JP2004150723A

JP2004150723A - Cooling device

Info

Publication number: JP2004150723A
Application number: JP2002317523A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Hiroyuki Okumura; 弘幸奥村; Yoshiyuki Okamoto; 義之岡本
Original assignee: Denso Corp
Current assignee: Denso Corp
Priority date: 2002-10-31
Filing date: 2002-10-31
Publication date: 2004-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-31
Also published as: JP3952928B2

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent significant deterioration of cooling performance even when one fan fails and stops to secure a minimum necessary cooling performance. <P>SOLUTION: Two indoor fans (a first fan and a second fan) are arranged on both sides of a straightening vane 9 in an upper part of a heat exchange core 4. The straightening vane 9 partitions a whole area between the first fan and the second fan. while a cutout 9a communicating the two fans is provided in a lower rear side of the straightening vane 9 for sending air delivered from the first fan and second fan throughout a whole area of the core. By such a composition, when the first fan fails, one part of the air delivered from the second fan can be suppressed from flowing into a first fan side through a lower side of the straightening vane 9. As a result, since the air delivered from the second fan can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core 4, significant deterioration of the cooling performance can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

【０００１】
【発明の属する技術分野】
本発明は、筐体の内部空気と外部空気とを熱交換させて筐体の内部を冷却する冷却装置に関する。
【０００２】
【従来の技術】
例えば、携帯電話の通信基地局は、内部無線機が稼働して発熱するため、基地局の内部を冷却する冷却装置が備えられている。
しかし、基地局の内部を冷却する際に、内部無線機に塵や埃、あるいは水分等が付着すると作動不良を招くことがあるため、基地局の内部に直接外気を取り入れて換気することが困難である。
そこで、例えば特許文献１に記載されている様に、冷却装置として、基地局の内部空気と外部空気とを強制的に熱交換させるＡｉｒ−ｔｏ−Ａｉｒ方式の熱交換機が多く採用されている。
【０００３】
この熱交換機は、図９に示す様に、熱交換コア１００と、この熱交換コア１００に基地局の内部空気を供給する室内ファン１１０、及び熱交換コア１００に基地局の外部空気を供給する室外ファン（図示しない）を備え、その室内ファン１１０と室外ファンとをそれぞれ２個ずつ搭載している。これにより、例えば室内ファン１１０の１個が故障して停止しても、残りの室内ファン１１０の回転制御を続けることで、必要最低限の冷却能力を確保することができる。その結果、サービスマンが現地メンテナンス（故障した室内ファン１１０の交換等）を実施するまでの間も、熱交換機の運転を継続して基地局の内部を冷却することが可能である。
【０００４】
【特許文献１】
特願平１１−２７６７６４号公報
【０００５】
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
ところが、上記の熱交換機に用いられる室内ファン１１０及び室外ファンは、軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出するターボファン（遠心式ファン）であるため、例えば図９（ｂ）に示す左側の室内ファン１１０が停止して右側の室内ファン１１０のみ回転した場合に、以下の問題が生じる。
図９（ｂ）に示す２個の室内ファン１１０は、ファンブレードの向きから共に右回転（図示時計回り）に制御される。ここで、左側の室内ファン１１０が停止すると、図示矢印で示す様に、右側の室内ファン１１０から吐出された空気の一部が、両ファン１１０の間に設置される整流板１２０の下側を通り抜けて整流板１２０の左側へ流れ込み、更に左側の室内ファン１１０の周方向に隣合うファンブレード間の隙間からファン内部へ流入した後、図９（ａ）に矢印で示すように、室内ファン１１０の吸込口１３０から流出する。
【０００６】
この結果、左側の室内ファン１１０が停止した上に、右側の室内ファン１１０から吐出された空気の一部も熱交換コア１００に供給されないため、熱交換機の冷却性能が著しく低下して、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できなくなる。
なお、整流板１２０は、２個の室内ファン１１０の間を完全に遮断することはなく、図１０に示すように、室内ファン１１０から吐出された空気が、熱交換コア１００の全体に送り込まれる様に、整流板１２０の下側に開口部が設けられている。
【０００７】
一方、図９（ｂ）に示す右側の室内ファン１１０が停止して左側の室内ファン１１０のみ回転する場合は、以下の理由により、左側の室内ファン１１０が停止した場合の様な冷却性能の著しい落ち込みは生じない。
▲１▼左側の室内ファン１１０から吐出された空気の多くが整流板１２０に沿って図示下方（熱交換コア１００の方向）へ流れる。
▲２▼左側の室内ファン１１０から吐出された空気の一部が整流板１２０を超えて右側へ流れ込んでも、右側の室内ファン１１０のファンブレードの向きが空気の流れを遮る（通風抵抗になる）方向に配置されているため、室内ファン１１０の内部を空気が逆流して吸込口１３０から吹き出されることはない。
【０００８】
本発明は、上記事情に基づいて成されたもので、その目的は、一つのファンが故障して停止した場合でも、冷却性能の著しい落ち込みを防止できる（必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる）冷却装置を提供することにある。
【０００９】
【課題を解決するための手段】
（請求項１の発明）
本発明の冷却装置は、熱交換コアに筐体の内部空気を供給する室内ファンと、筐体の外部空気を供給する室外ファンとを備える。その室内ファンと室外ファンのうち、少なくとも一方のファンは、整流板を間に置いて並設される第１のファンと第２のファンとを有し、その第１のファンと第２のファンが、共に軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出する遠心式ファンであり、且つ第１のファンと第２のファンが、それぞれ吸込口側から見て右回転する時に、整流板の左側に第１のファン、右側に第２のファンが配置される構成、あるいは吸込口側から見て左回転する時に、整流板の右側に第１のファン、左側に第２のファンが配置される構成において、整流板は、第１のファンと第２のファンとの間で、少なくとも互いのファンブレード間を径方向全体に亙って配設されている。
【００１０】
上記の構成によれば、第１のファンが故障により停止した場合に、第２のファンから吐出された空気の一部が整流板を超えて第１のファンの内部に流れ込むことを抑制できる。その結果、第２のファンから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コアに供給できるので、第１のファンが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００１１】
（請求項２の発明）
本発明の冷却装置は、熱交換コアに筐体の内部空気を供給する室内ファンと、筐体の外部空気を供給する室外ファンとを備える。その室内ファンと室外ファンのうち、少なくとも一方のファンは、整流板を間に置いて並設される第１のファンと第２のファンとを有し、その第１のファンと第２のファンが、共に軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出する遠心式ファンであり、且つ第１のファンと第２のファンが、それぞれ吸込口側から見て右回転する時に、整流板の左側に第１のファン、右側に第２のファンが配置される構成、あるいは吸込口側から見て左回転する時に、整流板の右側に第１のファン、左側に第２のファンが配置される構成において、第１のファンと第２のファンは、それぞれ板状のブラケットに取り付けて固定され、そのブラケットの後側に、第１のファン及び第２のファンから吐出された空気の一部を熱交換コアに送り込む送風空間が形成されている。
【００１２】
上記の構成によれば、第１のファンが故障により停止した時に、その第１のファンの内部を通る通風経路と比較して、ブラケットの後側に形成される送風空間の方が遥かに圧損が小さいので、第２のファンから吐出された空気の一部は、第１のファンの内部を逆流することは殆どなく、より圧損の小さい送風空間を優先的に流れて熱交換コアに供給される。その結果、第２のファンから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コアに供給できるので、第１のファンが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００１３】
（請求項３の発明）
本発明の冷却装置は、熱交換コアに筐体の内部空気を供給する室内ファンと、筐体の外部空気を供給する室外ファンとを備える。その室内ファンと室外ファンのうち、少なくとも一方のファンは、整流板を間に置いて並設される第１のファンと第２のファンとを有し、その第１のファンと第２のファンが、共に軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出する遠心式ファンであり、それぞれ吸込口側から見て整流板の左側に第１のファン、右側に第２のファンが配置され、且つ第１のファンが左回転、第２のファンが右回転に制御される。
【００１４】
上記の構成によれば、第１のファンの回転方向を第２のファンの回転方向と逆向きの左回転としたことから、第１のファンが故障により停止した時に、第２のファンから吐出された空気の一部が整流板を超えて第１のファン側へ流れ込んでも、その空気の流れを第１のファンのファンブレードによって遮る（通風抵抗になる）ことができる。その結果、第２のファンから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コアに供給できるので、第１のファンが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００１５】
（請求項４の発明）
本発明の冷却装置は、熱交換コアに筐体の内部空気を供給する室内ファンと、筐体の外部空気を供給する室外ファンとを備える。その室内ファンと室外ファンのうち、少なくとも一方のファンは、整流板を間に置いて並設される第１のファンと第２のファンとを有し、その第１のファンと第２のファンが、共に軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出する遠心式ファンであり、且つ第１のファンと第２のファンが、それぞれ吸込口側から見て右回転する時に、整流板の左側に第１のファン、右側に第２のファンが配置される構成、あるいは吸込口側から見て左回転する時に、整流板の右側に第１のファン、左側に第２のファンが配置される構成において、第１のファンを第２のファンより小型化している。
【００１６】
上記の構成によれば、第１のファンの外径が第２のファンより小さいため、必然的に第１のファンの周方向に隣合うファンブレード間の隙間も小さくなる（通風抵抗が大きくなる）。従って、第１のファンが故障により停止した時に、第２のファンから吐出された空気の一部が第１のファンの内部を逆流して吸込口から流出する量を低減できる。その結果、第２のファンから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コアに供給できるので、第１のファンが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００１７】
（請求項５の発明）
本発明の冷却装置は、熱交換コアに筐体の内部空気を供給する室内ファンと、筐体の外部空気を供給する室外ファン、及び室内ファンと室外ファンの回転数を制御する制御装置とを備える。
室内ファンは、熱交換コアに対して並設された第１のファンと第２のファンとを有し、室外ファンは、熱交換コアに対して並設され、且つ第１のファンに対応する第３のファンと第２のファンに対応する第４のファンとを有している。
制御装置は、第１のファンと第３のファンの少なくとも一方が故障した時に、第２のファンと第４のファンの回転数を通常運転時より高くし、第２のファンと第４のファンの少なくとも一方が故障した時に、第１のファンと第３のファンの回転数を通常運転時より高くする。
【００１８】
上記の構成によれば、第１のファンまたは第３のファンが故障により停止した時に、第２のファンと第４のファンの回転数を通常運転時より高く制御することにより、熱交換コアの例えば右側を通過する空気風量をアップさせることができる。その結果、熱交換コアの右側での熱交換率を高めることができ、第１のファンまたは第３のファンが停止したことによる冷却性能の低下を抑制できる。
同様に、第２のファンまたは第４のファンが故障により停止した時に、第１のファンと第３のファンの回転数を通常運転時より高く制御することにより、熱交換コアの例えば左側を通過する空気風量をアップさせることができる。その結果、熱交換コアの左側での熱交換率を高めることができ、第２のファンまたは第４のファンが停止したことによる冷却性能の低下を抑制できる。
【００１９】
【発明の実施の形態】
次に、本発明の実施形態を図面に基づいて説明する。
（第１実施例）
図１は冷却装置１（熱交換機）の全体構成を示す模式図であり、（ａ）室外側正面図、（ｂ）側面断面図、（ｃ）室内側正面図である。
本実施例の冷却装置１は、図１（ｂ）に示すように、携帯電話の通信基地局２に使用され、略密閉化された基地局２の内部空気と外部空気とを熱交換して基地局２の内部を冷却するものである。なお、基地局２の内部には、常時稼働して発熱する無線機（図示しない）が設置されている。
【００２０】
冷却装置１は、ケーシング３と、このケーシング３に収納される熱交換コア４、室内ファン５、及び室外ファン６等より構成され、室内ファン５と室外ファン６の回転数を制御するコントローラ７を備えている。
ケーシング３には、室外側の側面に外気吸込口３ａと外気吹出口３ｂとが形成され、室内側の側面に内気吸込口３ｃと内気吹出口３ｄとが形成されている。
熱交換コア４は、図２に示すように、内気通路４ａと外気通路４ｂとが交互に隣接して設けられ、各通路毎にコルゲートタイプのルーバフィン８が配設されている。
【００２１】
室内ファン５は、基地局２の内部空気（高温空気）を熱交換コア４の各内気通路４ａに供給するもので、図３に示すように、熱交換コア４の上部に整流板９を挟んで２個配置されている。
室外ファン６は、基地局２の外部空気（低温空気）を熱交換コア４の各外気通路４ｂに供給するもので、熱交換コア４の下部に整流板（図示しない）を挟んで２個配置されている。
この室内ファン５と室外ファン６は、共に軸方向から吸い込んだ空気を遠心方向に吐出するターボファン（遠心式ファン）であり、吸込口側から見て右回転に制御される。
【００２２】
ここで、２個の室内ファン５は、両者の間に設置される整流板９に対して、左側に配置される室内ファン５を第１のファン５Ａ、右側に配置される室内ファン５を第２のファン５Ｂと呼ぶ。
整流板９は、第１のファン５Ａ及び第２のファン５Ｂが配置される空間（ケーシング３の内部で熱交換コア４の上部に形成される空間）を、第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂとの間で略全域に亙って仕切っている。具体的には、第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂとの間で、互いのファンブレード５ａ（図３参照）の上端から下端までの径方向全体に配設されている。但し、整流板９の下部後側には、図４に示すように、第１のファン５Ａ及び第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気をコア全域に送り込むために、両者間を連通する切欠き９ａが設けられている。
【００２３】
なお、２個の室外ファン６の間に設置される整流板は、従来と同様の形状（整流板の下側全体が開いている）でも良いし、２個の室内ファン５の間に設置される整流板９と同様の形状でも良い。
コントローラ７は、４個のファン（２個の室内ファン５と２個の室外ファン６）を同一回転数にて制御している。このコントローラ７は、図３に示すように、第１のファン５Ａに隣接して整流板９と反対側に配置され、第１のファン５Ａから吐出される空気によって冷却される。
【００２４】
次に、本実施例の作用及び効果を説明する。
室内ファン５（第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂ）の回転により、基地局２の内部空気（内気）が熱交換コア４の各内気通路４ａを図２に示す矢印方向に流れ、室外ファン６の回転により、基地局２の外部空気（外気）が熱交換コア４の各外気通路４ｂを図２に示す矢印方向に流れる。基地局２の内部空気は、基地局２の内部に設置される無線機等から発生する熱によって温度上昇し、外部空気より高温となっている。従って、熱交換コア４に供給された高温の内部空気と低温の外部空気との間で熱交換が行われ、内部空気の熱が外部空気に放出されて、内部空気の温度が低下する。
【００２５】
本実施例の冷却装置１は、２個の室内ファン５と２個の室外ファン６を有しているので、例えば室内ファン５（または室外ファン６）の１個が故障しても、残りの室内ファン５（または室外ファン６）の回転制御を続けることにより、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保することができる。特に、２個の室内ファン５のうち、第１のファン５Ａが故障した場合には、整流板９がファンブレード５ａの上端から下端までの径方向全体に亙って配設されているので、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気の一部が整流板９の下側（熱交換コア４側）を通り抜けて第１のファン５Ａ側へ流れ込むことを抑制できる。その結果、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コア４に供給できるので、第１のファン５Ａが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく落ち込むことを防止できる。
【００２６】
また、整流板９には、切欠き９ａ（図４参照）を設けているので、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気が熱交換コア４の片側だけに偏って流れることもなく、熱交換コア４の全域に送り込むことが可能であり、熱交換コア４の全体を有効に使用できる。
【００２７】
（第２実施例）
図５は室内ファン５の取り付け構造を示す平面図である。
本実施例では、図５に示すように、第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂとが板状のブラケット１０に固定され、そのブラケット１０の後側（図５の上側）に、第１のファン５Ａ及び第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気の一部を熱交換コア４に送り込むための送風空間１１が形成されている。ブラケット１０は、上下方向の高さが、第１のファン５Ａ及び第２のファン５Ｂの外径より小さく、ブラケット１０の上側及び下側に、それぞれ空間が確保されている。
また、第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂとの間に設置される整流板９は、第１実施例に記載した切欠き９ａ（図４参照）を有することなく、ブラケット１０の前側で第１のファン５Ａと第２のファン５Ｂとの間を遮断している。
【００２８】
本実施例の構成によれば、第１のファン５Ａが故障により停止した時に、その第１のファン５Ａの内部を通る通風経路と比較して、ブラケット１０の後側に形成される送風空間１１の方が遥かに圧損が小さいので、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気の一部は、第１のファン５Ａの内部を逆流することは殆どなく、より圧損の小さい送風空間１１を優先的に流れて熱交換コア４に供給される。その結果、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コア４に供給できるので、第１のファン５Ａが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００２９】
（第３実施例）
図６は室内ファン５の吸込口側から見た正面図である。
本実施例は、図６に示すように、第１のファン５Ａのファンブレード５ａの向きを第１及び第２実施例とは逆向きにして、第１のファン５Ａの回転方向を図示矢印で示すように、左回転に制御する一例である。
これにより、第１のファン５Ａが故障により停止した時に、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気の一部が整流板９の下側から第１のファン５Ａ側へ流れ込んでも、その空気の流れを第１のファン５Ａのファンブレード５ａによって遮る（通風抵抗になる）ことができ、第１のファン５Ａの内部を逆流して内気吸込口３ｃ（図１参照）から流出することを防止できる。
その結果、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コア４に供給できるので、第１のファン５Ａが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００３０】
（第４実施例）
図７は室内ファン５の吸込口側から見た正面図である。
本実施例は、図７に示すように、第１のファン５Ａを第２のファン５Ｂより小型化した一例である。
この構成によれば、第１のファン５Ａの外径が第２のファン５Ｂより小さいため、必然的に第１のファン５Ａの周方向に隣合うファンブレード５ａ間の隙間も小さくなる（通風抵抗が大きくなる）。従って、第１のファン５Ａが故障により停止した時に、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気の一部が第１のファン５Ａの内部を逆流して内気吸込口３ｃ（図１参照）から流出する量を低減できる。その結果、第２のファン５Ｂから吐出された空気を有効に熱交換コア４に供給できるので、第１のファン５Ａが停止しても、冷却性能が著しく低下することはなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
【００３１】
（第５実施例）
図８は冷却装置１の全体構成を示す模式図である。
本実施例は、例えば第１のファン５Ａが故障した場合に、その他のファン（第２のファン５Ｂと２個の室外ファン６）の回転数を変更して制御する場合の一例である。
なお、本実施例では、２個の室外ファン６を、両者間に設置される整流板（図示しない）の左側に配置される第３のファン６Ａと、整流板の右側に配置される第４のファン６Ｂとして説明する。
【００３２】
コントローラ７は、２個の室内ファン５と、２個の室外ファン６とが全て正常に回転している通常運転時と、例えば第１のファン５Ａが故障した場合とで、各ファン５Ａ、５Ｂ、６Ａ、６Ｂの回転数を、下記の表１に示すように制御する。
【表１】

ａ）通常運転時…２個の室内ファン５と２個の室外ファン６を一律に同一回転数（例えば２２００ｒｐｍ）にて制御する。
ｂ）第１のファン５Ａが故障した場合…第２のファン５Ｂと第４のファン６Ｂの回転数を通常運転時より高い、例えば２６００ｒｐｍにて制御し、第３のファン６Ａの回転数を第２のファン５Ｂと第４のファン６Ｂの回転数より低い、例えば２３００ｒｐｍにて制御する。
【００３３】
これにより、第１のファン５Ａが停止した場合に、熱交換コア４の片側（図８の右側）を通過する空気風量をアップさせることができるので、熱交換コア４の片側での熱交換率を高めることができる。その結果、第１のファン５Ａが停止したことによる冷却性能の低下を抑制でき、消費電力を大幅に増大させることなく、必要最低限の冷却性能を確保できる。
なお、第１のファン５Ａ以外のファンが故障した場合でも、上記と同様の回転数制御を実施することは言うまでもない（例えば第２のファン５Ｂが故障した場合は、第１のファン５Ａと第３のファン６Ａの回転数を通常運転時より高くし、第４のファン６Ｂの回転数を第１のファン５Ａと第３のファン６Ａの回転数より低く制御する）。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】冷却装置（熱交換機）の室外側正面図（ａ）、側面断面図（ｂ）、及び室内側正面図（ｃ）である。
【図２】熱交換コアの斜視図である。
【図３】室内ファンの吸込口側から見た正面図である。
【図４】整流板の取り付け状態を示す側面図である。
【図５】室内ファンの取り付け構造を示す平面図である（第２実施例）。
【図６】室内ファンの吸込口側から見た正面図である（第３実施例）。
【図７】室内ファンの吸込口側から見た正面図である（第４実施例）。
【図８】冷却装置の全体構成を示す模式図である（第５実施例）。
【図９】熱交換機の室内ファン側を示す側面図（ａ）と正面図（ｂ）である（従来技術）。
【図１０】整流板の取り付け状態を示す側面図である（従来技術）。
【符号の説明】
１冷却装置
２基地局（筐体）
３ａ外気吸込口
３ｃ内気吸込口
４熱交換コア
５室内ファン
５Ａ第１のファン（室内ファン）
５Ｂ第２のファン（室内ファン）
６室外ファン
６Ａ第３のファン（室外ファン）
６Ｂ第４のファン（室外ファン）
７コントローラ（制御装置）
９整流板
１０ブラケット
１１送風空間[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cooling device that exchanges heat between the internal air of a housing and external air to cool the inside of the housing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a communication base station of a mobile phone is provided with a cooling device that cools the inside of the base station because the internal radio operates to generate heat.
However, when the inside of the base station is cooled, dust, dirt, moisture, or the like may adhere to the internal radio device, which may cause a malfunction. Therefore, it is difficult to take in outside air directly into the base station and perform ventilation. It is.
Therefore, as described in Patent Literature 1, for example, an air-to-air type heat exchanger for forcibly exchanging heat between the inside air and the outside air of a base station is often used as a cooling device.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 9, this heat exchanger supplies a heat exchange core 100, an indoor fan 110 for supplying the heat exchange core 100 with the internal air of the base station, and supplies the heat exchange core 100 with the external air of the base station An outdoor fan (not shown) is provided, and two indoor fans 110 and two outdoor fans are mounted. As a result, even if one of the indoor fans 110 fails and stops, for example, the rotation control of the remaining indoor fans 110 can be continued to ensure the minimum necessary cooling capacity. As a result, it is possible to continue the operation of the heat exchanger and cool the inside of the base station until the serviceman performs on-site maintenance (replacement of the failed indoor fan 110, etc.).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application No. 11-276664 [0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the indoor fan 110 and the outdoor fan used in the above heat exchanger are turbo fans (centrifugal fans) that discharge air taken in from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, for example, the left side shown in FIG. When the indoor fan 110 stops and only the right indoor fan 110 rotates, the following problem occurs.
The two indoor fans 110 shown in FIG. 9B are controlled to rotate clockwise (clockwise in the figure) together from the direction of the fan blades. Here, when the left indoor fan 110 stops, a part of the air discharged from the right indoor fan 110 flows to the lower side of the rectifying plate 120 installed between both fans 110 as shown by the arrow in the figure. After flowing through to the left side of the straightening plate 120 and flowing into the inside of the fan from the gap between the fan blades adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the indoor fan 110 on the left side, as shown by an arrow in FIG. Flows out of the suction port 130 of the airbag.
[0006]
As a result, the left indoor fan 110 is stopped, and a part of the air discharged from the right indoor fan 110 is not supplied to the heat exchange core 100. Therefore, the cooling performance of the heat exchanger is significantly reduced, and The minimum cooling performance cannot be secured.
Note that the rectifying plate 120 does not completely shut off the space between the two indoor fans 110 1, and the air discharged from the indoor fans 110 is sent into the entire heat exchange core 100 1 as shown in FIG. Thus, an opening is provided below the current plate 120.
[0007]
On the other hand, when the right indoor fan 110 shown in FIG. 9B stops and only the left indoor fan 110 rotates, the cooling performance is remarkable as in the case where the left indoor fan 110 stops for the following reason. No dips occur.
{Circle around (1)} Most of the air discharged from the left indoor fan 110 flows downward in the figure (in the direction of the heat exchange core 100) along the current plate 120.
(2) Even if a part of the air discharged from the left indoor fan 110 flows into the right side beyond the straightening plate 120, the direction of the fan blades of the right indoor fan 110 blocks the flow of air (results in ventilation resistance). The air is prevented from flowing back through the inside of the indoor fan 110 and being blown out from the suction port 130 because of being arranged in the direction.
[0008]
The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent a significant drop in cooling performance even when one fan fails and stops (a minimum necessary cooling performance can be secured). It is to provide a cooling device.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
(Invention of claim 1)
The cooling device of the present invention includes an indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core, and an outdoor fan that supplies air outside the housing. At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan However, both are centrifugal fans that discharge air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and when the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise as viewed from the suction port side, respectively, A configuration in which the first fan and the second fan are arranged on the right side, or a configuration in which the first fan is arranged on the right side of the current plate and the second fan is arranged on the left side when rotating counterclockwise when viewed from the suction port side. In the above, the current plate is disposed between the first fan and the second fan and at least between the respective fan blades over the entire radial direction.
[0010]
According to the above configuration, when the first fan stops due to a failure, it is possible to suppress a part of the air discharged from the second fan from flowing into the first fan beyond the straightening plate. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core. Therefore, even if the first fan is stopped, the cooling performance does not significantly decrease, and the minimum required cooling performance is reduced. Can be secured.
[0011]
(Invention of claim 2)
The cooling device of the present invention includes an indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core, and an outdoor fan that supplies air outside the housing. At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan However, both are centrifugal fans that discharge air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and when the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise as viewed from the suction port side, respectively, A configuration in which the first fan and the second fan are arranged on the right side, or a configuration in which the first fan is arranged on the right side of the current plate and the second fan is arranged on the left side when rotating counterclockwise when viewed from the suction port side. In the above, the first fan and the second fan are respectively attached to and fixed to a plate-shaped bracket, and a part of the air discharged from the first fan and the second fan is heated behind the bracket. A ventilation space for feeding the replacement core is formed. To have.
[0012]
According to the above configuration, when the first fan stops due to a failure, the pressure loss in the ventilation space formed on the rear side of the bracket is far greater than that of the ventilation path passing through the inside of the first fan. Is small, a portion of the air discharged from the second fan hardly flows back inside the first fan, and flows preferentially through the ventilation space having a smaller pressure loss to be supplied to the heat exchange core. You. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core. Therefore, even if the first fan is stopped, the cooling performance does not significantly decrease, and the minimum required cooling performance is reduced. Can be secured.
[0013]
(Invention of claim 3)
The cooling device of the present invention includes an indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core, and an outdoor fan that supplies air outside the housing. At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan However, both are centrifugal fans that discharge air sucked in from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and a first fan is disposed on the left side of the rectifying plate and a second fan is disposed on the right side when viewed from the suction port side. The first fan is controlled to rotate left and the second fan is controlled to rotate right.
[0014]
According to the above configuration, since the rotation direction of the first fan is set to the left rotation in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the second fan, when the first fan is stopped due to a failure, the discharge from the second fan is performed. Even if a part of the blown air flows into the first fan side beyond the flow straightening plate, the flow of the air can be blocked by the fan blades of the first fan (resulting in ventilation resistance). As a result, the air discharged from the second fan can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core. Therefore, even if the first fan is stopped, the cooling performance does not significantly decrease, and the minimum required cooling performance is reduced. Can be secured.
[0015]
(Invention of Claim 4)
The cooling device of the present invention includes an indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core, and an outdoor fan that supplies air outside the housing. At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan However, both are centrifugal fans that discharge air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and when the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise as viewed from the suction port side, respectively, A configuration in which the first fan and the second fan are arranged on the right side, or a configuration in which the first fan is arranged on the right side of the current plate and the second fan is arranged on the left side when rotating counterclockwise when viewed from the suction port side. In the above, the first fan is smaller than the second fan.
[0016]
According to the above configuration, since the outer diameter of the first fan is smaller than that of the second fan, the gap between the fan blades adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the first fan is necessarily reduced (the ventilation resistance is increased). ). Therefore, when the first fan stops due to a failure, it is possible to reduce the amount of a part of the air discharged from the second fan flowing backward through the inside of the first fan and flowing out from the suction port. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core. Therefore, even if the first fan is stopped, the cooling performance does not significantly decrease, and the minimum required cooling performance is reduced. Can be secured.
[0017]
(Invention of claim 5)
The cooling device of the present invention includes an indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core, an outdoor fan that supplies air outside the housing, and a control device that controls the rotation speed of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan. Prepare.
The indoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged in parallel with the heat exchange core, and the outdoor fan is arranged in parallel with the heat exchange core and corresponds to the first fan. It has a third fan and a fourth fan corresponding to the second fan.
When at least one of the first fan and the third fan fails, the control unit increases the rotation speeds of the second fan and the fourth fan as compared with those in the normal operation, and controls the second fan and the fourth fan. When at least one of the two has failed, the rotation speeds of the first fan and the third fan are set higher than those in the normal operation.
[0018]
According to the above configuration, when the first fan or the third fan is stopped due to a failure, the rotation speeds of the second fan and the fourth fan are controlled to be higher than those in the normal operation, so that the heat exchange core can be controlled. For example, the amount of air flowing through the right side can be increased. As a result, the heat exchange rate on the right side of the heat exchange core can be increased, and a decrease in cooling performance due to the stop of the first fan or the third fan can be suppressed.
Similarly, when the second fan or the fourth fan is stopped due to a failure, the rotation speed of the first fan and the third fan is controlled to be higher than that in the normal operation, so that the first fan and the third fan pass on the left side of the heat exchange core, for example. It is possible to increase the amount of air flowing. As a result, the heat exchange rate on the left side of the heat exchange core can be increased, and a decrease in cooling performance due to the stoppage of the second fan or the fourth fan can be suppressed.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the cooling device 1 (heat exchanger), in which (a) is an outdoor front view, (b) is a side sectional view, and (c) is an indoor front view.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the cooling device 1 of the present embodiment is used for a communication base station 2 of a mobile phone, and exchanges heat between the inside air and the outside air of the substantially sealed base station 2. This cools the inside of the base station 2. Note that a radio (not shown) that operates constantly and generates heat is installed inside the base station 2.
[0020]
The cooling device 1 includes a casing 3, a heat exchange core 4 housed in the casing 3, an indoor fan 5, an outdoor fan 6, and the like, and a controller 7 that controls the rotation speed of the indoor fan 5 and the outdoor fan 6. Have.
The casing 3 has an outside air inlet 3a and an outside air outlet 3b formed on the outside side surface, and has an inside air inlet 3c and an inside air outlet 3d formed on the indoor side surface.
As shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchange core 4 is provided with an inside air passage 4 a and an outside air passage 4 b alternately adjacent to each other, and a corrugated louver fin 8 is provided for each passage.
[0021]
The indoor fan 5 supplies the internal air (high-temperature air) of the base station 2 to each of the internal air passages 4a of the heat exchange core 4, and sandwiches the rectifying plate 9 above the heat exchange core 4, as shown in FIG. Are arranged.
The outdoor fans 6 supply outside air (low-temperature air) of the base station 2 to each outside air passage 4 b of the heat exchange core 4, and two outdoor fans 6 are arranged below the heat exchange core 4 with a rectifier plate (not shown) interposed therebetween. Have been.
The indoor fan 5 and the outdoor fan 6 are both turbo fans (centrifugal fans) that discharge air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and are controlled to rotate clockwise as viewed from the suction port side.
[0022]
Here, the two indoor fans 5 are arranged such that the indoor fan 5 arranged on the left side is the first fan 5A and the indoor fan 5 arranged on the right side is 2 fan 5B.
The rectifying plate 9 divides a space in which the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B are arranged (a space formed above the heat exchange core 4 inside the casing 3) with the first fan 5A and the second fan 5A. It is partitioned almost entirely with the fan 5B. Specifically, between the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B, the fan blades 5a (see FIG. 3) are arranged in the entire radial direction from the upper end to the lower end of each fan blade 5a. However, as shown in FIG. 4, a notch communicating between the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B is provided on the lower rear side of the straightening plate 9 in order to send air discharged from the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B to the entire core. 9a is provided.
[0023]
The rectifying plate installed between the two outdoor fans 6 may have the same shape as the conventional one (the entire lower side of the rectifying plate is open), or may be installed between the two indoor fans 5. The shape may be the same as that of the current plate 9.
The controller 7 controls four fans (two indoor fans 5 and two outdoor fans 6) at the same rotation speed. As shown in FIG. 3, the controller 7 is arranged adjacent to the first fan 5A on the side opposite to the rectifying plate 9, and is cooled by air discharged from the first fan 5A.
[0024]
Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.
Due to the rotation of the indoor fans 5 (the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B), the internal air (inside air) of the base station 2 flows through each inside air passage 4a of the heat exchange core 4 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. Due to the rotation of the fan 6, the external air (outside air) of the base station 2 flows through each outside air passage 4b of the heat exchange core 4 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. The temperature of the internal air of the base station 2 rises due to heat generated from a wireless device or the like installed inside the base station 2 and is higher than the external air. Therefore, heat exchange is performed between the high-temperature internal air supplied to the heat exchange core 4 and the low-temperature external air, and the heat of the internal air is released to the external air, and the temperature of the internal air decreases.
[0025]
Since the cooling device 1 of this embodiment has two indoor fans 5 and two outdoor fans 6, even if one of the indoor fans 5 (or the outdoor fan 6) fails, for example, By continuing the rotation control of the indoor fan 5 (or the outdoor fan 6), the required minimum cooling performance can be secured. In particular, when the first fan 5A out of the two indoor fans 5 fails, the rectifying plate 9 is disposed over the entire radial direction from the upper end to the lower end of the fan blade 5a. A part of the air discharged from the second fan 5B can be suppressed from passing through the lower side of the current plate 9 (the heat exchange core 4 side) and flowing into the first fan 5A side. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan 5B can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core 4, so that even if the first fan 5A stops, it is possible to prevent the cooling performance from dropping remarkably.
[0026]
Further, since the notch 9a (see FIG. 4) is provided in the rectifying plate 9, the air discharged from the second fan 5B does not flow unevenly to only one side of the heat exchange core 4, and the heat exchange does not occur. The heat can be sent to the entire area of the core 4 and the entire heat exchange core 4 can be used effectively.
[0027]
(Second embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a mounting structure of the indoor fan 5.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a first fan 5A and a second fan 5B are fixed to a plate-shaped bracket 10, and the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B are provided on the rear side of the bracket 10 (upper side in FIG. 5). An air blowing space 11 for sending a part of the air discharged from the fan 5A and the second fan 5B to the heat exchange core 4 is formed. The height of the bracket 10 in the vertical direction is smaller than the outer diameters of the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B, and spaces are secured above and below the bracket 10, respectively.
In addition, the current plate 9 installed between the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B has the notch 9a (see FIG. 4) described in the first embodiment, and is provided on the front side of the bracket 10. The connection between the first fan 5A and the second fan 5B is shut off.
[0028]
According to the configuration of the present embodiment, when the first fan 5A stops due to a failure, the ventilation space 11 formed on the rear side of the bracket 10 is compared with the ventilation path passing through the inside of the first fan 5A. Since the pressure loss is much smaller, a part of the air discharged from the second fan 5B hardly flows back inside the first fan 5A, and the air blowing space 11 having a smaller pressure loss is given priority. And supplied to the heat exchange core 4. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan 5B can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core 4, so that even if the first fan 5A is stopped, the cooling performance is not significantly reduced, and the required minimum Cooling performance can be secured.
[0029]
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a front view of the indoor fan 5 as viewed from the suction port side.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the direction of the fan blades 5a of the first fan 5A is reversed from those of the first and second embodiments, and the rotation direction of the first fan 5A is indicated by an arrow in the drawing. As shown, this is an example in which control is performed to the left rotation.
Thus, when the first fan 5A stops due to a failure, even if a part of the air discharged from the second fan 5B flows from the lower side of the rectifying plate 9 to the first fan 5A side, the air flow Can be blocked by the fan blades 5a of the first fan 5A (resulting in airflow resistance), and it is possible to prevent the inside of the first fan 5A from flowing backward and flowing out of the inside air suction port 3c (see FIG. 1).
As a result, the air discharged from the second fan 5B can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core 4, so that even if the first fan 5A is stopped, the cooling performance is not significantly reduced, and the required minimum Cooling performance can be secured.
[0030]
(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a front view of the indoor fan 5 as viewed from the suction port side.
This embodiment is an example in which the first fan 5A is smaller than the second fan 5B, as shown in FIG.
According to this configuration, since the outer diameter of the first fan 5A is smaller than the second fan 5B, the gap between the fan blades 5a adjacent in the circumferential direction of the first fan 5A is necessarily reduced (the ventilation resistance). Becomes larger). Therefore, when the first fan 5A stops due to a failure, a part of the air discharged from the second fan 5B flows back inside the first fan 5A and flows out from the inside air suction port 3c (see FIG. 1). Can be reduced. As a result, the air discharged from the second fan 5B can be effectively supplied to the heat exchange core 4, so that even if the first fan 5A is stopped, the cooling performance is not significantly reduced, and the required minimum Cooling performance can be secured.
[0031]
(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the cooling device 1.
This embodiment is an example of a case in which, for example, when the first fan 5A fails, the number of revolutions of the other fans (the second fan 5B and the two outdoor fans 6) is changed and controlled.
In this embodiment, two outdoor fans 6 are connected to a third fan 6A disposed on the left side of a rectifying plate (not shown) provided between the two outdoor fans 6 and a fourth fan 6A disposed on the right side of the rectifying plate. The fan 6B will be described.
[0032]
The controller 7 controls each of the

fans

5A and 5B in the normal operation in which all the two indoor fans 5 and the two outdoor fans 6 are rotating normally and when the first fan 5A fails, for example. , 6A and 6B are controlled as shown in Table 1 below.
[Table 1]

a) During normal operation: Two indoor fans 5 and two outdoor fans 6 are uniformly controlled at the same rotation speed (for example, 2200 rpm).
b) When the first fan 5A fails: the rotation speed of the second fan 5B and the fourth fan 6B is controlled at, for example, 2600 rpm higher than that in the normal operation, and the rotation speed of the third fan 6A is changed to the second rotation speed. The control is performed at a lower speed, for example, 2300 rpm, than the rotation speed of the second fan 5B and the fourth fan 6B.
[0033]
Accordingly, when the first fan 5A is stopped, the amount of air flowing through one side of the heat exchange core 4 (the right side in FIG. 8) can be increased, so that the heat exchange rate on one side of the heat exchange core 4 can be increased. Can be increased. As a result, a decrease in the cooling performance due to the stoppage of the first fan 5A can be suppressed, and the necessary minimum cooling performance can be secured without significantly increasing the power consumption.
Needless to say, even when a fan other than the first fan 5A fails, the same rotation speed control as described above is performed (for example, when the second fan 5B fails, the first fan 5A and the The rotation speed of the third fan 6A is controlled to be higher than in the normal operation, and the rotation speed of the fourth fan 6B is controlled to be lower than the rotation speeds of the first fan 5A and the third fan 6A.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an outdoor front view (a), a side sectional view (b), and an indoor front view (c) of a cooling device (heat exchanger).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heat exchange core.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the indoor fan as viewed from a suction port side.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing an attached state of a current plate.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a mounting structure of an indoor fan (second embodiment).
FIG. 6 is a front view of the indoor fan as viewed from a suction port side (third embodiment).
FIG. 7 is a front view of the indoor fan as viewed from the suction port side (fourth embodiment).
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a cooling device (fifth embodiment).
FIG. 9 is a side view (a) and a front view (b) showing the indoor fan side of the heat exchanger (prior art).
FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state of attachment of a current plate (prior art).
[Explanation of symbols]
1 cooling device 2 base station (housing)
3a Outside air intake 3c Inside air intake 4 Heat exchange core 5 Indoor fan 5A First fan (indoor fan)
5B Second fan (indoor fan)
6 Outdoor fan 6A Third fan (Outdoor fan)
6B 4th fan (outdoor fan)
7 Controller (control device)
9 Rectifier plate 10 Bracket 11 Ventilation space

Claims

A heat exchange core for exchanging heat between the internal air of the housing and the external air,
An indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core,
An outdoor fan that supplies external air of the housing to the heat exchange core,
At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan When the fan is a centrifugal fan that discharges air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise when viewed from the suction port side, the rectification is performed. When the first fan is disposed on the left side of the plate and the second fan is disposed on the right side, or when rotated left when viewed from the suction port side, the first fan is disposed on the right side of the rectifying plate and the left side is disposed on the left side. In the configuration in which the second fan is arranged,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the rectifying plate is disposed between the first fan and the second fan at least between the respective fan blades over the entire radial direction.

A heat exchange core for exchanging heat between the internal air of the housing and the external air,
An indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core,
An outdoor fan that supplies external air of the housing to the heat exchange core,
At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan When the fan is a centrifugal fan that discharges air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise when viewed from the suction port side, the rectification is performed. When the first fan is disposed on the left side of the plate and the second fan is disposed on the right side, or when rotated left when viewed from the suction port side, the first fan is disposed on the right side of the rectifying plate and the left side is disposed on the left side. In the configuration in which the second fan is arranged,
The first fan and the second fan are respectively attached to and fixed to a plate-shaped bracket, and a portion of air discharged from the first fan and the second fan is provided on the rear side of the bracket. A cooling space in which air is blown into the heat exchange core.

A heat exchange core for exchanging heat between the internal air of the housing and the external air,
An indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core,
An outdoor fan that supplies external air of the housing to the heat exchange core,
At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan The fan is a centrifugal fan that discharges air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction,
The first fan and the second fan are respectively provided with the first fan on the left side of the rectifier plate and the second fan on the right side when viewed from the suction port side, and the first fan is A cooling device, wherein the second fan is controlled to rotate clockwise to the left.

A heat exchange core for exchanging heat between the internal air of the housing and the external air,
An indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core,
An outdoor fan that supplies external air of the housing to the heat exchange core,
At least one of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with a rectifier plate therebetween, and the first fan and the second fan When the fan is a centrifugal fan that discharges air sucked from the axial direction in the centrifugal direction, and the first fan and the second fan rotate clockwise when viewed from the suction port side, the rectification is performed. When the first fan is disposed on the left side of the plate and the second fan is disposed on the right side, or when rotated left when viewed from the suction port side, the first fan is disposed on the right side of the rectifying plate and the left side is disposed on the left side. In the configuration in which the second fan is arranged,
A cooling device, wherein the first fan is smaller than the second fan.

A heat exchange core for exchanging heat between the internal air of the housing and the external air,
An indoor fan that supplies air inside the housing to the heat exchange core,
An outdoor fan that supplies external air of the housing to the heat exchange core,
A control device for controlling the number of rotations of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan,
The indoor fan has a first fan and a second fan arranged side by side with respect to the heat exchange core,
The outdoor fan includes a third fan corresponding to the first fan, a fourth fan corresponding to the second fan, and a fourth fan corresponding to the first fan. When at least one of the first fan and the third fan fails, the rotation speeds of the second fan and the fourth fan are set higher than those in the normal operation, and the second fan and the third fan A cooling device, wherein when at least one of the fourth fans fails, the rotation speeds of the first fan and the third fan are set higher than those in a normal operation.