WO2023021552A1

WO2023021552A1 - Humidifying element, humidifying device, ventilating device, and air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2023021552A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/029912
Authority: WO
Inventors: 秀和平井; 育弘吉田; 勝高田
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2021-08-16
Filing date: 2021-08-16
Publication date: 2023-02-23
Also published as: JPWO2023021552A1; CN117836564A

Abstract

A humidifying element comprises a plurality of humidifying bodies (20) that retain water and are arranged in a line so as to have spaces provided therebetween, and a water supplying mechanism that supplies water to the humidifying bodies (20). Each of the humidifying bodies (20) comprises a large contact angle part having a contact angle with water when dry that is relatively larger than that of regions linked continuously in the direction of the flow of air, said large contact angle part being on the upwind side from the center between an upwind-side end (20a) and a downwind-side end in the direction of the flow of air that is blown onto the humidifying body. The humidifying elements enable the occurrence of scale to be inhibited, without reducing humidifying performance.

Description

Humidification elements, humidifiers, ventilators and air conditioners

The present disclosure relates to humidifying elements, humidifying devices, ventilators, and air conditioners that generate humidified air.

Humidification methods for humidifying devices that generate humidified air include natural evaporation, electric heating, water spray, and ultrasonic methods. Natural evaporation type humidifiers tend to keep running costs lower than other types of humidifiers. For this reason, the natural evaporation type humidifier is particularly useful in places where it is operated for a long time.

On the other hand, with natural evaporation humidifiers, impurities such as calcium, magnesium, and silica contained in the supplied water are concentrated as the water evaporates, and they tend to accumulate as scale. When scale accumulates, it becomes difficult for water to permeate into the portion where scale is generated, so that the humidification area decreases and the humidification performance deteriorates. For this reason, various countermeasures against the generation of scale have been studied.

In Patent Document 1, a resin coating is applied to a scale deposition region of a moisture-permeable tube where the deposition amount of scale components is partially uneven, thereby reducing the moisture permeability in the resin-coated portion and reducing the amount of water evaporation. A humidifier is disclosed. The humidifier described in Patent Document 1 suppresses the evaporation of water itself and the generation of scale by covering the surface of the moisture-permeable tube with a resin coating layer.

In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a humidifying element that reduces scale generation by forming layers in the order of an anchor layer containing a film-forming polymer and a hydrophilic layer on the surface of a humidifying filter base material. The humidifying element described in Patent Literature 2 aims to suppress deposition of scale components by forming a hydrophilic layer with a surface substantially free of small pores.

JP 2007-155201 A Japanese Patent No. 5270570

However, the moisture-permeable tube described in Patent Literature 1 has a resin coating on the areas where scale is deposited, so there is a problem that the inherent humidification performance of the moisture-permeable tube is reduced. In addition, in the moisture-permeable tube described in Patent Document 1, scale is less likely to occur in the coated portion, but a new area where scale is likely to occur is formed on the leeward side immediately after the coated portion. There is a problem that scale is locally generated at the interface between the coated portion and the non-coated portion.

In addition, the humidifying element described in Patent Document 2 suppresses the generation of scale nuclei by smoothing the surface properties of the hydrophilic layer, thereby preventing the growth of scale. Prevents scales that occur during concentration. However, in this case, although it is effective during the humidification operation, when the humidification element is completely dried in order to ensure hygiene after the humidification operation, all the impurities contained in the water retained in the humidification element become scales. to precipitate. Therefore, even if the surface properties of the hydrophilic layer are smooth, there is a problem that scales are generated on the surface of the humidifier during drying. That is, the techniques disclosed in

Patent Documents

1 and 2 cannot suppress the generation of scale without deteriorating the humidification performance.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to obtain a humidifying element that can suppress the generation of scale without deteriorating the humidifying performance.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the humidifying element according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of humidifying bodies that are arranged so as to provide a gap between each other and retain water, and a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the humidifying bodies. And prepare. The humidifying body is located on the windward side of the center between the windward end and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifying body, and when relatively dry compared to the area continuously connected in the air flow direction has a large contact angle portion with a large contact angle with water.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a humidifying element capable of suppressing the generation of scale without lowering the humidifying performance.

Configuration diagram of the humidifying device according to the first embodiment The perspective view of the humidification element with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 is equipped Enlarged view of a humidifying element included in the humidifying device according to the first embodiment An exploded perspective view of a humidifying element included in the humidifying device according to the first embodiment. The front view of the humidification element with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 is provided Sectional drawing of the humidification element with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 is provided The figure which shows the 1st modification of the water supply mechanism with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 is equipped. The figure which shows the 2nd modification of the water supply mechanism with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 1 is equipped Sectional view of a humidifier included in the humidifier according to the first embodiment The image figure which expands and shows the 1st humidification body part and the 2nd humidification body part in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged image diagram showing a humidifier according to a comparative example in Embodiment 1. FIG. Sectional drawing of the humidification element with which the humidification apparatus concerning Embodiment 2 is provided Sectional view along line XIII-XIII shown in FIG. The image figure which expands and shows the 1st humidification body part in FIG. 13, and the 2nd humidification body part Sectional view of a humidifier included in a humidifier according to Embodiment 3 The figure which shows an example of the ventilation apparatus concerning Embodiment 4. A diagram showing an example of an air conditioner according to a fourth embodiment

A humidifying element, a humidifying device, a ventilator, and an air conditioner according to embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. A humidifying device 1 incorporates a humidifying element 2. - 特許庁The humidifying device 1 includes an intake port 1a for taking in air and an outlet port 1b for discharging air. A blower 5 for sending air into the humidifying element 2 and blowing out the air again is incorporated on the upper or lower side of the ventilation element 2 . FIG. 1 shows a state in which the blower 5 is installed on the airflow side of the humidifying element 2 . The blower 5 forms an airflow that flows in from the intake port 1a and flows out from the discharge port 1b. Air flows in the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG. In addition, although the air blower 5 is incorporated in the ventilation airflow upper side rather than the humidification element 2 in this Embodiment 1, it may be incorporated in the ventilation airflow lower side than the humidification element 2. FIG.

The humidifying device 1 includes a humidifying element 2, a water supply pipe 3 connected to a water supply source such as water supply equipment (not shown) and feeding water for humidification to the humidifying element 2, and water remaining without being humidified by the humidifying element 2. A drain pipe 4 for discharging to the outside and an air blower 5 for passing an air flow through the humidifying element 2 are provided. The humidifier 1 also includes a controller 6 that operates devices such as the blower 5 and the water supply valve 3a, which is a water supply system electromagnetic valve, and a drain pan 7 that receives and drains the water to the outside.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. One or a plurality of humidifying elements 2 are directly installed on the drain pan 7 . The ridges on both sides of the top structure of each humidifying element 2 are detachably held by guide rails or the like mounted on the partition wall and the inner wall surface on the front side of the main body box body. Illustrations of the partition wall, the inner wall surface on the front side of the main body box, and the guide rail are omitted. The humidifying element 2 is connected to a water supply system provided with a water supply valve 3a for supplying or shutting off water for humidification. A drain pipe 4 is connected to the drain pan 7 .

The water supply system for supplying water for humidification to the humidification element 2 includes a water supply valve 3a that adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the water supplied to the humidification element 2, a strainer (not shown) that prevents dust from entering the water supply system, and It is configured as a water channel including a water supply pipe 3 for water supply. It is preferable that all of the connection parts of the water supply system, excluding the connection part with the water supply source side, be concentrated in the drain pan 7 .

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a cross section along line VI-VI in FIG. In FIG. 6, for ease of understanding, the first humidifying body portion 23 of the humidifying body 20, which will be described later, is hatched, and the hatching of the cross section is omitted. Hereinafter, the width direction of the humidifying element 2 is defined as the X-axis direction, the depth direction of the humidifying element 2 is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the height direction of the humidifying element 2 is defined as the Z-axis direction.

The humidifying element 2 includes a plurality of flat humidifying bodies 20 arranged along the X-axis direction so as to provide a gap between them. A plurality of humidifiers 20 are arranged with a gap therebetween to form a continuous air passage along the Y-axis direction. That is, the gap between adjacent humidifiers 20 becomes an air passage through which air can pass.

The air flow generated by the blower 5 flows through the gaps between the humidifiers 20 in the Y+ direction, which is the direction from the negative side to the positive side in the Y axis direction. That is, in FIG. 6, the airflow flows from the left side to the right side of the drawing. Therefore, in FIG. 6, the left side of the illustrated humidifier 20 is the windward side. Moreover, in FIG. 6, the right side of the illustrated humidifier 20 is the leeward side. That is, the blower 5 generates an air flow from the windward side of the humidifier 20 to the leeward side, and allows the air to pass through the gap between the adjacent humidifiers 20 .

As shown in FIG. 6, a diffusion member 30 is in contact with the upper portion of the humidifier 20 . A concave portion 22 is formed in the central portion of the upper portion of the humidifying body 20 along the Y-axis direction, and is recessed below other portions of the upper portion of the humidifying body 20 . The diffusion member 30 is arranged within the recess 22 . The diffusion members 30 are arranged to extend along the X-axis direction corresponding to the direction in which the plurality of humidifiers 20 are arranged, and the humidifiers 20 collectively contact one diffusion member 30 .

As shown in FIG. 6, above the humidifier 20, there is a water tank 12 for storing water to be supplied to the humidifier 20, and a water supply port 11 for injecting water from the water supply pipe 3 into the water tank 12. Below the humidifying body 20, there are a drainage part 13 for receiving and draining water remaining unhumidified from the humidifying body 20, and a drainage port 13a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the humidifier 20 is housed and fixed in a casing 10 provided with an opening. Casing 10 is divided into two parts, casing 10a and casing 10b. The casing 10 has a structure in which the humidifier 20 is sandwiched between the casing 10a and the casing 10b, and the casing 10a and the casing 10b are integrated by aligning the engaging portions 15 of the casing 10a and the casing 10b to accommodate the humidifier 20. It's becoming The casing 10 may be made of metal, or may be made of metal and plastic as long as it can accommodate the humidifier 20 .

The casing 10a and the casing 10b are each provided with a drain port 13a and an opening 10c for introducing the air to be humidified into the humidifier 20.

A water supply port 11 for supplying water to the water tank 12 is also provided in the casing 10b. That is, the water supply port 11 and the drainage portion 13 are formed in the casing 10 . A housing space for housing the humidifier 20 is provided inside the casing 10 . The casing 10 is formed with a structural wall 14 that connects a water tank 12 as an upper structure and a drainage section 13 as a lower structure.

As shown in FIG. 4 , a water tank 12 for storing water to be supplied to the humidifier 20 is installed above the humidifier 20 . Water is injected into the water tank 12 from the water supply pipe 3 through the water supply port 11 . Here, a series of structures for transmitting water supplied to the humidifying element 2 to the humidifying body 20 is called a water supply mechanism 50 . In the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the water supply port 11 , the water tank 12 and the diffusion member 30 constitute the water supply mechanism 50 .

The casing 10 is made of thermoplastic plastic including ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) resin, polystyrene (PS) resin, or polypropylene (PP) resin, and is formed by a molding method such as injection molding.

A positioning projection 10d for regulating the position of the humidifying body 20 is provided in the portion of the casing 10 that contacts the humidifying body 20 . Since the humidifying body 20 softens when it contains water and may deform due to the weight of the water, by restricting the position of the humidifying body 20 at the outer peripheral portion of the humidifying body 20 that contacts the casing 10, the flow between the humidifying bodies 20 is reduced. The dimension of the passage can be secured and the air can flow uniformly.

As a result, the decrease in the pressure loss of the humidifying element 2 is suppressed, and the entire surface of the humidifying body 20 is effectively used as a humidifying surface, so the effect of increasing the amount of humidification can be expected compared to the case where the humidifying body 20 is distorted. .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the water tank 12 is provided above the diffusion member 30 . A plurality of water injection holes 12 a for dropping water onto the diffusion member 30 are formed in the bottom surface of the water tank 12 . The water tank 12 and the diffusion member 30 are combined as an integral part and held between the casing 10a and the casing 10b. Also, a water level detection sensor 8 for detecting the water level of the water tank 12 may be installed in the water tank 12 . The water level detected by the water level detection sensor 8 may be fed back to control the opening and closing of the water supply valve 3a by the controller 6 shown in FIG.

The water tank 12 is formed by a molding method such as injection molding using a thermoplastic plastic containing ABS resin, PS resin or PP resin as a material. Since the water tank 12 uses a resin material as a material, if the surface is smooth, the contact angle with water is large, approximately 90 degrees or more, and the surface is hydrophobic. Therefore, water hardly remains on the inner surface of the water tank 12, and is excellent in sanitation.

Here, hydrophobicity is defined as a contact angle of 90 degrees or more, hydrophilicity is defined as a contact angle of 40 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees, and superhydrophilicity is defined as a contact angle of less than 40 degrees. In Embodiment 1, the contact angle on the surface of the water tank 12 is set to be approximately 90 degrees or more. As a result, the surface of the water tank 12 becomes hydrophobic, so water hardly remains on the surface of the water tank 12, and there is an advantage that the sanitation in the water tank 12 is excellent. In addition, the water tank 12 should just store water and supply water to the humidification body 20, and even if it is formed with a circular pipe or a rectangular pipe, there is no functional problem. Also, the material may be metal.

The water supply port 11 is provided above the humidifying element 2 and above the humidifying body 20 in order to supply water to the water tank 12 . The shape of the water supply port 11 is made to match the shape of the water supply pipe 3, and a convex belt, a so-called barb structure is formed so that it does not come off easily, or the water supply port 11 and the water supply pipe 3 are bound with a hose band. may The water supply port 11 has no restrictions on its position as long as it has a structure that allows water to be supplied from the upper part of the humidifier 20. preferably placed on the windward side of the

By arranging the water supply port 11 on the windward side of the airflow, the water leaking from the joint between the water supply pipe 3 and the water supply port 11 rides on the airflow and is guided to the leeward side, that is, the humidifying element 2 side, and the humidifier 20. Since the water is absorbed by the humidifier 20, scattering of water to the leeward side of the humidifying body 20 can be reduced.

If the amount of water supplied is excessive relative to the amount of humidification from the surface of the humidifier 20, the amount of water that flows from the drainage section 13 without being humidified increases, increasing the amount of wasted water. Therefore, it is preferable that the water supply port 11 is provided with a mechanism for throttling the amount of water to adjust the amount of water supplied to the water tank 12 . In the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the mechanism for throttling the amount of water is, for example, an orifice portion 40 shown in FIG. The orifice portion 40 is formed by narrowing a part of the inner peripheral surface of the water supply port 11 more than other portions. When adjusting the amount of water, it is necessary to supply a larger amount of water than the maximum humidification amount of the humidifying element 2 . It should be noted that the orifice part 40 is sufficient as long as the flow rate can be adjusted, and there is no functional problem even if the orifice part 40 uses a metal mesh or a porous material to adjust the amount of water.

The diffusion member 30 is made of a porous plate material. The diffusion member 30 is arranged directly below the water injection hole 12a. Since the diffusing member 30 absorbs the water dropped from the water tank 12 and sends the water to the humidifier 20, the higher the hydrophilicity of the surface of the material, the better the permeation and the flow rate of water flow increases. Moreover, since the diffusion member 30 is always in contact with water, it is preferable that the diffusion member 30 be made of a material that is not easily deteriorated by water.

The diffusion member 30 made of a material that is not easily degraded by water includes woven fabrics or non-woven fabrics made of resins such as polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, acrylic resin, and cellulose, as well as titanium. , metal porous plates such as copper and stainless steel. Further, in order to increase the degree of hydrophilicity of the surface of the diffusion member 30, the diffusion member 30 may be subjected to hydrophilization treatment.

The lower end of the diffusion member 30 and the upper end of the humidifier 20 are placed in contact with each other. If the diffusion member 30 and the humidifying body 20 are in contact with each other, water flows down to the humidifying body 20 without stagnation due to the action of the capillary force of the humidifying body 20 . In consideration of variations during assembly of the diffusion member 30 and the humidifier 20 and the influence of vibration during transportation, the diffusion member 30 and the humidifier 20 are placed such that the lower end of the diffusion member 30 and the upper end of the humidifier 20 are inserted into each other. may be concatenated with

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first modification of the water supply mechanism 50 included in the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second modification of the water supply mechanism 50 included in the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment. The configuration of the water supply mechanism 50 is not particularly limited as long as it can supply water to the humidifier 20 .

For the water supply mechanism 50, there is no functional problem even if the diffusion member 30 is inserted inside the water injection hole 12a and inside the humidifying body 20, for example, as shown in FIG. In this case, the diffusion member 30 functions as a water injection part that injects water into the humidifier 20 .

Further, the water supply mechanism 50, for example, by extending the diffusion member 30 inside the water tank 12 as shown in FIG. There are no structural or functional problems. The water tank 12 shown in FIG. 8 is arranged to be displaced from the center of the humidifier 20 in the Y-axis direction toward the water supply port 11 . 8, the diffusion member 30 includes a suction part 31 inserted into the water tank 12, an extension part 32 horizontally extending from the upper end of the suction part 31 toward the opposite side of the water supply port 11 in the Y-axis direction, and a flowing portion 33 extending downward from the extending end of the extending portion 32 toward the humidifying body 20 . A lower end of the flow part 33 is inserted inside the humidifier 20 . In this case, the flow part 33 becomes a water injection part that injects water into the humidifier 20 .

Alternatively, the water tank 12 may be formed as a watertight header portion (not shown), and water may be dripped onto the diffusion member 30 from a plurality of water injection holes 12a formed in the header portion.

The diffusion member 30 is provided to evenly diffuse the water dripping from the water tank 12 located above in the X-axis direction. That is, the diffusion member 30 is provided to uniformly supply water to the plurality of humidifiers 20 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. Therefore, when a plurality of humidifying bodies 20 are integrated and water can be diffused in the X-axis direction between the plurality of humidifying bodies 20, or the upper part of the humidifying body 20 is folded to bring the adjacent humidifying bodies 20 into contact with each other. In this case, the humidifier 20 itself has the same water diffusion function as the diffusion member 30 does.

In this case, instead of the diffusion member 30 shown in FIG. 7, the humidifier 20 can be directly inserted into the water inlet 12a, and instead of the diffusion member 30 shown in FIG. It can also extend inside the tank 12 . With such a structure, the humidifier 20 itself has the same water diffusion function as the diffusion member 30 does. Such a structure is excellent in that water can flow directly from the water tank 12 to the humidifier 20 without using the diffusion member 30, so that the water supply mechanism 50 can be formed at a relatively low cost.

In this case, for example, instead of the diffusion member 30 shown in FIG. 7, part of the humidifier 20 can be directly inserted into the water injection hole 12a. Also, instead of the diffusion member 30 shown in FIG. In these cases, a portion of the humidifying body 20 that pours water into the main body of the humidifying body 20 becomes the water pouring part. With such a structure, water can be dripped directly from the water tank 12 to the main body of the humidifier 20 without using the diffusion member 30 .

The humidifier 20 is made of a hydrophilic porous plate material, similar to the diffusion member 30 . The humidifier 20 absorbs and retains the water supplied from the diffusion member 30 , thereby humidifying the air passing between the humidifiers 20 . Therefore, like the diffusion member 30, the humidifier 20 is preferably made of a material that is less likely to be degraded by water. Moreover, it is preferable that the humidifying body 20 has as high a hydrophilicity as possible as a whole. When the humidifying body 20 has high hydrophilicity, the capillary force inside the porous body constituting the humidifying body 20 is increased, and the water absorption of the humidifying body 20 is improved. The relationship between the hydrophilicity of the capillaries and the water uptake height due to the capillary force of the capillaries is shown by the following equation (1).

　H = (2 x T x cos θ) ÷ (ρ x g x r) (1)

In the above formula (1), H: water uptake height (m), T: surface tension (N/m), θ: contact angle (°), ρ: liquid density (kg/m ³ ), g: Gravitational acceleration (m/s), r: tube radius (m). From the formula (1), it can be said that the higher the hydrophilicity of the capillaries and the smaller the contact angle between the capillaries and the liquid, the higher the water absorption of the liquid due to the capillary force of the capillaries. From this, it can be said that the higher the hydrophilicity of the humidifier 20 and the smaller the contact angle of the humidifier 20 with water, the higher the water absorbency due to the capillary force of the humidifier 20 .

If the humidifying body 20 has high water absorbency, the humidifying body 20 is uniformly wetted when water is dripped onto the dry humidifying body 20 or water is absorbed by the dry humidifying body 20 to moisten the humidifying body 20. - 特許庁be able to. Moreover, when air is blown to the moist humidifier 20, drying starts locally in a portion of the humidifier 20 where the amount of humidification is large. In the humidifying body 20 having high water absorption, a force to replenish the dry part of the humidifying body 20 with water acts, and the entire humidifying body 20 can continue to be moist without drying.

A convex portion 21 is provided on the surface of the humidifier 20 . The protrusions 21 maintain the interval between the adjacent humidifiers 20 . The convex portion 21 can be formed by pressing a jig against the humidifying body 20 and plastically deforming the portion pressed against the jig. By alternately arranging two kinds of humidifying bodies 20 having different arrangement positions of the convex portions 21 on the humidifying bodies 20, a function of keeping the interval between the humidifying bodies 20 constant can be obtained.

It should be noted that the humidifying bodies 20 need only be kept at a constant interval along the X-axis direction. The plurality of humidifiers 20, for example, has a structure in which a comb having teeth formed at regular intervals corresponding to the plate thickness of the humidifier 20 is engaged with the plurality of humidifiers 20 so that the spacing is maintained. good. Moreover, the plurality of humidifying bodies 20 may have a structure in which intervals are maintained by laminating the corrugated humidifying bodies 20 in a honeycomb shape. Moreover, the plurality of humidifiers 20 may have a structure in which a spacer is inserted between the adjacent humidifiers 20 to maintain an interval.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the humidifier 20 includes a windward end 20 a that faces the windward side in the air flow direction generated by the blower 5 , and an windward end 20 a in the air flow direction. and a leeward end, which is the opposite end. That is, the humidifier 20 has a windward end portion 20a facing the windward side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. 6 and a leeward end portion facing the opposite side of the windward end portion 20a in the Y-axis direction. The flow direction of the air generated by the blower 5 is along the Y-axis direction and corresponds to the Y+ direction.

On the surface of the humidifier 20, the air is humidified by the water vapor partial pressure difference between the air flowing between the humidifier 20 and the water retained in the humidifier 20. The amount of humidification of the humidifier 20 in the direction of air flow is greater on the windward side and smaller on the leeward side. This is because the water vapor partial pressure difference is large on the windward side, and the wind separates at the windward end portion 20a of the humidifier 20 to promote humidification. Therefore, the amount of humidification at the windward side end 20a is greater than the humidification amount at portions of the humidifier 20 other than the windward side end 20a.

Therefore, the windward end 20a is located on the side where the air flow generated by the blower 5 flows, and is a portion of the humidifier 20 where the amount of humidification is locally high. The reason why the amount of humidification at the windward end 20a of the humidifying body 20 is locally large is, as described above, the water vapor partial pressure difference between the air flowing between the humidifying bodies 20 and the water retained in the humidifying bodies 20. and that the airflow is turbulent at the edge portion of the windward end of the humidifier 20 to promote humidification. The windward end of the humidifier 20 is the windward end of the windward end 20a.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the humidifying body 20 has a first humidifying body portion 23 locally formed on the windward side end 20a in the Y-axis direction. The first humidifier part 23 is a weak capillary force part, which is a region of the humidifier 20 coated with the film 60 . The weak capillary force portion is a region of the humidifier 20 coated with the film 60 on its surface and inside, and is a region in which the capillary force is weaker than other regions of the humidifier 20 . A portion of the humidifying body 20 other than the weak capillary force portion which is the first humidifying body portion 23 is referred to as a second humidifying body portion 24 . The second humidifier part 24 is a region in the humidifier 20 that is continuously connected from the first humidifier part 23 .

The first humidifying body part 23 is formed on the windward side of the humidifying body 20 in the Y-axis direction, that is, on the windward side of the central position in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifying body 20 . The central position is the central position between the windward end 20 a and the leeward end of the humidifier 20 . Therefore, the first humidifier part 23 is formed only partially in the Y-axis direction in the humidifier 20 .

In addition, the first humidifying body portion 23 is formed over the entire width of the humidifying body 20 in the X-axis direction. That is, the first humidifying body part 23 is formed over the entire width of the humidifying body 20 in the thickness direction. In addition, the first humidifying body portion 23 is formed over the entire width of the humidifying body 20 in the Z-axis direction. That is, the first humidifying body part 23 is formed over the entire width of the humidifying body 20 in the height direction.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifying body 20 included in the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 9 shows a cross section along line IX-IX in FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged image diagram showing the first humidifier part 23 and the second humidifier part 24 in FIG. FIG. 10 shows the case where the humidifier 20 retains water. As shown in FIG. 10, the humidifier 20 consists of a set of structures 20c. The structure 20c is an elongated fibrous structure. That is, the humidifier 20 is a porous structure in which elongated fibrous structures 20c are three-dimensionally connected to form a plate. In the weak capillary force portion, which is the first humidifier portion 23, the surface of the structure 20c is coated with the film 60. As shown in FIG.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 10 , in the humidifying body 20 holding water, water 70 is filled in the void portion other than the structure 20 c and the coating 60 due to the capillary force of the structure 20 c and the coating 60 . It is That is, in FIG. 10 , in the moisturizing body 20 retaining water, the water 70 is filled in the gap portion other than the structure 20c and the film 60 in the area of the moisturizing body 20 indicated by the thick dashed line. The structure 20c is preferably subjected to hydrophilization treatment in order to improve its hydrophilicity.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the first humidifier part 23, the structure 20c of the humidifier 20 is coated with a film 60 of hydrophilic water-soluble polymer. That is, in the first humidifier part 23, the water-soluble polymer film 60 is formed on the surface of the structure 20c. The surface of coating 60 is hydrophilic. Also, the hydrophilicity of the surface of the coating 60 is lower than the hydrophilicity of the surface of the structure 20c. Specifically, the relationship between the contact angle on the surface of the structure 20c and the contact angle on the surface of the film 60 is expressed by the following formula (2). Therefore, the contact angle of the first humidifier part 23 with respect to the water 70 when dry is set to be greater than 0° and less than 90°.

0°<θs<θm<90° (2)

In the above formula (2), θs is the contact angle on the surface of the structure 20c, and θm is the contact angle on the surface of the film 60.

According to the above formula (2), the surface of the coating 60 has a contact angle θm of less than 90°, so it can be said that the surface is easily wetted. On the other hand, the contact angle θm on the surface of the coating 60 is larger than the contact angle θs on the surface of the structure 20c. Therefore, it can be said that the surface of the film 60 is in a state in which it is difficult to get wet compared to the surface of the structure 20c. Therefore, although the first humidifier part 23 has a small contact angle and is easily wetted, it has a larger contact angle and weaker capillary force than the second humidifier part 24 .

Therefore, in the humidifying body 20, the first humidifying body part 23 is a region having a relatively large contact angle with respect to the water 70 when dry, a region having a relatively small hydrophilicity, and a relatively capillary force. It can be said that this is a weak area. That is, the first humidifier part 23 is provided on the windward side of the center between the windward end 20a and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifier 20, and is continuous in the humidifier 20. It can be said that the large contact angle portion has a larger contact angle with respect to the water 70 when dry than the region connected to the polarities. Further, it can be said that the large contact angle portion is a region of the humidifier 20 in which the contact angle with respect to the water 70 during drying is the largest.

In addition, the first humidifier part 23 is provided on the windward side of the center between the windward end 20a and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifier 20, and is continuous in the humidifier 20. It can be said that it is a small hydrophilic portion that is relatively less hydrophilic than the area that is connected to the target. In addition, the first humidifier part 23 is provided on the windward side of the center between the windward end 20a and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifier 20, and is continuous in the humidifier 20. It can be said that this is a weak capillary force portion in which the capillary force is relatively weaker than that of the area connected to the target.

In addition, the second humidifier part 24 is a region in the humidifier 20 that has a relatively small contact angle with respect to the water 70 when dry, is a region that has relatively high hydrophilicity, and has a relatively high capillary force. It can be said that this is a strong area.

It should be noted that if the contact angle of the first humidifier part 23 is too large, the wettability of the first humidifier part 23 may be insufficient and the humidification performance may be impaired. In other words, if the contact angle of the surface of the coating 60 is too large, the wettability becomes insufficient and the humidification performance may be impaired. For this reason, it is necessary to design the capillary force of the first humidifying body part 23 corresponding to the humidifying capacity of the humidifying device 1 .

A hydrophilic material that satisfies the above formula (2) can be used as the material of the coating 60 . Moreover, it is preferable that the material of the film 60 is a material that is as difficult to dissolve in the water 70 as possible and has high safety. Specifically, the material of the film 60 includes polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl methyl ether, vinyl-based water-soluble polymers typified by polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyacrylic water-soluble polymers typified by sodium polyacrylate. water-soluble polymers, and other synthetic water-soluble polymers typified by polyethylene oxide.

A polymer that is as difficult to dissolve in the water 70 as possible means a water-soluble polymer that has a physical property that an aqueous solution has a high viscosity among water-soluble polymers. When the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the coating 60 is low, when the water 70 is supplied to the humidifier 20, the layer of the coating 60 made of the water-soluble polymer is easily peeled off from the structure 20c. . Therefore, when the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the film 60 is low, when the water 70 is supplied to the humidifier 20, the water-soluble polymer is mixed with the water 70 and forms the second humidifier part. There is a risk that it will flow out to 24. In addition, when the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the film 60 is low, the water-soluble polymer is mixed with the water 70 which is supplied to the humidifier 20 and remains without being humidified, and the water-soluble polymer flows from the drain pipe 4 to the humidifier. There is a risk that it will flow out of 20.

On the other hand, when the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the film 60 has a high viscosity, when the water 70 is supplied to the humidifier 20, the layer of the film 60 made of the water-soluble polymer is peeled off from the structure 20c. it gets harder. Therefore, when the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the film 60 is high, when the water 70 is supplied to the humidifier 20, the water-soluble polymer is mixed with the water 70 and becomes the second humidifier part. 24 is reduced. In addition, when the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the film 60 is high, the water-soluble polymer is mixed with the water 70 that is supplied to the humidifier 20 and remains without being humidified, and the water-soluble polymer flows out of the humidifier from the drain pipe 4. The risk of flowing out of 20 is reduced.

That is, when the viscosity of the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer forming the coating 60 is high, there is an advantage that the coating 60 can be used for a long period of time.

In addition, materials with high safety mean materials that are chemically stable without being toxic, harmful to the human body, flammable, or explosive.

Suitable materials for the coating 60 among the above materials include polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and water-soluble polysaccharides. A material with a large molecular weight is suitable for the film 60 because it has a high viscosity and does not readily dissolve in water. For this reason, it is preferable to use a material with as large a molecular weight as possible for the material of the coating 60 . In addition, since the film 60 is formed on each of the structures 20c, the boundary between the first humidifier part 23 and the second humidifier part 24 is not clearly linear, It is formed in a gradation shape.

That is, the first humidifier part 23 is coated with one or more of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and water-soluble polysaccharides. By using the above material for the coating 60, the coating 60 can be realized at a low cost, and the effect of the first humidifier section 23 can be reliably obtained.

As a method of coating the film 60 on the surface of the structure 20c, a water-soluble polymer dissolved in water is applied with a brush or the like to the surface of the structure 20c of the humidifier on which the first humidifier 23 is not formed. A method of directly applying with a tool can be mentioned. As another method of coating the surface of the structure 20c with the film 60, a water-soluble polymer dissolved in water is applied to the surface of the structure 20c of the humidifier on which the first humidifier 23 is not formed. There is a method of spraying. As another method of coating the surface of the structure 20c with the film 60, a humidifying body without the first humidifying body portion 23 formed therein is dipped in a tank containing a water-soluble polymer dissolved in water. method.

Next, the effect of suppressing scale generation by the first humidifier section 23 will be described. First, the scale generation phenomenon can be broadly classified into a first scale generation phenomenon and a second scale generation phenomenon. The first scale generation phenomenon is a scale generation phenomenon during humidification operation of the humidifier 1 . The second scale generation phenomenon is a scale generation phenomenon during drying of the humidifier 20 after the humidification operation of the humidifier 1 . In the following, the characteristics of each scale generation phenomenon of the first scale generation phenomenon and the second scale generation phenomenon, and the required characteristics of the windward end 20a will be described.

The scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon is that the water 70 flowing inside the humidifier 20 is concentrated by the humidification by the humidifier 20 at the windward end 20a where the amount of humidification is large during the humidification operation of the humidifier 1. This is a phenomenon in which scale nuclei, which are nuclei of the scale 80, are generated, and the scale nuclei grow to generate the scale 80. FIG. The scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon is likely to occur when the water supply to the windward end 20a is insufficient.

Therefore, regarding the scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon, the water 70 is quickly supplied to the windward end 20a while the windward end 20a dries, and the nucleus of the scale 80 is formed in the windward end 20a. By designing the humidifying device 1 so that it can be kept in a moist state to the extent that scale does not occur, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of scale. As a method for keeping the windward end 20a always moist to such an extent that the nucleus of the scale 80 does not occur, for example, increasing the water supply flow rate to the windward end 20a can be mentioned. As another method for keeping the windward end 20a constantly moist to the extent that the nucleus of the scale 80 does not occur, it is possible to use a material with a small contact angle and high hydrophilicity for the windward end 20a. mentioned.

On the other hand, scale generation in the second scale generation phenomenon occurs when all the water 70 retained in the humidifier 20 evaporates after the humidification operation of the humidifier 1, and all of the scale components contained in the water 70 are scaled. It is a phenomenon that it becomes 80 and precipitates. If the humidifying body 20 is kept in a wet state at all times, various germs will grow and cause an offensive odor. Therefore, it is preferable to dry the humidifier 20 periodically from the viewpoint of hygiene.

In other words, if the humidifier 20 is frequently dried in order to ensure the hygiene of the humidifier 20 and the humidifier 1, the frequency of scale generation in the second scale generation phenomenon increases. Further, if the frequency of drying the humidifier 20 is lowered in order to reduce the frequency of scale formation in the second scale formation phenomenon, the risk of sanitary deterioration of the humidifier 20 and the humidifier 1 increases. Therefore, it is important to prevent the local generation and growth of scale 80 even if the humidifier 20 is dried frequently.

Next, the behavior of water 70 in the second scale generation phenomenon will be described. For easy understanding of the effects of the humidifier 20 according to the first embodiment, a humidifier 90 according to a comparative example will be described. FIG. 11 is an image diagram showing an enlarged humidifier 90 according to a comparative example in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 10 for a humidifier 90 according to a comparative example. FIG. 11 shows a case where the humidifier 90 retains water.

The humidifying body 90 according to the comparative example has the same configuration as the humidifying body 20 according to Embodiment 1 except that it does not have the first humidifying body part 23 . The humidifier 90 according to the comparative example can be used by attaching it to the humidifier 1 instead of the humidifier 20 . FIG. 11 shows the operation after the humidifier 1 is operated with a humidifier 90 according to the comparative example instead of the humidifier 20 .

In FIG. 11, the position A is the position of the liquid surface in the Y-axis direction of the water 70 retained in the humidifier 90 immediately after drying of the humidifier 90 according to the comparative example starts. Position A is the position of the windward end face of the windward end 20a. As the drying of the humidifier 90 progresses, the position of the liquid surface of the water 70 retained in the humidifier 90 in the Y-axis direction changes from position A to position B to position C to position D, downwind in the Y-axis direction. fall back.

At this time, in order to reduce scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon, if a material having a small contact angle and high hydrophilicity is used as the material of the structure 20c of the humidifying body 90, the second scale generation phenomenon will occur. In the drying behavior of the water 70, the water 70 moves inside the humidifier 90 from the leeward side toward the windward side so as to compensate for the water 70 evaporated at the windward end portion 20a where the amount of humidification is large. That is, the water 70 inside the humidifier 90 moves toward the windward end 20a in the Y-axis direction.

Therefore, in the humidifier 90, the water 70 continuously evaporates at the windward end 20a. As a result, it takes time for the liquid level in the Y-axis direction of the water 70 retained in the humidifier 90 to move from the position A to the position B, and the scale 80 is locally generated on the windward end 20a. Scale 80 grows. Eventually, locally enlarged scale 80 is generated at the windward end 20 a , and the enlarged scale 80 receives the wind blown from the blower 5 and easily scatters.

Therefore, the following first and second characteristics are required for the windward end 20a where the amount of humidification is large and the scale 80 is likely to occur. The first characteristic is that the capillary force is so high that the scale components do not concentrate during the humidification operation of the humidifier 1, corresponding to the first scale generation phenomenon. The second characteristic is that the capillary force is low enough that it does not collect water 70 from other parts downwind of the windward end 20a during drying, corresponding to the second scaling phenomenon.

In the humidifying body 20 according to the first embodiment, as described above, the hydrophilicity of the surface of the coating 60 is lower than the hydrophilicity of the surface of the structure 20c, so that the first humidifying body part 23 is the second The capillary force is weaker than that of the humidifier part 24 . As a result, in the humidifier 20, the speed at which the liquid surface of the water 70 inside the humidifier 20 moves from the position A to the position B increases in the second scale generation phenomenon. As a result, in the humidifier 20, the scale 80 does not grow locally at the windward end 20a, and the generation of the scale 80 is dispersed. In the humidifying body 20, the generation of the scales 80 is dispersed, so that the risk of the scales 80 grown into large grains at the windward end 20a being scattered by the wind blown from the blower 5 is reduced. Therefore, the humidifier 20 is effective in reducing the risk of scale scattering by dispersing the scale 80 .

That is, in the humidifier 20 according to the first embodiment, the air flow direction is continuous in the air flow direction on the windward side of the center between the windward end 20a and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifier 20. A large contact angle portion having a relatively large contact angle with respect to water 70 when dry is formed as compared with the region connected to the target. As a result, the force for supplying the water 70 to the windward end 20a is reduced, and the evaporation interface of the water 70 retained in the humidifier 20 is quickly retreated to the leeward side during the drying operation of the humidifier 1. As a result, the scale 80 does not grow continuously on the evaporation interface of the water 70 retained in the humidifying body 20, so that the scale 80 does not grow locally at the windward end 20a. Therefore, in the humidifier 20, it is possible to prevent the locally enlarged scale 80 at the windward end 20a from being scattered by the wind blown from the blower 5. As shown in FIG.

In the humidifying body 20 according to Embodiment 1, the first humidifying body part 23 is provided at the windward end 20a where scale 80 is likely to occur. As a result, in the humidifier 20, the scale reduction effect due to the receding of the evaporation interface of the water 70 held in the humidifier 20 to the leeward side during the drying operation of the humidifier 1 is directly applied to the windward end 20a. be able to. In addition, since the amount of water 70 retained in the windward end 20a of the humidifier 20 is smaller than that in the second humidifier 24, which is the other area of the humidifier 20, the amount of scale 80 generated is reduced.

In addition, in the humidifying body 20, by forming the film 60 of the first humidifying body part 23 with a water-soluble polymer, the water 70 inside the first humidifying body part 23 in which the water-soluble polymer of the film 60 is eluted In terms of viscosity, the water 70 can be prevented from moving to the windward end portion 20a, and there is an advantage that the effect of dispersing scale generation in the second scale generation phenomenon can be obtained. That is, in the first humidifier part 23 of the humidifier 20, when the humidifier 20 dries, the water 70 evaporates and the concentration of the water-soluble polymer in the film 60 increases. Then, the movement of water 70 inside the film 60 is restricted by increasing the viscosity of the water 70 inside the first humidifier part 23 into which the water-soluble polymer has eluted. As a result, in the humidifier 20, it is possible to prevent the water 70 from continuously evaporating at the windward end 20a and the scale 80 from growing locally.

In addition, since the first humidifying body part 23 is made of a water-soluble polymer, there is also the merit that the effect of suppressing the scale 80 in the second scale generation phenomenon can be obtained in terms of the amount of water retained. That is, since the capillary force of the first humidifier part 23 is reduced due to the influence of the water-soluble polymer, the gaps of the structure 20c are not completely filled with the water 70, and the water retention capacity is locally reduced. , the amount of scale generating material is reduced, and the effect of reducing the amount of scale 80 generated is also obtained.

It is preferable that the length of the first humidifier part 23 in the Y-axis direction is as short as possible. The length in the Y-axis direction of the first humidifying body part 23 with respect to the length in the Y-axis direction of the humidifying body 20 is preferably set to be as short as possible within a range of greater than 0% and 50% or less.

In the above description, the case where the first humidifying body portion 23 is formed over the entire width of the humidifying body 20 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction has been described. It is not limited to this. The 1st humidification body part 23 may be formed in a part of humidification body 20 in the direction of the X-axis or the direction of the Z-axis. In this case, the humidifying device 1 can obtain the effects described above, although the degree of the effects is reduced.

In addition, in the first humidifier part 23, the contact angle of the surface of the film 60 with respect to the water 70 when dry is greater than 0° and less than 90°, and hydrophilicity itself is ensured. Therefore, during humidification in which a sufficient amount of water is supplied to the humidifier 20, the water 70 is also supplied to the windward end 20a, so that the humidification performance of the humidifier 1 does not deteriorate.

As described above, according to the humidifying element 2 and the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment, the local growth of the scale 80 is suppressed to suppress the generation of the scale 80 without deteriorating the humidifying performance. This has the effect of preventing the scale 80 from scattering.

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the humidifying element 2 included in the humidifying device 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII shown in FIG. 12. FIG. FIG. 14 is an enlarged image diagram showing the first humidifier section 23 and the second humidifier section 24 in FIG. FIG. 14 shows the case where the humidifier 20 retains water. The humidifying element 2 according to Embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the humidifying element 2 according to Embodiment 1 except that the position of the first humidifying body portion 23 in the humidifying body 20 is different. Some portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted.

In the humidifying element 2 according to the second embodiment, the first humidifying body portion 23 of the humidifying body 20 is positioned away from the windward end 20a of the humidifying body 20 to the leeward side in the Y-axis direction in FIG. The windward end portion 20a serves as a second humidifying body portion 24. As shown in FIG. Even in the case of the humidifying body 20 according to the second embodiment having such a configuration, the first humidifying body section 23 obstructs the flow of the water 70 that tends to gather at the windward end 20a in the second scale generation phenomenon. do.

As a result, even in the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment, the scale 80 does not grow locally at the windward end 20a, and the generation of the scale 80 is dispersed. Also in the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment, the generation of the scales 80 is dispersed, so there is a risk that the scales 80 that have grown into large grains at the windward end 20a will be scattered by the wind blown from the blower 5. but decreases. Therefore, the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment is also effective in reducing the risk of scale scattering by dispersing the scale 80 .

On the other hand, the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment is not provided with the first humidifier section 23 at the windward end 20a. Therefore, in the humidifying body 20 according to the second embodiment, since the first humidifying body part 23 is formed of a water-soluble polymer, the above-mentioned effects in terms of viscosity and water retention are reduced. Compared to the humidifying body 20 according to the form 1, the scale reduction ability corresponding to the second scale generation phenomenon is small.

However, in the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment, the hydrophilicity of the windward end 20a is higher than that of the humidifier 20 according to the first embodiment. Accordingly, the humidifier 20 according to the second embodiment has the advantage of being effective when emphasizing scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon. When emphasizing the scale generation in the first scale generation phenomenon, there is a case where the humidification element 2 is less frequently exposed to drying due to the stop of humidification, such as 24-hour humidification operation.

Embodiment 3.
FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a humidifying body 20 included in the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. The humidifying body 20 according to Embodiment 3 has the same configuration as the humidifying body 20 according to Embodiment 1 except that the structure of the first humidifying body portion 23 is different. The same reference numerals are attached and the description is omitted.

In the humidifying body 20 according to the third embodiment, the structure 20c of the first humidifying body section 23 is not coated with the film 60. In the humidifying body 20 according to the third embodiment, the first humidifying body portion 23 is formed by directly reducing the hydrophilicity of the structure 20c itself. Specifically, the humidifying body 20 according to the third embodiment is a humidifying body in which the first humidifying body part 23 is not formed in the same manner as the humidifying body 90 according to the comparative example described above. By exposing the structure 20c to any environment of the atmosphere and partially deteriorating the hydrophilic material of the structure 20c, the first humidifier part having lower hydrophilicity than the second humidifier part 24 23 are formed. That is, the humidifier 20 according to the third embodiment exposes the structure 20c to any one of an acidic aqueous solution, an alkaline aqueous solution, and a high-temperature atmosphere, thereby partially deteriorating the hydrophilic material of the structure 20c. A first humidifying body portion 23 having lower hydrophilicity than the humidifying body portion 24 of No. 2 is formed.

The humidifying body 20 according to the third embodiment does not need to add a material as compared with the humidifying body 20 according to the first embodiment and the humidifying body 20 according to the second embodiment, so the first embodiment can be manufactured at a low cost. There is an advantage that the humidifier part 23 can be formed.

Embodiment 4.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a ventilator 200 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an air conditioner 300 according to the fourth embodiment. Ventilator 200 and air conditioner 300 are provided with humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment described above. By providing the humidifying device 1 according to Embodiment 1 in the ventilator 200 or the air conditioner 300, the scattering of the scale 80 is prevented, and the ventilator 200 or the air conditioner can exhibit stable humidification capability over a long period of time. 300 can be obtained.

As shown in FIG. 16, the ventilator 200 takes in the air of the outside OD of the house 250 into the indoor ID of the house 250 . An air intake port 210 of the ventilator 200 is connected to the air intake port 1 a of the humidifier 1 . The external OD air that has flowed into the humidifier 1 from the inlet 1 a is humidified by the humidifier 1 . The humidified external OD air is supplied to the indoor ID from the outlet 1b. Thus, the ventilator 200 equipped with the humidifier 1 can humidify the outside OD air and supply it to the indoor ID of the house 250 .

As shown in FIG. 17, the air conditioner 300 has an outdoor unit 301, an indoor unit 302, and a humidifier 1. The outdoor unit 301 is installed at the outside OD of the house 250 , and the indoor unit 302 is installed at the indoor ID of the house 250 . The indoor unit 302 includes the humidifying device 1 . Refrigerant is supplied from the outdoor unit 301 to the heat exchanger 303 of the indoor unit 302 . The blower 304 of the indoor unit 302 takes in the indoor ID air from the air intake 305 and sends it to the heat exchanger 303 . The supply destination of the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 and has undergone heat exchange is switched by the switch 306 to either the humidifier 1 or the passage 308 that is directly connected to the air discharge port 307 . FIG. 17 shows a state in which the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 is supplied to the humidifier 1, that is, the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 is humidified.

The air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 is humidified by the humidifier 1 after flowing into the inlet 1 a of the humidifier 1 . The humidified external OD air is discharged from the discharge port 1b to the outside of the humidifier 1, and is supplied from the air discharge port 307 to the indoor ID. If the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 does not need to be humidified, the switch 306 directs the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 to the passage 308 . The air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 passes through the passage 308 and then is supplied from the air outlet 307 to the indoor ID. Thus, the air conditioner 300 can humidify the outside OD air and supply it to the indoor ID of the house 250 . Also, when humidification is not required, the air conditioner 300 can supply the air that has passed through the heat exchanger 303 to the indoor ID without humidification.

In the above description, an example in which the ventilation device 200 and the air conditioner 300 are provided with the humidifying device 1 according to the first embodiment is described. A humidifying device 1 using the humidifying element 2 of any one of Mode 4 may be provided.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are only examples, and can be combined with other known techniques, or can be combined with other embodiments, without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also possible to omit or change part of the configuration.

1 humidifier, 1a intake port, 1b discharge port, 2 humidification element, 3 water supply pipe, 3a water supply valve, 4 drainage pipe, 5,304 blower, 6 control device, 7 drain pan, 8 water level detection sensor, 10, 10a, 10b Casing, 10c opening, 10d projection, 11 water supply port, 12 water tank, 12a water injection hole, 13 drainage part, 13a drainage port, 14 structural wall, 15 engaging part, 20, 90 humidifier, 20a windward end, 20c structure, 21 convex part, 22 concave part, 23 first humidifier part, 24 second humidifier part, 30 diffusion member, 31 suction part, 32 extension part, 33 flow part, 40 orifice part, 50 water supply Mechanism, 60 Film, 70 Water, 80 Scale, 200 Ventilator, 210, 305 Air intake, 250 House, 300 Air conditioner, 301 Outdoor unit, 302 Indoor unit, 303 Heat exchanger, 306 Switch, 307 Air release Exit, 308 path, ID room, OD outside, θm film surface contact angle, θs structure surface contact angle.

Claims

a plurality of humidifying bodies that are arranged so as to provide a gap between each other and retain water;
a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the humidifier;
with
The humidifier is located on the windward side of the center between the windward end and the leeward end in the flow direction of the air blown to the humidifier and relative to the area that is continuously connected in the air flow direction. Equipped with a large contact angle portion having a large contact angle with water when dry,
A humidifying element characterized by:
The large contact angle portion has the largest contact angle with respect to water during drying in the humidifier,
The humidifying element according to claim 1, characterized by:
The large contact angle portion is provided at an end portion on the windward side of the humidifier in the air flow direction;
The humidifying element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by:
The contact angle of the large contact angle portion with respect to water when dry is greater than 0° and less than 90°;
The humidifying element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by:
the large contact angle portion is coated with one or more of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone and water-soluble polysaccharide;
The humidifying element according to claim 4, characterized by:
A humidifying element according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
an air blower that blows air to the humidifying element;
A humidifying device comprising:
Having the humidifying device according to claim 6,
A ventilator characterized by:
Having the humidifying device according to claim 6,
An air conditioner characterized by: