JPH10311568A - Humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive humidifier capable of keeping humidity in an interior always constant without regard to change of temperature, etc., in the interior by automatically changing humidifying amount in response to change of humidity in the interior. SOLUTION: This humidifier controls output of a planar heat generator 6 by a temperature regulator 8 to control water in a water container 3 at a specified target temperature. In this state, if relative humidity in a space to be humidified decreases due to changes in temperature in the space, wet bulb temperature is lowed so that difference between the wet bulb temperature and temperature of the water in the water container 3 becomes large. Then, because amount of evaporation from the water container 3 increases, an original relative humidity can be restored. On the other hand, if the relative humidity in the space increases, wet bulb temperature is raised so that difference between the wet bulb temperature and the temperature of the water in the water container 3 becomes small. Then, because amount of evaporation from the water container 3 decreases, an original relative humidity can be restored.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a humidifier,
In particular, it relates to a humidifier that controls humidity at low temperatures.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a humidifier, as shown in FIG. 5, the humidity inside a refrigerator 502 cooled by a cooler 501 is detected by a humidity sensor 503.
In some cases, the humidity controller 505 controls the humidifier 506 on and off based on the humidity detected in Step 3 to maintain the humidity in the refrigerator at a predetermined value.

[0002]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional humidifier, as shown in a humidity change curve 102 in FIG.
Cooler 5 at the time of ON according to ON / OFF of cooler 501
The relative humidity fluctuates in a complicated manner due to dehumidification at 01, re-evaporation of water from the cooler 501 at the time of turning off, temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator, and the like. There is a problem that the relative humidity in the refrigerator fluctuates greatly with respect to a target value, for example, 90%, in synchronization with this fluctuation. In particular, there is a problem that condensation occurs near the maximum value.

Further, since the saturated water content of air is small especially at low temperatures, a slight change in temperature greatly changes the relative humidity.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to automatically change the humidification amount in response to fluctuations in the temperature and humidity in the refrigerator, so that the humidity in the refrigerator can always be kept constant irrespective of temperature and humidity fluctuations in the refrigerator. It is to provide an inexpensive humidifier.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a humidifier for evaporating water from a water storage unit to humidify a humidified space. A water temperature control unit for controlling the water of the unit to a target temperature.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the water temperature control section controls the water in the water storage section to a target temperature. Therefore, when the relative humidity of the humidified space is reduced due to fluctuations in the temperature of the humidified space, dehumidification by a cooler, or the like, the wet bulb temperature decreases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit increases. Then, the difference between the water vapor partial pressure with respect to the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space and the water vapor partial pressure of the water storage unit increases, and the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit increases, so that the relative humidity can be returned to the original value. On the other hand, when the relative humidity of the humidified space increases, the wet bulb temperature increases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit, that is, the partial pressure of water vapor decreases. Then, since the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit is reduced, the relative humidity can be restored.

As described above, according to the present invention, even if the relative humidity is increased or decreased due to factors such as temperature fluctuations in the humidified space, the evaporation amount is automatically adjusted only by maintaining the water temperature of the water storage unit at a predetermined value. The relative humidity of the humidified space can be automatically kept at a constant value by decreasing and increasing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, a humidifier further includes a target temperature setting section for setting the target temperature.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the difference between the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space and the water temperature of the water storage section can be arbitrarily set by setting the target temperature of the water temperature in the target temperature setting section. The amount of humidification can be set arbitrarily. At the same time, by humidification from the water storage unit, the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space is brought close to the water temperature of the water storage unit, and the relative humidity of the humidified space is set to the relative humidity when the wet bulb temperature becomes the water temperature. You can get closer. That is, with the water temperature setting of the water storage unit,
You can set a target value for relative humidity.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature according to a temperature of the humidified space. .

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the target value of the relative humidity can be made constant by setting the target temperature to be high or low according to the level of the temperature of the humidified space. Because, if the target temperature is constant,
This is because the target value of the relative humidity fluctuates depending on the temperature of the humidified space.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature according to a target relative humidity of the humidified space. And

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the target value of the relative humidity can be made constant by setting the target temperature to be high or low according to the level of the target relative humidity of the humidified space. . This is because if the target temperature is constant, the target value of the relative humidity fluctuates depending on the level of the target relative humidity of the humidified space.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section changes the target temperature with time.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the humidification amount per unit time determined by the difference between the water temperature and the wet bulb temperature is adjusted by changing the target temperature over time by the target temperature setting section. be able to. Therefore, the ability to adjust the relative humidity of the humidified space can be adjusted.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the humidifier according to the first aspect, further comprising a planar heating element for heating the water stored in the water storage unit.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the water in the water storage section can be efficiently heated by the planar heating element.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, the water temperature control unit is turned on and off according to whether the temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the humidified space is driven or not. An on-off control unit is provided.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the temperature control unit of the humidified space is driven, the relative humidity decreases, so that the water temperature control unit is turned on to perform humidification, while the temperature control unit of the humidified space is turned on. When is not driven, the relative humidity increases, so the water temperature control unit is turned off to stop humidification. Thereby, energy consumption can be saved.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, the water storage unit includes a plurality of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) pipes, and outside or inside the plurality of pipes. , And the inside or outside of the pipe is communicated with the humidified space.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the PTFE pipe, which is a moisture-permeable film having poor heat conductivity, is used, only the humidity can be increased without warming the air flowing through the space to be humidified. .

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, the water storage unit includes a water circulation unit that circulates water in the water storage unit.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the water in the water storage section is circulated by the water circulating means, the water temperature distribution in the water storage section can be made uniform and the water temperature control can be precisely performed. Therefore, humidification control can be performed precisely.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a humidifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. This humidifier has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has an inflow surface 1 through which air from a humidified space (for example, a refrigerator storage space) flows in and an outflow surface 2 through which humidified air flows out into the humidified space. The water storage section 3 faces the inflow surface 1. The water storage unit 3 includes a plurality of PTFs.
.. Made of E. Water is provided outside the pipe 5, and the inside of the pipe 5 is an air passage. A water supply pipe 4 is connected to the water storage unit 3.
Is supplied with water. The water storage unit 3 has a plurality of planar heating elements 6, 6... Arranged vertically and horizontally. The outputs of the planar heating elements 6, 6,... Are controlled by a temperature controller 8 connected to a water temperature sensor 7 so that the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 is set to a predetermined target temperature.

Between the water storage section 3 and the outflow surface 2,
A ventilation control unit 10 is provided. This blowing control unit 10
Has a blower fan 11, the temperature controller 8, a power supply unit (not shown), and the like.

In this humidifier, the temperature controller 8 controls the output of the sheet heating element 6 to control the water in the water storage unit 3 to a predetermined target temperature. In this state, if the relative humidity of the humidified space decreases due to a change in the temperature of the humidified space or the like, the wet bulb temperature decreases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 increases. Then, as shown in the characteristic diagram of FIG. 2, the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit 3 increases, so that the relative humidity can be returned to the original. On the other hand, when the relative humidity of the humidified space increases, the wet bulb temperature increases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 decreases. Then, since the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit 3 decreases, the relative humidity can be restored.

As described above, according to the humidifier, even if the relative humidity increases or decreases due to factors such as temperature fluctuations in the humidified space, the evaporation amount is automatically controlled only by maintaining the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 at a predetermined value. The relative humidity of the humidified space can be automatically maintained at a constant value.

Therefore, for example, when the humidified space has a low temperature as in a refrigerator, and there is no humidification due to temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator, the characteristic curve 10 in FIG.
Even when the relative humidity in the refrigerator tends to fluctuate as shown in FIG. 3, by operating the humidifier of this embodiment, the relative humidity in the refrigerator becomes 90% as shown by the characteristic curve 101 in FIG. %. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to keep the desired humidified state and keep the food in the refrigerator fresh without causing dew condensation unlike the conventional example shown by the characteristic curve 102.

The following table shows an example of the relationship among the temperature in the refrigerator, the relative humidity in the refrigerator, the wet bulb temperature, and the partial pressure of water vapor. Internal temperature Relative humidity Wet bulb temperature Steam partial pressure 7 ° C 100% 7.0 ° C 7.5mmHg 5 ° C 100% 5.0 ° C 6.5mmHg 5 ° C 90% 4.3 ° C 5.9mmHg 5 ° C 70% 2. 8 ° C. 4.6 mmHg 5 ° C. 50% 1.2 ° C. 3.3 mmHg The above internal temperature is an indicated value of a dry thermometer, and the wet bulb temperature is an indicated value of a wet thermometer. Then, the relative humidity is determined by the difference between the in-chamber temperature and the wet bulb temperature. Here, assuming that the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 is controlled at 7 ° C., as shown in the characteristic B of FIG. 2, when the difference between the water temperature of 7 ° C. and the wet bulb temperature exceeds 4 ° C., the partial pressure difference of water vapor becomes 3 mmHg or more. On the other hand, when the difference between the water temperature of 7 ° C. and the wet bulb temperature is 2 ° C. to 3 ° C., the partial pressure difference of water vapor becomes 1 mmHg or less, and the humidification hardly occurs. That is, when the water temperature is set to 7 ° C., as shown in FIG. 3, as the time t elapses, the relative humidity in the refrigerator can be made close to approximately 90%, and the value can be maintained.

As described above, the difference between the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space and the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 can be arbitrarily set by setting the target temperature of the water temperature by the temperature controller 8, and the humidification amount can be arbitrarily set. Can be set to At the same time, the humidification from the water storage unit 3 brings the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space close to the water temperature of the water storage unit 3, and the relative humidity of the humidified space becomes the relative humidity when the wet bulb temperature becomes the water temperature. Can approach humidity. That is, the target value of the relative humidity can be set by setting the water temperature of the water storage unit 3.

If the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 is constant, the target value of the relative humidity fluctuates depending on the level of the temperature of the humidified space.
If the target temperature of the water temperature is set high or low according to the level of the temperature of the humidified space, the target value of the relative humidity can be kept constant.

If the target temperature of the water temperature is constant, the target value of the relative humidity fluctuates depending on the level of the target relative humidity of the humidified space. Therefore, the target value of the relative humidity can be made constant by setting the target value of the water temperature of the water storage unit 3 to be high or low according to the level of the target relative humidity of the humidified space.

The humidification amount per unit time determined by the difference between the water temperature and the wet bulb temperature is adjusted by temporally changing the target temperature of the water in the water storage unit 3 by the temperature controller 8. Can be. Therefore, the ability to adjust the relative humidity of the humidified space can be adjusted.

In this embodiment, the water storage unit 3
Since the planar heating element 6 that heats the water stored therein is provided, the water in the water storage unit 3 can be efficiently heated.

In this embodiment, an on / off control unit for turning on / off the air blowing control unit 10 according to whether a temperature control unit (not shown) for controlling the temperature of the humidified space is driven or not driven is provided. In this case, when the temperature control unit in which the relative humidity of the humidified space decreases is being driven, the air supply control unit 10 is turned on to perform humidification, while the temperature control unit in which the relative humidity of the humidified space increases does not operate. At times, the blast control unit 10 is turned off to stop humidification. Thereby, energy consumption can be saved.

Further, in this embodiment, since the water storage section 3 uses the PTFE pipe 5 which is a moisture-permeable membrane having poor heat conduction, only the humidity can be measured without warming the air flowing through the space to be humidified. Can be raised. In this embodiment, the inside of the pipe 5 is an air passage and the outside of the pipe 5 is a water passage, but the reverse is also possible.

Although the above embodiment has been described with respect to an example in which the relative humidity in the refrigerator is controlled, this embodiment is also applicable to a case in which the relative humidity in an air-conditioned room is controlled. can do. In this case, since the temperature of the humidified space is higher than the temperature in the refrigerator, the amount of evaporation determined by the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature is determined by the characteristic curve A in FIG. More than in the case.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 6 shows a humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This humidifier is
It has an inflow portion 61 into which air from the humidified space flows, and an outflow portion 62 through which humidified air flows into the humidified space. A water storage section 63 is disposed between the inflow section 61 and the outflow section 62. The water storage unit 63 includes a plurality of moisture permeable membrane tubes.
, And headers-66 connected to both ends thereof.
It has a branch part 67. Further, a control circulation section 68 is arranged adjacent to the water storage section 63. The control circulation unit 68 includes a water supply pipe 70 and a drain pipe 71, and the water supply pipe 7
Numeral 0 is connected to a tank 72 via a solenoid valve 74, and this tank 72 is connected to the header-66. On the other hand, the drain pipe 71 is connected to a drain pan 77.

The tank 72 is provided with a sheath heater 7.
3 built-in. Further, the tank 72 is connected to a branch part 67 via a circulation pump 76. The tank 72 is provided with a float switch 78. When the float switch 78 is actuated, an overflow pipe 75 is provided.
From the drain pan 77.

In this humidifier, water supplied from a water supply pipe 70 is introduced into a tank 72 via an electromagnetic valve 71, and heated by a sheath heater 73 in the tank 72. Then, the heated water is pumped to the branch part 67 by the circulation pump 76, and guided to the moisture permeable membrane tube 65 from the branch part 67. The hot water evaporates in the moisture permeable membrane tube 65 to humidify the air introduced from the humidified space via the inflow portion 61. Then, the humidified air is sent from the outflow portion 62 to the humidified space. The warm water that has passed through the moisture permeable membrane tube 65 returns to the tank 72 via the header 66. The hot water filled in the tank 72 flows out of the overflow pipe 75, flows down the drain pan 77, and is drained from the drain pipe 71.

Here, the hot water control unit 80 is connected to the
The heat output of the heater 73 is controlled to maintain the temperature of the hot water at a predetermined target value. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the amount of evaporation from the moisture permeable membrane tube 65 is automatically adjusted in accordance with the relative humidity of the humidified space, as in the first embodiment. By autonomously increasing or decreasing, the relative humidity of the humidified space can be made closer to the target humidity determined by the temperature of the hot water.

In the second embodiment, the water storage unit 63 includes a circulation pump 76 as water circulating means for circulating water in the water storage unit 63. Since the water is circulated, the water temperature distribution in the water storage unit 63 can be made uniform, and the water temperature can be controlled precisely. Therefore, humidification control can be performed precisely.

[0044]

As is apparent from the above description, the humidifier according to the first aspect of the present invention is a humidifier for evaporating water from a water storage unit to humidify a space to be humidified. A water temperature controller for controlling the temperature was provided.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the water temperature control unit controls the water in the water storage unit to the target temperature. Therefore, when the relative humidity of the humidified space decreases due to the fluctuation of the humidified space temperature or the like, the wet bulb temperature decreases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit increases. Then, since the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit increases, the relative humidity can be restored. On the other hand, when the relative humidity of the humidified space increases, the wet bulb temperature increases, and the difference between the wet bulb temperature and the water temperature of the water storage unit decreases. Then, since the amount of evaporation from the water storage unit is reduced, the relative humidity can be restored.

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the relative humidity is increased or decreased due to factors such as temperature fluctuations in the humidified space, an inexpensive configuration that only maintains the water temperature of the water storage unit at a predetermined value. Thus, the amount of evaporation automatically decreases and increases, and the relative humidity of the humidified space can be automatically maintained at a constant value.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, a target temperature setting section for setting the target temperature is provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by setting the target temperature of the water temperature in the target temperature setting section, the difference between the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space and the water temperature of the water storage section can be set arbitrarily. The humidification amount can be set arbitrarily. At the same time, by humidification from the water storage unit, the wet bulb temperature of the humidified space is brought close to the water temperature of the water storage unit, and the relative humidity of the humidified space is set to the relative humidity when the wet bulb temperature becomes the water temperature. You can get closer. That is, the target value of the relative humidity can be set by setting the water temperature of the water storage unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature in accordance with the temperature of the humidified space.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the target value of the relative humidity can be made constant by setting the target temperature to be high or low according to the level of the temperature of the humidified space.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature in accordance with a target relative humidity of the humidified space.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by setting the target temperature to be high or low according to the level of the target relative humidity of the humidified space, the target value of the relative humidity can be made constant. .

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the second aspect, the target temperature setting section changes the target temperature with time.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the humidification amount per unit time determined by the difference between the water temperature and the wet bulb temperature can be adjusted by changing the target temperature with time in the target temperature setting section. it can. Therefore, the ability to adjust the relative humidity of the humidified space can be adjusted.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the humidifier according to the first aspect, further comprising a planar heating element for heating the water stored in the water storage unit. According to the invention of claim 6, the water in the water storage section can be efficiently heated by the planar heating element.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the humidifier according to the first aspect, wherein the water temperature control section is turned on and off in accordance with whether the temperature control section for controlling the temperature of the humidified space is driven or not. A control unit was provided. According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the temperature control unit of the humidified space is driven, the relative humidity decreases. Therefore, the water temperature control unit is turned on to perform humidification, while the temperature control unit of the humidified space is not driven. At this time, since the relative humidity increases, the water temperature control unit is turned off to stop humidification. Thereby, energy consumption can be saved.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, the water storage unit includes a plurality of PTFE (porotetrafluoroethylene) pipes, and is provided outside or inside the plurality of pipes. The pipe was filled with water, and the inside or outside of the pipe was communicated with the humidified space. According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the PTFE pipe, which is a moisture-permeable film having poor heat conductivity, is used, only the humidity can be increased without warming the air flowing through the space to be humidified.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the humidifier according to the first aspect, the water storage unit includes a water circulation unit that circulates water in the water storage unit. According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the water in the water storage unit is circulated by the water circulation means, the water temperature distribution in the water storage unit can be made uniform, and the water temperature control can be precisely performed. Therefore, humidification control can be performed precisely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a structure of a humidifier according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing that an evaporation amount changes according to a difference between a wet bulb temperature and a water temperature in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing a state in which the relative humidity in the refrigerator approaches a set humidity as time passes in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing an example of a temporal change of a relative humidity in a refrigerator in each of the embodiment, the conventional example, and the case without humidification.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a conventional humidifier.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a humidifier according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inflow surface, 2 ... Outflow surface, 3 ... Water storage part, 4 ... Water supply pipe, 5 ... Pipe, 6 ... Planar heating element, 7 ... Water temperature sensor, 8
... temperature controller, 10 ... ventilation control unit, 11 ... ventilation fan,
61 ... inflow section, 62 ... outflow section, 63 ... water storage section, 65 ...
Moisture permeable membrane tube, 66 ... header, 67 ... branch part, 70
... water supply pipe, 71 ... drain pipe, 72 ... tank, 73 ... sheath heater, 74 ... solenoid valve, 75 ... overflow pipe, 76
... Circulation pump, 77 ... Drain pan, 78 ... Float switch.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A humidifier for humidifying a humidified space by evaporating water from a water storage unit, comprising a water temperature control unit for controlling water in the water storage unit to a target temperature. vessel. 2. The humidifier according to claim 1, further comprising a target temperature setting section for setting the target temperature. 3. The humidifier according to claim 2, wherein the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature according to a temperature of the humidified space. 4. The humidifier according to claim 2, wherein the target temperature setting section sets the target temperature according to a target humidity of the space to be humidified. 5. The humidifier according to claim 2, wherein the target temperature setting section changes the target temperature with time. 6. The humidifier according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet heating element for heating the water stored in the water storage unit. 7. The humidifier according to claim 1, further comprising an on / off control unit that turns on and off the water temperature control unit according to whether the temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the humidified space is driven or not. Humidifier characterized by the following. 8. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the water storage unit includes a plurality of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) pipes, and the outside or the inside of the plurality of pipes is filled with water. A humidifier characterized in that the inside or outside of the humidifier communicates with the humidified space. 9. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the water storage unit includes a water circulation unit that circulates water in the water storage unit.