JP2024072949A - Air Conditioning System - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an air conditioning system that can suppress a decrease in the effect of improving the thermal environment and improve the comfort of users. [Solution] An air conditioning system to be installed in a building having a first space, a second space, and a third space communicating with the first and second spaces, comprising: an air conditioner installed in the first space for heating or cooling the first space; an air supply device installed in the first space for introducing outside air into the first space; a first exhaust device installed in the second space for discharging air from the second space to the outdoors; a blower device provided in an air passage connecting the first and third spaces, and the first and second spaces, for sending air from the first space to the third and second spaces; and an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure in the third space so that it is greater than the pressure in the first and second spaces when the blower device is operating. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to an air conditioning system that provides air conditioning and ventilation within a building.

Conventionally, it is known that in air conditioning systems that provide air conditioning and ventilation in buildings such as houses, air from an air-conditioned space where an air conditioner is installed is sent to a non-air-conditioned space where no air conditioner is installed, thereby improving the thermal environment within the building. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioning system that uses a duct fan to send air from a living room, which is an air-conditioned space, to a dressing room, which is a non-air-conditioned space. The air conditioning system of Patent Document 1 is configured to efficiently heat multiple spaces by controlling the duct fan based on the heating capacity reserve of the heating device and the need for heating in the non-air-conditioned space.

JP 2013-185743 A

When blowing air from a living room to a changing room, as in the air conditioning system of Patent Document 1, if the volume of air blown is small, the blown air will be exhausted to the outdoors from an exhaust device installed in the changing room or in a bathroom connected to the changing room. This leads to an increase in the air conditioning load in the living room, and the effect of improving the thermal environment in the building is reduced, reducing the comfort of users.

The present disclosure aims to solve the problems described above and provide an air conditioning system that can suppress the decline in the effect of improving the thermal environment and improve the comfort of users.

The air conditioning system according to the present disclosure is an air conditioning system installed in a building having a first space, a second space, and a third space communicating with the first space and the second space, and includes an air conditioner installed in the first space for heating or cooling the first space, an air supply device installed in the first space for introducing outside air into the first space, a first exhaust device installed in the second space for discharging air from the second space to the outdoors, a blower device provided in an air passage connecting the first space and the third space, and the first space and the second space, for sending air from the first space to the third space and the second space, and an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure in the third space so that it is greater than the pressure in the first space and the pressure in the second space when the blower device is operating.

According to the air conditioning system disclosed herein, when the blower is operating, the pressure in the third space is adjusted to be greater than the pressure in the first space, thereby preventing a decrease in the effect of improving the thermal environment and improving the comfort of the user.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a building in which an air-conditioning system according to a first embodiment is installed, taken along line AA in FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a building in which an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment is installed, taken along line BB in FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air blower in an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the air flow when the blower is stopped. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of pressure adjustment in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating air flows when pressure adjustment is performed in the first embodiment. 13 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a first exhaust device and a second outlet in an air conditioning system according to a second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a first modified example. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to a second modified example. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a blower device according to a third modified example. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the air passage is blocked by the first air volume adjustment unit and the second air volume adjustment unit; FIG.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Furthermore, the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the configurations shown in each drawing may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning system 100 according to a first embodiment. The air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment is installed in a building 200 such as a house. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the building 200 and each configuration of the air conditioning system 100 installed in the building 200. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the building 200 in which the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment is installed, taken along line A-A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the building 200 in which the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment is installed, taken along line B-B in FIG. The configuration and arrangement of the air conditioning system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioning unit 11 and an air supply unit 12 installed in the first space R1 of the building 200, a first exhaust unit 21 installed in the second space R2, a blower unit 41 installed in an air duct 4 connecting the first space R1 with the second space R2 and the third space R3, and a control unit 5.

The first space R1 is, for example, a living room. The first space R1 is adjacent to the third space R3, and a living room door 10 is provided between the first space R1 and the third space R3. As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioning device 11 is installed on the wall of the first space R1. The air conditioning device 11 may be installed on the ceiling of the first space R1 or may be a floor-standing type. The air conditioning device 11 is equipped with a refrigerant circuit consisting of a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs heating or cooling of the first space R1. The air conditioning capacity of the air conditioning device 11 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) of the air conditioning device 11 by changing the operating frequency of the compressor, the air volume of the outdoor fan that sends air to the outdoor heat exchanger, and the air volume of the indoor fan that supplies air to the outdoor heat exchanger.

As shown in FIG. 2, the air supply device 12 is provided on the wall of the first space R1. The air supply device 12 is an air supply port that allows outside air to flow into the first space R1. The air supply device 12 may also be equipped with an air supply fan for drawing the outside air into the first space R1.

The second space R2 is, for example, a changing room. The second space R2 is adjacent to the third space R3, and a changing room door 20 is provided between the second space R2 and the third space R3. As shown in FIG. 3, the first exhaust device 21 is installed on the wall of the second space R2. The first exhaust device 21 is an exhaust fan that exhausts air from the second space R2 to the outside. The exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21 may be fixed or variable.

The third space R3 is, for example, an entrance. The third space R3 is adjacent to the first space R1 and the second space R2, and is connected to the first space R1 and the second space R2. In addition, the third space R3 is provided with an entrance door 30 that is connected to the outside.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, an air passage 4 formed by a duct is provided in the ceiling space between the first space R1, the second space R2, and the third space R3. The intake port 42 of the air passage 4 is provided in the ceiling of the first space R1. The first outlet port 43 of the air passage 4 is provided in the ceiling of the third space R3, and the second outlet port 44 is provided in the ceiling of the second space R2. Of the air passage 4, the section from the intake port 42 to the blower 41 is referred to as the first air passage 4A, the section from the blower 41 to the second outlet port 44 is referred to as the second air passage 4B, and the section from the blower 41 to the first outlet port 43 is referred to as the third air passage 4C.

The blower 41 is installed in the air passage 4 and transports air from the first space R1 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the blower 41 in the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the blower 41 is composed of a housing 411 and a fan 412 housed in the housing 411. The housing 411 is connected to the first air passage 4A, the second air passage 4B, and the third air passage 4C, and the first air passage 4A, the second air passage 4B, and the third air passage 4C are in communication with each other via the housing 411.

The fan 412 is, for example, a sirocco fan. When the fan 412 rotates, air is sucked in from the first air passage 4A, and the sucked air is blown out to the second air passage 4B and the third air passage 4C. The blower 41 further includes a motor and an inverter (not shown), and the rotation speed of the fan 412 is variably controlled to control the amount of air blown from the first space R1 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. In addition, the amount of air blown to the second space R2 and the amount of air blown to the third space R3 differ depending on the pressure loss according to the length of the second air passage 4B and the third air passage 4C. Here, it is desirable that the second air passage 4B and the third air passage 4C are configured so that the amount of air blown to the third space R3 is greater than the amount of air blown to the second space, that is, so that the pressure loss of the third air passage 4C is smaller than the pressure loss of the second air passage 4B.

The arrangement of the first space R1, the second space R2, and the third space R3 in the building 200 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 1 to 3, and the arrangement may be arbitrary as long as each space is connected to each other. Here, "connected" means that air can flow through the gaps between each door or through vents provided on each door or wall, not only when the living room door 10 and the dressing room door 20 are open, but also when each door is closed.

The control device 5 is wirelessly connected to the air conditioning device 11, the first exhaust device 21, and the blower device 41, and controls the operation of the blower device 41 based on the operation information of the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21. The control device 5 is, for example, an information and communication terminal such as a smartphone equipped with a CPU and memory.

Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the air conditioning system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 5 has an information acquisition unit 51 and an air flow control unit 52. The information acquisition unit 51 and the air flow control unit 52 are functional units that are realized by the CPU of the control device 5 executing a program. Alternatively, at least one of the information acquisition unit 51 and the air flow control unit 52 may be realized by a processing circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

The information acquisition unit 51 acquires operation information from the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21. The operation information of the air conditioning device 11 is information on the operation mode of the air conditioning device 11, such as operation, stop, cooling or heating, and the operation state, such as continuous operation or intermittent operation. Continuous operation is a state in which the compressor of the air conditioning device 11 operates continuously, and intermittent operation is a state in which the compressor operates and stops intermittently when the air conditioning load is low. In addition, the operation information of the first exhaust device 21 is information on the operation, stop, and exhaust air volume during operation of the first exhaust device 21. The information acquisition unit 51 periodically (for example, every few minutes) acquires operation information from the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 and outputs it to the air blowing control unit 52.

The air blowing control unit 52 controls the operation, stopping, and air blowing volume of the air blowing device 41 based on the operation information of the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 acquired by the information acquisition unit 51. The air blowing control by the air blowing control unit 52 is described below.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the air flow when the blower 41 is stopped. In Figure 6, the air conditioner 11 and the first exhaust device 21 are operating, and the air flow when the blower 41 is stopped is shown by dotted lines and arrows. As shown in Figure 6, first, outside air flows into the first space R1 through the air supply device 12, and the air in the first space R1 is heated or cooled by the air conditioner 11. The air in the first space R1 flows into the third space R3 through a gap or vent in the living room door 10. The air that has flowed into the third space R3 then flows into the second space R2 through a gap or vent in the undressing room door 20, and is exhausted to the outdoors from the first exhaust device 21.

When the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 are operating and the blower device 41 is stopped, the relationship between the pressure P1 in the first space R1, the pressure P2 in the second space R2, and the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is P1>P3>P2. The pressure P1 in the first space R1 into which outside air flows through the air supply device 12 is approximately the same as the atmospheric pressure, so the pressure P3 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, outside air flows into the third space R3 through a gap in the entrance door 30 or a vent. As a result, the temperature of the third space R3 changes depending on the outside air temperature, and harmful air substances such as pollen or PM2.5 enter the third space R3, reducing the comfort of users in the building 200.

Even when the blower 41 is operated, if the blowing volume of the blower 41 is equal to or less than the exhaust volume of the first exhaust device 21, the relationship of the pressures P1 to P3 in the first space R1 to the third space R3 is P1>P3>P2, resulting in the air flow shown in FIG. 6. In this case, too, outside air flows into the third space R3 through a gap in the entrance door 30 or a vent, reducing the effect of improving the thermal environment by blowing air from the first space R1 into the third space R3, and reducing the comfort of users in the building 200.

Therefore, the air conditioning system 100 is provided with an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure of each space so that the pressure P3 of the third space R3 is greater than the pressure P1 of the first space R1. In this embodiment, the air blowing control unit 52 functions as the adjustment means. The air blowing control unit 52 controls the rotation speed of the air blowing device 41 so that the air blowing volume of the air blowing device 41 is greater than the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21. This allows the pressure P3 of the third space R3 to be greater than the pressure P1 of the first space R1 and the pressure P2 of the second space R2. More specifically, the relationship between the pressures P1 to P3 of the first space R1 to the third space R3 can be set to P3>P1>P2. As a result, the pressure of the third space R3 becomes greater than atmospheric pressure, so that the inflow of outside air into the third space R3 from the gap or vent of the entrance door 30 can be suppressed.

Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of pressure adjustment in the air conditioning system 100 according to embodiment 1. In this embodiment, pressure adjustment is performed by controlling the air blowing of the blower 41. The flow of Figure 7 is executed by the control device 5. First, the information acquisition unit 51 of the control device 5 acquires operating information of the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 (S1).

The air conditioning device 11 starts operation when the user operates a remote controller (not shown) or the like. The air conditioning device 11 performs cooling or heating operation so that the temperature of the first space R1 becomes the set temperature set by the user. The first exhaust device 21 also operates at a preset exhaust air volume, and exhausts the air in the second space R2 outdoors. Here, the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21 is set to an air volume that satisfies, for example, a ventilation rate of 0.5 times/h in the building 200.

The airflow control unit 52 of the control device 5 judges whether or not the start condition for airflow of the air blower 41 is satisfied based on the operation information acquired by the information acquisition unit 51 (S2). Here, the start condition for airflow is that the air conditioning device 11 has a margin in its air conditioning capacity, in other words, that the air conditioning load in the first space R1 is small. This is because if the air conditioning device 11 has no margin in its air conditioning capacity and sends air to the third space R3, the first space R1 cannot be sufficiently heated or cooled, and the comfort of the users in the first space R1 will decrease. Specifically, the start condition is either the following condition (A) or condition (B).
(A) A preset first time (e.g., 15 minutes) has elapsed since the air conditioning device 11 started operating. (B) The air conditioning device 11 is operating intermittently.

If the start condition is not satisfied (S2: NO), the system waits until the start condition is satisfied. If the start condition is satisfied (S2: YES), the airflow control unit 52 operates the air blower 41 to start blowing air from the first space R1 to the third space R3 (S3). At this time, the airflow control unit 52 controls the rotation speed of the air blower 41 so that the airflow volume of the air blower 41 is greater than the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21. Here, the upper limit of the airflow volume of the air blower 41 is arbitrary, but it is desirable to set it to a level that does not increase the air conditioning load of the air conditioning device 11 in the first space R1.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the air flow when pressure adjustment is performed in embodiment 1. That is, Figure 8 shows the air flow when the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 are operating, and the blower device 41 is controlled so that the blowing volume of the blower device 41 is greater than the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21. As shown in Figure 8, first, outside air flows into the first space R1 through the air supply device 12, and the air in the first space R1 is heated or cooled by the air conditioning device 11.

The conditioned air in the first space R1 is blown by the blower 41 through the air passage 4 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. The air that flows into the third space R3 from the first air outlet 43 flows into the second space R2 through a gap or a vent in the changing room door 20. The air that flows from the third space R3 into the second space R2 is exhausted to the outdoors from the first exhaust device 21 together with the air that flows into the second space R2 from the second air outlet 44.

Here, since the blowing volume of the blower 41 is larger than the exhaust volume of the first exhaust device 21, the relationship between the pressure P1 in the first space R1, the pressure P2 in the second space R2, and the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is P3>P1>P2. This suppresses the inflow of outside air into the third space R3 through the gap or vent of the entrance door 30. As a result, the thermal environment of the second space R2 and the third space R3 is improved by the blowing air from the first space R1, and the intrusion of harmful substances in the air into the third space R3 is suppressed, improving the comfort of the user. In addition, since the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is larger than the pressure P1 in the first space R1, the air in the third space R3 flows into the first space R1 through the gap or vent of the room door 10 and circulates. This increases the area in which the conditioned air circulates in the building 200, improving the thermal environment of the entire building 200.

Returning to FIG. 7, the airflow control unit 52 judges whether the end condition is met (S4). Here, the end condition for airflow is that the effect of airflow from the first space R1 to the third space R3 has decreased. Specifically, the end condition is that the air conditioning device 11 has stopped, or that a preset second time (e.g., 10 minutes) has elapsed since the air conditioning device 11 stopped. By continuing to blow air from the first space R1, where air conditioning was performed by the air conditioning device 11, for a certain period of time even after the air conditioning device 11 has stopped, the circulation of air within the building 200 can be continued and the thermal environment can be improved. If the end condition is not met (S4: NO), airflow is continued until the end condition is met. Then, if the end condition is met (S4: YES), the airflow control unit 52 stops the air blower 41 (S5).

As described above, in the air conditioning system 100 of this embodiment, the thermal environment in the second space R2 and the third space R3 is improved by blowing conditioned air from the first space R1. In addition, by making the blowing volume of the blower 41 during operation greater than the exhaust volume of the first exhaust device 21, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 can be made greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1. This makes it possible to suppress the inflow of outside air and to form a circulating airflow within the building 200. As a result, the deterioration of the improvement effect of the thermal environment in the building 200 is suppressed, and the comfort of users can be improved.

Embodiment 2.
An air conditioning system 100A according to the second embodiment will be described. The air conditioning system 100A according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement of the first exhaust device 21 and the second air outlet 44. The configuration of each device of the air conditioning system 100A and the air blowing control of the air blower 41 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the first exhaust device 21 and the second air outlet 44 in the air conditioning system 100A according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the second space R2 of the building 200A in which the air conditioning system 100A of this embodiment is installed is divided into an air supply space R21 and an exhaust space R22. The air supply space R21 is, for example, a dressing room, and the exhaust space R22 is, for example, a bathroom. The air supply space R21 is adjacent to the exhaust space R22, and a bathroom door 25 is provided between the air supply space R21 and the exhaust space R22. The dressing room door 20 is provided between the air supply space R21 and the third space R3, and the air supply space R21 is connected to the third space R3. The exhaust space R22 is connected to the air supply space R21 and is connected to the third space R3 via the air supply space R21.

The second air outlet 44 in this embodiment is installed in the air supply space R21. As a result, when the operation of the air blower 41 is started, the conditioned air in the first space R1 is blown into the air supply space R21, improving the thermal environment in the air supply space R21. In addition, the first exhaust device 21 in this embodiment is installed in the exhaust space R22. The first exhaust device 21 exhausts the air in the exhaust space R22 to the outdoors. The configuration of the first exhaust device 21 is the same as in the first embodiment.

In the air conditioning system 100A of this embodiment, when the blower 41 is operating, the blower 41 is controlled so that the blowing volume of the blower 41 is greater than the exhaust volume of the first exhaust device 21, as in the first embodiment. As a result, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 when the blower 41 is operating is greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1, making it possible to suppress the inflow of outside air into the third space R3 and to form a circulating airflow within the building 200. As a result, the deterioration of the improvement effect of the thermal environment in the building 200 is suppressed, and the comfort of users can be improved.

In addition, in the second space R2, the pressure P21 in the air supply space R21 when the air blowing device 41 is operating is greater than the pressure P22 in the exhaust space R22 in which the first exhaust device 21 is located. This makes it possible to prevent unconditioned, humid air from the exhaust space R22, such as a bathroom, from flowing into the air supply space R21. In addition, the relationship between the pressure P3 in the third space R3, the pressure P21 in the air supply space R21, and the pressure P22 in the exhaust space R22 is P3>P21>P22. This prevents air from flowing into the third space R3 from the second space R2, improving the thermal environment in the third space R3. Furthermore, the pressure P21 in the air supply space R21 is greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1 (i.e., atmospheric pressure). This prevents outside air from flowing into the air supply space R21, improving the comfort of the user.

As described above, the air conditioning system 100A of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, and can also improve the thermal environment in the air supply space R21 and enhance the comfort of users.

Embodiment 3.
An air conditioning system 100B according to the third embodiment will be described. The air conditioning system 100B according to the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the air conditioning system 100B according to the third embodiment further includes a second exhaust device 61 provided in the fourth space R4. The other configurations of the air conditioning system 100B are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning system 100B according to the third embodiment. The air conditioning system 100B according to the present embodiment is installed in a building 200B having a fourth space R4 in addition to the first space R1 to the third space R3. The fourth space R4 is, for example, a toilet. The fourth space R4 is adjacent to the third space R3, and a toilet door 60 is provided between the fourth space R4 and the third space R3. In addition, the fourth space R4 is adjacent to the second space R2, but the fourth space R4 and the second space R2 are not directly connected, but are connected via the third space R3.

The second exhaust device 61 is installed on the wall of the fourth space R4. The second exhaust device 61 is an exhaust fan that exhausts the air in the fourth space R4 to the outside. The exhaust air volume of the second exhaust device 61 may be fixed or variable. For example, the exhaust air volume of the second exhaust device 61 is set to an air volume that satisfies a ventilation rate of 0.5 times/h in the fourth space R4.

The control device 5 of this embodiment is connected to the air conditioning device 11, the first exhaust device 21, the second exhaust device 61, and the blower device 41 so as to be able to communicate wirelessly, and controls the operation of the blower device 41 based on the operation information of the air conditioning device 11, the first exhaust device 21, and the second exhaust device 61. In detail, the information acquisition unit 51 of the control device 5 acquires operation information of the second exhaust device 61 in addition to the operation information of the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21 during air blowing control. The operation information of the second exhaust device 61 is information regarding the operation, stop, and exhaust air volume during operation of the second exhaust device 61.

When the start condition of the air blower 41 is satisfied, the air blower control unit 52 of the control device 5 operates the air blower 41 to start blowing air from the first space R1 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. At this time, the air blower control unit 52 controls the air blower 41 so that the air volume of the air blower 41 is greater than the sum of the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21 and the exhaust air volume of the second exhaust device 61.

As a result, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 when the blower 41 is operating becomes greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1, making it possible to suppress the inflow of outside air into the third space R3 and to form a circulating airflow within the building 200. As a result, the deterioration of the improvement effect of the thermal environment in the building 200 is suppressed, and the comfort of users can be improved.

The pressure P3 in the third space R3 is greater than the pressure P2 in the second space R2. This prevents air from flowing into the third space R3 from the second space R2, improving the thermal environment in the third space R3. Furthermore, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is greater than the pressure P4 in the fourth space R4. This prevents unconditioned air and odors from flowing into the third space R3 and the first space R1 from the fourth space R4, for example when the fourth space R4 is a toilet, improving the thermal environment in the third space R3 and preventing a decrease in user comfort.

As described above, the air conditioning system 100B of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, and can also improve the thermal environment in the third space R3 and prevent a decrease in user comfort due to the circulation of odors from the fourth space R4.

The above is an explanation of the embodiment, but the above embodiment can be modified and combined. Below, we will explain some variations of the embodiment.

(Variation 1)
For example, as a first modification, the air conditioning system 100A of the second embodiment and the air conditioning system 100B of the third embodiment may be combined. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system 100C according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 11, the second space R2 of the building 200C in which the air conditioning system 100C of the first modification is installed is partitioned into an air supply space R21 and an exhaust space R22, similar to the second embodiment. The second air outlet 44 is installed in the air supply space R21, and the first exhaust device 21 is installed in the exhaust space R22. The building 200C also has a fourth space R4, similar to the third embodiment, and the second exhaust device 61 is installed in the fourth space R4.

In this modified example, when the operation of the blower 41 is started, the blower control unit 52 controls the rotation speed of the blower 41 so that the blowing volume of the blower 41 is greater than the sum of the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device 21 and the exhaust air volume of the second exhaust device 61. In this case, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 when the blower 41 is operating is greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1. This makes it possible to suppress the inflow of outside air into the third space R3 and to form a circulating airflow within the building 200. As a result, the deterioration of the improvement effect of the thermal environment in the building 200 is suppressed, and the comfort of users can be improved.

In addition, in the second space R2, the pressure P21 in the air supply space R21 when the air blower 41 is operating is greater than the pressure in the first space R1 and the pressure P22 in the exhaust space R22. This makes it possible to prevent unconditioned, humid air from the outside air and the exhaust space R22 from flowing into the air supply space R21, improving the thermal environment in the air supply space R21 and increasing the comfort of the user.

Furthermore, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is greater than the pressure P4 in the fourth space R4. This prevents unconditioned air and odors from flowing from the fourth space R4 into the third space R3 and the first space R1, for example when the fourth space R4 is a toilet, improving the thermal environment in the third space R3 and preventing a decrease in user comfort.

As described above, the air conditioning system 100C of this modified example can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment, and can improve the thermal environment in the air supply space R21 and the third space R3, and prevent a decrease in user comfort.

(Variation 2)
In the above embodiment, one blower device 41 is provided in the air passage 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning system 100D according to Modification 2. As shown in Fig. 12, the air conditioning system 100D of Modification 2 includes a first blower device 41A and a second blower device 41B provided in the air passage 4. The first blower device 41A is provided in the third air passage 4C and blows air from the first space R1 to the third space R3. The second blower device 41B is provided in the second air passage 4B and blows air from the first space R1 to the second space R2.

The control device 5 of this modified example is connected to the air conditioning device 11, the first exhaust device 21, the first blower device 41A, and the second blower device 41B so as to be capable of wireless communication, and controls the first blower device 41A and the second blower device 41B based on the operation information of the air conditioning device 11 and the first exhaust device 21. In detail, when the start condition is satisfied, the blower control unit 52 operates the first blower device 41A and the second blower device 41B to start blowing air from the first space R1 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. At this time, the blower control unit 52 controls the rotation speed of the blower device 41 so that the sum of the blowing amount of the first blower device 41A and the blowing amount of the second blower device 41B is greater than the exhaust air amount of the first exhaust device 21. This makes it possible to make the pressure P3 in the third space R3 greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1 and the pressure P2 in the second space R2.

In addition, sensors may be provided to measure the volume of air blown from the first outlet 43 and the second outlet 44, or sensors to measure the pressure in the second space R2 and the third space R3, and the air blowing control unit 52 may individually control the volume of air blown by the first air blowing device 41A and the second air blowing device 41B based on the measurement results of each sensor. For example, the air blowing control unit 52 may increase the volume of air blown by the first air blowing device 41A when the pressure P3 in the third space R3 becomes equal to or lower than the pressure P2 in the second space R2.

As described above, the air conditioning system 100D of this modified example can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Variation 3)
The configuration of the air blower 41 is not limited to the example of the above embodiment. Fig. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air blower 41C according to Modification 3. As shown in Fig. 13, the air blower 41C may include a first air volume adjustment unit 413 that adjusts the amount of air blown to the third space R3, and a second air volume adjustment unit 414 that adjusts the amount of air blown to the second space R2. The first air volume adjustment unit 413 and the second air volume adjustment unit 414 are opening and closing parts such as dampers or shutters.

The first airflow adjustment unit 413 is provided at an opening of the housing 411 that communicates with the third air passage 4C, and the second airflow adjustment unit 414 is provided at an opening of the housing 411 that communicates with the second air passage 4B. The first airflow adjustment unit 413 and the second airflow adjustment unit 414 move in a direction that opens and closes the opening by a motor (not shown). The first airflow adjustment unit 413 and the second airflow adjustment unit 414 change the opening degree of the second air passage 4B and the third air passage 4C, thereby adjusting the amount of air blown into the third space R3 and the second space R2.

The airflow control unit 52 of the control device 5 controls the first airflow adjustment unit 413 and the second airflow adjustment unit 414 so that the sum of the airflow rate from the first space R1 to the third space R3 and the airflow rate from the first space R1 to the second space R2 is greater than the exhaust airflow rate of the first exhaust device 21. This makes it possible to make the pressure P3 in the third space R3 greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1 and the pressure P2 in the second space R2.

In addition, sensors may be provided to measure the airflow from the first outlet 43 and the second outlet 44, respectively, or sensors to measure the pressure in the second space R2 and the third space R3, respectively, and the airflow control unit 52 may control the first airflow adjustment unit 413 and the second airflow adjustment unit 414 individually based on the measurement results of each sensor. For example, when the pressure P3 in the third space R3 becomes equal to or lower than the pressure P2 in the second space R2, the airflow control unit 52 may move the first airflow adjustment unit 413 so that the area of the opening communicating with the third air passage 4C increases.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the air passage 4 is blocked by the first air volume adjustment unit 413 and the second air volume adjustment unit 414. When the air blower 41C is stopped, the air blowing control unit 52 of the control device 5 may block the opening communicating with the third air passage 4C and the opening communicating with the second air passage 4B by the first air volume adjustment unit 413 and the second air volume adjustment unit 414 as shown in Figure 14. As a result, when the air blower 41C is not operating, the air passage 4 is blocked and air does not flow from the third space R3 and the second space R2 to the first space R1. As a result, unconditioned air, moisture, and odors are prevented from flowing from the third space R3 and the second space R2 through the air passage 4 into the first space R1, and a decrease in the comfort of the user in the first space R1 is prevented.

As described above, the blower device 41C of this modified example can achieve the same effect as the first embodiment with a simple configuration. Furthermore, when the blower device 41C is stopped, the air passage 4 is blocked, thereby preventing a decrease in the comfort of the user.

The configuration and affiliation of the control device 5 are not limited to those in the above embodiment. For example, the control device 5 may be a control device for the air conditioning device 11, or may be a control device built into the blower device 41. Each functional unit of the control device 5 may be realized by a different control device. In the above embodiment, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 is adjusted to be greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1 by controlling the airflow rate of the blower device 41, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pressure P3 in the third space R3 may be made greater than the pressure P1 in the first space R1 by controlling the exhaust airflow rate of the first exhaust device 21 arranged in the second space R2 to be smaller than the airflow rate of the blower device 41.

The start and end conditions for the blowing of air by the blower 41 are not limited to the example of the above embodiment. For example, the information acquisition unit 51 of the control device 5 may acquire outdoor air temperature or weather information from an external device and add these to the start conditions. Specifically, when the air conditioning device 11 is performing cooling operation, the start conditions are that either the above condition (A) or condition (B) is satisfied and the outdoor air temperature is equal to or higher than a first temperature (e.g., 30°C). When the air conditioning device 11 is performing heating operation, the start conditions are that either the condition (A) or condition (B) is satisfied and the outdoor air temperature is equal to or lower than a second temperature (e.g., 10°C). Or, when the air conditioning device 11 is performing cooling operation, the start conditions are that either the condition (A) or condition (B) is satisfied and the weather is fine.

In this way, by adding environmental information such as the outside temperature or weather information as the conditions for starting airflow, air can be blown when air conditioning is required in the second space R2 and the third space R3, improving the thermal environment, while also preventing unnecessary airflow and reducing power consumption.

The airflow control unit 52 may also add the status of the third space R3 to the conditions for terminating the airflow. For example, when the front door 30 is open, outside air flows into the third space R3, so even if air from the first space R1 is blown into the third space R3, the effect of improving the thermal environment is low and the air conditioning load of the air conditioning device 11 increases. Therefore, the airflow control unit 52 may set the condition for terminating the airflow as follows: the front door 30 of the third space R3 is open for a preset third time (e.g., 5 minutes).

Whether the front door 30 is open or not can be determined by detecting a change in the torque of the motor of the air blower 41. Alternatively, whether the front door 30 is open or not may be detected by an opening/closing sensor provided on the front door 30, or a temperature sensor may be provided in the third space R3, and it may be determined that the front door 30 is open when the temperature in the third space R3 suddenly changes. In this case, only the air blowing in the second space R2 may be continued.

Furthermore, the airflow control unit 52 may add the temperature of the air blown out from the first outlet 43 or the second outlet 44 to the end condition of the airflow. For example, when the air conditioning device 11 is performing cooling operation, the end condition may be that the temperature of the air blown out from the first outlet 43 or the second outlet 44 is higher than the temperature of the third space R3 or the temperature of the second space R2. Also, when the air conditioning device 11 is performing heating operation, the end condition may be that the temperature of the air blown out from the first outlet 43 or the second outlet 44 is lower than the temperature of the third space R3 or the temperature of the second space R2. This allows the air blower 41 to be stopped when an abnormality such as damage to the air passage 4 occurs, and unnecessary airflow can be suppressed. As a result, the increase in the load on the air conditioning device 11 can be suppressed, and power consumption can be reduced.

In addition, on sunny days in winter, the air blowing control unit 52 may operate the air blowing unit 41 during a predetermined time period in the daytime, regardless of whether the air conditioning unit 11 is operating, to blow air from the first space R1 to the second space R2 and the third space R3. This makes it possible to prevent the room temperature in the first space R1 from rising too high, and improve the thermal environment throughout the building 200 without using air conditioning by the air conditioning unit 11.

In addition, when the blower device 41 is operating around sunset on a clear day, the air blowing control unit 52 may control the device to stop operation or reduce the amount of air blowing. On clear days, the difference between the amount of solar power generation during the day and the amount of solar power generation after sunset becomes large, and the demand for electricity other than solar power generation increases sharply around sunset, which may disrupt the supply and demand balance. Therefore, by stopping the operation of the blower device 41 around sunset on a clear day, the amount of power consumption can be reduced, which can contribute to stabilizing the power supply.

In addition, in the above description, "outdoors" may include not only the outside of building 200, but also the outside of a space that is not air-conditioned, such as a parking lot within building 200. In addition, "outdoor air" may include not only the air outside building 200, but also the outside air that is not air-conditioned.

Various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

(Appendix 1)
An air conditioning system installed in a building having a first space, a second space, and a third space communicating with the first space and the second space,
An air conditioning device installed in the first space for heating or cooling the first space;
an air supply device installed in the first space and configured to introduce outside air into the first space;
a first exhaust device installed in the second space and configured to exhaust air from the second space to the outside;
an air blower provided in an air passage connecting the first space and the third space and connecting the first space and the second space, the air blower blowing air from the first space to the third space and the second space;
and an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure in the third space so that it is greater than the pressure in the first space and the pressure in the second space when the blower is operating.
(Appendix 2)
The second space is partitioned into an exhaust space and an air blowing space,
The first exhaust device is installed in the exhaust space,
The air outlet of the air passage is provided in the air blowing space,
2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the air supply space when the air blower is operating is greater than the pressure in the exhaust space.
(Appendix 3)
A second exhaust device is provided in a fourth space communicating with the third space and configured to exhaust air from the fourth space to the outside.
3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the third space is greater than the pressure in the fourth space when the blower is operating.
(Appendix 4)
The adjustment means is an air blowing control unit that controls the air blowing amount of the air blowing device,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air blowing control unit controls the air blowing device so that the air blowing volume of the air blowing device is greater than the exhaust air volume of the first exhaust device.
(Appendix 5)
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blower device is provided with a first air volume adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of air blown to the third space, and a second air volume adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of air blown to the second space.
(Appendix 6)
The air conditioning system described in Appendix 5, wherein the air blowing control unit controls the first air volume adjustment unit and the second air volume adjustment unit to block the flow of air from the third space to the first space and the flow of air from the second space to the first space when the air blowing device is stopped.
(Appendix 7)
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the blower comprises a first blower that blows air from the first space to the third space, and a second blower that blows air from the first space to the second space.

4 Air passage, 4A First air passage, 4B Second air passage, 4C Third air passage, 5 Control device, 10 Living room door, 11 Air conditioning device, 12 Air supply device, 20 Dressing room door, 21 First exhaust device, 25 Bathroom door, 30 Entrance door, 41, 41C Fan, 41A First fan, 41B Second fan, 42 Intake port, 43 First outlet, 44 Second outlet, 51 Information acquisition unit, 52 Air supply control unit, 60 Toilet door, 61 Second exhaust device, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D Air conditioning system, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C Building, 411 Housing, 412 Fan, 413 First air flow rate adjustment unit, 414 Second air flow rate adjustment unit, R1 First space, R2 Second space, R21 ventilation space, R22 exhaust space, R3 third space, R4 fourth space.

Claims (7)

An air conditioning system installed in a building having a first space, a second space, and a third space communicating with the first space and the second space,
An air conditioning device installed in the first space for heating or cooling the first space;
an air supply device installed in the first space and configured to introduce outside air into the first space;
a first exhaust device installed in the second space and configured to exhaust air from the second space to the outside;
an air blower provided in an air passage connecting the first space and the third space and connecting the first space and the second space, the air blower blowing air from the first space to the third space and the second space;
and an adjustment means for adjusting the pressure in the third space so that it is greater than the pressure in the first space and the pressure in the second space when the blower is operating. The second space is partitioned into an exhaust space and an air blowing space,
The first exhaust device is installed in the exhaust space,
The air outlet of the air passage is provided in the air blowing space,
2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein a pressure in the air supply space when the air blower is operating is greater than a pressure in the exhaust space. A second exhaust device is provided in a fourth space communicating with the third space and configured to exhaust air from the fourth space to the outside.
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a pressure in the third space is higher than a pressure in the fourth space when the blower is operating. The adjustment means is an air blowing control unit that controls the air blowing amount of the air blowing device,
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air blowing control unit controls the air blowing device so that an air flow rate of the air blowing device is greater than an exhaust air flow rate of the first exhaust device. The air conditioning system according to claim 4, wherein the air blowing device is provided with a first air volume adjustment unit that adjusts the volume of air blown into the third space, and a second air volume adjustment unit that adjusts the volume of air blown into the second space. The air conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the air blowing control unit controls the first airflow adjustment unit and the second airflow adjustment unit to block the flow of air from the third space to the first space and the flow of air from the second space to the first space when the air blowing device is stopped. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air blowing device comprises a first air blowing device that blows air from the first space to the third space, and a second air blowing device that blows air from the first space to the second space.

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