That is, since it is possible to shift to the dew condensation removal operation without temporarily stopping the refrigeration cycle, there is no time lag, and the load on the compressor 14 and the four-way valve 15 can be reduced because the refrigeration cycle does not need to be switched.
In particular, in the case of this control method, the air heated in the blowing section is guided to the suction section by short-circuiting the blowing circuit around the indoor unit, and the thermoelectric module 2
Drying air can be sent to the dew condensation removing element by being dehumidified by the cooling unit 4 or the indoor heat exchanger 3.
At this time, by controlling the temperature of the air flowing into the fan to be higher than the dew point of the ambient air, it is possible to prevent re-condensation after the completion of the decondensing operation.

As a third control method, the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner is switched to the heating circuit in the normal operation so that the indoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser after the dew condensation operation is started. If the expansion valve 17 of the refrigeration cycle is of a variable capacity type, it is preferable to set the expansion valve opening to an appropriate state. The compressor drive circuit, the fan 2, the flap 19
And the surface exposed to the suction part 4 is on the heating side (high temperature side) and the surface exposed to the blowing part 6 is the cooling side (low temperature side).
The thermoelectric module is controlled by a preset input so that By controlling in this manner, the indoor heat exchanger 3 is heated and heated, so that the dew condensation on the surface can be more quickly evaporated and removed, and the condensed water adhering to the fan 2 is evaporated by the high-temperature air and the evaporator is evaporated. Since the water thus collected can be captured to some extent on the cooling side of the thermoelectric module 24 on the side of the blowout unit, the water released to the environment to be air-conditioned can be suppressed as much as possible and can be used as in the dew condensation removal.

Next, a description will be given of a control method for performing a dew-condensation removing operation with a device configuration as in the present embodiment using a thermoelectric module. The basic control flow is the same as that of the first embodiment, and redundant description is omitted here. However, the thermoelectric module differs greatly in the capability control of the thermoelectric module from the first embodiment. There is only one input to be controlled, and by setting the applied polarity and voltage to predetermined values, the cooling amount and the heating amount are determined and controlled centrally. Therefore, in the case where the input to the thermoelectric module is determined in advance and the dew condensation removal operation is performed, it is necessary to set an input value that satisfies both the heating amount and the cooling amount through experiments and the like. . In addition, by selecting a thermoelectric element to be configured in consideration of its own characteristic (heating / cooling ability characteristic with respect to input), necessary cooling / heating characteristics are selectively used.

In order to perform more efficient control, the first
As shown in FIG. 5, a suction air temperature sensor 20, a suction air humidity sensor 21, a cooling pipe temperature sensor 22, and a blowout temperature sensor 23 are provided in an indoor unit as shown in FIG. 10 so that it is received. The cooling pipe temperature sensor 22 is located so as to be able to measure the surface temperature of the fins or the like of the cooling section, or is disposed inside the pipe so as to detect the surface of the cooling pipe itself or the refrigerant temperature. Is also good. When both the indoor heat exchanger 3 and the cooling side of the thermoelectric module 24 disposed on the suction unit 4 side are used as the cooling unit, the cooling pipe temperature sensors 22 are provided on both of them, and the microcomputer 10 controls both cooling units. The section temperature may be controlled so as to satisfy a predetermined condition. On the other hand, when both the heating side (high-temperature side) of the thermoelectric module 24 disposed on the indoor heat exchanger 3 and the suction section 4 side are used as the heating section, the heating amount in the refrigeration cycle is kept constant (ie, , Fixing the operating frequency of the compressor, etc.),
In addition, by changing the capacity of the thermoelectric module 24 to obtain a predetermined heating / cooling capacity, or by keeping the input to the thermoelectric module 24 constant while controlling the cooling capacity to satisfy a predetermined condition, The heating capacity may be controlled by the cycle.

Here, an example of the thermoelectric module capacity control will be described with reference to FIG. As in the first embodiment, the suction air temperature Ti and the suction air humidity RHi are detected (step 2).
01), and the dew point temperature Tdew is calculated from these (step 202). Next, the fan outlet temperature To and the cooling pipe temperature Tref are detected (step 203), and the fan outlet temperature To, the cooling pipe temperature Tref and the dew point temperature Tde are detected.
w to determine the rate-determining heat transfer surface (step 20).
4). Here, the "rate-controlling heat transfer surface" is either the cooling surface or the heating surface of the thermoelectric module, and refers to a heat transfer surface that does not satisfy the required temperature condition for the dew condensation removal operation. More specifically, similarly to the first embodiment, the cooling pipe temperature Tr
ef needs to satisfy (A) Tref <Tdew−ε (ε> 0), and (B) To> Tdew + ζ
(Ζ> 0). (Ε and ζ are estimated in advance by an experiment. For example, the detection accuracy of the temperature sensor is ± 1 ° C., and Tref <Tde in the dew removal operation.
Assuming that a temperature satisfying w−3 and To> Tdew + 3 is preferable, ε = 4 and ζ = 4. However, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the thermoelectric module 24, Tref ≒ Tdew-4,
It is assumed that To ≒ Tdew + 2. In this case, the current applied voltage is set a little higher, and the heating temperature becomes To> T.
It is necessary to adjust so as to be dew + 3, in which case the cooling temperature may be somewhat excessive. )
If any of the conditions (A) and (B) is not satisfied, the heat transfer surface becomes “rate-limiting”. If none of the conditions (A) and (B) is satisfied, both surfaces are rate-controlling surfaces. Based on the judgment result, the ability of the rate-controlling heat transfer surface side is (A)
-Determine the input value (example: applied voltage) of the thermoelectric module so as to satisfy the condition (B) (Step 205). FIG. 8 shows a thermoelectric module performance characteristic diagram. In the figure, the horizontal axis shows the applied voltage, and the vertical axis shows the heating / cooling capacity corresponding to the applied voltage. Although the applied voltage indicated by X was given at the initial stage of the dew condensation removal operation, the heating / cooling capacity required for the dew condensation removal operation is Qh,
It is assumed that Qc is assumed. Qc and Qh are dew point temperature Td
ew, the fan outlet temperature To, and the cooling pipe temperature Tref are uniquely determined by being correlated in advance. At present, both the heating capacity and the cooling capacity are insufficient, so that the predetermined amount and the applied voltage are increased to Y, a predetermined time is set by the timer 5 (step 206), and then the steps (A) and (B) are performed again in step 207.
Check if the conditions are met. In this example, the heating capacity has reached the required Qh, but the cooling capacity is still lower than the required cooling capacity Qc, so the determination is “NG” and the process returns to step 201 again. And step 20
If it is instructed in step 5 to further increase the applied voltage to Z, both of the conditions (A) and (B) are satisfied, and therefore, a determination of "OK" is made in step 207, and the The capacity control is ended, and the process returns to the main control of the decondensing operation.

As shown in the second embodiment, one of the heat transfer surfaces of the thermoelectric module is on the suction side of the blower circuit, and the other is on the blowout portion of the blower circuit. A flap that can open and close the outlet with the air conditioner
A short circuit that short-circuits the suction section and the blow section in the indoor unit housing, and a short-circuit opening and closing blade that opens and closes the short circuit,
During normal cooling / heating / dehumidifying operation, the short-circuit switching blade is controlled to close the short-circuit, while during the decondensing operation, the flap is closed and the short-circuit switching blade is controlled to open the short-circuit, and the air is blown. It is effective to control so that the short circuit passes through the heating / cooling heat transfer surfaces of the thermoelectric module from the blowout portion to the suction portion. At this time, it is more effective to form the short circuit open flat blade as the flap 19 as shown in FIG. 9 from the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts and simplifying the control. During the normal operation of the cooling / heating / dehumidifying operation, the short circuit 28 is closed by the flap 19 and the short circuit forming auxiliary tool 29, and on the other hand, the flap 19 and the short circuit forming auxiliary tool 29 are closed by the wrap 19 closed during the dew condensation removing operation. A short circuit 28 is formed at the end of the line to perform the dew condensation removal operation.

The air conditioner according to the first and second embodiments has a multi-air conditioner and a multi-room air conditioner each including a refrigeration cycle having two or more indoor units for one outdoor unit. And so on. In this case, any configuration that realizes the above contents by a bypass circuit or another configuration is included.

In the first and second embodiments, during the decondensing operation, voices, display indications, L
Using the operation status display function by means such as ED display,
It is preferable to show the user that the operation state is different from the normal cooling / heating / dehumidification operation. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the user from having a misunderstanding such as "the operation does not stop despite the transmission of the main body stop signal". In this case, the display or sound may be emitted from the air conditioner main body, or may be emitted from a remote control or the like near the user, as long as it is a means for informing the user that the dew condensation removal operation is being performed.
It is not necessary to limit to the above.

[0046]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by implementing the present invention as described above.

That is, by providing a cooling unit and a heating unit, and appropriately controlling the capacity and the air volume, etc., and performing the dew condensation removing operation,
The dew condensation on the indoor unit (particularly, dew condensation on the indoor heat exchanger and the fan) generated by the cooling or dehumidifying operation, which is a factor of generating mold and bacteria, can be reliably removed by a simple configuration and control. In addition, the dew-condensation removal target is not excessively heated, and there is no need for a heat-resistant design. Furthermore, since the temperature of the dew-condensation removing element is equal to or higher than the dew point of the ambient air, even if the dew-condensing operation is completed and the ambient air flows into the blower circuit of the indoor unit, there is no fear of causing dew condensation. .

Further, the heating unit is placed on the windward side of the dew condensation removing element,
By arranging the cooling section downwind of the dew-condensation removing element, it is possible to prevent the moisture removed from the dew-condensation removing element from being released to the air-conditioned space as much as possible, and to perform a dew-condensing operation that does not impair comfort. it can.

Further, by using a refrigeration cycle in which one of the heating unit and the cooling unit is attached to the air conditioner, the number of components of the cooling unit or the heating unit can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Further, by controlling the cooling amount and the heating amount within a predetermined temperature range, not only the dew condensation can be more reliably performed, but also an efficient dew condensation operation without using wasteful energy can be performed. Become.

Further, by using the thermoelectric module as the heating unit / cooling unit, the number of parts can be reduced and the space can be reduced, so that a structural design can be prepared.
Moreover, the thermoelectric module is easy to control, and allows finer grain temperature control.

When the dew condensation operation is performed using a configuration using a thermoelectric module, the dew condensation can be more quickly and reliably removed by using the accompanying refrigeration cycle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control algorithm of a dew condensation removing operation.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of a heating amount / cooling amount control algorithm;

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a thermoelectric module.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control algorithm of a dew condensation removing operation

FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram of applied voltage and cooling / heating capability of a thermoelectric element.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an indoor unit of an air conditioner using a thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 indoor unit housing 2 fan 3 indoor heat exchanger 4 suction unit 5 air filter 6 blowout unit 7 blowout port 8 cooling pipe (cooling unit) 9 heater (heating unit) 10 microcomputer (control means) 11 outdoor unit 12 indoor unit 13 Connection piping 14 Compressor 15 Four-way valve 16 Outdoor heat exchanger 17 Expansion valve 18 Circuit switching valve 19 Flap 20 Suction air temperature sensor 21 Suction air humidity sensor 22 Cooling pipe temperature sensor 23 Blow-out temperature sensor 24 Thermoelectric module 25 Thermoelectric element 26 Lead wire 27 Fins (heat exchange promoting parts) 28 Short circuit 29 Short circuit forming aid

Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Shin Masahiro 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. ) 3L060 AA07 CC02 CC07 DD02 EE23 EE24

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An air conditioner having an indoor unit provided with at least a fan and a heat exchanger, and performing at least a cooling or dehumidifying operation, wherein at least a wind of the fan is provided in a blowing circuit of the indoor unit. An air conditioner in which a cooling means and a heating means are provided on the upper side, and a control means for controlling the capabilities of the cooling means and the heating means is provided, and a dew condensation removing operation is performed under preset conditions. 2. An air conditioner having at least an indoor unit provided with a fan and a heat exchanger and performing at least a cooling or dehumidifying operation, wherein an air flow of the fan is provided in a blowing circuit of the indoor unit. A heating means is provided on the upper side, and a cooling means is provided on the leeward side of the fan, and a control means for controlling the capabilities of the cooling means and the heating means is provided, and the dew condensation removing operation is performed under preset conditions. A characteristic air conditioner. 3. The at least one of the heating means and the cooling means arranged on the windward side of the fan uses the heat exchanger of the indoor unit as a heat source by operating an accompanying refrigeration cycle. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a suction temperature detecting unit for measuring a temperature of the suction air of the fan; a suction humidity detecting unit for measuring a humidity; and a cooling temperature detecting unit for detecting a temperature of the cooling unit or a cooling unit. The control means calculates the dew point of the suction air from the temperature and the humidity measured by the suction temperature detection means and the suction humidity detection means, and the cooling temperature detected by the cooling temperature detection means is a predetermined temperature equal to or lower than the dew point. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the capacity of the cooling unit is controlled so as to maintain the temperature range. 5. An air conditioner comprising: a suction temperature detecting means for measuring the temperature of the suction air of the fan; a suction humidity detecting means for measuring the humidity; and a blowing temperature detecting means for measuring the temperature of the blowing air of the fan. The control means calculates the dew point of the suction air from the temperature and humidity measured by the suction temperature detection means and the suction humidity detection means, and sets the discharge air temperature detected by the discharge temperature detection means to the dew point of the suction air or more. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the capability of the heating unit is controlled so as to maintain a predetermined temperature range. 6. An air conditioner having at least an indoor unit provided with a fan and a heat exchanger, and performing at least a cooling or dehumidifying operation, wherein the indoor unit has one of the heat transfer sections of a blower circuit. A thermoelectric module disposed in the suction section so that the other heat transfer section is present in the blowout section of the blower circuit; and control means for controlling the performance of the thermoelectric module. An air conditioner characterized by operating. 7. The dew-condensation removing operation includes a step in which a heat exchanger disposed in the indoor unit operates a refrigeration cycle attached to the air conditioner as an evaporator, and a temperature of a blower circuit suction unit side of the thermoelectric module is low. The heat exchanger disposed in the indoor unit controls the refrigeration cycle attached to the air conditioner to act as a condenser, or acts as a condenser, and the air blower circuit suction part side of the thermoelectric module has a high temperature. The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the air conditioner is controlled so as to function as a unit. 8. A suction temperature detecting means for measuring the temperature of the suction air of the fan, a suction humidity detecting means for measuring the humidity, and a low temperature side temperature detecting means for detecting a low temperature of the thermoelectric module. The control means calculates the dew point of the suction air from the temperature and humidity measured by the suction temperature detection means and the suction humidity detection means, and at least the low-temperature side temperature detected by the low-temperature side temperature detection means is equal to or lower than the dew point. The capability of the thermoelectric module is controlled so as to maintain a predetermined temperature range.
The air conditioner according to any one of the above. 9. An air conditioner comprising: a suction temperature detecting means for measuring a temperature of the suction air of the fan; a suction humidity detecting means for measuring a humidity; and a blowing temperature detecting means for measuring a temperature of the blowing air of the fan. The control means calculates the dew point of the suction air from the temperature and humidity measured by the suction temperature detection means and the suction humidity detection means, and at least the blow-off air temperature detected by the blow-off temperature detection means is equal to or higher than the dew point of the suction air. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the capability of the thermoelectric module on the high-temperature side is controlled so as to maintain the predetermined temperature range.