JP2012017873A - Air conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously achieve accurate and stable control for both of humidity and temperature.SOLUTION: An air conditioning device includes: a first switcher 6 connecting one end connection port 4a of a first heat exchanger 4a to one end connection port 3p side of an outdoor side heat exchanger 3 via an indoor side first electronic expansion valve 5p, and connecting one end connection port 4bp of a second heat exchanger 4b to one end connection port 3p of the outdoor side heat exchanger 3 via an indoor side second electronic expansion valve 5q, and capable of connecting the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to a discharge port 2s side or an intake port 2i side of a compressor 2; and a second switcher 7 capable of switching to a first position Pf for connecting the intake port 2i to the other end connection port 4bq side of the second heat exchanger 4b, and connecting the discharge port 2s to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor side heat exchanger 3, or a second position Ps for connecting the intake port 2i to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor side heat exchanger 3, and connecting the discharge port 2s to the other end connection port 4bq side of the second heat exchanger 4b.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner including a refrigeration cycle in which at least an outdoor unit includes a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger.

  In general, the humidity of a plant cultivation room such as a horticultural house for plant cultivation is increased by steam generated from plants and soil. Since the increase in humidity causes condensation on the surface of the plant, leading to quality degradation such as cracking of the plant and diseases, etc., maintaining an appropriate humidity environment in the room has become an extremely important issue. Improvements such as enhancing the dehumidifying effect from the structural point of view of plant cultivation rooms have also been made (see Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, since it is desirable that the room of the plant cultivation room is maintained in a good cultivation environment throughout the seasons, an air conditioner is attached to the plant cultivation room, and indoor temperature control and dehumidification are also performed. Patent Document 2 discloses an air conditioner for an agricultural cultivation house for the purpose of enabling efficient dehumidification while ensuring the required cooling function for crop quality improvement and growth adjustment in agricultural greenhouse cultivation. It is disclosed. In this air conditioner, when the inside of the house is cooled, the shielding door is in a steady position, the entire front surface of the evaporator is opened, and the ventilation path is blocked, so that the required amount of air is taken in from the house. When cooling is performed and dehumidifying the inside of the house, the shielding door is rotated from the steady position to shield at least one part of the windward front surface or the windward rear surface of the evaporator, thereby shielding the ventilation path. This restricts and reduces the intake of air into the house in the evaporator, and the restricted air escapes from the open ventilation path and returns to the house.

JP-A-5-308859 JP-A-5-023057

  However, the above-described conventional air conditioner (air conditioner) attached to the plant cultivation room has the following problems.

  First, although the air conditioner of patent document 2 aimed at the dehumidification effect by changing the ventilation mode, there exists a limit in ensuring sufficient dehumidification effect. On the other hand, when dehumidification is performed by the air conditioner, normally, the evaporation amount of the evaporator in the refrigeration cycle is increased by the dehumidification mode. After all, in the conventional air conditioner, it is not easy to realize accurate control for both humidity and temperature at the same time, and stability (accuracy) for temperature control tends to be sacrificed when operating in the dehumidifying mode.

  Secondly, when dehumidification is performed in the dehumidification mode, the purpose is to reduce the humidity, and therefore only a simple cooling operation is performed. Therefore, the humidity environment cannot be controlled more precisely by reducing the high humidity environment to a specific set humidity (for example, 60% humidity) and maintaining the set humidity. There was room for further improvement from the viewpoint of (control).

  An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that solves the problems in the background art.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the air conditioner 1 according to the present invention includes at least the compressor 2 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 in the outdoor unit Uo, and the indoor unit Ui in the indoor side heat exchanger. In the air conditioner including the refrigeration cycle C in which the first heat exchanger 4a is disposed, the indoor heat exchanger 4 is configured by the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b, thereby connecting one end connection port of the first heat exchanger 4a. 4ap is connected to the one end connection port 3p side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, and the one end connection port 4bp of the second heat exchanger 4b is connected to the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q. Is connected to the one end connection port 3p of the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a is connectable to the discharge port 2s side or the suction port 2i side of the compressor 2. One switching means 6 and the suction port 2i of the compressor 2 are connected to the second heat exchanger 4 The first position Pf that connects to the other end connection port 4bq side and connects the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 or the suction port 2i of the compressor 2 It can be switched to the second position Ps that connects to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 and connects the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 to the other end connection port 4bq side of the second heat exchanger 4b. The second switching means 7 and at least the first switching means 6 and the control means 8 capable of switching and controlling the second switching means 7 are provided.

  In this case, according to a preferred aspect of the invention, the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the first switching means 6 via the outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p and via the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q. Can be connected to the second switching means 7. Moreover, the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 can be connected in parallel to the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p. On the other hand, the control means 8 controls the first switching means 6 to connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to the discharge port 2s side, and controls the second switching means 7 to be switched. Thus, the dehumidification mode Md for switching to the first position Pf and the first switching means 6 are switched to connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to the suction port 2i side, and the second switching means 7 Is switched to the second position Ps by switching control, the other switching port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a is connected to the discharge port 2s side by switching control of the first switching means 6, and the first A heating mode Mh for switching to the first position Pf by switching control of the two switching means 7 can be provided. At this time, in the dehumidifying mode Md, the humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 13, and at least the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q is varied so that the detected humidity (detected humidity) becomes the set humidity, thereby feeding back the humidity. Control can be performed. Furthermore, the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b can be parallelly arranged in the orthogonal | vertical direction Fc with respect to the ventilation direction Fs of the air A to be heat-exchanged, and can be comprised integrally. In addition, the air conditioning apparatus 1 is optimally attached to the plant cultivation room H which performs plant cultivation.

  According to the air conditioner 1 according to the present invention having such a configuration, the following remarkable effects are achieved.

  (1) The indoor heat exchanger 4 is constituted by the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b, and in the dehumidifying mode Md, the second heat exchanger 4b functions as a cooler, and the first heat exchanger 4a functions as a heater, the second heat exchanger 4b is controlled by the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, and the first heat exchanger 4a is controlled by the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p. When the humidity is lowered by controlling the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, the temperature can be kept constant by controlling the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and the like even if the temperature is lowered. Therefore, accurate and stable control for both humidity and temperature can be realized simultaneously.

  (2) According to a preferred embodiment, the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the first switching means 6 via the outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p, and is connected via the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q. If it is connected to the two switching means 7, for example, even if it cannot be controlled by the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p or the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat By changing the diversion ratio of the exchanger 4b, the control of the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p can be assisted. Controllability and reliability in the dehumidifying mode Md used in combination can be improved.

  (3) According to a preferred embodiment, if the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is connected in parallel to the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is opened in the dehumidifying mode Md and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p is closed. By controlling to, the effectiveness and stability of each operation in the dehumidification mode Md including the heating operation (reheating operation) and the cooling operation can be enhanced.

  (4) According to a preferred embodiment, the control means 8 controls the first switching means 6 to connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to the discharge port 2s side, and the second switching means. If the dehumidifying mode Md for switching to the first position Pf is provided by switching control 7, the switching to the dehumidifying mode Md can be easily and quickly performed by the switching control by the control means 8.

  (5) According to a preferred embodiment, the control means 8 controls the first switching means 6 to connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to the suction port 2i side, and the second switching means. If the cooling mode Mc that switches to the first position Pf by switching control 7 is provided, both the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are operated to perform cooling, thereby demonstrating the maximum capacity related to cooling. Can be made.

  (6) According to a preferred embodiment, the control means 8 controls the first switching means 6 to connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a to the discharge port 2s side, and the second switching means. If the heating mode Mh for switching to the second position Ps by switching control 7 is provided, both the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are operated for heating, thereby demonstrating the maximum capacity for heating. Can be made.

  (7) According to a preferred embodiment, in the dehumidifying mode Md, the humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 13, and at least the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q is varied so that the detected humidity becomes the set humidity. If feedback control is performed, the target humidity environment can be accurately and stably maintained while ensuring stability of temperature control.

  (8) According to a preferred embodiment, if the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are integrated by being arranged in parallel in a direction Fc perpendicular to the blowing direction Fs of the air A to be heat-exchanged, Even when the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are provided, the thickness of the air conditioner 1 can be reduced, and the manufacturing by the integrated structure can be facilitated. Moreover, the added value (functionality) of the air conditioning apparatus 1 can be further increased, such as a simple humidifier configured by the combined use of the heating operation and the cooling operation.

  (9) If the air conditioning apparatus 1 is attached to the plant cultivation room H that performs plant cultivation according to a preferred embodiment, optimum performance can be obtained from the viewpoint of securing an appropriate humidity environment in plant cultivation.

FIG. 1 is an overall circuit diagram of a dehumidifying mode of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention Block system diagram of the control system provided in the air conditioner, The typical front view showing an example of the indoor side heat exchanger with which the air conditioner is equipped, Functional explanatory view showing a part of a side surface of the indoor heat exchanger in cross section, The typical front view which shows the other example of the indoor side heat exchanger with which the air conditioning apparatus is equipped, A perspective view of a plant cultivation room showing an example of use of the air conditioner, A flow chart for explaining the operation of the air conditioner; Overall circuit diagram in cooling mode of the air conditioner, Overall circuit diagram in heating mode of the air conditioner,

  Next, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be given and described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, the whole structure of the air conditioning apparatus 1 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit Uo, an indoor unit Ui, and a controller Uc. The outdoor unit Uo and the indoor unit Ui constitute a refrigeration cycle C.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the outdoor unit Uo includes, as main components, a compressor 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a three-way valve 21, a four-way valve 22, an outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p, and an outdoor second electronic expansion. A valve 11q is provided. In this case, the compressor 2 has a discharge port 2s that discharges the refrigerant r and a suction port 2i that sucks the returned refrigerant r, and the discharge port 2s includes the first outdoor strainer (filter) 23p and the second outdoor port. The discharge port 2s is connected in series to the outdoor second strainer 23q and the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q while being connected to the first connection port 21a of the three-way valve 21 through a serial connection of the one-electron expansion valve 11p. To the first shared connection port 22x of the four-way valve 22. Thus, if the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the three-way valve 21 via the outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p and connected to the four-way valve 22 via the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q. For example, even if it cannot be controlled by the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p or the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q provided in the indoor unit Ui described later, the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and Heating operation (reheating operation) such as by controlling the control of the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p by changing the diversion ratio with respect to the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p ) And the cooling operation can be improved in controllability and reliability in the dehumidification mode Md.

  Further, the suction port 2 i of the compressor 2 is connected to the second connection port 21 b of the three-way valve 21 and the second shared connection port 22 y of the four-way valve 22, respectively. On the other hand, the one end connection port 3p of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 is connected to the first external connection port 24 of the outdoor unit Uo, and the other end connection port 3q of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 is the first one of the four-way valve 22. Connect to the connection port 22a. Furthermore, the second connection port 22b of the four-way valve 22 is connected to the second external connection port 25 of the outdoor unit Uo, and the shared connection port 21x of the three-way valve 21 is connected to the third external connection port 26 of the outdoor unit Uo. To do.

  In this case, the three-way valve 21 includes first switching means 6 that can connect the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a provided in the indoor unit Ui described later to the discharge port 2s side or the suction port 2i side of the compressor 2. The four-way valve 22 connects the suction port 2i of the compressor 2 to the other end connection port 4bq side of the second heat exchanger 4b, and connects the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 to the outdoor heat exchanger 3. The first position Pf connected to the other end connection port 3q side, or the suction port 2i of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected. The 2nd switching means 7 which can be switched to the 2nd position Ps connected to the other end connection port 4bq side of the 2nd heat exchanger 4b is comprised. In the outdoor unit Uo, 27 is a blower fan that blows air to the outdoor heat exchanger 3, 28 and 29 are pressure sensors that detect discharge pressure and suction pressure of the compressor 2, and 30 is an outdoor heat exchanger. Reference numeral 3 denotes a pressure sensor for detecting a refrigerant pressure, and reference numeral 31 denotes a temperature sensor for detecting an external temperature related to the outdoor heat exchanger 3.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the indoor unit Ui includes, as main components, an indoor heat exchanger 4, an indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, and a first heat exchanger 4a and a second heat exchanger 4b. An indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q and an electromagnetic on-off valve 12 are provided. In this case, the one end connection port 4ap of the first heat exchanger 4a is connected to the first external connection port 34 of the indoor unit Ui through a series connection of the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and the indoor first strainer 32p. At the same time, the one end connection port 4bp of the second heat exchanger 4b is connected to the first external connection port 34 of the indoor unit Ui through a series connection of the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q and the indoor second strainer 32q. In addition, an electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is connected in parallel to the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p. Thus, if the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is connected in parallel to the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is opened and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p is closed on the dehumidifying mode Md. By controlling, the effectiveness and stability of each operation in the dehumidification mode Md including the heating operation (reheating operation) and the cooling operation can be enhanced.

  On the other hand, the other end connection port 4bq of the second heat exchanger 4b is connected to the second external connection port 35 of the indoor unit Ui via the indoor strainer 37, and the other end connection port 4aq of the first heat exchanger 4a. Is connected to the third external connection port 36 of the indoor unit Ui. Then, the first blower fan 38a and the second blower fan 38b are arranged so as to face the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b, respectively, and the air blown by the first blower fan 38a and the second blower fan 38b. A temperature sensor 39 and a humidity sensor 13 are disposed on the road. In the indoor unit Ui, reference numeral 40 denotes a pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure related to the first heat exchanger 4a, and 41 denotes a pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure related to the second heat exchanger 4b.

  Moreover, the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b are comprised integrally. The structural example which integrates the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b is shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 (FIG. 4) shows a configuration example in which the first heat exchanger 4a is arranged on the lower side and the second heat exchanger 4b is arranged on the upper side, thereby functioning also as a simple humidifier Us. FIG. 5 shows a configuration example in consideration of manufacturability especially in manufacturing by arranging the first heat exchanger 4a on the upper side and the second heat exchanger 4b on the lower side.

  In any indoor heat exchanger 4, the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are integrated by being arranged in parallel in a direction Fc perpendicular to the blowing direction Fs of the air A to be heat-exchanged. To do. Thus, if the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b are integrated by arranging in parallel with the direction Fs perpendicular to the ventilation direction Fs of the air A to be heat-exchanged, the first heat exchange Even when the heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are provided, the thickness of the air conditioner 1 can be reduced, and the manufacture by the integrated structure can be facilitated. Moreover, the added value (functionality) of the air conditioning apparatus 1 can be further increased, such as a simple humidifier configured by the combined use of the heating operation and the cooling operation.

  The indoor side heat exchanger 4 shown in FIG. 5 has a heat exchanger body 46 in which a refrigerant pipe L is curved in a zigzag path inside a frame 45 formed in a vertically long rectangle, and the heat exchanger body 46. The assembly D having a large number of heat radiation fins 47 attached thereto is manufactured. The upper and lower intermediate position Xc of the heat exchanger body 46 is cut, and a pair of heat exchanger halves divided into upper and lower parts, that is, an upper first heat exchanger 4a and a lower second heat exchanger 4b are provided. Constitute. Thus, the indoor side heat exchanger 4 shown in FIG. 5 can be easily manufactured with about half the number of manufacturing steps compared to the case where the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are separately manufactured. In this case, in the dehumidifying mode Md described later, the upper first heat exchanger 4a is operated as a heater (reheater), and the lower second heat exchanger 4b is operated as a cooler. The one heat exchanger 4a has one end connection port 4ap serving as a refrigerant inlet at the upper position, and the lower second heat exchanger 4b has one end connection port 4bp serving as a refrigerant inlet at the lower position. It is desirable to arrange. Thereby, the heat interference between the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b can be suppressed to the minimum. In addition, 48 shows the drain water tray which receives the drain water W which falls from the 2nd heat exchanger 4b.

  The indoor side heat exchanger 4 shown in FIG. 3 (4) replaces the vertical positions of the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b with respect to the indoor side heat exchanger 4 in FIG. The function of the device Us is added. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, a predetermined space is formed by cutting a part of the heat dissipating fins 47 at the upper and lower intermediate positions, and a pair of drain water shown in FIG. 4 (FIG. 3) is formed in this space. The recovery plates 51 and 52 are disposed, and a slit 53 is provided between the drain water recovery plates 51 and 52. Further, below the slit 53, a semicircular ridge 54 is provided. The flange 54 is inclined slightly along the slit 53, and is configured to be capable of being rotated and displaced by 180 [deg.] About the shaft center by a rotary solenoid 55 coupled to one end of the flange 54. Further, water absorbing materials 56 such as water absorbing paper are disposed at appropriate positions of the first heat exchanger 4a below the flange 54. Reference numeral 57 denotes a vertical rod that guides the drain water W flowing out from the rod 54 to the drain water tray 48.

  Thereby, if the rotary solenoid 55 is controlled and the rod 54 is set at the recovery position Xu as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the drain water W dropped from the second heat exchanger 4b (cooler) The simple humidifier Us does not function because it is collected by 54 and guided to the drain water tray 48 through the vertical rod 57. On the other hand, if the rotary solenoid 55 is controlled and the rod 54 is set to the non-recovery position Xn as shown in FIG. 4B, the drain water W of the second heat exchanger 4b is collected by the rod 54. It falls downward without being absorbed and is absorbed and retained by the water absorbing material 56. Since the water absorbents 56 are heated by the first heat exchanger 4a (heater), the drain water W held by the water absorbents 56 evaporates. As described above, the indoor heat exchanger 4 shown in FIG. 3 (4) can function as a simple humidifier Us using the drain water W. Therefore, when the air A is too dry for some reason, simple humidification can be performed by using this simple humidifier Us, and recovery of the drain water W can be made unnecessary. .

  On the other hand, the controller Uc is responsible for overall control of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 and can control at least the three-way valve 21 constituting the first switching means 6 and the four-way valve 22 constituting the second switching means 7 described above. Control means 8 is included. As shown in FIG. 2, the controller Uc includes a controller main body 61 using a microcomputer or the like, and the controller main body 61 has a computing function for performing various control processes and arithmetic processes. In particular, it includes a program memory 61p that stores programs for executing various controls such as a dehumidifying mode Md, a cooling mode Mc, and a heating mode Mh, which will be described later, and data in which various data (including setting data and database) are written. A memory 61d is provided. The controller main body 61 is provided with a display unit 62 capable of displaying various data such as temperature and humidity, and an input unit 63 having various operation keys. The input unit 63 includes a temperature setting unit 63t. , A humidity setting unit 63h, a mode switching unit 63s, and the like.

  Therefore, the pressure sensors 28, 29, 30, 40, and 41, the temperature sensors 31 and 39, and the humidity sensor 13 are connected to the input port of the controller body 61, respectively, and the compression port is connected to the output port of the controller body 61. Machine 2, three-way valve 21, four-way valve 22, outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p, outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q, indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, electromagnetic on-off valve 12, the blower fan 27, the first blower fan 38a, and the second blower fan 38b are connected to each other. Thus, from the controller main body 61, the compressor 2, the outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p, the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q, the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, and the blower fan 27, a control signal is given to each of the first blower fan 38a and the second blower fan 38b, and a switching signal is given to each of the electromagnetic on-off valve 12, the three-way valve 21, and the four-way valve 22.

  Next, the usage example and operation | movement of the air conditioning apparatus 1 which concern on this embodiment are demonstrated with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of use of the air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment is optimally attached to a plant cultivation room H such as a garden house that performs plant cultivation as shown in FIG. Usually, in this type of plant cultivation room H, the humidity rises due to steam generated from plants and soil, and when the humidity is high, condensation occurs on the surface of the plant, causing deterioration in quality such as cracking of the plant and diseases. Easy to invite. Since the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can accurately and stably control temperature and humidity (dehumidification), by attaching to such a plant cultivation room H, a viewpoint of ensuring an appropriate humidity environment in plant cultivation. You can get the best performance from.

  In FIG. 6, Uo indicates an outdoor unit installed outside the plant cultivation room H, and Ui indicates an indoor unit installed inside the plant cultivation room H. Further, the controller Uc constituted by the controller box can be installed near the entrance Hi of the plant cultivation room H. The controller Uc is connected to the indoor unit Ui via a signal line Le using a cable, and the indoor unit Ui and the outdoor unit Uo are connected by a signal line Lm and a piping line Lp. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerant pipe La connecting the first external connection port 24 of the outdoor unit Uo and the first external connection port 34 of the indoor unit Ui to the piping line Lp, and the second of the outdoor unit Uo. The refrigerant pipe Lb that connects the external connection port 25 and the second external connection port 35 of the indoor unit Ui, and the refrigerant pipe Lc that connects the third external connection port 26 of the outdoor unit Uo and the third external connection port 36 of the indoor unit Ui. Three refrigerant pipes are included. The example shows the case where one outdoor unit Uo and one indoor unit Ui are installed (one set), but usually a plurality of units (multiple sets) are installed according to the size of the plant cultivation room H, the cultivated plants, etc. Is done.

  Next, the operation of the air conditioning apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 with reference to FIGS.

  Assume that the mode switching unit 63s of the controller Uc is operated and the dehumidifying mode Md is turned on (step S1). As a result, the three-way valve 21 and the four-way valve 22 are respectively set to the dehumidifying position (step S2). That is, the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 4aq side of the first heat exchanger 4a via the three-way valve 21, and the four-way valve 22 is switched to the first position Pf. In the first position Pf, the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via the four-way valve 22, and the suction port 2i of the compressor 2 is connected to the four-way valve 22. Is connected to the other end connection port 4bq side of the second heat exchanger 4b. The circuit state in the dehumidifying mode Md is shown in FIG. Note that the arrows along the circuit indicate the flow direction of the refrigerant r. In the dehumidifying mode Md, the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is switched from OFF to ON, and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p is controlled to close (step S3).

  Thus, the dehumidifying mode Md can be easily and quickly switched by operating the mode switching unit 63s of the controller Uc. Thus, in the dehumidifying mode Md, the first heat exchanger 4a functions as a condenser, that is, operates as a heater (reheater), and the second heat exchanger 4b functions as an evaporator, that is, a cooler. It becomes possible to operate as a (dehumidifier).

  Next, the specific humidity (set humidity) is set by numerical input or selection by the humidity setting unit 63h of the controller Uc (step S4). Since the dehumidification mode Md is intended for dehumidification, the set humidity is normally set lower than the current humidity, that is, the detected humidity detected by the humidity sensor 13. Therefore, in the dehumidifying mode Md, the humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 13, and feedback control is performed on the humidity so that the detected humidity (detected humidity) becomes the set humidity. In this case, the controller Uc controls the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q to be more open (step S5). In addition, when it cannot fully control only by control of the indoor 2nd electronic expansion valve 5q, as needed, the rotation speed of the 2nd ventilation fan 38b, the discharge pressure of the compressor 2, the outdoor 2nd electronic expansion valve 11q It is possible to use control of the degree of opening and the like together. As described above, in the dehumidification mode Md, the humidity is detected by the humidity sensor 13, and at least the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q is varied so that the detected humidity becomes the set humidity, thereby performing feedback control on the humidity. For example, the target humidity environment can be accurately and stably maintained while ensuring the stability of the temperature control. Thereafter, the humidity is maintained at the set humidity until the dehumidifying mode Md is turned off (steps S6, S7, S8).

  By the way, the temperature is lowered by controlling the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q to the open side. Since the temperature is detected by the temperature sensor 39, control to maintain the set temperature is performed. That is, normally, the temperature (set temperature) is set by the temperature setting unit 63t, and feedback control is performed on the temperature so as to be the set temperature. In this case, in order to increase the temperature, the opening of the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, which is a heating change element, the rotation speed of the first blower fan 38a, the discharge pressure of the compressor 2, the outdoor first electronic expansion Control is performed on the opening of the valve 11p and the like (step S9). Therefore, the temperature is always maintained at the set temperature regardless of the operation state in the dehumidifying mode Md (steps S10 and S11).

  Therefore, according to the air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 4 is configured by the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b, and the second heat is generated in the dehumidifying mode Md. The exchanger 4b functions as a cooler, the first heat exchanger 4a functions as a heater, the second heat exchanger 4b is controlled by the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, and the first heat exchanger 4a Is controlled by the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p, so that when the humidity is reduced by controlling the indoor second electronic expansion valve 5q, the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p and the like even if the temperature decreases. Thus, the temperature can be kept constant, and accurate and stable control for both humidity and temperature can be realized simultaneously.

  On the other hand, when the cooling mode Mc is selected, operation (control) in the cooling mode Mc is performed (steps S12 and S13). The circuit state in the cooling mode Mc is shown in FIG. In the cooling mode Md, the three-way valve 21 and the four-way valve 22 are respectively set to the cooling side positions. That is, the suction port 2 i of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 4 aq side of the first heat exchanger 4 a via the three-way valve 21 and other than the second heat exchanger 4 b via the four-way valve 22. It is connected to the end connection port 4bq side. Further, the discharge port 2s of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 3q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 via the four-way valve 22. Further, the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is switched to OFF, and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p is controlled to open.

  Thereby, both the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4a function as an evaporator, ie, operate | move as a cooler, and cooling with respect to the air A is performed. Thus, in the cooling mode Mc, since the cooling operation is performed on both the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b, the maximum capacity related to cooling can be exhibited.

  On the other hand, when the heating mode Mh is selected, operation (control) by the heating mode Mh is performed (steps S14 and S15). The circuit state in the heating mode Mh is shown in FIG. In the heating mode Mh, the three-way valve 21 and the four-way valve 22 are each set to the heating side position. That is, the discharge port 2 s of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 4 aq side of the first heat exchanger 4 a via the three-way valve 21 and other than the second heat exchanger 4 b via the four-way valve 22. It is connected to the end connection port 4bq side. The suction port 2 i of the compressor 2 is connected to the other end connection port 3 q side of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 through the four-way valve 22. The point that the electromagnetic on-off valve 12 is switched OFF and the indoor first electronic expansion valve 5p is controlled to open is the same as in the cooling mode Mc.

  Thereby, both the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4a function as a condenser, ie, operate | move as a heater, and the heating with respect to the air A is performed. Thus, in the heating mode Mh, since both the first heat exchanger 4a and the second heat exchanger 4b are heated, the maximum capacity related to heating can be exhibited.

  Although the preferred embodiment has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and the detailed configuration, shape, material, quantity, technique, and the like do not depart from the gist of the present invention. It can be changed, added, or deleted arbitrarily.

  For example, although the case where the three-way valve 21 is used as the first switching means 6 and the four-way valve 22 is used as the second switching means 7 is shown, any other switching means can be used as long as it has a similar switching function. It can be replaced. Further, the outdoor first electronic expansion valve 11p and the outdoor second electronic expansion valve 11q can be replaced by other flow dividing setting means as long as the flow dividing ratio can be set. Furthermore, although the 1st heat exchanger 4a and the 2nd heat exchanger 4b showed the case where it arranged in parallel and integrated in the orthogonal | vertical direction Fc with respect to the ventilation direction Fs of the air A to be heat-exchanged, the ventilation direction Fs It does not exclude the case where they are arranged side by side.

  The air conditioner according to the present invention can be applied to various air conditioners that constitute a refrigeration cycle by an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The air conditioner can be used for air conditioning in various environments where dehumidification is required, including a plant cultivation room where plants are grown.

  1: air conditioner, 2: compressor, 2s: compressor outlet, 2i: compressor inlet, 3: outdoor heat exchanger, 3p: one end connection port of outdoor heat exchanger, 4: chamber Inner heat exchanger, 4a: first heat exchanger, 4ap: one end connection port of the first heat exchanger, 4aq: other end connection port of the first heat exchanger, 4b: second heat exchanger, 4bp: second One end connection port of the heat exchanger, 4bq: The other end connection port of the second heat exchanger, 5p: Indoor first electronic expansion valve, 6: First switching means, 7: Second switching means, 8: Control means, 11p: outdoor first electronic expansion valve, 11q: outdoor second electronic expansion valve, 12: electromagnetic on-off valve, 13: humidity sensor, Uo: outdoor unit, Ui: indoor unit, C: refrigeration cycle, Pf: first Position, Ps: second position, A: air, Fs: air blowing direction, Fc: direction perpendicular to air blowing direction, H: plant培室

Claims (9)

  At least an air conditioner including a refrigeration cycle in which an outdoor unit is provided with a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor unit is provided with an indoor heat exchanger. By configuring the exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the one end connection port of the first heat exchanger is connected to the one end connection port side of the outdoor heat exchanger via the indoor first electronic expansion valve, And connecting the one end connection port of the second heat exchanger to the one end connection port of the outdoor heat exchanger through the indoor second electronic expansion valve, and connecting the other end connection port of the first heat exchanger to the one end A first switching means connectable to a discharge port side or a suction port side of the compressor; a suction port of the compressor connected to the other end connection port side of the second heat exchanger; and a discharge port of the compressor A first position where the other end connection port side of the outdoor heat exchanger is connected, or the compression Is connected to the other end connection port side of the outdoor heat exchanger, and the discharge port of the compressor can be switched to a second position connected to the other end connection port side of the second heat exchanger. An air conditioner comprising: a second switching unit; and a control unit capable of switching and controlling at least the first switching unit and the second switching unit.   The discharge port of the compressor is connected to the first switching means via an outdoor first electronic expansion valve, and is connected to the second switching means via an outdoor second electronic expansion valve. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.   The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an electromagnetic on-off valve connected in parallel to the indoor first electronic expansion valve.   The control means connects the other end connection port of the first heat exchanger to the discharge port side of the compressor by switching control of the first switching means, and switches and controls the second switching means. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a dehumidifying mode for switching to the first position.   In the dehumidifying mode, the humidity is detected by a humidity sensor, and feedback control for humidity is performed by varying at least the indoor second electronic expansion valve so that the detected humidity becomes a set humidity. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4.   The control means connects the other end connection port of the first heat exchanger to the suction port side of the compressor by switching control of the first switching means, and switches and controls the second switching means. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling mode for switching to the first position.   The control means connects the other end connection port of the first heat exchanger to the discharge port side of the compressor by switching control of the first switching means, and switches and controls the second switching means. The air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a heating mode for switching to the second position.   The said 1st heat exchanger and said 2nd heat exchanger are arranged in parallel at a right angle direction with respect to the ventilation direction of the air which heat-exchanges, and are comprised integrally. An air conditioner according to claim 1.   It uses for the air conditioning of the plant cultivation room which performs plant cultivation, The air conditioning apparatus in any one of Claims 1-8 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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