JP4781886B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention arranges a heating unit for heating the indoor air in a heating air passage through which the room air flows by the operation of the heating fan,
In the dehumidifying air passage through which the room air flows by the operation of the dehumidifying fan, the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor made of a breathable moisture absorbing body that is driven to rotate is arranged,
A regeneration heating path that heats the regeneration gas, a regeneration section of the desiccant rotor, and the regeneration gas are cooled by air to condense moisture in the regeneration circulation path in which the regeneration gas circulates by the operation of the regeneration fan. And a condensing part to be arranged in order,
The present invention relates to an air conditioner capable of performing a heating operation for operating the heating fan and the heating heating unit, and a dehumidifying operation for operating the dehumidifying fan, the regeneration fan, and the regeneration heating unit.

  As a conventional air conditioner, one capable of executing a dehumidifying operation using a desiccant rotor as well as a heating operation for heating a room is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 uses, as a combustion air, at least a part of the indoor air flowing through the heating air passage in the heating air passage through which the indoor air flows by the operation of the heating fan. The combustion part which burns fuel is arrange | positioned as a heating part for heating which heats the said indoor air. And the heating operation which heats a room is performed by operating this heating fan and blowing out the indoor air heated by the combustion part in the heating air path.

On the other hand, in the dehumidifying air passage through which the room air flows by the operation of the dehumidifying fan, a desiccant rotor made of a breathable hygroscopic body that is driven to rotate is arranged to absorb moisture in the room air, and for regeneration. Moisture is released into the regeneration circulation path through which the regeneration gas circulates by the operation of the fan, and the regeneration heat exchanger that heats the regeneration gas by the combustion heat of the combustion section and the regeneration gas of the desiccant rotor A regeneration unit and a condensing unit for condensing moisture by air-cooling the regeneration gas are sequentially arranged.
Then, by operating the dehumidifying fan and passing the room air flowing from the room into the dehumidifying air path through the moisture absorbing part arranged in a part of the rotation region of the desiccant rotor, the dehumidifying air path passes through the dehumidifying air path. The desiccant rotor absorbs the moisture of the indoor air to be discharged, and the dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the room is performed by blowing the low-humidity indoor air after the moisture is absorbed into the room.
Further, in this dehumidifying operation, while the desiccant rotor is rotationally driven, the regeneration fan and the regeneration heat exchanger are operated, and the regeneration unit disposed in a part different from the moisture absorption part in the rotation region of the desiccant rotor In addition, the moisture absorption capacity of the desiccant rotor is regenerated by passing the high temperature and low humidity regenerating gas which is condensed in the condensing unit and heated by the regenerating heat exchanger.

In the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, the condensing unit is arranged to be air-cooled by room air that circulates upstream of the moisture absorbing unit of the desiccant rotor in the dehumidifying air passage. That is, in the dehumidifying operation, by operating the dehumidifying fan, in the dehumidifying air passage, the indoor air flowing in from the room is first heated by air-cooling the condensing part, and then the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor. After the moisture is absorbed by passing through the water, it is blown out into the room.
On the other hand, in the heating operation, by operating the heating fan, in the heating air passage, the indoor air flowing in from the room is directly heated by the heating unit for heating and then blown into the room.

  The air conditioner described in Patent Document 2 is different from the one described in Patent Document 1, in which a regeneration fan and a dehumidifying fan are omitted, and one air conditioner provided on the upstream side of the combustion portion in the heating air passage is provided. By the operation of the fan, the air supply for heating, the indoor supply for dehumidification, the air supply for regeneration, and the air supply for air cooling of the condenser are performed.

JP 2000-304300 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-248251

In the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, the condensing unit is arranged to be air-cooled by room air flowing upstream of the moisture absorbing unit of the desiccant rotor in the dehumidifying air passage. The indoor air flowing through the dehumidifying air passage is subjected to both a cooling unit for cooling the condensing unit and the hygroscopic unit, so that a relatively large pressure loss is applied. And since the pressure loss in such a dehumidification air path is large, we are anxious about dehumidification capability falling by the fall of the flow volume of the indoor air which passes a moisture absorption part. Further, when a relatively large fan is installed as a dehumidifying fan in order to avoid such a decrease in the dehumidifying capacity, there arises a problem that the apparatus becomes large.
Further, in the dehumidifying air passage, the room air that has been heated by cooling the condensing part passes through the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor, so that the dehumidifying capacity may be reduced due to the temperature rising of the moisture absorbing part. Concerned. And in order to avoid the fall of the moisture absorption capability resulting from the temperature rise of the moisture absorption part of such a desiccant rotor, also when installing a comparatively large desiccant rotor, an apparatus will be enlarged similarly to the above. A problem occurs.

  In addition, the air conditioner described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 supplies dehumidification air and regeneration air while supplying a sufficient amount of combustion air that does not cause incomplete combustion in the combustion section by the operation of one fan. Since it is necessary to supply air for cooling the condenser, it is necessary to install a large and noisy fan such as a sirocco fan having a large air volume and pressure as the fan. Furthermore, since it is necessary to install an on / off valve capable of intermittently circulating air in each of a large number of flow paths through which each air flows, the installation of the large fan and these many on / off valves makes the device very There is a problem of increasing the size.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to arrange a heating unit for heating in a heating air passage, and arrange a moisture absorbing portion of a desiccant rotor in a dehumidifying air passage, thereby regenerating circulation. A heating unit for regeneration, a regeneration unit for a desiccant rotor, and a condensing unit are arranged in order on the road, and the air conditioner capable of performing heating operation and dehumidifying operation can be downsized while exhibiting good dehumidifying ability. The point is to provide technology.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes a heating air heating unit that heats room air in a heating air passage through which room air flows by the operation of a heating fan,
In the dehumidifying air passage through which the room air flows by the operation of the dehumidifying fan, the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor made of a breathable moisture absorbing body that is driven to rotate is arranged,
A regeneration heating path that heats the regeneration gas, a regeneration section of the desiccant rotor, and the regeneration gas are cooled by air to condense moisture in the regeneration circulation path in which the regeneration gas circulates by the operation of the regeneration fan. And a condensing part to be arranged in order,
An air conditioner capable of executing a heating operation for operating the heating fan and the heating heating unit, and a dehumidifying operation for operating the dehumidifying fan, the regeneration fan and the regeneration heating unit, One characteristic configuration is that the condensing unit is arranged to be air-cooled by room air flowing upstream of the heating unit in the heating air passage.

  According to the first characteristic configuration, while the desiccant rotor is rotationally driven, the regeneration fan and the regeneration heating unit are operated, and the regeneration unit of the desiccant rotor passes through the condensation unit and the regeneration heating unit in the regeneration circuit. By passing the regeneration gas that has become high temperature and low humidity, the dehumidifying fan is activated while regenerating the moisture absorbing capacity of the desiccant rotor, and the room air passes through the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor in the dehumidifying air passage. Then, the dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the room can be performed by blowing out the room air whose moisture has been absorbed by the desiccant rotor to reduce the humidity.

Furthermore, since the condensing unit is arranged to be air-cooled by room air flowing upstream of the heating heating unit in the heating air passage, the heating fan is operated in the dehumidifying operation, and By allowing the room air to pass through the air-cooling unit for air-cooling the condensing unit, the regeneration gas can be air-cooled in the condensing unit.
Therefore, in the dehumidifying air path, the air cooling part is no longer arranged compared to the case where the air cooling part for cooling the condensation part is arranged upstream of the moisture absorption part of the desiccant rotor in the dehumidifying air path. Therefore, a small fan having a relatively small blowing capacity can be installed as a dehumidifying fan. Furthermore, since the room air passing through the moisture absorption part of the desiccant rotor is not heated by passing through the air cooling part, it is a relatively low temperature indoor air directly supplied from the room. It can be kept low to exhibit high moisture absorption capacity, and as a result, the size of the desiccant rotor for exhibiting the desired moisture absorption capacity can be set to be relatively small.

On the other hand, the heating fan and the heating heating unit are operated to heat the room air by the heating heating unit in the heating air passage, and the heated room air is blown out into the room to heat the room. Can be executed.
Further, in the air passage for heating, there is a concern that the pressure loss will increase due to the air cooling part being installed upstream of the heating part for heating, but the flow path disconnection upstream of the heating part for heating is concerned. If the area is relatively large and the air-cooling section is arranged with the same flow path cross-sectional area, an increase in pressure loss can be suppressed and an increase in the size of the heating fan can be suppressed.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an air conditioner that can perform a heating operation and a dehumidifying operation and that can be downsized while exhibiting a good dehumidifying ability.

  According to a second characteristic configuration of the air conditioner according to the present invention, in addition to the first characteristic configuration, the heating unit uses at least a part of the indoor air flowing through the heating air passage as combustion air. This is because it is composed of a combustion section that burns fuel.

  According to the second characteristic configuration, since the heating heating unit is composed of a combustion unit that burns fuel, the heating operation is executed, and the indoor air heated by the combustion unit is blown into the room. The moisture generated by the combustion of the fuel can be released into the room to humidify the room.

A third feature configuration of the air conditioner according to the present invention includes, in addition to the second feature configuration, a temperature detection unit that detects a room temperature,
Humidity detecting means for detecting indoor humidity;
While simultaneously performing the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation, based on the detection results of the temperature detecting means and the humidity detecting means, the respective operation outputs of the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation are controlled, and the indoor temperature and the dehumidifying operation are controlled. There is a control means for setting the indoor humidity within a predetermined target range.

  According to the third characteristic configuration, in the case where the heating heating unit is configured by a combustion unit that burns fuel, the temperature and humidity setting unit performs the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation at the same time. Based on the indoor temperature detected by the detecting means and the indoor humidity detected by the humidity detecting means, the operation output of the heating operation capable of heating and humidifying the room and the dehumidifying operation capable of dehumidifying the room By controlling the operation output, the indoor humidity is kept within the target indoor temperature range in the vicinity of the target indoor temperature preset by the user, while the indoor humidity is suppressed, for example, mold growth and the influenza virus mortality rate Thus, the room temperature and the room humidity can be appropriately maintained within a predetermined target range such that the room temperature and the room humidity are maintained within an appropriate target room humidity range in which

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the air conditioner according to the present invention, in addition to any one of the second to third characteristic configurations, the regeneration heating unit heats the regeneration gas by combustion heat of the combustion unit. It is in the point comprised by the heat exchanger for reproduction | regeneration.

  According to the fourth characteristic configuration, the regeneration heat is generated by using the combustion heat of the combustion section by performing the heating operation and burning the fuel in the combustion section without generating another thermal energy. With the exchanger, the regeneration gas circulating in the regeneration circuit can be heated by the combustion heat of the combustion section. Therefore, when performing the heating operation, the regeneration gas heated by the regeneration heat exchanger using the same heat source as in the heating operation is passed through the regeneration portion of the desiccant rotor to regenerate the moisture absorption capacity of the desiccant rotor. The dehumidifying operation can be executed.

  According to a fifth characteristic configuration of the air conditioner according to the present invention, in addition to any of the first to third characteristic configurations, the regeneration heating unit heats the regeneration gas with electrical energy. It is in the point comprised with a heater.

  According to the fifth characteristic configuration, by operating the regeneration electric heater, the regeneration gas circulating in the regeneration circuit can be heated by the electric heater. Therefore, regardless of the execution of the heating operation, it is possible to perform the dehumidifying operation by allowing the regeneration gas heated by the regeneration electric heater to pass through the regeneration portion of the desiccant rotor and regenerating the moisture absorption capacity of the desiccant rotor.

  As an embodiment of the air conditioner according to the present invention, the detailed configuration of the air conditioner 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the air conditioner 200 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described. To do.

[First Embodiment]
The air conditioner 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is installed in a room as appropriate, and will be described in detail later. However, the air conditioner 100 performs a heating operation for heating a room and a dehumidifying operation for dehumidifying the room. Has various configurations. Along with these various configurations, a control unit 50 that controls various controls in the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation, and an operation unit 51 for instructing control information and the like to the control unit 50 are integrated using the housing 1. It is assembled and configured.

First, the structure for performing the said heating operation is demonstrated.
A heating fan 13 such as a crossflow fan is disposed in a heating air passage 10 formed from the back side to the front side in the housing 1. The room air flows in through the air supply port 11, the room air flows from the heating air supply port 11 to the heating outlet 12, and the room air is blown out into the room through the heating outlet 12.
In the heating air passage 10, at least a part of the indoor air flowing through the heating air passage 10 is used for combustion as a heating heating section for heating the indoor air, upstream of the heating fan 13. A combustion unit 15 is provided for burning fuel gas such as natural gas city gas using air.
Further, an adjustment valve 16 (see FIG. 2) capable of adjusting the amount of fuel gas supplied to the combustion unit 15 is provided, and the control unit 50 controls the opening degree of the adjustment valve 16 to burn the combustion unit 15. The amount can be set as appropriate.

  Due to the configuration of the heating air passage 10, the air conditioner 100 operates the heating fan 13 and the combustion unit 15 to cause the room air to flow into the heating air passage 10 from the room through the heating air inlet 11. Is heated in the combustion section 15 and the heated indoor air is blown into the room through the heating air outlet 12 from the heating air passage 10 to perform the heating operation.

Further, in the heating operation, the operation output of the heating operation, that is, the heating capacity for the room is changed by adjusting the amount of combustion of the combustion unit 15 or in addition to adjusting the amount of air blown by the heating fan 13. Can do.
Further, in this heating operation, since the heating heating section is composed of the combustion section 15 that burns the fuel gas, moisture generated by burning the fuel gas is discharged into the room. Will be humidified.

In addition, a temperature sensor 52 (an example of a temperature detection unit) that detects the temperature of the room air that has flowed into the heating air supply port 11 as a room temperature is provided in the vicinity of the heating air supply port 11 of the heating air passage 10. ing.
In this heating operation, the control unit 50 detects the temperature difference between the indoor temperatures detected by the temperature sensor 52 with respect to the target indoor temperature set in advance in the operation unit 51 and the like, and based on the temperature difference. The room temperature is configured to be maintained within the target indoor temperature range near the target indoor temperature by controlling the operation output of the heating operation by adjusting the combustion amount of the combustor 15 and the air flow rate of the heating fan 13. Yes.
Further, in maintaining the room temperature within the target room temperature range, the heating operation is stopped when the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 exceeds the target room temperature range, and the temperature sensor 52 detects the room temperature. You may comprise so that the start and stop of heating operation may be controlled by the form which starts execution of the said heating operation, when indoor temperature falls below the target indoor temperature range.

Next, a configuration for executing the dehumidifying operation will be described.
The air conditioner 100 is provided with a desiccant rotor 40 made of a breathable moisture absorber that is rotationally driven by a drive motor 45.
The desiccant rotor 40 is configured by holding a hygroscopic agent on a honeycomb-shaped base material that can be ventilated in the direction of the rotational axis X. The desiccant rotor 40 is centered on the rotational axis X. It is rotatably supported and is driven to rotate by a driving motor 45 in such a manner that its peripheral portion is sequentially sent in the circumferential direction.
In addition, as this hygroscopic agent, an adsorbent such as silica gel, activated alumina, synthetic zeolite, activated carbon or the like that adsorbs moisture in the air, or an absorbent such as lithium chloride or calcium chloride that absorbs moisture in the air, As long as it has hygroscopicity and can be dehumidified and regenerated with a regeneration gas, various types can be employed.

The desiccant rotor 40 is provided with a regenerating part 41 through which a regenerating gas in a regenerating circulation path 30 to be described later passes in a part of the rotation region, and further, a part opposite to the regenerating part 41 Further, a moisture absorbing portion 42 through which room air of a dehumidifying air passage 20 described later passes is provided.
As the regeneration gas, air is preferably used, but other than air may be used.

A dehumidifying fan 23 such as a sirocco fan is disposed in the dehumidifying air passage 20 formed from the back side to the front side in the housing 1. The room air flows in through the air vent 21, the room air flows from the dehumidifying air supply opening 21 to the dehumidifying air outlet 22, and the indoor air is blown out into the room through the dehumidifying air outlet 22.
In the dehumidifying air passage 20, the moisture absorbing portion 42 of the desiccant rotor 40 is disposed.

On the other hand, a regeneration fan 33 such as a sirocco fan is disposed in the regeneration circuit 30 formed so as to circulate in the housing 1, and the regeneration circuit 30 is operated by the operation of the regeneration fan 33. The recycling gas will circulate.
In the regeneration circulation path 30, the regeneration electric heater 35 as the regeneration heating unit 31 for heating the regeneration gas, the regeneration unit 41 of the desiccant rotor 40, and the regeneration gas are air-cooled. The condensing part 32a of the condenser 32 which condenses a water | moisture content is arrange | positioned in order.

  The condenser 32 is formed by arranging a plurality of pipe members extending in the vertical direction in parallel. The inside of the tube material is formed as the condensing part 32a through which the regeneration gas passes from above to below, while the outside of the tube material serves as the air cooling part 32b through which air for cooling passes. Is formed.

Due to the configuration of the dehumidifying air passage 20, the air conditioner 100 operates the dehumidifying fan 23 to the moisture absorbing portion 42 of the desiccant rotor 40, and from the room to the dehumidifying air passage 20 through the dehumidifying air supply port 21. By allowing the inflowing room air to pass through, the desiccant rotor 40 absorbs the moisture of the room air passing through the dehumidification air passage 20, and the low-humidity room air after the moisture is absorbed is discharged from the dehumidification outlet. The dehumidifying operation is executed in the form of blowing out through the room 22.
Further, due to the configuration in the regeneration circuit 30, the air conditioner 100 operates the drive motor 45 to rotate the desiccant rotor 40 in the dehumidifying operation, and rotates the regeneration fan 33 and the regeneration electric heater 35. When activated, the regeneration unit 41 of the desiccant rotor 40 passes the high-temperature, low-humidity regeneration gas condensed by the condensing unit 32 a and heated by the regeneration electric heater 35, thereby allowing the desiccant rotor 40 to absorb moisture. Is played.

  Further, in the dehumidifying operation, the amount of moisture absorbed in the desiccant rotor 40 is changed by adjusting the heating amount of the regeneration electric heater 35 or, in addition, adjusting the blowing amount of the dehumidifying fan 23 and the regeneration fan 33. Thus, the operation output of the dehumidifying operation, that is, the dehumidifying capacity for the room can be changed.

  In addition, a humidity sensor 53 (an example of a humidity detection unit) that detects the humidity of the room air that has flowed into the dehumidification supply port 21 as the room humidity is provided in the vicinity of the dehumidification supply port 21 of the dehumidification air passage 20. ing.

Then, in this dehumidifying operation, the control unit 50 detects the humidity difference of the indoor humidity detected by the humidity sensor 53 with respect to the target indoor humidity set in advance in the operation unit or the like, and based on the humidity difference, By controlling the operation output of the dehumidifying operation by adjusting the heating amount of the regeneration electric heater 35 and the blowing amount of the dehumidifying fan 23 and the regeneration fan 33, the indoor humidity is kept within the target indoor humidity range near the target indoor humidity. Configured to maintain.
Further, in maintaining the indoor humidity within the target indoor humidity range, when the indoor humidity detected by the humidity sensor 53 exceeds the target indoor humidity range, the execution of the dehumidifying operation is stopped and detected by the humidity sensor 53. The start and stop of the dehumidifying operation may be controlled in such a form that the execution of the dehumidifying operation is started when the indoor humidity falls below the target indoor humidity range.
In the present embodiment, the temperature sensor 53 detects the relative humidity of the indoor air determined from the indoor air temperature and the absolute humidity as the indoor humidity, and the controller 50 detects the relative humidity of the indoor air. Although it is configured to control the operation output of the dehumidifying operation based on the relative humidity, separately, the humidity sensor 53 detects the indoor absolute humidity, and the control unit detects the absolute humidity detected by the humidity sensor 53. The operation output of the dehumidifying operation may be controlled based on the above.

Further, the control unit 50 controls the operation outputs of the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation based on the detection results of the temperature sensor 52 and the humidity sensor 53 while simultaneously performing the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation as described above. And it is comprised so that it may function as a control means which sets indoor temperature and indoor humidity in a predetermined target range.
That is, as described above, by performing the dehumidifying operation simultaneously with the heating operation in which the combustion unit 15 burns the combustion gas and releases the generated moisture into the room, the indoor humidification and dehumidification are performed. It will be done at the same time. Therefore, the control unit 50 executes the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation at the same time, and further controls the operation outputs of the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation based on the detection results of the temperature sensor 52 and the humidity sensor 53. Thus, while maintaining the indoor temperature within the target indoor temperature range near the target indoor temperature set in advance by the user, the indoor humidity is, for example, near appropriate humidity where mold growth is suppressed and mortality of influenza virus is increased Thus, the room temperature and the room humidity can be appropriately maintained within a predetermined target range.

  The relative humidity at which mold growth is suppressed and the influenza virus mortality rate is increased is within a range of 45% to 72% at 18 ° C., and 45% to 70% at 20 ° C. %, And the room temperature is in the range of 45% to 65% at 25 ° C., the target indoor humidity range can be set as a suitable humidity range for each room temperature.

  Next, a specific example of the operation output control method executed by the control unit 50 when the control unit 50 performs the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation simultaneously will be described below.

  The control unit 50 starts the heating operation with the rated operation output according to the operation of the heating / dehumidification simultaneous operation start button or the like of the operation unit 51, and simultaneously starts the dehumidification operation with the rated operation output. The temperature of the room air taken in is detected by the temperature sensor 52 as the room temperature, and the humidity of the room air taken into the dehumidifying air passage 20 is detected by the humidity sensor 53 as the room humidity.

Further, the control unit 50 is configured to maintain the indoor temperature in the vicinity of the target indoor temperature by controlling the operation output of the heating operation based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 52. Specifically, it is configured to control as follows.
In other words, the control unit 50 determines that the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 immediately after the start of operation is lower than the target room temperature preset by the user in a range of 18 ° C. to 25 ° C., for example. At the time of start-up until the room temperature is within the target room temperature range having a range of, for example, ± 1 ° C. centering on the target room temperature, the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 is within the target room temperature range. Until the operation output of the heating operation is maintained at the rated operation output.

Further, during the steady operation after the indoor temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 falls within the target indoor temperature range, the indoor temperature is detected by the temperature sensor 52 every unit time (for example, every 5 minutes). Whether the room temperature is within the target room temperature range is monitored.
Also, during this steady operation, if the room temperature deviates from the target room temperature range due to a change in the target room temperature setting or a change in environmental conditions by the user, the temperature difference of the room temperature relative to the target room temperature By adjusting the operation output of the heating operation, the room temperature can be shifted to the target room temperature range.

On the other hand, the control unit 50 controls the operation output of the dehumidifying operation based on the detection result of the humidity sensor 53, thereby adjusting the indoor humidity to the target indoor humidity (the growth of mold as described above is suppressed and the influenza virus However, it is configured to be controlled as follows.
That is, when the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 deviates from the target room temperature range at the time of start-up or steady operation described above, the control unit 50 determines the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 53. For example, every time the temperature changes by 1 ° C., the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 from the change state of the room temperature detected by the temperature sensor 52 and the change state of the room humidity detected by the humidity sensor 53 becomes the target room temperature. The predicted indoor humidity that is predicted to be reached at the time of transition to the range is obtained. The control unit 50 increases the operation output of the dehumidifying operation when the predicted indoor humidity is higher than the target indoor humidity range, and conversely, when the predicted indoor humidity is lower than the target indoor humidity range. By adjusting the operation output of the dehumidifying operation according to the difference of the predicted indoor humidity with respect to the target indoor humidity, such as decreasing the operation output of the dehumidifying operation or stopping the dehumidifying operation, the room temperature is brought into the target indoor temperature range. The indoor humidity at the time of transfer can be set within the target indoor humidity range.

  Further, when the indoor humidity is within the target indoor humidity range, the control unit 50 reduces the operation output of the dehumidifying operation to the minimum or stops the dehumidifying operation. Then, every unit time (for example, every 5 minutes), the humidity sensor 53 detects the indoor humidity, monitors whether the indoor humidity is within the target indoor humidity range, and the indoor humidity is within the target indoor humidity range. Is exceeded, the dehumidifying operation is started again, and the operation output of the dehumidifying operation is adjusted according to the difference between the predicted indoor humidity and the target indoor humidity.

In addition, when the heating operation is executed in the winter and the moisture generated by burning the fuel gas in the combustion unit 15 is released into the room, it is considered that the room humidity hardly decreases to 40% or less. However, when the outside air temperature is as high as the target room temperature and the humidity is low and the operation output of the heating operation is set to an extremely small output as in early spring, the room humidity may be 40% or less. . In addition, when the target indoor humidity is set to a value close to the indoor humidity at this time, by setting the operation output of the dehumidifying operation to an extremely small output or stopping the dehumidifying operation, the indoor humidity However, since the humidification capability by heating operation is small, the indoor humidity may not reach the target indoor humidity.
When it can be determined that the indoor humidity is low and does not reach the target indoor humidity in this way, it may be configured to output that fact by a warning lamp, a voice message, or the like.
Moreover, although this embodiment demonstrated the control method in the case of performing heating operation and dehumidification operation simultaneously, you may perform heating operation and dehumidification operation separately separately.

  A condensed water tank 37 for storing condensed water generated by the condensing unit 32a is detachably provided below the condenser 32.

  The above is the basic configuration of the air conditioner 100. This air conditioner 100 has a characteristic configuration regarding the arrangement state of the condenser 32, and the characteristic configuration will be described below.

The condensing part 32a is arrange | positioned so that it may be air-cooled by the indoor air which distribute | circulates the upstream of the combustion part 15 in the air path 10 for heating. That is, the air cooling unit 32 b of the condenser 32 is disposed on the upstream side of the combustion unit 15 in the heating air passage 10.
Therefore, the air conditioner 100 operates in the dehumidifying operation by operating the heating fan 13, so that the air conditioner 100 flows into the heating air passage 10 from the room through the heating air inlet 11 and is heated at the combustion unit 15. The indoor air is passed through the air cooling part 32b of the condenser 32, so that the regeneration gas flowing through the condensation part 32a of the condenser 32 is air-cooled and the moisture of the regeneration gas is condensed. .

Therefore, in the dehumidifying air passage 20, the upstream side of the moisture absorbing portion 42 of the desiccant rotor 40 is not arranged to cause a pressure loss increase like the air cooling portion 32 b. As a small sirocco fan having a relatively small air blowing capacity that allows room air to pass through the moisture absorbing section 42 is employed.
Furthermore, the moisture absorption part 42 of the desiccant rotor 40 passes through a relatively low temperature indoor air directly supplied from the room to suppress the temperature rise, and the moisture absorption capacity per unit volume is increased. A relatively small one is adopted.

  On the other hand, in the air passage 10 for heating, the air cooling part 32b of the condenser 32 is installed on the upstream side of the combustion part 15, but the flow passage cross-sectional area on the upstream side of the combustion part 15 is relatively large, and the air cooling part Since 32b is arrange | positioned by the flow path cross-sectional area of the same grade, the increase in pressure loss is suppressed and the enlargement of the fan 13 for heating is suppressed.

Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment, the heating part which heats the indoor air which distribute | circulates the air path 10 for heating uses the at least one part of the said indoor air as combustion air, and the combustion part which burns fuel gas However, the combustion unit 15 may be configured to burn liquid fuel such as kerosene.
Moreover, you may comprise the heating part for heating as another heating parts, such as an electric heater, instead of such a combustion part.

[Second Embodiment]
The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. However, the air conditioner 200 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to the first embodiment in heating. When the heating unit for heating the room air flowing through the air path 10 is configured by the combustion unit 15 that burns fuel gas using at least a part of the room air as combustion air, the heating for regeneration The configuration of the unit 31 is different from that of the first embodiment.
In other words, in the air conditioner 200, the regeneration heating unit 31 that heats the regeneration gas flowing through the regeneration circulation path 30 is different from the regeneration electric heater 35 in the first embodiment, and the combustion heat of the combustion unit 15 is increased. Thus, a regeneration heat exchanger 36 for heating the regeneration gas is constituted.

  In the regeneration heat exchanger 36, the regeneration gas flowing through the regeneration circulation path 30 passes from the condensing unit 32 a toward the regeneration unit 41 of the desiccant rotor 40 inside, and the combustion generated outside by the combustion unit 15. It consists of heat transfer tubes arranged in contact with the gas.

  Then, by arranging the regeneration heat exchanger 36 as the regeneration heating section 31 in the regeneration circulation path 30 in this way, the air conditioner 200 operates the heating fan 13 and the combustion section 15 in the dehumidifying operation. Then, the combustion gas is burned by using the indoor air flowing through the heating air passage 10 in the combustion section 15 as combustion air, so that the regeneration gas whose moisture has been condensed in the condensing section 32a is exchanged for regeneration. In the vessel 36, it can be heated by the combustion heat of the combustion section 15 to obtain a high temperature and low humidity regeneration gas. The high-temperature and low-humidity regeneration gas can be passed through the regeneration unit 41 of the desiccant rotor 40 to regenerate the moisture absorption capacity of the desiccant rotor 40.

  The air conditioner according to the present invention is an air conditioner capable of performing a heating operation and a dehumidifying operation, such as a fan heater having a dehumidifying function, and is effective as being capable of being downsized while exhibiting a good dehumidifying capability. Is available.

Schematic side sectional view of the air conditioner of the first embodiment Functional block diagram of the air conditioner of the first embodiment Schematic side sectional view of the air conditioner of the second embodiment Functional block diagram of the air conditioner of the second embodiment

Explanation of symbols

10: Air path for heating 13: Fan for heating 15: Combustion part (heating part for heating)
20: Air path for dehumidification 23: Fan for dehumidification 30: Circulation path for regeneration 31: Heating section for regeneration 32: Condenser 32a: Condensing section 32b: Air cooling section 33: Regeneration fan 35: Electric heater for regeneration 36: For regeneration Heat exchanger 40: Desiccant rotor 41: Regenerating unit 42: Hygroscopic unit 50: Control unit (control means)
52: Temperature sensor (temperature detection means)
53: Humidity sensor (humidity detection means)
100, 200: Air conditioner

Claims (5)

A heating unit for heating the room air is disposed in a heating air passage through which room air flows by the operation of the heating fan,
In the dehumidifying air passage through which the room air flows by the operation of the dehumidifying fan, the moisture absorbing part of the desiccant rotor made of a breathable moisture absorbing body that is driven to rotate is arranged,
A regeneration heating path that heats the regeneration gas, a regeneration section of the desiccant rotor, and the regeneration gas are cooled by air to condense moisture in the regeneration circulation path in which the regeneration gas circulates by the operation of the regeneration fan. And a condensing part to be arranged in order,
An air conditioner capable of executing a heating operation for operating the heating fan and the heating heating unit, and a dehumidifying operation for operating the dehumidifying fan, the regeneration fan, and the regeneration heating unit,
An air conditioner in which the condensing unit is arranged to be air-cooled by indoor air that circulates upstream of the heating heating unit in the heating air passage.   The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating heating unit includes a combustion unit that burns fuel by using at least a part of indoor air flowing through the heating air passage as combustion air. Temperature detecting means for detecting the room temperature;
Humidity detecting means for detecting indoor humidity;
While simultaneously performing the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation, based on the detection results of the temperature detecting means and the humidity detecting means, the respective operation outputs of the heating operation and the dehumidifying operation are controlled, and the indoor temperature and the dehumidifying operation are controlled. The air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that sets the indoor humidity within a predetermined target range.   The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the regeneration heating unit is configured by a regeneration heat exchanger that heats the regeneration gas by the combustion heat of the combustion unit.   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the regeneration heating unit includes a regeneration electric heater that heats the regeneration gas with electric energy.

Images