JP6727706B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

In Patent Document 1, a longitudinally elongated surface formed by bending one end of a back panel of the housing is formed on a surface of the housing that is recessed toward the machine room at the rear portion of the side panel on the compressor room side. A second air inlet is formed by covering the folded panel with a first panel to form a first air inlet, and further opening a surface formed by denting the rear portion of the side panel and facing the rear panel. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner provided with an air intake section is described. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 attempts to suppress infiltration of rainwater and the like without newly providing parts such as waterproofing equipment.

JP, 2005-210020, A

By the way, the life of the air conditioner depends not only on the intrusion of rainwater or the like into the outdoor unit but also on the corrosion caused by chlorides adhering to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 can suppress the intrusion of rainwater and the like, but does not consider removal of chloride adhering to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger.
For example, chlorides such as sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, which have the effect of promoting corrosion, are likely to fly in areas where the sea is nearby. In addition, there are areas where snow-melting agents such as calcium chloride are easily sprayed. If these chlorides adhering to the inside of the casing of the outdoor unit remain on the surface of the heat exchanger without being flowed, corrosion of the heat exchanger may be accelerated. In order to maintain the life of the air conditioner, it is necessary to regularly remove the chloride adhering to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of preventing corrosion promotion by chloride.

In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioner of the present invention includes a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected in an annular shape, and a control unit. The control unit performs cooling operation in which the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is the condenser and the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is the evaporator, and the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is the evaporator and the heat exchanger of the indoor unit. A function of switching the heating operation with the condenser as the operation, and after completion of the cooling operation, before the start of the cooling operation, and during the cooling operation, at least one of the outdoor unit, the heat exchanger and the evaporator heat exchanger of the indoor unit in the above-condenser, have rows condensed water generating operation to a lower temperature than the outside air temperature heat exchanger of the outdoor unit, the outdoor unit A function of removing chloride attached to the surface of the heat exchanger by the generated condensed water, a function of acquiring weather information, and a function of determining operating conditions of the condensed water generation operation based on the weather information, Have. And, even when the control unit executes the condensed water generating operation based on the operating condition of the condensed water generating operation, the acquired meteorological information becomes rainy after the condensed water generating operation. In this case, the condensed water generating operation is stopped .

According to the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner capable of preventing corrosion promotion due to chloride.

It is a system diagram which shows the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an exploded perspective view showing appearance of an outdoor unit of an air harmony machine concerning the above-mentioned embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the outdoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows the basic operation of the condensed water generating operation of the air conditioner concerning the above-mentioned embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the summer condensed water generation driving|operation operation|movement of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the summer condensed water generation driving|operation operation|movement of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the salt damage area|region condensed water generation driving|operation operation|movement of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the salt damage area|region condensed water generation driving|operation operation|movement of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the weather information condensed water generation driving|operation operation|movement of the air conditioner which concerns on the said embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows in-room information condensed water generation driving operation of the air harmony machine concerning the above-mentioned embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.
FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 includes an outdoor unit 1 installed outdoors (non-air-conditioned space) on the heat source side and an indoor unit 2 installed indoors (air-conditioned space) on the use side. , Are connected by a refrigerant pipe 3.
The outdoor unit 1 is provided with a compressor 4, a four-way valve 5, an outdoor heat exchanger 6, an outdoor fan 7, etc., and the indoor unit 2 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 8, an expansion valve 9, an indoor fan 10, etc. is set up.
The air conditioner 100 includes a control unit 110 having a salt cleaning mode (condensed water generation operation) that causes the outdoor heat exchanger 6 to generate condensed water. As will be described later, the salt cleaning mode (condensed water generation operation) allows the generated condensed water to flow the salt adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6.
The control unit 110 performs a cooling operation in which the outdoor heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 is a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger 8 of the indoor unit 2 is an evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 is an evaporator. The indoor heat exchanger 8 of the machine 2 is switched between heating operation using a condenser.
Outside temperature/humidity information, position information, weather information, and presence confirmation information are input to the control unit 110.

The control unit 110 uses the outdoor heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 as an evaporator after the end of the cooling operation, before the start of the cooling operation, and/or during the cooling operation, and the indoor heat of the indoor unit 2 is changed. By using the exchanger 8 as a condenser, a condensed water generation operation is performed to bring the outdoor heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature.

The control unit 110 periodically executes the condensed water generation operation at regular intervals based on the number of times of operation and/or the operation time. The control unit 110 executes the condensed water generation operation based on the calendar during the summer season. The control unit 110 executes the condensed water generation operation when the indoor air temperature and humidity and the outdoor air temperature satisfy predetermined conditions. The control unit 110 executes the condensed water generating operation when the condensed water generating operation has not been performed for a predetermined period or longer. The control unit 110 determines an operating condition, an operating time, and an operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation based on the outside air temperature and the humidity information.

The control unit 110 determines the operating condition, the operating time, and the operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation based on the installation position information of the outdoor heat exchanger 6. The control unit 110 determines the operating condition, the operating time, and the operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation based on the presence/absence of a person in the room.

During the condensed water generation operation, the control unit 110 operates so that the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 is equal to or lower than the dew point of the outside air (below the outside air temperature). The dew point (dew point temperature) is the temperature at which condensation of water vapor starts when air containing water vapor is cooled. By the way, the higher the humidity, the higher the dew point.
The control unit 110 operates the indoor fan 10 at a low rotation speed or no rotation during the condensed water generation operation.

The basic operation of the air conditioner 100 will be described separately for heating operation and cooling operation.
In the heating operation, the refrigerant in a gas state compressed by the compressor 4 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 8 through the four-way valve 5, and the airflow generated by the indoor fan 10 exchanges heat with the indoor air to generate the refrigerant. It condenses from a gas state and changes to a liquid state. The refrigerant in the liquid state flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 via the expansion valve 9, and the heat of the outdoor air is absorbed by the airflow generated by the outdoor fan 7 to perform heat exchange. Evaporate into a gas state and flow into the compressor 4.

In the case of the cooling operation, by switching the four-way valve 5, the flow direction of the refrigerant is opposite to the heating operation. The refrigerant in the gas state compressed by the compressor 4 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 6 via the four-way valve 5, and the airflow generated by the outdoor fan 7 releases heat to the outdoor air to perform heat exchange. To condense and change to a liquid state. The refrigerant in the liquid state flows to the indoor heat exchanger 8 via the expansion valve 9 and absorbs heat from the indoor air by the airflow generated by the indoor fan 10 to evaporate and become a gas state to the compressor 4. Flowing

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the outdoor unit 1 of the air conditioner 100.
As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 13 of the outdoor unit 1 includes a base 13a, a front plate 13b, a top plate 13c, a left side plate 13d, and a right side plate 13e. For the housing 13, for example, a steel plate coated is used.
An outdoor heat exchanger 6 and a partition plate 12 that divides the inside of the outdoor unit 1 into a blower chamber and a machine chamber are installed inside the outdoor unit 1. An electric machine box 11 is arranged above the partition plate 12, and the electric machine box 11 is supported by the partition plate 12. An outdoor heat exchanger 6, a blower 7, and a motor support (not shown) are arranged in the blower chamber, and a compressor 3, a four-way valve (not shown), and an expansion valve (not shown) are provided in the machine chamber. It is arranged. The outdoor air is sucked from the back side of the outdoor unit 1 by the blower 7, passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 6, and then is blown out from the front plate 13b of the outdoor unit 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 6 is arranged in a curved manner from the inside of the left side plate 13d to the rear side of the outdoor unit 1 so as to cover the inside of the left side plate 13d and the rear side of the outdoor unit 1.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the outer appearance of the outdoor heat exchanger 6.
As shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor heat exchanger 6 includes a heat transfer tube 61 through which a refrigerant flows, and a plurality of fins 62 that cover the outer peripheral portion of the heat transfer tube 61 and radiate heat. The heat transfer tubes 61 are arranged so as to communicate with each other by folding back the inside of the stacked fins 62 in a predetermined pattern. More specifically, the heat transfer tubes 61, U-shaped heat transfer tubes ₆₁ 1 to 61 _n of the round pipe-like shape and a plurality of prepared, each heat transfer tube ₆₁ 1 to 61 _n fins ₆₂ 1 through 62 _m of a plurality plates all Then, the other ends of the heat transfer tubes 61 _{1 to} 61 _n are connected by bend pipes (bend portions) to form a refrigerant flow path. As a result, the heat transfer tubes 61 that meander so as to be folded back inside the fins 62 at both ends in the thickness direction of the fins 62 are arranged.

In the example of FIG. 3, the hairpin bent portion 61 a of the heat transfer tube 61 projects from _one end surface (the exposed surface of the fin 621) of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 on the front side of the outdoor unit 1 toward the front side of the outdoor unit 1. There is. On the other hand, the other end of each heat transfer pipe 61 _{1 to} 61 _n projects from the other end surface (fin 62 _m exposed surface) of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 on the right side plate side of the outdoor unit ₁ , and the cap 61 b is attached to the end. While being attached, the upper and lower sides of the heat transfer tubes 61 _{1 to} 61 _n are connected by a U-shaped bend portion 61c via a cap 61b. A refrigerant inlet pipe/discharge pipe (not shown) is connected to the uppermost end (heat transfer pipe 61 ₁ ) of the heat transfer pipe 61 and the lowermost end (heat transfer pipe 61 _n ) of the heat transfer pipe 61. .. As shown in FIG. 3, in the outdoor heat exchanger 6, the hairpin bent portion 61 a of the heat transfer tube 61 projects toward the front side of the outdoor unit 1, and the bend section 61 c of the heat transfer tube 61 is placed on the right side of the outdoor unit 1. It projects toward. Therefore, the hairpin bent portion 61a and the bend portion 61c of the heat transfer tube 61 of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 are not covered with the fins 62 and the heat transfer tube 61 is exposed.

The outdoor heat exchanger 6 is configured by combining a round-tube heat transfer tube 61 made of copper, a copper alloy, or an aluminum alloy with a fin 62 made of an aluminum alloy. Although not shown, a flat tube type heat transfer tube made of an aluminum alloy may be combined with fins made of an aluminum alloy.
Of these, the outdoor heat exchanger 6 using an aluminum alloy as the material of the heat transfer tube 61 has lower corrosion resistance in the environment exposed to the outside air than the outdoor heat exchanger 6 using copper for the heat transfer tube, and aluminum is not a local material. Corrosion in the form of pitting in which corrosion progresses in the thickness direction is likely to occur, and if no corrosion countermeasure is taken, the heat transfer tube penetrates due to pitting and refrigerant leakage easily occurs. Further, aluminum is more likely to cause pitting corrosion in the presence of chloride ions, for example, in an environment in which sodium chloride is present.

The outdoor heat exchanger 6 includes a heat transfer tube 61 through which a refrigerant flows. When the heat transfer tube 61 becomes thin due to corrosion and penetrates, the air conditioner 100 (see FIG. 1) does not function, and the refrigerant ( For example, R32) may leak to the outside.
Since the outdoor heat exchanger 6 is installed outdoors, it is generally more likely to be corroded than the indoor heat exchanger 8. Water, chlorides such as sodium chloride and magnesium chloride (hereinafter collectively referred to as "salts"), sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, etc., which are factors promoting corrosion of metals, fly outdoors Because it is easy to do. In particular, metals such as iron, stainless steel, copper, and aluminum, which are frequently used in industrial products, rapidly corrode due to the presence of water and salt at the same time. However, corrosion is unlikely to occur in an environment where water is not present and only salt is present.

In areas near the sea, salt water tends to adhere due to seawater flying up due to splashes of water and wind, causing a much more severe corrosive environment than inland areas. In addition, since it is easy to have a high humidity environment in the beach area and the salinity of seawater is highly deliquescent, even if the adhering salt is dry and corrosion does not progress, it will take in moisture from the atmosphere. As a result, it becomes an environment where water and salt are present at the same time again, and corrosion progresses rapidly.
Since water is supplied from the atmosphere as long as salt is present, even in a state where water is not supplied from rainwater, there is a severe corrosive environment for metals such as iron, stainless steel, copper and aluminum. Rather, the corrosive environment is milder because the attached salt is washed away in the environment where the rainwater directly hits.

For the above reasons, industrial products used in areas near the sea are more likely to be corroded when they are less likely to be exposed to rainwater than when they are installed in locations where rainwater is likely to be applied. For example, in the iron shutter of a house, corrosion is less likely to proceed in the lower part where rainwater is likely to occur, and conversely corrosion is more likely to occur in the upper part where rainwater is less likely to be affected than the lower part. The same applies to the outdoor unit 1 of the air conditioner, and the outdoor unit 1 installed under the eaves or the like, which is hard to receive the rain directly, progresses more quickly than the outdoor unit 1 in the exposed state.
For the same reason, even if the outdoor unit 1 is installed in a place where it is directly exposed to rainwater, it is difficult for rain to directly hit the inside of the casing of the outdoor unit 1, so corrosion is more likely to proceed than the outside plate of the casing. In order to prevent the above-mentioned corrosion, it is necessary to regularly remove the salt content in the housing. In particular, the corrosion of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 affects the product life of the air conditioner 100 itself. Therefore, in order to extend the product life of the air conditioner 100, it is necessary to regularly remove the salt content adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 to suppress corrosion.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hairpin bent portion 61a and the bend portion 61c of the heat transfer tube 61 of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 are not covered with the fins 62 and the heat transfer tube 61 is exposed, and the heat transfer tube 61 is directly salted. Is easy to attach. Here, there is an air conditioner designed to sacrifice and protect the heat transfer tube 61 by selecting a material having a lower natural potential than the heat transfer tube 61 for the fins 62. However, since the sacrificial anticorrosion by the fins 62 is about several mm and the bend portion 61c and the hairpin bent portion 61a cannot be completely corroded, the bend portion 61c and the hairpin bent portion 61a easily corrode, Through holes are likely to occur due to corrosion. Therefore, if the salt adhering to the bend portion 61c and the hairpin bending portion 61a can be removed, the life of the heat exchanger 100 in a corrosive environment can be improved.

Hereinafter, a condensed water generation operation operation of the air conditioner 100 configured as described above will be described.
The air conditioner 100 (see FIG. 1) causes the outdoor heat exchanger 6 to regularly generate condensed water, and the generated condensed water rinses away the salt content adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 to remove the condensed water from the outdoor heat exchanger 6. It has a mode to perform automatic heating operation to prevent penetration due to corrosion and leakage of refrigerant.
Hereinafter, the periodic automatic heating operation for removing the salt content adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 will be referred to as “salt cleaning (operation) (condensate generation operation)” as described above.

<Basic operation of salt condensed water generation operation>
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the condensed water generation operation. In the figure, S indicates each step of the flow. This flow is repeatedly executed as a condensed water generation operation program of the control unit 110 (see FIG. 1) at every predetermined timing.
After the completion of the cooling operation, the salt cleaning (condensed water generation operation) start condition is set (step S11).
In step S12, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the air conditioner 100 is performing the condensed water generating operation within a certain period (the number of startups and/or the operating time). When the condensed water generating operation is performed within a certain period (step S12: Yes), it is determined that the salt content adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 has been removed, and heating for performing the condensed water generating operation is performed in step S15. The cooling operation is ended as it is without performing the operation.

When the condensed water generating operation is not performed within the fixed period (step S12: No), the control unit 110 determines in step S13 whether the outside air temperature/humidity is appropriate for the condensed water generating operation. The determination as to whether or not the condensed water generation operation is appropriate is as follows.
The amount of cold heat required to reduce the dew point of the outside air from the outside temperature and humidity to the outside air containing 1 L of water vapor in terms of liquid water from the current temperature to the dew point temperature Q ₁ (= outside air volume V × air The specific heat C ₁ × the difference ΔT between the outside air temperature and the dew point and the sum Q (=Q ₁ +Q ₂ ) of the amount of cold heat Q ₂ necessary to condense the water vapor and generate 1 L of water are in the indoor unit 2. When the amount of cold heat Qr of the refrigerant is below, it is determined that "the outside temperature and humidity are in an appropriate state for the condensed water generation operation".
When the outside air temperature/humidity is in a state suitable for the condensed water generating operation (step S13: Yes), the control unit 110 starts the condensed water generating operation in step S14.

On the other hand, when the outside temperature/humidity is not appropriate for the condensed water generation operation (step S13: No), the control unit 110 performs the cooling operation without performing the heating operation for performing the condensed water generation operation in step S15. finish.
By performing the condensed water generation operation when the condensed water generation operation is not performed for a certain period of time, it is possible to prevent the condensed water generation operation from being excessively performed, and it is possible to regularly remove salt.

The condensed water generation operation is executed when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 6 is below the dew point. The dew point is calculated based on the measured values of outside air temperature and humidity (or indoor temperature/humidity). The expansion valve 9 (see FIG. 1) is controlled to control the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant as described above. By performing this when the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 6 is equal to or lower than the dew point, condensed water can be reliably generated, and the condensed water generation operation can be efficiently performed.

<Summer condensed water generation operation (1)>
Condensate generation operation shall be given priority in the summer to remove the adhering salt efficiently. The reasons for giving priority to the summer are as follows.
(1) In the summer, salt content is likely to come in due to typhoons and the absolute humidity is high, so the corrosive environment is severe, and (2) In the summer, the heating operation is rare, and the heating operation is extremely rare. This is because salt is easily washed away and remains in the exchanger 6, and (3) in summer, the absolute humidity is high and it is easy to generate condensed water in the outdoor heat exchanger 6 during heating operation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a summer condensed water generation operation operation. The same steps as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same step numbers, and the description of the overlapping portions will be omitted.
After the cooling operation ends, in step S21, the control unit 110 determines whether or not it is a summer period.
If it is the summer period (step S21: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. If it is not the summer period (step S21: No), the control unit 110 does not perform the heating operation for performing the condensed water generation operation in step S15. The cooling operation is ended as it is.

In the example of FIG. 5, the determination of the summer period (step S21) is placed before the condensed water generation operation determination (step S12) for a certain period. Therefore, the summer period is prioritized over the fact that the condensed water generation operation is not performed for a certain period. Therefore, even if the condensed water generation operation is not performed for a certain period, the condensed water generation operation is not performed unless it is the summer period (step S15). However, FIG. 5 is an example, and the order of the summer period determination (step S21) and the constant period condensed water generation operation determination (step S12) is exchanged, and after the determination when the constant period condensed water generation operation is not performed, If the determination of the summer period is performed (step S21), the condensed water generation operation can be regularly performed in the summer period without performing the condensed water generation operation for a certain period.

The determination of summer is made based on a calendar included in the control unit 110 of the air conditioner 100. For example, by setting June to October as summer, the condensed water generation operation is performed only once a month in January to May and 11 to December, and once a week in June to October. To As a result, the salt content adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 6 can be efficiently removed, and useless condensed water generation operation can be prevented.
The above-mentioned determination in summer may be performed by including the indoor temperature and humidity and the outside air temperature. Even if the date is not summer on the calendar, for example, if the maximum indoor and outdoor temperature is 30°C or more and the maximum relative humidity is 60% or more for three days, the condensed water generation operation is exceptional. And do. As a result, the condensed water generation operation can be efficiently performed even if the weather is different from the normal year.

<Summer condensed water generation operation (Part 2)>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a summer condensed water generation operation operation. The same steps as those of FIG.
The condensed water generation operation is intended to perform the heating operation in the summer when the heating operation is not originally performed in order to generate the condensed water in the outdoor heat exchanger 6. Therefore, it suffices if necessary and sufficient condensed water can be generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 6, and it is desirable to keep the salt condensed water generation operation time to a minimum. Further, in order to generate condensed water in the outdoor heat exchanger 6, it is sufficient that the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 100, and the indoor fan 10 (see FIG. 1) does not necessarily have to be operated. Further, even when the indoor fan 10 (see FIG. 1) is operated, the low rotation speed may be used.

Therefore, when the outside temperature/humidity is in a state suitable for the condensed water generation operation (step S13: Yes), the control unit 110, in step S22, rotates the indoor fan 10 (see FIG. 1) at a lower rotation speed than during normal operation. Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the rotation is stopped. One of the conditions that allows the indoor fan 10 to have a lower rotation speed or no rotation than that during normal operation is, for example, when the humidity is high and it is easy to generate condensed water in the outdoor heat exchanger 6 during heating operation. In this case, it is determined that the necessary and sufficient condensed water can be generated even if the indoor fan 10 is rotated at a lower rotation speed or no rotation than in normal operation. The same applies when the condensed water generation operation time is allowed to be long and condensed water can be generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 6. In addition, from another viewpoint, when the low rotation speed/non-rotation of the indoor fan 10 is set in the modes for performing the condensed water generating operation, it is determined that sufficient condensed water cannot be generated in the outdoor heat exchanger 6. Also, by performing the condensed water generation operation, the influence of salt damage can be mitigated.
When the indoor fan 10 can be set to a lower rotation speed or no rotation than during normal operation (step S22: Yes), the control unit 110 condenses the indoor fan 10 at a lower rotation speed or no rotation than during normal operation in step S23. Start water generation operation.
When the indoor fan 10 cannot be set to the lower rotation speed or the non-rotation speed than the normal operation (step S22: No), the process proceeds to step S14.

As described above, when the above-described predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 110 performs the condensed water generation operation by performing the heating operation in the summer by performing the indoor fan at a lower rotation speed or no rotation than the normal operation. It is possible to prevent a person's discomfort and discomfort.

<Operation for generating condensed water in salt-damaged areas (1)>
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation for generating condensed water in a salt-damaged area. The same steps as those of FIG.
In areas near the sea, chlorides such as sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, which have the effect of promoting corrosion, tend to fly in. In addition, there are areas where snow-melting agents such as calcium chloride are easily sprayed. In order to maintain the life of the air conditioner 100, it is necessary to regularly remove the chloride adhering to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 6.

After the completion of the cooling operation, in step S31, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the air conditioner 100 is installed in a salt-damaged area such as an area near the sea or an area where the snow-melting agent is easily sprayed.
If it is installed in the salt damage area (step S31: Yes), the process proceeds to step S21. If it is not installed in the salt damage region (step S31: No), the process proceeds to step S15. This FIG. 7 is an example, and by placing this salt-damaged area installation determination (step S31) below the conditional branch of the summer period determination (step S21) or the fixed period condensed water generation operation execution determination (step S12), The priority of the condensed water generation operation determination can be changed.

Whether or not the air conditioner 100 is installed in a salt-damaged area is determined by directly setting the “salt-damaged area presence/absence information” when the air conditioner 100 is installed.
When the air conditioner 100 is connected to an HGW (Home Gate Way) that bridges an internet network (not shown) and a home network, a smartphone having a GPS (Global Positioning System) function is wirelessly or wired connected to the HGW. It is possible. Further, the air conditioner 100 may be equipped with a smartphone having a GPS function or an interface capable of directly connecting to the Internet. It should be noted that the air conditioner 100 having a remote control function using a smartphone or the like has already been put into practical use.

When the air conditioner 100 has the GPS position information acquisition function, it is possible to acquire the address of the place where the air conditioner 100 is installed, and it is possible to determine that the acquired address corresponds to a salt damage area.

<Operation for generating condensed water in salt-damaged areas (Part 2)>
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation for generating condensed water in a salt-damaged area. The same steps as those of FIG.
The corrosive environment of the air conditioner 100 may be estimated using the acquired position information. For example, when it is determined that the air conditioner 100 is installed in an area where salt content is heavy, such as in the Okinawa region or the Tohoku region, the condensed water is generated more frequently than when the air conditioner 100 is installed in other regions. By performing the operation, the corrosion of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 can be further suppressed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the air conditioner 100 is installed in an inland area where salt does not come in, the outdoor unit 1 is in an environment in which it hardly corrodes, so that unnecessary condensation water generation operation is not performed. Can be

As shown in FIG. 8, when the outside temperature/humidity is in a state suitable for the condensed water generation operation (step S13: Yes), the control unit 110 determines in step S41 whether or not the area frequently performs the condensed water generation operation. To judge.
When the area is where the condensed water generation operation is frequently performed (step S41: Yes), the control unit 110 starts the condensed water generation operation more frequently than in the normal condensed water generation operation in step S42.
When it is not the area where the condensed water generating operation is frequently performed, such as near the sea (step S41: No), the control unit 110 starts the normal condensed water generating operation in step S43.

As described above, the control unit 110 estimates the corrosive environment of the air conditioner 100 by using the acquired position information and changes the frequency of performing the condensed water generation operation, so that the corrosive environment is more frequently used in an area with a large corrosive environment. Condensate generation operation is performed to suppress corrosion more effectively, and in areas where the corrosive environment is small, reduce the frequency of condensate generation operation or set it to zero to prevent unnecessary condensation water generation operation. Can be

<Meteorological information Condensate generation operation>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the weather information condensed water generation operation. The same steps as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same step weather condition numbers, and the description of the overlapping portions is omitted.
By receiving the location information by GPS and weather information such as temperature and humidity during use via a smartphone, it becomes possible to generate condensed water more efficiently, that is, when the absolute humidity is high. You may make it perform condensed water generation operation. The air conditioner 100 generally measures the outdoor temperature but does not have the function of measuring the outdoor humidity. Therefore, by collecting the temperature/humidity data via the smartphone, the condensed water generation operation can be performed under more appropriate conditions.

When the condensed water generating operation is not performed within the fixed period (step S12: No), the control unit 110 determines in step S51 that the outside temperature and humidity are appropriate for the condensed water generating operation based on the acquired weather information. Determine whether there is.
When the outside air temperature/humidity is in a state suitable for the condensed water generating operation (step S13: Yes), the control unit 110 starts the condensed water generating operation in step S14.
On the other hand, when the outside temperature/humidity is not appropriate for the condensed water generation operation (step S13: No), the control unit 110 performs the cooling operation without performing the heating operation for performing the condensed water generation operation in step S15. finish.
In this way, by collecting the temperature/humidity data via the smartphone, the condensed water generation operation can be performed under more appropriate conditions.

Here, the condensed water generation operation removes (washes out) the chlorides adhering to the generated condensed water, but after removing the chlorides, it is better that there is no water (corrosion is caused by water). More progress by intervening). Ideally, it is preferable that the minimum necessary condensed water generation operation is performed to remove chloride, and then the surroundings of the outdoor heat exchanger 6 are dried. From this point of view, if the meteorological information is acquired, it can be reflected in the execution of the condensed water generation operation. For example, even if the condensate water generation operation execution condition is satisfied, if it is raining after the condensed water generation operation is executed as a result of acquiring the meteorological information, the condensed water generation operation execution can be stopped. Further, as a result of acquiring the meteorological information, if the date and time when the outside temperature and the humidity are more preferable is known after several days, the condensed water generation operation execution can be postponed until that date and time.

<In-room information Condensate generation operation>
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation for generating condensed water in a room. The same steps as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same step weather condition numbers, and the description of the overlapping portions is omitted.
If the indoor unit 2 is equipped with a camera function and it is possible to determine whether or not there is a person present in the room, the user does not feel uncomfortable due to the heating operation. Only the condensed water generating operation may be performed.
When the condensed water generation operation is not performed within the fixed period (step S12: No), the control unit 110 determines in step S61 based on the acquired occupant information whether or not the condensed water generation operation execution condition is satisfied. ..
When there is no condensed person in the room and the condensed water generation operation execution condition is satisfied (step S61: Yes), the control unit 110 starts the condensed water generation operation in step S14.
When there is a person in the room and the condensed water generation operation execution condition is not satisfied (step S61: No), the control unit 110 ends the heating operation for performing the condensed water generation operation in step S15.
The presence/absence of a person in the room is not limited to the camera function of the indoor unit 2, and sensor information such as a motion sensor or a motion sensor may be used.

As described above, the air conditioner 100 according to the present embodiment condenses the refrigeration cycle in which the compressor 4, the condenser, the expansion valve 9 and the evaporator are annularly connected, and the heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1. Between the cooling operation using the heat exchanger 8 of the indoor unit 2 as the evaporator and the heating operation using the heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 as the evaporator and the heat exchanger 8 of the indoor unit 2 as the condenser And a control unit 110 that operates, the control unit 110 controls the heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 at least either after the cooling operation is finished, before the cooling operation is started, or during the cooling operation. By using the evaporator as the evaporator and the heat exchanger 8 of the indoor unit 2 as the condenser, a condensed water generating operation is performed in which the heat exchanger 6 of the outdoor unit 1 is cooled to a temperature lower than the outside air temperature.

With this configuration, the condensed water generation operation is periodically performed to generate condensed water on the surface of the outdoor unit heat exchanger 6, so that the generated condensed water rinses away chlorides adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger. It can be removed, and as a result, the promotion of corrosion of the heat exchanger by chloride can be prevented.

In addition, it can be executed without adding a special member, and can be generally applied at low cost.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and the configurations can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention described in the claims.
For example, although the air conditioner has been described, it can be applied to a refrigerator that cools an object to a low temperature, a chiller that cools a liquid, and a water heater that heats water.

<Others, modification>
Although the salt cleaning (condensed water generation operation) is performed after the cooling operation (S11) is ended in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the condensed water generation operation is performed before the cooling operation is started or during the cooling operation. You can go.
For example, the control unit (air conditioner) of the modified example performs the condensed water generation operation before the time of the reservation (possible even after the time) when the start time of the cooling operation is reserved by the timer, and thereafter, Perform cooling operation. Further, when a cooling operation is instructed by a remote controller (not shown), the condensed water generation operation is performed and then the cooling operation is performed. Further, the control device (air conditioner) of the modified example can interrupt the cooling operation and perform the condensed water generating operation during the cooling operation. When the cooling operation is instructed by the remote controller or when the condensed water generating operation is performed during the cooling operation, it is preferable to operate the indoor fan at a low rotation speed or no rotation as described above. In addition, it is preferable that the outlet of the indoor unit 2 be closed by a vertical wind direction plate.

Further, as a modified example, when the outside air temperature/humidity information is obtained (see FIG. 1 ), if the condensed water generation operation is performed when the outside air temperature is high and the humidity is high, a large amount of condensed water is stored outdoors. It can be generated in the heat exchanger 6 (fin) of the machine 1 to efficiently perform salt cleaning.

The above-described embodiments have been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Further, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. .. Further, it is possible to add/delete/replace other configurations with respect to a part of the configurations of the respective embodiments.

1 outdoor unit 2 indoor unit 3 refrigerant pipe 4 compressor 5 four-way valve 6 outdoor heat exchanger 7 outdoor fan 8 heat exchanger 9 expansion valve 10 indoor fan 20 temperature sensor (fin temperature detecting means)
30 defrost thermistor (refrigerant temperature detection means)
40 Outside air temperature thermistor (outside air temperature detection means)
61 and 61 ₁ to 61 _n heat transfer tubes 61 _n temperature sensors bend closest heat transfer tube 61a hairpin portion 61b cap 61c bends 62, 62 ₁ through 62 _m fins 100 air conditioner 110 controller

Claims (10)

A refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected in a ring,
With a control unit,
The control unit is
A cooling operation in which the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is the condenser and the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is the evaporator, and the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is the evaporator and the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is the condenser The function to switch between heating operation and
After the end of the cooling operation, before the start of the cooling operation, and during at least one of the cooling operation, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is the evaporator and the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is the heat exchanger of the indoor unit. with condenser, have rows condensed water generating operation of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit to the temperature lower than the outside air temperature, the condensed water chloride generated adhering to the surface of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit Function to remove,
A function to obtain weather information,
Based on the weather information, a function to determine the operating conditions of the condensed water generation operation,
Have
The control unit is
Even when performing the condensed water generation operation based on the operating conditions of the condensed water generation operation, the acquired meteorological information, when the rainy weather after the condensed water generation operation, the condensed water An air conditioner characterized by stopping the generative operation . The control unit is
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the condensed water generation operation is periodically executed at regular intervals based on the number of times of operation and/or the operation time. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the condensed water generating operation is executed in a summer period based on a calendar. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the condensed water generating operation is executed when the indoor air temperature and humidity and the outdoor air temperature satisfy predetermined conditions. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the condensed water generating operation is executed when the condensed water generating operation has not been performed for a predetermined period or more. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating condition, the operating time, and the operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation are determined based on outside temperature and humidity information. .. The control unit is
The operating condition, the operating time, and the operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation are determined based on the installation position information of the outdoor unit , The air according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Harmony machine. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the operating condition, the operating time, and the operating frequency of the condensed water generating operation are determined based on the presence or absence of a person in the room. .. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein during the condensed water generation operation, the temperature of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit is operated to be equal to or lower than the dew point of outside air. The control unit is
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the indoor fan is operated at a low rotation speed or no rotation during the condensed water generating operation.

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