JP2009293834A - Temperature and humidity regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a temperature and humidity regulator for regulating efficiently a humidity, without using a wasteful energy. <P>SOLUTION: This temperature and humidity regulator includes a cooling circuit in which a heating medium compressed and fed by a compressor 18 is distributed to a heating circuit by a distributor 20, and in which a residual part of the heating medium distributed to a heating circuit side by the distributor 20 is distributed, a vaporization filter 11 arranged in a position passing a gas passed through a heater 14 and a cooler 16, a moisture supply means 15 for supplying moisture to the vaporization filter 11, a temperature control part 22 for controlling the distributor 20, and for regulating a distribution ratio of the heating medium distributed to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit, so as to control the gas passed through the heater 14 of the heating circuit and the cooler 16 of the cooling circuit at a prescribed temperature, and a control part 27 for controlling the moisture supply means 15, and for regulating a moisture amount supplied to the vaporization filter 11, so as to control the gas passed through the heater 14 and the cooler 16 at a prescribed humidity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a temperature and humidity adjusting device.

Usually, in the precision processing field such as the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, most of them are installed in a clean room in which temperature and humidity are controlled.
However, in recent years, in the precision processing field, processes requiring precision processing with higher processing accuracy than before have been emerging.
In a process that requires such high precision processing, it is usually required that the temperature change environment is smaller than that of a clean room. For this reason, a process requiring high precision processing or the like is provided in a space unit in which precise temperature management is performed.

As a temperature adjustment device used for temperature adjustment of such a space unit, a temperature adjustment device as shown in FIG. 5 is disclosed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
The temperature control apparatus shown in FIG. 5 includes a compressor 100, a three-way valve 102, a condenser 104, an expansion valve 106, a cooler 108, and a heater 110. And a heating channel provided with a vessel 110.
The cooler 108 and the heater 110 adjust the temperature of the air flow to be adjusted from the fan 112.

  In the temperature adjusting device shown in FIG. 5, the high-temperature heat medium compressed by the compressor 100 is distributed to the cooling flow path and the heating flow path by the three-way valve 102. The high-temperature heat medium distributed to the cooling channel side is cooled by the condenser 104. The cooled heat medium is adiabatically expanded and cooled by the expansion valve 106, and is supplied to the cooler 108. In the cooler 108, the heat medium that has been heated to absorb the temperature while cooling the air flow to be temperature-adjusted blown from the fan 112 is supplied to the compressor 100.

  On the other hand, the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating flow path side is supplied to the heater 110, and the air flow to be temperature-adjusted cooled by the cooler 108 is heated and adjusted to a desired temperature. As described above, the heating medium that is radiated and cooled while heating the air flow to be temperature adjusted in the heater 110 passes through the expansion valve 106 and the cooler 108 and is supplied to the compressor 100.

JP-A 51-97048

In the temperature adjusting device shown in FIG. 5, the entire amount of the high-temperature heat medium compressed by the compressor 100 passes through the expansion valve 106, is adiabatically expanded and cooled, and is supplied to the cooler 108. The amount of cooling energy for cooling the air stream to be temperature-adjusted blown out from the air is constant.
On the other hand, by adjusting the flow rate of the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating flow path side by the three-way valve 102, the heating amount in the heater 110 with respect to the air flow to be temperature-adjusted cooled by the cooler 108 can be adjusted.

Therefore, it is possible to adjust the temperature of the air flow to be temperature adjusted that passes through the cooler 108 and the heater 110, and it is possible to perform temperature management in the space unit in a narrow temperature range.
However, in the temperature control apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the entire amount of the high-temperature heat medium compressed by the compressor 100 passes through the expansion valve 106, is adiabatically expanded and cooled, and is supplied to the cooler 108. The temperature adjustment for the air flow to be adjusted from the fan 112 is performed by reheating the high-temperature heat medium compressed by the compressor 100 supplied to the heater 110 exclusively.

As described above, in the temperature control method adopted in the temperature adjusting device shown in FIG. 5, the heat medium used for heating also flows through the cooling flow path, so the amount of heat that can be heated is only the amount of heat by the power of the compressor, and the cooler 108. And it is difficult to cope with load fluctuations on the heater 110.
For this reason, when the set temperature of the air flow subject to temperature adjustment passing through the cooler 108 and the heater 110 is significantly increased, the temperature of the air flow subject to temperature adjustment does not reach the set temperature or reaches the set temperature. It may take a long time to complete.
Furthermore, in the temperature adjusting device shown in FIG. 5, there is no humidity adjusting function for adjusting the humidity of the air flow to be temperature adjusted that passes through the cooler 108 and the heater 110, and the humidity adjustment is performed on the air flow. I can't.

  In order to compensate for the shortage of heating amount of the temperature adjusting device shown in FIG. 5 and to adjust the humidity of the air flow, water vapor is sprayed on the outlet side of the heater 110 like the temperature and humidity adjusting device shown in FIG. It is possible to provide a plurality of spray nozzles 114, 114,... And to provide a heating steam generator 116 that supplies water vapor to each of the spray nozzles 114, 114,.

  However, in the temperature / humidity adjusting apparatus shown in FIG. 6, water vapor is generated using means such as an electric heater or a boiler, and energy for this is wasted. Moreover, when water vapor | steam is only generated with an electric heater or a boiler, there exists a subject that the efficiency of vaporization is bad instead of the energy amount to be used.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a temperature / humidity adjusting device capable of efficiently adjusting humidity without using wasted energy.

According to the temperature / humidity adjusting device of the present invention, the heat medium compressed and sent out by the compressor is distributed by the distributor, and is evaporated by absorbing heat from the heater (condenser), the expansion valve, and the external heat medium as an external heat source. A heating circuit that is circulated in the order of the compressor and the compressor, and a condenser and an expansion valve that distributes the remaining heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side by the distributor and releases heat to an external heat medium that is an external heat source A cooling circuit that is circulated in the order of a cooler (evaporator) and a compressor, a vaporization filter disposed at a position where gas passing through the heater and the cooler can pass, and supplying moisture to the vaporization filter A water supply means for controlling the distributor, adjusting a distribution ratio of the heat medium distributed to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit, and a condenser of the heating circuit and an evaporator of the cooling circuit. Passing gas to a predetermined temperature A temperature controller for controlling, a moisture controller for controlling the moisture supply means, adjusting the amount of moisture supplied to the vaporization filter, and controlling the gas passing through the heater and the cooler to a predetermined humidity; It is characterized by comprising.
By adopting this configuration, the water supplied to the vaporization filter is vaporized, so there is no need to provide a heating means for generating water vapor as in the prior art. Moreover, the vaporization efficiency is also good.

  A temperature sensor that detects an outlet temperature of the gas that has passed through the heater and the cooler; and a humidity sensor that detects an outlet humidity of the gas that has passed through the heater and the cooler. The control unit controls the distribution ratio by the distributor so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes a preset outlet temperature, and the humidity control unit sets the temperature detected by the humidity sensor in advance. The amount of moisture supplied by the moisture supply means may be controlled so as to achieve a set outlet humidity.

  In the temperature and humidity control apparatus of the present invention, energy consumption for vaporizing moisture is suppressed, and temperature and humidity can be adjusted efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a temperature and humidity adjusting apparatus according to the present invention.
The temperature / humidity adjusting device 52 shown in FIG. 1 includes a heater 14 that adjusts the temperature and humidity of air as gas sucked by a fan 12 in a space unit 10 installed in a clean room in which the temperature and humidity are adjusted. A cooler 16, a water supply means 15, and a vaporization filter 11 are provided. A cooler 16 is disposed on the inlet side of the air flow sucked into the space unit 10, and a heater 14 is disposed downstream thereof. Between the cooler 16 and the heater 14, the water supply means 15 and the vaporization filter 11 are arranged.

  In the heating circuit, a part of the heat medium sent out from the compressor 18 is distributed by the distributor 20, and the heat medium in the order of the heater (condenser) 14, the expansion valve 34, the evaporator (heat absorber) 32, and the compressor 18. Is configured to be circulated.

In the cooling circuit, the heating circuit and the compressor 18 are used in common, and the remainder of the amount distributed to the heating circuit of the heat medium sent out from the compressor 18 is distributed by the distributor 20, the condenser 26, the expansion The valve 28, the first cooler (evaporator) 16, and the compressor 18 are circulated in this order.
Examples of the heat medium that flows through the heating circuit and the cooling circuit include hydrocarbons such as propane, isobutane, and cyclopentane, chlorofluorocarbons, ammonia, and carbon dioxide gas.

The moisture supply means 15 is disposed above the vaporization filter 11 and continuously sprays water from the upper part of the vaporization filter 11. The moisture supply means 15 only needs to be able to contain moisture in the vaporization filter 11 and does not need to spray moisture. Therefore, the moisture supply means 15 may be formed in a simple faucet shape instead of a nozzle. Further, there is no need for an air supply means for spraying.
The water supply means 15 is supplied with pure water stored in the water tank 17 via a pump 19 and a control valve 23 provided in the water supply pipe 21.

  The water tank 17 stores pure water obtained by supplying normal water supplied via the pipe 33 to the pure water device 35. The amount of pure water stored in the water tank 17 is kept constant by a control valve 39 provided in the pure water supply pipe 37.

Further, the distributor 20 in this embodiment employs a proportional three-way valve.
The heat medium is distributed to the heating circuit side provided with the heater 14 and the cooling circuit side provided with the cooler 16 by the proportional three-way valve 20 as a distributor.
In this proportional three-way valve 20, the total amount of the high temperature heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side and the high temperature heat medium distributed to the cooling circuit side is equal to the amount of the high temperature heat medium discharged from the compressor 18. Distribute.

The proportional three-way valve 20 is controlled by a temperature control unit 22. In this temperature control unit 22, the measured temperature measured by the temperature sensor 24 provided at the air outlet of the space unit 10 and the set temperature set (by the operator operating an input switch (not shown), the temperature control unit 22 The distribution ratio of the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side and the cooling circuit side is changed substantially continuously so that the measured temperature matches the set temperature, The air sucked into the space unit 10 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature.
This “substantially continuously changing” means that when the proportional three-way valve 20 is driven by step control, the proportional three-way valve 20 is microscopically driven stepwise, but is continuously continuous as a whole. This includes the case where it is driven.

  The set temperature set in the temperature control unit 22 may be arbitrarily set as described above, or may be stored in advance in storage means in the temperature control unit 22. Furthermore, although the temperature sensor 24 shown in FIG. 1 is installed on the air outlet side, it may be installed on the suction side of the fan 12 or on both the outlet side and the suction side.

  The amount of pure water supplied from the moisture supply means 15 to the vaporization filter is controlled by the humidity control unit 27. In the humidity controller 27, the measured humidity measured by the humidity sensor 29 provided at the air outlet of the space unit 10 and the set humidity set (by operating an input switch (not shown), the humidity controller 27 And the control valve 23 is adjusted so that the measured humidity matches the set humidity, and the amount of water supplied to the vaporization filter 11 is adjusted to be sucked into the space unit 10. Adjust the air to the specified humidity.

  The set humidity set in the humidity control unit 27 may be arbitrarily set as described above, or may be stored in advance in the storage unit of the humidity control unit 27. Furthermore, although the humidity sensor 29 shown in FIG. 1 is installed on the air outlet side, it may be installed on the suction side of the fan 12 or on both the outlet side and the suction side.

  The water supplied from the water supply means 15 penetrates the vaporization filter 11. The vaporization filter 11 is made of a material such as ceramic, is formed in a honeycomb shape or a mesh shape, and can contain a large amount of moisture. The vaporization filter 11 having such a structure can easily vaporize water and supplies moisture to the air passing through the vaporization filter 11.

A water receiver 99 connected to the water tank 17 is disposed below the vaporization filter 11. The water receiver 99 has a function of storing water that has fallen downward without being vaporized through the vaporization filter 11, and returning the stored water to the water tank 17 so that it can be used again.
Further, the water receiver 99 also extends below the heater 14.

Hereinafter, the heating cycle of the heating circuit and the cooling cycle of the cooling circuit will be described.
The high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side by the proportional three-way valve 20 is directly supplied to the heater 14, and the air flow sucked into the space unit 10 and cooled by the cooler 16 is heated to a predetermined temperature. adjust. At that time, the high-temperature heat medium is dissipated and cooled to become a heat medium containing condensate.

  On the other hand, the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the cooling circuit side is cooled by the condenser 26 and then adiabatically expanded by the expansion valve 28 and further cooled (for example, cooled to 10 ° C.). The cooled heat medium is supplied to the cooler 16 to cool the air flow sucked into the space unit 10.

  The condenser 26 of such a cooling circuit is externally supplied without being heated or cooled from outside via a pipe 30 for cooling the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heater 14 side. Cooling water is supplied as a heat medium. Such cooling water is heated to about 30 ° C. by a heat medium of about 70 ° C. in the condenser 26 and discharged from the pipe 31. The cooling water discharged from the pipe 31 is supplied as a heat source to a heat absorber 32 as heat absorption means of a heat pump.

  The heat absorber 32 of the heating circuit is supplied with a heat medium having a temperature of about 10 ° C. where the heat medium radiated by the heater 14 is adiabatically expanded by the expansion valve 34 and further cooled. Therefore, in the heat absorber 32, the heat medium absorbs heat from the cooling water based on the temperature difference between the cooling water that has absorbed heat by the condenser 26 and has been heated to about 30 ° C. and the heat medium that has been cooled to about 10 ° C. it can.

  The heat medium whose temperature has been increased by absorbing heat from the cooling water by the heat absorber 32 is supplied to the compressor 18 via the accumulator 36. The accumulator 36 is also supplied with a heat medium that absorbs heat from the air flow supplied to the cooler 16 and sucked into the space unit 10. Since the accumulator 36 is a type of accumulator that can store a liquid component and re-supply only the gas component to the compressor 18, it can reliably supply only the gas component of the heat medium to the compressor 18.

As this accumulator 36, an accumulator type accumulator can be used.
Even if the accumulator 36 is not installed, a heat medium that has been heated by absorbing heat from the air flow by the heat absorber 32 and a heat medium that has absorbed heat from the gas supplied to the cooler 16 and sucked into the space unit 10. And can be re-supplied to the compressor 18.

  By the way, although the heat medium radiated by the heater 14 is adiabatically expanded and cooled by the expansion valve 34, in the cooling by the adiabatic expansion in the expansion valve 34, the heat between the heat medium and the outside is cooled. There is no exchange. For this reason, the heat medium cooled adiabatically can absorb heat from the cooling water as the external heat medium supplied to the heat absorber 32 via the condenser 26 from the outside.

Therefore, energy absorbed from the cooling water supplied from the outside by the heat absorber 32 as a heat pump can be added to the compression power energy by the compressor 18 to the high-temperature heat medium discharged from the compressor 18.
Further, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, the cooling water supplied from the outside is supplied to the heat absorber 32 via the condenser 26, and part of the energy removed from the high-temperature heat medium removed by the condenser 26. Also, it can be added to a high-temperature heat medium discharged from the compressor 18, and the heating capacity of the heating circuit can be improved.

Thus, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, the heating capacity of the heating circuit can be improved by installing a heat pump, and the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side by the proportional three-way valve 20 and the high-temperature distribution distributed to the cooling circuit side. The distribution ratio with the heat medium can be changed substantially continuously according to the temperature in the space unit 10.
For this reason, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, a high-temperature heat medium is constantly supplied to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit, and the temperature / humidity adjustment target air passing through the heater 14 of the heating circuit and the cooler 16 of the cooling circuit. A minute load fluctuation of the flow can be quickly dealt with by quickly finely adjusting the distribution ratio of the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit by the proportional three-way valve 20, and the responsiveness can be improved.

Further, like the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, the vaporization filter 11 is provided on the air inlet side of the heater 14, and pure water is supplied to the vaporization filter 11, whereby the humidity in the air can be maintained at a predetermined value. Furthermore, when the air in the clean room is circulated, the circulating air is heated by the heat generated by the devices in the clean room. However, since the heat is removed by the circulating air passing through the vaporization filter 11, the load on the cooler 16 can be reduced. .
As a result, the temperature and humidity of the air flow to be adjusted for temperature and humidity passing through the cooler 16, the vaporization filter 11, and the heater 14 in the heating channel can be controlled with high accuracy with respect to the set value, and the spatial unit shown in FIG. 10 temperature changes and humidity changes can be reduced, and a process requiring precision machining can be installed.

  In the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, as described above, the heating capacity of the heating circuit is improved, and among the flow paths including the heating circuit and the cooling circuit, the proportional three-way valve 20 as a distributor to the cooler 16 and the heat absorber. Each of the circuit including the heating circuit and the circuit including the cooling circuit until the heat medium that has passed through each of the circuits 32 is joined by the accumulator 36 is provided independently from the circuit. For this reason, even when the set temperature of the air flow to be adjusted for temperature and humidity passing through the heater 14 and the cooler 16 is significantly increased, the proportional three-way valve 20 heats the distribution ratio of the high-temperature heat medium as compared with the cooling circuit. The distribution ratio distributed to the circuit can be greatly increased, and the air flow to be adjusted for temperature and humidity can be quickly adjusted to a predetermined temperature.

When adjusting the temperature of the air flow, the humidity controller 27 adjusts the supply amount of pure water from the water supply means 15 supplied to the vaporization filter 11 so as to adjust the humidity of the air flow to the set humidity.
Furthermore, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, the heating capacity of the heating circuit is improved, and it is not necessary to use other moisture supply means or heating means such as a heating steam generator, so the heating steam generator 116 shown in FIG. Compared with the provided temperature and humidity control device, significant energy saving can be achieved.

  As described above, in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52 described above, the control valve 40 as the refrigerant control means is provided in the pipe 30 for supplying the cooling water to the condenser 26. The control valve 40 is controlled so that the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 is constant. As shown in FIG. 2, the control valve 40 is provided with a rod-like portion including a valve body 40 b that opens and closes an opening of a valve portion 40 a provided in the cooling water flow path. The rod-like portion is biased in a direction in which the valve body 40b closes the opening of the valve portion 40a by a spring 40c with which the tip end surface abuts. Further, the other end surface of the rod-shaped portion comes into contact with the bellows 40d to which the pressure of the heat medium discharged from the compressor 18 is supplied, and the rod-shaped portion is opened against the urging force of the spring 40c to open the opening of the valve portion 40a. The valve body 40b is urged in the direction to move.

For this reason, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 becomes equal to or greater than the urging force of the spring 40 c, the valve body 40 d is moved by the bellows 40 d in a direction to open the opening of the valve portion 40 a and the cooling supplied to the condenser 26 is performed. The amount of water increases and the cooling capacity of the condenser 26 is improved. Thus, the cooling capacity of the condenser 26 is improved, and the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 is reduced.
On the other hand, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 becomes equal to or less than the biasing force of the spring 40c, the valve body 40d moves in the direction of closing the opening of the valve portion 40a, and the amount of cooling water supplied to the condenser 26 decreases. The cooling capacity of the condenser 26 is reduced. For this reason, the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 becomes high.
In this way, by keeping the discharge pressure of the compressor 18 constant, the temperature and humidity adjusting device can be stably operated. Moreover, it can adjust so that the amount of cooling water may be supplied to the condenser 26 more than needed, and it may not discharge | emit out of the system.

Further, in place of the proportional three-way valve 20 as the distributing means used in the temperature / humidity adjusting device 52, two two-way valves 38a and 38b as two two-way valves can be used as shown in FIG. Each of the two two-way valves 38 a and 38 b is controlled by the temperature control unit 22. The distribution ratio for adjusting the opening degree of each of the two-way valves 38a and 38b by the temperature control unit 22 and distributing the gaseous high-temperature heat medium compressed and heated by the compressor 18 to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit. Are adjusted substantially continuously to control the air flow through the heater 14 and cooler 16 to a predetermined temperature.
At that time, the total amount of the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the heater 14 and the high-temperature heat medium distributed to the cooler 16 becomes equal to the high-temperature heat medium discharged from the compressor 18. As described above, the opening of the two-way valves 38a and 38b is adjusted to be continuously proportionally distributed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the relationship between the valve opening and the flow rate in each of the two-way valves 38a and 38b is not linear. Therefore, the temperature control unit 22 holds the flow rate characteristic data for each of the two-way valves 38a and 38b shown in FIG. 4, and the temperature control unit 22 determines the flow rate characteristics of the two-way valves 38a and 38b. An opening signal is transmitted to each two-way valve 38a, 38b.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cooling water supplied from the pipe 30 as the external heat medium is branched from the water pipe to be supplied to the moisture supply means 15. May be supplied from pipes of different systems.

It is the schematic explaining 1st Embodiment of the temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an internal structure of a control valve 40. It is explanatory drawing explaining another distribution means. It is a graph which shows the flow characteristic of the two-way valve used with a distribution means. It is the schematic explaining the conventional temperature control apparatus. It is the schematic explaining the example of improvement which improved the conventional temperature adjustment apparatus to the temperature / humidity adjustment apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Space unit 11 Evaporation filter 12 Fan 14 Heater 15 Water supply means 16 Cooler 17 Water tank 18 Compressor 19 Pump 20 Distributor (proportional three-way valve)
21 Water supply piping 22 Temperature control unit 23, 39, 40 Control valve 24 Temperature sensor 30, 31, 33 Pipe 26 Condenser 27 Humidity control unit 28 Expansion valve 29 Humidity sensor 32 Heat absorber 34 Expansion valve 35 Pure water device 36 Accumulator 37 Pure water supply piping 38a, 38b Two-way valve 52 Temperature / humidity adjustment device 99

Claims (2)

A heating medium that is compressed by the compressor and sent out is distributed by a distributor, a heating circuit (condenser), an expansion valve, an evaporator that absorbs heat from an external heat medium that is an external heat source, and a heating circuit that is circulated in order of the compressor; ,
The remainder of the heat medium distributed to the heating circuit side is distributed by the distributor, and the condenser, the expansion valve, the cooler (evaporator), and the compressor are circulated in this order to release heat to the external heat medium that is an external heat source. With cooling circuit,
A vaporization filter disposed at a position where gas passing through the heater and the cooler can pass;
Moisture supply means for supplying moisture to the vaporization filter;
The distributor is controlled to adjust the distribution ratio of the heat medium distributed to the heating circuit and the cooling circuit, so that the gas passing through the condenser of the heating circuit and the evaporator of the cooling circuit has a predetermined temperature. A temperature control unit for controlling
A humidity control unit that controls the water supply means, adjusts the amount of water supplied to the vaporization filter, and controls the gas passing through the heater and the cooler to a predetermined humidity; Temperature and humidity control device. A temperature sensor that detects an outlet temperature of the gas that has passed through the heater and the cooler;
A humidity sensor that detects an outlet humidity of the gas that has passed through the heater and the cooler;
The temperature control unit controls a distribution ratio by the distributor so that a temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes a preset outlet temperature,
2. The temperature and humidity according to claim 1, wherein the humidity control unit controls the amount of moisture supplied by the moisture supply means so that a temperature detected by the humidity sensor becomes a preset outlet humidity. Adjustment device.

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