JP7217596B2 - air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to air conditioning systems.

In general, in buildings such as office buildings for business and commercial purposes, an air conditioning system is installed as a health air conditioning system to keep the temperature (room temperature) and humidity of the target space comfortable. Variable air volume single duct system is often adopted.

In the variable air volume single duct method, the supply air temperature of the conditioned air supplied from the air conditioner is set to be constant (except when the load reset described later is activated), and the supply air volume is adjusted to the heat load fluctuation on the indoor side is variable. By controlling the amount of supplied air for each zone according to the set temperature and heat load in the room, it is possible to cope with fluctuations in the heat load for each zone. Basically, heat quantity treatment can be proportionally controlled by changing only the air volume, so even if different heat treatment is required for each zone, it is excellent in that it can be precisely handled with a simple device configuration. Compared to the constant air volume single duct system, this air conditioning system with a variable air volume single duct system has higher room temperature follow-up performance. It is also advantageous in terms of energy for transportation. In addition, with this variable air volume single duct system, the supply air temperature of the central air conditioner can be set constant, so even if the central air conditioner also processes outside air or a large indoor latent heat load is applied to the return air, the central air If the number of cooling coil rows of the air conditioner corresponds in advance, it is possible to dehumidify the supply air temperature to the dew point temperature, and it is relatively easy to control the humidity.

8 and 9 show an example of a conventional air conditioning system using a general variable air volume single duct system, in which air is supplied from an air conditioner 1 outside the target area A to a target area A, such as a room in an office building. Conditioned air 3 is guided through the duct 2. - 特許庁The air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioner built-in fan 1b that draws in return air and sends it out as conditioned air 3; A coil 1d, which is a cold water coil, a hot water coil, or a cold/hot water coil, which is built in the air conditioner 1 and indirectly exchanges heat with water, which is a heat medium, with return air to control the temperature of the conditioned air 3, and a return air intake of the air conditioner 1. and a filter 1e located immediately after the mouth. The air supply duct 2 includes a main duct 4 extending from the air conditioner 1, a branch duct 5 branching from the main duct 4 toward the target area A, and a blower installed facing the target area A from the branch duct 5. and a terminal duct 7 branching off to an outlet 6 .

An air volume variable device 8 is installed at a position on the upstream side of the branch point to the terminal duct 7 in the branch duct 5 . The variable air volume device 8 is called a VAV (Variable Air Volume) or the like, and is a damper unit (variable air volume unit) that includes a damper that adjusts the volume of air passing through and a wind velocity sensor that measures the volume of air. The variable air volume unit 8 can adjust the volume of the conditioned air 3 flowing from the main duct 4 to the downstream side of the branch duct 5 . Thus, the conditioned air 3 flowing through the main duct 4 is supplied to the outlet 6 at the end of the terminal duct 7 after the air volume is adjusted by the variable air volume unit 8 of the branch duct 5 .

From the viewpoint of air volume control, the outlets 6 installed in the target area A can be divided into branch ducts 5 or variable air volume units 8 . In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a total of 18 air outlets 6 are installed in the entire target area A that the air conditioner 1 takes charge of. The variable air volume unit 8a installed in the branch duct 5a measures the air volume of the central six units, the variable air volume unit 8b installed in the branch duct 5b measures the air volume of the six units on the right side, and the branch duct 5c installs the air volume. The variable air volume unit 8c controls each.

That is, in the target area A, the area where the six outlets 6 are installed on the left side is the control area A1, the area where the six outlets are installed in the center is the control area A2, and the area where the six outlets are installed on the right side is the control area A1. If they are referred to as a control area A3, the control area A1 is the zone for the branch duct 5a, the control area A2 is the zone for the branch duct 5b, and the control area A3 is the zone for the branch duct 5c. The variable air volume unit 8a controls the air volume in the control area A1, the variable air volume unit 8b controls the air volume in the control area A2, and the variable air volume unit 8c controls the air volume in the control area A3.

As shown in FIG. 9, the space adjacent to the target area A (in this case, the space above the ceiling) is set as a return air chamber C. As shown in FIG. A return air port 9 is provided at a predetermined location in the return air chamber C, and the conditioned air 3 supplied from the air outlet 6 installed on the ceiling 10 is supplied to a position different from the air outlet 6 on the ceiling 10. It exits into the return air chamber C through the opened suction port 11 . Since the inside of the return air chamber C has a negative pressure due to the suction force of the air conditioner built-in fan 1b of the air conditioner 1, the air sucked from the target area A in the return air chamber C is collected in the return air port 9. , is returned to the air conditioner 1 as return air 13 through a return air duct 12 from a return air port 9 .

Area temperature sensors 14, 15, and 16 are provided at appropriate positions corresponding to the control areas A1 to A3 (here, the suction port 11 located at the center of each of the control areas A1, A2, and A3 in plan view). At each position, the air temperature (the temperature of the return air 13) after processing the heat load in each of the control areas A1, A2, and A3 is measured. Measured values of the temperature sensors 14, 15 and 16 within the region are input to the controller 17 as temperature signals 14a, 15a and 16a.

The control device 17 calculates the set air volume ratio based on the deviation between the measured temperature signals 14a, 15a, 16a and the set temperature values of the A1, A2, and A3 areas set in each control area, and calculates the set air volume. By inputting the ratio as a control signal 8d to each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c, the temperature of the zone (control area A1 to A3) assigned to each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c is adjusted (here, For convenience of illustration, the control signals 8d to the variable air volume units 8a, 8b, and 8c are collectively displayed. A separate control signal 8d is output). In adjusting the air volume, the control device 17 calculates the set air volume ratio in each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c based on the deviation between the set temperature and the measured temperature in each assigned zone, and the set air volume ratio is calculated for each variable. It is input to the air volume units 8a, 8b, 8c.

A circuit (temperature adjustment circuit) for outputting a control signal 8d to each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c is provided in the control device 17 for each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c. 8a, 8b and 8c are individually controlled. In this way, each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c corresponds to the zone in charge of each branch duct 5a, 5b, 5c on a one-to-one basis. to handle fluctuating heat loads. Specifically, when the heat load in any of the control areas A1 to A3 decreases, the set air volume ratio of each of the variable air volume units 8a, 8b, and 8c decreases, and the air conditioner built-in fan flowing through the main duct 4 The amount of conditioned air 3 itself conveyed by 1b can be reduced, and based on the control signal, the air conditioner fan air volume variable mechanism 1c is controlled so as to reduce the air volume of the air conditioner built-in fan 1b.

The control device 17 controls the air volume of each variable air volume unit 8 in this manner to adjust the temperature, and also performs control called load reset.

The load reset control will be described by taking the case of cooling as an example. In the case of cooling, as in the normal case, the variable air volume unit 8 increases the damper opening of the variable air volume unit 8 as the temperature of the return air 13 in the control area, which is the indoor temperature in any of the control areas A1 to A3, is lower. The higher the temperature of the return air 13 in one of the control areas A1 to A3, which is the indoor temperature, the higher the opening of the damper of the variable air volume unit 8 is increased to increase the supply air volume. It is executed in the form of

However, if there is an imbalance in the heat load between the control areas A1 to A3 in the target area A, the damper opening of the variable air volume unit 8 in the temperature adjustment circuit is minimized in the control area without the heat load. Although the throttle control is performed, the temperature of the return air 13 in the control area may be excessively cooled, that is, the room temperature in the same control area may be excessively cooled. On the other hand, when the variable air volume unit 8 is operated, a minimum necessary air volume is always required for ventilation and other purposes such as the required minimum number of times of return air in the control area. That is, even if the temperature of the return air 13 in a certain control area is excessively cold with respect to the set temperature, the damper opening of the variable air volume unit 8 must be maintained above a certain level.

Therefore, in the control device 17, if the temperature of the return air 13 in a part of the control area continues to be excessively cooled with respect to the set temperature (in that state, the air volume variable device 8 in the control area is throttled is throttled), control is performed to change (reset) the set temperature of the supplied air in the air conditioner 1 . That is, when the return air 13 in some control areas is too cold during cooling, the set temperature of the supply air in the air conditioner 1 is raised. If the supply air temperature of the conditioned air 3 rises, the temperature of the return air 13 in the relevant control area also rises and the overcooling is eliminated. The damper opening is free to open, the air volume is increased, and there is no effect on heat addition processing. A circuit for performing such control (load reset control circuit) is provided separately from the control by the temperature adjustment circuit, and resets the set temperature of the supplied air as necessary, separately from the air volume adjustment for each of the control areas A1, A2, and A3. As a result, the variable air volume unit 8 can always ensure the minimum supply air volume required for operation.

In this way, the heat load processing capacity of the air conditioner 1 (flow rate control of the cooling refrigerant), the processing air volume of the air conditioner built-in fan 1b, and the air volume of the conditioned air 3 passing through the variable air volume unit 8 are input from the control device 17. It is controlled by control signals 1a and 8d.

Prior art documents related to this type of variable air volume single duct type air conditioning system include, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Patent No. 5426322

By the way, in the variable air volume single duct type air conditioning system as described above, since the air volume supplied from the variable air volume unit 8 is reduced when the load is low, even if the conditioned air 3 in the target space A is adjusted to an appropriate temperature, A person in the target space A may feel uncomfortable because the feeling of air current cannot be obtained.

Further, when the load reset works during cooling, the difference between the supply air temperature in the air conditioner 1 and the air to be cooled (return air 13 or outside air taken in from a path not shown) becomes smaller. There is a problem that the outlet air temperature of the coil 1d in 1 is much higher than the dew point temperature of the air, and the dehumidifying ability of the coil 1d is lowered. As a result, even if the temperature of the target area space where the conditioned air 3 blows out from the blow-out port 6 is as set, the humidity increases, which may cause discomfort. In order to prevent the load reset from working, it is possible to fully close the corresponding variable air volume unit 8 in the low load area and stop the supply of the conditioned air 3, but if you do so, the feeling of air flow will disappear and you will feel discomfort. There are still problems such as the occurrence of air pollution and the inability to ventilate the target area A.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an air-conditioning system that can suitably air-condition a target area while ensuring an air volume supplied to the target area even when the load is low.

In the present invention, a space behind the ceiling adjacent to the target area is set as a return air chamber, and the ceiling facing the target area is provided with a suction port for sucking the air in the target area as return air, and the return air chamber is a variable air volume single duct type air conditioning system comprising a return air duct that returns the air in the return air chamber to the air conditioner,
It is provided in the middle of a branch duct that branches from the main duct of the supply air duct, which is a flow path that guides the conditioned air sent out from the air conditioner to the multiple control areas that make up the target area, and is located downstream of the control area it is in charge of. a variable air volume device that adjusts the amount of flowing conditioned air;
An area temperature sensor is provided at a position corresponding to each control area, and the set air volume ratio is calculated based on the deviation between the set temperature value set in each control area and the actual measurement value of the area temperature sensor, and each air volume variable device A control device that adjusts the temperature of each control area by inputting as a control signal to
At a position on the downstream side of the air volume variable device in the flow path and at the end of the flow path, a blowout section facing the target area, the fan provided upstream of the blowout section, and the fan an air outlet unit installed with a housing that forms a space for introducing air from the surroundings and sending it out from the air outlet to a target area;
an intake port provided at a position in the flow path on the downstream side of the variable air volume device and on the upstream side of the fan and corresponding to the inside of the return air chamber in the flow path to take in the return air in the surrounding return air chamber ; an air-mixing box which is connected to the duct forming the flow path, takes in ambient air from the intake port, and forms a space in which conditioned air is supplied from the duct on the upstream side of the fan;
with
When the heat load is uneven among the plurality of control areas, even if the air volume supplied from the air volume variable device in some of the control areas is the minimum required air volume, the fan blows out air volume that provides a feeling of air flow. The air-conditioning system is characterized by comprising an opening of the intake port capable of taking in a predetermined amount of surrounding air by the suction force of the air- conditioning system.

In the air conditioning system of the present invention, the air volume of conditioned air supplied from the air volume variable device to the downstream side is set so as not to exceed the total air volume of the fans provided downstream of the air volume variable device. is preferred.

In the air conditioning system of the present invention, an air-mixing box having the intake port and forming a space for taking in ambient air from the intake port can be installed at a position on the upstream side of the fan in the flow path. .

In the air conditioning system of the present invention, the mixture box can be installed so as to surround the outlet unit.

According to the air-conditioning system of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the excellent effect of being able to suitably air-condition the target area while ensuring the air volume to be supplied to the target area even when the load is low.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic plan view which shows typically an example of the air-conditioning system by implementation of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic front view which shows typically an example of the air-conditioning system by implementation of this invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ceiling and the surroundings of the outlet unit in the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the outlet unit and the air-mixing box in the embodiment of the present invention; It is a graph which shows an example of the relationship of the air volume of an air volume variable device, the air volume of a fan, and the intake air volume from an intake port in the Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the outlet unit and air-mixing box according to the implementation of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing still another example of the configuration of the outlet unit and air-mixing box according to the implementation of the present invention; 1 is a schematic plan view schematically showing an example of an air conditioning system in a conventional air conditioning system; FIG. It is a schematic front view which shows an example of the conventional air-conditioning system typically.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show an example of the form of an air conditioning system according to the implementation of the present invention, and in the figures, the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 8 and 9 represent the same parts. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of the configuration of the air conditioning system of this embodiment, and do not accurately reflect the actual arrangement and dimensions of each device. and FIG. 2 do not necessarily correspond exactly to each other.

The basic configuration of this embodiment is common to the conventional example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and as shown in FIGS. After being sent to A, it is led to the adjacent ceiling space (return air chamber C) as return air 13 from the suction port 11 provided in the ceiling 10, and is returned to the air conditioner 1 again through the return air duct 12. It's becoming However, in the case of this embodiment, each fan 19 is provided at a position downstream of the variable air volume device (variable air volume unit) 8 in the air supply duct 2, and the upstream side of the fan 19 and the downstream side of the variable air volume unit 8 It is different from the conventional example in that an intake port 20 for sucking ambient air (here, return air 13) is provided at the position of .

In the example shown here, an air outlet unit 21 having a fan 19 is arranged at the end (outlet of the end duct 7) of the supply air duct 2, and a mixture box is arranged to surround the air outlet unit 21. 22 is arranged, and the intake port 20 is provided in the mixing box 22 . The downstream end of the terminal duct 7 is connected to the mixture box 22, and the conditioned air 3 supplied from the terminal duct 7 passes through the mixture box 22 and is discharged from the fan 19 of the outlet unit 21 to the target area. sent to A. Thus, in this embodiment, the air supply duct 2 (the main duct 4, the branch duct 5, the terminal duct 7), the mixture box 22, and the outlet unit 21 form the flow path of the conditioned air 3 in this order from the upstream side. A part of the flow path on the downstream side (the downstream part of the branch duct 5 from the variable air volume unit 8, the terminal duct 7, the air mixture box 22, and the outlet unit 21) is the return air chamber C (In this example, a part of the flow path of the conditioned air 3 is inside the return air chamber C, but depending on the arrangement of each device, the flow path through which the conditioned air circulates may be changed. There may be a case where all of them are located in the return air chamber C, or a case where the air conditioner 1 is a suspended air conditioner and is located in the ceiling of the return air chamber C). While the conditioned air 3 flows through this flow path, the surrounding air (return air whose pressure is negative due to the suction force of the air conditioner built-in fan 1b of the air conditioner 1) is passed through the intake port 20 in the air mixture box 22. In the chamber C, the air formed by the return air 13 sucked from the suction port 11 of the control area in the target area A) is taken in, and as described later, the conditioned air 3 and the return air 13 are mixed to obtain the target Zone A is to be supplied.

The configuration of the outlet unit 21, the air-mixing box 22, and the ceiling 10 including these will be described.

The ceiling 10 can be configured as a grid system ceiling, for example, as shown in FIG. A grid 10b is formed on the ceiling 10 by arranging ceiling structural members 10a, which are ceiling joists, vertically and horizontally, and a panel 10c and other ceiling equipment can be installed so as to be fitted into each grid 10b. ing. The ceiling structural material 10a is a building material sold as a member for system ceilings under the name of, for example, a T-bar, etc., and is suspended from above by a hanger 10d to constitute a ceiling base, and is installed on the grid 10b. The entire ceiling 10 is supported together with the panels 10c and other fixtures. When installing fixtures other than the panel 10c on the grid 10b, if the weight of the fixtures is sufficiently small, the fixtures can be supported together with the ceiling structural member 10a by the hangers 10d. is greater than a certain level, it is necessary to separately provide a sling (not shown) for directly hanging the equipment in order to support the equipment.

The air outlet unit 21 is provided with a fan 19 on the upstream side (here, above) of the air outlet 21a. 3 and return air 13 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) are sent to the target area A from the blowing part 21a.

Each outlet unit 21 is configured to be installable within one grid 10b, and the entire outlet unit 21 having a fan 19 above the outlet 21a can be supported by the ceiling structural member 10a. ing. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, openings are provided at the top and bottom of the box-shaped housing 21b, a fan 19 is installed in the upper opening, and an air flow is provided at the lower opening facing the target area A. It has a blowout part 21a having a rectifying function of . Blow-out portion 21a is an air control opening made of a member for distributing air having a plurality of blades called, for example, Anemostat (registered trademark) or a diffuser. 3 and the return air 13) are introduced into the space inside the housing 21b by the fan 19, and sent to the target area A below from the blowing part 21a.

In this embodiment, the outlet unit 21 is installed in the grid 10b together with a pair of lighting fixtures 10e, which are other ceiling fixtures. The luminaire 10e has a long side dimension that matches one side of the grid 10b, and a pair of luminaires 10e are arranged along two opposite sides of one grid 10b. Three sides of each lighting fixture 10e other than the side in contact with the outlet unit 21 are supported by the ceiling structural member 10a forming the grid 10b.

On the other hand, the outlet unit 21 is designed so that the dimension of the short side of the lower surface matches the difference between one side of the grid 10b and twice the short side of the lighting fixture 10e, and is supported within one grid 10b. The outlet unit 21 can be arranged between the pair of lighting fixtures 10e. Here, the side of the lighting fixture 10e that is in contact with the outlet unit 21 is provided with a plate-like projecting portion 10f that projects toward the outlet unit 21 on the lower surface. The protruding portion 10f is arranged along the long side of the outlet unit 21 so as to span between two ceiling structural members 10a perpendicular to the long side. The outlet unit 21 sandwiched between the two lighting fixtures 10e is supported in the grid 10b in such a manner that the two long sides of the lower surface are placed on the projecting portions 10f of the lighting fixtures 10e on both sides.

The dimensions of the air outlet unit 21 are designed according to the required air volume. In the example shown here, the lower surface of the outlet unit 21 has a longer side dimension smaller than one side of the grid 10b. A gap is generated on both sides of 21 . Such a gap can be filled by fitting an equipment panel 10g as shown in FIG. 3, for example. In addition, in installing the outlet unit 21 in the grid 10b, the configuration that can be adopted is not limited to the example described here. For example, depending on the air volume allocated to the blower outlet unit 21, the lower surface of the blower outlet unit 21 may be designed so that the dimension of the long side matches one side of the grid 10b. In that case, the facility panel 10g may be omitted. can be done. Alternatively, the outlet unit 21 may be directly supported by the ceiling structural member 10a without the lighting fixture 10e. Further, another ceiling equipment or equipment panel may be installed instead of the lighting equipment 10e. As long as the outlet unit 21 can be suitably supported on the grid 10b, the configuration of the outlet unit 21 and its surroundings can be changed as appropriate.

The housing 21b can be made of a lightweight member such as glass wool or rock wool. In this way, the ceiling structural member 10a and the ceiling structural member 10a can be sufficiently supported only by the hanging member 10d that supports the ceiling structural member 10a without providing a separate hanging device or the like for the outlet unit 21.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the air-mixing box 22 is installed so as to surround the entire outlet unit 21 from above. The air-mixing box 22 is a rectangular parallelepiped member having an opening on the bottom surface, and four side surfaces can surround the housing 21 b of the outlet unit 21 . In the example shown here, of the four sides of the mixture box 22, a pair of opposing sides 22a, 22a are arranged between the housing 21b and the lighting fixtures 10e on both sides, respectively, and another pair of sides 22b , 22b are respectively arranged on the ceiling structure 10a. The height of each of the side surfaces 22a and 22b is set higher than the height of the outlet unit 21, and as shown in FIG. The side surfaces 22a, 22a (and the side surfaces 22b, 22b) of 22 and the upper surface 22c form a space upstream of the fan 19 in the upper portion of the outlet unit 21. As shown in FIG.

Slit-shaped inlets 20 are opened in the horizontal direction in the side surfaces 22a, 22a. The intake port 20 is provided at a position higher than the upper end of the side surface of the outlet unit 21 in a state where the mixture box 22 is arranged with respect to the outlet unit 21 as shown in FIG. This is so that the return air 13, which will be described later, can be taken in smoothly (in the example shown here, the side faces 22a, 22a are close to the side face of the housing 21b, so the intake port 20 is If it is provided at a position lower than the upper end of the side surface of the , the resistance increases when the return air 13 is taken in). Further, the intake port 20 is provided with a rectifying plate 20a that slopes upward toward the inside.

Incidentally, the inlet 20 may be provided on the side surfaces 22b, 22b as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 3, for example. In the example shown here, the side faces 22b, 22b are not close to the side face of the housing 21b. Even if the intake port 20 is formed as a concave portion formed below, there is no problem in taking in the return air 13 . Alternatively, the intake ports 20 may be provided on both the side surfaces 22a, 22a and the side surfaces 22b, 22b, and the intake ports 20 may have any configuration as long as the return air 13 can be smoothly taken in. good. In this case, the arrangement, shape, dimensions, etc. of the intake port 20 should be appropriately adjusted in consideration of air resistance and the like so that the air is mixed with the conditioned air 3 described later at an appropriate ratio.

A connection port 22 d is opened in the upper surface 22 c of the mixture box 22 , to which the downstream end of the terminal duct 7 is connected, and the conditioned air 3 is supplied to the inside of the mixture box 22 . The position of the connection port 21d in the gas mixture box 22 is not limited to the example shown here, and can be changed according to the positional relationship between the gas mixture box 22 and the terminal duct 7. A connection port may be provided.

In order to support the air-fuel mixture box 22 to which the terminal duct 7 is connected at an appropriate position with respect to the outlet unit 21 as shown in FIG. It can be hung from above by attaching a hanger or the like (not shown). Alternatively, if the mixture box 22 to which the terminal duct 7 is connected is sufficiently light in weight and can be supported simply by placing it on the ceiling structural member 10a including the outlet unit 21, the mixture box 22 and the terminal duct 7 The installation of hanging tools, etc., may be omitted.

By using the outlet unit 21 configured as described above, the fan 19 can be arranged in a simple configuration at the end of the flow path of the conditioned air 3 . Furthermore, if the air-mixing box 22 is provided so as to surround the air outlet unit 21, it is suitable for providing the intake port 20 in the middle of the flow path of the conditioned air 3, and the fan 19 is simple and compact. A mixing box 22 can be installed. Moreover, by installing the space formed by the air-mixing box 22 so as to be adjacent to the fan 19, it is possible to take in the return air 13 from the intake port 20, which will be described later, with as little resistance as possible. be.

As shown in FIG. 1, the space above the ceiling adjacent to the target area A is set as a return air chamber C. As shown in FIG. The conditioned air 3 supplied from the air outlet unit 21 of the ceiling 10 is sucked into the return air chamber C as the return air 13 through the suction port 11 opened in the ceiling 10, and passes through the return air duct 12 from the return air port 9. is returned to the air conditioner 1.

A total of 18 air outlet units 21 are installed as air outlets in the target area A that the air conditioner 1 takes charge of. As in the distribution of the air outlets 6 in the above-described conventional example (see FIGS. 8 and 9), the six air outlet units 21 on the left side in the figure are installed in the branch ducts 5a for supplying air volume of the conditioned air 3. The variable air volume unit 8b installed in the branch duct 5b changes the supply air volume of the central six units, and the variable air volume unit 8c installed in the branch duct 5c changes the supply air volume of the right six units. It is designed to control. That is, in the target area A, the area corresponding to the six outlet units 21 on the left side is the control area A1, which is the zone in charge of the branch duct 5a, and the area corresponding to the six outlet units 21 in the center is the branch duct. The control area A2 is the zone for the branch duct 5b, and the area corresponding to the six outlet units 21 on the right side is the control area A3 for the branch duct 5c.

In-area temperature sensors 14, 15, and 16 are provided at appropriate positions corresponding to the control areas A1 to A3 (here, the suction port 11 located in the center of each of the control areas A1, A2, and A3 in plan view), The temperature of the return air 13 is measured at each position and input to the controller 17 as temperature signals 14a, 15a and 16a.

The controller 17 calculates the set air volume ratio based on the deviation between the temperature signals 14a, 15a, 16a and the set temperature values of the A1, A2, and A3 areas set in each control area, and calculates the set air volume ratio. is inputted as a control signal 8d to each of the variable air volume units 8a, 8b, 8c, and the temperature of each of the control areas A1 to A3 is adjusted by controlling the air volume for each of the branch ducts 5a, 5b, 5c.

In addition to providing a circuit (temperature adjustment circuit) for controlling the air volume of each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c for each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c, the control device 17 performs supply air temperature reset control It has a circuit (load reset control circuit) that performs The load reset control circuit processes information such as the damper opening of each variable air volume unit 8a, 8b, 8c. It is controlled to make it a value. For this reason, if the temperature of the return air 13 is excessively cooled (during cooling) or heated (during heating) relative to the set temperature, the opening of the damper of the variable air volume unit is minimized, so the supply air temperature is reset. Control is performed so that the set temperature of the supplied air in the air conditioner 1 is set to an optimum value. In other words, if the return air 13 is too cold during cooling, the set temperature of the supply air can be increased so that the return air 13 approaches the set temperature, and if the return air 13 is too hot during heating, The setpoint temperature of the supply air can be lowered so that the return air 13 approaches the setpoint temperature.

Further, a control signal 19 a for controlling the on/off, rotation speed, etc. of the fan 19 is input from the control device 17 to the fan 19 provided downstream of the variable air volume unit 8 .

Although FIG. 1 shows one block as the control device 17, in an actual air conditioning system, the control device 17 is, for example, a control device that controls the air conditioner 1 and a variable air volume unit 8. The control device and the control device for controlling the fan 19 may be provided separately, and the arrangement, configuration, etc. of the control device 17 may be appropriately designed according to the specifications of the air conditioning system.

In the air conditioning system of this embodiment with the above configuration, even if the indoor heat load in any one of the control areas A1, A2, and A3 in the target area A is low, the heat load in the target area A is small. It is possible to secure a sufficient amount of air supply to the control area and to perform operation so as not to change the temperature of the conditioned air 3 supplied from the air conditioner 1 as much as possible. A case of performing cooling will be described below as an example.

Conditioned air 3 sent out from the air conditioner 1 passes through the supply air duct 2 (main duct 4, branch duct 5, terminal duct 7), and the air volume is adjusted for each control area A1, A2, A3 by the variable air volume unit 8 on the way. After being adjusted, the air is supplied from the outlet unit 21 through the fan 19 . At that time, as described above, the return air 13 taken in from the intake port 20 in the mixture box 22 on the upstream side of the fan 19 is mixed with the conditioned air 3, and both the conditioned air 3 and the return air 13 are discharged from the outlet unit. 21 to target area A.

Here, between one variable air volume unit 8 and the fan 19 provided in the blowout port unit 21 on the downstream side corresponding to its assigned zone, the air volume of the conditioned air 3 supplied from the variable air volume unit 8 to the downstream side is , the operation is performed so as not to exceed the total air volume of the fans 19 downstream thereof (here, an example in which six fans 19 are provided downstream of one variable air volume unit 8 is shown). , In some cases, only one fan can be arranged downstream of a certain variable air volume unit.In that case, the total air volume of the fans downstream of the variable air volume unit is the fan air volume for one unit). In this way, in each air-mixing box 22, the amount of air blown out from the fan 19 is equal to or greater than the amount of the air-conditioned air 3 supplied from the end duct 7, and the amount of the difference between the two is increased from the intake port 20. Return air 13 is taken in (see FIG. 4). That is, in one air-mixing box 22 or air outlet unit 21, Q1 is the air volume supplied from the end duct 7, Q2 is the air volume sent out from the fan 19, and Q3 is the volume of the return air 13 taken in from the intake port 20. Then Q3=Q2-Q1. In order to reliably maintain such an operating state, the rated air volume of the variable air volume unit 8 should be designed so as not to exceed the sum of the rated air volumes of the fans 19 installed downstream thereof.

Each variable air volume unit 8 adjusts the air volume of the conditioned air 3 in accordance with the thermal load of each assigned zone (control areas A1, A2, A3) as described above. That is, when the heat load is high, the amount of conditioned air 3 supplied downstream from the variable air volume unit 8 is increased, and when the heat load is low, it is decreased. On the other hand, the fan 19 of the outlet unit 21 is operated at, for example, a constant air volume (for example, an air volume of 200 [m ³ /h] per unit).

When the fan 19 is operated at a constant speed, the air volume (Q2) supplied from the outlet unit 21 to the target area A is generally constant regardless of the magnitude of the load in the target area A. However, even if the air volume Q2 supplied to the target area A is the same, the air volume Q1 of the conditioned air 3 and the air volume Q3 of the return air 13 occupying there fluctuate, and when the load is low, the air volume Q1 decreases. The air volume Q3 increases, and when the load is high, the air volume Q1 increases and the air volume Q3 decreases.

In this way, when the load in the target area A is low, even if the supply amount of the conditioned air 3 in the variable air volume unit 8 is reduced in accordance with the low load, the return air 13 is supplemented by that amount, and the sufficient air volume is obtained. of air (mixed air of conditioned air 3 and return air 13) is sent out from the outlet unit 21 (however, the outlet temperature in the outlet unit 21 is higher than the temperature of the conditioned air 3 by the amount that the return air 13 is mixed with). ). In the conventional variable air volume single duct type air conditioning system as shown in FIGS. While the supply air volume of the air 3 is fluctuated, the return air 13 is supplemented to keep the blowout air volume constant, and the blowout temperature is adjusted. For people in the target area A, the load is low, and even under the condition that the supply amount of the conditioned air 3 is small, a sufficient feeling of air flow is obtained and comfortable. In the air-conditioning system of the conventional example, when the load is low, as the amount of blown air of the conditioned air 3 decreases, the air stays in the target area A, and the feeling of air flow disappears, which may cause discomfort. According to the air conditioning system of this embodiment, which adjusts the temperature in the target area A without changing the air volume, such problems can be avoided. In addition, even if the air volume is sufficient, since the blowing temperature is close to room temperature in zones with low heat loads, the air in the zones is not excessively cooled, and each zone (control areas A1 to A3) Air conditioning in is well maintained.

It should be noted that the fan 19 does not always need to maintain constant speed operation. When the operation of the variable air volume unit 8 itself is stopped, or in the control area with a particularly low heat load among the control areas A1 to A3 of the target area A, the damper of the variable air volume unit 8 is fully closed, and the conditioned air 3 When the operation is to stop the supply, the operation of the fan 19 may be turned off.

Further, in the conventional example in which the amount of blowing air is reduced as the heat load decreases, as described above, the control (load reset) for resetting the supply air temperature in the air conditioner 1 for the purpose of ventilation such as the minimum number of times of return air required in the control area is performed. However, in this embodiment, the frequency of execution of the load reset control can be greatly reduced. In the case of cooling, the load reset is performed, for example, on the condition that the air volume of the conditioned air 3 supplied to the target area A is less than a predetermined value and that the damper opening degree of any one of the variable air volume units 8a, 8b, and 8c is the minimum. is executed, and the supply air temperature in the air conditioner 1 is reset (reset). In the conventional air-conditioning system (see FIGS. 8 and 9), as described above, when the load reset operates during cooling, the supply air temperature is set high, the dehumidification capability of the air conditioner 1 decreases, and the humidity of the conditioned air 3 increases. As a result, people in the target area A may feel uncomfortable.

However, in the case of the air conditioning system of this embodiment, the fan 19 operates at a constant speed regardless of the heat load, so that the fan 19 operates and air is sent out to the target area A even if the load is low. It's becoming If the fan 19 is operating at a certain air volume or more, there is no need to perform a load reset for ventilation or the like. Load reset is not performed as long as the air supply is maintained. In other words, it is necessary to change the supply air temperature in the air conditioner 1, and there are fewer opportunities to change it than in the conventional example. Therefore, in the air conditioner 1, the set value of the supply air temperature is kept low, and the number of rows of cold water coils in the air conditioner 1 is effectively used to exhibit the designed dehumidification performance and the dehumidification performance does not decrease, so the heat load is reduced. It is possible to supply suitably dehumidified conditioned air 3 even under low conditions.

Of course, when the heat load is extremely low and the temperature of the return air 13 is close to that of the conditioned air 3, the air volume supplied from the variable air volume unit 8 becomes zero and the operation of the downstream fan 19 also stops, causing the load Although a reset may be performed, such a condition is rare, and load resets are performed much less frequently.

In the above description, the fan 19 is operated at a constant speed. Also good. The graph in FIG. 5 shows the intake amount (Q3) of the return air 13 and the conditioned air 3 and the air volume supplied from the fan 19 (Q2). The vertical axis indicates the air volume Q2 [CMH] supplied from the fan 19 and the ratio [%] of the air volume Q1 supplied from the conditioned air 3 to the air volume Q2 supplied. As the air volume Q1 (indicated by the dashed line) supplied from the variable air volume unit 8 decreases, the ratio of the return air 13 (horizontal axis) increases. As the amount of the return air 13 passing through increases, resistance such as friction when the return air 13 passes through the inlet 20 increases accordingly. As a result, when the fan 19 is operated at a constant number of revolutions, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. can be considered. Therefore, when it is desired to keep the air volume Q2 supplied from the fan 19 to the target area A strictly constant, control is performed to increase the rotational speed of the fan 19 according to the decrease in the air volume Q1 supplied from the variable air volume unit 8. can be

As an air-conditioning system that mixes air of different temperatures and sends conditioned air at a suitable temperature to a target area, a pair-duct type air-conditioning system is conventionally known. However, in the case of the air-conditioning system of the present invention, instead of mixing two types of conditioned air each having its temperature adjusted, the conditioned air 3 is supplied around the flow path (upstream of the outlet unit 21 in the case of this embodiment). The difference is that the air (return air 13) is taken in and mixed from the air mixture box 22 provided adjacent to the side) using the static pressure of the terminal fan, and the duct required to supply the conditioned air is It is excellent in that it can be greatly reduced.

When inputting the control signals 8d and 19a from the control device 17 to each variable air volume unit 8 and each fan 19, a general-purpose method such as Modbus or TCP can be adopted as a communication method. Therefore, an air-conditioning system like this embodiment can be easily implemented, for example, by modifying an existing air-conditioning system of variable air volume single duct type. That is, for example, in the conventional air conditioning system shown in FIGS. is controlled by the control signal 19a from the control device 17. As described above, the on/off and rotational speed of the fan 19 are interlocked with the operation of the variable air volume unit 8 on the upstream side. can be tied.

In addition, the setting of the connection between the variable air volume unit 8 and the fan 19 can be freely changed on the control device 17 side. It is possible to flexibly cope with a case where the arrangement of the outlet unit 21 is changed. For example, when the fan 19, which has been arranged downstream of the variable air volume unit 8b and interlocked with the variable air volume unit 8b until then, is reconnected to the downstream of the variable air volume unit 8a due to a change in layout, the variable air volume unit It is also easy to change the setting so that it interlocks with the variable air volume unit 8a instead of 8b. The address number of each fan 19 is grouped for each control area A1, A2, A3 and managed, and when there is a change in the placement of the fan 19, the address of the corresponding fan 19 is transferred to another group. It's fine.

As described above, the space above the ceiling adjacent to the target area A of the present embodiment is set as the return air chamber C, and the air in the target area A is returned to the ceiling 10 facing the target area A. and the return air chamber C is provided with a return air duct 9 for returning the air in the return air chamber C to the air conditioner 1. , is provided in the middle of the flow path (air supply duct 2, air mixture box 22, outlet unit 21) that guides the conditioned air 3 sent out from the air conditioner 1 to the target area A, and the amount of the conditioned air 3 flowing downstream A variable air volume device (variable air volume unit) 8 to be adjusted, a fan 19 provided at a position downstream of the variable air volume device 8 in the flow path, and a downstream side of the variable air volume device 8 in the flow path and upstream of the fan 19. and an intake port 20 which is provided at a position corresponding to the inside of the return air chamber C in the flow path and takes in the air (return air) 13 in the surrounding return air chamber C. As shown in FIG. In this way, by supplying a mixture of the conditioned air 3 and the air (return air) 13 around the flow path from the fan 19 to the target area A, the air in the target area A can be adjusted without changing the air volume. temperature can be adjusted. Therefore, even if the target area A is under a low load condition, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of air supply to the target area A. In addition, since there are fewer opportunities to change the supply air temperature of the air conditioner 1, the dehumidifying ability of the air conditioner 1 can be maintained even when the load in the target area A is low when cooling is performed. can.

In addition, in the conventional air conditioning system, there is no variable air volume unit or damper on the flow path from the air conditioner to the outlet, and it is impossible to change the mixing ratio of the air drawn from the room and the conditioned air. Therefore, in the conventional example, if the temperature of the conditioned air is to be changed for each control area as in the present invention, an air conditioner must be provided for each control area.

In this embodiment, the air volume of the conditioned air 3 downstream from the air volume variable device 8 is set so as not to exceed the total air volume of the fan 19 provided downstream of the air volume variable device 8 . With this configuration, the amount of air extracted from the fan 19 in each air-mixing box 22 is equal to or greater than the amount of the conditioned air 3 supplied from the terminal duct 7, so that the ambient air (return) from the intake 20 air) 13 can be reliably taken in as needed.

In this embodiment, at the end of the flow path, a blowout portion 21a facing the target area A, a fan 19 provided upstream of the blowout portion 21a, and air (conditioned air 3 , return air 13) and a housing 21b that forms a space for sending the return air 13) from the blowing part 21a to the target area A. A fan 19 may be provided.

This embodiment includes an intake port 20 and is connected to a duct (terminal duct) 7 that constitutes the flow path. Since it is configured with the air-mixing box 22 forming a space to which the air 3 is supplied on the upstream side of the fan 19, the air-mixing box 22 can be provided on the upstream side of the outlet unit 21 with a simple configuration. .

In this embodiment, an air-mixing box 22 is provided at a position on the upstream side of the fan 19 in the flow path, and forms a space for taking in ambient air (return air) 13 from the intake port 20 . Since it is provided, the mixing box 22 can be provided in the flow path with a simple structure, and the air (return air) 13 can be taken in from the intake port 20 with as little resistance as possible.

In this embodiment, the mixture box 22 is installed so as to surround the outlet unit 21, so the fan 19 and the mixture box 22 can be more compactly and simply installed in the flow path.

In the air conditioning system of the present invention, the target area A can be cooled.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to suitably air-condition the target area while ensuring the air volume to be supplied to the target area even when the load is low.

FIG. 6 shows another example of the form of the outlet unit and air-mixing box. In the example shown here, an outlet unit/air-mixing box 23 integrally having both the function corresponding to the outlet unit 21 and the function corresponding to the air-mixing box 22 in FIGS. prepared for.

The outlet unit/air mixture box 23 is similar to the outlet unit 21 shown in FIGS. A fan 19 is provided in the middle part in the direction, and the space above the fan 19 functions as an air-mixing box.

That is, an intake port 20 is provided at a position facing the space above the fan 19 in the side surface 23c of the housing 23a, and the ambient return air 13 is taken in through the intake port 20. As shown in FIG. A connection port 23e is opened in the upper surface 23d of the housing 23a, and the downstream end of the terminal duct 7 is connected thereto. Then, the conditioned air 3 is sent into the space above the fan 19 in the housing 23a through the terminal duct 7, and the return air 13 is taken in from the intake port 20. The conditioned air 3 and the return air 13 are mixed, and the fan 19, the air is sent out to the target area A (see FIGS. 1 and 2) from the blow-out part 23b in the lower part.

Further, FIG. 7 shows still another example of the form of the air-mixing box and the outlet unit. In the example shown here, the ceiling 10 is configured as a conventional ceiling rather than a system ceiling. At the outlet of the ceiling 10, which is a conventional ceiling, a outlet unit 21 similar to that shown in FIGS. 24 are provided. An intake port 20 is opened in the side surface 24a of the mixture box 24, and the conditioned air 3 supplied from the terminal duct 7 connected to the connection port 24c of the upper surface 24b is returned to the intake port 20. It is mixed with the air 13 in the mixture box 24 and sent out from the fan 19 provided in the outlet unit 21 to the target area A (see FIGS. 1 and 2). In the case of this example, a hanger 24d is attached to the upper surface 24b of the gas mixture box 24 so that the gas mixture box 24 is suspended from above and supported.

Alternatively, although not shown, it is theoretically possible to dispose the air-mixing box not adjacent to the outlet unit or the fan, but in the middle of the flow path on the upstream side of the fan (however, FIG. 1 to As in each example shown in FIG. 6, placing the space formed by the air-mixing box adjacent to the fan is simpler in terms of equipment configuration and space).

In this way, the configuration, shape, dimensions, etc. of the outlet unit and the air-mixing box can be appropriately selected according to the specifications of the ceiling and other conditions in carrying out the present invention. A fan is arranged on the downstream side of the variable air volume unit in the flow path of the conditioned air, and an intake port is provided at a position upstream of the fan and downstream of the variable air volume unit to take in ambient air and mix it with the conditioned air. The core of the present invention is the configuration and action of supplying air from the fan through the outlet, and the outlet unit and air-mixing box can be appropriately designed as long as this point is satisfactorily satisfied.

Additionally, the air conditioning system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, such as the ability to perform air conditioning with the same effects not only during cooling but also during heating.

1 air conditioner 2 flow path (air supply duct)
3 Air (conditioned air)
4 main duct
5 branch duct
7 Duct (terminal duct, flow path)
8 Variable air volume device (variable air volume unit)
8a variable air volume device (variable air volume unit)
8b Variable air volume device (variable air volume unit)
8c variable air volume device (variable air volume unit)
8d control signal
10 ceiling 11 suction port 12 return air duct 13 air (return air)
19 fan 20 intake 21 outlet unit (flow path)
21a Blow-out part 21b Housing 22 Air-mixing box (flow path)
23 Air outlet unit and mixture box (flow path)
23a Housing 23b Blowout Portion 24 Air Mixing Box (Flow Path)
A target area
A1 control region
A2 control region
A3 control area
C return air chamber

Claims (4)

The space above the ceiling adjacent to the target area is set as a return air chamber, and the ceiling facing the target area is provided with a suction port for sucking the air in the target area as return air, and the return air chamber is provided with the air in the target area. A variable air volume single duct type air conditioning system comprising a return air duct for returning air in a return air chamber to an air conditioner,
It is provided in the middle of a branch duct that branches from the main duct of the supply air duct, which is a flow path that guides the conditioned air sent out from the air conditioner to the multiple control areas that make up the target area, and is located downstream of the control area it is in charge of. a variable air volume device that adjusts the amount of flowing conditioned air;
An area temperature sensor is provided at a position corresponding to each control area, and the set air volume ratio is calculated based on the deviation between the set temperature value set in each control area and the actual measurement value of the area temperature sensor, and each air volume variable device A control device that adjusts the temperature of each control area by inputting as a control signal to
At a position on the downstream side of the air volume variable device in the flow path and at the end of the flow path, a blowout section facing the target area, the fan provided upstream of the blowout section, and the fan an air outlet unit installed with a housing that forms a space for introducing air from the surroundings and sending it out from the air outlet to a target area;
An intake port is provided at a position in the flow path on the downstream side of the variable air volume device and on the upstream side of the fan and at a position corresponding to the inside of the return air chamber in the flow path, and takes in the return air in the surrounding return air chamber. an air-mixing box, which is connected to the duct that constitutes the flow path, takes in ambient air from the intake port, and forms a space in which conditioned air is supplied from the duct on the upstream side of the fan;
with
When the heat load is uneven among the plurality of control areas, even if the air volume supplied from the air volume variable device in some of the control areas is the minimum required air volume, the fan blows out air volume that provides a feeling of air flow. An air-conditioning system characterized by comprising an opening of said intake port capable of taking in a predetermined amount of surrounding air by means of a suction force of said intake port . 2. An air volume of conditioned air supplied downstream from said air volume variable device is set so as not to exceed a total air volume of said fan provided downstream of said air volume variable device. The air conditioning system described in . 3. An air-mixing box having said intake port and forming a space for taking in surrounding air from said intake port is installed at a position on the upstream side of said fan in said flow path. The air conditioning system described in . 4. The air conditioning system according to claim 3 , wherein the mixture box is installed so as to surround the outlet unit.

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