JP3290921B2 - Air conditioning method and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a circulating pump that transfers air by the kinetic energy of a liquid such as water sprayed or showered into the air using a circulating pump.
An air conditioning method for air conditioning that performs operations such as purification, heating, cooling, addition of solutes or chemicals, and qualitative adjustment of air cleanliness, humidity, and temperature with this liquid. And its device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, air conditioners generally used for cooling air include cooling air by a cooling coil and dehumidifying the cooling, heating by a heating coil, purification by an air filter, and conveyance by a blower. And dehumidification,
Functions such as heating, purification, and transport are assigned to separate devices, respectively, thereby achieving air conditioning comprehensively.

Conventionally, a humidifier of a water shower type has been used as a part of an air conditioner. This humidifier also heats air sucked by a blower by an air heater, and adds water to the air. Is used to obtain the required humidity, and is used to bear some functions of the air conditioner. For this reason, the air conditioner usually has a large volume, consumes much more energy for operation, and has a large installation cost.

On the other hand, humidifiers employ a method of blowing steam obtained by boiling water and a method of blowing water into fine particles by mechanical force such as ultrasonic waves. The problems are as follows. 1. In the method of blowing out steam, raw steam of about 100 ° C is blown out, so there is a danger in terms of temperature and calorie. In the method of blowing out fine water particles, impurities contained in water fine particles are scattered. To contaminate the room. 2. The steam and water particles that are blown out do not evaporate immediately upon contact with air at room temperature, but float as fine water droplets.
Touching the object in this state causes wetting. Furthermore, if this continues, it will cause a water leakage accident. 3. In the case of water droplet spraying, the temperature of the air is constantly reduced because the water droplets take away heat in the air and evaporate. 4. Since the humidification is performed indefinitely, there is a danger of an accident due to excessive humidification. To prevent this, a reliable and expensive humidity control system is required. 5. Only humidification is performed, and functions such as purification and temperature control depend on others.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A basic technical problem of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology relating to air conditioning, and to solve the kinetic energy of water sprayed or showered. And transfer the air using the energy of the position, and perform qualitative adjustment of the cleanliness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the air by operations such as purification, heating, cooling, addition of solutes or chemicals to the water. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to contribute to the purpose of air conditioning with a simple configuration and low energy consumption without burdening various functions on separate devices.

Another technical object of the present invention is to transfer the air by the energy of the water particles to be sprayed, that is, to circulate the air without using a blower, thereby eliminating the need for installing the blower and operating costs thereof. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning method and an apparatus therefor that eliminate the need to consider not only the problem of noise caused by the blower but also the noise.

Another technical object of the present invention is to make it possible to humidify air to near saturation humidity by bringing water particles into contact with air, and to perform operations such as heating and cooling on the water in advance. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning method and an apparatus thereof that can simultaneously perform qualitative adjustment of the humidity, temperature, and the like of the conditioned air only by performing the above. Another technical problem of the present invention is that the air is washed by the adsorbing force of water particles injected into the air, and not only solid matter such as dust, smoke and pollen in the air, but also water-soluble such as odor. An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning method and an apparatus therefor that can remove gas.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning method for solving the above-mentioned problems, in which air is introduced from the upper portion of a cylindrical container forming a shower room into the air introduced into the upper portion of the shower room. The water in the water receiver at the bottom of the shower room is sprayed in the form of a shower or a mist by a circulation pump, and the kinetic energy and the energy of the position cause the air in the shower room to accompany downward, and On the other hand, purifying, heating, cooling, or adding solutes or chemicals in advance, and qualitatively adjusting the cleanliness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the conditioned air derived from the lower part of the shower room. It is.

In the air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, an air inlet is opened at an upper portion of a cylindrical container forming a shower room inside, and air is introduced from the air inlet. A nozzle is provided for jetting water in a water receiver at the bottom of the shower room downward through a circulation pump in a shower or mist form in the air, and a kinetic energy and a position of the water below the cylindrical container are provided. An air outlet is provided to draw out the air entrained downward by the energy of the water, and the above-mentioned water is purified, heated, cooled, or added with a solute or a chemical, and is thereby drawn out from the air outlet. An operation means for qualitatively adjusting the cleanliness of the conditioned air, humidity, temperature, etc. is provided.

In the above air conditioning apparatus, a heating / cooling device for heating or cooling the circulating water is provided as an operating means in an external pipe provided with a circulation pump, and a temperature controller is provided in the heating / cooling device. It is possible to control the amount of heating / cooling by the temperature controller based on the air temperature detected by the temperature sensors provided at the air inlet and the air outlet of the cylindrical container. Further, as the operating means, a dissolving tank for dissolving a salt which absorbs or desorbs moisture with air when injected into a shower room in a circulating water is provided in an external conduit having a circulation pump. Can also.

[0011] In the air conditioning method and the apparatus having the above-described structure, the water in the water receiver is pressure-fed to the nozzle by the circulating pump, and is showered or atomized into the air introduced from the air inlet into the shower room. When jetted, the kinetic energy of the water and the energy of the position cause the air in the shower room to be entrained downward, and the air humidified by evaporation during the drop of water drops to the bottom of the shower room,
The air is delivered from the air outlet to a room or other space where air conditioning is to be performed. At that time, qualitative adjustment of cleanness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the conditioned air sent out from the air outlet is performed by performing purification, heating, cooling, or addition of solutes or chemicals on the water in advance. It can be carried out.

Therefore, the humidified air is transferred using the energy of the water jetted in the form of a shower or a mist, and at the same time, the quality of the air is adjusted by operations such as purification, heating, and cooling of the water. With a simple configuration and low energy consumption, the purpose of air conditioning can be achieved, especially since the air is not transferred using a blower,
Not only does the installation of the blower and its operating cost become unnecessary, but it is not necessary to consider the problem of noise caused by the blower. In addition, the water particles can contact the air to humidify the air to near the saturation humidity. In this case, the energy given to the water by the circulation pump is mainly used for air blowing, but the remaining part is Is converted to heat. However, since this contributes to humidification as heat of vaporization of water, there is basically no energy loss.

Further, in the air conditioning method and apparatus described above, the air can be humidified to near the saturation humidity by bringing the water particles into contact with the air, but when the relative humidity of the air reaches 100%, the air can be humidified. The above humidification becomes impossible. For this reason, safety is essentially high in a water leak accident due to excessive humidification, and the humidity control system can be simplified. Moreover, since the humidification deprives the heat of vaporization from the air, the air can be cooled if the temperature is emphasized, and can function as a cooler. In particular, if the circulating water is cooled using a cooler, this effect can be obtained. Enhanced. In addition, since the air is washed by the adsorbing power of the water particles injected into the air in the shower room, not only solid matter such as dust, smoke, and pollen in the air but also water-soluble gas such as odor is removed. .

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment having a basic configuration of an air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention. In this air conditioning apparatus, an air inlet 3 is opened at an upper portion of a cylindrical container 1 forming a shower room 2 therein, and an air outlet 4 for discharging air is provided below the container 1. . A water drop eliminator 5 can be provided in the air outlet 4 as needed. The air inlet 3 and the air outlet 4 are connected to a room or other space to be air-conditioned through a duct or the like as appropriate. At the upper part of the cylindrical container 1, there is provided a nozzle 6 for spraying water downward into the air introduced from the air inlet 3 in the form of a shower or a mist. Is provided on the inner wall of the shower room 2 with the constriction 8 for allowing the air from the air inlet 3 to be sucked by the injection. In order to allow the air to flow smoothly from the air inlet 3 to the air outlet 4, the cross section of the shower room 2 is substantially uniform irrespective of the constricted portion 8.

At the lower bottom of the shower room 2 below the cylindrical container 1, there is provided a water receiver 9 for receiving what has fallen as water particles by spraying from a nozzle 6, and this water receiver 9 has A drain port 10 for circulating and using the water that has flowed down is provided, and a replenishing water port 11 and an over-blow port 12 for drainage are provided, which serve to maintain the water level and water quality. In addition, the above-mentioned makeup water outlet 11
And the overblow port 12 are connected to the external pipeline 1 described below.
3 may be installed. Further, in the water receiver 9, a buffer material for suppressing a dripping sound of water drops dripping from the upper part of the shower room can be stored as needed.

A filter 15 and a circulating pump 16 are sequentially provided in an external conduit 13 extending from the drain port 10 to the nozzle 6. The filter 15 captures foreign matter adsorbed and removed from the air by fine water droplets in the shower room 2 and prevents clogging of the nozzle 6. However, the filter 15 is adapted to capture relatively large foreign matter. A filter for preventing clogging of the nozzle 6 may be separately provided in a pipeline between the circulation pump 16 and the nozzle 6. The circulating pump 16 is for pumping the water that has flowed into the water receiver 9 at the bottom of the shower room to the nozzle 6 for circulation.

In the air conditioning apparatus having the above-described structure, the circulation pump 16 is driven to pump the water in the water receiver 9 from the drain port 10 through the filter 15 to the nozzle 6 to introduce air into the upper part of the cylindrical container 1. When jetted from the nozzle 3 into the air introduced into the shower room 2 through the nozzle 3 in the form of a shower or a mist, the kinetic energy of the water and the energy of the position cause the air in the shower room 2 to entrain downward. The air is humidified by evaporation while the water drops fall to the bottom of the shower room, and the humidified air is sent from the air outlet 4 to a room or the like where air is to be air-conditioned through an appropriate duct or the like. In this case, since the water particles are brought into contact with the air, the air can be humidified to near the saturation humidity, but if the relative humidity of the air reaches 100%, further humidification becomes impossible. For this reason, even if a humidity control system is provided, it can be simplified.

The energy given to the water by the operation of the circulation pump 16 is mainly used to transfer air, but the rest is converted to heat. However, since this contributes to humidification as heat of vaporization of water, there is basically no energy loss. Further, the temperature of the outlet air decreases toward the wet-bulb temperature of the inlet air, which is suppressed by the energy of the circulation pump 16. However, the humidification deprives the air of heat of vaporization, so that it can function as a cooler depending on conditions.

By humidification in the shower room 2,
The water jetted from the nozzle evaporates, and the water level in the water receiver 9 gradually decreases. In this case, the water level is detected by a water level meter or the like provided in the water receiver 9 and replenished water is supplied from the water supply port 11. do it. If the replenishing water is replenished excessively, the excessive amount of the deteriorated circulating water is blown out from the overblow port 12 and discharged, so that the water quality is maintained. Further, since the air is washed by the adsorbing power of the water particles jetted into the air in the shower room 2, not only solids such as dust, smoke and pollen in the air but also water-soluble gases such as odors are removed from the air. Removed from The removed foreign matter is captured by the filter 15 of the external conduit 13 or discharged out of the system together with the blow through the overblow port 12.

As described above, the humidified air in the shower room 2 can be transferred by using the energy of the water jetted from the nozzle 6, and at the same time, as described below,
By providing operation means such as heating and cooling for the water, quality of air can be adjusted. This operation means performs operations such as purification, heating, cooling, or addition of a solute or a chemical to water, whereby the cleanliness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the conditioned air derived from the air discharge port 4 are obtained. Qualitative adjustments can be made. And
These can be performed with a simple configuration and low energy consumption. In particular, since a blower is not used for transferring air, not only the installation and operation cost of the blower are unnecessary, but also there is no problem of noise caused by the blower. .

The second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 shows a case in which a heater 21 is provided in the external conduit 13 downstream of the circulation pump 16 as the operating means to heat the circulating water. . The control of the heating amount by the heater 21 is detected by a temperature Tai of the inlet air detected by a temperature sensor 22 provided near the air inlet 3 and a temperature sensor 23 provided near the air outlet 4. This is performed by the temperature controller 24 based on the outlet air temperature Tao.

If Tao = Tai, the amount of heating is all latent heat on the air side, so that more humidification can be performed without changing the temperature of the air. Also, Tao
= Tai + ΔT, the humidification amount is increased in accordance with the magnitude of ΔT, and a larger humidification load can be satisfied. In addition, in this case, since the temperature rises at the same time, the heating load is satisfied. In general, in air conditioning, a humidification load and a heating load coexist, and a temperature rise in this case does not result in a loss. By providing such a heater 21, the amount of humidification in the shower room 2 can be increased and the air temperature can be adjusted. Also,
If a cooler that cools the circulating water is used instead of the heater, the cooling effect can be similarly enhanced. Note that this second
Since other configurations and operations of the embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, the same or corresponding portions in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

In the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, a salt dissolving tank 26 is provided as the operating means upstream of the circulating pump 16 in the external conduit 13, and the circulating water is used as a saturated salt solution. Shows the case. The dissolving tank 26 accommodates the crystalline salt in a dissolvable manner, and the saturated solution of the dissolved salt absorbs or releases moisture in the air in contact with the saturated solution when it is injected into the shower room 2. It acts to achieve a specific relative humidity that depends on the type of salt that is not significantly affected by temperature. For example, about 85% RH for KCl and Na
About 75% RH for Cl, about 52% R for Mg (NO ₃ ) ₂
H, about 33% RH for MgCl ₂ , about 10% for LiCl
% RH. Therefore, according to the third embodiment, humidification or dehumidification is performed according to the humidity of the inlet air,
At the outlet, air with almost constant humidity can be obtained. That is, humidity control is performed.

When the dehumidifying action is performed, the volume of the solution increases due to the absorption of water in the shower room 2, and the solution is discharged from the over-blow port 12 as a blow, thereby discharging the dissolved salt. At this time, the solution is diluted, but at the same time, the crystal salt in the dissolving tank 26 is dissolved and the saturated state is maintained. The same applies to the case where supply and supply of makeup water for maintaining water quality are performed. In any case, replenishment of the crystalline salt is necessary, but more is required in the case of dehumidification than in humidification. Humidity control by this method is inherently self-controlling and does not require external humidity control. In addition, the saturated solution of salt has a bactericidal action, and spraying the solution into the air in the shower room 2 is also effective for air purification. In this embodiment, the use of the heater 21 similar to the second embodiment is effective for increasing the humidification amount. At this time, the relative humidity does not change, but the absolute humidity increases.

In the above embodiment, if an effective volatile substance such as an aromatic substance is added to the circulating water instead of the salt used in the dissolving tank 26, an effect more than simple purification can be expected. The effect of humidification can also be adjusted by using a liquid other than water as the liquid. Since other configurations and operations are substantially the same as those of the first and second embodiments, the same or corresponding portions in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention.
An example is shown. In this air conditioning apparatus, as in the third embodiment, a salt dissolving tank 26 is provided on the external line 13 on the upstream side of the circulation pump 16, and a solution concentrator 30 is further provided on the upstream side. As described in connection with the third embodiment, when the dissolving tank 26 is provided and the main function is dehumidification, the saturated salt solution is diluted by absorbing moisture, so that the consumption of salt increases. In the fourth embodiment, since the diluted solution is immediately passed through the solution concentrator 30 to remove water and return to a saturated solution, the dilution can be suppressed.

The solution concentrator 30 is provided with a heater 32 in a concentration tank 31 connected to the bottom with a pipe from the filter 15, and an inlet to a condenser 33 is provided above the concentration tank 31 to dissolve salt. This is configured by connecting a heat exchanger 34 to a pipe leading to the tank 26. The solution heated by the heater 32 releases moisture into the air in the concentration tank 31, which reaches the condenser 33 by diffusion, cools the condenser 33, and removes the moisture as condensed water out of the system. Is discharged. At this time, heat recovery is also performed. Heat exchanger 34
Is to recover the heat and prevent the temperature of the solution from rising. However, this heat recovery is not perfect,
A rise in the temperature of the solution is inevitable, but it is cooled by the incoming air and will therefore equilibrate at some value. The solution concentrator 30 is provided with temperature sensors 35 and 36 above and below the concentration tank 31, and controls a heater 32 based on the output of the temperature sensors.
7 are provided.

When air or the like dissolved in the solution turns into a gas by this heating, it serves to transport moisture, but when it leaves the condenser 33, the relative humidity becomes 10%.
It is 0%. That is, not all moisture can be captured as water, which is released into the atmosphere. It is desirable to release this out of the system, but this is not necessary if the quantity can be neglected. If the humid air generated here can be discharged out of the system as it is, it is not necessary to use a condenser, and it is not necessary to raise the temperature in consideration of the condensation.

If the gas generated by the heater 32 is humid air, this is the relative humidity inherent in the salt. In order to condense this in the condenser 33, the dew point temperature of the humid air must be higher than the temperature of the condenser 33. Therefore, the control of the heater 32 depends on the humid air and the condenser 3.
What is necessary is just to make the temperature difference with 3 more than the value determined by the kind of salt. Incidentally, in the case of MgCl ₂ , this temperature difference needs to be about 21 ° C. or more. Now, this temperature difference is 30 ° C.
If the condenser temperature is set to 24 ° C., about 40% of the water can be captured as condensed water even if all the water is carried not by diffusion but by generated air. If the temperature difference is 40 ° C., about 70% can be captured under the same conditions. Further, if a structure having good moisture diffusion conditions is used, the trapping rate is further increased.

Instead of the solution concentrator 30, a solution concentrator 4 having improved diffusion of water molecules as shown in a structural example in FIG.
0 can also be used. In the solution concentrator 40, a heater 42 is provided in a concentration tank 41 in which a pipe from the filter 15 is connected to the bottom, and a condensation tube 43 for discharging drain is provided in the center of the concentration tank 41, and a salt pipe is provided. A heat exchanger 44 is connected to a pipe leading to the melting tank 26 of FIG. The solution concentrator 40 can be provided with a temperature sensor and a temperature controller similar to those of the concentration tank 30. Since the other configurations and operations in the fourth embodiment are substantially the same as those in the third embodiment, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. .

In each of the embodiments described in detail above, a filter formed of an antibacterial substance can be used as the filter 15, and addition of a bactericide to circulating water, injection of ozone, irradiation of ultraviolet rays, etc. By doing bacteria,
An effect of removing viruses and the like can also be expected.

Next, the size and efficiency of the mist particles sprayed from the nozzle 6 and the falling distance will be considered. The fog particles sprayed downward from the nozzle have kinetic energy and positional energy, but lose this due to frictional resistance with the surrounding air, decelerate to a certain speed, that is, the final speed, and thereafter, only by gravity, Fall at this speed. However, since the air in the shower room moves downward uniformly, the final speed is determined as a relative speed with respect to the surrounding air. Therefore, the absolute velocity observed from the outside is the sum of the final velocity determined in still air and the velocity of the air.

[0033] In the course of falling of the mist particles, the work W to the mist particles with respect to the air becomes ^{_{W = mv i 2/2 +}} mgh-mv f 2/2. Where m = mass of particle, g = acceleration of gravity,
v _i = initial velocity, h = fall distance, v _f = final velocity.
In the above equation, if the initial speed and the falling distance are fixed, this work can be increased only by decreasing the final speed. Terminal velocity, if the shape of the particles spherical, proportional to the square root of its diameter, v _f = √kgD (here, k = constant, the diameter of D = particle) is expressed as. Therefore, the final velocity can be reduced by reducing the diameter of the particles.

Also, in order to reach the final velocity at a limited drop distance, the velocity of the particles must decrease rapidly. The equation of motion of the particles is expressed as dv / dt = g-R / m (where R = air resistance). The resistance R of the air is expressed as R = cv ² D ² (where c = constant), and since the mass m is proportional to the cube of the diameter, R / m = pv ² / D (where, p = constant), so the equation of motion of the particle is dv / dt = g-pv ² / D. That is, the smaller the diameter of the particle, the more rapidly its velocity decreases.

As described above, the efficiency can be increased and the required drop distance can be shortened by reducing the spray particles. However, more energy is required to further subdivide the particles, and fine particles have difficulty in the stage of capture by the water droplet eliminator. become. If the diameter of the particles is 0.1 mm, the final velocity is about 1.5 m / s in relative velocity, and if the velocity of the air is 3 m / s, the absolute velocity is 4.5 m / s. Furthermore, if the initial velocity of the particles is 15 m / s, the distance to reach the final velocity is about 1 m including the distance carried by the air.

[0036]

According to the method and apparatus of the present invention described in detail above, air is transferred using the kinetic energy and positional energy of water sprayed or sprayed, and the water is purified. By operations such as heating, cooling, addition of solutes or drugs, the cleanliness of the air,
By performing qualitative adjustment of humidity, temperature, and the like, air conditioning with a simple configuration and low energy consumption can be realized without burdening various functions on separate devices.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a second embodiment of the air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a third embodiment of the air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the air conditioning apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing another configuration example of the condenser in the fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cylindrical container 2 Shower room 3 Air inlet 4 Air outlet 6 Nozzle 9 Water receiver 10 Drain outlet 13 External pipeline 16 Circulation pump 21 Heater 22, 23 Temperature sensor 24 Temperature controller 26 Melting tank

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-5-322230 (JP, A) JP-A-63-229152 (JP, A) JP-A-5-223287 (JP, A) JP-A-8-68550 (JP, A) JP-A-61-138039 (JP, A) JP-A-54-154144 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F24F 5/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A shower pump or a mist pump which circulates water in a water receiver at a lower bottom of a shower chamber from an upper part of a cylindrical container forming a shower chamber therein into air introduced into the upper part of the shower chamber. The kinetic energy of the water and the energy of the position cause the air in the shower room to accompany downward, and the water is previously purified, heated, cooled, or subjected to an operation of adding a solute or a chemical, An air conditioning method characterized by qualitatively adjusting the cleanliness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the conditioned air derived from the lower part of the shower room. 2. An air inlet is formed in an upper portion of a cylindrical container forming a shower room therein, and water in a water receiver at a lower bottom of the shower room is circulated into air introduced from the air inlet. A nozzle for spraying downward in the form of a shower or a mist through the air outlet, and an air outlet for discharging air entrained downward by the kinetic energy of the water and the energy of the position below the cylindrical container. The above-mentioned water is subjected to the operation of purification, heating, cooling, or addition of a solute or a chemical, thereby qualitatively adjusting the cleanliness, humidity, temperature, etc. of the conditioned air derived from the air outlet. An air conditioning apparatus, further comprising operating means for performing the operation. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a heating / cooling device for heating or cooling the circulating water is provided as an operating means in an external conduit provided with a circulation pump. An air conditioning apparatus, further comprising a temperature controller for controlling a heating / cooling amount based on an air temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided at an air inlet and an air outlet of a cylindrical container. 4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, as an operating means, a salt which absorbs or desorbs moisture from air when injected into a shower room is supplied to an external conduit provided with a circulation pump. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a dissolving tank for dissolving in circulating water.