JP2021008975A - Fan control system - Google Patents

Abstract

To eliminate a possibility that, for example, when a user sleeps in a bed and a gas sensor is disposed at an upper part of a room, a concentration of a predetermined gas in the room becomes uneven and the gas sensor cannot measure the gas concentration properly with regard to an air conditioner which measures the concentration of the predetermined gas in an indoor space to ventilate the indoor space properly.SOLUTION: A control part (16, 16a to 16c) of a fan control system (100, 100a to 100f) for controlling an indoor fan (12, 12a) selects a first measurement mode or a second measurement mode of concentration measurement of a predetermined gas in a room based on predetermined conditions. When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan (12, 12a) is rotated before a sensor (15, 15a to 15f) performs the concentration measurement. When the second measurement mode is selected, the fan is not rotated before the sensor (15, 15a to 15f) performs the concentration measurement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5B

Description

It relates to a fan control system for measuring the concentration of a predetermined gas in a room.

In an air conditioner such as a room air conditioner, an air conditioner having a gas sensor for measuring the CO ₂ gas concentration in the room and capable of ventilating the room based on the detected concentration of the gas sensor is known (for example, a patent). Reference 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-221107).

In a state where there is little movement of people in the room and in and out, such as in a bedroom at night, temperature unevenness and gas concentration unevenness are relatively likely to occur in the room. For example, when a person sleeps in a bed and the gas sensor is placed at the upper part of the room, the gas concentration in the room becomes uneven, and the gas sensor may not be able to measure the gas concentration properly.

The fan control system of the first aspect includes a fan and a control unit. The fan agitates the room air. The control unit controls the fan. The control unit is connected to a sensor that measures the concentration of a predetermined gas in the room. The control unit selects a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode for measuring the concentration of a predetermined gas in a room based on a predetermined condition. When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated before the concentration is measured by the sensor. When the second measurement mode is selected, do not rotate the fan before measuring the concentration by the sensor.
When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan control system of the first aspect rotates the fan before measuring the gas concentration, so that the predetermined gas concentration in the room can be made uniform and the gas concentration can be made more accurate. Can be measured.

The fan control system of the second aspect is the system of the first aspect, and further includes a ventilation unit. The ventilation unit ventilates the room based on the measurement result of the gas concentration in the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode.

Since the fan control system of the second aspect further includes a ventilation unit, it is possible to ventilate the room based on the measurement of the concentration of a predetermined gas.

The fan control system of the third aspect is the system of the first aspect or the second aspect, and the predetermined condition includes the operating condition of the fan. The operating condition of the fan affects the agitation condition of the air in the room. Therefore, since the fan control system of the third aspect controls the fan according to the stirring condition of the air in the room, it is possible to measure the gas concentration after making the gas concentration in the room uniform, if necessary. it can.

The fan control system of the fourth aspect is the system of the third aspect, and the control unit selects the first operation mode when the fan stop time is longer than the predetermined time, and the fan stop time is less than the predetermined time. At that time, the second operation mode is selected.

The fan control system of the fourth aspect measures the gas concentration after rotating the fan when the fan stop time is longer than a predetermined time, in other words, when the air in the room is not sufficiently agitated. , When necessary, the gas concentration can be measured after the gas concentration in the room is made uniform.

The fan control system of the fifth viewpoint is a system of the first viewpoint or the second viewpoint, and the control unit performs the first gas concentration measurement before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode, and the fan. The first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor are selected based on the operating condition and the first gas concentration measurement result, and the second gas concentration measurement is performed based on the selected results.

Since the fan control system of the fifth aspect selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor based on the first gas concentration measurement result, the fan control can be performed according to the gas concentration measurement result. ..

The fan control system of the sixth aspect is the system of the fifth aspect, and the control unit measures the first gas concentration before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode. The control unit selects the first measurement mode when the measurement result of the first gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration, and when the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not indicate an increase in the gas concentration, the control unit selects the first measurement mode. , Select the second measurement mode. The control unit measures the second gas concentration based on the selection result.
In the fan control system of the sixth aspect, when the measurement result of the first gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration, the second gas concentration is measured after the fan is rotated, so that the air in the room is not wasted. The second gas concentration can be measured after stirring.

The fan control system of the seventh aspect is the system of the first aspect or the second aspect, and the control unit performs the first gas concentration measurement before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode. The control unit selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor based on the operating condition of the fan and the first gas concentration measurement result. The control unit measures the second gas concentration based on the selection result.

The fan control system of the seventh aspect determines the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode based on the operating condition of the fan and the result of the first gas concentration measurement, so that the case where the fan rotation is required is determined more accurately. can do.

The fan control system of the eighth viewpoint is the system of the seventh viewpoint, and the control unit selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor based on the operating condition of the fan and the first gas concentration measurement result. To do. When the measurement result of the first gas concentration shows an increase in the gas concentration, the first measurement mode is selected. When the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not show an increase in the gas concentration, the second measurement mode is selected.

The fan control system of the ninth viewpoint is the system of the seventh viewpoint, and the control unit selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor based on the operating condition of the fan and the first gas concentration measurement result. To do. The control unit selects the first operation mode when the fan stop time is longer than the predetermined time, and selects the second operation mode when the fan stop time is less than the predetermined time.

The fan control system of the ninth aspect measures the gas concentration after rotating the fan when the fan stop time is longer than a predetermined time, in other words, when the air in the room is not sufficiently agitated. , When necessary, the gas concentration can be measured after the gas concentration in the room is made uniform.

The fan control system of the tenth viewpoint is the system of the seventh viewpoint, and when the control unit has a fan stop time of a predetermined time or more and the measurement result of the first gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration. Selects the first measurement mode. If the fan stop time is less than a predetermined time, or if the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not indicate an increase in the gas concentration, the second measurement mode is selected.

In the fan control system of the tenth aspect, when the fan stop time is longer than a predetermined time and the measurement result of the first gas concentration shows an increase in the gas concentration, the gas concentration is changed after the fan is rotated. Since the measurement is performed, the gas concentration can be measured after the gas concentration is efficiently controlled.

The fan control system of the eleventh viewpoint is a system of any one of the first viewpoint to the tenth viewpoint, and the fan is a fan of an indoor unit of an air conditioner.

In the fan control system of the eleventh aspect, since the fan is a fan of the indoor unit of the air conditioner, it is possible to perform air conditioning such as heating and cooling of the indoor air.

The fan control system of the twelfth aspect is the system of the eleventh aspect, and the air conditioner further has a ventilation unit.

In the fan control system of the twelfth aspect, since the air conditioner further has a ventilation unit, it is possible to ventilate the room based on the measurement of the concentration of a predetermined gas.

The fan control system of the thirteenth viewpoint is a system of any one of the first viewpoint to the twelfth viewpoint, and the predetermined gas is CO ₂ gas.

When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan control system of the thirteenth viewpoint rotates the fan before measuring the CO ₂ gas concentration, so that the CO ₂ gas concentration in the room can be made uniform, and CO ₂ The gas concentration can be measured more accurately.

It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100 of 1st Embodiment. It is an external view of the air conditioner 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the refrigerant circuit 2 and the air supply path 3 of the air conditioner 1 of 1st Embodiment. It is a front view of the indoor unit 10 of 1st Embodiment. It is a side view of the indoor unit 10 of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which looked at the room unit 10 of 1st Embodiment from the side surface and a little below. It is a figure which shows the air supply pipe 19 in the casing 11 of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the fan control method of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the fan control method of the modification 1A. It is a flowchart which shows the fan control method of the modification 1B. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100b of 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100c of the modification 2A. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100d of the modification 2B. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100e of the modification 2C. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100f of the modification 2D. It is a figure explaining the fan control system 100a of 3rd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
(1) Overall Configuration of Fan Control System 100 (Air Conditioning Device 1) The fan control system 100 of the first embodiment is an air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 includes a fan 12 that agitates the indoor air, a sensor 15, a control unit 16 that controls the fan, and a ventilation unit. The room in which the fan control system 100 is arranged is schematically shown in FIG. 1, the appearance of the air conditioner 1 is shown in FIG. 2A, and the refrigerant circuit 2 and the air supply path 3 (ventilation section) are shown in FIG. 2B.

The air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes an indoor unit 10, an outdoor unit 20, refrigerant pipes 2a and 2b connecting the indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 20, and an air supply pipe 35.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3A to 3C, the indoor unit 10 has an indoor heat exchanger 14, an indoor expansion valve 17, and an indoor fan 12. The indoor unit 10 is arranged indoors.

The outdoor unit 20 has an outdoor refrigerant circuit unit 6 and an air supply unit 5. The outdoor unit 20 is arranged outdoors, usually outdoors.

The outdoor refrigerant circuit unit 6 includes a compressor 21, an accumulator 22, a four-way switching valve 23, an outdoor heat exchanger 24, an outdoor heat exchanger fan 26, an outdoor expansion valve 25, and a pipe connecting them.

The air supply unit 5 of the outdoor unit has an intake port 32, an air supply fan 31, and an air supply pipe 33 in the outdoor unit 20.

The air conditioning device 1 of the present embodiment can perform air conditioning such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, and air supply in the room where the indoor unit 10 is arranged.

In the air conditioner of the present embodiment, the cooling operation and the heating operation are realized by using the refrigerant circuit 2. Switching between cooling operation and heating operation is realized by switching the direction of the refrigerant flow in the four-way switching valve 23.

During the cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows in the order of the four-way switching valve 23, the outdoor heat exchanger 24, the outdoor expansion valve 25, the indoor heat exchanger 14, the four-way switching valve 23, and the accumulator 22. It is sucked into 21 again. During this time, the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as a radiator to heat the outside air, and the indoor heat exchanger 14 functions as an evaporator to cool the indoor air.

During the heating operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 flows in the order of the four-way switching valve 23, the indoor heat exchanger 14, the outdoor expansion valve 25, the outdoor heat exchanger 24, the four-way switching valve 23, and the accumulator 22, and the compressor. It is sucked into 21 again. During this time, the indoor heat exchanger 14 functions as a radiator to heat the indoor air, and the outdoor heat exchanger 24 functions as an evaporator to cool the outside air.

The air supply operation is carried out using the air supply route 3. When the air supply fan 31 rotates, the outside air is taken into the outdoor unit 20 from the intake port 32 of the air supply unit 5 of the outdoor unit 20. The outside air taken into the outdoor unit 20 flows through the air supply pipe 33, the air supply fan 31, and the air supply pipe 33 of the outdoor unit 20. Further, the outside air flows through the air supply pipe 35 connecting the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 10 and enters the inside of the indoor unit 10. The outside air flows from the inside of the indoor unit 10 into the room outside the indoor unit 10.

(2) Detailed configuration of fan control system 100 (air conditioner 1) (2-1) Indoor unit 10
The front view of the indoor unit 10 with the front panel 42 removed is shown in FIG. 3A, the left side view is shown in FIG. 3B, and the left side view is shown in FIG. 3C from slightly below. The indoor unit 10 includes a casing 11, an indoor fan 12, a gas sensor 15, a control unit 16, an indoor heat exchanger 14, a flap 18, and an indoor air supply pipe 19.

(2-1-1) Casing 11
In the indoor unit 10 of the present embodiment, the casing 11 is arranged, and the indoor fan 12, the gas sensor 15, the control unit 16, the indoor heat exchanger 14, and the indoor air supply pipe 19 are housed inside the casing. The flap 18 is attached to the lower part of the casing 11.

The rear surface of the casing 11 is hung on an indoor wall. Refrigerant pipes 2a, 2b, air supply pipes 35, and the like are connected from the rear surface of the casing 11, pass through the wall, and are connected to an outdoor unit arranged outdoors.

A hole is formed in the upper surface of the casing 11 to serve as an indoor air suction port 41.

(2-1-2) Indoor fan 12
As shown in FIG. 3B, the indoor fan 12 is arranged inside and in the center of the casing 11. The indoor fan 12 is a cross flow fan. In FIG. 3B, the indoor fan 12 rotates clockwise to move the air in the clockwise direction.

The indoor air is taken into the inside of the casing 11 from the suction port 41 at the upper part of the casing 11, passes through the indoor heat exchanger 14, and is blown into the room from the flaps 18a and 18b at the lower part of the casing 11. .. The rotation of the indoor fan 12 produces air to be blown out, and the air is blown out to stir the air in the room. By stirring the air in the room, the air in the room is homogenized, and the non-uniformity of temperature and gas concentration due to the position of the air in the room is reduced. The air flow by the indoor fan 12 occurs regardless of whether or not heat is exchanged when the air passes through the indoor heat exchanger 14. Therefore, the air in the room can be agitated by opening the flap 18 and rotating the fan 12 without performing the heating and cooling operations.

A wide range of speeds of rotation of the fan 12 for agitating the air in the room can be tolerated. The faster the rotation speed, the faster the room air can be agitated. Even when the rotation speed of the fan 12 is slow, the air in the room can be agitated. For example, even if the rotation speed is lower than the rotation speed of the fan that can be set by the user using a remote controller or the like, there is an effect of stirring the air in the room.

(2-1-3) Indoor heat exchanger 14
As shown in FIG. 3B, the indoor heat exchanger 14 is arranged in the space outside the indoor fan 12 inside the casing 11. The indoor air is taken into the inside of the casing 11 from the suction port 41 at the upper part of the casing 11, passes through the indoor heat exchanger 14 to exchange heat, and enters the room from the flaps 18a and 18b at the lower part of the casing 11. Blow out. The air passing through the indoor heat exchanger 14 is heated or cooled while passing through the indoor heat exchanger 14 to heat or cool the room.

(2-1-4) Flap 18
The flap 18 is attached below the casing 11. In this embodiment, the flaps 18a and 18b are composed of two flaps. The flap 18 is normally closed when the air conditioner 1 is stopped, as shown in FIG. 3C. During operation of the air conditioner 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the flaps 18a and 18b are opened, and air is blown out from between the flaps 18a and 18b, between the casing 11 and the flap 18a, and the like. .. The flaps 18a and 18b change the angle of the blown air by changing the angle of the opening degree thereof. Thereby, it is possible to control whether the direction of the blown air is blown forward of the indoor unit 10, vertically downward, or in the middle direction. Further, the two flaps 18a and 18b are usually controlled in substantially the same direction and at substantially the same angle so as to guide the blown air in the same direction. Here, the angles of the flaps 18a and 18b can be changed up to 120 degrees, with the fully closed state as 0 degrees as shown in FIG. 3C. In addition, in this specification, the closing of a flap includes not only the case of 0 degree, but also the case of substantially no air blowing and the case of an angle of 5 degrees or less.

(2-1-5) Outside air supply path and air supply piping 19 in the indoor unit 10.
The air supply path in the indoor unit 10 is divided into a portion inside the air supply pipe 19 and a portion extending from the inside of the casing 11 to the outside room after exiting the air outlet 19a of the air supply pipe 19.

The air supply pipe 19 has the shape shown in FIG. 4. One end of the air supply pipe 19 is a connection port 19b. The connection port 19b is connected to an air supply pipe 35 that connects the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 10. The other end of the air supply pipe 19 is an air outlet 19a. The air outlet 19a is arranged on the left side of the indoor unit 10 and is arranged so as to face the indoor heat exchanger 14. The central portion between the connection port 19b and the air outlet 19a of the air supply pipe 19 has a flat shape and is arranged near the left side surface of the indoor unit 10.

The outside air is taken in by the outdoor unit 20 and enters the indoor unit 10 via the air supply pipe 35. The air flowing through the air supply pipe 19 of the indoor unit 10 is blown out from the outlet 19a in the direction of the indoor heat exchanger 14.

When supplying air, the air supply fan 31 of the outdoor unit 20 is rotated. The air supply fan 31 may be arranged at another location in the air supply path 3. For example, it may be arranged in the indoor unit 10.

(2-1-6) Gas sensor 15
The indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes a gas sensor 15. The gas sensor 15 is a carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) gas sensor. Since the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes the CO ₂ gas sensor 15, for example, when the room is sealed and the room is cooled and heated without replacing the air, the CO ₂ gas sensor 15 is used for the CO in the room. _{When the 2} gas concentration is measured and the CO ₂ gas concentration is high, it is possible to take measures such as taking in outside air into the room using the air supply path 3 to reduce the CO ₂ gas concentration in the room.

The gas sensor 15 is an optical gas sensor. The gas sensor 15 has a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The light emitting unit includes a light source that emits infrared light. The light receiving unit has a detector and a filter. The principle of the gas sensor is the non-dispersed infrared absorption method. The amount of gas is specified by absorbing light with a frequency (wavelength) peculiar to gas molecules by resonance of molecular energy due to interatomic vibration. The gas sensor may be a self-heating thermistor type.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the gas sensor 15 is arranged inside the casing 11, near the front surface, at the right end, and above. The arrangement position of the gas sensor 15 is not particularly limited as long as the gas concentration of the indoor air can be measured.

The gas sensor 15 measures the gas concentration at the place where the gas sensor 15 is arranged. In the present embodiment, since the gas sensor 15 is arranged in the casing 11 of the indoor unit 10 of the air conditioner 1, the gas concentration of the indoor air of about 1.5 m or more and 2 m or less is measured from the floor. For example, if the room in which the air conditioner 1 is placed is a bedroom as shown in FIG. 1 and a person is sleeping on the bed 50, the person is generally located about 50 cm from the floor, and the gas sensor 15 Is lower than the height at which is placed. If the position of the person and the position of the gas sensor are separated in this way, there is a possibility that the gas concentration is different.

(2-1-7) Control unit 16
The control unit 16 has a microprocessor. The control unit 16 includes a CPU and a storage unit. FIG. 5A shows a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of control of the control unit 16. The control unit 16 controls the heating operation, the cooling operation, and the air supply operation by the air conditioner 1. The control unit 16 controls the indoor fan 12, the four-way switching valve 23, the compressor 21, the outdoor heat exchanger fan 26, the outdoor expansion valve 25, the air supply fan 31, the indoor expansion valve 17, and the gas sensor 15.

The control unit 16 is arranged at the right end portion inside the casing 11. The control unit 16 may be arranged at another position.

(2-2) Outdoor unit 20
Since the outdoor unit 20 has already been described in (1) Overall configuration, the description thereof will be omitted.

(3) Fan 12 Control Method The fan 12 control method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5B.

In step S101, the control unit 16 first determines whether or not the fan 12 is rotating. When rotating, the fan stop time is set to 0. When the fan is stopped, the elapsed time since the fan stopped (called the fan stop time) is calculated. Next, the control unit determines whether the fan stop time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. The predetermined time is 1 minute or more and 3 hours or less. Here it is 10 minutes. When the fan stop time is less than a predetermined time, the control unit 16 selects the second measurement mode and proceeds to step S121. The second measurement mode includes step S121. The control unit 16 measures the CO ₂ gas concentration in the room by the gas sensor 15 without rotating the fan 12.

If the fan stop time is equal to or longer than the predetermined time in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, it is determined whether or not the gas concentration has increased. For the gas concentration, the measurement result of the gas concentration up to the previous time is used. In the present embodiment, the gas sensor 15 measures the gas concentration once a minute. Here, the measurement value of the gas concentration for the last 10 times, in other words, 9 minutes, is divided into the first half 5 times and the second half 5 times, and the average of each is calculated. Then, when the average value of the measured values of the latter five times exceeds the average value of the measured values of the first half five times, it is determined that the gas concentration has increased. When the gas concentration has not increased, the second measurement mode is selected and the process proceeds to step S121. In the second measurement mode, the gas concentration is measured (S121) without rotating the fan 12.

When the gas concentration is increasing in step S102, the control unit 16 selects the first measurement mode. The first measurement mode includes steps S111 and S112. When the first measurement mode is selected in step S102, the fan 12 is rotated in step S111 to measure the gas concentration (S112).

In the present embodiment, regardless of whether the first measurement mode (S111, S112) is selected or the second measurement mode (S121) is selected, the process proceeds to step S131. In step S131, the room is ventilated based on the measurement results (S112, S121) of the gas sensor. More specifically, if the measured value of the gas concentration is at least a predetermined value, ventilation is performed, and if it is less than that, ventilation is not performed. The predetermined value is, for example, 1500 ppm. The concentration of CO ₂ gas outdoors in Japan is about 410 ppm (2018). In this embodiment, ventilation is air supply. By driving the air supply fan 31, the outside air is introduced into the room by using the air supply path 3. At this time, the indoor fan 12 is rotated and the flap 18 is opened.

(4) Features (4-1)
The present embodiment provides a fan control method for measuring gas concentration.

The fan control method of the present embodiment is when the sensor 15 for measuring the gas concentration of a predetermined gas and the gas generation source (or the source for changing the gas concentration) in the room are arranged apart from each other in the room. This addresses the problem that the gas concentration becomes gradient in the room and the gas sensor cannot measure the gas concentration accurately.

Therefore, in the fan control method of the present embodiment, the control unit 16 that controls the fan 12 selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas concentration measurement based on predetermined conditions.

The predetermined condition is a condition that contributes to the measurement of the gas concentration, and is a condition that contributes to the gas concentration distribution in the room as described above.

When the control unit 16 determines that the gas concentration in the room is biased to a predetermined concentration or more based on a predetermined condition, the control unit 16 selects the first measurement mode. In other words, after the fan 12 is rotated (S111), the gas concentration is measured (S112). By rotating the fan 12, the air in the room is agitated, the gradient of the gas concentration in the room is lowered, and then the gas concentration is measured, so that the gas concentration can be measured more accurately.

On the other hand, the control unit 16 selects the second measurement mode when it is determined that the gas concentration in the room is not biased to the predetermined concentration or more based on the predetermined conditions. In other words, the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan 12 (S121). By doing so, the gas concentration can be measured without excessively rotating the fan 12.

(4-2)
The fan control system 100 of the present embodiment includes a fan 12 and a control unit 16.

The fan 12 is a fan that agitates the indoor air. The control unit 16 controls the fan. The control unit 16 is connected to a sensor 15 that measures the concentration of a predetermined gas in the room.

In the fan control system of the present embodiment, the control unit 16 selects a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode for gas concentration measurement based on predetermined conditions. The predetermined condition is a condition that contributes to the generation of the gas concentration distribution in the room.

When the first measurement mode is selected, the control unit 16 measures the gas concentration after rotating the fan 12 (S111) (S112). On the other hand, when the second measurement mode is selected, the control unit 16 measures the gas concentration without rotating the fan 12 (S121).

When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan control system 100 of the present embodiment rotates the fan before measuring the gas concentration, so that the predetermined gas concentration in the room can be made uniform and the gas concentration can be increased. It can be measured accurately. Further, when the second measurement mode is measured, the fan does not rotate excessively, so that the gas concentration can be measured efficiently.

(4-3)
The fan control system 100 of the present embodiment further includes a ventilation unit. The ventilation unit may be air supply, exhaust air, or both air supply and exhaust air, but in the present embodiment, it is air supply. The fan control system 100 of the present embodiment includes an air supply path 3.

The fan control system 100 of the present embodiment ventilates the room based on the measurement result of the gas concentration in the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode. Since the room is ventilated based on the result of accurate gas concentration measurement, more appropriate ventilation (air supply) can be performed.

(4-4)
In the fan control system 100 of the present embodiment, the predetermined condition is, firstly, the operating condition of the fan. More specifically, it is the fan stop time.

When the fan stop time is longer than the predetermined time, there is a possibility that the gas concentration of the predetermined gas in the room has a gradient. Therefore, after selecting the first measurement mode and rotating the fan (S111). , Gas concentration measurement (S112) is performed.

When the fan stop time is less than the predetermined time, it is determined that there is no gradient in the gas concentration of the predetermined gas in the room, the second measurement mode is selected, and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan (S121). I do.

(4-5)
In the fan control system 100 of the present embodiment, the operating condition of the fan and the measurement result of the gas concentration are used in combination as predetermined conditions.

First, in step S101, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the fan stop time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. If it is less than the predetermined time, the second measurement mode is selected and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan (S121).

In step S101, when the stop time of the fan 12 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, the control unit 16 proceeds to step S102 and determines whether or not the gas concentration has increased. When the gas concentration has not risen, the second measurement mode is selected, and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan (S121). When the gas concentration is increasing, the first measurement mode is selected and the fan is rotated (S111) to measure the gas concentration (S112).

In other words, when the gas concentration is increasing in step S102, the control unit 16 determines that the gas concentration gradient is formed in the room, rotates the fan 12, and agitates the air in the room (S111). ), The gas concentration is measured (S112).

The predetermined conditions of the present disclosure are not limited to the above. The predetermined condition is a condition that contributes to the generation of the gas concentration distribution in the room. Other examples of predetermined conditions are shown in the following modified examples.

(4-6)
In the present embodiment, the predetermined gas concentration is the carbon dioxide gas concentration. Carbon dioxide gas is generated from living organisms such as humans and is excreted from the body by respiration. If the position of the person is localized indoors and there is no entry or exit inside or outside the room, the gas may be localized indoors.

By rotating the indoor fan 12 and stirring the indoor air, the carbon dioxide gas concentration in the room can be made uniform.

(4-7)
The fan 12 of the present embodiment is the fan 12 of the air conditioner 1. Since the fan 12 of the air conditioning device 1 agitates the indoor air, not limited to air conditioning such as cooling and heating, it has the effect of equalizing the temperature of the indoor air and the concentration of the gas.

Further, the gas sensor 15 of this embodiment is inside the air conditioner 1. The air conditioner 1 is a wall-mounted type and is arranged at a height of about 1.5 m to 2 m above the ground. Therefore, the sensor of the present embodiment has a height difference with the person sleeping on the bed in the bedroom, and a difference in gas concentration is likely to occur between the area with the person and the area with the sensor.

(5) Modification example (5-1) Modification example 1A
In the first embodiment, the predetermined condition for selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode is a combination of the fan stop time and the gas concentration condition. In the modified example 1A, the predetermined condition is only the stop time of the fan. Other configurations of the fan control system 100 of the modification 1A are the same as those of the fan control system 100 of the first embodiment.

The control flow of the fan of the modification 1A is shown in FIG.

In the modified example 1A, first, in step S201, the control unit 16 determines whether the fan stop time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. When the fan stop time is less than a predetermined time, the second measurement mode is selected, and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan (S221).

When the fan stop time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time in step S201, the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated (S211), and then the gas concentration is measured (S212).

The fan control system of the modified example 1A has the features and effects of (4-1) to (4-4), (4-6), and (4-7) as in the first embodiment.

(5-2) Modification 1B
In the first embodiment, the predetermined condition for selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode is a combination of the fan stop time and the gas concentration condition. In the modified example 1A, the predetermined condition is It was only the fan downtime. In the modified example 1B, the predetermined condition is only the gas concentration condition. Other configurations of the fan control system 100 of the modified example 1B are the same as those of the first embodiment and the modified example 1A.

The control flow of the fan of the modification 1B is shown in FIG.

In the modified example 1B, first, in step S301, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the gas concentration has increased. Similarly to the gas sensor 15 of the first embodiment, the gas sensor 15 of the fan control system 100 of the modification 1B also measures the gas concentration on a regular basis. In the modified example 1B as well, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the gas concentration is increasing (S301). When the control unit 16 determines in step S301 that the gas concentration has not increased, the second measurement mode is selected, and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan (S321).

When the control unit 16 determines in step S301 that the gas concentration is increasing, the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated (S311), and then the gas concentration is measured (S312).

The fan control system 100 of the modified example 1B has the features and effects of (4-1) to (4-3), (4-6), and (4-7) as in the first embodiment.

(5-3) Modification 1C
In the first embodiment, Modified Examples 1A and 1B, the predetermined conditions for selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode are the fan stop time, the gas concentration condition, or a combination of both. .. The predetermined conditions are not limited to these. The predetermined condition is a condition that causes a gradient in the gas concentration in the room.

The fan control system 100 (air conditioner 1) of the modified example 1C includes a motion sensor. The motion sensor detects the movement of a person (heating element) and recognizes the space where the person is. In the modified example 1C, the predetermined condition is how much the person detected by the motion sensor has moved in the room. When a person moves a lot in the room, it is judged that the gas concentration in the room becomes relatively uniform. In this case, the control unit selects the second measurement mode and causes the gas concentration to be measured without rotating the fan. On the other hand, when the motion sensor determines that the person is not moving much in the room, the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated, and then the gas concentration is measured.

(5-4) Modification 1D
In the first embodiment, Modified Examples 1A and 1B, the predetermined conditions for selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode are the fan stop time, the gas concentration condition, or a combination of both. .. In the modified example 1C, the predetermined condition was the degree of movement of a person in the room measured by a motion sensor.

In the modified example 1D, the predetermined condition is whether or not the elapsed time after being set to the rest operation mode is the predetermined time or more. Here, the rest operation mode is an operation in which the air volume is smaller than that in the normal operation in the air-conditioned operation (cooling or heating). The predetermined time is 30 minutes or more and 10 hours or less, for example, 2 hours. Therefore, in the modified example 1D, the control unit enters the rest operation mode and determines whether or not two hours have passed before measuring the gas concentration. After 2 hours, the control unit selects the first measurement mode and rotates the fan once before letting the gas sensor perform the concentration measurement. On the other hand, before the lapse of 2 hours, the second measurement mode is selected and the fan is not rotated before the gas sensor is made to measure the concentration.

The predetermined condition of the modified example 1D may be used in combination with other predetermined conditions such as steps S201 and S301.

(5-5) Modification 1E
The fan control system 100 of the first modification 1E includes, in addition to the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment, a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring the air temperature in the room. The first temperature sensor measures the temperature of the indoor air in the vicinity of the air conditioner 1. More specifically, the first temperature sensor is a suction temperature sensor that is arranged alongside the air conditioner 1 and measures the temperature of the air sucked into the air conditioner 1. The second temperature sensor is placed at a relatively low position (20 cm to 1 m above the ground) in the room apart from the air conditioner 1. The second temperature sensor is wirelessly connected to the control unit 16 of the air conditioner 1 and transmits the temperature measurement data to the control unit 16.

In the modified example 1E, the predetermined condition is whether or not the difference between the measured value of the first temperature sensor and the measured value of the second temperature sensor is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. When the difference between the measured values is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated, and then the gas concentration is measured. When the difference between the measured values is less than the predetermined value, the second measurement mode is selected and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan.

The reason for performing such control in the modified example 1E is as follows. The variation in gas concentration in the room is often synchronized with the variation in temperature in the room. Therefore, in the modified example 1E, the variation in the indoor temperature is detected, and based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to agitate the indoor air. In other words, when the variation in the indoor temperature is large, it is estimated that the variation in the gas concentration is also large, the fan is rotated, the indoor air is agitated, and then the gas concentration is measured. On the other hand, when the variation in room temperature is small, it is estimated that the variation in gas concentration is small, and the gas concentration is measured without rotating the fan.

As described above, in the first embodiment and the modified examples 1A to 1E, it has been described that there are various kinds of predetermined conditions for selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode. The present disclosure is valid even if these are used in appropriate combinations.

(5-6) Modification 1F
As the first embodiment, an example in which a CO ₂ gas sensor is used as the gas sensor 15 has been described. The gas sensor may be a sensor that measures other gas. In the modified example 1F, the gas sensor is a sensor that measures VOC (volatile organic compound). The VOC is any one of formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, styrene, acetaldehyde, or a combination thereof.

The gas sensor may also be an IAQ (indoor air quality) sensor.

(5-7) Modification 1G
The air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment has an air supply function. The air conditioner may further have a humidifying function. The air conditioner 1 of the modified example 1G has a humidification path shared with the air supply path 3.

The air conditioner 1 of the modified example 1G takes in moisture from the outside air in the outdoor unit 20. The taken-in moisture is mixed with the outside air in the outdoor air supply pipe 33, and blown out from the indoor unit 10 into the room via the air supply path 3. In this way, the air in the room can be humidified. If necessary, the humidified air can be heated by the indoor heat exchanger 14.

The air conditioner 1 of the modified example 1G can be used by switching between humidification and simple air supply by switching whether or not to include moisture in the outside air.

(5-8) Modification 1H
In step S102 of the first embodiment, the determination of whether or not the gas concentration has increased was determined by dividing the measured values of 10 times before that time into the first half and the second half and comparing the average values. Whether or not the gas concentration has increased may be determined by another method.

In the modified example 1H, a linear approximation is performed by the least squares method from the measured values of the gas concentration five times before that time, and it is determined whether or not the gas concentration is increasing.

<Second Embodiment>
(6) Configuration of Fan Control System 100b of the Second Embodiment The fan control system 100b of the second embodiment includes an air conditioner 1a and a gas sensor 15b as shown in FIG. The air conditioner 1a includes a fan 12 that agitates the indoor air, a control unit 16 that controls the fan, and a ventilation unit. The gas sensor 15b is arranged indoors apart from the air conditioner 1. The gas sensor 15b is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the control unit 16 of the air conditioner 1a. The fan control system 100b of the second embodiment is different from the fan control system 100 of the first embodiment in the arrangement of the gas sensor 15b. Other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

The fan control system 100b of the second embodiment has the features and effects of (4-1) to (4-7) as in the first embodiment. In the fan control system 100b of the second embodiment, since the gas sensor 15b is configured separately from the air conditioner 1, the gas sensor 15b is added to the air conditioner 1 that does not have the gas sensor, and the control unit 16 The fan control system 100b can be easily configured by changing the program.

(7) Modification example of the second embodiment (7-1) Modification example 2A
The configuration of the air conditioner of the modified example 2A is shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the gas sensor 15c is arranged indoors separately from the air conditioner 1a, which is the same as the second embodiment. In the modification 2A, the gas sensor 15c is connected to the external server 40b via a network. The gas sensor 15c transmits the measurement data of the gas concentration to the server 40b. The server 40b has a CPU and a storage unit. The gas concentration measurement data transmitted to the server 40b is stored in the storage unit of the server 40b. Further, the measurement data of the gas concentration is transmitted from the server 40b to the air conditioner 1a. The control unit 16 of the air conditioner 1a controls the fan 12, the ventilation unit, and the like by using the gas concentration measurement data transmitted from the server 40b.

The control unit 16 selects the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode by using the transmitted gas concentration data.

For example, depending on whether the measurement data of the gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration, before the next measurement of the gas concentration, the control unit 16 sets the first measurement mode of the concentration measurement of the predetermined gas in the room and the first measurement mode. 2 Select the measurement mode. When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan 12 is rotated before the next gas concentration measurement is performed by the sensor 15c. When the second measurement mode is selected, the fan 12 is not rotated before the next concentration measurement is performed by the sensor 15c.

Further, in the modified example 2A, as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, when the concentration of the predetermined gas measured by the gas sensor 15b becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration, the ventilation unit of the air conditioner 1 informs the room. Ventilate. If the concentration of the specified gas does not exceed the specified concentration, the room will not be ventilated.

(7-2) Modification 2B
As shown in FIG. 10, the fan control system 100d of the modification 2B is the same as the modification 2A in that the air conditioner 1b including the fan 12, the gas sensor 15d, and the server 40c are included. In the fan control system 100d of the modification 2B, the server 40c has the function of the second control unit 16b, and either directly or through the first control unit (not shown) of the air conditioner 1b. Indirectly, the fan 12 is controlled. Others are the same as in the modified example 2A.

The second control unit 16b of the modified example 2B selects a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode for measuring the concentration of a predetermined gas in a room based on a predetermined condition. When the first measurement mode is selected, the second control unit 16b rotates the fan 12 before performing the concentration measurement by the sensor 15d. When the second measurement mode is selected, the fan 12 is not rotated before the concentration is measured by the sensor 15d.

(7-3) Modification 2C
In the modified example 2C, the fan control system 100e includes an air conditioner 1b, a gas sensor 15e, a third control unit 16c, and a server 40d, as shown in FIG. The air conditioner 1 includes an indoor fan 12 and a first control unit (not shown). The first control unit includes a CPU and a storage unit. The first control unit controls the indoor fan 12. The third control unit 16c has a CPU and a storage unit. The third control unit 16c controls the indoor fan 12 and the gas sensor 15e. The third control unit 16c controls the indoor fan 12 directly or via the first control unit. The gas sensor 15e and the third control unit 16c are arranged integrally or adjacent to each other. The server 40d has a CPU and a storage unit. The server 40d is connected to the third control unit 16c via a network. The third control unit 16c is wirelessly connected to the first control unit, and can acquire data such as operation information of the air conditioner 1. The server 40d receives the data acquired by the gas sensor 15e from the third control unit 16c and stores it in the storage unit of the server 40d. The server 40d stores various information such as past data of the gas sensor 15e, control information, and data of other sensors, and appropriately transmits the information to the third control unit 16c.

In the modified example 2C, the third control unit 16c controls the indoor fan 12 and the gas sensor 15e based on the data of the gas sensor, the operation information of the air conditioner 1, the information of the server 40d, and the like.

For example, depending on whether or not the measurement data of the gas concentration of the gas sensor 15e indicates an increase in the gas concentration, the third control unit 16c may perform the first measurement of the concentration of the predetermined gas in the room before the next measurement of the gas concentration. Select the measurement mode and the second measurement mode. When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan 12 is rotated before the next gas concentration measurement is performed by the sensor 15e. When the second measurement mode is selected, the fan 12 is not rotated before the next concentration measurement is performed by the sensor 15e.

Other configurations and predetermined conditions of the air conditioner 1 of the modified example 2C are the same as those described in the other embodiments and the modified examples.

(7-4) Modification 2D
As shown in FIG. 12, the fan control system 100f of the modified example 2D has an air conditioner 1b, a gas sensor 15f, and a server 41a, which is common to the modified example 2B. In the modified example 2D, the function of the server 40c of the modified example 2B is divided into a first server 41a and a second server 41b. The function of the second control unit 16b of the modified example 2B is carried out by the first server 41a.

The first server 41a collects the operation information of the air conditioner 1. The first server 41a controls the indoor fan 12 as the second control unit 16b. The second server 41b collects the measurement data measured by the gas sensor 15f. Further, the second server 41b controls the gas sensor 15f. The first server 41a and the second server 41b can exchange data via a network.

The second control unit 16b of the first server 41a controls the fan 12 in the same manner as the second control unit of the modified example 2B.

<Third Embodiment>
(8) Configuration of Fan Control System 100a of Third Embodiment The fan control system 100a of the third embodiment includes an indoor fan 12a, a gas sensor 15a, a ventilation fan 3a, and a server 40a, as shown in FIG. ing. The indoor fan 12a agitates the indoor air. The gas sensor 15a measures the concentration of a predetermined gas in the room. The ventilation fan 3a can exhaust the indoor air to the outside. On the contrary, it may be one that can take in the outdoor air into the room. The server 40a has a function of a control unit 16a that controls the indoor fan 12a. In other words, the fan control system 100a of the third embodiment does not include the air conditioner 1 of the first embodiment, but individually includes a fan 12a, a gas sensor 15a, a control unit 16a, a ventilation unit (ventilation fan 3a), and the like. ..

The fan control system 100a of the third embodiment has the features and effects of (4-1) to (4-7) as in the first embodiment. In the fan control system 100a of the third embodiment, the fan control system 100a can be easily configured without providing an air conditioner.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it will be understood that various modifications of the forms and details are possible without departing from the purpose and scope of the present disclosure described in the claims. ..

1,1a, 1b Air conditioner 12, 12a Indoor fan 15, 15a to 15f Gas sensor 16, 16a to 16c Control unit 50 Bed 100, 100a to 100f Fan control system

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-221107

Claims (13)

Fans (12, 12a) that agitate the room air and
Control units (16, 16a to 16c) that are connected to sensors (15, 15a to 15f) that measure the concentration of a predetermined gas in the room and control the fan, and
A fan control system (100, 100a to 100f) equipped with
The control unit
Based on the predetermined conditions, the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode for measuring the concentration of the predetermined gas in the room are selected.
When the first measurement mode is selected, the fan is rotated before the concentration is measured by the sensor.
When the second measurement mode is selected, the fan is not rotated before the concentration is measured by the sensor.
Fan control system. The fan control system further comprises ventilation units (3, 3a).
The ventilation unit ventilates the room based on the measurement result of the gas concentration in the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode.
The fan control system according to claim 1. The predetermined condition includes the operating condition of the fan.
The fan control system according to claim 1 or 2. The control unit selects the first operation mode when the fan stop time is longer than the predetermined time, and selects the second operation mode when the fan stop time is less than the predetermined time.
The fan control system according to claim 3. The control unit
Before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode, the first gas concentration measurement is performed.
Based on the first gas concentration measurement result, the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor are selected.
The fan control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second gas concentration measurement is performed based on the selected result. The control unit
Before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode, the first gas concentration measurement is performed.
When the measurement result of the first gas concentration shows an increase in gas concentration, the first measurement mode is selected, and when the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not show an increase in gas concentration, the above Select the second measurement mode,
Based on the selection result, the second gas concentration is measured.
The fan control system according to claim 5. The control unit
Before selecting the first measurement mode or the second measurement mode, the first gas concentration measurement is performed.
Based on the operating condition of the fan and the measurement result of the first gas concentration, the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor are selected.
The fan control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second gas concentration measurement is performed based on the selected result. The control unit
Based on the operating condition of the fan and the measurement result of the first gas concentration, the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor are selected.
When the measurement result of the first gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration, the first measurement mode is selected.
When the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not indicate an increase in the gas concentration, the second measurement mode is selected.
The fan control system according to claim 7. The control unit
Based on the operating condition of the fan and the measurement result of the first gas concentration, the first measurement mode and the second measurement mode of the gas sensor are selected.
When the fan stop time is longer than the predetermined time, the first operation mode is selected, and when the fan stop time is less than the predetermined time, the second operation mode is selected.
The fan control system according to claim 7. The control unit
When the fan stop time is longer than a predetermined time and the measurement result of the first gas concentration indicates an increase in the gas concentration, the first measurement mode is selected.
When the fan stop time is less than a predetermined time, or when the measurement result of the first gas concentration does not indicate an increase in the gas concentration, the second measurement mode is selected.
The fan control system according to claim 7. The fan is a fan (12) of the indoor unit (10) of the air conditioner (1, 1a, 1b).
The fan control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The air conditioner further includes the ventilation unit (3).
The fan control system according to claim 11. The predetermined gas is CO ₂ gas.
The fan control system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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