WO2020050552A1

WO2020050552A1 - Heat exchange system

Info

Publication number: WO2020050552A1
Application number: PCT/KR2019/011124
Authority: WO
Inventors: 이서진; 홍상현; 김지현
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2018-09-07
Filing date: 2019-08-30
Publication date: 2020-03-12
Also published as: KR102106874B1; KR20200028765A

Abstract

A heat exchange system of the present invention comprises: a fan formed so as to suction air through an air suction port and discharge the air through an air discharge port; a heat exchanger provided between the fan and the air discharge port so as to heat or cool the air to be discharged by the fan; a water collecting tank provided at the lower side of the heat exchanger so as to collect condensate water generated during heat exchange of the heat exchanger; a blind provided between the air suction port and the fan so as to come in contact with the air suctioned by the fan, and formed such that the position and direction thereof can be adjusted; and a condensate water spray device formed so as to receive the condensate water collected in the water collecting tank and spray same toward the blind.

Description

Heat exchange system

The present invention relates to a heat exchange system configured to reduce fine dust and odor contained in air by using condensate generated during a heat exchange process.

The heat exchange system refers to a device that uses heat exchange as a basic mechanism. Devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, dehumidifiers, etc. are all included in the scope of the heat exchange system because they produce the desired results through heat exchange.

The heat exchange systems are configured to suck air from the outside using a fan, and then discharge the air to the outside after heat exchange. For example, when the air conditioner is operated in cooling, it is formed to suck outside hot air, cool through heat exchange, and discharge cold air.

A heat exchanger is a typical device adopted for the heat exchange system. If the heat exchanger is operated continuously, moisture will form on the surface of the heat exchanger. For example, when a heat exchanger is used as an evaporator of an air conditioner, when the air conditioner is cooled, the temperature of the evaporator is lower than room temperature. Accordingly, condensed water is formed on the surface of the evaporator.

Patent Document No. 1999-019513 (1999.03.15.), Which is a prior art document, discloses a configuration in which condensate is converted into ozone water and injected into a heat exchanger. Using the configuration of the patent document, germs and the like in the heat exchanger can be sterilized by sterilizing power using ozone.

Although the bacteria and the like of the heat exchanger can be sterilized with the configuration of the patent document, there is a limitation in that air quality of air supplied to a person is not changed.

Air quality refers to evaluating various components contained in air and comparing them to normal levels. For example, air quality refers to the basic components constituting the air and contaminants contained in the air in addition to the basic components, and is used for quality determination of the air environment.

Air quality standards vary by country. In general, the concentration of fine dust (PM10), ultrafine dust (PM2.5), ozone (O ₃ ), nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂ ), nitrogen monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO ₂ ) contained in the air Therefore, the air quality is judged as good, normal, bad, or very bad.

The air discharged from the heat exchange system can be directly supplied to a human living environment. It is not preferable that the air discharged from the heat exchange system contains substances that degrade air quality, such as fine dust or ultrafine dust, or contains odor-causing components.

An object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchange system configured to improve air quality of air directly supplied to a human living environment and reduce odor. In particular, the present invention is to provide a configuration that can be used to improve air quality and reduce odor of condensate generated in a heat exchange system.

An object of the present invention is to control the flow rate and flow rate of air through adjusting the area and direction of the air flow path, and to propose a heat exchange system having a configuration capable of improving air quality improvement effect and odor reduction effect. In addition, the present invention is to propose a heat exchange system configured to reduce the area wasted without participating in heat exchange in the process of controlling the flow rate and flow rate of the air.

An object of the present invention is to propose a heat exchange system of a configuration that imparts antibacterial and odor removal functions to surfaces of components that have the opportunity to contact moisture.

In order to achieve such an object of the present invention, the heat exchange system according to an embodiment of the present invention controls the flow of air by using a blind formed to be able to adjust the position and direction, and occurs in the heat exchange process of the heat exchanger Fine dust / ultrafine dust and odor-causing substances are adsorbed using a condensate spray device that is formed to spray the condensate to the blind.

The heat exchange system may include: a fan configured to suck air through an air intake port and discharge air through the air outlet port; A heat exchanger installed between the fan and the air outlet to heat or cool the air to be discharged by the fan; And a water collecting tank installed below the heat exchanger to collect condensate generated during the heat exchange process of the heat exchanger.

The blind is installed between the air intake and the fan so as to contact the air sucked by the fan.

The condensate spraying device receives the condensate collected in the collection tank.

The water collecting tank is installed under the blind, and the blind extends toward the water collecting tank to guide the condensate sprayed from the condensate spraying device to be re-collected into the water collecting tank.

The blind, the rail extending in a direction crossing the flow direction of the air by the fan; A plurality of slats extending in a direction toward the water collecting tank and moving along the rail or rotating on the rail; And a driving unit formed to adjust the position and angle of the slat.

The slat is formed in a plate or mesh structure.

The heat exchange system further includes an air sensor installed between the air intake and the blind so as to measure the quality of air or the concentration of odor-causing substances sucked into the air intake by the fan, and the driving unit is the air sensor It works on the basis of the air quality or concentration of odor-causing substances measured at.

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are moved to a position to increase the contact area with the air sucked through the air intake.

An air flow path is formed between each of the plurality of slats to pass air sucked from the air intake port, and when the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are It is rotated in a direction to narrow the air passage.

The degree of light narrowing of the air passage is adjusted so as to be inversely proportional to the quality of the air measured by the air sensor or the concentration of the odor-causing substance exceeding the standard.

The plurality of slats are rotated at different angles, and the air flow path is adjusted to gradually widen or gradually narrower from being arranged at one end of the plurality of slats to being arranged at the other end.

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are rotated in a direction such that a relative angle to the extending direction of the rail is within a range of 30 to 150 °. .

In the range of the acute angle, the relative angle is adjusted to be inversely proportional to the degree of air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor, and the relative angle in the range of the obtuse angle is the air sensor. The air quality or the concentration of odor-causing substances to be measured is adjusted to be proportional to the degree exceeding the above standard.

The plurality of slats are rotated to have relative angles to the extending direction of the rails with different values, and the relative angles gradually increase or gradually increase from being disposed at one end of the plurality of slats to being disposed at the other end. It is adjusted to be small.

The condensate spray device is formed to spray condensate from the upper side of the blind toward the blind, and the condensate spray device comprises: a condensate pipe connected to the water collection tank and the condensate spray device to form a condensate supply flow path; A nozzle formed to spray the condensate supplied through the condensate pipe with the blinds; And a pump installed on the condensate pipe and formed to supply condensate supplied from the water collection tank to the nozzle through the condensate pipe.

The heat exchange system further includes a drain pipe that is branched from the pump to discharge the condensate to the outside and extends to the outside of the heat exchange system, and which of the condensate pipe and the drain pipe supplies condensate through control of the pump Is decided.

The heat exchange system further includes a microbial sensor formed to measure the microbial concentration of the condensate collected in the water collection tank, and the pump is operated based on the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor.

The pump operates only when the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor is less than the reference value.

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats reciprocate within a predetermined rotation range every predetermined time.

The plurality of slats are sequentially moved with a time difference from being arranged at one end to being arranged at the other end.

A hydrophilic coating containing a transition metal oxide is formed on at least one surface of the heat exchanger, the water collecting tank, and the blind, and the transition metal oxide is tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), zirconium. (Zirconium, Zr).

The hydrophilic coating includes at least one hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, polyacetic acid, and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

According to the present invention having the above configuration, the air condensate is sprayed to adsorb fine dust / ultrafine dust and odor-causing substances, so that the air quality of the air directly supplied to the human living environment can be improved and the odor is reduced. can do.

In particular, according to the present invention, the air flow direction, flow rate, and flow rate are changed by using the blinds, and condensate is sprayed on the blinds to adsorb fine dust / ultrafine dust and odor-causing substances, thereby improving air quality and reducing odor. Can be obtained.

In addition, the present invention is based on the concentration of air quality and odor-causing substances detected by the air sensor, and the concentration of microorganisms in the condensate detected by the microbial sensor to control pumps, blinds, and the like. Therefore, it is possible to expect an effective air quality improvement and an odor-inducing substance reduction effect according to the air quality and the concentration of the odor-causing substance, and efficient power management can be achieved.

In addition, the present invention, by using a hydrophilic coating containing a transition metal oxide, it is possible to impart antibacterial and odor removal functions to the surface in contact with the condensate.

In addition, the present invention can solve the problem of the dead zone of the heat exchanger through driving control of the blind.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an air conditioner as an example of a heat exchange system proposed in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the blind shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a perspective view showing a condensate spraying apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

4 is a flow chart of a method for reducing fine dust / fine dust and odor using condensate.

5 is a state diagram of the operation of the blinds and condensate spray when the air quality or odor condition is good.

6 is a state diagram of the operation of the blinds and condensate spray when the air quality or odor condition is normal.

7 is an operation state diagram of the blind and the condensate spraying device when the air quality or the odor state is bad / very bad.

8 is an operating state of the blinds and the condensate spraying device that operates to suppress the occurrence of dead zones in the heat exchanger when the air quality or the odor state is moderate to very poor.

9 is another operating state of the blinds and the condensate spraying device that operates to suppress the occurrence of dead zones in the heat exchanger when the air quality or the odor state is moderate to very poor.

Hereinafter, the heat exchange system according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations in different embodiments, and the description is replaced with the first description.

When an element is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that other components may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle.

The singular expression used in this specification includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the present invention, the heat exchange system refers to a device that uses heat exchange as a basic mechanism. The heat exchange system is equipped with a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is likely to contact moisture through a heat exchange process. For example, when the heat exchanger exchanges heat with air, condensation water is generated on the surface of the heat exchanger. 1 shows an air conditioner as an example of such a heat exchange system.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an air conditioner 100 as an example of a heat exchange system proposed in the present invention.

The

casings

111 and 112 form the appearance of the air conditioner 100. The

casings

111 and 112 are formed with air inlets 112a and air outlets 111a that open in opposite directions. For example, the air intake 112a is formed on the back of the air conditioner 100, and the air outlet 111a is formed on the front of the air conditioner 100.

The

casings

111 and 112 may include a first casing 111 disposed in the front and a second casing 112 disposed in the rear. The air discharge port 111a is formed in the first casing 111, and the air suction port 112a is formed in the second casing 112. The first casing 111 and the second casing 112 are coupled to each other to form an installation space for components such as a fan 120 or a heat exchanger 130 therein.

Fan 120 is installed inside the casing (111, 112). The fan 120 is formed to suck air through the air inlet 112a and discharge air through the air outlet 111a. If the air inlet 112a and the air outlet 111a are formed at positions facing each other, the fan 120 may be configured as an axial fan that generates wind in the axial direction. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the fan 120 may be configured as a centrifugal fan. In this case, a structure for guiding the wind generated by the fan 120 to the air outlet 111a may be additionally installed inside the air conditioner 100.

The fan 120 may be installed in plural. The plurality of fans 120 may be installed to overlap each other on the flow path of the air, or may be installed side by side. 1 shows two fans 120 installed side by side vertically. The number, size, and air volume of the fan 120 may vary depending on the design or cooling capacity of the air conditioner 100.

The heat exchanger 130 is installed between the fan 120 and the air outlet 111a to heat or cool the air to be discharged to the air outlet 111a by the fan 120. Since the air outlet 111a is installed in front of the fan 120, the heat exchanger 130 is installed at a position corresponding to the rear of the air outlet 111a and a position corresponding to the front of the fan 120. If based on the flow of air, the heat exchanger 130 is installed on the downstream side of the fan 120.

When the air conditioner 100 is cooled, the heat exchanger 130 operates as an evaporator. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger 130 is evaporated by receiving heat from the air in the evaporator. Air transfers heat to the refrigerant through the evaporator and is cooled.

When air is cooled by heat exchange with the heat exchanger 130, the amount of saturated water vapor that may be contained in the air is also reduced. Moisture in an amount exceeding the saturated water vapor amount becomes condensed water. When the amount of condensate generated increases, condensate forms water droplets, and the water droplets fall by their own weight.

The water collecting tank 140 is formed to collect condensed water. The water collecting tank 140 is installed under the heat exchanger 130 to collect condensate generated during the heat exchange process of the heat exchanger 130. The conventional air conditioner 100 is not provided with a water collecting tank 140, or even if a water collecting tank 140 is provided, it is only used to temporarily store condensed water to discharge condensed water.

However, in the present invention, the air quality of air to be supplied to the user is improved and the odor is reduced by using condensate generated during the heat exchange process of the heat exchanger 130. The air quality improvement and the odor reduction effect are achieved by the blind 150 and the condensate spray device 160.

The blind 150 is installed between the air intake 112a and the fan 120 so as to contact the air sucked into the fan 120. When the fan 120 is operated, air existing outside the air conditioner 100 is sucked through the air intake 112a. Therefore, if the blind 150 is disposed between the fan 120 and the air intake 112a, it may be in contact with air sucked through the air intake 112a.

The blind 150 is formed to be able to adjust its position and direction. This will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blind 150 shown in FIG. 1.

The blind 150 includes

rails

151 and 152, a plurality of slats 153, and a driving unit 155.

The

rails

151 and 152 extend in a direction crossing the flow direction of the air by the fan 120. For example, in Figure 1, the air intake 112a is formed on the back of the air conditioner 100, and the air outlet 111a is formed on the front of the air conditioner 100, so the flow direction of air is the air conditioner It can be said to be a front-to-back direction from the rear of the (100) to the front. The

rails

151 and 152 extend in the left and right directions to intersect in the front-rear direction. Since the concept of intersecting is not limited to the concept of orthogonal, the

rails

151 and 152 may not necessarily be orthogonal to the front-rear direction.

The

rails

151 and 152 form a movement path of the slat 153, which will be described later. The

rails

151 and 152 may be installed on at least one of the upper side or the lower side of the slat 153.

The slats 153 are provided in plural. Each slat 153 extends in the direction toward the water collecting tank 140. Since the blind 150 is installed on the upper side of the water collecting tank 140, the slat 153 may extend downward toward the water collecting tank 140. When the slat 153 is extended in the direction toward the water collecting tank 140, the condensed water sprayed on the slat 153 may fall back to the water collecting tank 140 by its own weight and be collected again.

The plurality of slats 153 are formed to move along the

rails

151 and 152 or to rotate within a movement path formed by the

rails

151 and 152. At least one of the top and bottom of each slat 153 may be equipped with a carrier 154, which is movably and rotatably inserted into

rails

151 and 152. Since the slat 153 and the carrier 154 are integrally moved, the slat 153 can be moved and rotated on the

rails

151 and 152 by the carrier 154.

Each slat 153 may be formed in a plate or mesh structure. When the slat 153 is formed of a plate or mesh structure extending in the vertical direction, it affects the flow direction, flow rate, and flow rate of the air sucked into the air intake 112a. When the slat 153 is formed in a plate or mesh structure, it provides a large surface area, thereby increasing the adsorption effect of fine dust / ultrafine dust and odor-causing substances by condensate spraying.

When each slat 153 is arranged to face the same direction as the intake direction of air, there is little influence on the flow direction, flow rate, and flow rate of air. On the other hand, when the slats 153 are arranged inclined with respect to the intake direction of air, the air particles sucked into the air intake 112a collide with the slats 153, and the air flow paths formed between the plurality of slats 153 are formed. Will pass. Accordingly, the flow direction, flow rate, and flow rate of air are affected by the direction or area of the air flow path formed between the plurality of slats 153. In addition, the direction or area of the air passage is determined by the separation distance between the slats 153 and the inclination angle of the slats 153.

The inclination angle of the slat 153 may be described based on the relative angle to the

rails

151 and 152 or the air flow direction (suction direction). The

rails

151 and 152 extend along a direction crossing with respect to the flow direction of air, and preferably, the flow direction of the air and the extending direction of the

rails

151 and 152 are orthogonal to each other. Accordingly, the inclination angle of the slat 153 may be described as how inclined the slats 153 are arranged with respect to the

rails

151 and 152, or how inclined the slats 153 are arranged with respect to the flow direction of air. For example, even with the same inclination angle, the description of the inclination angle of the slat 153 may vary according to the standard.

The driving unit 155 is formed to adjust the position and angle of the slat 153. The driving unit 155 may be configured as a motor that generates driving force. The motor may be connected to each carrier 154 by a chain (not shown) or the like, and the driving force generated by the motor is transmitted to the carrier 154 through the chain. Each slat 153 may be moved or rotated by this driving force.

In the drawing, the vertical type blind 150 in which the slat 153 extends in the vertical direction is described as an example, but the present invention is a horizontal type blind in which the slat 153 extends in the horizontal direction ( 150) is also applicable.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the condensate spraying device 160 is formed to receive the condensate collected in the water collecting tank 140 and spray it toward the blind 150. The condensate spray device 160 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a perspective view of the condensate spray device 160 shown in FIG. 1.

The condensate spray device 160 is formed to spray condensate from the upper side of the blind 150 toward the blind 150 downward. To this end, the condensate spray device 160 includes

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c, a nozzle 162, and a pump 163.

The

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c are connected to the water collecting tank 140 and the condensate spraying device 160 to form a supply flow path of the condensate supplied to the nozzle 162. The nozzle 162 for spraying condensate into the blind 150 is installed at a higher position than the blind 150, and the water collecting tank 140 is installed at a lower position than the blind 150. Accordingly, at least a portion of the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c extend upward from the height of the water collecting tank 140 to the height of the nozzle 162.

The nozzle 162 is formed to spray condensate toward the blind 150 at a position higher than the blind 150. The nozzle 162 receives condensate through the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c. The nozzle 162 sprays the condensate supplied through the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c to the blind 150.

The nozzle 162 may be composed of a single nozzle, a dual nozzle (or twin nozzle), or the like. When the micro-sized water particles are sprayed from the nozzle 162, fine dust / ultrafine dust or odor-inducing substances floating in the air are adsorbed on the water and flow down along with the slats 153 along with water.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the pump 163 is formed to supply condensate supplied from the water collecting tank 140 to the nozzles 162 through

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c. Based on the flow of condensate, the pump 163 is installed on the downstream side of the water collecting tank 140, the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c are installed on the downstream side of the pump 163, and the nozzle 162 is the condensed water It is installed on the downstream side of the

pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c.

The drain pipe 164 is branched from the pump 163 and extends outside the air conditioner 100. The drain pipe 164 is configured to discharge condensate to the outside.

Since the nozzle 162 is installed at a higher position than the water collecting tank 140 and the pump 163, condensate cannot be supplied to the nozzle 162 unless a force is applied by the pump 163. Therefore, if the pump 163 is not operating, the condensate is naturally drained through the drain pipe 164. Conversely, when the pump 163 is operated, condensate may be supplied to the nozzle 162 through

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c.

As described above, whether to supply condensate to one of the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, and 161c and the drainage pipe 164 may be determined through control of the pump 163. Condensate will be sprayed from the condensate sprayer 160 if the pump 163 is operated only when condensate is supplied to the nozzle 162 through the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, 161c. Conversely, if the pump 163 is not operating, condensate will be drained through the drain pipe 164.

Meanwhile, a valve (not shown) may be additionally installed in the periphery (upstream or downstream) of the pump 163 to prevent arbitrary drainage of condensate when the pump 163 is not operating.

In the present invention, the air sensor 170 and the microbial sensor 180 are used as sensors for determining the spray of condensate.

The air sensor 170 is formed to detect air quality or odor-causing substances contained in the air. The air sensor 170 is installed between the air intake 112a and the blind 150 to measure the quality or odor of air sucked into the air intake 112a by the fan 120. The air sensor 170 provides a basis for determining whether to spray the condensate from the condensate sprayer 160. Accordingly, the driving unit 155 and / or the pump 163 operate based on the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor.

For example, if the air intake through the air intake 112a has a small amount of fine dust / ultrafine dust or a small amount of odor-causing substances, there is a need to adsorb fine dust / ultrafine dust to water through condensate spraying. The need to adsorb odor-causing substances to water is low. On the other hand, if the air intake through the air intake 112a has a large amount of fine dust / ultrafine dust or a large amount of odor-causing substances, there is a need to adsorb the fine dust / ultrafine dust to the water through spraying of condensed water. However, there is a high need to adsorb odor-causing substances into water. Therefore, only when the need is high, if the driving unit 155 and / or the pump 163 are operated to achieve fine dust / ultrafine dust reduction and odor-inducing substance reduction effects, efficient management can be achieved from the viewpoint of energy consumption.

Meanwhile, the microbial sensor 180 is formed to measure the microbial concentration of condensate collected in the water collecting tank 140. The microbial sensor 180 may be installed on the inner surface or the outer surface of the water collecting tank 140. Condensate must be clean in nature in order to adsorb fine dust / fine dust or odor-causing substances using condensate, and to achieve the object of the invention.

The concentration of microorganisms is calculated in colony forming units (CFU). If the microbial concentration of the condensate is about 800 CFU or more, it may be unsuitable for being sprayed onto the blind 150 through the condensate spray device 160. Therefore, it is preferable to spray the condensate having a microbial concentration of less than about 800CFU on the blind 150.

The pump 163 operates based on the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180. For example, the pump 163 may be operated only when the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180 is less than the reference value. Whether to supply condensate to the

condensate pipes

161a, 161b, 161c is controlled by the operation of the pump 163, so if the pump 163 operates based on the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180, clean condensate Only can be sprayed with the blind 150.

The location where the water collecting tank 140 is installed is also the lower side of the heat exchanger 130, but also the lower side of the blind 150. For example, the water collecting tank 140 is formed to a size large enough to collect the condensate falling from the heat exchanger 130 and the blind 150. In addition, the vertical type blind 150 extends toward the water collecting tank 140 so that the condensed water sprayed from the condensate spraying device 160 is re-collected into the water collecting tank 140.

A hydrophilic coating containing a transition metal oxide may be formed on at least one surface of the heat exchanger 130, the water collecting tank 140, and the blind 150.

The hydrophilic coating includes a hydrophilic polymer that imparts hydrophilicity. The hydrophilic polymer may include at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid, polyacetic acid, and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

The hydrophilic coating may include metal salts such as metal sulfates. In addition, the hydrophilic coating may include acid and base chemicals.

The hydrophilic coating contains a transition metal oxide that provides antibacterial properties. The transition metal oxide reacts with moisture to give an antibacterial property to the surface of the base material and thus exhibits acidity. Here, the acidic is a concept including weak acidity (pH 5 to 6).

The transition metal oxide generates an acidic or weakly acidic metallic acid through a catalytic reaction with moisture, and the acidic or weakly acidic metallic acid imparts antibacterial properties to the hydrophilic coating.

The transition metal of the transition metal oxide may include at least one selected from the group consisting of tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), and zirconium (Zr). Since at least one means one or more, the transition metal of the transition metal oxide may include two or more of tungsten, molybdenum, and zirconium.

Moisture is essential for the catalytic reaction of the transition metal oxide. The reason why the hydrophilic coating has hydrophilicity is to induce the reaction of the transition metal oxide and moisture through condensation.

Transition metal oxides are catalysts that decompose gases such as volatile organic compounds into oxygen and carbon dioxide, and react with some odor-causing components. Therefore, it is possible to expect an effect of reducing odor from the transition metal oxide.

In this figure, the air conditioner 100 has been described as an example of a heat exchange system. However, the present invention can be variously applied to the heat exchange system defined in the present invention in addition to the air conditioner 100. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a refrigerator, a dehumidifier, a water purifier, and a clothing processing device using heat exchange as a basic mechanism.

Hereinafter, a control method of a heat exchange system provided by the present invention will be described.

First, the air quality of the air sensor 170 and the concentration of the odor-causing substances are measured (S100). Air quality can be measured as good / normal / bad / very bad by various factors such as fine dust / ultrafine dust. The concentration of the odor-causing substance may also be measured as good / medium / bad / very bad according to a predetermined standard, but is not limited thereto. It is determined whether to spray the condensate on the blind 150 according to the air quality measured by the air sensor 170 and the concentration of the odor-causing substance.

This determination can be made at a control unit (not shown) of the heat exchange system. The control unit may be composed of an assembly composed of an element and a printed circuit board.

When the heat exchange system is operated, air flow by the fan 120 or the like occurs, and heat exchange between air and refrigerant occurs in the heat exchanger 130. In the heat exchange process, water vapor in the air is condensed to generate condensed water, and the condensed water is collected in the water collecting tank 140. The microbial sensor 180 measures the microbial concentration of the condensate collected in the water collecting tank 140 (S200). Whether the condensate is used for spraying or drained is determined according to the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180. This determination can also be made at the control of the heat exchange system.

If it is decided to spray the condensate on the blind 150 in step (100), and if it is determined to use the condensate for spraying in step (200), the pump 163 control, the valve control, the inclination angle control of the blind 150 It is carried out (S300).

Pump 163 control means to control the condensate to be used for spraying to be transferred to the nozzle 162. The valve control refers to control to open and close a unidirectional valve or a multidirectional valve installed around the pump 163 so that condensate is not drained and is supplied to the nozzle 162. Finally, the inclination angle control of the blind 150 is a position suitable for removing fine dust / ultrafine dust and odor-causing substances from the slats 153 of the blind 150 according to the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substances measured by the air sensor 170. Means to move, and rotate.

The specific control of the last step 300 depends on the air quality and the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170, and the specific control will be described with reference to the drawings below.

5 is an operation state diagram of the blind 150 and the condensate spray device 160 when the air quality or the odor state is good.

When the air quality or the odor state is good, it means that the air intake through the air intake 112a has very little fine dust / ultrafine dust or very little odor-causing material. In this case, the fine dust / ultrafine dust content is good and lower than the normal reference value (boundary value), or the concentration of the odor-causing substance is good and lower than the normal reference value (boundary value).

In this state, there is a low need to adsorb fine dust / ultrafine dust to the water through spraying of condensate, but the need to adsorb odor-causing substances to water is low. Rather, it is desirable to save power to be used for driving and controlling the pump 163 and driving and controlling the blind 150. In addition, the slat 153 of the blind 150 is preferably arranged so as not to interfere with the flow of air.

The plurality of slats 153 are arranged parallel to the flow direction of the air so as not to interfere with the flow of air. Since the

rails

151 and 152 extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction of rotation of the air, it can be understood that the slats 153 are arranged to be orthogonal to the extending direction of the

rails

151 and 152.

In addition, the plurality of slats 153 may be moved to a position that minimizes the contact area with the air sucked through the air intake 112a. For example, the plurality of slats 153 may be arranged to be in close contact with at least one of one end and the other end of the

rails

151 and 152.

Meanwhile, regardless of the concentration of microorganisms measured by the microorganism sensor 180, condensate is not sprayed in the condensate spray device 160.

The air introduced through the air intake 112a is hardly affected by the blind 150 and passes through an air flow path formed between the slats 153 while maintaining the flow direction, flow rate, and flow rate.

6 is a state diagram of the operation of the blind 150 and the condensate spraying device 160 when the air quality or odor condition is normal.

If the air quality or the odor state is normal, it means that the air inhaled through the air intake 112a has a moderate level of fine dust / ultrafine dust or a moderate level of odor-causing substances. In this case, the fine / ultrafine dust content is good and higher than the normal reference value (boundary value), or the concentration of the odor-causing substance is higher than the good and normal reference value (boundary value).

In this state, there is a need to adsorb fine dust / ultrafine dust to the water through spraying of condensate, or to some extent, the need to adsorb odor-causing substances to water. Therefore, it is preferable that the slats 153 of the blinds 150 are arranged to influence the flow of air to some extent.

If the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds a good and a normal reference value (boundary value), the plurality of slats 153 are in contact with the air sucked through the air intake 112a. It is moved to a location that increases the area. In the movement paths formed by the

rails

151 and 152, the largest spread of the plurality of slats 153 at equal intervals corresponds to the maximum contact area with air.

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substances measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds the good and normal reference values (boundary values), the plurality of slats 153 are rotated in a direction to narrow the air flow path. Here, the air flow path means a space formed between the slats 153 and the slats 153 as described above. When the plurality of slats 153 are arranged perpendicularly to the

rails

151 and 152 to form an acute angle or an obtuse angle, the air flow path is narrowed. The air passage continues to narrow until a plurality of slats 153 are arranged parallel to the

rails

151 and 152.

The degree of light narrowness (wide or narrow) of the air passage may be adjusted to be inversely proportional to the degree that the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds the reference value. For example, the first case in which the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 slightly exceeds the reference value and the second case in which the reference value is excessively exceeded may be considered. In this case, the degree of exceeding the reference value is greater in the second case. Since the degree of light narrowing of the air passage is adjusted to be inversely proportional to the degree exceeding the reference value, the second case forms a smaller air passage than the first case. The narrower the air flow path, the greater the effect of the blinds 150 on the flow of air.

If the plurality of slats 153 are arranged parallel to the intake direction of air, the plurality of slats 153 are orthogonal to the extending directions of the

rails

151 and 152. Therefore, the relative angle between the slat 153 and the

rails

151 and 152 may be 90 °. On the premise of these criteria, when the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance is in the normal state, the relative angles of the slats 153 and the

rails

151 and 152 are preferably within a range of at least 60 ° or at most 120 °. .

Meanwhile, the pump 163 operates only when the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180 is less than the reference value. If the microbial concentration is below the reference value, it means that the condensate is clean. When the pump 163 is operated, condensate is supplied from the water collection tank 140 to the condensate spraying device 160. And water is sprayed through the nozzle 162 to the slat 153 of the blind 150.

The water particles of the condensate sprayed onto the slat 153 of the blind 150 are physically adsorbed to the slat 153 together with fine / ultrafine dust or odor-causing substances. When the condensed water flows down by its own weight, it is collected in the water collecting tank 140. Through this process, the concentration of fine dust / ultrafine dust present in the air or the concentration of odor-causing substances may be reduced, and clean air may be discharged through the air outlet 111a.

7 is an operation state diagram of the blind 150 and the condensate spraying device 160 when the air quality or the odor state corresponds to a bad / very bad condition.

When the air quality or the odor state is bad, it means that the fine dust / ultrafine dust content is in the air inhaled through the air intake 112a, or the odor-causing material content is in the bad level. In this case, the fine dust / ultrafine dust content is higher than the normal and bad reference value (boundary value), or the concentration of the odor-causing substance is higher than the normal and bad reference value (boundary value).

If the air quality or the odor state corresponds to very bad, it means that the fine dust / ultrafine dust content is very low in the air sucked through the air intake 112a, or the odor-causing material content is very bad. In this case, the fine dust / ultrafine dust content is higher than the reference value (boundary value) of bad and very bad, or the concentration of the odor-causing substance is higher than the reference value (boundary value) of bad and very bad.

In this state, there is a strong need to adsorb fine / ultrafine dust to water through spraying of condensate, or to adsorb odor-causing substances to water. Therefore, it is preferable that the slats 153 of the blind 150 are arranged to have a relatively large effect on the flow of air. This is because the effect of spraying condensate can be maximized.

When the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds the normal and bad reference values (boundary values), the plurality of slats 153 are in contact with the air sucked through the air intake 112a. It is moved to a position that further increases the area. In the movement paths formed by the

rails

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substances measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds the normal and bad reference values (boundary values), the plurality of slats 153 narrow the air flow path more than in the case of FIG. 6. Is rotated in one direction.

If the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance is bad or very poor, respectively, it is preferable that the relative angles of the slats 153 and the

rails

151 and 152 are within a range of at least 30 ° or at most 150 °. If the relative angle is less than 30 ° or greater than 150 °, there is a possibility of excessively obstructing the flow of air.

As such, the relative angle between the slats 153 and the

rails

151 and 152 is adjusted according to the degree to which the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 exceeds the above standard. In the range of acute angles, the relative angle is preferably adjusted to be inversely proportional to the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance exceeding the above standard. Conversely, in the range of the obtuse angle, it is preferable that the relative angle is adjusted to be proportional to the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance exceeding the above standard.

Meanwhile, the pump 163 operates only when the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor 180 is less than the reference value. When the pump 163 is operated, condensate is supplied from the water collection tank 140 to the condensate spraying device 160. And water is sprayed through the nozzle 162 to the slat 153 of the blind 150.

The water particles of the condensate sprayed onto the slat 153 of the blind 150 are physically adsorbed to the slat 153 together with fine / ultrafine dust or odor-causing substances. When the condensed water flows down by its own weight, it is collected in the water collecting tank 140. Through this process, the concentration of fine dust / ultrafine dust present in the air or the concentration of odor-causing substances may be reduced, and clean air may be discharged through the air outlet 111a. In particular, since the air passage is narrower than that of FIG. 6, the effect of the blinds 150 on the flow of air is relatively large. Accordingly, the effect of reducing fine dust / ultrafine dust by spraying of condensed water and the effect of reducing odor-causing substances are greater.

8 and 9, control that can suppress the occurrence of dead zones will be described.

FIG. 8 shows an operating state of a blind 150 and a condensate spraying device 160 that are capable of suppressing the generation of dead zones in the heat exchanger 130 when the air quality or the odor state is moderate to very poor. Toda.

Dead zone refers to an area in the heat exchange area of the heat exchanger 130 that cannot participate in heat exchange. Dead zones are caused by at least a portion of the heat exchange area not receiving sufficient air.

The heat exchanger 130 generally includes a refrigerant pipe and a cooling fin. The refrigerant flows in the refrigerant pipe, and the cooling fin provides a surface area for heat exchange between air and refrigerant. The heat exchanger 130 is provided with a plurality of cooling fins spaced apart from each other.

If air supply is concentrated in only a portion of the plurality of cooling fins, heat exchange between air and refrigerant is not sufficiently performed in a region where air is not sufficiently supplied. In this case, a region in which heat exchange is insufficient is a dead zone.

The generation of the dead zone serves as a factor that determines the efficiency of the heat exchanger 130 and, moreover, the efficiency of the heat exchange system. In order to improve the efficiency of the heat exchanger 130 and the efficiency of the heat exchange system, it is necessary to minimize the occurrence of dead zones.

If the slat 153 of the blind 150 is arranged to supply air to only one side of the heat exchanger 130 by controlling the inclination angle of the blind 150, an area that does not receive air from the heat exchanger 130 may occur. And this causes a dead zone to occur.

The plurality of slats 153 may be rotated at different angles to suppress the occurrence of dead zones in the heat exchanger 130. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the plurality of slats 153 may be rotated to have relative angles to the extending directions of the

rails

151 and 152 at different values. One of the plurality of slats 153 is referred to as the first slat, and the slats 153 disposed next to the slats are sequentially numbered from 1 to n (n is a natural number) such as 2 slats and 3 slats. If the sequential number is reached, the relative angle of each slat 153 with respect to the extending direction of each

rail

151 and 152 is adjusted such that it gradually increases from the 1st slat to the nth slat, or vice versa.

Similarly, if the air passages formed between the plurality of slats 153 are sequentially numbered from 1 to n-1 from one side to the other, the air passages gradually widen or gradually increase from the first air passage to the n-1 air passage. It can be adjusted to narrow.

FIG. 9 shows another operation of the blind 150 and the condensate spraying device 160, which operate to suppress the occurrence of a dead zone in the heat exchanger 130 when the air quality or the odor state is moderate to very poor. State is also.

The concept of time is introduced to the rotation of the slat 153, and the plurality of slats 153 may be periodically reciprocated within a preset angle range in accordance with a predetermined time interval. For example, if the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 is normal, the plurality of slats 153 are periodically rotated within a range of 60 ° to 120 °. In addition, if the concentration of the air quality or the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor 170 is poor or very poor, the plurality of slats 153 are periodically rotated within a range of 30 ° to 150 °.

Meanwhile, each of the slats 153 may not be rotated at the same time, but may be sequentially rotated with a time difference. For example, the second slat 153 is rotated after the first slat 153 is rotated, and the second slat 153 is rotated and then the third slat 153 is rotated. 153). Alternatively, the odd-numbered slats 153 may be controlled in such a way that the even-numbered slats 153 are rotated first.

Although the concept of time is introduced to the rotation of the slat 153, each of the slats 153 may not be rotated at the same angle, but may be independently rotated to have different relative angles as described in FIG.

The heat exchange system described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, and the above-described embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or part of each embodiment so that various modifications can be made.

The present invention can be used in industrial fields related to heat exchange systems including heat exchangers.

Claims

A fan formed to suck air through the air intake and discharge air through the air outlet;

A heat exchanger installed between the fan and the air outlet to heat or cool the air to be discharged by the fan;

A water collecting tank installed below the heat exchanger to collect condensate generated during the heat exchange process of the heat exchanger;

A blind provided between the air intake and the fan so as to be in contact with the air sucked by the fan, the blind being formed to be able to adjust the position and direction; And

A heat exchange system including a condensate spraying device configured to receive condensate collected in the water collecting tank and spray it toward the blinds.
The method of claim 1,

The water collecting tank is installed on the lower side of the blind,

The blind is extended to the collecting tank to guide the condensate sprayed from the condensate spraying device to be re-collected into the collecting tank.
The method of claim 1,

The blinds,

A rail extending in a direction crossing the flow direction of the air by the fan;

A plurality of slats extending in a direction toward the water collecting tank and moving along the rail or rotating on the rail; And

And a driving unit formed to adjust the position and angle of the slat.
According to claim 3,

The slat is a heat exchange system, characterized in that formed in a plate or mesh (mesh) structure.
According to claim 3,

The heat exchange system further includes an air sensor installed between the air intake and the blind so as to measure the quality of air or the concentration of odor-causing substances sucked into the air intake by the fan,

The driving unit is a heat exchange system characterized in that it operates based on the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor.
The method of claim 5,

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are moved to a position to increase the contact area with the air sucked through the air intake port. system.
The method of claim 5,

An air flow path is formed between each of the plurality of slats to pass air sucked from the air intake port,

When the quality of the air or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are rotated in a direction to narrow the air passage.
The method of claim 7,

The degree of light narrowing of the air flow path, the heat exchange system characterized in that the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor is adjusted to be inversely proportional to the degree exceeding the standard.
The method of claim 7 or 8,

The plurality of slats are rotated at different angles,

The air flow path is a heat exchange system characterized in that it is gradually widened or gradually narrowed from being disposed at one end of the plurality of slats to being disposed at the other end.
The method of claim 5,

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats are rotated in a direction such that a relative angle to the extending direction of the rail is within a range of 30 to 150 °. Heat exchange system, characterized in that.
The method of claim 10,

In the range of the acute angle, the relative angle is adjusted to be inversely proportional to the degree of air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds the standard,

The relative angle in the range of the obtuse angle, the heat exchange system characterized in that the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor is adjusted in proportion to the degree exceeding the reference.
The method of claim 10 or 11,

The plurality of slats are rotated to have different values relative to the extending direction of the rails,

The relative angle is adjusted so that it gradually increases or decreases gradually from being disposed at one end of the plurality of slats to being disposed at the other end.
The method of claim 1,

The condensate spraying device is formed to spray condensate from the upper side of the blind toward the blind side,

The condensate spray device,

A condensate pipe connected to the water collecting tank and the condensate spraying device to form a condensate supply flow path;

A nozzle formed to spray the condensate supplied through the condensate pipe with the blinds; And

And a pump installed in the condensate pipe and configured to supply condensate supplied from the water collection tank to the nozzle through the condensate pipe.
The method of claim 13,

The heat exchange system further includes a drain pipe branched from the pump to discharge condensate to the outside, and extends to the outside of the heat exchange system,

Heat exchange system, characterized in that it is determined through the control of the pump to supply the condensate to one of the condensate pipe and the drain pipe.
The method of claim 13,

The heat exchange system further includes a microbial sensor formed to measure the microbial concentration of the condensate collected in the water collection tank,

The pump is a heat exchange system, characterized in that is operated based on the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor.
The method of claim 15,

The heat exchange system, characterized in that the pump operates only when the microbial concentration measured by the microbial sensor is less than the reference value.
The method of claim 5,

When the air quality or the concentration of the odor-causing substance measured by the air sensor exceeds a standard, the plurality of slats reciprocate within a predetermined rotation range every predetermined time.
The method of claim 17,

The plurality of slats are heat exchange systems, characterized in that they are sequentially moved with a time difference from being arranged at one end to being arranged at the other end.
The method of claim 1,

A hydrophilic coating containing a transition metal oxide is formed on at least one surface of the heat exchanger, the water collecting tank and the blind,

The transition metal oxide is a heat exchange system characterized in that the transition metal includes at least one selected from the group consisting of tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), and zirconium (Zirconium, Zr).
The method of claim 19,

The hydrophilic coating, it characterized in that it comprises at least one hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (polyvinyl alcohol), polyacrylic acid (polyacrylic acid), polyacetic acid (polyacetic acid), polyvinylpyrrolidone (polyvinylpyrrolidone) Heat exchange system.