JP7507351B2 - Air Conditioning System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system.

Patent Document 1 discloses an operating method for eliminating the upper and lower temperature difference that occurs during heating operation in an air conditioning system that is installed in a house and is embedded in the ceiling to discharge air downwards. The heating operation is stopped and the system operates in a fan-only mode, while changing the direction of the louvers equipped with a rotating mechanism to adjust the air discharge direction and promote circulation.

JP 2000-104979 A

Such conventional air conditioning systems are difficult to install in buildings such as apartment buildings where there is not enough space above the ceiling to install an air conditioner. In other words, air conditioning systems that discharge air that has been temperature-controlled in an air-conditioned room from an outlet via a duct are excellent in terms of space-saving in the vertical direction. However, even when a duct is used, if the outlet is installed on the ceiling surface, the air discharged from the outlet may directly hit the occupants, and if a rotating mechanism is provided for the outlet on the ceiling surface, installation becomes complicated and there are concerns about problems with maintenance and wiring. For this reason, air conditioning systems in which the outlet is installed on the inner wall surface near the ceiling and can only blow air horizontally to the floor surface are often used.

Such air conditioning systems, which can only blow air horizontally to the floor surface, have the problem that the temperature difference between above and below cannot be fully eliminated because the direction of the air discharge cannot be adjusted.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional air conditioning system, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that can blow air only horizontally to the floor surface and can eliminate the temperature difference between above and below that occurs during heating operation.

In order to achieve this objective, the air conditioning system of the present invention comprises a unit body forming the outer shell of an air conditioning unit, an air conditioner that conditions the air taken into the unit body, a blower that blows the air conditioned by the air conditioner out of the unit body, an opening installed on the inner wall surface of the multiple spaces and through which the air blown by the blower is discharged, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the space, and a control unit that controls the air conditioner and the blower, the opening blows air horizontally near the ceiling of the space and toward the floor of the space, the temperature sensor is located below the opening and above the floor in the space, and the control unit controls the air conditioner to discharge air at a temperature higher than the set temperature into the space during heating, and after the temperature of the space detected by the temperature sensor reaches the set temperature, the air conditioner discharges air at a temperature at least 5 degrees higher than the set temperature or lower into the space in the horizontal direction, thereby achieving the intended objective.

The present invention provides an air conditioning system that can eliminate the vertical temperature difference that occurs during heating operation, even when air can only be blown horizontally.

A diagram showing the structure of a house according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing the structure of the house in FIG. 1. Air conditioning unit configuration diagram Configuration diagram of the system controller in FIG. Flowchart showing the procedure for switching to reduced temperature difference operation Flowchart showing the procedure for reducing the temperature difference between the top and bottom An example of temperature distribution when using the reduced temperature difference operation

The examples described below each show a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement and connection of the components, as well as the steps and the order of the steps shown in the following examples are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following examples, those components that are not described in the independent claims that show the highest concept of the present disclosure are described as optional components. In addition, in each figure, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configuration, and duplicate descriptions are omitted or simplified.

Before describing the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the embodiments will be described. This embodiment relates to an air conditioning system that is installed in an apartment building, such as an condominium, where multiple residences are gathered together, and performs central air conditioning for each residence.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of House 1. House 1 is a single household in an apartment complex, and is a residence provided as a place for residents to live private lives. Here, the top of Figure 1 is the north side, the bottom is the south side, the left side is the west side, and the right side is the east side. House 1 is adjacent to another house 1 (not shown) on the left and right sides of the figure. Therefore, the south side 2, which consists of the lower walls, windows, and doors of House 1, faces the outside, and the north side 3, which consists of the upper walls, windows, and doors of House 1, faces the outside.

The house 1 includes an LDK 4, a kitchen 5, a first Western-style room 6, a second Western-style room 7, a third Western-style room 8, a front door 9, a hallway 10, an air-conditioned room 12 in which an air-conditioning unit 11 is installed, a toilet 13, and a bathroom 14. The hallway 10 is sandwiched between the second Western-style room 7, the third Western-style room 8, the front door 9, and the LDK 4, and serves as a passageway connecting the front door 9 and the LDK 4. In addition, the only spaces through which air from the air-conditioned room 12 is transported are the LDK 4, the kitchen 5, the first Western-style room 6, the second Western-style room 7, the third Western-style room 8, the front door 9, and the hallway 10.

The air conditioning system also includes an exhaust port 15, an exhaust port duct 16, a first temperature sensor 17a to a fourth temperature sensor 17d collectively referred to as temperature sensor 17, a system controller 18, an input/output terminal 19, and a transport fan 20. The first temperature sensor 17a is installed in the living/dining/kitchen area 4. The second temperature sensor 17b is installed in the first Western-style room 6. The third temperature sensor 17c is installed in the second Western-style room 7. The third temperature sensor 17d is installed in the third Western-style room 8. The first transport duct 24a to the eighth transport duct 24h, collectively referred to as the outside air intake duct 21, the exhaust duct 22, the supply air duct 23, and the transport duct 24, and the exhaust port duct 16 are pipes that transport air, that is, air paths. The first temperature sensor 17a to the fourth temperature sensor 17d are each installed on the inner wall surface at a height of about 1100 mm from the floor surface.

An outside air intake duct 21 extends from the outside air intake 25 toward the inside of the house 1. The outside air intake duct 21 is connected to a heat exchanger type ventilation fan 26. An exhaust duct 22 is also connected to the heat exchanger type ventilation fan 26, and the exhaust duct 22 extends toward the south side 2. An exhaust port 27 is installed on the south side 2, and the exhaust duct 22 is connected to the exhaust port 27. An air supply duct 23 is also connected to the heat exchanger type ventilation fan 26.

The heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 is provided with an outside air intake fan (not shown), and as the outside air intake fan rotates, outside air 28 is taken in from the outside air intake port 25 and flows into the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 through the outside air intake duct 21. In addition, ventilation RA (return air) 29 flows into the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 from inside the house 1. The heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 exchanges heat between the outside air 28 and the ventilation RA 29. Since a known technology may be used for the heat exchange in the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26, a description is omitted here. As a result of the heat exchange, the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 exhausts exhaust air 31 from the exhaust port 27 through the exhaust duct 22 by the rotation of the exhaust fan 30. In addition, the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 supplies the heat-exchanged supply air to the air conditioning unit 11 via the supply air duct 23.

Supply air flows into the air conditioning unit 11 from the supply air duct 23. In addition, circulating RA 32 flows into the air conditioning unit 11 from inside the house 1. The circulation RA 32 will be described later, but like the ventilation RA 29, the circulation RA 32 corresponds to the supply air that has moved inside the house 1. The air conditioning unit 11 performs air conditioning on the air that is a mixture of the supply air and the circulating RA 32. For example, the air conditioning unit 11 controls the temperature, humidity, etc.

The first conveying duct 24a to the eighth conveying duct 24h are connected to the air conditioning unit 11. The first conveying duct 24a is connected to the first outlet 33a installed in the first Western-style room 6. The second conveying duct 24b is connected to the second outlet 33b installed in the living room/dining kitchen 4, and the third conveying duct 24c is connected to the third outlet 33c installed in the living room/dining kitchen 4. The fourth conveying duct 24d is connected to the fourth outlet 33d installed in the kitchen 5. The fifth conveying duct 24e is connected to the fifth outlet 33e installed in the second Western-style room 7. The sixth conveying duct 24f is connected to the sixth outlet 33f installed in the entrance 9. The seventh conveying duct 29g is connected to the seventh outlet 33g installed in the third Western-style room 8, and the eighth conveying duct 24h is connected to the eighth outlet 33h installed in the third Western-style room 8.

The transport fan 20 of the air conditioning unit 11 transports conditioned air from the first transport duct 24a through the eighth transport duct 24h to the first Western-style room 6, the living/dining/kitchen area 4, the kitchen 5, the second Western-style room 7, the entrance 9, and the third Western-style room 8. The first outlet 33a through the eighth outlet 33h are installed on the inner wall surface near the ceiling, and blow air only horizontally to the floor surface. Note that the horizontal direction means parallel to the floor surface, but due to the nature of manufacturing, a slight inclination, that is, an inclination in the vertical direction of about 0 to 5 degrees, can be considered horizontal.

An exhaust port 15 is installed in the ceiling of the toilet 13, and an exhaust port duct 16 is connected to the exhaust port 15, which is connected to an exhaust fan 30 of a heat exchange type ventilation fan 26. When the exhaust fan 30 rotates, the air in the toilet 13 passes through the exhaust port 15 and exhaust duct 22 and is exhausted outside the building from the exhaust port 27.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the house 1, with the living/dining/kitchen area 4 as a representative example. As mentioned above, the outside air inlet 25 and the exhaust vent 27 are installed on the south side 2 of the house 1. The outside air inlet duct 21, the exhaust duct 22, the heat exchanger ventilator 26, and the supply air duct 23 connected to the outside air inlet 25 and the exhaust vent 27 are arranged in the attic 34. In a collective housing such as an apartment building, the height of each floor is limited because the height of the entire building is fixed. However, lowering the height from the floor to the ceiling in each living space reduces the sense of openness. Therefore, only the corridor 10, which is not a living space, is lowered to provide the attic 34 (space), and a duct is routed through the attic 34, allowing the whole building to be air-conditioned without compromising the sense of openness. An air intake 35 is installed on the ceiling of the air-conditioned room 12, and the air intake duct 23 is connected to the air intake 35. The air supply port 35 discharges the supply air 36 from the heat exchange type ventilation fan 26 through the air supply duct 23 into the air-conditioned room 12.

A louver 37 consisting of a square hole and a lattice is installed above the surface of the air-conditioning room 12 that faces the corridor 10, and the circulating RA 32 flows into the inside of the air-conditioning room 12 through the louver 37. Inside the air-conditioning room 12, upstream of the air conditioner 38, that is, downstream of the intake port 35 and the louver 37, the circulating RA 32 and the supply air 36 are mixed.

An air-conditioning room temperature sensor 39 is installed in the air-conditioning room 12, and the air-conditioning room temperature sensor 39 acquires the temperature of the air-conditioning room 12. The air-conditioning room temperature sensor 39 has a communication function such as wireless communication, and transmits the acquired temperature of the air-conditioning room 12 to the system controller 18. The third transport duct 24c connected to the air-conditioning unit 11 extends from the air-conditioning room 12 to the ceiling space 34. The third discharge port 33c connected to the third transport duct 24c is provided in the LDK4, and discharges air from the side to the LDK4. The other transport ducts 24 and discharge ports 33 are arranged in the same manner. In other words, the transport duct 24 is arranged at least through the ceiling space 34 of the corridor 10 that constitutes the building.

By discharging air from the outlet 33, the air passes through the door 40 and circulates within the house 1. A portion of the circulating air is introduced into the air-conditioned room 12 as the circulating RA 32. Another portion of the circulating air is taken into the heat exchange ventilator 26 from the ventilation outlet 41 as the ventilation RA 29.

Figures 3(a) and (b) show the configuration of the air conditioning unit 11. Figure 3(a) is a front view of the air conditioning unit 11, and Figure 3(b) is a side view of the air conditioning unit 11. The air conditioning unit 11 includes a transport fan 20, an air conditioner 38, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter 42, and an equipment switch 43. The air conditioner 38, HEPA filter 42, and transport fan 20 are arranged in this order from the top of the air conditioning unit 11.

The air conditioner 38 is an air conditioner that controls the air conditioning of the air-conditioned room 12. The air conditioner 38 cools or heats the air in the air-conditioned room 12 so that the temperature of the air in the air-conditioned room 12 becomes a set temperature (air-conditioned room set temperature). The air-conditioned room set temperature in the air-conditioned room 12 is set by the system controller 18. The air conditioner 38 may have a humidifying and dehumidifying function. The HEPA filter 42 is an air filter that removes dirt, dust, etc. from the air conditioned by the air conditioner 38 and outputs purified air.

The transport fan 20 transports the air purified by the HEPA filter 42 via the transport duct 24. The airflow rate of the transport fan 20 is set by the system controller 18. The equipment switch 43 is a switch for turning the power of the air conditioning unit 11 on and off. Return to Figure 1.

The temperature sensor 17 is installed in the space to be air-conditioned, for example the living room, dining room, and kitchen 4, and acquires the temperature of the space to be air-conditioned. The temperature sensor 17 has a communication function such as wireless communication, and transmits the acquired temperature of the space to be air-conditioned to the system controller 18.

The system controller 18 is a controller that controls the entire air conditioning system. The system controller 18 is connected to the transport fan 20, the air conditioner 38, the temperature sensor 17, and the air-conditioned room temperature sensor 39. The system controller 18 receives temperatures from each of the temperature sensor 17 and the air-conditioned room temperature sensor 39. The system controller 18 sets the temperature of the air conditioner 38 based on the received temperature, and transmits the set temperature to the air conditioner 38. The system controller 18 also sets the airflow rate of the transport fan 20 based on the received temperature, and transmits the set airflow rate to the transport fan 20. In this way, the system controller 18 controls the transport fan 20.

The input/output terminal 19 is communicatively connected to the system controller 18, accepts input of information necessary to construct the air conditioning system, and stores it in the system controller 18. The input/output terminal 19 also acquires and displays the status of the air conditioning system from the system controller 18. The input/output terminal 19 is a mobile information terminal, such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet terminal.

Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the air conditioning system. The system controller 18 includes a set temperature acquisition unit 44, an air-conditioned room temperature control unit 45, a temperature/airflow rate determination unit 46, and a fan airflow rate control unit 47. The air conditioning unit 11 includes a transport fan 20 and an air conditioner 38. The set temperature acquisition unit 44 acquires the set temperatures set for each of the spaces to be air-conditioned by the input/output terminal 19.

During the heating season, i.e. when the indoor temperature of the space to be air-conditioned is low and the air conditioner 38 is in heating operation, the air-conditioned room temperature control unit 45 controls the air conditioner 38 so that the temperature of the air-conditioned room 12 is equal to or higher than the set temperature acquired by the set temperature acquisition unit 44. Through such processing, the air-conditioned room temperature control unit 45 controls the temperature of the air-conditioned room 12.

The temperature/airflow rate determination unit 46 determines the airflow rate of the transport fan 20 and the discharge temperature of the air conditioner 38 based on the set temperature acquired by the set temperature acquisition unit 44, the temperature of the air-conditioned room 12 controlled by the air-conditioned room temperature control unit 45, and the indoor temperature of the space to be air-conditioned acquired by the temperature sensor 17. The fan airflow control unit 47 controls the airflow rate of the transport fan 20 with the airflow rate determined by the temperature/airflow rate determination unit 46.

With reference to Figures 5 and 6, we will explain how to determine the discharge temperature of the air conditioner 38 when the indoor temperature of the space to be air-conditioned reaches the set temperature during heating operation. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for switching to the up-down temperature difference reduction operation during heating operation.

First, during normal heating operation, the indoor temperature of the space to be air-conditioned is obtained using the temperature sensor 17 (S01), and then the set temperature of the space to be air-conditioned is obtained (S02). If the indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature (N in S03), normal heating operation continues, and steps (S01) to (S03) are repeated at predetermined time intervals. If the indoor temperature is equal to or higher than the set temperature (Y in S03), the operation switches to reducing the temperature difference between above and below (S04).

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for reducing the upper and lower temperature difference operation.

First, the discharge temperature of the air conditioner 38 is set to the set temperature plus 5°C and heating operation is continued (S05). After a predetermined time has elapsed, the temperature sensor 17 is used to obtain the indoor temperature of the space to be air-conditioned (S06), and the set temperature of the space to be air-conditioned is obtained (S07).

If the indoor temperature is 1°C or more above the set temperature (N in S08), the heating operation is stopped (S10).

If the indoor temperature is less than the set temperature plus 1°C (Y in S08), and is greater than the set temperature minus 1°C (N in S09), the upper and lower temperature difference reduction operation continues, and steps (S06) to (S09) are repeated at specified time intervals. If the indoor temperature is equal to or less than the set temperature minus 1°C (Y in S09), the operation switches to normal heating (S11).

Figures 7(a) to (e) show an example of temperature distribution when using the treatment process for reducing the upper and lower temperature difference in a cross-sectional view mainly of LDK4.

The temperature of the air in the upper part of the room near the ceiling in the LDK 4 is Th, the temperature of the air near the center of the room including the height where the temperature sensor 17a is installed is Tm, the temperature of the air in the lower part of the room near the floor is Tl, and the temperature of the air discharged from the third discharge port 33c is Ti. When there is a thermal load from outside, such as cold air, the discharge temperature Ti from the third discharge port 33c needs to be equal to or higher than the set temperature in order to maintain or raise the room temperature through heating operation. To bring the room temperature closer to the set temperature more quickly, the discharge temperature must be higher.

For example, assume that the set temperature of LDK4 is 24°C and normal heating operation is in progress. Figure 7(a) shows an example of the temperature distribution when it is recognized that the room temperature of LDK4 has reached the set temperature, and the air temperature Tm near the center of the room, including the height at which temperature sensor 17a is installed, is 24°C. At this time, in order to quickly approach the set temperature, air with a discharge temperature Ti from third discharge port 33c is discharged at a higher temperature than the air near the center of the room, for example 33°C. For this reason, air with a temperature close to that of the discharged air accumulates near the ceiling, creating a temperature difference between above and below.

After FIG. 7(a), the discharge temperature of the air conditioner 38 is changed to 29°C, which is the set temperature plus 5°C, and heating operation continues. The temperature of the air discharged from the air conditioner 38 is reduced through the transport duct 24c, and the discharge temperature Ti from the third discharge port 33c becomes, for example, 27°C (FIG. 7(b)).

At this time, the discharge temperature Ti from the third discharge port 33c is lower than the temperature Th of the air near the ceiling, so it has a higher density than the air near the ceiling and drops downward while exchanging heat with the surrounding air. In other words, a downward air current 48 is generated that flows downward from near the ceiling. The temperature Th of the air near the ceiling gradually drops due to heat exchange with the low-temperature air. At the same time, the temperature Tm of the air near the center of the room gradually rises due to the downward air current 48. Furthermore, the downward air current 48 forms a downward air current 49 that flows further downward from near the center of the room depending on the strength of the flow, or the temperature of the downward air current 48 is even lower than the temperature near the center of the room, forming a downward air current 49. As a result, the high-temperature air at the top of the room flows into the bottom of the room due to the downward air current 49, and the temperature Tl of the air at the bottom of the room rises (Figure 7 (c)). As a result, the temperature difference between the top and bottom can be reduced.

When the heat load from the outside is equal to or smaller than the heat input by the air discharged from the outlet 33c, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 17a gradually rises. In order to prevent the room temperature from deviating significantly from the set temperature, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 17a reaches the set temperature plus 1°C (25°C in this example), the air conditioner 38 is stopped and the thermo-off operation is performed, in which only the conveying fan 20 blows air (Figure 7 (d)). At this time, since the heating operation is stopped, the air is blown at a natural temperature that is not controlled by a heat source or the like.

When the heat load from the outside is greater than the heat input by the air discharged from the outlet 33c, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 17a may initially rise due to the descent of air near the ceiling, but will eventually drop. Therefore, in order to prevent the room temperature from deviating significantly from the set temperature, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 17a becomes the set temperature minus 1°C (23°C in this example), the upper and lower temperature difference reduction operation is stopped and the normal operation method is switched to (Figure 7 (e)).

The present disclosure has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each of the components or each of the processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

The air conditioning system of the present invention eliminates the upper and lower temperature difference that occurs during heating operation when the system has an outlet that can blow air only horizontally, and is useful as a residential air conditioning system that allows multiple rooms in a house to be air-conditioned with a single air conditioner.

1. Residence 2. South side 3. North side 4. LDK
5 Kitchen 6 First Western-style room 7 Second Western-style room 8 Third Western-style room 9 Entrance 10 Corridor 11 Air conditioning unit 12 Air-conditioned room 13 Toilet 14 Bathroom 15 Exhaust vent 16 Exhaust duct 17 Temperature sensor 18 System controller 19 Input/output terminal 20 Transport fan 21 Outside air intake duct 22 Exhaust duct 23 Supply air duct 24 Transport duct 25 Outside air intake vent 26 Heat exchange type ventilation fan 27 Exhaust vent 28 Outside air 29 Ventilation RA
30 Exhaust fan 31 Exhaust 32 Circulation RA
Reference Signs List 33 Discharge outlet 34 Ceiling space 35 Air supply port 36 Air supply 37 Louver 38 Air conditioner 39 Air-conditioned room temperature sensor 40 Door 41 Ventilation port 42 HEPA filter 43 Device switch 44 Set temperature acquisition unit 45 Air-conditioned room temperature control unit 46 Temperature and airflow determination unit 47 Fan airflow control unit 48, 49 Downward air current

Claims (5)

In an air conditioning system that cools multiple spaces,
A unit main body forming an outer shell;
an air conditioner that conditions the air taken in by the unit body;
a blower that blows air conditioned by the air conditioner to the outside of the unit body;
an opening provided on an inner wall surface of the plurality of spaces and through which air blown by the blower is discharged;
A temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the space;
A control unit that controls the temperature of the space to a set temperature,
The opening is
Air is blown horizontally to a floor surface of the space near the ceiling of the space,
The temperature sensor is
Located below the opening in the space and above the floor surface,
The control unit, during heating,
Discharging air having a temperature higher than the set temperature from the air conditioner into the space,
An air conditioning system in which, after the temperature of the space detected by the temperature sensor reaches the set temperature, air at a temperature at least 5 degrees higher than the set temperature is discharged from the air conditioner into the space in the horizontal direction. The control unit, during heating,
2. The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein when the temperature of the space detected by the temperature sensor reaches the set temperature and then reaches a temperature higher than the set temperature by a predetermined threshold value or more, the heating of the air by the air conditioner is stopped and air is blown by the blower. The opening is
3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system is not provided with louvers and is capable of blowing air only horizontally with respect to a floor surface of the space. The control unit, during heating,
4. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein after the temperature of the space detected by the temperature sensor reaches the set temperature, air at least at or below the set temperature is discharged from the air conditioner into the space. The control unit is
5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control during heating is performed only for a predetermined one of the plurality of spaces.

Images