JP2010159928A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner capable of precisely controlling a temperature and humidity, and saving energy and a space of an installation area. <P>SOLUTION: The air conditioner maintaining a predetermined temperature and humidity of an indoor space typically comprises: a plurality of ventilation passages 108 formed in a casing 102; a plurality of heat exchangers 112 provided in the ventilation passages to heat or cool air; a plurality of humidifiers 114 provided in the ventilation passages; an air blower 118 for sending air passing through the heat exchangers and the humidifiers to the indoor space; a heat pump 130 for heating or cooling a secondary refrigerant supplied to the heat exchangers; and a control part 120 for controlling a heat quantity of the heat exchangers and water supply to the humidifiers with respect to each of the ventilation passages based on the predetermined temperature. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that maintains the temperature and humidity of an indoor space at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity.

  In clean rooms and factory production lines, etc., large-scale air conditioners (air conditioners that process only the outside air and blow air are referred to as outside air conditioners) in order to maintain the temperature and humidity of the indoor space at the predetermined temperature and humidity. (Hereinafter referred to as “air conditioner”). And by adjusting the temperature and humidity of the air (outside air) supplied to the air conditioner to a predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity in the air conditioner, and sending the adjusted air (process air) to the indoor space, The temperature and humidity of the indoor space are maintained at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity.

  A conventional air conditioning system will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional air conditioner. An air conditioner 900 shown in FIG. 7 has an outside air port 902a formed at the upstream end of the casing 902 and an air supply port 902b formed at the downstream end. The air conditioner 900 is an example of a configuration in which only the outside air is adjusted and introduced without using the return air from the room.

  Inside the casing 902, there are an adjustment chamber 904 and a blower chamber 906 in order from the upstream side. Inside the adjustment chamber 904, in order from the upstream side, a pre-filter 910 that removes dust, a filter 912 that removes fine dust, a heating burner 914 that heats air, and an air washer 916 that removes chemical components in the air. , A cooler 918 for cooling air, a steam humidifier 920, and a reheating burner 922 are provided. In many cases, an eliminator (water draining plate) is provided in front of and behind the air washer 916 to prevent water droplets from scattering. The blower chamber 906 is provided with a blower 924 (such as a sirocco fan) that sends out air with adjusted temperature and humidity to the indoor space.

  FIG. 8 is an air diagram showing changes in temperature and humidity in a conventional air conditioner. In the figure, A1 is high temperature and high humidity outside air in summer, SA is a target point that is a predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity in summer, B1 is low temperature and low humidity outside air such as in winter, and SB is a target point that is predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity in winter. And

  Explaining an example in summer, when the high temperature and high humidity outside air A1 is cooled by the cooler 918 beyond the point A2 where the relative humidity becomes 100%, the water vapor in the air is condensed and the absolute humidity is lowered. Then, the air reaches the target point SA by heating the air with the reheating burner 922 at the time A3 when the absolute humidity is reached. An example in winter will be described. The low-temperature and low-humidity outside air B1 is heated to a point B2 having a predetermined temperature by the heating burner 914 and humidified to a predetermined humidity by the steam humidifier 920, thereby reaching the target point SB.

  Here, the humidifier is roughly classified into a vaporizing humidifier, a steam humidifier, and a water spray humidifier depending on the method. The vaporization type humidifier performs humidification by evaporating normal temperature water, and is generally configured to evaporate sensible heat of warmed air instead of latent heat of water. The steam humidifier is a method of humidifying using steam, for example, steam generated by a boiler is sprayed on a heat exchanger. The water spray type humidifier is a method of humidifying by discharging water at normal temperature into fine water droplets. For example, water droplets of several tens of microns (micro order) or less are generated and ejected by spraying or ultrasonic waves.

  However, since steam humidifiers use fire in boilers, there is a risk of fire in facilities that may use organic solvents, such as factory production lines. Therefore, in such a facility, it is necessary to install a boiler outside and extend the steam pipe from the boiler to the indoor space. Further, the water spray type humidifier has a problem that the efficiency is poor because the humidification efficiency is as low as about 30%. For this reason, vaporizer humidifiers with a wide range of facilities that can be installed are most often introduced into air conditioners.

  As an air conditioner equipped with a vaporizing humidifier, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a natural vaporizing humidifier that can humidify while cooling the introduced outside air, and the humidity of the indoor space is predetermined when performing a cooling operation. An air conditioning apparatus is disclosed that includes control means for operating the humidifier when it is lower than the reference value. According to this, when the cooling operation is performed when the humidity of the outside air is low, the outside air is humidified by the natural vaporizing type humidifier, so that the outside air is cooled and humidified at the same time, and the cooling and the humidity are maintained. It can be achieved at the same time.

  FIG. 9 is an air line diagram showing changes in temperature and humidity when a vaporizing humidifier is used. An example in winter will be described. The low-temperature and low-humidity outside air B1 is heated to B3 by a heating burner 914, and is humidified to a point B4 having a predetermined absolute humidity by a vaporizing humidifier (not shown). At this time, the temperature and humidity follow an isoenthalpy line as shown in FIG. 9, and the absolute humidity increases and the temperature of the air decreases. And it heats with the reheat burner 922 and reaches | attains the target point SB which shows predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity. That is, the point B3 to be heated first needs to be a high temperature in consideration of a temperature decrease due to water evaporation. Reheating from B4 to SB is for improving humidity controllability, and after humidifying the relative humidity to about 95% by vaporization humidification, it is heated to lower it to a desired humidity.

  Conventionally, burners such as the above-described heating burner 914 and reheating burner 922 have been used as a heat source for heating air. However, since the burner is difficult to ignite in a state where air is circulating, even if the gas valve is in a throttle state, the burner has been made to burn low without extinguishing the fire. For this reason, there was a limit in achieving energy saving. In addition, since the fossil fuel is directly burned, the increase in fuel cost is directly reflected in the production cost, and the improvement effect of production efficiency is absorbed.

  Furthermore, the burner is controlled by opening and closing the gas valve. However, if precise control is attempted in order to make an agile response to changes in the outside air, the device is frequently started and stopped. However, since it takes time to start and stop the device, there is a problem that an error occurs with respect to the set temperature and humidity.

  Therefore, in recent years, a heat pump has begun to be used as a heat source. Patent Document 2 discloses an air conditioner that uses a heat pump as a heat source. The heat pump uses a heat exchange cycle, and heats or cools a secondary refrigerant such as water, and distributes the heat between air and the secondary refrigerant through a coil in the casing. The heat pump requires the power of the pump that circulates the refrigerant. However, by absorbing air heat, it saves about 30% energy and about 50% carbon dioxide compared to the case where a combustion type device such as a boiler is used. Emissions can be reduced. Thereby, effective use of energy and reduction of the emission amount of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, can be promoted.

JP-A-6-337151 JP 2002-267230 A

  As described above, it is preferable to use a vaporizing humidifier in an air conditioner. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, it is necessary to perform cooling and heating in the high temperature and high humidity summer season, and heating, humidification, and reheating in the low temperature and low humidity winter season. Therefore, the air conditioner requires a heater, a cooler, a humidifier, and a reheater. In particular, since it is necessary to provide three types of heat exchangers, the air conditioner inevitably becomes large, and it is difficult to reduce the installation area.

  In addition, if the air flow rate is increased, the heat exchanger coil will inevitably become longer, and if sufficient heat is supplied, the secondary refrigerant flow rate will increase or the secondary refrigerant temperature will increase. It is necessary to let them. However, when the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant is increased or the temperature is increased in the heat pump, there is a problem that the compression work of the refrigerant pump increases and the COP (Coefficient Of Performance) is remarkably lowered. Therefore, although it is a heat pump that should be efficient, the current situation is that the profit cannot be fully utilized.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of precisely controlling temperature and humidity to save energy and save installation space.

  In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the present invention is an air conditioner that maintains the temperature and humidity of an indoor space at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity, and a plurality of ventilation paths provided in the casing, A plurality of heat exchangers provided in each of the ventilation paths to heat or cool the air, a plurality of humidifiers provided in each of the ventilation paths, and air that has passed through the heat exchanger and the humidifier are sent to the indoor space. A blower, a heat pump that heats or cools the secondary refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger, and a control unit that adjusts the amount of heat of the heat exchanger and the water supply to the humidifier for each ventilation path based on a predetermined temperature. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above configuration, the inside of the casing of the air conditioner is divided into a plurality of ventilation paths, and a heat exchanger and a humidifier are provided for each ventilation path, so that each ventilation path has an independent air conditioning function. be able to. And since the air processing degree can be changed for every ventilation path and the air of predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity can be obtained by mixing, the number of units operated according to a heat load can be increased or decreased. Therefore, it is only necessary to operate the heat pump only for the necessary amount, so that energy saving can be achieved. Moreover, since only one (one type) heat exchanger is required in each ventilation path, pressure loss for circulating air can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved. Furthermore, since only one heat exchanger is required, the overall length of the air conditioner can be shortened, and space saving can be achieved.

  The ventilation path may be partitioned in a matrix shape on the surface orthogonal to the air traveling direction in the casing. In addition, the partition plate may be set fixedly, and may be attached so that position adjustment is possible or detachable. Furthermore, you may comprise a ventilation path by airflow, without providing a partition plate.

  Thereby, the ventilation path which heats in the casing, and the ventilation path which cools can be distributed and selected. Therefore, the air flowing through the casing can be heated, cooled, and humidified on average, and air having a uniform temperature and humidity distribution can be supplied by mixing the processed air.

  Each of the plurality of heat exchangers may be connected to an individual heat pump, and the secondary refrigerant piping of the heat exchanger may be switched to the evaporator or the condenser of the heat pump to be circulated.

  That is, a heat pump may be provided on a one-to-one basis for a plurality of heat exchangers. Thereby, individual temperature control becomes possible, and since it is only necessary to supply the necessary temperature, it is possible to control easily and reliably.

  Among the plurality of heat exchangers, the secondary refrigerant piping of at least one heat exchanger that heats the air and the secondary refrigerant piping of at least one heat exchanger that cools the air are the same heat exchanger condenser and evaporation It may be circulated in the vessel.

  In air conditioners, both cooling and heating may be performed as necessary, but by using the heat absorbed (cooled) by one heat exchanger, the number of operating heat pumps can be reduced. Can do. Further, the heat pump can be operated regardless of the outside air temperature, and the COP as a whole can be improved.

  The humidifier may be a vaporizing humidifier. The vaporizing humidifier performs humidification by evaporating normal temperature water by replacing the sensible heat of air with the latent heat of water. Therefore, since the vaporization type heater does not use fire, there is no fear of fire and high humidification efficiency can be obtained. For this reason, the air conditioner provided with the vaporization type heater can be installed in a facility using an organic solvent such as a factory, and the range of facilities that can be installed is wide. Therefore, a vaporizing humidifier is most suitable as a humidifier to be introduced into an air conditioner.

  Further, as described above, the air of the plurality of ventilation paths is mixed and supplied, so that the air having a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity can be generated by mixing the cooled and dehumidified air and the outside air. . As a result, when a vaporizing humidifier is used, there is no need to perform reheating despite incurring a temperature drop. This also makes it possible to use a single heat exchanger.

  An air damper for adjusting the flow rate may be provided in at least one of the plurality of ventilation paths.

  By providing the air damper as described above, the air flow rate (flow rate ratio) for each ventilation path can be adjusted. This makes it possible to perform a fine adjustment that is quicker in response than starting and stopping the heat pumps associated with the number control, and adjusting the amount of water supplied to the humidifier. The air damper may be on the upstream side or on the downstream side of the heat exchanger.

  A valve for adjusting the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant may be provided for each heat exchanger. Thereby, the amount of heat given to the air can be controlled. The flow rate may be adjusted by inverter control of the secondary refrigerant pump.

  Further, the control unit may control the output of the heat pump so as to adjust the temperature of the secondary refrigerant while keeping the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant constant for each heat exchanger. Thereby, according to control of a control part, a heat pump produces | generates a high temperature secondary refrigerant | coolant when the target predetermined temperature is high, and produces | generates a low temperature secondary refrigerant | coolant when predetermined temperature is low. Therefore, when the predetermined temperature is low, the pressure of the compressor can be reduced, and the COP of the heat pump can be improved and the power consumption can be reduced.

  The predetermined temperature is a value at the dry bulb temperature, and the predetermined humidity is a value at the relative humidity. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the predetermined temperature may be a value at the wet bulb temperature, or the predetermined humidity may be a value at the absolute humidity.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the air conditioner which can control temperature and humidity precisely, can aim at energy saving and space saving of an installation area can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the air conditioner concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the connection of a heat exchanger and a heat pump. It is an air line figure which shows the change of the temperature and humidity in the air conditioner which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the air conditioner which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the air conditioner which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the air conditioner which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure explaining an example of the conventional air conditioner. It is an air diagram which shows the change of the temperature and humidity in the conventional air conditioner. It is an air diagram which shows the change of temperature and humidity at the time of using the conventional vaporization type humidifier.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

  In the present embodiment, the predetermined temperature targeted for adjustment is a value at the dry bulb temperature, and the predetermined humidity is a value at the relative humidity. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the predetermined temperature may be a value at the wet bulb temperature, or the predetermined humidity may be a value at the absolute humidity.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating connection between a heat exchanger and a heat pump. In FIG. 1, thick white arrows indicate the air flow, and black broken lines indicate the connection relationship of the control unit 120.

  The casing 102 of the air conditioner 100 shown in FIG. 1A has an outside air port 102a formed at the upstream end and an air supply port 102b formed at the downstream end. A pre-filter 104 having a coarse mesh is provided in the outside air port 102a. A plurality of ventilation paths 108 partitioned by the partition plate 106 are formed inside the casing 102. The partition plate 106 may be a fixed plate-like member, or may be attached so that its position can be adjusted or detached. Further, the ventilation path 108 may be configured by an air flow without providing the partition plate 106. In this case, the airflow is assumed to be a laminar condition (the relationship between the diameter of the casing 102, the viscosity of the air, and the average flow velocity is equal to or lower than the upper critical velocity of the critical Reynolds number), and the pressure loss difference between the ventilation paths is extremely small. Since the air flows in parallel in the casing 102 by using the design that satisfies the condition, it is possible to form a ventilation path using an air flow.

  Each of the plurality of ventilation paths 108 includes a fine filter 110, a heat exchanger 112 for heating or cooling air, and a vaporizing humidifier 114. Note that the vaporizing humidifier 114 also functions as an eliminator (draining plate) for removing water droplets dewed and scattered by the heat exchanger 112 when the heat exchanger 112 is used for cooling.

  Some of the ventilation paths 108 are provided with an air damper 116 for adjusting the air volume. In FIG. 1A, the air dampers 116 are provided in all the ventilation paths 108, but may be provided in one or a part of the ventilation paths 108. In addition, the air damper 116 is illustrated on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 112 (for example, the most upstream position of the ventilation path 108), but is illustrated downstream of the heat exchanger 112 (for example, the downstream side of the ventilation path 108). You may arrange.

  A blower 118 that sends the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 112 and the humidifier 114 to the indoor space 10 is provided at the subsequent stage of the air conditioner 100.

  The controller 120 is connected to an incoming air temperature / humidity sensor 122 disposed in the vicinity of the outside air port 102 a and an indoor temperature / humidity sensor 124 disposed in the indoor space 10. The control unit 120 is connected to a heat pump 130, a secondary refrigerant flow rate adjusting valve 144, a water supply valve (not shown) to the humidifier 114, a drive mechanism for the air damper 116, and the like, which are described later. Control. The control unit 120 controls the operation of each unit based on the temperature and humidity detected by the incoming air temperature / humidity sensor 122 and the indoor temperature / humidity sensor 124 and the predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity set as targets.

  In addition, as shown in the AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 1B, the ventilation path 108 is configured by partitioning a plane orthogonal to the air traveling direction into a matrix shape with a partition plate 106 in the casing 102. (Refer to AA cross-sectional view). In other words, a plurality of ventilation paths 108 are bundled in the casing 102.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each heat exchanger 112 provided in each ventilation path 108 is connected to an individual heat pump 130. The heat pump 130 heats or cools the secondary refrigerant to be supplied. The heat pump 130 includes a compressor 132, a condenser 134 (heater), an expansion valve 136, and an evaporator 138 (cooler), and the condenser 134 and the evaporator 138 include an air supply fan. Between the heat exchanger 112 and the heat pump 130, water as an example of a secondary refrigerant is circulated by the pump 140, and a heating line passing through the condenser 134 and a cooling line passing through the evaporator 138 are passed by the three-way valves 142a and 142b. It is configured to be switchable. A flow rate adjusting valve 144 for adjusting the amount of heat of the heat exchanger is provided in the secondary refrigerant line. The amount of heat given to the air can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant by the flow rate adjusting valve 144.

  That is, the heat exchanger 112 functions as both a heater and a cooler when the control unit 120 controls the three-way valves 142a and 142b to switch the line through which the secondary refrigerant passes. When the secondary refrigerant passes through the condenser 134, the control unit 120 operates the air supply fan in the evaporator 138 to absorb air heat. When the secondary refrigerant passes through the evaporator 138, the control unit 120 operates the air supply fan in the condenser 134 to air-cool the refrigerant in the cycle. An apparatus that circulates the secondary refrigerant (brine) while controlling the temperature in this way is generally referred to as a Blainchler.

  In the configuration of FIG. 2, the coil provided in the heat exchanger 112 is a cold / hot water coil used for both heating and cooling. However, the present invention is not limited to the above example, and a cold water coil and a hot water coil may be separately provided, and either one may be fixedly connected to the heating line or the cooling line of the heat pump 130. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, a separate heating heat exchanger and cooling heat exchanger may be provided in each ventilation path 108.

  According to the above configuration, the inside of the casing 102 of the air conditioner 100 is divided into a plurality of ventilation paths 108, and the heat exchanger 112 and the humidifier 114 are provided for each ventilation path 108, so that each ventilation path 108 is independent. An air conditioning function can be provided. Therefore, the ventilation path 108 for heating in the casing 102 and the ventilation path 108 for cooling can be selected in a dispersed manner.

  FIG. 3 is an air diagram showing changes in temperature and humidity in the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. In the figure, A1 is high temperature and high humidity outside air in summer, SA is a target point that is a predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity in summer, B1 is low temperature and low humidity outside air such as in winter, and SB is a target point that is predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity in winter. And

  An example in the summer will be described. Among the plurality of ventilation paths 108 arranged in a matrix, when the heat exchanger 112 of the group of ventilation paths 108 is a cooler and is cooled beyond a point A2 where the relative humidity is 100%, Water vapor in the inside condenses and the absolute humidity decreases. Furthermore, the absolute humidity of air is reduced by cooling to point A3. In the other group of ventilation paths 108, the heat exchanger 112 is stopped (heat pump 130 is stopped), and the ventilation is performed as it is. And the air SA of predetermined temperature and predetermined humidity can be produced | generated by mixing the air after the process in the point A3, and the unprocessed air in the point A1. The temperature, humidity, and air volume at point A3 (the ratio of the ventilation path that is selected when cooled) are back-calculated by the ratio that becomes point SA when mixed with the air at point A1.

  Since the air in the plurality of ventilation paths 108 is mixed and supplied as described above, air having a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity can be generated by mixing the cooled and dehumidified air and the outside air. This eliminates the need for reheating despite cooling for dehumidification. Thus, the heat exchanger 112 can be made one stage.

  In addition, by appropriately selecting the cooling passage and the heating portion among the plurality of ventilation paths 108 arranged in a matrix, the air flowing in the casing 102 is heated, cooled, and humidified on average. It is possible to supply air having a uniform temperature and humidity distribution. How to disperse is arbitrary, but in the case of a matrix of 3 rows and 3 columns, for example, three in the middle stage can be cooled, and six in the upper and lower stages can be heated. But the division | segmentation number of a matrix can be freely selected by the scale of the air conditioner 100, and should just be 2 rows 2 columns or more. Moreover, the number of cooling and the number of heating are only examples, and can be appropriately set according to the outside air and the target temperature and humidity.

  An example in winter will be described. The low-temperature and low-humidity outside air B1 is heated to a point B2 by supplying warm water to the heat exchanger 112 to be a heater. Then, the vaporizing humidifier 114 humidifies the target point SB at a predetermined humidity.

  In the above winter example, all the heat exchangers 112 are heaters. However, since a plurality of ventilation paths 108 can be operated individually, even when only heating is performed, Since the number of heat exchangers 112 to be operated can be increased or decreased accordingly, energy saving can be achieved. In particular, by providing the heat pumps 130 on a one-to-one basis with the heat exchanger 112, not only the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant is adjusted by the flow rate adjusting valve 144 but also the heat pump 130 for only the necessary amount is operated. Therefore, further energy saving can be achieved.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the air conditioner 100 according to the present embodiment, since the air processed in the plurality of ventilation paths 108 is mixed, the temperature and humidity can be precisely controlled. Furthermore, since the vertical and horizontal matrix is divided, the ventilation paths 108 to be processed can be appropriately dispersed and selected, and air having a uniform temperature and humidity distribution can be supplied.

  Further, in each ventilation path 108, only one (one type) heat exchanger 112 is required, so that pressure loss for circulating air can be reduced, and energy saving of the power of the blower 118 can be achieved. . Furthermore, since only one heat exchanger 112 is required, the overall length of the air conditioner 100 can be shortened, and space saving can be achieved. Moreover, since the heat exchanger 112 for reheating becomes unnecessary, it has the advantage that the structure and control of the air conditioner 100 are simplified.

  In the above embodiment, the ventilation path 108 is divided into a matrix of 3 rows and 3 columns, and nine sets of heat exchangers 112 and humidifiers 114 are provided according to this (see FIG. 1). . However, the present invention is not limited to the above number, and the number of ventilation paths 108 (that is, the number of heat exchangers 112 and humidifiers 114) can be set according to the required air flow rate. It can be 3 rows 4 columns or 4 rows 4 columns.

  The humidifier 114 is a vaporizing humidifier as described above. The vaporizing humidifier performs humidification by evaporating normal temperature water by replacing the sensible heat of air with the latent heat of water. Therefore, since the vaporizing humidifier does not use fire, there is no risk of fire, and there is no risk of releasing germs that have propagated in water into the indoor space. For this reason, the air conditioner 100 provided with the vaporizing humidifier 114 can be installed in facilities using organic solvents such as factories, and facilities with strict hygiene standards such as clean rooms, and the applicable range of installable facilities. Can be spread.

  Further, by providing the air damper 116 in a part of the ventilation path 108, the air flow rate (flow rate ratio) for each ventilation path can be adjusted. As described above, in the air conditioner 100, the temperature of the air (degree of heating and cooling) can be adjusted by controlling the number of heat exchangers 112 and adjusting the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger 112. Further, by adjusting the opening degree of the air damper 116, the temperature and humidity can be further finely adjusted. Thereby, it is possible to perform a quick and precise adjustment more quickly than when the heat pump 130 is started / stopped in accordance with the number control or the amount of water supplied to the humidifier 114 is adjusted.

  The air damper 116 may be provided on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 112, but may be provided on the downstream side of the heat exchanger 112 and the humidifier 114. In either case, the saturation efficiency of the humidifier can be precisely controlled, and fine adjustment of temperature and humidity can be made possible. When arranged on the upstream side, there is no possibility that water scattered from the humidifier 114 adheres, and therefore the possibility of corrosion can be reduced. When arranged on the downstream side, more flexible air volume adjustment including pressure loss adjustment by the humidifier 114 can be performed.

(Second Embodiment)
A second embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, it has been described that the flow rate adjusting valve 144 is provided in the secondary refrigerant line, and the amount of heat given to the air in the heat exchanger 112 is controlled. However, the control unit 120 may control the output temperature of the heat pump 130 so as to adjust the temperature of the secondary refrigerant while keeping the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant constant for each heat exchanger 112. Accordingly, the heat pump 130 generates a high temperature secondary refrigerant when the target predetermined temperature is high and a low temperature secondary refrigerant when the predetermined temperature is low according to the control of the control unit 120. Therefore, when the predetermined temperature is low, the pressure of the compressor 132 can be reduced, and the COP of the heat pump 130 can be improved and the power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, when hot water is generated in one heat pump 130 as in the prior art and only flow control is performed, the COP is significantly reduced. However, when a plurality of heat pumps 130 are provided as in the above configuration, for example, it is assumed that nine heat pumps 130 are provided, high temperature hot water is generated by a group of heat pumps 130, and low temperature hot water is generated by another group of heat pumps 130. The COP of the heat pump 130 that generates high-temperature hot water is approximately the same as the COP of the conventional heat pump 130. However, since the heat pump 130 that generates low-temperature warm water can reduce the pressure of the compressor 132, its COP is improved. Therefore, since the total COP (average value) of the COPs of the two heat pumps 130 is improved as compared with the case where one heat pump 130 is used, the COP of the heat pump 130 as a whole can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an air conditioner according to the third embodiment, where the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, it has been described that the heat exchanger 112 and the heat pump 130 are connected on a one-to-one basis. However, among the plurality of heat exchangers 112, the secondary refrigerant pipe of at least one heat exchanger 112 that heats the air and the secondary refrigerant pipe of at least one heat exchanger 112 that cools the air are the same heat pump. 130 condensers 134 and evaporators 138 may be circulated.

  In the example of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the heat exchanger 112a is a heat exchanger that performs heating, and the heat exchanger 112b is a heat exchanger that performs cooling. In such a case, each secondary refrigerant pipe may be connected to the condenser 134 and the evaporator 138 of the same heat pump 130. In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, the branch of the secondary refrigerant pipe is not described, but actually, the secondary refrigerant is supplied from one heat exchanger 112 to both the condenser 134 and the evaporator 138. It is preferable that the secondary refrigerant can be circulated (see FIG. 2) and the secondary refrigerant can be circulated from the heat exchangers 112a and 112b to separate heat pumps.

  In an air conditioner, both cooling and heating may be performed as necessary, but the number of operating heat pumps 130 is reduced by heating using the heat absorbed (cooled) by one heat exchanger 112. can do. Further, the heat pump 130 can be operated regardless of the outside air temperature, and the COP as a whole can be improved.

(Fourth embodiment)
A fourth embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an air conditioner according to the fourth embodiment, where the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, it has been described that the heat exchanger 112 and the heat pump 130 are connected on a one-to-one basis. However, a so-called heat source hybrid system in which both the heat pump 130 and the boiler 190 are connected to one heat exchanger 112 may be employed. Thereby, normally, warm water can be supplied while controlling the temperature using the heat pump 130 having a high COP, and the temperature of the warm water can be further increased using the boiler 190 when the load is high. Therefore, the heat pump 130 having a small heat capacity can be used, and the cost of the equipment can be reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)
5th Embodiment of the air conditioner concerning this invention is described. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an air conditioner according to a fifth embodiment, where the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the said 1st Embodiment, it demonstrated so that one set of the heat exchanger 112 and the humidifier 114 might be provided in one ventilation path 108. FIG. However, as shown in FIG. 6A, a plurality of sets of heat exchangers 112 and humidifiers 114 may be provided for one ventilation path 108. As a result, as shown in the air diagram of FIG. 6B, heating and humidification can be performed in multiple stages, and the temperature at which air is heated in each heat exchanger 112 can be reduced (heating to temperature B2). It would be sufficient to heat up to B2a or B2b. Therefore, since the temperature of the hot water supplied to the heat exchanger 112 can be lowered, the COP (operation coefficient) of the heat pump 130 can be improved and energy can be further saved.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  The present invention can be used as an air conditioner that maintains the temperature and humidity of an indoor space at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Indoor space, 100 ... Air conditioner, 102 ... Casing, 102a ... Outside air port, 102b ... Air supply port, 104 ... Pre filter, 106 ... Partition plate, 108 ... Ventilation path, 110 ... Filter, 112 ... Heat exchanger , 114 ... Humidifier, 116 ... Air damper, 118 ... Blower, 120 ... Control unit, 122 ... Air temperature humidity sensor, 124 ... Indoor temperature / humidity sensor, 130 ... Heat pump, 132 ... Compressor, 134 ... Condenser, 136 ... Expansion Valves, 138 ... evaporator, 140 ... pump, 142a ... three-way valve, 142b ... three-way valve, 144 ... flow control valve, 900 ... air conditioner, 902 ... casing, 902a ... outside air port, 902b ... air supply port, 904 ... Adjusting chamber, 906 ... blower chamber, 910 ... pre-filter, 912 ... filter, 914 ... heating burner, 916 ... air washer, 918 ...却器, 920 ... Humidifier, 922 ... reheat burner, 924 ... blower

Claims (6)

An air conditioner that maintains the temperature and humidity of an indoor space at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity,
A plurality of ventilation paths provided in the casing;
A plurality of heat exchangers provided in each of the ventilation passages for heating or cooling air;
A plurality of humidifiers provided in each of the ventilation paths;
A blower for sending air that has passed through the heat exchanger and humidifier to the indoor space;
A heat pump for heating or cooling a secondary refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger;
An air conditioner comprising: a control unit that adjusts a heat amount of a heat exchanger and water supply to the humidifier for each of the ventilation paths based on the predetermined temperature.   2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation path is formed by partitioning a plane orthogonal to an air traveling direction in the casing in a matrix shape.   The plurality of heat exchangers are each connected to an individual heat pump, and the secondary refrigerant pipe of the heat exchanger can be switched to the evaporator or the condenser of the heat pump to be circulated. Air conditioner as described in.   Among the plurality of heat exchangers, the secondary refrigerant pipe of at least one heat exchanger that heats air and the secondary refrigerant pipe of at least one heat exchanger that cools air are the condensers of the same heat pump. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioner can be distributed to an evaporator.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier is a vaporizing humidifier.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein an air damper for adjusting a flow rate is provided in at least one of the plurality of ventilation paths.

Images