JP6571478B2 - Heat pump dryer - Google Patents

Description

  The present embodiment relates to a heat pump dryer.

  There is a dryer that adopts a heat pump method for heating hot air for drying. The heat pump dryer includes a drying chamber, a circulation air passage, a heat pump unit, a circulation fan, and the like. The drying chamber is a space in which clothes to be dried are accommodated, and has an exhaust port and a supply port connected to the outside. The circulation air passage is provided outside the drying chamber and connects the exhaust port and the supply port. The heat pump unit includes an evaporator and a condenser as heat exchangers, a compressor for supplying a refrigerant, and the like. The circulation fan is provided in the circulation air passage and circulates air between the circulation air passage and the drying chamber.

  The heat pump dryer operates a refrigeration cycle by a heat pump unit and drives a circulation fan to circulate air between the drying chamber and the heat exchanger. This circulating air deprives moisture from clothes in the drying chamber, and is dehumidified and heated by a heat exchanger to become hot air of low humidity and is supplied to the drying chamber again. As a result, the clothes in the drying chamber are dried.

  By the way, conventionally, the heat pump dryer determines whether or not the heat pump unit is normally started as follows, for example. That is, for example, if the temperature of the air exhausted from the drying chamber into the circulation air path rises to a predetermined temperature (for example, 10 ° C.) within a predetermined period (for example, within 30 minutes) after starting the operation of the heat pump unit. The heat pump dryer determines that the rise of the heat pump unit is normal.

  However, if the circulation fan is stopped for some reason or the circulation air path is clogged with lint, the circulation air will not be generated or the amount of circulation air will be extremely reduced. The amount is extremely reduced. In this case, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor in the heat pump unit becomes abnormal, and chattering may occur in the compressor. When chattering occurs in the compressor, for example, the compressor deteriorates even if left for a short period of several minutes. However, in the conventional determination method described above, that is, the method of determining the rise of the heat pump unit based on the temperature rise of the air exhausted from the drying chamber into the circulation air passage, it takes too much time to obtain the determination result, and the compressor It was not possible to cope with abnormalities such as chattering.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-42208

  Therefore, a heat pump dryer with improved safety is provided by detecting a rise abnormality of the heat pump unit at an early stage and responding to the abnormality.

  The heat pump dryer according to the embodiment includes an outer box, a drying chamber provided in the outer box and having an exhaust port and an air supply port, and a circulation provided outside the drying chamber and connecting the exhaust port and the air supply port. An air path, an evaporator for dehumidifying the air in the circulation air path, a condenser provided on the downstream side of the evaporator in the circulation air path for heating the air in the circulation air path, and a refrigerant to the condenser A heat pump unit having a compressor for supplying air, a circulation fan for supplying air that is provided in the circulation air passage and dehumidified and heated by the heat pump unit from the air supply port to the drying chamber, and in the evaporator An evaporator outlet temperature sensor for detecting the temperature on the outlet side of the refrigerant, an outside air temperature sensor for detecting a temperature outside the heat pump unit, driving of the heat pump unit and driving of the circulation fan. Control to and a control device capable of executing the drying process. When the temperature detected by the evaporator outlet temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor by a predetermined value or more after a predetermined period from the start of the drying process, the control device It is determined that the start-up is abnormal and the fact that the abnormality has occurred is notified or the compressor is stopped.

1 is a longitudinal side view showing a schematic configuration of a heat pump dryer according to an embodiment. 1 is a longitudinal rear view showing a schematic configuration of a heat pump dryer according to one embodiment. The figure which shows schematic structure of a heat pump unit about the heat pump type dryer by one Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of a control system about the heat pump type dryer by one Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the control content of the drying process by a control apparatus about the heat pump type dryer by one Embodiment. The figure which shows correlation with the temperature difference Td in the time of normal, and the temperature difference Td in the time of 1st abnormality about the heat pump type dryer by one Embodiment. The figure which shows the correlation with the exhaust temperature T3 at the time of normal, and the exhaust temperature T3 at the time of 2nd abnormality about the heat pump type dryer by one Embodiment.

Hereinafter, a heat pump dryer according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a washing dryer 10 as a heat pump dryer includes an outer box 11, a water tank 12, a rotating tank 13, a rotating tank motor 14, and a door 15. The washing / drying machine 10 has a heat pump type drying function, and is a so-called drum-type washing / drying machine in which, for example, the rotation axis of the rotary tub 13 is inclined with respect to the ground. The outer box 11 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape using a steel plate or the like. The water tank 12 is housed inside the outer box 11. The rotary tank 13 is accommodated in the water tank 12. Both the water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 are formed in a cylindrical shape.

  The water tank 12 has an opening 121 at one end of a cylindrical shape, and a water tank end plate 122 at the other end. The opening 121 is located above the water tank end plate 122 in the inclined water tank 12. Similarly, the rotating tank 13 has an opening 131 formed at one end of a cylindrical shape, and a rotating tank end plate 132 provided at the other end. The opening 131 is located above the rotating tank end plate 132 in the inclined rotating tank 13. The opening 131 of the rotating tank 13 is covered with the opening 121 of the water tank 12. The water tank 12 and the rotating tank 13 function as a drying chamber for storing clothes.

  The water tank 12 has an exhaust port 16 and an air supply port 17. The exhaust port 16 is provided in the upper front portion of the peripheral wall constituting the cylindrical portion of the water tank 12. The air supply port 17 is in the water tank end plate 122 and is provided at a portion slightly above the center of the water tank end plate 122. The exhaust port 16 and the air supply port 17 communicate the inside and the outside of the water tank 12.

  The water tank 12 has a drainage part 18 on the rear end side of the bottom part located below the gravity direction. The drainage unit 18 is located below the exhaust port 16 and the air supply port 17. The drainage unit 18 includes a drainage port 123, a drainage valve 19, and a drainage hose 20. When the drain valve 19 is opened, the water in the water tank 12 is discharged from the drain port 123 to the outside of the washing / drying machine 10 via the drain valve 19 and the drain hose 20.

  The rotary tank 13 has a plurality of holes 21 and a plurality of communication ports 22. The hole 21 and the communication port 22 communicate the inside and the outside of the rotary tank 13. The hole 21 is formed in the whole area of the peripheral wall which comprises the cylindrical cylindrical part of the rotating tank 13. As shown in FIG. The communication port 22 is formed in the entire area of the rotary tank end plate 132. The hole 21 and the communication port 22 function as water holes through which water mainly enters and exits during the washing operation and the dehydration operation, and function as air holes through which air enters and exits during the drying process. In FIG. 1, only a part of the plurality of holes 21 and the communication ports 22 is shown for simplicity. Further, although not shown in detail, the rotating tub 13 is provided with a plurality of baffles inside the cylindrical portion. The baffle stirs the laundry stored inside the rotating tub 13.

  The rotary tank motor 14 is provided outside the water tank 12 and on the water tank end plate 122. The rotary tank motor 14 is, for example, an outer rotor type DC brushless motor. The shaft portion 141 of the rotating tub motor 14 passes through the water tank end plate 122 and protrudes to the inside of the water tank 12, and is fixed to the center portion of the rotating tank end plate 132. Thereby, the rotating tank motor 14 rotates the rotating tank 13 relative to the water tank 12. In this case, the shaft portion 141, the rotation axis of the rotating tub 13, and the central axis of the water tub 12 coincide with each other.

  The door 15 is provided on the outer surface side of the outer box 11 via a hinge (not shown). The door 15 rotates about a hinge as a fulcrum, and opens and closes an opening (not shown) formed on the front surface of the outer box 11. The opening formed in the outer box 11 is connected to the opening 121 of the water tank 12 by a bellows 112. Laundry such as clothes is put into and out of the rotating tub 13 through the openings 121 and 131 with the door 15 opened.

  The washing / drying machine 10 includes a control device 23 and an operation panel 24 shown in FIG. 4, and a water supply device 25 shown in FIG. The control device 23 includes a microcomputer and controls the overall operation of the washing / drying machine 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation panel 24 is provided in front of the outer box 11 and on the upper side of the door 15. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation panel 24 is connected to the control device 23, and the user performs various settings such as selection of a driving course by operating the operation panel 24. Further, the operation panel 24 has a notification unit 241. The notification unit 241 is for notifying the user that an abnormality has occurred due to, for example, an image or sound when an abnormality or the like has occurred in the washing / drying machine 10. The notification unit 241 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or a speaker.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the water supply device 25 includes a water supply case 26, a water supply valve 27, a water supply hose 28, and the like. The water supply valve 27 is connected to the control device 23 and is opened and closed under the control of the control device 23. One end of the water supply hose 28 is connected to the water supply valve 27 and the other end is connected to an external water source such as a water supply. The control device 23 opens and closes the water supply valve 27 to supply water from the water source into the water tank 12 through the water supply hose 28, the water supply valve 27, and the water supply case 26.

  The washing / drying machine 10 includes a circulation air passage 30 as shown in FIG. The circulation air passage 30 is provided outside the water tank 12 and connects the exhaust port 16 and the air supply port 17. Specifically, the circulation air passage 30 includes an exhaust duct 31, a filter device 32, a connection duct 33, a heat exchange unit 34, and an air supply duct 35.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust duct 31 connects the exhaust port 16 of the water tank 12 and the filter device 32. The exhaust duct 31 is composed of, for example, a bellows-like hose. The filter device 32 is provided inside the outer box 11 and above the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13. A filter 321 is provided in the filter device 32. The filter device 32 removes foreign matters such as lint contained in the air exhausted from the exhaust port 16 by allowing the air exhausted from the exhaust port 16 to pass through the filter 321.

  The filter device 32 is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchanging section 34 via the connection duct 33. The heat exchanging part 34 is provided in the lower part inside the outer box 11 and below the filter device 32, the water tank 12, and the rotating tank 13. The heat exchanging unit 34 generates dry hot air by dehumidifying and heating the air passing through the inside. An evaporator 41 and a condenser 42 constituting the heat pump unit 40 are provided in the heat exchange unit 34. The evaporator 41 is provided on the upstream side of the condenser 42 with respect to the air flow in the heat exchange unit 34 during the drying process. The air passing through the heat exchange section 34 is cooled by the evaporator 41 and dehumidified thereby. The air dehumidified by the evaporator 41 is then heated by the condenser 42 to become hot air.

  The downstream side of the heat exchange unit 34 is connected to the air supply port 17 of the water tank 12 through the air supply duct 35. A circulation fan 36 is provided at a connection portion between the heat exchange unit 34 and the air supply duct 35. The circulation fan 36 is composed of, for example, a sirocco fan. The circulation fan 36 is configured such that the rotation speed can be changed by the control of the control device 23. In the present embodiment, the control device 23 can determine the rotational state of the circulation fan 36 by software by detecting the induced voltage of the fan motor of the circulation fan 36. Note that a rotation detector such as an encoder may be provided in the fan motor of the circulation fan 36, and the rotation state of the circulation fan 36 may be detected by hardware using this rotation detector.

  The circulation fan 36 sucks the air in the heat exchanging section 34 and discharges it to the air supply duct 35 side. Thereby, the flow of the air which circulates through the water tank 12 and the circulation air path 30 arises as shown by the arrow A of FIG.1, FIG.2, and FIG. In this case, when the air flow in the circulation air passage 30 is viewed, the exhaust port 16 is on the most upstream side, and the air supply port 17 is on the most downstream side.

  In this configuration, when the compressor 43 and the circulation fan 36 are driven, the warm air dehumidified and heated in the heat exchanging section 34 is supplied through the air supply duct 35 by the air blowing action of the circulation fan 36. To the water tank 12. Thereafter, the warm air mainly enters the rotary tub 13 from the communication port 22, deprives moisture from the laundry in the rotary tub 13, and then mainly exits from the hole 21 to the outside of the rotary tub 13. The air containing moisture is sucked into the circulation air passage 30 from the exhaust port 16. The air sucked into the circulation air passage 30 first passes through the exhaust duct 31 and the filter device 32. Thereafter, it flows to the heat exchanging section 34 through the connection duct 33. As described above, the drying process is performed by circulating air between the water tank 12 and the circulation air passage 30 and dehumidifying and heating the air in the circulation air passage 30.

  Next, the heat pump unit 40 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the heat pump unit 40 includes a compressor 43 and a decompression device 44 in addition to an evaporator 41 and a condenser 42. The compressor 43 and the decompression device 44 are provided outside the heat exchange unit 34. The heat pump unit 40 is configured by annularly connecting a condenser 42, a decompression device 44, and an evaporator 41 in the order in which the refrigerant flows with respect to the compressor 43. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 are configured by, for example, a tube having a large number of fins provided at minute intervals. By flowing a refrigerant through the tube, heat between the air passing between the fins and the refrigerant is obtained. Exchange. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 function as a heat exchanger.

  The compressor 43 supplies the refrigerant to the condenser 42 by pressure feeding. The compressor 43 is connected to the control device 23 and is driven and stopped under the control of the control device 23. The compressor 43 is driven at a constant frequency according to the frequency of the supplied AC power supply, for example. An accumulator 45 is provided on the suction side 431 of the compressor 43. The accumulator 45 suppresses the pressure fluctuation of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 43. The decompression device 44 decompresses the high-pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the condenser 42 to make a low-pressure gas-liquid mixed state. In this case, the decompression device 44 is constituted by, for example, a capillary tube, but may be an electromagnetic open / close expansion valve that can be opened / closed by the control of the control device 23.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the washing / drying machine 10 includes an air supply temperature sensor 51, an exhaust temperature sensor 52, a compressor temperature sensor 53, a condenser temperature sensor 54, an evaporator inlet temperature sensor 55, and an evaporator outlet temperature. A sensor 56 and an outside air temperature sensor 57 are provided. The supply air temperature sensor 51, the exhaust gas temperature sensor 52, the compressor temperature sensor 53, the condenser temperature sensor 54, the evaporator inlet temperature sensor 55, the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 56, and the outside air temperature sensor 57 are connected to the control device 23, respectively. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the supply air temperature sensor 51 and the exhaust temperature sensor 52 are provided in the circulation air passage 30 and detect the temperature of the air in the circulation air passage 30. Among these, the air supply temperature sensor 51 is provided between the condenser 42 and the air supply port 17 and in the vicinity of the air supply port 17. The supply air temperature sensor 51 detects the temperature of air supplied to the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 that are drying chambers through the supply air duct 35, that is, the temperature of the air heated by the heat exchange unit 34 and supplied to the drying chamber. To detect. The exhaust temperature sensor 52 is provided between the evaporator 41 and the exhaust port 16 and in the vicinity of the exhaust port 16. The exhaust temperature sensor 52 detects the temperature of the air exhausted from the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 that are drying chambers and passing through the exhaust duct 31.

  The compressor temperature sensor 53 is provided in the refrigerant pipe on the discharge side of the compressor 43 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 43, that is, the temperature of the compressor 43. The condenser temperature sensor 54 is provided at the center of the condenser 42 and detects the temperature of the condenser 42. The evaporator inlet temperature sensor 55 is provided on the refrigerant inlet side with respect to the evaporator 41. The evaporator inlet temperature sensor 55 detects the temperature of the inlet side portion of the evaporator 41, that is, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 41. The evaporator outlet temperature sensor 56 is provided on the refrigerant outlet side with respect to the evaporator 41. The evaporator outlet temperature sensor 56 detects the temperature of the outlet side portion of the evaporator 41, that is, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 41.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outside air temperature sensor 57 is located outside the heat pump unit 40 as far as possible from the heat pump unit 40 in the outer box 11, that is, at a position hardly affected by the heat generated in the heat pump unit 40. Is provided. In this case, the outside air temperature sensor 57 is provided in the outer box 11 and in the vicinity of the outside of the outer box 11. The outside air temperature sensor 57 detects the temperature of the air outside the heat pump unit 40 in the outside box 11, that is, the outside air temperature that is substantially the room temperature of the room where the washing / drying machine 10 is installed.

  The control device 23 can selectively execute a washing operation, a drying operation, and a washing operation. Among these, the drying process performed by the drying operation and the washing / drying operation will be described with reference to FIGS. When executing the drying process (start of FIG. 5), the controller 23 drives the compressor 43, the circulation fan 36, and the rotary tank motor 14 of the heat pump unit 40 in step S11. Thereby, supply of the warm air with respect to the inside of the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 is started, rotating the rotary tank 13. FIG.

  Next, the control device 23 executes steps S12 to S15, and determines whether or not the rising state of the heat pump unit 40 is normal until a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of the drying process. Here, the control device 23 can detect the evaporator outlet temperature T1, the outside air temperature T2, and the exhaust gas temperature T3. The evaporator outlet temperature T <b> 1 is the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet side of the evaporator 41, and is detected by the evaporator outlet temperature sensor 56. The outside air temperature T <b> 2 is a temperature outside the heat pump unit 40, substantially a temperature outside the outside box 11, and is detected by the outside air temperature sensor 57. The exhaust temperature T3 is the temperature of the air exhausted from the water tank 12 and the rotary tank 13 into the circulation air passage 30 and is detected by the exhaust temperature sensor 52.

  In step S12, the control device 23 determines whether or not a first abnormality has occurred. The first abnormality is an abnormality caused when the amount of circulating wind flowing through the circulation air passage 30 is lost or extremely reduced, and heat exchange is not performed or hardly performed in the heat exchanging unit 34. . In this case, heat exchange between the refrigerant in the heat exchange unit 34 and the air flowing through the circulation air passage 30 is not normally performed, and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 43 becomes unstable. As a result, in a state where the first abnormality has occurred, chattering is likely to occur in the compressor 43. As a cause of occurrence of the first abnormality, for example, lint accumulates on the filter 321, and air cannot pass through the filter 321, or the circulation fan 36 stops due to some factor.

  Here, the inventor of the present application has found the following correlation with respect to the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2 in the initial stage of the heat pump unit 40 rising. That is, FIG. 6 shows the case of “normal time” and “first abnormal time” regarding the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2. Immediately after starting the operation of the heat pump unit 40 by starting the compressor 43, the temperature difference Td is hardly different in both “normal time” and “first abnormal time”. It is a value close to.

  Then, if the circulating air normally flows in the circulating air passage 30 and heat exchange is normally performed in the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42, as shown by the curve of “normal” in FIG. After decreasing to a negative value, it increases to a positive value after a time of about several minutes, for example, about 4 or 5 minutes elapses. That is, when the start-up stage of the heat pump unit 40 is normal, the evaporator outlet temperature T1 once becomes lower than the outside air temperature T2 immediately after the operation of the heat pump unit 40 is started, and then after a few minutes, the outside air temperature T2 Higher than.

  On the other hand, when the circulating air does not flow in the circulating air passage 30 or the amount of circulating air is extremely reduced and heat exchange between the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42 is not normally performed, the evaporator outlet temperature T1 The temperature difference Td from the outside air temperature T2 continues to rise without decreasing to a negative value, as shown by the “first abnormality” curve in FIG. That is, when the start-up initial stage of the heat pump unit 40 is not normal, the evaporator outlet temperature T1 is always higher than the outside air temperature T2.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first abnormality at the initial rise of the heat pump unit 40 is determined based on the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2. That is, the control device 23 determines whether or not the evaporator outlet temperature T1 is higher than the outside air temperature T2 by a predetermined temperature Ta or more in step S12 of FIG. That is, in step S12, the control device 23 determines whether or not the difference between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2, that is, the temperature difference Td is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature Ta. In this case, the predetermined temperature Ta is, for example, about 7 ° C. to 8 ° C. The predetermined temperature Ta is not limited to the illustrated range of 7 ° C. to 8 ° C., and may be appropriately changed according to the capability of the heat pump unit 40 such as the rotation frequency of the compressor 43 and the sizes of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42. Can do.

  When the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature Ta (YES in step S12), the control device 23 proceeds to step S20 and detects the first abnormality. Judge. On the other hand, when the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2 is less than the predetermined temperature Ta (NO in step S12), the control device 23 proceeds to step S13. And the control apparatus 23 judges whether 1st period A1 passed since the drying process was started in step S13. In the present embodiment, the first period A1 is, for example, 5 minutes. The first period A1 is not limited to the illustrated five minutes, and can be changed as appropriate according to the capacity of the heat pump unit 40, such as the rotational frequency of the compressor 43 and the sizes of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 42.

  If the first period A1 has not yet elapsed since the start of the drying process (NO in step S13), the control device 23 proceeds to step S12, and steps S12, S13 until the first period A1 has elapsed. repeat. When the first period A1 elapses without the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2 exceeding the predetermined temperature Ta (NO in step S12 and YES in step S13), the control device 23 The process proceeds to step S14.

  In step S14, the control device 23 determines whether or not a second abnormality has occurred. The second abnormality is an abnormality caused by a factor other than the factor of the first abnormality. The second abnormality is an abnormality in which the refrigeration cycle by the heat pump unit 40 does not start up normally due to, for example, a failure in the compressor 43 or leakage of refrigerant. In this case, the second abnormality means an abnormality that is unlikely to cause chattering in the compressor 43.

  Here, if the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is normal, the exhaust temperature T3 is, for example, about 30 minutes from the start of operation of the heat pump unit 40, as shown by the curve of “normal” in FIG. The outside temperature rises to T2 + 10 ° C or higher. On the other hand, when the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is not normal, that is, the second abnormality, the exhaust temperature T3 is, for example, 30 minutes after the start of the operation of the heat pump unit 40, as shown by the curve of “second abnormality” in FIG. Even if it does not rise above the predetermined temperature Tb.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device 23 determines whether or not the exhaust temperature T3 has become equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature Tb in step S14. The predetermined temperature Tb is, for example, the outside air temperature T2 + 10 ° C. That is, in step S14, the control device 23 determines whether or not the exhaust temperature T3 has risen above the predetermined temperature Tb ° C. from the start of the drying process. If the exhaust temperature T3 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature Tb (YES in step S14), the control device 23 shifts the process to step S16 in FIG. 5 and determines that the heat pump unit 40 starts up normally. On the other hand, if the exhaust temperature T3 is lower than the predetermined temperature Tb (NO in step S14), the control device 23 proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the control device 23 determines whether or not the second period A2 has elapsed since the start of the drying process. In the present embodiment, the second period A2 is a period longer than the first period A1, for example, 30 minutes. Note that the second period A2 is not limited to the exemplified 30 minutes, and can be appropriately changed according to the weight of clothes accommodated in the rotating tub 13, the performance of the heat pump unit 40, and the like. If the second period A2 has elapsed from the start of the drying process (YES in step S15), the control device 23 proceeds to step S21 and determines that the second abnormality has been detected. On the other hand, if the second period A2 has not elapsed since the start of the drying process (NO in step S15), the control device 23 proceeds to step S14 and repeats the processes in steps S14 and S15.

  Thus, after starting the drying process, the control device 23 passes through the first period A1 without the evaporator outlet temperature T1, the outside air temperature T2, and the temperature difference Td exceeding the predetermined temperature Ta (NO in step S12). If the exhaust gas temperature T3 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature Tb before the second period A2 has elapsed (YES in step S14), the process proceeds to step S16, where the drying process starts. It is determined that the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is normal.

  If the start-up of the heat pump unit 40 is normal, the control device 23 proceeds to step S17, and continues the driving of the compressor 43, the circulation fan 36, and the rotary tank motor 14 to perform the drying process. continue. Thereafter, in step S18, the control device 23 determines whether or not the drying process is completed. In this case, for example, if the difference between the supply air temperature T4 and the exhaust air temperature T3 by the supply air temperature sensor 51 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Tc, the control device 23 determines that the drying process has not been completed (in step S18). NO), the process proceeds to step SS17 and the drying process is continued. On the other hand, if the difference between the supply air temperature T4 and the exhaust gas temperature T3 is less than the predetermined value Tc, the control device 23 determines that the drying process has ended (YES in step S18), and the process proceeds to step S19. Transition. And the control apparatus 23 stops the compressor 43, the circulation fan 36, and the rotary tank motor 14 in step S19, and complete | finishes a drying process by this (end).

  On the other hand, when executing the step S20 and detecting the first abnormality or executing the step S21 and detecting the second abnormality, the control device 23 shifts the process to the step S22. And the control apparatus 23 alert | reports to the user that the 1st abnormality or the 2nd abnormality was detected by the alerting | reporting part 241. FIG. In this case, the notification unit 241 is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or a speaker. And the control apparatus 23 distinguishes a 1st abnormality and a 2nd abnormality with the image and symbol displayed on a liquid crystal panel, or the sound generate | occur | produced from a speaker, and alert | reports to a user. Then, the control apparatus 23 transfers a process to step S19, stops the compressor 43, the circulation fan 36, and the rotary tank motor 14, and complete | finishes a drying process (end).

  Here, normally, the control device 23 determines the rotational state of the circulation fan 36 by software by detecting the induced voltage of the fan motor of the circulation fan 36, for example. However, even if the circulation fan 36 is stopped for some reason, if a signal corresponding to the induced voltage is input due to noise or the like, the control device 23 may erroneously determine that the circulation fan 36 is rotating. is there. In this case, although the rotation of the circulation fan 36 is actually stopped, if the drying process is continued without detecting the stop of the circulation fan 36, the heat exchange amount in the heat exchangers 41 and 42 is extremely reduced. As a result, chattering may occur in the compressor 43. If the state where chattering is generated in the compressor 43 is left unattended, it not only becomes a basis for abnormal noise and noise, but the compressor 43 itself may be damaged.

  On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the controller 23 determines that the evaporator outlet temperature T1 is higher than the outside air temperature T2 by a predetermined temperature from the start of the drying process until the predetermined period, that is, the first period A elapses. When it becomes higher than Ta, it is determined that the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is the first abnormality. In this case, the control device 23 notifies the user that the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is the first abnormality by the notification unit 241, and stops the compressor 43 by stopping the compressor 43. According to this, the rising abnormality of the heat pump unit 40 caused by the reduction of the air volume of the air flowing through the circulation air passage 30 due to the failure of the circulation fan 36 or the stoppage of the circulation fan 36 or the accumulation of lint on the filter 321 is caused at an early stage. Can be found in.

  That is, in the conventional configuration, whether or not the heat pump unit 40 has started up normally is determined, for example, by whether or not the exhaust temperature T3 has risen above the predetermined temperature Tb in a predetermined period A2 after the operation of the heat pump unit 40 has started. Was. However, the exhaust temperature T3 has a higher value than the outside air temperature T2 in both cases where the exhaust temperature T3 rises normally and does not rise normally. Therefore, it takes a relatively long time until the difference between the exhaust temperature T3 when the heat pump unit 40 starts up normally and the exhaust temperature T3 when the heat pump unit 40 does not start up becomes clear. In this case, as in the conventional configuration, for example, when the rising state of the heat pump unit 40 is determined only by the exhaust temperature T3, even if an abnormality such as chattering occurs in the compressor 43, the abnormality is promptly detected. I can't find it.

  On the other hand, regarding the temperature difference Td between the evaporator outlet temperature T1 and the outside air temperature T2, when the rise of the heat pump unit 40 is normal, the temperature difference Td is once negative from the start of operation of the heat pump unit 40. After the decrease, the value increases to a positive value after a time of about several minutes, for example, about 4 or 5 minutes elapses. On the other hand, when an abnormality that causes chattering occurs in the compressor 43, the temperature difference Td continues to increase without decreasing to a negative value from the start of operation of the heat pump unit 40. Therefore, the temperature difference Td when the heat pump unit 40 starts up normally and the temperature difference Td when an abnormality that causes chattering in the compressor 43 occurs are relatively short from the start of operation of the heat pump unit 40. Can be clearly distinguished.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the control device 23 can detect the abnormality at an early stage even when an abnormality that causes chattering in the compressor 43 occurs. And when the control apparatus 23 detects the rise abnormality of the heat pump unit 40, the compressor 43, the circulation fan 36, and the rotary tank motor 14 are stopped and the drying process is stopped to cope with the abnormality. ing. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the compressor 43 from being continuously operated while chattering occurs, and to prevent damage and deterioration of the compressor 43 as much as possible. As a result, a heat pump dryer with improved safety can be provided.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the drawings, 10 is a washing dryer (heat pump dryer), 11 is an outer box, 12 is a water tank (drying chamber), 13 is a rotating tank (drying chamber), 16 is an exhaust port, 17 is an air supply port, and 23 is Control device, 30 is a circulation air path, 36 is a circulation fan, 40 is a heat pump unit, 41 is an evaporator, 42 is a condenser, 43 is a compressor, 56 is an evaporator outlet temperature sensor, and 57 is an outside air temperature sensor.

Claims (1)

An outer box,
A drying chamber provided in the outer box and having an exhaust port and an air supply port;
A circulation air passage provided outside the drying chamber and connecting the exhaust port and the air supply port;
An evaporator for dehumidifying the air in the circulation air passage, a condenser provided on the downstream side of the evaporator in the circulation air passage for heating the air in the circulation air passage, and a compression for supplying refrigerant to the condenser A heat pump unit having a machine,
A circulation fan that supplies air dehumidified and heated by the heat pump unit provided in the circulation air passage from the air supply port to the drying chamber;
An evaporator outlet temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant outlet side in the evaporator;
An outside temperature sensor for detecting a temperature outside the heat pump unit;
A control device capable of performing a drying step by controlling the driving of the heat pump unit and the driving of the circulation fan;
With
When the temperature detected by the evaporator outlet temperature sensor is higher than the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor by a predetermined value or more after a predetermined period from the start of the drying process, the control device Notifying that the abnormality has occurred by judging a rise abnormality or stopping the compressor,
Heat pump dryer.

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