WO2023042631A1 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. This air conditioner comprises: an absorption material which is provided in the outdoor unit and which absorbs moisture in outdoor air; a first flow path which passes through the absorption material and through which the outdoor air flows; and a first fan which generates the flow of the outdoor air in the first flow path. Further, the air conditioner comprises: a ventilation conduit which connects the first flow path and the indoor unit; a damper device which distributes the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path to outdoors and the ventilation conduit; and a control unit which controls the first fan and the damper device. The control unit controls the damper device to distribute the outdoor air to the ventilation conduit, rotate the first fan, and send dry outdoor air from the first flow path to the ventilation conduit.

Description

air conditioner

The present disclosure relates to air conditioners.

Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, an air conditioner is known that is composed of an indoor unit arranged inside a room to be air-conditioned and an outdoor unit arranged outdoors. This air conditioner is configured to supply humidified outdoor air from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit.

JP-A-2001-91000

By the way, there is a need to suppress the formation of condensation inside air conditioners.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner capable of suppressing condensation within the air conditioner.

An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioner that includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure is provided in an outdoor unit and includes an absorbent that absorbs moisture in outdoor air, a first flow path through which the outdoor air flows through the absorbent, and a first flow path. and a first fan for generating a flow of outdoor air to. Further, an air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a ventilation conduit that connects a first flow path and an indoor unit, and a damper device that distributes outdoor air flowing through the first flow path into the outdoor air and the ventilation conduit. , and a control unit for controlling the first fan and damper device. The control unit controls the damper device to distribute outdoor air to the ventilation conduit, rotationally drive the first fan, and send dry outdoor air from the first flow path to the ventilation conduit.

The air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure can suppress the occurrence of dew condensation inside the air conditioner.

Schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ventilation system Schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilator during ventilation operation Schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilator during humidification operation Schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilation system during dehumidification operation Block diagram showing a configuration for controlling an air conditioner Flowchart showing overall operation from ON to OFF of humidification operation Flowchart showing operation of clean control Timing chart showing the state of each part in clean control Flowchart showing operation of clean control of modified example Timing chart showing the state of each part in the clean control of the modified example Block diagram showing the configuration around the damper device Schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device is normally closed Schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device is normally opened Schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device is not operating normally Flowchart showing operation of damper control when the damper device is opened Timing chart showing the state of each part in damper control when the damper device is opened Flowchart showing operation of damper control when the damper device is closed Flowchart showing operation of damper control of modification Timing chart showing the state of each part in the damper control of the modified example Flowchart showing operation of damper control of another modified example Timing chart showing the state of each part in damper control of another modified example Flowchart showing operation of hose drying control Timing chart showing the state of each part in hose drying control Flowchart showing operation of hose drying control of modification Timing chart showing the state of each part in the hose drying control of the modified example Block diagram showing the configuration of another modified air conditioner Flowchart showing operation of hose drying control of another modification Flowchart showing overall operation from ON to OFF of humidification operation in the modified example Flowchart showing operation of heater residual heat removal control Timing chart showing the state of each part in heater residual heat removal control A diagram showing a data structure and an example of a command rotation speed table in which command rotation speeds are assigned according to hose lengths. Block diagram showing the configuration for controlling the fan speed Flowchart showing operation of setting control of fan rotation speed Timing chart showing the state of each part in setting control of fan rotation speed A diagram showing a data configuration and an example of a command rotation speed table of a modified example Flowchart showing operation of fan speed setting control according to a modification Block diagram showing a configuration for controlling the fan speed based on the outdoor temperature Flowchart showing operation of fan speed control based on outdoor temperature Flowchart showing the operation of controlling the fan rotation speed based on opening and closing of the damper device

An air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioner that includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. An air conditioner is provided in an outdoor unit and includes an absorbent that absorbs moisture in outdoor air, a first flow path through which outdoor air flows through the absorbent, and a flow of outdoor air in the first flow path. and a first fan to generate. Further, the air conditioner includes a ventilation conduit connecting the first flow path and the indoor unit, a damper device for dividing the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path into the outdoor air and the ventilation conduit, a first fan and a control unit that controls the damper device. The control unit controls the damper device to distribute outdoor air to the ventilation conduit, rotationally drive the first fan, and send dry outdoor air from the first flow path to the ventilation conduit.

Such an air conditioner of one aspect of the present disclosure can suppress the occurrence of dew condensation inside the air conditioner.

For example, the air conditioner further includes a heater that heats the outdoor air upstream of the absorbent in the first flow path, and the control unit turns on the heater to heat the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path. may

For example, the air conditioner may further include a motor that rotates the absorbent, and the control unit may drive the motor to rotate the absorbent.

For example, the control unit may acquire humidity information inside the ventilation conduit, and determine whether to turn on the heater based on the acquired humidity information inside the ventilation conduit.

For example, the control unit may acquire information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit, and determine whether to turn on the heater based on the acquired information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit.

For example, the air conditioner further includes a second flow path through which the outdoor air passes through the absorbent material and flows from the outdoor to the outdoor, and a second fan that generates the flow of the outdoor air in the second flow path. , the controller may stop the second fan.

For example, the control unit acquires information related to humidity in the ventilation conduit, controls the damper device and the first fan based on the acquired information related to humidity in the ventilation conduit, and ventilates dry outdoor air. Can be sent to conduit.

For example, the air conditioner further includes a humidity sensor that acquires humidity information inside the ventilation conduit, and the controller controls the damper device and the first fan based on the humidity information inside the ventilation conduit acquired by the humidity sensor. , dry outdoor air may be sent to the ventilation conduit.

For example, the control unit may control the damper device and the first fan to send dry outdoor air to the ventilation conduit after the humidification operation ends.

(Embodiment)
An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 according to the present embodiment has an indoor unit 20 arranged in the indoor Rin to be air-conditioned, and an outdoor unit 30 arranged in the outdoor Rout.

The indoor unit 20 includes an indoor heat exchanger 22 that exchanges heat with the indoor air A1, and invites the indoor air A1 into the indoor unit 20, and the indoor air A1 after heat exchange with the indoor heat exchanger 22 is introduced into the room. A fan 24 that blows to Rin is provided.

The outdoor unit 30 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 32 that exchanges heat with the outdoor air A2, and invites the outdoor air A2 into the outdoor unit 30. A fan 34 blowing to Rout is provided. In addition, the outdoor unit 30 is provided with a compressor 36, an expansion valve 38, and a four-way valve 40 for executing a refrigerating cycle with the indoor heat exchanger 22 and the outdoor heat exchanger 32.

The indoor heat exchanger 22, the outdoor heat exchanger 32, the compressor 36, the expansion valve 38, and the four-way valve 40 are connected by refrigerant pipes through which refrigerant flows. In the case of cooling operation and dehumidification operation (weak cooling operation), the air conditioner 10 is configured such that the refrigerant flows from the compressor 36 through the four-way valve 40, the outdoor heat exchanger 32, the expansion valve 38, and the indoor heat exchanger 22 in order. Execute the freeze cycle back to 36. In the case of heating operation, the air conditioner 10 executes a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant flows from the compressor 36 through the four-way valve 40, the indoor heat exchanger 22, the expansion valve 38, the outdoor heat exchanger 32 in order, and then returns to the compressor 36. .

The air conditioner 10 performs an air-conditioning operation that introduces the outdoor air A3 into the room Rin in addition to the air-conditioning operation using the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, the air conditioner 10 has a ventilator 50 . A ventilation device 50 is provided in the outdoor unit 30 . That is, the outdoor unit 30 has a ventilator 50 .

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ventilation device 50. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilator 50 includes an absorbent 52 through which outdoor air A3 and A4 pass.

The absorbent material 52 is a member through which air can pass, and is a member that collects moisture from the passing air or gives moisture to the passing air. In the case of this embodiment, the absorber 52 is disc-shaped and rotates around a rotation center line C1 passing through the center thereof. The absorbing material 52 is rotationally driven by a motor 54 .

The absorbent material 52 is preferably a polymer sorbent material that sorbs moisture in the air. The polymeric sorbent material is composed of, for example, a crosslinked sodium polyacrylate. Compared to adsorbents such as silica gel and zeolite, polymer sorbents absorb more water per unit volume, can desorb water at low heating temperatures, and can retain water for a long time. can be done.

Inside the ventilator 50, there are provided a first flow path P1 and a second flow path P2 through which the outdoor air A3 and A4 respectively pass through the absorbent material 52. The first flow path P1 and the second flow path P2 pass through the absorbent material 52 at different positions.

The first flow path P1 is a flow path through which the outdoor air A3 flows toward the inside of the indoor unit 20. The outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 is supplied into the indoor unit 20 via the ventilation conduit 56. As shown in FIG.

In the case of the present embodiment, the first flow path P1 includes a plurality of branch flow paths P1a and P1b on the upstream side with respect to the absorbent 52. It should be noted that "upstream" and "downstream" are used herein with respect to air flow.

The plurality of tributaries P1a and P1b merge with the absorbent 52 on the upstream side. First and second heaters 58 and 60 for heating the outdoor air A3 are provided in the plurality of branch passages P1a and P1b, respectively.

The first and second heaters 58, 60 may be heaters with the same heating capacity, or may be heaters with different heating capacities. Moreover, the first and second heaters 58 and 60 are preferably PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heaters, which increase electrical resistance when current flows and the temperature rises, that is, can suppress excessive heating temperature rises. . A heater using a nichrome wire, carbon fiber, or the like may be used, but in this case, if the current continues to flow, the heating temperature (surface temperature) will continue to rise, so it is necessary to monitor the temperature. On the other hand, the PTC heater eliminates the need to monitor the heating temperature because the heater itself regulates the heating temperature within a certain temperature range. In this respect, the PTC heater is more preferable. Note that the first and second heaters 58 and 60 correspond to the "heaters" of the present disclosure, but the number of "heaters" of the present disclosure may not be plural, that is, the first and second heaters One of 58, 60 may correspond to the "heater" of the present disclosure.

A first fan 62 that generates a flow of the outdoor air A3 toward the inside of the indoor unit 20 is provided in the first flow path P1. In the case of this embodiment, the first fan 62 is arranged downstream with respect to the absorbent 52 . By operating the first fan 62 , the outdoor air A 3 flows from the outdoor Rout into the first flow path P 1 and passes through the absorbent 52 .

Also, the first flow path P1 is provided with a damper device 64 that distributes the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 to the indoor Rin (that is, the indoor unit 20) or the outdoor Rout. In this embodiment, the damper device 64 is arranged downstream of the first fan 62 . The outdoor air A3 distributed to the indoor unit 20 by the damper device 64 enters the indoor unit 20 via the ventilation conduit 56 and is blown out by the fan 24 to the indoor unit Rin.

The second flow path P2 is a flow path through which the outdoor air A4 flows. Unlike the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1, the outdoor air A4 flowing through the second flow path P2 does not go to the indoor unit 20. The outdoor air A4 flowing through the second flow path P2 flows out to the outdoor Rout after passing through the absorbent 52 .

A second fan 66 that generates a flow of outdoor air A4 is provided in the second flow path P2. In the case of this embodiment, the second fan 66 is arranged downstream with respect to the absorbent 52 . By operating the second fan 66, the outdoor air A4 flows from the outdoor Rout into the second flow path P2, passes through the absorbent 52, and then flows out to the outdoor Rout.

The ventilator 50 selectively uses the absorber 52, the motor 54, the first heater 58, the second heater 60, the first fan 62, the damper device 64, and the second fan 66 for ventilation operation; Humidification operation and dehumidification operation are selectively executed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilator 50 during ventilation operation.

The ventilation operation is an air conditioning operation in which the outdoor air A3 is directly supplied to the indoor Rin (that is, the indoor unit 20) via the ventilation conduit 56. As shown in FIG. 3, motor 54 continues to rotate absorbent material 52 during ventilation operation. The first heater 58 and the second heater 60 are in the OFF state and do not heat the outdoor air A3. The first fan 62 is in the ON state, thereby causing the outdoor air A3 to flow through the first flow path P1. The damper device 64 distributes the outdoor air A3 in the first flow path P1 to the indoor units 20 . The second fan 66 is in an OFF state, so that no flow of outdoor air A4 is generated in the second flow path P2.

According to such a ventilation operation, the outdoor air A3 flows into the first flow path P1 and passes through the absorbent 52 without being heated by the first and second heaters 58, 60. The outdoor air A3 that has passed through the absorbent 52 is distributed to the indoor units 20 by the damper device 64 . The outdoor air A3 that has passed through the damper device 64 and reached the indoor unit 20 via the ventilation conduit 56 is blown out into the room Rin by the fan 24 . Through such a ventilation operation, the outdoor air A3 is supplied to the room Rin as it is, and the room Rin is ventilated.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilator 50 during humidification operation.

The humidification operation is an air conditioning operation that humidifies the outdoor air A3 and supplies the humidified outdoor air A3 to the indoor Rin (that is, the indoor unit 20). As shown in FIG. 4, the motor 54 continues to rotate the absorbent 52 during the humidification operation. The first heater 58 and the second heater 60 are in the ON state and heat the outdoor air A3. The first fan 62 is in the ON state, thereby causing the outdoor air A3 to flow through the first flow path P1. The damper device 64 distributes the outdoor air A3 in the first flow path P1 to the indoor units 20 . The second fan 66 is in the ON state, thereby causing the outdoor air A4 to flow through the second flow path P2.

According to such humidification operation, the outdoor air A3 flows into the first flow path P1, is heated by the first and second heaters 58 and 60, and passes through the absorbent 52. At this time, the heated outdoor air A3 can deprive the absorbent 52 of a larger amount of moisture than when it is not heated. As a result, the outdoor air A3 carries a large amount of moisture. The outdoor air A3 that has passed through the absorbent 52 and carries a large amount of moisture is distributed to the indoor unit 20 by the damper device 64 . The outdoor air A3 that has passed through the damper device 64 and reached the indoor unit 20 via the ventilation conduit 56 is blown out into the room Rin by the fan 24 . Through such a humidification operation, the outdoor air A3 carrying a large amount of moisture is supplied to the room Rin, and the room Rin is humidified.

By turning off either one of the first heater 58 and the second heater 60, the amount of moisture taken from the absorbent 52 by the outdoor air A3 is reduced. may be performed.

As the heated outdoor air A3 absorbs moisture, the water retention capacity of the absorbent 52 decreases, that is, the absorbent 52 dries. When the absorbent 52 dries, the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 cannot deprive the absorbent 52 of moisture. As a countermeasure, the absorbent 52 deprives the outdoor air A4 flowing through the second flow path P2 of water. As a result, the amount of water retained in the absorbent material 52 is kept substantially constant, and the humidification operation can be continued.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the operating state of the ventilation device 50 during dehumidification operation.

The dehumidification operation is an air conditioning operation in which the outdoor air A3 is dehumidified and the dehumidified outdoor air A3 is supplied to the indoor Rin (that is, the indoor unit 20). As shown in FIG. 5, in the dehumidifying operation, the adsorption operation and the regeneration operation are alternately performed.

The adsorption operation is an operation in which the moisture carried in the outdoor air A3 is adsorbed by the absorbent material 52, thereby dehumidifying the outdoor air A3. As shown in FIG. 5, the motor 54 continues to rotate the absorbent 52 during the adsorption operation. The first heater 58 and the second heater 60 are in the OFF state and do not heat the outdoor air A3. The first fan 62 is in the ON state, thereby causing the outdoor air A3 to flow through the first flow path P1. The damper device 64 distributes the outdoor air A3 in the first flow path P1 to the indoor units 20 . The second fan 66 is in an OFF state, so that no flow of outdoor air A4 is generated in the second flow path P2.

According to such adsorption operation, the outdoor air A3 flows into the first flow path P1 and passes through the absorbent 52 without being heated by the first and second heaters 58, 60. At this time, the moisture carried in the outdoor air A3 is absorbed by the absorbent 52 . As a result, the amount of moisture carried by the outdoor air A3 is reduced, that is, the outdoor air A3 is dried. The outdoor air A3 dried by passing through the absorbent 52 is distributed to the indoor unit 20 by the damper device 64 . The outdoor air A3 that has passed through the damper device 64 and reached the indoor unit 20 via the ventilation conduit 56 is blown out into the room Rin by the fan 24 . By such adsorption operation, the dry outdoor air A3 is supplied to the room Rin, and the room Rin is dehumidified.

As the adsorption operation continues, the water retention capacity of the absorbent 52 continues to increase, and as a result, the ability of the absorbent 52 to adsorb moisture carried in the outdoor air A3 decreases. A regeneration operation is performed to regenerate the absorbent 52 in order to recover its adsorption capacity.

The motor 54 continues to rotate the absorbent 52 during the regeneration operation. The first heater 58 and the second heater 60 are in the ON state and heat the outdoor air A3. The first fan 62 is in the ON state, thereby causing the outdoor air A3 to flow through the first flow path P1. The damper device 64 distributes the outdoor air A3 in the first flow path P1 not to the indoor unit 20 but to the outdoor Rout. The second fan 66 is in an OFF state, so that no flow of outdoor air A4 is generated in the second flow path P2.

According to such a regeneration operation, the outdoor air A3 flows into the first flow path P1, is heated by the first and second heaters 58 and 60, and passes through the absorbent 52. At this time, the heated outdoor air A3 deprives the absorbent 52 of a large amount of moisture. As a result, a large amount of moisture is carried in the outdoor air A3. At the same time, the water retention capacity of the absorbent 52 decreases, that is, the absorbent 52 dries and its adsorption capacity is regenerated. The outdoor air A3 that passes through the absorbent 52 and carries a large amount of moisture is distributed to the outdoor route by the damper device 64 and is discharged to the outdoor route. As a result, during the regeneration operation in the dehumidification operation, the outdoor air A3 carrying a large amount of moisture due to the regeneration of the absorbent 52 is not supplied to the indoor Rin.

By alternately performing such adsorption operation and regeneration operation, the adsorption capacity of the absorbent 52 is maintained, and the dehumidification operation can be continuously performed.

The air-conditioning operation (cooling operation, dehumidifying operation (weak cooling operation), heating operation) by the above-described refrigeration cycle and the air-conditioning operation (ventilation operation, humidification operation, dehumidification operation) by the ventilation device 50 can be performed separately, and at the same time It is also possible to execute For example, if the dehumidification operation by the refrigeration cycle and the dehumidification operation by the ventilation device 50 are simultaneously executed, it is possible to dehumidify the room Rin while maintaining the room temperature constant.

The air conditioning operation performed by the air conditioner 10 is selected by the user. For example, when a user selects the remote controller 70 shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 performs the air conditioning operation corresponding to the operation.

So far, the configuration and operation of the air conditioner 10 according to the present embodiment have been schematically described. Further features of the air conditioner 10 according to the present embodiment will now be described.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration for controlling the air conditioner 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the components of the air conditioner 10 are controlled by a control unit 90. The control unit 90 includes, for example, a memory storing a program and a processing circuit corresponding to a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The functions of the control unit 90 may be configured only by hardware, or may be realized by combining hardware and software. The control unit 90 reads data and programs stored in the memory and performs various arithmetic processing, thereby realizing a predetermined function. In addition, although the program executed by the processor is pre-recorded in the memory here, it may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card and provided, or may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet. may be provided. In this embodiment, the controller 90 controls the motor 54 , first heater 58 , second heater 60 , first fan 62 , damper device 64 and second fan 66 .

<Overall flow of humidification operation>
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the entire operation from ON to OFF of the humidification operation. Note that the processing shown in FIG. 7 is performed by controlling the components of the air conditioner 10 by the control unit 90 . Note that the processing shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and the present embodiment is not limited to the processing shown in FIG. For example, each process shown in FIG. 7 can also be applied to a dehumidifying operation.

The processing shown in FIG. 7 is started, for example, when the humidification operation is turned ON by the user's selection operation on the remote controller 70 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, in step S10, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the start condition is satisfied. When the control unit 90 determines that the start condition is satisfied (step S10: YES), the process proceeds to step S20. While the control unit 90 determines that the start condition is not satisfied (step S10: NO), the process repeats step S10.

The start condition is a condition for starting humidification operation, and may include, for example, at least one of operation mode, humidity, humidity control, operation frequency, inverter current, temperature, and presence/absence of abnormality.

When the control unit 90 determines that the start condition is not satisfied (step S10: NO), the control unit 90 may perform control to satisfy the start condition. For example, when condensation occurs in the ventilation conduit 56, hose drying control (step S60), which will be described later, may be performed.

At step S20, the control unit 90 performs clean control. Clean control is control for removing foreign matter in the air conditioner 10 . For example, when the ventilator 50 is placed on the outdoor route, foreign matter may accumulate in the ventilator 50 . By executing the clean control, it is possible to remove the foreign matter in the ventilation device 50 and suppress the foreign matter from flowing into the room Rin. Foreign substances include, for example, dust, pollen, allergens, mold, bacteria, viruses, PM2.5, NOx, SOx, harmful substances, pests, and the like.

At step S30, the control unit 90 performs damper "open" control. The damper “open” control is control to open the damper device 64 and distribute the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 to the indoor units 20 . As a result, the outdoor air A3 flows into the indoor unit 20 through the ventilation conduit 56 .

In step S40, the control unit 90 performs humidification operation control.

At step S50, the control unit 90 determines whether or not to end the humidification operation control. When the controller 90 determines to end the humidification operation control (step S50: YES), the process proceeds to step S60. When the controller 90 determines not to end the humidification operation control (step S50: NO), the process returns to step S40.

The humidification operation control ends, for example, when the humidification operation is turned off by the user's selection operation on the remote controller 70 shown in FIG. Alternatively, the end of humidification operation control may be determined based on the same condition as the start condition.

At step S60, the control unit 90 performs hose drying control. Hose drying control is control for drying the inside of the ventilation conduit 56, which is a hose. The ventilation conduit 56 is sometimes referred to herein as a "hose."

At step S70, the control unit 90 performs damper "close" control. The damper “close” control is control to close the damper device 64 and distribute the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 to the outdoor Rout.

As described above, the control unit 90 performs steps S10 to S70 from when the humidification operation is turned ON to when it is turned OFF.

Note that the processing shown in FIG. 7 is an example, and the overall operation from ON to OFF of the humidification operation is not limited to this. For example, the process shown in FIG. 7 may further include additional steps, or steps may be deleted, integrated, or divided.

<Clean control>
The clean control in step S20 shown in FIG. 7 will be described in detail.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of clean control, and FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in clean control. 9A shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64, FIG. 9B shows the ON/OFF control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 9C shows the ON/OFF control of the second fan 66. FIG. 9(d) shows on/off control of the motor 54 that drives the absorber 52 to rotate.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in step S21, the control unit 90 performs damper "close" control. That is, the control unit 90 closes the damper device 64 and distributes the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 to the outdoor Rout.

If the damper device 64 has been closed before step S21, the damper device 64 remains closed in step S21.

At step S22, the control unit 90 rotates the first fan 62. That is, the controller 90 turns on the first fan 62 to blow the outdoor air A3 to the first flow path P1. That is, the controller 90 rotates the first fan 62 to discharge the outdoor air A3 from the first flow path P1 to the outdoor Rout. As a result, foreign matter such as dust and insects accumulated in the first flow path P1 and the absorbent 52 is discharged to the outdoor Rout by the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 . The first fan 62 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 62A, which will be described later. The controller 90 rotates the first fan 62 by driving the fan motor 62A.

In step S23, the control unit 90 rotates the second fan 66. That is, the controller 90 turns on the second fan 66 to blow the outdoor air A4 to the second flow path P2. That is, the controller 90 rotates the second fan 66 to discharge the outdoor air A4 from the second flow path P2 to the outdoor Rout. As a result, foreign matter such as dust and insects accumulated in the second flow path P2 and the absorbent 52 is discharged to the outdoor Rout by the outdoor air A4 blown by the second fan 66 . The second fan 66 is rotationally driven by a fan motor (not shown). The control unit 90 rotates the second fan 66 by driving this fan motor.

At step S24, the control unit 90 rotates the absorbent 52. That is, the control unit 90 drives the motor 54 that rotates the absorbent 52 to rotate the absorbent 52 . As a result, the outdoor air A3 and A4 are blown by the first fan 62 and the second fan 66 while the absorbent 52 is being rotated, so foreign matter attached to the absorbent 52 can be easily removed. Moreover, in the absorbent 52, the direction of the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 and the direction of the outdoor air A4 blown by the second fan 66 are different. Specifically, in the absorbent 52, the outdoor air A3 and the outdoor air A4 flow in opposite directions. As a result, the outdoor air A3, A4 can pass through the absorbent 52 from two directions, and foreign matter such as dust adhering to the absorbent 52 can be removed.

At step S25, the control unit 90 determines whether or not a predetermined time t21 has elapsed. When the controller 90 determines that the predetermined time t21 has elapsed (step S25: YES), the clean control ends. When the control unit 90 determines that the predetermined time t21 has not elapsed (step S25: NO), the process returns to step S22. The predetermined time t21 is, for example, 30 seconds or more and 90 seconds or less. Preferably, the predetermined time t21 is 60 seconds.

As described above, in clean control, the control unit 90 performs steps S21 to S25. By performing clean control in this manner, foreign matter such as dust and insects accumulated in the ventilation device 50 can be removed. Specifically, foreign matter accumulated in the first flow path P1, the second flow path P2, and the absorbent 52 can be removed. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the indoor unit 20 .

In clean control, the fan speed of the first fan 62 may be greater than the fan speed of the second fan 66. That is, the rotation speed of the first fan 62 may be higher than the rotation speed of the second fan 66 . Thereby, the air volume of the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 can be made larger than the air volume of the outdoor air A4 blown by the second fan 66 . As a result, the foreign matter accumulated in the first flow path P1 can be preferentially removed, so that the inflow of the foreign matter into the indoor unit 20 can be further suppressed.

In clean control, the fan speed of the first fan 62 may be higher than the fan speed of the first fan 62 in humidification operation. That is, the number of revolutions of the first fan 62 in the clean control may be higher than the number of revolutions of the first fan 62 in the humidification operation. As a result, the air volume of the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 in the clean control can be made larger than that in the humidification operation. As a result, foreign substances accumulated in the first flow path P1 and the absorbent 52 can be more easily removed.

Next, the clean control of the modified example will be explained. In the clean control of the modified example, at least one of NOx and SOx adhering to the absorbent 52 can be removed.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the clean control operation of the modification, and FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in the clean control of the modification. 11A shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64, FIG. 11B shows the ON/OFF control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 11C shows the ON/OFF control of the second fan 66. Indicates control. 11(d) shows on/off control of the motor 54 for rotating the absorbent 52, and FIG. 11(e) shows on/off control of the heaters 58 and 60. FIG. In this specification, the first and second heaters 58, 60 may be simply referred to as " heaters 58, 60".

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the clean control of the modified example differs from the clean control described above (see FIG. 8) in that it includes a step S24A of turning on the heaters 58 and 60. Other processing in the modified example is the same as the clean control described above. Therefore, step S24A will be described.

At step S24A, the control unit 90 related to the clean control of the modified example turns on the heaters 58 and 60. That is, the control unit 90 related to the clean control of the modified example turns on the first heater 58 and the second heater 60 that heat the outdoor air A3 on the upstream side of the absorbent 52 in the first flow path P1, and turns on the second heater 60. The outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 is heated. As a result, when the heated outdoor air A3 passes through the absorbent 52, NOx and SOx adhering to the absorbent 52 can be removed.

As described above, in the clean control of the modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example further performs step S24A. Thus, by turning on the heaters 58 and 60 to heat the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1, NOx and SOx attached to the absorbent 52 can be removed.

Although the clean control according to the present embodiment, including the modification described above, has been described as being performed before the humidification operation as shown in FIG. 7, it is not limited to this. For example, clean control may be performed after the humidification operation. Further, the ventilation device 50 may include a sensor that detects foreign matter, and clean control may be performed when the sensor detects the foreign matter. Alternatively, clean control may be performed at predetermined time intervals.

In the case of the present embodiment including the above modified example, an example in which the control unit 90 performs clean control by rotationally driving the first fan 62, the second fan 66 and the absorbent 52 has been described. is not limited to The controller 90 may perform clean control by rotating one of the first fan 62 and the second fan 66 . For example, the control unit 90 may close the damper device 64 to rotate the first fan 62 and not rotate the second fan 66 . Alternatively, the control unit 90 may close the damper device 64 to rotate the second fan 66 without driving the first fan 62 to rotate. Also, the control unit 90 does not have to rotate the absorbent 52 .

In the clean control according to the present embodiment including the modified example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the motors of the first fan 62, the second fan 66 and the absorbent 52 are 54 are turned off, but they may remain on.

Note that the air conditioner 10 may have an ion generator at the outlet (nozzle outlet) of the ventilation conduit 56 located in the indoor unit 20 . Even if pollen, viruses, and the like flow into the indoor unit 20 from the ventilation conduit 56, the ion generator can remove the pollen and viruses.

<Damper control>
Damper control will be described in detail.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration around the damper device 64. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the damper device 64 includes a valve body 80 and a damper motor 82 that rotates the valve body 80 . The air conditioner 10 also includes a detector 84 that detects opening and closing of the damper device 64 .

The valve body 80 has a plate shape, one end of which is connected to a damper motor 82 and rotates around the damper motor 82 . The valve body 80 is opened and closed by being rotated by a damper motor 82 .

The damper motor 82 supports the end of the valve body 80 and rotates the valve body 80 . The damper motor 82 is, for example, a stepping motor. The damper motor 82 receives a control command from the controller 90 and rotates the valve body 80 based on the control command.

The control commands include commands for opening and closing the valve body 80. For example, control commands include a damper "open" command and a damper "close" command. A damper “open” command is a command to open the valve body 80 . The outdoor air A3 is distributed from the first flow path P1 to the ventilation conduit 56 by opening the valve body 80 . A damper “close” command is a command to close the valve body 80 . By closing the valve body 80, the outdoor air A3 is distributed from the first flow path P1 to the outdoor Rout.

The control command also includes a command for controlling the torque of the damper motor 82. A command for controlling torque is, for example, a pulse rate (PPS: Pulse Per Second). The controller 90 can adjust the torque of the damper motor 82 by adjusting the pulse rate. For example, the controller 90 can increase the torque of the damper motor 82 by decreasing the pulse rate.

The detection unit 84 is a sensor that detects opening and closing of the valve body 80 . The detector 84 is, for example, a limit sensor. The limit sensor detects opening and closing of the valve body 80 by contact with the valve body 80 . The detection unit 84 transmits the detection result of the valve body 80 to the control unit 90 .

The control unit 90 receives the detection result of the detection unit 84 and determines whether the valve body 80 is normally opened and closed based on the detection result. Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the valve body 80 is normally opened and closed based on the detection result of the detection unit 84 and the control command.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device 64 is normally closed, and FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device 64 is normally open.

As shown in FIG. 13, the valve body 80 blocks the inlet 56a of the ventilation conduit 56 when the damper device 64 is normally closed. The inlet 56a of the ventilation conduit 56 is an opening through which the ventilation conduit 56 and the first flow path P1 communicate. Specifically, when the damper device 64 is normally closed, the valve body 80 is arranged along the direction in which the first flow path P1 extends and closes the inlet 56a of the ventilation conduit 56 . Therefore, the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 is discharged to the outdoor Rout.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the damper device 64 is normally opened, the valve body 80 opens the inlet 56a of the ventilation conduit 56 and blocks the first flow path P1. Specifically, when the damper device 64 is normally open, the valve body 80 is arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the first flow path P1 extends, opening the inlet 56a of the ventilation conduit 56, and opening the first flow path P1. 1 flow path P1 is blocked. Therefore, the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 flows through the ventilation conduit 56 into the room Rin.

Also, when the valve body 80 is normally opened, the valve body 80 contacts the detection section 84 . The detector 84 sends a signal to the controller 90 indicating that the valve body 80 is open when the valve body 80 is in contact. For example, the detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "1" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is in contact. The detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "0" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is not in contact.

For example, when the control unit 90 transmits a damper "open" command as a control command and receives an output value of "1" from the detection unit 84, it determines that the valve body 80 is normally open. If the output value from the detection unit 84 is "0" even after a predetermined time has passed since the damper "open" command was transmitted as the control command, the control unit 90 does not normally open the valve body 80. I judge.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the damper device 64 is not operating normally.

As shown in FIG. 15, for example, when foreign matter G1 adheres to the valve body 80, the valve body 80 cannot be opened normally. Foreign matter G1 includes, for example, at least one of dust, insects, water, and ice. In this case, since the valve body 80 does not contact the detector 84, the detector 84 detects that the valve body 80 is not open.

Thus, when the damper device 64 has the foreign matter G1 attached thereto, the damper device 64 cannot be opened and closed normally. In the damper control according to the present embodiment, the control unit 90 detects that the valve body 80 of the damper device 64 is not normally opened and closed, and if the valve body 80 is not normally opened and closed, the first fan Air is blown by 62 . Thereby, the control unit 90 removes the foreign matter G1 adhering to the damper device 64 .

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the damper control operation when the damper device 64 is opened, and FIG. 17 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in the damper control when the damper device 64 is opened. 17(a) shows the control command, FIG. 17(b) shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64 (valve body 80), and FIG. 17(c) shows the detection state of the detection unit 84. . Further, (d) of FIG. 17 shows on/off control of the first fan 62, and (e) of FIG. 17 shows on/off control of the damper motor 82. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, in step S31, the control unit 90 controls the damper device 64 to open. That is, the control unit 90 transmits a damper “open” command to the damper motor 82 of the damper device 64 .

Upon receiving a damper "open" command from the control unit 90, the damper motor 82 starts rotating. Thereby, the valve body 80 starts to open.

At step S32, the detection unit 84 detects opening and closing of the damper device 64. That is, the detector 84 detects opening and closing of the valve body 80 . In this embodiment, the detector 84 is a limit sensor. Therefore, the detection unit 84 detects opening and closing of the valve body 80 based on whether the valve body 80 is in contact. For example, the detector 84 detects that the valve body 80 is open when the valve body 80 is in contact.

For example, the detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "1" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is in contact. The detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "0" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is not in contact.

At step S33, the control unit 90 determines whether the damper device 64 is open. If the control unit 90 determines that the damper device 64 is open (step S33: YES), the process ends. When the control unit 90 determines that the damper device 64 is not open (step S33: NO), the process proceeds to step S34.

The determination in step S33 is performed as follows. That is, the control section 90 determines whether or not the valve body 80 is normally opened based on the detection result of the detection section 84 . Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the valve body 80 is normally opened based on the detection result of the detection unit 84 and the control command transmitted in step S31.

For example, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is normally opened when the control command is the damper "open" command and the signal with the output value "1" is received from the detection unit 84. Alternatively, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is normally opened when the control command is the damper “open” command and the signal of the output value “1” is received from the detection unit 84 for a predetermined time. good too. Further, when the control command is the damper “open” command and the signal of the output value “0” is received from the detection unit 84, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is not normally opened.

In step S34, the control unit 90 rotates the first fan 62. When the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is not open (step S33: NO), it drives the first fan 62 to rotate. Specifically, the controller 90 turns on the first fan 62 to blow the outdoor air A3 to the first flow path P1. As a result, the foreign matter G1 adhering to the damper device 64 is removed by the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 .

After rotating the first fan 62 for a predetermined time, the control unit 90 stops the first fan 62 . After rotating the first fan 62, the process returns to step S33.

As described above, in the damper control for opening the damper device 64, the control unit 90 performs steps S31 to S34. By controlling the damper in this manner, the first fan 62 is driven to blow the outdoor air A3 when the foreign matter G1 adheres to the damper device 64 and the damper device 64 cannot be opened normally. can remove the foreign matter G1.

Although damper control for opening the damper device 64 has been described in the above control, similar processing is performed for damper control for closing the damper device 64 (for example, step S70 shown in FIG. 7).

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the damper control operation when the damper device 64 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 18, in step S31A, the control unit 90 controls the damper device 64 to close. That is, the control unit 90 transmits a damper “close” command to the damper motor 82 of the damper device 64 .

Upon receiving a damper "close" command from the control unit 90, the damper motor 82 starts rotating. Thereby, the valve body 80 begins to close.

At step S32A, the detection unit 84 detects opening and closing of the damper device 64. If the detector 84 is a limit sensor, the detector 84 may be arranged at the inlet 56 a of the ventilation conduit 56 . The detector 84 detects whether the valve body 80 is closed based on whether the valve body 80 is in contact with the inlet 56 a of the ventilation conduit 56 . For example, the detector 84 detects that the valve body 80 is closed when the valve body 80 is in contact with the inlet 56 a of the ventilation conduit 56 .

For example, the detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "1" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is in contact. The detection unit 84 transmits a signal with an output value of "0" to the control unit 90 when the valve body 80 is not in contact.

At step S33A, the control unit 90 determines whether the damper device 64 is closed. If the control unit 90 determines that the damper device 64 is closed (step S33A: YES), the process ends. When the control unit 90 determines that the damper device 64 is not closed (step S33A: NO), the process proceeds to step S34.

The determination in step S33A is performed as follows. That is, the control section 90 determines whether or not the valve body 80 is normally closed based on the detection result of the detection section 84 . Specifically, the control unit 90 determines whether the valve body 80 is normally closed based on the detection result of the detection unit 84 and the control command transmitted in step S31A.

For example, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is normally closed when the control command is the damper "close" command and the signal with the output value "1" is received from the detection unit 84. Alternatively, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is normally closed when the control command is the damper “close” command and the signal of the output value “1” is received from the detection unit 84 for a predetermined time. good too. Further, when the control command is the damper “close” command and the signal of the output value “1” is received from the detection unit 84, the control unit 90 determines that the valve body 80 is not normally closed.

In step S34, the control unit 90 rotates the first fan 62. As a result, the foreign matter G1 adhering to the damper device 64 is removed by the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 .

After rotating the first fan 62 for a predetermined time, the control unit 90 stops the first fan 62 . After rotating the first fan 62, the process returns to step S33A.

As described above, in damper control for closing the damper device 64, the control unit 90 performs steps S31A to S34. By controlling the damper in this manner, when the damper device 64 is unable to open and close normally due to the foreign matter G1 adhering to it, the first fan 62 can be driven to remove the foreign matter G1. .

Although the damper control described above has been described as being performed when the damper device 64 is opened and closed, it is not limited to this. For example, the damper control described above may be performed when it is detected that the damper device 64 is not normally opened and closed during normal operation including humidification operation and dehumidification operation.

In the case of the present embodiment, an example in which the damper motor 82 is a stepping motor has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the damper motor 82 may be an actuator capable of opening and closing the valve body 80 .

In the case of the present embodiment, an example in which the detection unit 84 is a limit sensor has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The detection unit 84 may be any sensor capable of detecting opening and closing of the valve body 80 . For example, the detection unit 84 may be a ranging sensor such as an infrared sensor. The control unit 90 may determine whether or not the valve body 80 is normally opened and closed based on distance information measured by the distance measuring sensor.

Next, the damper control of the modified example will be explained. In the damper control of the modified example, processing for increasing the torque of the damper motor 82 is executed.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the damper control operation of the modification, and FIG. 20 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in the damper control of the modification. 20(a) shows the control command, FIG. 20(b) shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64 (valve body 80), and FIG. 20(c) shows the detection state of the detector 84. . 20(d) shows the on/off control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 20(e) shows the on/off control and torque of the damper motor 82. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the modified damper control differs from the damper control described above (see FIG. 16) in that it includes a step S35 of increasing the torque of the damper motor 82. FIG. Other processing in the modified example is the same as the damper control described above. Therefore, step S35 will be described.

In step S<b>35 , the control unit 90 related to the damper control of the modified example increases the torque of the damper motor 82 . That is, the control unit 90 related to the damper control of the modified example reduces the pulse rate (PPS) of the damper motor 82 . Since the damper motor 82 is a stepping motor, the torque can be increased by decreasing the pulse rate.

Specifically, the control unit 90 related to the damper control of the modified example transmits a command to decrease the pulse rate to the damper motor 82 as a control command. The damper motor 82 reduces the pulse rate upon receiving a control command from the control unit 90 relating to the damper control of the modified example. Thereby, the torque of the damper motor 82 can be increased.

When the torque of the damper motor 82 is increased, the force of the damper motor 82 that rotates the valve body 80 is increased. Therefore, by increasing the torque of the damper motor 82, the force for opening and closing the valve body 80 can be increased. As a result, the valve body 80 can be opened normally even when the foreign matter G1 adheres to the damper device 64 .

As described above, in the damper control of the modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example performs steps S31 to S35. Thus, by increasing the torque of the damper motor 82, the opening force of the valve body 80 can be increased. As a result, even if foreign matter G1 adheres to the damper device 64, the valve body 80 can be opened normally.

It should be noted that in the damper control of the modified example, step S34 of rotating the first fan 62 is not an essential process. In the damper control of the modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example does not have to perform step S34.

Also, as an example of controlling the torque of the damper motor 82, the example of controlling the pulse rate of the damper motor 82 has been described, but the method of controlling the torque of the damper motor 82 is not limited to this.

Next, damper control of another modified example will be described. Another modification of the damper control involves turning on the heaters 58 and 60 and rotating the absorber 52 .

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the damper control operation of another modified example, and FIG. 22 is a timing chart showing the states of each part in the damper control of another modified example. 22(a) shows control commands, FIG. 22(b) shows opening/closing control of the damper device 64 (valve body 80), and FIG. , (d) of FIG. 22 shows on/off control of the first fan 62 . FIG. 22(e) shows on/off control of the heaters 58 and 60, and FIG. 22(f) shows on/off control of the motor 54 that drives the absorbent 52 to rotate.

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the damper control of another modification includes the step S36 of turning on the heaters 58 and 60 and the step S37 of rotating the absorbing material 52. , see FIG. 19). Other processing in another modification is the same as the damper control described above. Therefore, steps S36 and S37 will be described.

In step S36, the control unit 90 related to damper control of another modified example turns on the heaters 58 and 60. That is, the control unit 90 related to damper control in another modification turns on the first heater 58 and the second heater 60 that heat the outdoor air A3 on the upstream side of the absorbent 52 in the first flow path P1. , heats the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1. As a result, when the heated outdoor air A3 passes through the damper device 64, it is possible to remove the foreign matter G1 such as ice adhering to the damper device 64 and melted by heat.

In step S<b>37 , the control unit 90 related to damper control of another modified example rotates the absorber 52 . Specifically, the control unit 90 related to damper control in another modified example drives the motor 54 that rotationally drives the absorbing material 52 to rotate the absorbing material 52 . As a result, concentration of heat from the heaters 58 and 60 on a portion of the absorbent 52 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to prevent the absorbent 52 from being locally heated by the heaters 58 and 60 .

As described above, in the damper control of another modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example performs steps S31 to S34 and S36 to S37. In this way, when the foreign matter G1 such as ice adheres, the air warmed by the heaters 58 and 60 is sent to the damper device 64 by turning on the heaters 58 and 60 . As a result, the foreign matter G1 adhering to the damper device 64 can be removed by melting the foreign matter G1.

Note that in the damper control of another modified example, the step S37 of rotating the absorber 52 is not an essential process. That is, in the damper control of another modified example, step S37 may not be performed.

Further, in the damper control of another modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example acquires the temperature information of the outdoor route and determines whether to turn on the heaters 58 and 60 based on the temperature information of the outdoor route. may decide. For example, the outdoor unit 30 may include a temperature sensor that acquires temperature information on the outdoor Rout. The control unit 90 of this modification may determine whether to turn on the heaters 58 and 60 based on the temperature information of the outdoor Rout acquired by the temperature sensor. Alternatively, the air conditioner 10 may include a communication device that communicates with an external device such as a server. The control unit 90 of this modification acquires the temperature information of the outdoor route from the external device via the communication device, and whether or not to turn on the heaters 58 and 60 based on the temperature information of the outdoor route acquired from the external device. You may decide whether

Further, the damper control of another modified example may include step S35 of increasing the torque of the damper motor 82 in the damper control of the modified example.

　In addition, although the damper control when the damper device 64 is opened has been described in Figs. 19 to 22, the same control can be performed when the damper device 64 is closed. That is, the damper control of the modified example shown in FIG. 19 may be applied to the damper control when closing the damper device 64 shown in FIG. 18, or the damper control of another modified example shown in FIG. good.

<Hose drying control>
Hose drying control will be described in detail.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of hose drying control, and FIG. 24 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in hose drying control. 24A shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64, FIG. 24B shows the ON/OFF control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 24C shows the ON/OFF control of the second fan 66. Indicates control.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, in step S61, the control unit 90 performs damper "open" control. That is, the control unit 90 opens the damper device 64 to distribute the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 to the ventilation conduit 56 .

The ventilation conduit 56 connects the first flow path P1 and the indoor unit 20 via the damper device 64 . Therefore, the controller 90 can control the damper device 64 to distribute the outdoor air A3 to the ventilation conduit 56 .

If the damper device 64 has been opened before step S61, the controller 90 keeps the damper device 64 open in step S61.

At step S62, the control unit 90 causes the first fan 62 to rotate. That is, the controller 90 turns on the first fan 62 to blow the outdoor air A3 to the first flow path P1. That is, the controller 90 rotates the first fan 62 to send the dry outdoor air A3 to the ventilation conduit 56 from the first flow path P1. As a result, the inside of the ventilation conduit 56 is dried by the dry outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 . Here, the dry outdoor air A3 means, for example, the outdoor air A3 that is not in a saturated air state. By "outdoor air that is not saturated air" is meant that the outdoor air is maximally free of moisture. For example, the humidity of the outdoor air A3 may be 70% or less, preferably 50% or less, more preferably 30% or less.

Note that if the first fan 62 has been rotating before step S62, the control unit 90 maintains the state in which the first fan 62 is rotating in step S62.

At step S63, the control unit 90 stops the second fan 66. That is, the control unit 90 turns off the second fan 66 to stop blowing the outdoor air A4 to the second flow path P2. That is, the control unit 90 stops the rotation of the second fan 66 and stops blowing the outdoor air A4 to the second flow path P2. As a result, the absorbent 52 does not absorb moisture, so the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 can be dried.

At step S64, the control unit 90 determines whether or not a predetermined time t61 has elapsed. When the control unit 90 determines that the predetermined time t61 has elapsed (step S64: YES), the process ends. When the control unit 90 determines that the predetermined time t61 has not elapsed (step S64: NO), the process returns to step S62.

For example, the predetermined time t61 is 3 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less. Preferably, the predetermined time t61 is 10 minutes.

As described above, in hose drying control, the control unit 90 performs steps S61 to S64. Thus, the inside of the hose, that is, the inside of the ventilation conduit 56 can be dried by performing the hose drying control. For example, by performing hose drying control after the humidification operation ends, the inside of the ventilation conduit 56 can be dried to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation.

Note that the hose drying control is not limited to being performed after the humidification operation ends. For example, hose drying control may be performed based on the humidity or the amount of condensation in ventilation conduit 56, or hose drying control may be performed at predetermined time intervals.

Also, in step S64, the example in which the hose drying control ends after the predetermined time t61 has elapsed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, hose dry control may be terminated based on the amount of humidity or condensation within ventilation conduit 56 .

Next, the modified hose drying control will be explained. In the hose drying control of the modified example, a process of rotating the absorbent 52 and turning on the heaters 58 and 60 is executed.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing the operation of the hose drying control of the modification, and FIG. 26 is a timing chart showing the states of each part in the hose drying control of the modification. 26(a) shows the opening/closing control of the damper device 64, FIG. 26(b) shows the on/off control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 26(c) shows the on/off control of the second fan 66. Indicates control. 26(d) shows on/off control of the motor 54 for rotating the absorbent 52, and FIG. 26(e) shows on/off control of the heaters 58 and 60. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the modified hose drying control includes a step S63A of rotating the absorbent 52 and a step S63B of turning on the heaters 58 and 60. (see FIG. 23). Other processing in the modified example is the same as the hose drying control described above. Therefore, steps S63A and S63B will be described.

At step S63A, the control unit 90 related to the modified hose drying control rotates the absorbent 52. That is, the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of the modified example drives the motor 54 that rotationally drives the absorbent 52 to rotate the absorbent 52 . As a result, when heating is performed by turning on the heaters 58 and 60 in step S63B, it is possible to prevent the absorbent 52 from being locally heated.

At step S63B, the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of the modified example turns on the heaters 58 and 60. The control unit 90 turns on the first heater 58 and the second heater 60 that heat the outdoor air A3 on the upstream side of the absorbent 52 in the first flow path P1, and heats the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path P1. Heat A3. This allows the outdoor air A3 to be dried and the dry outdoor air A3 to be sent into the ventilation conduit 56 .

As described above, in the hose drying control of the modified example, the control unit 90 of this modified example further performs steps S63A and S63B. In the hose drying control of the modified example, by turning on the heaters 58 and 60, the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 can be dried. This makes it easier to dry the inside of the ventilation conduit 56 . For example, when the humidity of the outdoor air A3 is high, the humidity of the outdoor air A3 can be lowered by heating with the heaters 58 and 60 . Also, by rotating the absorbent 52, it is possible to prevent the absorbent 52 from being damaged by the heating of the heaters 58 and 60. FIG.

Next, another modified example of hose drying control will be described. In another modified hose drying control, a control unit 90 associated with another modified hose drying control determines whether the heaters 58 , 60 are turned on or off based on humidity information in the ventilation conduit 56 .

FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioner 10 of another modified example.

As shown in FIG. 27 , in another modification, the air conditioner 10 includes a humidity sensor 86 that acquires humidity information inside the ventilation conduit 56 . The humidity sensor 86 is arranged, for example, at a nozzle on the outlet side of the ventilation conduit 56 connected to the indoor unit 20 .

The control unit 90 controls the damper device 64 and the first fan 62 based on humidity information acquired by the humidity sensor 86 . For example, when the humidity inside the ventilation conduit 56 obtained by the humidity sensor 86 reaches or exceeds a threshold value, the controller 90 distributes the dry outdoor air A3 to the ventilation conduit 56 and drives the first fan 62 to rotate. This forces dry outdoor air A3 into the ventilation conduit 56 .

FIG. 28 is a flow chart showing the operation of hose drying control in another modified example.

As shown in FIG. 28, in another modification of the hose drying control, a step S63C of acquiring humidity information in the ventilation conduit 56 and a step S63D of determining whether the humidity in the ventilation conduit 56 is equal to or higher than a threshold value are performed. It is different from the hose drying control of the modification (see FIG. 25) described above in that it includes. Other processing in another modification is the same as the hose drying control of the modification described above. Therefore, steps S63C and S63D will be described.

In step S63C, the humidity sensor 86 acquires humidity information within the ventilation conduit 56. Humidity information is the humidity within the ventilation conduit 56 . The humidity sensor 86 acquires humidity information and transmits it to the control unit 90 related to hose drying control of another modified example.

In step S63D, the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of another modified example determines whether to turn on the heaters 58, 60 based on the humidity information. When the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of another modified example determines that the humidity is equal to or higher than the threshold (step S63D: YES), the process proceeds to step S63A. When the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of another modified example determines that the humidity is lower than the threshold (step S63D: NO), the process proceeds to step S64.

In step S63D, the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of another modified example determines whether the humidity obtained by the humidity sensor 86 is equal to or higher than the threshold. For example, the threshold is set at 90%. Note that the threshold is not limited to 90% and may be set to any value.

As described above, the hose drying control of another modified example further implements steps S63C and S63D. This allows a decision to turn on or not the heaters 58 , 60 depending on the humidity information in the ventilation conduit 56 . As a result, hose drying control can be performed efficiently.

Note that in step S63C, an example in which the humidity sensor 86 acquires the humidity inside the ventilation conduit 56 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, another alternative hose drying control controller 90 may obtain information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit 56 . Information related to humidity includes, for example, the amount of condensation, the temperature difference between the inlet 56a and the outlet of the ventilation conduit 56, and the like. For example, the controller 90 of this variation may acquire the amount of condensation within the ventilation conduit 56 and determine to turn on the heaters 58, 60 based on the amount of condensation. Alternatively, the air conditioner 10 of this modification includes a plurality of temperature sensors arranged at the inlet 56a and the outlet of the ventilation conduit 56, and the controller 90 of this modification controls the temperature of the inlet 56a and the outlet of the ventilation conduit 56. The decision to turn on the heaters 58, 60 may be based on the difference.

Also, steps S63C and S63D may be performed before step S61. In this case, the control unit 90 of this modified example may determine whether to perform steps S61 to S64 based on the humidity information acquired by the humidity sensor 86. FIG. That is, the control unit 90 may control the damper device 64 and the first fan 62 based on the humidity information acquired by the humidity sensor 86 to send the dry outdoor air A3 to the ventilation conduit 56. For example, damper device 64 and first fan 62 may be controlled to send dry outdoor air A3 to ventilation conduit 56 when the humidity obtained by humidity sensor 86 is 70% or higher.

Further, the control unit 90 related to the hose drying control of another modification acquires information related to the humidity in the ventilation conduit 56, and controls the damper device 64 and the first fan 62 based on this information. good. For example, when the amount of condensation in the ventilation conduit 56 is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the controller 90 of this variant controls the damper device 64 and the first fan 62 to direct dry outdoor air A3 to the ventilation conduit 56. You can send Alternatively, when the temperature difference between the inlet 56a and the outlet of the ventilation conduit 56 is 10° C. or more, the control unit 90 of this modification controls the damper device 64 and the first fan 62 to ventilate the dry outdoor air A3. It may be sent to conduit 56 .

<Heater residual heat removal control>
Next, the operation from ON to OFF of the humidification operation in the modified example will be described. In this variant, a further control is implemented to eliminate preheating of the heaters 58,60.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing the entire operation from ON to OFF of the humidification operation in the modified example.

As shown in FIG. 29, the process includes heater residual heat elimination control as step S80. Heater residual heat elimination control is control for eliminating residual heat of the heaters 58 and 60 . In step S<b>80 , the control unit 90 according to the modification performs control to cool the heaters 58 and 60 .

In the case of this modification, step S80 is performed after steps S10 to S70 are performed.

FIG. 30 is a flow chart showing the operation of the heater residual heat elimination control, and FIG. 31 is a timing chart showing the states of each part in the heater residual heat elimination control. 31(a) shows open/close control of the damper device 64, FIG. 31(b) shows on/off control of the first fan 62, and FIG. 31(c) shows on/off control of the second fan 66. show. 31(d) shows on/off control of the motor 54 for rotating the absorbent 52, and FIG. 31(e) shows on/off control of the heaters 58 and 60. FIG. Note that FIG. 31 shows an example in which the heater residual heat removal control is performed after the hose drying control is performed.

As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, in step S81, the control unit 90 according to the modification controls the damper device 64 to close. Specifically, the control unit 90 according to the modification transmits a damper “close” command to the damper motor 82 of the damper device 64 . As a result, the damper device 64 is closed, and the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 is discharged to the outdoor Rout.

Note that when the damper device 64 is closed from before step S81, the control unit 90 according to the modification maintains the damper device 64 closed.

In step S82, the control unit 90 according to the modification turns off the heaters 58, 60. Heating by the heaters 58 and 60 is thereby stopped.

In step S83, the control unit 90 according to the modification rotates the first fan 62. That is, the control unit 90 according to the modification turns on the first fan 62 to blow the outdoor air A3 to the first flow path P1. That is, the control unit 90 according to the modification rotates the first fan 62 to discharge the outdoor air A3 from the first flow path P1 to the outdoor Rout. As a result, the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 cools the heaters 58 and 60 .

In step S84, the control unit 90 according to the modification causes the second fan 66 to rotate. That is, the control unit 90 according to the modification turns on the second fan 66 to blow the outdoor air A4 to the second flow path P2. That is, the control unit 90 according to the modification rotates the second fan 66 to discharge the outdoor air A4 from the second flow path P2 to the outdoor Rout. This prevents the absorbent 52 from being dried by the outdoor air A4 blown by the second fan 66 .

In step S85, the control unit 90 according to the modification rotates the absorbent 52. The control unit 90 according to the modification drives the motor 54 that rotationally drives the absorbing material 52 to rotate the absorbing material 52 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the absorbent 52 from being locally heated by the residual heat of the heaters 58 and 60 .

In step S86, the control unit 90 according to the modification determines whether or not a predetermined time t81 has elapsed. When the control unit 90 according to the modification determines that the predetermined time t81 has elapsed (step S86: YES), the heater residual heat elimination control is terminated. When the control unit 90 according to the modification determines that the predetermined time t81 has not elapsed (step S86: NO), the process returns to step S82. The predetermined time t81 is, for example, 30 seconds or more and 2 minutes or less. Preferably, the predetermined time t81 is 1 minute.

As described above, in the heater residual heat elimination control, the control unit 90 according to the modification performs steps S81 to S86. By performing the heater residual heat removal control in this way, the residual heat of the heaters 58 and 60 can be removed.

Note that steps S84 and S85 are not essential processes. For example, in heater residual heat elimination control, at least one of step S84 and step S85 may not be performed. That is, the control unit 90 according to the modified example only needs to rotate the first fan 62 and does not have to rotate the second fan 66 and the absorber 52 .

Also, in the case of this modified example, the example in which the heater residual heat removal control is performed after the hose drying control has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the temperature of the heaters 58 and 60 exceeds the threshold temperature, heater residual heat elimination control may be performed.

<Fan speed setting control>
Next, setting control of the fan rotation speed will be described.

The air conditioner 10 controls the fan rotation speed of the first fan 62 according to the hose length L. As used herein, “hose length L” means the length of ventilation conduit 56 .

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a data configuration and an example of the instructed rotation speed table 94 in which the instructed rotation speed R1 is assigned according to the hose length L. In FIG. 32, the hose length L increases from L1 to L6, and the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 increases from R11 to R16. "Instructed number of rotations R1" means the maximum number of rotations of the first fan 62 that is set according to the length L of the hose.

As shown in FIG. 32, in the indicated rotation speed table 94, the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 is assigned according to the hose length L. For example, the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 is set during initial setting when the air conditioner 10 is installed.

In the air conditioner 10, the controller 90 refers to the instructed rotation speed table 94 and sets the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 according to the hose length L. For example, assume that the operator inputs hose length L<L1 through the input interface when initializing the air conditioner 10 . In this case, the control unit 90 refers to the instructed rotation speed table 94 and sets the instructed rotation speed R11 corresponding to the hose length L<L1. Alternatively, it is assumed that the operator inputs hose length L3≦L<L4 via the input interface. In this case, the control unit 90 refers to the instructed rotation speed table 94 and sets the instructed rotation speed R14 corresponding to the hose length L3≦L<L4.

In this manner, the control unit 90 sets the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 according to the hose length L, thereby adjusting the fan rotation speed to the optimum. The longer the hose length L, the greater the blowing resistance. Therefore, in the air conditioner 10, a sufficient amount of outdoor air A3 is blown to the indoor unit 20 by increasing the fan rotation speed of the first fan 62 as the hose length L increases. As a result, deterioration in performance such as humidification ability can be suppressed.

Further, when the hose length L is relatively short, by rotating the first fan 62 at a fan rotation speed lower than the rotation speed limit value, the noise caused by the first fan 62 can be suppressed and the first fan 62 durability can be considered. Note that the rotation speed limit value means a rotation speed limit value that does not significantly reduce the durability of the first fan 62, and is determined according to fan specifications and the like.

FIG. 33 is a block diagram showing the configuration for controlling the fan speed.

As shown in FIG. 33, the first fan 62 is rotationally driven by a fan motor 62A. Fan motor 62A is controlled by control unit 90 . Specifically, the fan motor 62A receives a control command from the control unit 90 and rotates the first fan 62 based on the control command. The control unit 90 blows the outdoor air A3 into the ventilation conduit 56 by rotating the first fan 62 with the damper device 64 open.

The control command includes the indicated rotation speed R1. The instructed rotation speed R1 is stored in the storage unit 92 . The control unit 90 reads the instructed rotation speed R1 from the storage unit 92 and transmits a control command to the fan motor 62A.

In the case of the present embodiment, the storage unit 92 stores a command rotation speed table 94 shown in FIG.

As described above, for example, when the air conditioner 10 is initialized, the operator inputs the hose length L via the input interface to set the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 . The instructed rotation speed R1 that has been set is stored in the storage unit 92 . When the first fan 62 is rotationally driven, the control unit 90 reads the instructed rotation speed R1 from the storage unit 92 .

Here, if the DC voltage applied to the fan motor 62A falls below a predetermined threshold, or if the operator incorrectly inputs the hose length L, the following problems may occur. That is, the first fan 62 is no longer rotationally driven at the optimum rotational speed, and a discrepancy may occur between the indicated rotational speed R1 and the actual rotational speed of the first fan 62 .

For example, if the DC voltage applied to the fan motor 62A requires 240V DC to rotate the first fan 62, the predetermined threshold is set to 240V DC. In this case, when the DC voltage applied to the fan motor 62A falls below DC240V, the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62 falls below the indicated rotation speed R1. In this way, when the DC voltage applied to the fan motor 62A falls below the predetermined threshold value, a discrepancy occurs between the indicated rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62. FIG.

For example, when the hose length L set in the initial setting is "L4≦L<L5", the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 is set to R15. When the actual hose length is "L<L1", if the first fan 62 is rotated at the instructed rotation speed R1=R15, the resistance of the hose is small, so the air volume tends to be relatively large. As the air volume increases, the torque of the fan motor 62A tends to increase. However, since the fan motor 62A does not generate torque equal to or greater than the motor spec, the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62 is smaller than the indicated rotation speed R15. As described above, when the hose length L is incorrectly set at the time of initial setting, a deviation occurs between the indicated rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62 .

Further, when the fan motor 62A continues to rotate the first fan 62 near the rotational speed limit value, the first fan 62 generates noise or abnormal noise, and the durability of the fan motor 62A is deteriorated. There is also a problem that

Therefore, the control unit 90 acquires the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62 and corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 based on the instructed rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed. For example, when the controller 90 determines that there is a discrepancy between the indicated rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed, it determines whether the voltage applied to the fan motor 62A is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. When the voltage applied to the fan motor 62A is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold, the controller 90 corrects the commanded rotation speed R1 based on the commanded rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed.

FIG. 34 is a flow chart showing the operation of setting control of the fan rotation speed, and FIG. 35 is a timing chart showing the state of each part in the setting control of the fan rotation speed. FIG. 35(a) shows the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62, and FIG. 35(b) shows the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62. FIG. In FIG. 35, the actual hose length is L<L1. An example of correcting the command rotation speed R1 based on is shown.

As shown in FIGS. 34 and 35, in step S91, the control unit 90 acquires the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62. As shown in FIG. The control unit 90 reads the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 from the storage unit 92 . The indicated rotation speed R1 is set to the indicated rotation speed R14 corresponding to the hose length L3≦L<L4 input at the time of initialization.

In step S92, the control unit 90 rotates the first fan 62 based on the command rotation speed R1=R14 of the first fan 62. That is, the control unit 90 transmits the instructed rotation speed R14 to the fan motor 62A that drives the first fan 62 to rotate. The fan motor 62A rotationally drives the first fan 62 based on the indicated rotational speed R1=R14.

In step S93, the control unit 90 acquires the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62. The actual rotation speed Rs is the actual rotation speed of the first fan 62 . The control unit 90 acquires the actual rotational speed Rs of the first fan 62 from the fan motor 62A.

In step S94, the control unit 90 determines whether or not a predetermined time t91 has passed since the first fan 62 started rotating. When the control unit 90 determines that the predetermined time t91 has elapsed (step S94: YES), the process proceeds to step S95. When the control unit 90 determines that the predetermined time t91 has not elapsed (step S94: NO), the process returns to step S92. The predetermined time t91 is, for example, 5 minutes or more and 30 minutes or less.

In step S95, the control unit 90 determines whether or not there is a discrepancy between the actual rotation speed Rs and the command rotation speed R1. If the control unit 90 determines that there is a deviation (step S95: YES), the process proceeds to step S96. If the control unit 90 determines that there is no deviation (step S95: NO), the process ends. In the present embodiment, when the controller 90 determines that there is a deviation between the commanded rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed (step S95: YES), the voltage applied to the fan motor 62A is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold. Determine whether or not If the voltage applied to the fan motor 62A is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold, the process proceeds to step S96.

For example, the control unit 90 calculates the difference between the command rotation speed R1 and the actual rotation speed Rs after performing step S93 and before the determination in step S94. In step S95, when the calculated difference exceeds the threshold for a predetermined time t91, the control unit 90 determines that there is a deviation between the actual rotation speed Rs and the command rotation speed R1. For example, the threshold is set at 400 rpm. Note that the threshold is not limited to 400 rpm, and may be set to any value.

In step S96, the control unit 90 corrects the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62. For example, the control unit 90 corrects the indicated rotation speed R1 to be close to the actual rotation speed Rs. In other words, the control unit 90 corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 to within a predetermined range from the actual rotation speed Rs. "Within a predetermined range from the actual number of revolutions Rs" is within ±5% of the actual number of revolutions Rs. Alternatively, "within a predetermined range from the actual number of revolutions Rs" is within ±200 rpm of the actual number of revolutions Rs. Preferably, the control unit 90 corrects the indicated rotation speed R1 to be equal to or lower than the actual rotation speed Rs.

In the case of the present embodiment, the control unit 90 reads the instructed rotation speed table 94 from the storage unit 92, and corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 based on the instructed rotation speed table 94 and the actual rotation speed Rs. Specifically, the control unit 90 selects the indicated rotation speed R1 near the actual rotation speed Rs from the indicated rotation speeds R11 to R16 of the indicated rotation speed table 94. FIG. For example, the control unit 90 calculates the difference between the actual rotation speed Rs and the indicated rotation speeds R11 to R16, and adjusts the indicated rotation speed R1 so that the indicated rotation speed has the smallest difference among the indicated rotation speeds R11 to R16. to correct.

In the case of the present embodiment, the control unit 90 reduces the instructed rotation speed R1 to the instructed rotation speed R11 that is substantially equal to the actual rotation speed Rs.

The control unit 90 stores the corrected instructed rotation speed R1 in the storage unit 92. As a result, the set value of the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 can be stored.

As described above, the control unit 90 performs steps S91 to S96 in the fan rotational speed setting control. As described above, even if the setting of the fan rotation speed of the first fan 62 is erroneous, the fan rotation speed can be corrected to the optimum fan rotation speed by controlling the setting of the fan rotation speed.

In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, an example in which the control unit 90 sets or corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 using the instructed rotation speed table 94 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 90 may set or correct the instructed rotation speed R<b>1 without using the instructed rotation speed table 94 .

In the case of the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 90 corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 based on the actual rotation speed Rs and the instructed rotation speed R1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 90 may correct the indicated rotation speed R1 based on the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 . As the hose length L increases, the blowing resistance increases, so the amount of air blown from the first fan 62 decreases. Therefore, the control unit 90 may correct the indicated rotation speed R1 based on the deviation of the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 .

Further, the control unit 90 may correct the instructed rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 as well as the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 .

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a data configuration and an example of a command rotation speed table of a modified example. In FIG. 36, the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 decreases from M11 to M16, and the indicated rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 decreases from R21 to R26. “Instructed number of rotations R2” means the maximum number of rotations of the second fan 66 set according to the length L of the hose.

As shown in FIG. 36, the instruction rotation speed table of the modified example assigns the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 and the instruction rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 according to the hose length L. It is different from the command rotation speed table 94 described above. When the hose length L is input at the time of initial setting, the control unit 90 according to this modification uses the indicated rotation speed table shown in FIG. 2, the designated rotation speed R2 of the fan 66 may be set. Further, when correcting the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62, the control unit 90 according to this modification uses the instructed rotation speed table shown in FIG. may be corrected. For example, when the control unit 90 according to this modification corrects the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 from R15 to R12, the indicated rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 may be corrected from R25 to R22. good. In this manner, the control unit 90 according to this modification may correct the indicated rotation speeds R1 of the first fan 62 and the second fan 66 to the same hose length L set value.

By correcting the indicated rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the humidification performance. For example, if the indicated rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 is not set with the correct hose length L, the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 and the outdoor air A3 blown by the second fan 66 are blown in the absorbent 52. The pressure balance with the outdoor air A4 may be lost. Therefore, the outdoor air A3 flowing through the first flow path P1 after passing through the heaters 58 and 60 is pulled by the outdoor air A4 flowing through the second flow path P2, and heat is not transmitted to the absorbent 52. In the meantime, it may be discharged to the outdoor route. As a result, it is conceivable that the humidification efficiency is lowered. Therefore, the control unit 90 according to this modification corrects the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 and the instructed rotation speed R2 of the second fan 66 . Thereby, in the absorbent 52, the pressure balance between the outdoor air A3 blown by the first fan 62 and the outdoor air A4 blown by the second fan 66 can be maintained. As a result, a decrease in humidification efficiency can be suppressed.

Further, the control unit 90 according to this modification corrects the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 based on the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 using the indicated rotation speed table shown in FIG. good too. For example, the control unit 90 according to this modification may determine whether or not there is a deviation between the maximum air volume M1 of the first fan 62 and the actual air volume. For example, the actual air volume may be detected by a sensor or calculated based on the input of the fan motor 62A. When there is a discrepancy between the maximum air volume M1 and the actual air volume, the control unit 90 according to this modification uses the instructed rotation speed table shown in FIG. You may correct|amend to the instruction|indication rotation speed corresponding to the air volume of .

FIG. 37 is a flow chart showing the operation of fan rotation speed setting control according to the modification.

As shown in FIG. 37, the fan rotation speed setting control of the modified example sets the indicated rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 based on the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62 and the input of the fan motor 62A. Set automatically.

In step S<b>101 , the control unit 90 related to the fan rotational speed setting control of the modified example rotates the first fan 62 . That is, the control unit 90 related to the setting control of the fan rotational speed of the modified example turns on the first fan 62 and blows the outdoor air A3 to the first flow path P1.

In step S<b>102 , the control unit 90 related to the fan rotation speed setting control of the modified example acquires the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62 .

In step S103, the control unit 90 related to the fan speed setting control of the modified example acquires the input of the fan motor 62A.

In step S104, the control unit 90 related to the fan rotation speed setting control of the modified example sets the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 based on the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62 and the input of the fan motor 62A. set.

For example, the control unit 90 related to the fan rotational speed setting control of the modified example estimates the hose length L based on the actual rotational speed Rs of the first fan 62 and the input of the fan motor 62A, and the estimated hose length L and the instructed rotation speed table 94, the instructed rotation speed R1 may be determined.

Alternatively, the control unit 90 related to the setting control of the fan rotation speed of the modified example can automatically set the rotation speed based on the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62 and the input of the fan motor 62A without using the instruction rotation speed table 94. You may set instruction|indication rotation speed R1 to. In this case, the control unit 90 related to the fan rotational speed setting control of the modified example does not need to estimate the hose length L.

As described above, in the fan rotational speed setting control of the modified example, the control unit 90 according to this modified example performs steps S101 to S104. As described above, in the fan rotation speed setting control of the modified example, the instructed rotation speed R1 of the first fan 62 is automatically set based on the actual rotation speed Rs of the first fan 62 and the input of the fan motor 62A. can be set.

<Control of fan speed based on outdoor temperature>
Next, control of the fan speed based on the outdoor temperature will be described.

FIG. 38 is a block diagram showing a configuration for controlling the fan speed based on the outdoor temperature.

As shown in FIG. 38, the air conditioner 10 includes a temperature sensor 96 that acquires the outdoor temperature. The controller 90 controls the rotation speed of the first fan 62 based on the outdoor temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 96 .

FIG. 39 is a flow chart showing the operation of controlling the fan speed based on the outdoor temperature.

As shown in FIG. 39, in step S111, the temperature sensor 96 acquires the outdoor temperature.

In step S112, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the outdoor temperature is below the threshold. When the control unit 90 determines that the outdoor temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold (step S112: YES), the process proceeds to step S113. When the controller 90 determines that the outdoor temperature is higher than the threshold (step S112: NO), the process returns to step S111. For example, the threshold is dew point. Note that the threshold is not limited to the dew point, and may be set to any value.

At step S113, the control unit 90 increases the rotation speed of the first fan 62.

As described above, the control unit 90 performs steps S111 to S113 in controlling the fan speed based on the outdoor temperature. In this way, when the outdoor temperature falls below the threshold, by increasing the rotation speed of the first fan 62, the outdoor air A3 flowing through at least one of the first flow path P1 and the ventilation conduit 56 is The flow velocity can be increased. As a result, for example, even when the outdoor temperature is below the dew point, it is possible to prevent the temperature of at least one of the inside of the first flow path P1 and the inside of the ventilation conduit 56 from becoming below the dew point. As a result, the occurrence of dew condensation in at least one of the first flow path P1 and the ventilation conduit 56 can be suppressed.

Note that the temperature sensor 96 is not an essential component. The air conditioner 10 does not have to include the temperature sensor 96 . The control unit 90 may acquire the outdoor temperature information by means other than the temperature sensor 96 . For example, the air conditioner 10 may be equipped with a communication device. The control unit 90 may acquire outdoor temperature information from a server via a communication device.

<Control of Fan Rotational Speed Based on Opening/Closing of Damper Device>
Next, control of the fan rotation speed based on opening and closing of the damper device 64 will be described.

FIG. 40 is a flow chart showing the operation of controlling the fan speed based on the opening and closing of the damper device 64. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 40, in step S121, the control unit 90 reduces the rotation speed of the first fan 62. As a result, the controller 90 reduces the amount of outdoor air A3 sent from the first fan 62 .

At step S122, the control unit 90 performs damper control. The control unit 90 controls opening or closing the damper device 64 . The damper control may be opening/closing control of the damper device 64 described above (see FIGS. 16 to 21).

As described above, the control unit 90 performs steps S121 to S122 in the control of the fan rotation speed based on the opening and closing of the damper device 64. In this way, the damper device 64 can be opened and closed safely by reducing the rotational speed of the first fan 62 before opening and closing the damper device 64 .

In this specification, terms such as "first" and "second" are used only for explanation, and express or imply the relative importance or order of technical features. should not be understood. A feature that is qualified as "first" and "second" expressly or implicitly includes one or more of such features.

Also, the above-described clean control, damper control, hose drying control, and heater residual heat removal control are not limited to being performed before and after the humidification operation. These controls may be implemented during humidification operation. Moreover, these controls are not limited to the humidifying operation, and may be performed before or after other operations such as the dehumidifying operation, or may be performed during the other operations.

Broadly speaking, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is an air conditioner that includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided in an outdoor unit and includes an absorbent that absorbs moisture in outdoor air, a first flow path through which outdoor air passes through the absorbent, and a first and a first fan for generating a flow of outdoor air in the flow path. Further, the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a ventilation conduit that connects the first flow path and the indoor unit, and a damper that distributes the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path to the outdoor air and the ventilation conduit. and a controller for controlling the first fan and damper device. The control unit controls the damper device to distribute outdoor air to the ventilation conduit, rotationally drive the first fan, and send dry outdoor air from the first flow path to the ventilation conduit.

The present disclosure is applicable to any air conditioner equipped with an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.

10 air conditioner 20 indoor unit 22 indoor heat exchanger 24 fan 30 outdoor unit 32 outdoor heat exchanger 34 fan 36 compressor 38 expansion valve 40 four-way valve 50 ventilator 52 absorbent 54 motor 56 ventilation conduit 56a inlet 58 heater (second 1 heater)
60 heater (second heater)
62 first fan 62A fan motor 64 damper device 66 second fan 70 remote controller 80 valve element 82 damper motor 84 detection unit 86 humidity sensor 90 control unit 92 storage unit 94 instruction rotation speed table 96 temperature sensor A1 indoor air A2 outdoor air A3 Outdoor air A4 Outdoor air C1 Rotation center line G1 Foreign object L Hose length M1 Maximum air volume P1 First flow path P1a Branch flow path P1b Branch flow path P2 Second flow path R1 Indicated rotation speed R2 Indication rotation speed Rin Indoor Rout Outdoor Rs Actual number of revolutions

Claims (9)

1. An air conditioner comprising an indoor unit and an outdoor unit,
   an absorbent provided in the outdoor unit for absorbing moisture in the outdoor air;
   a first flow path through which the outdoor air flows through the absorbent;
   a first fan that generates a flow of outdoor air in the first flow path;
   a ventilation conduit connecting the first flow path and the indoor unit;
   a damper device that distributes the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path to the outdoor and the ventilation conduit;
   a control unit that controls the first fan and the damper device;
   with
   The control unit
   controlling the damper device to distribute outdoor air to the ventilation conduit;
   rotationally driving the first fan to deliver dry outdoor air from the first flow path to the ventilation conduit;
   Air conditioner.
2. further comprising a heater that heats outdoor air on the upstream side of the absorbent in the first flow path;
   The control unit turns on the heater to heat the outdoor air flowing through the first flow path.
   The air conditioner according to claim 1.
3. further comprising a motor for rotationally driving the absorbent,
   The control unit drives the motor to rotate the absorber.
   The air conditioner according to claim 2.
4. The control unit acquires humidity information within the ventilation conduit, and determines whether to turn on the heater based on the acquired humidity information within the ventilation conduit.
   The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3.
5. The control unit acquires information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit, and determines whether to turn on the heater based on the acquired information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 2-4.
6. a second flow path through which the outdoor air flows from the outdoor to the outdoor, passing through the absorbent;
   a second fan that generates a flow of outdoor air in the second flow path;
   further comprising
   The control unit stops the second fan,
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The control unit acquires information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit, controls the damper device and the first fan based on the acquired information related to the humidity within the ventilation conduit, and directing outdoor air to said ventilation conduit;
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. further comprising a humidity sensor for obtaining humidity information within the ventilation conduit;
   The control unit controls the damper device and the first fan based on humidity information in the ventilation conduit acquired by the humidity sensor, and sends the dry outdoor air to the ventilation conduit.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. After the humidification operation ends, the control unit controls the damper device and the first fan to send the dry outdoor air to the ventilation conduit.
   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images