WO2008056692A1

WO2008056692A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2008056692A1
Application number: PCT/JP2007/071615
Authority: WO
Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara
Original assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-11-10
Filing date: 2007-11-07
Publication date: 2008-05-15
Also published as: JP4597942B2; JP2008121973A

Abstract

An air conditioner capable of suppressing occurrence and growth of molds in a room even in winter time where the temperature outside the room is low. The air conditioner (1) has a mold suppression mode for suppressing occurrence of molds. The air conditioner (1) has an indoor unit (2), an outdoor air conditioning unit (5), an outdoor temperature thermistor (63), and a control section (8). The indoor unit (2) and outdoor air conditioning unit (5) can adjust the temperature in the room by supplying heated air into the room. The outdoor temperature thermistor (63) detects the temperature outside the room. When the temperature outside the room is lower than a predetermined level in the mold suppression mode, the control section (8) performs control so that the indoor unit (2) and outdoor air conditioning unit (5) supply heated air into the room.

Description

Specification

Air conditioner

Technical field

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to an air conditioner having a mold suppression mode that suppresses generation of mold.

Background art

Some recent air conditioners have various functions. The functions include an automatic operation mode and a sleep mode that make room temperature and humidity comfortable, and a mold suppression mode that suppresses the generation and growth of mold. In addition, as an air conditioner having a mold suppression mode, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a so-called reheat dehumidification operation is performed to suddenly change the relative humidity in the room, thereby suppressing mold generation and growth. Things are known.

Patent Document 1: JP 2002-61923 A

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in an air conditioner that performs reheat dehumidification operation in the mold suppression mode as in Patent Document 1, when the outdoor temperature is low, for example, less than 10 degrees, the cooling cycle in the reheat dehumidification operation is performed. Virtually impossible to do. Therefore, with such an air conditioner, it is difficult to suppress mold when the outdoor temperature is low, such as in winter.

Therefore, the present invention provides an air conditioner that can suppress the occurrence and growth of mold in the room even when the outdoor temperature is low, such as less than 10 degrees, as in winter. .

Means for solving the problem

[0004] The air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention has a mold suppression mode for suppressing mold generation. The air conditioner includes a heating unit, a temperature detection unit, and a control unit. The heating unit can adjust the temperature of the room by supplying heated air to the room. The temperature detector detects the outdoor temperature. The control unit has an outdoor temperature lower than a predetermined level in the mold suppression mode. In this case, control is performed so that air heated by the heating unit is supplied to the room.

When the outdoor temperature is less than 10 degrees, for example, this air conditioner performs heating operation and raises the indoor temperature. Thereby, only the relative humidity of indoor air falls. Therefore, this air conditioner can make the room difficult for mold to grow even when the outdoor temperature is low.

[0005] An air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit controls the heating unit so that the rate of change of the relative humidity in the room is greater than the rate of change of the absolute humidity. To do. In this way, by controlling the relative humidity to decrease to a specific ratio while maintaining the absolute humidity in the room, the room is maintained at an appropriate humidity at which mold does not easily grow.

[0006] An air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, further comprising a ventilation unit capable of supplying the outdoor air into the room and ventilating the room. .

In winter, when the outdoor temperature is low, for example below 10 degrees, the outdoor air is dry.

. Therefore, by taking outdoor air with low humidity into the room in this way, it is possible to easily reduce only the relative humidity of the indoor air without heating the indoor air more than necessary.

[0007] The air conditioner according to the invention 4 is the air conditioner according to the invention 3, wherein the control unit ventilates the room when the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity. Further control.

In this way, by performing ventilation when the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity, the indoor relative humidity can be reduced more effectively.

[0008] An air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to any of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, further comprising a dehumidifying unit. The dehumidifying unit dehumidifies indoor air. Then, when the outdoor temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined level in the mold suppression mode, the control unit dehumidifies the room air and heats the indoor air so that the room air is dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit and heated by the heating unit. Control more parts.

This air conditioner performs a so-called reheat dehumidification operation when the outdoor temperature is, for example, 10 ° C or higher. Thus, by switching the operation according to the outdoor temperature, it is possible to realize a fungus suppression mode function suitable for the outdoor temperature at that time. The invention's effect

[0009] According to the air conditioner pertaining to the first aspect of the present invention, even when the outdoor temperature is low, it is possible to make the room difficult for mold to grow. Therefore, it can be controlled with the ability S to suppress the occurrence and growth of mold in the room.

According to the air conditioner according to the invention 2, the room is kept at an appropriate humidity at which mold does not easily grow. According to the air conditioner according to the invention 3, the indoor air is heated relative to the indoor air without being heated more than necessary. Only humidity can be easily reduced.

According to the air conditioner pertaining to the fourth aspect of the invention, the indoor relative humidity can be reduced more effectively.

The air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the invention switches to heating operation or so-called reheat dehumidification operation according to the outdoor temperature, and therefore can achieve a fungus suppression mode function suitable for the outdoor temperature at that time.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is an external view of an air conditioner according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigerant circuit and a humidity control unit 4 according to the present embodiment and an air flow.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a control unit of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment and connections with peripheral devices of the control unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation method in a mold suppression mode according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an overall operation flow of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sub-routine for mold suppression mode control of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

[0011] 1 Air conditioner

2 Indoor unit

3 Outdoor unit

4 Air supply / humidification unit

5 Outdoor air conditioning unit 7 Air supply pipe

8 Control unit

8a Mode controller

8b timer

8c Operation judgment part

8d Target temperature setting section

8e Temperature control unit

8f Air supply humidification control part

21 Receiver

25 Indoor temperature thermistor

26 Indoor humidity sensor

63 outdoor temperature thermistor

64 Outdoor humidity sensor

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(1) Air conditioner configuration

FIG. 1 is an external view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. This air conditioner 1 is divided into an indoor unit 2 attached to an indoor wall and the like, and an outdoor unit 3 installed outside the room, and is used for indoor air conditioning operation, dehumidifying operation and humidifying operation. In addition, it has functions such as a mold suppression mode.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the indoor unit 2 is provided with a receiving unit 21, an LED 22, an indoor temperature thermistor 27, an indoor humidity sensor 28, and the like. The receiving unit 21 is provided so as to be able to receive an instruction to start various functions such as a mold suppression mode transmitted from the remote controller. The LED 22 lights up and blinks according to the operation of the air conditioner 1. For example, the LED 22 turns on blue and white alternately while the air conditioner 1 is operating in the mold suppression mode. The indoor temperature thermistor 27 and the indoor humidity sensor 28 detect the indoor temperature and humidity, respectively. Further, the indoor unit 2 has a capacity for storing the indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b, the indoor motor-operated valve 24, the indoor fan motor 26, etc. Will be described later.

The outdoor unit 3 includes an outdoor air conditioning unit 5 and an air supply / humidification unit 4. The outdoor air conditioning unit 5 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger 54 (described later), an outdoor temperature thermistor 63 for detecting outdoor temperature, an outdoor humidity sensor 64 for detecting outdoor humidity, and the like. The air supply / humidification unit 4 supplies the air sucked from outside as it is or humidified to the room.

Each heat exchanger and the refrigerant pipes 6a and 6b connecting these heat exchangers constitute a refrigerant circuit. In addition, an air supply pipe 7 is provided between the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 to be used when air sent from the air supply / humidification unit 4 is supplied to the indoor unit 2 side.

(1 1) Refrigerant circuit configuration

Next, the refrigerant circuit used in the air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment will be described together with the internal configurations of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3. FIG. 2 is a system diagram of a refrigerant circuit used in the air conditioner 1.

[0014] [Indoor unit]

Inside the indoor unit 2, first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b, an indoor motor operated valve 24, a cross flow fan 25, and an indoor fan motor 26 are provided. The first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b are composed of a heat transfer tube that is bent back and forth at both ends in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of fins through which the heat transfer tube is passed, and is in contact with the air in contact therewith. Perform heat exchange.

For example, the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b function as an evaporator during the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation. Therefore, when the indoor air comes into contact with the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a, 23b functioning as an evaporator, the moisture in the air condenses into water droplets, and the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a , 23b is dropped on a drain pan (not shown) provided below 23b. Thereby, the temperature and humidity in indoor air fall.

[0015] Further, during the heating operation, the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b function as condensers, so that the indoor air contacts the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b. The air is warmed.

Further, during the reheat dehumidifying operation, the first indoor heat exchanger 23a functions as a condenser, and the second indoor heat exchanger 23b functions as an evaporator. This makes contact with the first indoor heat exchanger 23a The moisture in the indoor air thus condensed condenses into water droplets and drops onto the drain pan. Therefore, air with reduced temperature and humidity is sent indoors. On the other hand, the indoor air that has come into contact with the second indoor heat exchanger 23b is warmed and sent to the room. In this way, air with reduced temperature and humidity and warmed air mix in the room, and the relative humidity of the room air decreases.The indoor motor-operated valve 24 exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 23a and the second room heat. Connect to vessel 23b!

[0016] The cross flow fan 25 is configured in a cylindrical shape, and has a large number of wings on its peripheral surface, and generates an air flow in a direction crossing the rotation axis. The cross flow fan 25 sucks indoor air into the indoor unit 2 and blows out air after heat exchange has been performed between the first and second indoor heat exchangers 23a and 23b.

The indoor fan motor 26 is for driving the cross flow fan 25 to rotate. [Outdoor air conditioning unit]

Inside the outdoor air conditioning unit 5, it is connected to a compressor 51, a four-way selector valve 52 connected to the discharge side of the compressor 51, an accumulator 53 connected to the suction side of the compressor 51, and a four-way selector valve 52. The outdoor heat exchanger 54 and the motor-operated valve 55 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 54 are provided. The motor-operated valve 55 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 6a via a filter 56 and a liquid closing valve 57, and is connected to the first indoor heat exchanger 23a via the refrigerant pipe 6a. The four-way selector valve 52 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 6b via the gas shut-off valve 58, and is connected to the second indoor heat exchanger 23b via the refrigerant pipe 6b. The four-way selector valve 52 switches the refrigerant flow between cooling and heating.

Further, a propeller fan 59 is provided in the outdoor air conditioning unit 5. The propeller fan 59 is for discharging the air after heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 54 to the outside, and is rotated by an outdoor fan motor 60.

(1-2) Composition of air supply and humidification unit

Next, the configuration of the air supply / humidification unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The air supply / humidification unit 4 includes a suction / humidification rotor 41, a heater 43, a radial fan 44, and a suction fan 45.

The humidification / humidification rotor 41 is a honeycomb-structured ceramic rotor having a generally circular shape. Thus, the structure allows air to pass easily. The humidifying / humidifying rotor 41 is rotationally driven by a rotor driving motor 42. Further, the adsorbing / humidifying rotor 41 carries an adsorbent such as zeolite, silica gel or alumina. This zeolite adsorbent can adsorb moisture in the air in contact with it and has the property of releasing moisture when heated.

[0018] The heater 43 heats the air that is taken from outside the room and sent to the suction and humidification rotor 41 during the humidification operation.

The radial fan 44 is disposed on the side of the humidifying / humidifying rotor 41 and is driven by the radial fan motor 44a. The radial fan 44 generates a flow of air (A1 in Fig. 2) from the air supply port 40a for introducing air from the outside to the room through the humidifying / humidifying rotor 41, and the air from the outside is supplied to the air supply pipe. Plays the role of sending to indoor unit 2 via 7.

The suction fan 45 is driven to rotate by a suction fan motor 46. The suction fan 45 generates air flow so that the air sucked from the suction air suction port 40b is exhausted to the outside through the suction air blowout port 40c (A2 in Fig. 2). . The suction air suction port 40b is an opening through which the air taken in from the air supply / humidification unit 4 external force to adsorb moisture to the suction / humidification rotor 41, and the suction air blowout port 40c. It is an opening for discharging the air in which moisture is adsorbed by the humidifier 41 to the outside of the room.

According to such an air supply / humidification unit 4, during humidification, the heater 43 force S is turned on, and the air taken in from the air supply / exhaust port 4 Oa is heated by the heater, and the moisture separated from the suction / humidification rotor 41 is removed. It is sent to the air supply pipe 7 in the state of containing. Further, at the time of air supply ventilation without humidification, the heater 43 is turned off, and the air taken in from the intake / exhaust port 40a is sent to the air supply pipe 7 as it is.

(1 3) Configuration of control unit

Next, the control unit 8 that controls the air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 8 is a microcomputer composed of a CPU and a memory, and is provided separately in an electrical component box or the like disposed in the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3. The control unit 8 is connected to each device of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3, and controls each connected device. In particular, in the control unit 8 according to the present embodiment, the reception unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 receives an instruction to start the mold suppression mode. If this happens, control the temperature and humidity in the room based on the outdoor temperature TO so that the generation and growth of mold in the room can be suppressed. In order to perform such an operation, the control unit 8 functions as a mode control unit 8a, a timer 8b, an operation determination unit 8c, a target temperature setting unit 8d, a temperature control unit 8e, and an air supply / humidification control unit 8f. Hereinafter, each functional unit will be described.

[0020] [Mode control unit]

The mode control unit 8a controls the operation mode of the air conditioner 1 when the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 receives various operation instructions from a remote controller or the like. For example, when the receiving unit 21 receives an instruction to start the mold suppression mode, the mode control unit 8a outputs a mode setting signal indicating this to other functional units in the control unit 8.

[Timer]

When the timer 8b acquires the mode setting signal from the mode control unit 8a, the timer 8b starts outputting time information. The time information output from the timer 8b is taken into the temperature control unit 8e and the air supply / humidification control unit 8f.

[Driving judgment part]

The operation determination unit 8c determines how to operate based on the mode setting signal acquired from the mode control unit 8e. The target temperature setting unit 8d, the temperature adjustment control unit 8e, and the supply air humidification control The judgment result is output to part 8f. In particular, when the operation determination unit 8c acquires the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode, the operation determination unit 8c performs the heating operation or performs the reheat dehumidification operation according to the outdoor temperature TO detected by the outdoor temperature thermistor 63. Determine whether.

[0021] Hereinafter, how the operation determination unit 8c determines the heating operation or the reheat dehumidification operation in the mold control mode will be described. In Fig. 4, the vertical axis represents the outdoor temperature TO, and represents the type of operation determined according to the outdoor temperature TO. In addition, Fig. 4 shows that the horizontal axis is time and the type of operation is switched according to the outdoor temperature TO that changes over time. The operation determination unit 8c acquires a mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode. When the outdoor temperature TO is lower than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL, a heating operation start instruction is output to the target temperature setting unit 8d and the temperature control unit 8e. Next, the operation determination unit 8c compares the outdoor absolute humidity with the indoor absolute humidity. As a result of comparison, the absolute humidity outside the room When the humidity is lower, the operation determination unit 8c outputs an instruction to start the supply / air ventilation operation to the supply / humidification control unit 8f. Here, the outdoor and indoor humidity detected by the outdoor and indoor humidity sensors 64 and 28 are relative humidity. Therefore, the operation determination unit 8c converts the humidity detected by the humidity sensors 64 and 28 into absolute humidity using the temperature detected by the temperature thermistors 63 and 27, and performs comparison using the converted absolute humidity. . As described above, when the operation determination unit 8c calculates and compares the outdoor and indoor absolute humidity and outputs the instruction for the supply air ventilation operation when the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity, the heating operation is performed. At the same time, air supply ventilation operation is performed. Therefore, the force S can be used to effectively reduce the relative humidity in the room without heating more than necessary.

[0022] Further, when the operation determination unit 8c acquires the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode, if the outdoor temperature TO is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL and lower than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH, the reheat dehumidification An operation start instruction is output to the temperature control unit 8e.

If the outdoor temperature TO becomes equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH during acquisition of the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode or during heating operation or reheat dehumidification operation, the operation determination unit 8c stops the operation ( Operation prohibition) command is output to the temperature control unit 8e and the air supply / humidification control unit 8f

Yes

Here, the first predetermined temperature TEMPL and the second predetermined temperature TEMPH are predetermined temperatures. For example, the first predetermined temperature TEMPL is set to 10 degrees, and the second predetermined temperature TEMPH is set to 42 degrees.

Furthermore, the operation determination unit 8c monitors the outdoor temperature TO detected by the outdoor temperature thermistor 63 during the reheat dehumidification operation. When this temperature becomes lower than the temperature “TEMPL−dt” obtained by subtracting the outside air temperature deviation dt from the first predetermined temperature TEMPL, the operation determination unit 8c adjusts the target temperature setting unit 8d to adjust the instruction to switch to the heating operation. Output to the temperature control unit 8e and the supply air humidification control unit 8f. The outside temperature deviation dt is a value determined in advance by experiments or the like.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, switching from the reheat dehumidifying operation to the heating operation is performed. Switching from the heating operation to the reheat dehumidifying operation is not performed. Therefore, even if the outdoor temperature TO becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL during the heating operation, the heating operation is continued as it is. [Target temperature setting section]

The target temperature setting unit 8d sets the indoor target temperature Tt and outputs it to the temperature control unit 8e. Specifically, when the target temperature setting unit 8d acquires a mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode from the mode control unit 8a and acquires a heating operation start instruction from the operation determination unit 8c, the target temperature setting unit 8d Set the target temperature T t so that the rate of change of relative humidity is greater than the rate of change of absolute humidity. That is, the target temperature Tt in the mold suppression mode is set to a temperature at which the relative humidity changes to a specific ratio while the absolute humidity in the room is almost maintained.

[0024] Hereinafter, how the target temperature setting unit 8d sets the target temperature when the heating operation is instructed in the mold suppression mode will be briefly described.

The target temperature setting unit 8d calculates the target temperature Tt by, for example, applying the current indoor temperature Tx detected by the indoor temperature thermistor 27 to the following equation.

Τΐ = 1.08Τχ + 8.5 + Α

Here, the above equation uses the water vapor partial pressure at the indoor temperature Tx and relative humidity, V, the saturated water vapor pressure when the target humidity is Ht, and the relative humidity ratio H / Ht, etc. This equation is obtained and stored in a memory (not shown). The coefficients “1.08” and “8.5” in the above equation are values determined based on the set relative humidity ratio H / Ht, etc.

Further, “A” in the above formula is a correction value, which is a fixed value. For example, when indoor moisture such as indoor walls, carpets, sofas, etc. that absorbs indoor humidity during indoor heating, the indoor absolute humidity rises. Therefore, the correction value A corrects the target temperature Tt in consideration of such effects. The correction value A is set in advance through experiments, etc.

[Temperature control unit]

The temperature control unit 8e controls each device in the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor air conditioning unit 5 so that the room has the target temperature Tt set by the target temperature setting unit 8d. For example, when the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode is acquired from the mode control unit 8a and the start instruction of the heating operation is acquired from the operation determination unit 8c, the temperature control unit 8e is detected by the indoor temperature sensor 28. Each device in the refrigerant circuit is controlled based on the temperature of the refrigerant. In addition, when the mode control signal indicating the mold suppression mode is acquired from the mode control unit 8d and the start instruction of the reheat dehumidifying operation is acquired from the operation determination unit 8c, the temperature control unit 8e receives the first control signal in the refrigerant circuit. In addition, each device in the refrigerant circuit is controlled so that the second indoor heat exchanger 23a, 23b functions as a condenser and an evaporator, respectively, so that the reheat dehumidification operation is performed.

[0026] When the acquired mode setting signal is the mold suppression mode, the temperature control unit 8e performs the heating operation or the reheat dehumidifying operation until the time information output from the timer 8b reaches a predetermined time. To be controlled. Here, the predetermined time is a predetermined time, for example, 3 hours.

[Air supply humidification control unit]

The air supply / humidification control unit 8f controls each device in the air supply / humidification unit 4 according to the instruction of the humidification operation and the air supply / ventilation operation acquired from the mode control unit 8a.

For example, when the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode is acquired from the mode control unit 8a and the start instruction of the supply air ventilation operation is acquired from the operation determination unit 8c, the supply air humidification control unit 8f is connected to the supply / humidification unit 4 Controls each device in the air supply / humidification unit 4 so that the air supply / ventilation operation is performed. More specifically, the air supply / humidification control unit 8f turns off the heater 43 in the air supply / humidification unit 4 so that the air taken in from the intake / exhaust port 40a is sent to the air supply pipe 7 as it is. In addition, the rotor driving motor 42a, the radial fan motor 44a, and the like are controlled.

[0027] When the acquired mode setting signal is the mold suppression mode, the supply air humidification control unit 8f performs the supply air ventilation operation until the time information output from the timer 8b reaches a predetermined time. Control. Here, like the temperature control unit 8e, the predetermined time is a predetermined time, for example, 3 hours.

(2) Operation

Next, the operation performed by the air conditioner 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an overall operation flow of the air conditioner 1.

Step S1: The receiving unit 21 in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioner 1 receives the power-on instruction of the air conditioner 1 from the remote controller, etc. (S1), and then receives various operation start instructions. And

[0028] Steps S2 to S3: The operation start instruction received by the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 is the mold suppression mode. If this is the case (S2), the mode control unit 8a of the control unit 8 outputs a mode setting signal indicating an instruction of the mold suppression mode to each functional unit. Each functional unit in the control unit 8 performs mold suppression mode control (S3). The mold suppression mode control will be described later.

Steps S4 to 5: When the operation start instruction S received by the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 is an operation start instruction other than the mold suppression mode such as heating or cooling (S4), the mode control unit 8a This fact is output to each functional part in part 8. The control unit 8 performs the instructed operation control (S5).

Step S6: When the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 receives an instruction to turn off the air conditioner 1 from a remote controller or the like (S6), the air conditioner 1 ends its operation. Note that the air conditioner 1 repeats the operations after step S2 until the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 receives the power-off instruction.

[0029] (2-1) Control action in force suppression mode

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the mold suppression mode control.

Step S11: When the timer 8b of the control unit 8 obtains the mode setting signal indicating the mold suppression mode instruction from the mode control unit 8a, the timer 8b starts outputting time information. The operation determination unit 8c compares the outdoor temperature TO detected by the outdoor temperature thermistor 63 with the first predetermined temperature TEMPL.

Steps S12 to 14: When the outdoor temperature TO is lower than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL (S12), the operation determination unit 8c outputs a heating operation start instruction to the target temperature setting unit 8d and the temperature control unit 8e. To do. The target temperature setting unit 8d determines the indoor target temperature Tt (S13), and the temperature control unit 8e performs heating operation so that the indoor temperature becomes the target temperature Tt. Control of the device is started (S14).

[0030] Steps S15 to 16: The operation determination unit 8c converts the outdoor and indoor relative humidity detected by the outdoor and indoor humidity sensors 64 and 28 into absolute humidity, and compares the outdoor absolute humidity and the indoor absolute humidity. Compare As a result of the comparison, if the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity (S15), the operation determination unit 8c outputs an instruction to start the supply air ventilation operation to the supply air humidification control unit 8f. The air supply / humidification control unit 8f starts control of each device in the air supply / humidification unit 4 so that the air supply / ventilation operation is performed (S16). Note that the outdoor absolute temperature is the same as the indoor absolute temperature. When it is equal or larger, the supply air ventilation operation is not performed, and only the heating operation is performed. Steps S17 to 18: When the outdoor temperature TO is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL and lower than the second predetermined temperature TEM PH (S17), the operation determination unit 8c sends an instruction to start the reheat dehumidification operation to the temperature control unit 8e. Output. The temperature control unit 8e starts control of each device in the refrigerant circuit so that the reheat dehumidifying operation is performed (S18).

[0031] Step S19: When the outdoor temperature TO is less than the temperature "TEMPL-dt" after subtracting the outside temperature deviation dt from the first predetermined temperature TEMPL (S19), the operation determination unit 8c An instruction to switch to operation is output to the target temperature setting unit 8d and the temperature control unit 8e. Then, the operations after step S13 are performed. If the outdoor temperature TO is higher than the temperature "TEMPL-dt", the reheat dehumidification operation is continued.

Steps S20 to 22: If the outdoor temperature TO when the mold suppression mode is instructed in Step S17 is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH, a predetermined time has elapsed since the heating operation or the reheat dehumidifying operation was performed. If the outdoor temperature T 0 becomes higher than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH during heating operation (S20), etc. (S21), the operation determination unit 8c gives an instruction to stop operation (operation prohibited). 8e and the supply air humidification control unit 8f are instructed (S22). This stops the operation. If the predetermined time has elapsed since the heating operation or reheat dehumidifying operation was performed! /,!, And the outdoor temperature TO is lower than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH, Each operation is performed continuously.

[0032] (3) Effect

When the outdoor temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL, the air conditioner 1 performs a heating operation to increase the indoor temperature. More specifically, the air conditioner 1 determines the target temperature so that the relative humidity decreases to a specific ratio while maintaining the absolute humidity in the room, and the room temperature becomes the target temperature Tt. Heating operation. This reduces only the relative humidity of the indoor air. Therefore, even when the outdoor temperature is low, the air conditioner 1 can make the room difficult for mold to grow.

By the way, outdoor air is dry in winter when the outdoor temperature is low, for example, less than 10 degrees. In view of this, the air conditioner 1 performs an air supply / ventilation operation for supplying outdoor air into the room when the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity. This allows air The conditioner 1 can easily and effectively reduce only the relative humidity of the indoor air without heating the indoor air more than necessary.

[0033] In addition, the air conditioner 1 performs a so-called reheat dehumidification operation when the outdoor temperature is equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL when an instruction for the mold suppression mode is acquired. In this way, by performing the operation method according to the outdoor temperature, it is possible to realize a fungus suppression mode function suitable for the outdoor temperature at that time.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

(a) In the above embodiment, it is described that the operation in the mold suppression mode is stopped when the predetermined time has elapsed or when the outdoor temperature TO is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature TEMPH, as shown in FIG. However, the operation in the mold suppression mode can be terminated under other conditions. Other conditions include the following conditions 13.

Condition 1: When operating in the mold suppression mode, the user presses the buttons for setting various modes on the remote controller, and the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 is in a mode other than the mold suppression mode. When a mode setting signal indicating an instruction is received.

Condition 2: When operating in the mold suppression mode, the operation stop button or power off button on the remote controller is pressed by the user, and the receiving unit 21 of the indoor unit 2 receives this. Condition 3: Operation in the mold control mode Sometimes, for example, an abnormality such as a failure occurs in any device in the indoor unit 2 or the outdoor air conditioning unit 5.

[0034] (b) In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the operating power in the mold suppression mode, the heating operating power, and the reheat dehumidifying operation are not switched! This is not a limitation. That is, the air conditioner performs heating operation when the outdoor temperature is the first predetermined temperature TEMPL, and switches to reheat dehumidification operation when the outdoor temperature becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined temperature TEMPL during the heating operation. May be.

(c) In the above embodiment, the first predetermined temperature TEMPL is 10 degrees and the second predetermined temperature TEMPH is 42 degrees, but the numerical values of these temperatures are not limited to this. First predetermined temperature TEMPL and The second predetermined temperature TEMPH can be set to an appropriate value according to the place where the air conditioner 1 is installed. In addition, the predetermined time for driving in the mold suppression mode is 3 hours, but this value is not limited to this. The predetermined time may be arbitrarily set by the user.

[0035] (d) In the above embodiment, the target temperature Tt is determined based on Equation 1, and the correction value A in Equation 1 is a force S described as being fixed, but is not limited thereto. The correction value A may be changed as appropriate based on changes in the situation including the room temperature and humidity during the heating operation and other system conditions of the air conditioner 1. In this case, the air conditioner 1 always monitors the indoor temperature, humidity, system status, etc., and if at least one of them changes, for example, apply the degree of change to an arithmetic expression or a table. Change the correction value A to an appropriate value with! /,.

Also, the target temperature Tt can be set by any method other than Equation 1 as long as it is set at a temperature that can suppress mold in the room.

(e) In the above embodiment, the case where the air conditioner 1 includes the outdoor humidity sensor 64 has been described, but the outdoor humidity sensor 64 may not be provided. In this case, the operation determination unit 8c in the control unit 8 of the air conditioner 1 assumes that the outdoor relative humidity is 100%, and calculates the outdoor outdoor temperature based on the temperature detected by the outdoor temperature thermistor 63. Then, the operation determination unit 8c compares the obtained outdoor absolute humidity with the indoor absolute humidity, and determines whether or not to perform the supply-air ventilation operation.

[0036] In addition, when the outdoor humidity sensor 64 is not provided, the air conditioner 1 monitors the change in the outdoor heat exchange temperature, and estimates the outdoor relative humidity based on the outdoor heat exchange temperature at that time. Good. ω In the above embodiment, the force described by taking the case where the air conditioner 1 is a separate type as an example is not limited to this. The air conditioner according to the present invention can be applied to other types such as an embedded type in a ceiling or the like.

Industrial applicability

[0037] The present invention is effective as an air conditioner because it has the effect of making it possible to make the room difficult to grow mold even when the outdoor temperature is low.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] An air conditioner (1) having a mold suppression mode for suppressing mold generation,

A heating unit (2, 5) capable of adjusting the temperature of the room by supplying heated air to the room; a temperature detection unit (63) for detecting the outdoor temperature;

A control unit (8) that controls the heating unit (2, 5) to supply the heated air into the room when the outdoor temperature is lower than a predetermined level in the mold suppression mode; Air conditioner (1) equipped with.

[2] The control unit (8) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (8) controls the heating unit (2, 5) such that a rate of change of relative humidity in the room is larger than a rate of change of absolute humidity. Air conditioner (1).

[3] A ventilation unit capable of supplying the outdoor air into the room and ventilating the room

The air conditioner (1) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising (4).

[4] In the case where the outdoor absolute humidity is lower than the indoor absolute humidity! /

The air conditioner (1) according to claim 3, wherein the ventilation unit (4) further controls the room to ventilate the room.

[5] It further comprises a dehumidifying part (2, 5) for dehumidifying the indoor air,

When the outdoor temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined level in the mold suppression mode, the control unit (8) dehumidifies the indoor air by the dehumidifying unit (2, 5), and the heating unit (2, 5 The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further controlling the dehumidifying section (2, 5) and the heating section (2, 5) so that the dehumidifying section is heated and supplied to the room. (1).