JPH04306426A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a concentration of oxygen from being decreased and to prevent a concentration of toxic gas component from being increased by a method wherein indoor air is separated into oxygen and other gaseous substances by the first gas separating device, surrounding air is separated into oxygen and other gaseous substances by the second gas separator and the gaseous substances except separated oxygen are discharged into surrounding atmosphere. CONSTITUTION:A supplying pipe 9A for returning oxygen separated by the first gas separating device 6A into a room 5 and a supplying pipe 9B for supplementing oxygen separated by the second separating device 6B into the room 5 are passed together with a refrigerant pipe 3 through a hole 21 formed in a wall 4, and their extremity end openings are opened into an air passage within an indoor device 1. The first gas separating device 6A continuously separates indoor air into oxygen and other gaseous substances, returns the separated oxygen into the room and at the same time other gaseous substances except oxygen are discharged out of the room. The second separating device 6b and the first gas separating device 6A continuously separate the surrounding air into oxygen and other gaseous substances except oxygen and the separated oxygen is supplemented into the room 5.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional air conditioners cool or heat indoor rooms by cooling or heating indoor air. Therefore, if the cooling or heating state continues for a long time, not only the oxygen concentration in the indoor air decreases due to the breathing of the occupants, but also the concentration of harmful gas components such as carbon monoxide increases. To deal with this, ventilation operations are usually used to exchange indoor air with outside air, but this has the problem that the room temperature changes significantly and the energy required to create the exhausted cold or warm air is wasted. there were. Therefore, a method has been proposed to prevent a decrease in the oxygen concentration in indoor air by supplying outdoor air with increased oxygen concentration using a polymer separation membrane, etc. The increase could not be prevented, and therefore, a comfortable indoor environment could not be provided.

0003

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention was invented to solve the above problems, and its gist is to provide a means for introducing indoor air and to convert the introduced indoor air into oxygen. A first gas separation device comprising a means for separating the separated oxygen into other gas components, a means for returning the separated oxygen indoors, and a means for discharging the separated gas components other than oxygen to the outside; a means for separating the introduced outside air into oxygen and other gas components; and a means for introducing the separated oxygen into the room in an amount corresponding to the gas exhausted outside by the first gas separation device. An air conditioner is provided with a second gas separation device having means for replenishing gas components other than oxygen and means for discharging separated gas components other than oxygen into the atmosphere.

0004

[Operation] Since the present invention has the above configuration, when the oxygen concentration in the indoor air decreases and the concentration of harmful gas components such as carbon monoxide increases due to continued operation of the air conditioner, The first gas separation device separates indoor air into oxygen and other gas components, returns the separated oxygen indoors, and discharges the separated gas components other than oxygen to the outside. At the same time, a second gas separation device separates the outside air into oxygen and other gas components,
The separated oxygen is supplied into the room in an amount corresponding to the amount of gas discharged outside by the first gas separation device, and gas components other than the separated oxygen are discharged into the atmosphere.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4. In FIG. 1, 1 is an indoor unit, 2 is an outdoor unit, 3 is a refrigerant pipe that connects the indoor unit 1 and the outdoor unit 2, 4 is a wall, 5 is a chamber, 6A is a first separation device, and 6B is a first separation device. 2 separation device, 7A is an introduction pipe for introducing the air in the chamber 5 into the first separation device 6A, 7B is an introduction pipe for introducing outside air into the second separation device 6B, and 8A is the first separation device 6A. A purge pipe 8B discharges the separated gas components other than oxygen to the outside, a purge pipe 22 which discharges the gas components other than oxygen separated by the second separation device 6B into the atmosphere.
is a sensor that detects the pressure inside the chamber 5. A supply pipe 9A that returns the oxygen separated by the first separator 6A into the chamber 5 and a supply pipe 9B that replenishes the oxygen separated by the second separator into the chamber 5 are connected to the wall 4 along with the refrigerant pipe 3. hole 21 drilled in
2, and its tip opening opens into the air passage 14 inside the indoor unit 1, as shown in FIG. In addition, in FIG. 2, 10 is an inlet, 11 is an indoor heat exchanger, 12 is an indoor fan, and 13 is an outlet.

FIG. 3 shows details of the first separation device 6A. The first separation device includes a pair of reaction vessels 16, 17,
Blower 18, vacuum pump 19, valves A, B, C, D, E,
Equipped with F etc. A pair of reaction tanks 16 and 17 are each filled with an adsorbent 15 such as Na-X type zeolite. Now, when valves A and B are opened and valves C, D, E, and F are closed and the blower 18 is started, the air in the chamber 5 enters the reaction tank 16 through the suction pipe 7A, the blower 18, and the valve A. , adsorbent 1
During the process of flowing through the adsorbent 15, gas components other than oxygen, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen, are adsorbed by the adsorbent 15. Then, oxygen is returned from the indoor unit 1 to the room 5 through the valve B and the supply pipe 9A without being adsorbed. Adsorbent 15 in reaction tank 16
When the adsorption capacity reaches saturation, valves A, B, and F are closed, valves C, D, and E are opened, and the vacuum pump 19 is started. Then, the pressure inside the reaction tank 16 is reduced, and the gas components adsorbed by the adsorbent 15 are released from the reactor tank 16 and released into the atmosphere through the valve C, the vacuum pump 19, and the purge pipe 8A. During this time,
Room air enters the reaction tank 17 through the suction pipe 7A, blower 18, and valve D, and gas components other than oxygen in the air enter the adsorbent 1.
5, and the oxygen is supplied into the chamber 5 through the valve E and the supply pipe 9A without being adsorbed. In this way, the first
The gas separation device 6A continuously separates indoor air into oxygen and other gas components, returns the separated oxygen to the room, and discharges the other gas components to the outside.

FIG. 4 shows details of the second separator 6B, which includes a pair of reaction vessels 16, 17, a blower 18, a vacuum pump 19, valves A, B, C, D, E, F
, a control valve 20 that is PID-controlled by a signal from a pressure sensor 22, and the like. This second separation device 6B
Similarly to the first separation device 6A, the outside air is continuously separated from oxygen and other gas components by opening and closing valves A, B, C, D, and E and starting or stopping the blower 18 and vacuum pump 19. The separated oxygen is supplied into the chamber 5, and the separated gas components other than oxygen are discharged into the atmosphere. Then, by PID controlling the opening degree of the control valve 20 based on the signal from the pressure sensor 22, the amount of oxygen replenished into the chamber 5 is adjusted to the amount corresponding to the amount of gas discharged by the first separation device 6A. The pressure inside the chamber 5 is maintained at a predetermined pressure (for example, atmospheric pressure) by adjusting.

[0008] As described above, the inside of the chamber 5 is maintained at a predetermined pressure,
Not only is the decrease in the oxygen concentration in the indoor air prevented, but also the increase in the concentration of harmful gas components such as carbon monoxide is suppressed. The first and second gas separation devices 6A and 6B are each equipped with a pair of reaction vessels 16 and 17, but one reaction vessel is used for adsorption operation of gas components other than oxygen and desorption of this gas component. You can also alternate with driving. In addition, a control valve 20 that is PID-controlled by a signal from a pressure sensor 22
The amount of oxygen supplied to the room is adjusted by
For example, the flow rate of the gas discharged by the first gas separation device 6A is detected by a flow rate sensor such as an area type or a thermal type, and the set value of the flow rate of oxygen supplied by the second gas separation device 6B is determined. Ratio control may be performed to adjust the ratio to be the same as the amount detected by the flow rate sensor.

[0009]

Effects of the Invention In the present invention, when the oxygen concentration in the indoor air decreases and the concentration of harmful gas components such as carbon monoxide increases due to continued operation of the air conditioner, the first gas separation A device separates indoor air into oxygen and other gas components, returns the separated oxygen indoors, and discharges the separated gas components other than oxygen to the outside.At the same time, a second gas separation device The outside air is separated into oxygen and other gas components, and the separated oxygen is supplied indoors in an amount equivalent to the amount of gas discharged outside by the first gas separation device, and the separated oxygen is Since the gas components are discharged into the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the oxygen concentration in the indoor air and an increase in the concentration of harmful gas components, and it is also possible to prevent fluctuations in the indoor temperature and contribute to energy conservation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the indoor unit in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of the first gas separation device in the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a system diagram of the second gas separation device in the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Indoor unit 2 Outdoor unit 6A First gas separation device 6B Second gas separation device

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: means for introducing indoor air; means for separating the introduced indoor air into oxygen and other gas components; means for returning the separated oxygen into the room; A first gas separation device comprising a means for discharging gas components to the outside, a means for introducing outside air, a means for separating the introduced outside air into oxygen and other gas components, and a means for separating the separated oxygen. A second gas separation device comprising means for replenishing the room in an amount equivalent to the amount of gas discharged outdoors by the first gas separation device, and means for discharging the separated gas components other than oxygen into the atmosphere. An air conditioner characterized by being attached with a device.