WO2021024421A1

WO2021024421A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2021024421A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/031147
Authority: WO
Inventors: 薦正田辺; 弘志 ▲廣▼▲崎▼; 淳一岡崎
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2019-08-07
Filing date: 2019-08-07
Publication date: 2021-02-11
Also published as: JP7209846B2; JPWO2021024421A1

Abstract

Provided is an air conditioner comprising: a housing having a suction port and a blowing port formed thereon; a blower that is provided in the housing and sucks the air in a room from the suction port and blows out the air from the blowing port; a heat exchanger that is provided in the housing and performs heat exchange between the air sucked from the suction port and a refrigerant; a contactless temperature sensor that detects temperature distribution of spaces in the room; and a control device that controls the number of rotations of the blower. The control device comprises: an achievement degree determination means that determines, on the basis of information of the temperature distribution detected by the contactless temperature sensor, whether or not the air blew out from the blower achieves a target point; and an air volume setting means that sets the number of rotations of the blower so that the air blew out from the blower achieves the target point.

Description

Air conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner that has a blower that blows air into an air-conditioned space and controls the blower.

As an example of a conventional air conditioner, an air conditioner that detects the direction of the human body by using an infrared sensor and changes the wind direction according to the position of the human body has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The air conditioner of Patent Document 1 sends wind to the human body by controlling the vertical wind direction and the horizontal wind direction according to the position of the human body detected by the infrared sensor.

Japanese Patent No. 5218512

However, the air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the direction of the human body, changes the angles of the vertical wind direction plate and the left and right wind direction plates based on the direction, and blows out the wind from the air outlet of the indoor unit. However, the wind does not always reach the place where people are. For example, if the installation height of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is higher than the design value, the distance from the air outlet to the floor surface becomes long. In this case, the wind may not reach the floor surface and may not reach the position of a person, which impairs the comfort of the indoor environment.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an air conditioner with improved comfort in the indoor environment.

The air conditioner according to the present invention includes a housing in which a suction port and an air outlet are formed, a blower provided in the housing, which sucks indoor air from the suction port and blows it out from the air outlet, and the inside of the housing. A heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air sucked from the suction port and the refrigerant, a non-contact temperature sensor that detects the temperature distribution of the space in the room, and the rotation speed of the blower are controlled. It has a control device, and the control device determines whether or not the air blown from the blower has reached the target point from the information of the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor. It has a degree determining means and an air volume setting means for setting the rotation speed of the blower so that the air blown from the blower reaches a target point.

According to the present invention, it is determined whether or not the air blown from the blower has reached the target point, and the rotation speed of the blower is set so that the airflow reaches the target point. Therefore, the comfort of the indoor environment can be improved.

It is a refrigerant circuit diagram which shows one configuration example of the air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 1. FIG. It is an external perspective view which shows an example of the indoor unit shown in FIG. It is a front view of the indoor unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the cross section when the indoor unit shown in FIG. 3 is cut by the AA part. It is an external schematic view which shows one structural example of the 1st wind direction plate shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows that the horizontal direction of an airflow is changed by changing the angle of the 1st wind direction plate shown in FIG. It is an external schematic view which shows one structural example of the 2nd wind direction plate shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows that the vertical direction of an airflow is changed by changing the angle of the 2nd wind direction plate shown in FIG. 7. It is a figure which shows an example of the vertical range of the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the horizontal range of the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. It is an image diagram which shows an example of the case where the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 displays the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor on a two-dimensional image. FIG. 5 is an image diagram showing another example in which the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 displays the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor on a two-dimensional image. It is an image diagram which shows an example of the case where the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 divides the temperature distribution of the floor surface detected by the non-contact type sensor into a plurality of sections. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner of Embodiment 1. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the procedure shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner of Embodiment 1. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device in the air conditioner of Embodiment 2. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner of Embodiment 2. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device in the air conditioner of Embodiment 3. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the method of calculating the height at which the indoor unit is installed using the angle from the vertical reference with respect to the non-contact type temperature sensor shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the influence by the buoyancy of the airflow blown out from the outlet of the indoor unit shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner of Embodiment 3. It is an image diagram which shows that the value of the height stored in the memory shown in FIG. 1 is replaced. It is a functional block diagram which shows one configuration example of the control device in the air conditioner of Embodiment 4.

Embodiment 1.
The configuration of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a configuration example of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 has an outdoor unit 20 that generates a heat source and an indoor unit 30 that is installed on the side that uses the generated heat source. The indoor unit 30 harmonizes the air in the air-conditioned space.

The outdoor unit 20 includes a compressor 21, a four-way valve 22, a heat source side heat exchanger 23, an expansion valve 24, and a blower 25. The indoor unit 30 includes a heat exchanger 2, a blower 3, and a control device 50. The compressor 21 compresses and discharges the refrigerant to be sucked. The compressor 21 is, for example, an inverter type compressor whose capacity can be changed. The four-way valve 22 changes the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 40. The expansion valve 24 decompresses and expands the refrigerant. The expansion valve 24 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve. The compressor 21, the heat source side heat exchanger 23, the expansion valve 24, and the heat exchanger 2 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 41 to form a refrigerant circuit 40 in which the refrigerant circulates. Although FIG. 1 shows a case where the control device 50 is provided in the indoor unit 30, it may be provided in the outdoor unit 20. FIG. 1 schematically shows the case where the

blowers

3 and 25 are propeller fans, but these blowers are not limited to propeller fans.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of the indoor unit shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of the indoor unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section of the indoor unit shown in FIG. 3 when cut at the AA portion. The indoor unit 30 is installed in a room that is a space subject to air conditioning. The indoor unit 30 has a housing 60 in which a heat exchanger 2, a blower 3, and a control device 50 are built. A suction port 1 for sucking air from the room is provided in the upper part of the housing 60. An outlet 6 for blowing air into the room is provided at the lower part of the housing 60. An air passage 13 connecting the suction port 1 and the air outlet 6 is formed in the housing 60. For the sake of explanation, FIG. 4 shows a case where a part of the configuration inside the housing 60 is viewed from the side instead of the cross section.

The configuration example shown in FIG. 4 shows the case where the blower 3 is a cross-flow fan, but the blower 3 is not limited to the cross-flow fan. The blower 3 may be any means as long as it can blow out the air sucked from the suction port 1 to the air outlet 6. The blower 3 may be a propeller fan or a sirocco fan. The blower 3 sucks in the indoor air from the suction port 1, and blows out the conditioned air after the sucked air exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 2 through the air outlet 6.

As shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchanger 2 has a shape that surrounds the front surface and the upper surface of the blower 3. The heat exchanger 2 is, for example, a fin tube type heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 2 has a refrigerant pipe and a plurality of fins. Each of the plurality of fins is orthogonal to the refrigerant pipe. A plurality of fins are arranged in parallel at intervals. The heat exchanger 2 generates conditioned air by exchanging heat with the refrigerant from the air taken into the housing 60 from the room by the blower 3. The heat exchanger 2 functions as an evaporator when the air conditioner 10 performs a cooling operation, and cools the air in the room. The heat exchanger 2 functions as a condenser when the air conditioner 10 performs a heating operation, and heats the air in the room.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the indoor unit 30 is provided with a first wind direction plate 4 and a second wind direction plate 5 for adjusting the wind direction of the air blown out from the air outlet 6. The first wind direction plate 4 is installed in the middle of the air passage 13 from the blower 3 to the air outlet 6 or within a certain distance from the air outlet 6. The first wind direction plate 4 adjusts the wind direction of the air blown out from the outlet 6 in the horizontal direction (the direction of the Y-axis arrow and the opposite direction). The second wind direction plate 5 is installed within a certain distance from the air outlet 6. The second wind direction plate 5 adjusts the wind direction of the air blown out from the outlet 6 in the vertical direction (the direction indicated by the Z-axis arrow and the opposite direction). In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the second wind direction plate 5 has a front blade 5a arranged in the front and a rear blade 5b arranged in the rear, which are located at different positions in the front-rear direction (X-axis arrow direction and the opposite direction). And have.

FIG. 5 is an external schematic view showing a configuration example of the first wind direction plate shown in FIG. The indoor unit 30 is provided with a first wind direction plate driving unit 34 that changes the angle of the first wind direction plate 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the first wind direction plate 4 has a plurality of blades 4a to 4d arranged at intervals along the horizontal direction (Y-axis arrow direction). The blades 4a to 4d are connected to each other by a fixed shaft 71 and a movable shaft 72. The blades 4a to 4d are connected to the first wind direction plate drive unit 34 via the movable shaft 72. A groove that meshes with the gear is formed on the lower surface side of the movable shaft 72.

The first wind direction plate drive unit 34 has a disk 73 in contact with the movable shaft 72, a stepping motor 74, and a belt 75 connecting the rotating shaft of the stepping motor 74 and the disk 73. A gear that meshes with the groove of the movable shaft 72 is formed on the surface of the disk 73 that comes into contact with the movable shaft 72. The stepping motor 74 is connected to the control device 50 via a signal line (not shown). When the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 74 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the disk 73 via the belt 75. When the disk 73 rotates, the movable shaft 72 moves in the horizontal direction. As the movable shaft 72 moves in the horizontal direction, the angles of the blades 4a to 4c with respect to the direction of the X-axis arrow change.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing that the horizontal direction of the airflow is changed by changing the angle of the first wind direction plate shown in FIG. For the sake of explanation, FIG. 6 shows the blades 4a to 4d seen through when the indoor unit 30 is viewed from above. The front direction (X-axis arrow direction) of the indoor unit 30 is defined as the horizontal reference Hax, and the angles of the blades 4a to 4d of the first wind direction plate 4 are defined as θh. In FIG. 6, the direction of the airflow ad1 at the angle θh2 is indicated by a solid arrow, and the direction of the airflow ad2 at an angle θh1 is indicated by a broken line arrow. The sign of the angle θh1 is positive, and the sign of the angle θh2 is negative.

FIG. 7 is an external schematic view showing a configuration example of the second wind direction plate shown in FIG. The indoor unit 30 is provided with a second wind direction plate driving unit 35 that changes the angle of the second wind direction plate 5. As shown in FIG. 6, a rotating shaft 81a parallel to the Y-axis direction is attached to the front blade 5a, and a rotating shaft 81b parallel to the Y-axis direction is attached to the rear blade 5b. The

rotating shafts

81a and 81b are connected to the second wind direction plate driving unit 35.

The second wind direction plate drive unit 35 includes a disk 82a connected to the rotating shaft 81a, a disk 82b connected to the rotating shaft 81b, a stepping motor 83, a rotating shaft of the stepping motor 83, and the

disks

82a and 82b. Has a belt 84 to connect with. The stepping motor 83 is connected to the control device 50 via a signal line (not shown). When the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 83 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the

disks

82a and 82b via the belt 84. When the rotating shaft 81a rotates, the tip side of the front blade 5a opposite to the rotating shaft 81a moves in the vertical direction (Z-axis arrow direction). When the rotating shaft 81b rotates, the tip side of the rear blade 5b opposite to the rotating shaft 81b moves in the vertical direction. By moving the tip side of the front blade 5a in the vertical direction, the angle of the front blade 5a with respect to the direction of the X-axis arrow changes. By moving the tip side of the rear blade 5b in the vertical direction, the angle of the rear blade 5b in the direction of the X-axis arrow changes.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing that the vertical direction of the airflow is changed by changing the angle of the second wind direction plate shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, for the sake of explanation, of the second wind direction plate 5 shown in FIG. 7, the front blade 5a is shown in an enlarged manner, and the rear blade 5b is omitted. The downward direction of the indoor unit 30 (the direction opposite to the Z-axis arrow) is defined as the vertical reference VAX, and the angles of the front blades 5a and the rear blades 5b shown in FIG. 7 are θh. In FIG. 8, the direction of the airflow ad3 at the angle θv1 is indicated by a solid arrow, and the direction of the airflow ad4 at an angle θv2 is indicated by a broken line arrow.

Note that FIG. 5 shows a case where the number of blades 4a to 4d of the first wind direction plate 4 is 4, but the number of blades is not limited to 4. The number of the first wind direction plates 4 may be one, or may be a plurality of plates other than four. The position of the first wind direction plate 4 and the number and position of the second wind direction plates 5 are not limited to the cases shown in FIGS. 2 to 4. The number of the second wind direction plates 5 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The first wind direction plate 4 and the second wind direction plate 5 are intended to adjust the direction in which air is blown out from the air outlet 6, and the number and position of these can be freely determined by design. Further, the mechanism for changing the angle of the first wind direction plate 4 is not limited to the case of the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, a link mechanism may be used as a mechanism for converting the rotational operation of the stepping motor 74 into a change in the angle of the first wind direction plate 4. The mechanism for changing the angle of the second wind direction plate 5 is not limited to the configuration described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, a link mechanism may be used as a mechanism for converting the rotational operation of the stepping motor 83 into a change in the angle of the second wind direction plate 5. The means for transmitting the rotation of the stepping motor 83 to the

rotating shafts

81a and 81b is not limited to the belt 84, but may be a gear.

As shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit 30 is provided with a non-contact temperature sensor 7 that detects the temperature distribution in the indoor space. The non-contact temperature sensor 7 is, for example, a thermopile type infrared sensor. The non-contact temperature sensor 7 may be a bolometer type infrared sensor. The non-contact temperature sensor 7 is not limited to an infrared sensor, and may be any sensor that can measure the temperature distribution on the floor surface. The temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7 is used to determine the degree of arrival of the air flow, which is the flow of air blown from the indoor unit 30, on the floor surface. As will be described later, the human body may be detected from the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the vertical range of the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor shown in FIG. Similar to FIG. 8, the angle with respect to the vertical reference Vax is θv. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the horizontal range of the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor shown in FIG. Similar to FIG. 6, the angle with respect to the horizontal reference Hax is set to θh. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the non-contact temperature sensor 7 has a certain range of an angle θv in the vertical direction and a horizontal direction with respect to the direction of the wall facing the indoor unit 30 (X-axis arrow direction). The temperature distribution in the room is measured within a certain range of the angle θh.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, each of the compressor 21, the four-way valve 22, the expansion valve 24, and the blower 25 is connected to the control device 50 via a signal line. Further, although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, each of the blower 3, the first wind direction plate drive unit 34, the second wind direction plate drive unit 35, and the non-contact temperature sensor 7 via the control device 50 and the signal line. Be connected. The connection between each of these devices and sensors and the control device 50 is not limited to wired, and may be wireless.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of the control device shown in FIG. The control device 50 is, for example, a microcomputer. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 50 has a memory 51 for storing a program and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 52 for executing processing according to the program. The memory 51 is, for example, a flash memory and a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 50 includes the refrigeration cycle control means 101, the sensor output analysis means 102, the target point temperature acquisition means 103, the reachability determination means 104, the air volume setting means 105, and the blower control means. It has 106 and. When the CPU 52 executes the program stored in the memory 51, the refrigerating cycle control means 101, the sensor output analysis means 102, the target point temperature acquisition means 103, the reachability determination means 104, the air volume setting means 105, and the blower control means 106 are configured. Will be done.

The sensor output analysis means 102 receives the detected value from the non-contact temperature sensor 7 and analyzes the received detected value. FIG. 12 is an image diagram showing an example of a case where the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 displays the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor on a two-dimensional image. For illustration purposes, the boundaries between each of the walls, floors and ceilings and the other parts are shown by broken lines in FIG. In reality, since the thermal conductivity of each material of the wall, floor, and ceiling is different, the sensor output analysis means 102 detects each boundary by image-analyzing the detected value of the non-contact temperature sensor 7.

The image Img1 shown in FIG. 12 is a case of heating operation, and indicates that the higher the density of the dot pattern, the higher the temperature. This is because warm air tends to stay closer to the ceiling than the floor FL. Since the temperature of the floor FL is low, the dot pattern is not displayed. Of the floor surface FL, the temperature of the floor surface portion fsp to which warm air is blown from the indoor unit 30 is higher than the temperature of the other portion of the floor surface FL. In the case of heating operation, the airflow reaching the floor FL diffuses in a shape similar to an ellipse. From this, the sensor output analysis means 102 performs image analysis processing on the image Img1 shown in FIG. 12 to extract an ellipse, and determines that the extracted ellipse is the arrival position of the air flow. The arrival point of the airflow may be the center point on the ellipse. The image processing technique is, for example, the Hough transform.

FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing another example in which the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 displays the temperature distribution detected by the non-contact temperature sensor on a two-dimensional image. In FIG. 13, it is the same as in FIG. 12 that the higher the density of the dot pattern, the higher the temperature. As shown in FIG. 13, the sensor output analysis means 102 performs an image analysis process on the image Img2 shown in FIG. 13 to extract the human body bsp from the difference between the surface temperature of the human body bsp and the temperature of the floor surface FL.

FIG. 14 is an image diagram showing an example in which the sensor output analysis means shown in FIG. 11 divides the temperature distribution of the floor surface detected by the non-contact type sensor into a plurality of sections. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 14, the floor surface is divided into a plurality of parts in the direction of the X-axis arrow, and the floor surface is also divided into a plurality of parts in the direction of the Y-axis arrow. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the case where the floor surface is divided into 18 or more sections is shown. The area of one compartment is, for example, 1 to 3 m ² . When the coordinates of each section are defined by the number of the section in the X-axis direction and the number of the section in the Y-axis direction with the corner of the room on the AR11 side shown in FIG. 14 as the origin, the section AR23 having a dot pattern circle is defined. The coordinates are (2,3). The sensor output analysis means 102 associates the floor surface temperature detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7 with the coordinates for each of the plurality of compartments. In FIG. 14, the area directly below the indoor unit 30 is an area where the non-contact temperature sensor 7 cannot detect the temperature.

The sensor output analysis means 102 associates the floor surface temperature detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7 with the coordinates for each of the plurality of sections shown in FIG. The sensor output analysis means 102 may store the analysis result in the memory 51. By dividing the floor surface into a plurality of sections and assigning coordinates, the positions of the floor surface portion fsp and the human body bsp detected by the sensor output analysis means 102 are determined by the refrigeration cycle control means 101, the target point temperature acquisition means 103, and the air volume. It is commonly recognized among the setting means 105.

The refrigeration cycle control means 101 controls the four-way valve 22 according to the operation mode of the air conditioner 10. The refrigeration cycle control means 101 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 21, the opening degree of the expansion valve 24, and the rotation speed R of the blower 25 based on the detected value received from the sensor output analysis means 102 and the set temperature. Specifically, the refrigeration cycle control means 101 has the operating frequency of the compressor 21, the opening degree of the expansion valve 24, and the blower so that the room temperature estimated from the detection value received from the sensor output analysis means 102 approaches the set temperature. The rotation speed R of 25 is controlled. The set temperature is set by the user in the control device 50 via a remote controller (not shown). Further, when the air volume is input to the control device 50 by the user via a remote controller (not shown), the refrigeration cycle control means 101 may instruct the input air volume to the air volume setting means 105.

Further, when the refrigeration cycle control means 101 receives the analysis result received from the sensor output analysis means 102, the refrigeration cycle control means 101 determines a target point for reaching the airflow blown out from the outlet 6. The direction of the target point as seen from the indoor unit 30 is specified by, for example, the angle θh described with reference to FIG. 6 and the angle θv described with reference to FIG. 8 with reference to the non-contact temperature sensor 7. The target point is not limited to an arbitrary point on the floor surface, and may be an area having a certain area as in each section shown in FIG. The refrigeration cycle control means 101 controls the first wind direction plate drive unit 34 to adjust the angle of the first wind direction plate 4 so that the direction of the airflow blown out from the air outlet 6 faces the target point, and the second wind direction. The plate drive unit 35 is controlled to adjust the angle of the second wind direction plate 5. The refrigeration cycle control means 101 notifies the target point temperature acquisition means 103 of the information of the target point. Further, the refrigerating cycle control means 101 instructs the air volume setting means 105 of the determined reference rotation speed Rs as the initial value of the air volume of the blower 3 at the start of the operation of the air conditioner 10. The reference rotation speed Rs is stored in the memory 51 shown in FIG. The reference rotation speed Rs is, for example, the rotation speed at which the air flow physically reaches the center of the floor surface in a space having a floor area where the air conditioner 10 can harmonize the air by design.

The target point is, for example, a section where a person is present among the plurality of sections shown in FIG. When a person with a low sensible temperature is in the room during the heating operation of the air conditioner 10, if the section where the person with a low sensible temperature is located is set as the target point, the person who felt cold can feel warm quickly. Because it becomes. Further, the target point may be a section in which no person is present among the plurality of sections shown in FIG. If there is a person who has a high sensible temperature during the heating operation of the air conditioner 10, the person who feels warm will feel hot by setting the section where there is no person as the target point. You can prevent that. The selection criteria of the target point may be described in the program executed by the CPU 52 shown in FIG. 1, or may be set by the user via a remote controller (not shown in the figure).

The target point temperature acquisition means 103 acquires the temperature of the floor surface of the target point at which the airflow blown out from the air outlet 6 reaches from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102. The target point temperature acquisition means 103 acquires the temperature of a certain region around the target point on the floor surface from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102. The fixed area around the target point is, for example, one of the plurality of sections shown in FIG. The target point temperature acquisition means 103 compares the temperature of the floor surface in one section at regular intervals, and the floor in a place where the temperature difference between the temperature of the previous cycle and the temperature of the current cycle is equal to or more than a constant value. The average value of the surface temperature may be calculated, and the calculated average value may be used as the floor surface temperature at the target point.

The reach determination means 104 calculates the reach of the airflow to the target point based on the floor surface temperature analyzed by the sensor output analysis means 102, and determines whether or not the airflow has reached the target point from the reach. .. The determination of the degree of achievement may be a relative evaluation or an absolute evaluation. A specific example in the case of relative evaluation will be described. When the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation, the achievement determination means 104 determines the temperature difference ΔTf (= Tf−Tfo) between the floor temperature Tf of the section at the target point and the floor temperature Tfo of the section other than the target point. , Calculated as the degree of achievement. The reachability determining means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTf is larger than the threshold value Tth after a certain period of time from the start of blowing out the airflow. When the temperature difference ΔTf is equal to or less than the threshold value Tth, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has not reached the target point. On the other hand, when the temperature difference ΔTf is larger than the threshold value Tth, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has reached the target point. The threshold value Tth is stored in the memory 51 shown in FIG.

Explain a specific example in the case of absolute evaluation. When the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the floor surface temperature Tf of the section at the target point is larger than the design value Tg determined with respect to the temperature of the entire floor surface. Determine if it has been reached. The temperature of the entire floor surface is, for example, the average value Tave of the floor surface temperature of the plurality of sections shown in FIG. In this case, the degree of achievement is represented by the temperature difference ΔTbs between the floor surface temperature Tf and the average value Tave. The reachability determining means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg after a certain period of time from the start of blowing out the airflow. When the temperature difference ΔTbs is equal to or less than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has not reached the target point. On the other hand, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has reached the target point. The design value Tg is stored in the memory 51. The degree of achievement is not limited to the temperature difference ΔTf and the temperature difference ΔTbs, and may be calculated by another method as long as it is a value indicating the degree of arrival of the airflow with reference to the floor surface temperature. For example, the degree of achievement may be a value (Tf / Tg) obtained by dividing the floor surface temperature Tf at the target point by the design value Tg.

The air volume setting means 105 sets the rotation speed of the blower 3 based on the determination result by the reachability determination means 104. For example, when the airflow has not reached the target point as a result of the determination by the reachability determining means 104, the airflow setting means 105 sets the rotation speed R to a value larger than the current set value by a constant value ΔR. The air volume setting means 105 notifies the blower control means 106 of the set rotation speed R. On the other hand, when the airflow has reached the target point as a result of the determination by the arrival degree determining means 104, the air volume setting means 105 maintains the rotation speed R at the current set value. When changing the set value of the rotation speed R, the air volume setting means 105 may change the rotation speed R stepwise according to the degree of arrival. The reference rotation speed Rs is, for example, the rotation speed at which the air flow physically reaches the center of the floor surface in a space having a floor area where the air conditioner 10 can harmonize the air by design.

Further, the air volume setting means 105 may notify the blower control means 106 of the instructed rotation speed R when the instruction of the rotation speed R is input from the refrigeration cycle control means 101. Furthermore, the airflow may not physically reach the target point due to furniture installed indoors. Therefore, in order to prevent the air volume of the blower 3 from being unnecessarily increased, an upper limit value Rmax may be set for the rotation speed R of the blower 3.

The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105. In the first embodiment, the configuration of the blower drive unit including the motor for driving the blower 3 is omitted from the figure, and the description of the control of the blower drive unit is omitted.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram for explaining the procedure shown in FIG. Here, the case where the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation and the reachability determining means 104 determines the reachability of the airflow by absolute evaluation will be described.

The target point temperature acquisition means 103 acquires the floor surface temperature Tf of the target point at which the airflow blown out from the air outlet 6 reaches from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102 (step S101). The reachability determining means 104 calculates the temperature difference ΔTbs between the floor surface temperature Tf and the average value Tave of the floor surface temperature. Then, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg (step S102). When the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has reached the target point, and ends the process.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S102, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is equal to or less than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has not reached the target point. The dashed arrow shown in FIG. 16 schematically shows the airflow that has not reached the target point. FIG. 16 shows that the airflow indicated by the broken line arrow has not reached the target point indicated by the dot pattern. One of the reasons why the airflow does not reach the target point is that the airflow is insufficient. Another possible cause is that the height at which the indoor unit 30 is installed is higher than the height planned in the design. For example, an indoor unit of an air conditioner for home use may be installed in a room with a high ceiling such as a distribution warehouse. Another possible cause is that there is a cold air pool near the floor. Further, as another cause, it is considered that the angle of the second wind direction plate 5 is close to horizontal.

The air volume setting means 105 increases the rotation speed R of the blower 3 by a constant value ΔR from the reference rotation speed Rs when the airflow does not reach the target point as a result of the determination of the arrival degree determination means 104 in step S102. Step S103). The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105 in step S103. After that, returning to step S102, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg. As a result of the determination in step S102, if the temperature difference ΔTbs is equal to or less than the design value Tg, the process of step S103 is executed again. In this way, the amount of airflow blown out from the indoor unit 30 increases corresponding to the rotation speed R of the blower 3 until the airflow reaches the target point. As a result, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 16, the airflow reaches the target point indicated by the dot pattern.

In the procedure described with reference to FIG. 15, the air volume setting means 105 increases the rotation speed R of the blower 3 when the airflow reach is equal to or less than the design value, and the airflow reach is greater than the design value. , The case where the rotation speed R is not changed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, when the reach of the airflow greatly exceeds the design value, the air volume setting means 105 may perform a process of reducing the rotation speed R of the blower 3. Specifically, the air volume setting means 105 may reduce the rotation speed R of the blower 3 until the value of the difference between the temperature difference ΔTbs and the design value Tg becomes smaller than the determined threshold value Thvi.

Further, FIG. 15 shows that the air volume setting means 105 repeats the process of step S103 until the reach of the air flow becomes larger than the design value, but in reality, the air flow is affected by obstacles such as furniture. Reachability may not be greater than the design value. Therefore, even if an upper limit is set for the number of processes in step S103, the air volume setting means 105 counts the number of processes in step S103, and when the count reaches the upper limit, the process of increasing the rotation speed R is stopped. Good. Further, when the upper limit value is set for the number of processes in step S103, when the user stops the operation of the air conditioner 10 and then restarts the air conditioner 10, the air volume setting means 105 restarts the operation. The previously recorded count may be reset. In this case, the air volume setting means 105 counts the number of processes in step S103 from zero. This is because it is conceivable that the user moves the furniture after stopping the operation of the air conditioner 10.

Next, another operation of the air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner according to the first embodiment. The case where the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation and the reachability determining means 104 determines the reachability of the airflow by absolute evaluation will be described. It is assumed that the threshold value Thvi of the difference between the temperature difference ΔTbs and the design value Tg is stored in the memory 51. Further, since each of steps S111 and S112 is the same processing as each of steps S101 and S102 described with reference to FIG. 15, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

As a result of the determination in step S112, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is equal to or less than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has not reached the target point. The air volume setting means 105 sets the rotation speed R of the blower 3 to the upper limit value Rmax when the airflow has not reached the target point as a result of the determination of the arrival degree determination means 104 in step S112 (step S113). The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R of the upper limit value Rmax set by the air volume setting means 105 in step S113.

After step S113, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the value of the difference between the temperature difference ΔTbs and the design value Tg is larger than the threshold value Thvi (step S114). As a result of the determination in step S114, when the value of the difference between the temperature difference ΔTbs and the design value Tg is equal to or greater than the threshold value Thvi, the air volume setting means 105 sets the rotation speed R of the blower 3 by a constant value ΔR from the current set value. Decrease (step S115). The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105 in step S115. The rotation speed R of the blower 3 decreases until the value of the difference between the temperature difference ΔTbs and the design value Tg is larger than 0 and smaller than the threshold value Thvi. In this case, it is not necessary to rotate the blower 3 extra.

In the first embodiment, the case where the direction of the target point with reference to the non-contact temperature sensor 7 is specified by the angle θv and the angle θh has been described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8, but the angle θv Instead of, the depression angle with respect to the horizontal plane at the position of the non-contact temperature sensor 7 may be used.

The air conditioner 10 of the first embodiment is non-contact with a housing 60 in which a suction port 1 and an air outlet 6 are formed and a blower 3 and a heat exchanger 2 are provided, and a temperature distribution in an indoor space is detected. It has a mold temperature sensor 7 and a control device 50 that controls the rotation speed of the blower 3. The control device 50 includes a reachability determining means 104 and an air volume setting means 105. The reachability determining means 104 determines whether or not the air blown out from the blower 3 has reached the target point from the temperature distribution information detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7. The air volume setting means 105 sets the rotation speed of the blower 3 so that the air blown out from the blower 3 reaches the target point.

According to the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the air blown from the blower 3 has reached the target point, and the rotation speed R of the blower 3 is set so that the airflow reaches the target point. Therefore, it is possible to quickly create an environment in which the air blown out from the indoor unit 30 can reach the floor surface of the target point. As a result, the comfort of the indoor environment can be improved.

In the first embodiment, even when the installation position of the indoor unit 30 is higher than the design value, the degree of arrival of the airflow on the floor surface is determined, and the rotation speed of the blower 3 is corrected based on the degree of arrival. To. Further, in the first embodiment, even when the airflow blown out from the indoor unit 30 does not reach the floor surface due to the influence of the cold air pool in the room or the buoyancy, the arrival degree of the airflow is determined and the arrival degree is determined. The rotation speed of the blower 3 is corrected based on the above. Therefore, the airflow blown out from the indoor unit 30 reaches the target point.

If the airflow blown out from the outlet 6 does not reach the floor surface, the user in the room cannot feel an appropriate temperature change. For example, during heating operation, the user may raise the set temperature in order to obtain comfort. In this case, the air conditioner wastes power. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the conditioned air blown out from the indoor unit 30 reaches the floor surface regardless of the indoor environment, and the comfort of the user in the room can be improved. .. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling the temperature change before raising the set temperature and wasting power due to the change in the set temperature. As a result, energy consumption can be suppressed.

Embodiment 2.
In the second embodiment, the information of the air volume obtained to reach the target point is recorded, and the recorded information can be used for the control of the next air conditioning. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the air conditioner 10 of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a control device in the air conditioner according to the second embodiment. The control device 50a of the second embodiment has an adjustment amount recording means 110 that stores an adjustment amount ΔRm of the rotation speed R set in the blower 3 with respect to the reference rotation speed Rs corresponding to the target point. The adjustment amount recording means 110 is, for example, the memory 51 shown in FIG.

The adjustment amount recording means 110 may store the adjustment amount ΔRm of all the target points with each point on the floor surface as the target point, but the recording amount becomes enormous. Therefore, the floor surface may be divided into a plurality of areas in advance in a certain area, and the adjustment amount ΔRm may be recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110 for each of the plurality of areas. For example, the floor surface is divided into a plurality of areas having an area of 1 m ² , and the adjustment amount ΔRm is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110 for each of the plurality of areas. Further, the adjustment amount ΔRm stored in the adjustment amount recording means 110 is not limited to a value indicating the difference in the rotation speed with respect to the reference rotation speed Rs. The range of the rotation speed is classified into a plurality of ranks, and the adjustment amount for each of the plurality of areas may be recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110 by the rank number. In the following, the case where a certain area to be divided is the section shown in FIG. 14 will be described.

When the air volume setting means 105 receives the information of the target point from the arrival degree determination means 104, the air volume setting means 105 refers to the information stored in the adjustment amount recording means 110 and examines whether or not the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is recorded. .. When the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110, the air volume setting means 105 reads the information of the rotation speed Rm from the adjustment amount recording means 110, and uses the read adjustment amount ΔRm as the reference rotation speed. The value added to Rs is set to the rotation speed R of the blower 3. Further, when the rotation speed R is set for the target point where the adjustment amount is not recorded, the air volume setting means 105 subtracts the reference rotation speed Rs from the rotation speed R to calculate the adjustment amount ΔRm, and calculates the adjustment amount ΔRm. It is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110 in association with the target point.

The adjustment amount recording means 110 may be a memory provided separately from the memory 51. The adjustment amount recording means 110 may be a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner 10 of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner according to the second embodiment. Here, the case where the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation and the reachability determining means 104 determines the reachability of the airflow by absolute evaluation will be described.

In the second embodiment, as compared with the flow shown in FIG. 15, the adjustment amount ΔRm of the target point is read out (steps S202 to S203 of FIG. 19) and the adjustment amount ΔRm calculated from the set rotation speed R. (Step S206 in FIG. 19) and the process of recording the above are added. Since each of steps S201, S204, and S205 shown in FIG. 19 is the same process as each of steps S101 to S103 described with reference to FIG. 15, detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

In step S201, when the target point temperature acquisition means 103 is notified of the target point information from the refrigeration cycle control means 101, the target point temperature acquisition means 103 acquires the floor surface temperature Tf from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102. When the air volume setting means 105 receives the information of the target point from the arrival degree determination means 104, the air volume setting means 105 refers to the information stored in the adjustment amount recording means 110 and examines whether or not the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is recorded. (Step S202). The air volume setting means 105 may acquire information on the target point from the refrigeration cycle control means 101.

As a result of the determination in step S202, if the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is not recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110, the air volume setting means 105 proceeds to step S204 and waits for the determination result by the achievement degree determination means 104. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S202, when the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110, the air volume setting means 105 reads out the information of the rotation speed Rm from the adjustment amount recording means 110. Then, the air volume setting means 105 sets the value obtained by adding the read adjustment amount ΔRm to the reference rotation speed Rs to the rotation speed R of the blower 3. The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105. After that, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg (step S204).

As a result of the determination in step S204, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg, the air volume setting means 105 records the adjustment amount ΔRm in the adjustment amount recording means 110 in association with the target point (step S206). As a result, the adjustment amount ΔRm of the unrecorded target point is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110. Therefore, next time, when the air conditioner 10 blows air toward the same target point, the rotation speed R of the blower 3 is adjusted so that the air flow can reach the target point by using the recorded adjustment amount ΔRm. Can be set.

Further, in step S206, when the target point of the adjustment amount ΔRm to be recorded is already recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110, the air volume setting means 105 newly sets the adjustment amount ΔRm stored in the adjustment amount recording means 110. It may be replaced with the calculated adjustment amount ΔRm. In this case, the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the latest operating state of the air conditioner 10 is updated. Therefore, it is possible to make the airflow reach the target point with a more optimum air volume in response to changes in the indoor environment.

The air conditioner 10 of the second embodiment has an adjustment amount recording means 110 that stores an adjustment amount ΔRm with respect to a reference rotation speed Rs of the blower 3 corresponding to each of a plurality of target points. Therefore, when the adjustment amount ΔRm corresponding to the target point is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means 110, the air volume setting means 105 uses the recorded adjustment amount ΔRm and the reference rotation speed Rs to set the rotation speed R of the blower 3. Can be set. By reflecting the adjustment amount ΔRm recorded corresponding to the target point in the rotation speed R of the blower 3, the operation can be performed in a state where the airflow reaches a high degree at the initial stage.

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to quickly create an air flow having a high degree of reach to the floor surface, so that it is possible to shorten the time until the indoor environment is made comfortable. Further, since the time until the air volume suitable for the indoor environment can be obtained can be shortened, the power consumption can be suppressed and the energy consumption can be suppressed.

Embodiment 3.
In the third embodiment, when setting the air volume to reach the target point, the air volume is set in consideration of the buoyancy in the installation height of the indoor unit from the floor surface. In the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the air conditioner 10 of the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 20 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a control device in the air conditioner according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the indoor unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 is conditioned by detecting the room temperature sensor 12 for detecting the room temperature and the conditioned air temperature which is the temperature of the air after heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 2. An air temperature sensor 11 is provided.

The conditioned air temperature sensor 11 is, for example, a temperature sensor installed at the outlet 6 and detecting the temperature of the air blown out from the outlet 6. The harmonized air temperature sensor 11 may be a temperature sensor provided in contact with the heat exchanger 2 and detecting the temperature of the air immediately after the heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 2. The room temperature sensor 12 is a temperature sensor that acquires the temperature of the room in which the indoor unit 30 is installed. The room temperature sensor 12 is installed in, for example, the suction port 1. The installation position of the room temperature sensor 12 is not limited to the suction port 1. The position of the room temperature sensor 12 may be determined by a design factor as long as the room temperature sensor 12 can detect the room temperature.

Further, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, the control device 50b is provided with the buoyancy calculation means 107 for calculating the buoyancy in the room and the housing 60 of the indoor unit 30 with reference to the floor surface. It has an estimation means 108 for estimating the height h.

The buoyancy calculation means 107 calculates the buoyancy based on the rotation speed R of the blower 3, the room temperature Tr, and the conditioned air temperature Tc. Even when the air volume determined by the rotation speed R of the blower 3 is the same, the higher the conditioned air temperature Tc and the lower the room temperature Tr, the greater the buoyancy. The smaller the temperature difference between the conditioned air temperature Tc and the room temperature Tr, the smaller the buoyancy. This will be described with reference to the schematic diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 16, when the air volume generated by the blower 3 is the same, if the buoyancy is large, the airflow rises as shown by the broken line arrow, but if the buoyancy is small, the airflow is from the indoor unit 30 as shown by the solid line arrow. Keep the direction of the blowout and head toward the target point of the dot pattern. It can be seen that the greater the buoyancy, the more difficult it is for the airflow to reach the floor surface, and the smaller the effect on the floor surface temperature.

The estimation means 108 is based on the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculation means 107, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the angle θv in the direction of the target point with respect to the non-contact temperature sensor 7. The height h from the floor surface is estimated. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of calculating the height at which the indoor unit is installed by using the angle from the vertical reference with respect to the non-contact type temperature sensor shown in FIG. In order to simplify the explanation, here, the angle θh of the target point is set to θh = 0. An example of a method of calculating the height h will be described with reference to FIG. First, the case where the influence of buoyancy on the airflow is not considered will be described.

Let L be the linear distance from the indoor unit 30 until the airflow reaches the floor surface when the airflow is linearly blown out from the indoor unit 30 in the direction of the angle θv at the rotation speed R of the blower 3. As a specific example, when the rotation speed R1 of the blower 3 and the angle θv = θv1, the linear distance L from the indoor unit 30 to the floor surface is L1. The height h1 at this time is represented by h1 = L1 × cosθv1. The memory 51 shown in FIG. 1 stores a distance calculation formula for calculating a linear distance L from the angle θv1 and the rotation speed R of the blower 3. This distance calculation formula is obtained in advance by an experiment. If the rotation speed R1 of the blower 3 and the angle θv1 of the target point are known, the estimation means 108 can calculate the linear distance L1 using the distance calculation formula and calculate the height h1 by calculating L1 × cosθv1. The equation of h1 = L1 × cosθv1 is rewritten as L1 = h1 / cosθv1. By using this rewriting formula, the linear distance L1 can be calculated from the height h1 and the angle θv1.

For example, in the first embodiment, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg as a result of the determination in step S102 described with reference to FIG. 15, the reachability determination means 104 has reached the target point. Is determined. At this time, the blower 3 is set with the rotation speed R most suitable for the target point. Assuming that the rotation speed R is R1, the estimation means 108 calculates the linear distance L1 by substituting the rotation speed R1 of the blower 3 and the angle θv1 of the target point into the distance calculation formula, and calculates L1 × cosθv1 to obtain a high height. H1 is calculated.

However, the above-mentioned method of calculating the height h is a case where the airflow is linearly blown out from the indoor unit 30 in the direction of the angle θv1 and the airflow ideally reaches the floor surface. As described with reference to FIG. 16, the reach depth of the airflow differs depending on whether the airflow is affected by the buoyancy or not, even if the airflow is the same. The reach depth means the distance vertically downward (in the direction opposite to the Z-axis arrow) with respect to the indoor unit 30 in FIG. When the airflow is affected by buoyancy, the depth of reach of the airflow becomes shallow. Therefore, when the airflow is affected by the buoyancy, the deviation between the height h calculated by the estimation means 108 and the actual height hr may become large.

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram for explaining the influence of the buoyancy of the airflow blown out from the outlet of the indoor unit shown in FIG. In FIG. 22, the airflow when not affected by buoyancy is indicated by a broken line arrow, and the airflow when affected by buoyancy is indicated by a solid arrow. FIG. 22 shows an air flow when the rotation speed R of the blower 3, the room temperature Tr, and the conditioned air temperature Tc are the same, and the angles θv are θv0, θv1, and θv2. The relationship is θv2> θv1> θv0, and θv0 = 0.

As shown in FIG. 22, when the angle θv = θv0, the airflow is blown vertically downward, but the airflow cannot reach the floor surface due to the influence of buoyancy. When the angle θv is the same as the angle θv1 shown in FIG. 21, the airflow is blown out in the direction of the broken line arrow, but it has soared before reaching the reach depth at the angle θv0. Further, when the angle θv is the angle θv2, the airflow has soared at a position higher than the angle θv1.

Explain the reason. Assuming that the wind speed of the airflow blown from the indoor unit 30 in the direction of the angle θv is V, the wind speed Vh in the horizontal direction (X-axis arrow direction) is represented by Vh = V × sinθv, which is vertically downward (opposite to the Z-axis arrow). The wind speed Vv in the direction) is represented by Vv = V × cos θv. When the angle θv is θv0 = 0, Vh = 0 and Vv = V, and it can be seen that all the wind speeds V are vertically downward components. On the other hand, from these equations, it can be seen that the larger the angle θv, the smaller Vv and the larger Vh. Therefore, as the angle θv is larger, the airflow cannot advance vertically downward against the buoyancy, and the reach depth becomes shallower.

As explained with reference to FIG. 22, the reach depth of the airflow differs depending on the blowing angle with respect to the horizontal plane even if the buoyancy is the same. That is, the larger the angle θv, the shallower the reach of the airflow, and the smaller the influence on the floor surface temperature.

Even if the conditions of the angle θv and the rotation speed R are the same, the floor surface temperature is unlikely to rise due to buoyancy. Therefore, in order for the airflow affected by the buoyancy to reach the floor surface, it is necessary to increase the rotation speed R of the blower 3 as compared with the case where the airflow is not affected by the buoyancy. In the procedure described with reference to FIG. 15 of the first embodiment, when the airflow is affected by the buoyancy, the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105 is proportional to the buoyancy rather than the rotation speed in the ideal state. It is thought that it will be a large value.

Therefore, when calculating the height h, the estimation means 108 may multiply the rotation speed R of the distance calculation formula by a coefficient proportional to the buoyancy. The coefficient is stored in the memory 51 shown in FIG. The coefficient is determined in advance by experiment. The estimation means 108 calculates the straight line distance L by multiplying the rotation speed R of the distance calculation formula by the coefficient proportional to the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculation means 107, and multiplies the calculated straight line distance L by cosθv to obtain a high value. Calculate h. In this way, the estimation means 108 estimates the height h of the housing 60 from the floor surface based on the calculated buoyancy, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the angle θv of the target point. The estimation means 108 records the estimated height h value in the memory 51. The value for correcting the influence of the buoyancy on the straight line distance L is not limited to the coefficient, and may be a correction value added to the straight line distance L calculated from the distance calculation formula.

When the target point is changed, the air volume setting means 105 of the third embodiment sets the initial value of the rotation speed R of the blower 3 by using the height h estimated by the estimation means 108. Specifically, the air volume setting means 105 calculates the linear distance Lx by substituting the height h and the angle θv of the target point into the above rewriting formula. Subsequently, the air volume setting means 105 obtains the rotation speed R of the newly set target point by substituting the calculated linear distance Lx and the angle θv into the distance calculation formula and calculating back.

In this case, the optimum rotation speed R can be set before the blower 3 starts blowing air to the new target point. The air volume setting means 105 can obtain an appropriate rotation speed R faster than finding the optimum rotation speed R stepwise according to the procedure shown in FIG. 15 after setting the reference rotation speed Rs as the initial value. .. As a result, an environment in which the airflow can reach the floor surface can be created faster. Not only when the target point is changed, but also when the operation is started from the state where the air conditioner 10 is stopped, the air volume setting means 105 uses the estimated height h to rotate the blower 3. The initial value of R may be obtained.

Next, the operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the air conditioner according to the third embodiment. Here, the case where the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation and the reachability determining means 104 determines the reachability of the airflow by absolute evaluation will be described. Since each of steps S302 to S304 shown in FIG. 23 is the same processing as each of steps S101 to S103 described with reference to FIG. 15, detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, it is assumed that the height h1 estimated by the estimation means 108 is stored in the memory 51 shown in FIG. Further, it is assumed that the threshold value hth, which is a criterion for determining whether or not to update the height h used for calculating the rotation speed R, is stored in the memory 51.

The air volume setting means 105 receives the information of the newly set target point from the refrigeration cycle control means 101. Here, the angle θv of the newly set target point is set to θv2. The change of the target point is, for example, when a person in the room moves. The air volume setting means 105 sets the rotation speed R of the blower 3 based on the height h1 read from the memory 51 and the angle θv2 of the target point (step S301). The blower control means 106 drives the blower 3 at the rotation speed R set by the air volume setting means 105. Subsequently, the target point temperature acquisition means 103 acquires the floor surface temperature Tf of the target point from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102 (step S302). After that, the achievement determination means 104 determines whether or not the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg (step S303).

As a result of the determination in step S303, when the temperature difference ΔTbs is larger than the design value Tg, the reachability determining means 104 determines that the airflow has reached the target point. The estimation means 108 calculates the height h2 of the housing 60 of the indoor unit 30 from the floor surface based on the set rotation speed R, the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculation means 107, and the angle θv2 of the target point. To do.

Further, the estimation means 108 determines whether or not the absolute value of the difference between the already stored height h1 and the newly calculated height h2 is larger than the threshold value hth (step S305). When | h2-h1 | ≦ hth, the estimation means 108 maintains the height h stored in the memory 51 at h1. On the other hand, when the result of the determination in step S305 is | h2-h1 |> hth, the estimation means 108 replaces the height h stored in the memory 51 with h1 to h2. FIG. 24 is an image diagram showing that the height value stored in the memory shown in FIG. 1 is replaced. This is because the calculated height h2 has changed more than the recorded height h1, and it is considered that the air conditioning environment such as buoyancy has changed. In this way, the height h stored in the memory 51 is updated to an appropriate value according to the indoor environment.

Note that the initial value h0 of the height h may be stored in the memory 51. For example, the initial value h0 may be registered in the memory 51 in the manufacturing process of the air conditioner 10, or may be registered in the memory 51 when the air conditioner 10 is installed by the supplier who installs the air conditioner 10. Good. Further, the initial value h0 may be registered in the memory 51 by a user who operates a remote controller (not shown in the figure). After the air conditioner 10 starts operation, the procedure shown in FIG. 23 is performed one or more times, so that the optimum height considering the influence of buoyancy corresponding to the indoor environment in which the air conditioner 10 is installed is taken into consideration. It will be updated to h.

The air conditioner 10 of the third embodiment includes a room temperature sensor 12 that detects the room temperature and a conditioned air temperature sensor 11 that detects the conditioned air temperature which is the temperature of the conditioned air after heat exchange with the refrigerant. Further, the control device 50b has a buoyancy calculation means 107 and an estimation means 108. The buoyancy calculation means 107 calculates the buoyancy based on the rotation speed R of the blower 3, the room temperature, and the conditioned air temperature. The estimation means 108 estimates the height h of the housing 60 from the floor surface based on the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculation means 107, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the angle θv of the target point. When the target point is newly set, the air volume setting means 105 obtains the rotation speed R of the blower 3 corresponding to the angle θv of the new target point with reference to the height h estimated by the estimation means 108.

According to the third embodiment, the estimated height h is updated in accordance with the indoor environment. Therefore, when the airflow reaches the newly set target point, the height h suitable for the indoor environment is set. Based on this, the rotation speed R of the blower 3 is set to the initial value. Therefore, the situation where the airflow reaches the floor surface of the target point can be realized more quickly. Further, in the third embodiment, since the height h used for setting the air volume is calculated in consideration of the influence of the buoyancy due to the room temperature and the conditioned air temperature, the air volume is adjusted in consideration of the buoyancy, and the target point is adjusted. Improves the reachability of airflow to the floor.

According to the third embodiment, the degree of arrival due to the influence of buoyancy can be corrected, and an environment in which the airflow blown from the indoor unit 30 can reach the floor surface of the target point can be created more quickly. As a result, not only the situation where the indoor space can be made comfortable for the user increases, but also the situation where the wasteful consumption of electric power is suppressed increases, and the energy consumption can be suppressed.

Embodiment 4.
Although the buoyancy calculated based on the room temperature Tr and the conditioned air temperature Tc is taken into consideration in the third embodiment, the fourth embodiment is caused by the temperature difference between the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature in the room. The buoyancy is taken into consideration. In the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first and third embodiments, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the air conditioner 10 of the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 25 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of a control device in the air conditioner of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the non-contact temperature sensor 7 also measures the temperature distribution on the ceiling surface. In the first embodiment, the case where the non-contact type temperature sensor 7 detects the temperature distribution from the floor surface to a certain height in the wall facing the indoor unit 30 has been described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The non-contact temperature sensor 7 may detect the temperature distribution of the ceiling surface as well as the floor surface and the wall separated by the broken line in FIGS. 12 and 13.

The buoyancy calculation means 107 of the control device 50c reads out the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature in the room from the analysis result of the sensor output analysis means 102, and calculates the temperature difference ΔTud between the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature. Then, the buoyancy calculation means 107 calculates the buoyancy based on the calculated temperature difference ΔTud, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the conditioned air temperature Tc.

Consider the case where the temperature difference ΔTud is large, for example, the temperature near the ceiling surface is high and the temperature near the floor surface is low. In this case, the airflow blown out from the indoor unit 30 receives not only air resistance but also buoyancy from a layer of air having a low temperature near the floor surface, and the degree of reaching the floor surface is lowered. On the other hand, when the temperature difference ΔTud is small, the temperature near the ceiling surface and the temperature near the floor surface do not differ significantly. Therefore, the airflow blown out from the indoor unit 30 receives air resistance from a place close to the ceiling toward the floor surface, but does not receive resistance from the low temperature layer, so that the degree of reaching the floor surface is high. The buoyancy calculation means 107 calculates the buoyancy in addition to the resistance to the airflow caused by the temperature difference ΔTud with respect to the buoyancy of the rotation speed R of the blower 3 and the conditioned air temperature Tc described in the third embodiment.

Although the case where the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature are used for the calculation of the buoyancy has been described, the temperature near the ceiling surface and the temperature near the floor surface may be used. For example, a room temperature sensor that detects room temperature may be provided in the suction port 1. In this case, the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor can be set to the temperature near the ceiling surface.

The operation of the air conditioner 10 of the fourth embodiment is the same as the operation procedure of the third embodiment described with reference to FIG. 23 except for the buoyancy calculation process by the buoyancy calculation means 107. The explanation is omitted.

The air conditioner 10 of the fourth embodiment has a conditioned air temperature sensor 11 that detects the conditioned air temperature, which is the temperature of the conditioned air after heat exchange with the refrigerant. The control device 50c has a buoyancy calculating means 107 and an estimating means 108. The buoyancy calculation means 107 has a buoyancy based on the temperature difference ΔTud between the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature of the indoor space detected by the non-contact temperature sensor 7, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the harmonized air temperature. Is calculated. The estimation means 108 estimates the height h of the housing 60 from the floor surface based on the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculation means 107, the rotation speed R of the blower 3, and the angle θv of the target point. When the target point is newly set, the air volume setting means 105 obtains the rotation speed R of the blower 3 corresponding to the angle θv of the new target point with reference to the height h estimated by the estimation means 108.

According to the fourth embodiment, the height h in which the indoor unit 30 is installed is estimated in consideration of the buoyancy caused by the temperature difference in the vertical direction of the indoor space, so that the same effect as that of the third embodiment is obtained. Is obtained.

At the design stage of the air conditioner 10, a design value is set for the height h from the floor surface to the air outlet 6, but in an actual residence, the indoor unit 30 may not be installed according to the design value. .. Therefore, even if the design value is registered in the control device as the height h in advance, the air volume set based on the design value may not be suitable for the actual residence. In addition, the indoor environment in which the indoor unit 30 is installed also differs from house to house. Even in such a case, in the fourth embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the indoor unit 30 can be formed by estimating the height h from the floor surface to the indoor unit 30 corresponding to the buoyancy. The air volume can be corrected according to the installed environment.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the case where the air conditioner 10 performs the heating operation has been described, but the first to fourth embodiments may be applied to the cooling operation. Further, two or more embodiments may be combined from the first to fourth embodiments.

1 suction port, 2 heat exchanger, 3 blower, 4 1st air direction plate, 4a-4d blades, 5 2nd air direction plate, 5a front blade, 5b rear blade, 6 outlet, 7 non-contact type temperature sensor, 10 air Harmonizer, 11 Harmonized air temperature sensor, 12 Room temperature sensor, 13 Air passage, 20 Outdoor unit, 21 Compressor, 22 Four-way valve, 23 Heat source side heat exchanger, 24 Expansion valve, 25 Blower, 30 Indoor unit, 34 No. 1 Wind direction plate drive unit, 35 second wind direction plate drive unit, 40 refrigerant circuit, 41 refrigerant piping, 50, 50a to 50c control device, 51 memory, 52 CPU, 60 housing, 71 fixed shaft, 72 movable shaft, 73 disk , 74 stepping motor, 75 belt, 81a, 81b rotating shaft, 82a, 82b disk, 83 stepping motor, 84 belt, 101 refrigeration cycle control means, 102 sensor output analysis means, 103 target point temperature acquisition means, 104 reachability determination Means, 105 air volume setting means, 106 blower control means, 107 buoyancy calculation means, 108 estimation means, 110 adjustment amount recording means.

Claims

A housing with a suction port and an outlet,
A blower provided in the housing, which sucks indoor air from the suction port and blows it out from the air outlet.
A heat exchanger provided in the housing and for heat exchange between the air sucked from the suction port and the refrigerant.
A non-contact temperature sensor that detects the temperature distribution in the indoor space,
It has a control device for controlling the rotation speed of the blower.
The control device is
A reachability determining means for determining whether or not the air blown from the blower has reached the target point from the temperature distribution information detected by the non-contact temperature sensor.
An air volume setting means for setting the rotation speed of the blower so that the air blown from the blower reaches the target point, and
Air conditioner with.
The control device has an adjustment amount recording means for storing an adjustment amount with respect to a reference rotation speed of the blower corresponding to each of the plurality of target points.
The air volume setting means
When the adjustment amount corresponding to the target point is recorded in the adjustment amount recording means, the rotation speed of the blower is set using the recorded adjustment amount and the reference rotation speed.
The air conditioner according to claim 1.
A room temperature sensor that detects room temperature and
Further, the heat exchanger further includes a conditioned air temperature sensor that detects the conditioned air temperature, which is the temperature of the air after heat exchange with the refrigerant.
The control device is
A buoyancy calculating means for calculating buoyancy based on the number of revolutions of the blower, the room temperature, and the conditioned air temperature.
The height of the housing from the floor surface based on the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculating means, the rotation speed of the blower, and the angle indicating the direction of the target point with reference to the non-contact temperature sensor. Has an estimation means to estimate,
The air volume setting means
When the target point is newly set, the rotation speed of the blower is obtained according to the angle of the new target point with reference to the height estimated by the estimation means.
The air conditioner according to claim 1.
Further having a conditioned air temperature sensor for detecting the conditioned air temperature which is the temperature of the air after heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger.
The control device is
A buoyancy calculation means for calculating buoyancy based on the temperature difference between the ceiling surface temperature and the floor surface temperature of the indoor space detected by the non-contact type temperature sensor, the rotation speed of the blower, and the harmonized air temperature. When,
The height of the housing from the floor surface based on the buoyancy calculated by the buoyancy calculating means, the rotation speed of the blower, and the angle indicating the direction of the target point with reference to the non-contact temperature sensor. Has an estimation means to estimate,
The air volume setting means
When the target point is newly set, the rotation speed of the blower is obtained according to the angle of the new target point with reference to the height estimated by the estimation means.
The air conditioner according to claim 1.
The control device further has a memory for storing the height estimated by the estimation means as an initial value.
The estimation means
When the difference between the newly estimated height corresponding to the angle of the new target point and the initial value is larger than the determined threshold value, the newly estimated height is used instead of the initial value. To be stored in the memory
The air conditioner according to claim 3 or 4.