Air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioner, which relates to the field of air conditioners and is used to achieve disinfection and sterilization in a narrow space. The air conditioner includes a casing and a CEP module. The casing has an inner cavity, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet that are both communicated with the inner cavity; the CEP module covers the fluid inlet, and the CEP module is configured to sterilize the fluid entering the CEP module by using plasma; wherein, the fluid enters the fluid inlet via the CEP module, or the fluid enters the CEP module via the fluid inlet. The air conditioner unit provided by the above technical solution has a compact structure, and realizes the four-in-one functions of air supply, refrigeration, dehumidification and air purification under the requirements of a limited space (such as a ship's cabin). While ensuring the crew's comfort requirements for the temperature and humidity of the air in the cabin, it purifies the air, kills germs and eliminates the novel coronavirus, thus ensuring the health of the crew.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of air conditioners, and particularly to an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Compared with ordinary residential houses, the space inside a ship's cabin is smaller and the personnel are more concentrated. Viruses are more likely to infect crew members through the air, leading to the spread of infectious diseases.

[0003] For the air conditioners currently used on ships, the condensed water generated by the air conditioners will breed bacteria and viruses, and the continuous internal circulation of indoor air will cause cross - transmission of viruses. These situations pose important potential hazards to the health and safety of crew members.

[0004] The inventor found that there are at least the following problems in the prior art: The performance of the air conditioners currently used on ships is difficult to meet the requirements, and there is a problem of cross - transmission of viruses caused by the internal circulation of air in a small space for these air conditioners. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides an air conditioner to achieve air purification in a small space.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner, including:

[0007] A housing having an inner cavity, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet both communicating with the inner cavity; and

[0008] A CEP module covering the fluid inlet, the CEP module being configured to sterilize and disinfect the fluid entering the CEP module by using plasma; wherein, the fluid enters the fluid inlet via the CEP module, or the fluid enters the CEP module via the fluid inlet.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes:

[0010] A fan installed in the inner cavity;

[0011] A first filter element installed in the inner cavity and located between the CEP module and the fan; and

[0012] A heating element installed in the inner cavity and arranged adjacent to the first filter element to heat the first filter element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heating element is located on the upstream side of the first filter element.

[0014] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes:

[0015] An indoor unit installed in the inner cavity, and the heating element is fixedly connected to the indoor unit.

[0016] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes:

[0017] A second filter element, which is wrapped around the outside of the indoor unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first filter element includes a HEPA filter.

[0019] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes:

[0020] A temperature measuring element, which is arranged in the inner cavity, and the temperature measuring element is configured to measure the temperature of the first filter element.

[0021] In some embodiments, the CEP module includes:

[0022] A frame, which is configured to provide support;

[0023] A filter layer, which has an air inlet; the filter layer is installed on the frame;

[0024] A first treatment layer, which is located on the downstream side of the filter layer; the first treatment layer is installed on the frame; and

[0025] An ozone reduction layer, which is located on the downstream side of the first treatment layer, and the ozone reduction layer has an air outlet; the ozone reduction layer is installed on the frame;

[0026] Wherein, the fluid sequentially flows through the first treatment layer via the air inlet of the filter layer, and then flows out of the CEP module via the air outlet of the ozone reduction layer.

[0027] In some embodiments, the CEP module further includes:

[0028] A second treatment layer, which is located on the downstream side of the first treatment layer and upstream of the ozone reduction layer; the second treatment layer is installed on the frame.

[0029] In some embodiments, the CEP module is located outside the casing.

[0030] In some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a marine air conditioner.

[0031] The air conditioner provided by the above technical solution has a CEP module, which is configured to sterilize and disinfect the fluid entering the inside of the CEP module. When the air conditioner is used in a narrow space such as a ship, the fluid entering the CEP module is the internal circulating air in the narrow space, and the internal circulating air contains a large number of viruses and bacteria. The CEP module can effectively reduce or even eliminate the viruses and bacteria in the internal circulating air, reducing the risk of virus cross-infection caused by the internal circulation of the air conditioner in the narrow space. It can be seen that the air conditioner unit provided by the above technical solution has a compact structure, and realizes the four-in-one functions of air supply, refrigeration, dehumidification and air purification under the requirements of limited cabin space. While ensuring the crew's comfort requirements for the temperature and humidity of the cabin air, it realizes air purification, germ killing and novel coronavirus elimination, ensuring the health of the crew. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention, and constitute a part of this application. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation to the present invention. In the drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 is a front view structural schematic diagram of the air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is a side view structural schematic diagram of the air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the CEP module of the air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] The following will Figures 1 to 3 describe the technical solution provided by the present invention in more detail.

[0037] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 , an embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner, which is particularly suitable for use in occasions with narrow indoor spaces such as ships.

[0038] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the air conditioner includes a housing 1 and a CEP module. The housing 1 has an inner cavity 11, a fluid inlet 12 and a fluid outlet (not shown in the figure) both communicating with the inner cavity 11. The CEP module 2 covers the fluid inlet 12, and the CEP module 2 can be located inside or outside the housing 1. Hereinafter, the case where the CEP module 2 is located outside the housing 1 will be described as an example. The CEP module 2 is configured to use plasma to sterilize and disinfect the fluid entering the CEP module 2.

[0039] The fluid enters the fluid inlet 12 via the CEP module 2, and then enters the inner cavity 11. Through the action of the fan 3 in the inner cavity 11, it is finally discharged to the indoor space via the fluid outlet.

[0040] In the above technical solution, before the fluid enters the inside of the casing 1, it has been sterilized by the CEP module 2. The CEP technology uses high-voltage ionization technology to generate plasma, destroy the cell walls of bacteria and the proteins of viruses, kill bacteria and viruses, and the particulate debris falls on the CEP module 2, which can be removed by regular cleaning.

[0041] Since the inner cavity 11 of the casing 1 of the air conditioner has limited dimensions, in some embodiments, the CEP module 2 is fixed outside the casing 1, so that the size of the CEP module 2 can be as large as possible on the premise that the cabin space size meets the installation requirements, so as to improve the sterilization effect and save the installation space inside the casing 1.

[0042] See Figure 3 , in some embodiments, the CEP module 2 includes a frame (not shown in the figure), a filter layer 21, at least one treatment layer, and a reduction layer 24. The filter layer 21, the treatment layer, and the reduction layer 24 are all slidably mounted on the frame. In some embodiments, taking the example of setting two treatment layers: the first treatment layer 22 and the second treatment layer 23. The four layers of the CEP module 2 are in sequence: the filter layer 21, the first treatment layer 22, the second treatment layer 23, and the ozone reduction layer 24.

[0043] Both the first treatment layer 22 and the second treatment layer 23 include tungsten wires and dust collection plates. The tungsten wires include one or several. The filter layer 21 is provided with an air inlet 211, and the reduction layer 24 is provided with an air outlet 241.

[0044] The first treatment layer 22 is located on the downstream side of the filter layer 21, the second treatment layer 23 is located on the downstream side of the first treatment layer 22; the ozone reduction layer 24 is located on the downstream side of the second treatment layer 23. Among them, the fluid enters the CEP module through the air inlet 211 of the filter layer 21, then flows through the first treatment layer 22 and the second treatment layer 23 in sequence, and then flows out of the CEP module 2 through the air outlet 241 of the ozone reduction layer 24. The ozone reduction layer 24 includes a carrier (such as aluminum honeycomb) and an ozone decomposition catalyst. The ozone decomposition catalyst is coated on the carrier. After the ozone decomposition catalyst contacts ozone, it decomposes and reduces ozone. Using aluminum honeycomb as the carrier, the contact area between the ozone decomposition catalyst and ozone is large, the contact is sufficient, and the decomposition efficiency of ozone is high.

[0045] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a fan 3, a first filter element 4, and a heating element 5. The fan 3 is installed in the inner cavity 11; the first filter element 4 is installed in the inner cavity 11 and is located between the CEP module 2 and the fan 3. The heating element 5 is installed in the inner cavity 11 and is arranged adjacent to the first filter element 4 to heat the first filter element 4. The first filter element 4 uses a high-density filter mesh. The so-called high-density filter mesh refers to a filter mesh with a filtration effect greater than 95%.

[0046] The heating element 5 is, for example, an electric heating plate. The heating element 5 and the first filter element 4 are arranged at intervals, and specifically satisfy that the heating element 5 can heat the temperature of the first filter element 4 above the set value to ensure the sterilization effect.

[0047] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the heating element 5 is located on the upstream side of the first filter element 4.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first filter element 4 includes a HEPA filter. HEPA is an abbreviation of High efficiency particulate air Filte, which refers to a high-efficiency air filter. The characteristic of a HEPA filter is that air can pass through, but fine particles cannot pass through; the HEPA filter has a filtration efficiency of 99.7% for particles with a size above 0.1 micron, and is the most effective filtration medium for pollutants such as smoke, dust, and bacteria. HEPA can be made of one of the following materials: PP filter paper, glass fiber, composite PPPET filter paper, melt-blown polyester non-woven fabric, and melt-blown glass fiber.

[0049] The air conditioner provided by the above technical solution uses the CEP module 2, the heating element 5, and the first filter element 4 to cooperate together. The CEP module 2 generates plasma through corona discharge. The electrons and ions in the plasma can charge the particulate matter in the air, and the electrons, active substances, photons, etc. in the plasma can sterilize and disinfect various bacteria in the air. The particulate matter and bacterial residues are collected by the collecting electrode. Moreover, the unit has an electric heating high-temperature disinfection function, which can further sterilize, disinfect, and purify the air in cooperation with the first filter element 4.

[0050] See Figure 2 , in some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes an indoor unit 6. The indoor unit 6 is installed in the inner cavity 11, and the heating element 5 is fixedly connected to the indoor unit 6. The heating element 5 and the indoor unit 6 can be installed together through components such as a bracket 7, and specifically, a detachable connection can be adopted. When the heating element 5 needs to be replaced or repaired, the heating element 5 can be easily disassembled.

[0051] See Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a second filter element (not shown in the figure). The second filter element is wrapped around the outside of the indoor unit 6. The second filter element includes a HEPA filter. The characteristic of a HEPA filter is that air can pass through, but fine particles cannot pass through; the HEPA filter has a filtration efficiency of 99.7% for particles with a size above 0.1 micron, and is the most effective filtration medium for pollutants such as smoke, dust, and bacteria. HEPA can be made of one of the following materials: PP filter paper, glass fiber, composite PPPET filter paper, melt-blown polyester non-woven fabric, and melt-blown glass fiber.

[0052] See Figure 1 Figure 1 , in some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a temperature measuring element (not shown in the figure), which is arranged in the inner cavity 11 and is configured to measure the temperature of the first filter element 4. The temperature measuring element is, for example, a temperature sensing bulb. If the temperature of the first filter element 4 measured by the temperature measuring element is higher than a set value, such as 60 °C, the heating element 5 remains in its original working state; if the temperature of the first filter element 4 measured by the temperature measuring element is lower than the set value, such as 60 °C, the heating element 5 needs to increase the heating temperature so that the temperature of the first filter element 4 is not lower than the set value. Keeping the temperature of the first filter element 4 above the set value can effectively eliminate viruses and kill bacteria.

[0053] The working process of the air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

[0054] Taking the application of the air conditioner to a ship as an example, the air conditioner unit is a marine integral water-cooled cabinet machine. An indoor unit 6 is arranged inside the housing 1 of the air conditioner, and the indoor unit 6 is located in the upper space of the housing 1 of the unit. The refrigerant is transported and distributed among the various refrigeration components of the air conditioner unit through copper pipes. The heating element 5 is fixedly installed on the indoor unit 6 through a sheet metal bracket. The first filter element 4 keeps a safe distance from the heating element 5, and the first filter element 4 is located on the side of the heating element 5 facing the blower 3. The distance between the first filter element 4 and the heating element 5 should be such that the temperature of the first filter element 4 can be heated above the set value (such as 60 °C). In the case where the heating time is longer than 30 minutes, the viruses filtered out on the first filter element 4 can be effectively killed. The CEP module 2 is installed on the side plate of the unit and is located outside the housing 1.

[0055] The air conditioner unit can normally realize the original functions of the air conditioner such as air supply, refrigeration, and dehumidification, and can also realize the air purification function. The various working modes will be introduced one by one below.

[0056] After the refrigeration mode is turned on, the unit applies energy to the refrigerant vapor through the compressor to increase its pressure and temperature, and then through the processes of condensation by the shell-and-tube condenser and throttling by the thermostatic expansion valve, it becomes a low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant liquid that evaporates into vapor in the evaporator, and at the same time obtains heat from the surrounding environment to lower the temperature of the coolant (air), thereby achieving the purpose of artificial refrigeration.

[0057] The air purification mode is introduced below. When the air purification mode is turned on, the indoor fan 3 of the unit is turned on. The indoor return air first enters the filter layer 21 of the CEP module 2, and then flows into the first treatment layer 22 of the CEP module 2. The tungsten wire in the first treatment layer 22 is electrified to generate corona discharge to produce plasma. The electrons and ions in the plasma can charge the particulate matter in the air. The electrons, active substances, photons, etc. in the plasma can sterilize and disinfect various bacteria in the air. The particulate matter and the remains of bacteria are collected by the dust collection plate of the first treatment layer 22; then it is processed again through the second treatment layer 23; subsequently, the air passes through the ozone reduction layer 24 to reduce ozone to oxygen.

[0058] After the return air leaves the CEP module 2, it sequentially flows through the indoor unit 6, the heating element 5 and the first filter element 4. After the return air leaves the CEP module 2, viruses such as the new coronavirus in the air cannot be completely killed. Since the spread of the virus mainly depends on droplets (with a diameter greater than 5 microns) and aerosols (0.5 - 12 microns), and the first filter element 4 (specifically, for example, a HEPA filter) has an efficiency of filtering particulate matter with a particle size above 0.3 microns of more than 99.95%. Therefore, when the bacteria and viruses in the return air pass through the first filter element 4, the carriers attached to the viruses are intercepted by the first filter element 4, and the viruses cannot continue to spread. At the same time, since the high-temperature heating element 5 is in the on state, the heating element 5 heats the first filter element 4 to above 60°C, and the heating element 5 continuously sterilizes the high-efficiency filter screen at high temperature. According to experiments, the new coronavirus will die when heated above 56°C for more than 30 minutes. For the air conditioner unit provided by the above technical solution, when heating the first filter element 4, the surface temperature of each area on the first filter element 4 can reach above 60°C, so the sterilization and disinfection effect can be well achieved.

[0059] The automatic purification mode and the cooling mode introduced above can be alternated: The air conditioner unit runs in the cooling mode at full load for several hours, the compressor stops, the fan 3 runs at a low speed, the heating element 5 is turned on and continuously heats the first filter element 4. The first filter element 4 quickly warms up to above 56°C. The unit controls the temperature range of the filter screen through a temperature sensor. After continuously heating for more than 30 minutes, the heating element 5 stops working. Subsequently, the air conditioner unit is restarted in the cooling mode, and the compressor restarts. That is, the air conditioner unit switches from the automatic purification mode to the cooling mode.

[0060] It should be noted that when the air conditioner unit is in the heating mode, the dehumidification mode, and the air supply mode, the heating element 5 of the air conditioner unit can be in the working state. And in addition to these simultaneously allowed modes, the automatic purification mode can also be alternated with any one of the heating mode, the dehumidification mode, and the air supply mode, similar to the working method of alternating the automatic purification mode and the cooling mode introduced above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0061] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation on the protected content of the present invention.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features, but these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, Comprising: A casing (1) having an inner cavity (11), a fluid inlet (12) and a fluid outlet both communicating with the inner cavity (11); And A CEP module (2) covering the fluid inlet (12), the CEP module (2) being configured to sterilize the fluid entering the CEP module (2) by using plasma; wherein, the fluid enters the fluid inlet (12) via the CEP module (2), or the fluid enters the CEP module (2) via the fluid inlet (12); The air conditioner further comprises: A blower (3) installed in the inner cavity (11); A first filter element (4) installed in the inner cavity (11) and located between the CEP module (2) and the blower (3); A heating element (5) installed in the inner cavity (11) and arranged adjacent to the first filter element (4) to heat the first filter element (4); An indoor unit (6) installed in the inner cavity (11), the heating element (5) being fixedly connected to the indoor unit (6); and A second filter element wrapped around the outside of the indoor unit (6); The CEP module (2) comprises: A frame configured to provide support; A filter layer (21) having an air inlet (211); the filter layer (21) is installed on the frame; A first treatment layer (22) located on the downstream side of the filter layer (21); the first treatment layer (22) is installed on the frame; and An ozone reduction layer (24) located on the downstream side of the first treatment layer (22), the ozone reduction layer (24) having an air outlet (241); the ozone reduction layer (24) is installed on the frame; Wherein, the fluid sequentially flows through the first treatment layer (22) via the air inlet (211) of the filter layer (21), and then flows out of the CEP module (2) via the air outlet (241) of the ozone reduction layer (24); Wherein, the air conditioner includes an automatic purification mode, a heating mode, a dehumidification mode, and a blowing mode; when the air conditioner is in the heating mode, the dehumidification mode, or the blowing mode, the heating element (5) is in a working state; or, the automatic purification mode alternates with the heating mode, the dehumidification mode, and the blowing mode.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating element (5) is located on the upstream side of the first filter element (4).

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The first filter element (4) includes a HEPA filter.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein Further comprising: A temperature measuring element arranged in the inner cavity (11), the temperature measuring element being configured to measure the temperature of the first filter element (4).

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The CEP module (2) further comprises: A second treatment layer (23) located on the downstream side of the first treatment layer (22) and on the upstream side of the ozone reduction layer (24); the second treatment layer (23) is installed on the frame.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The CEP module (2) is located outside the casing (1).

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The air conditioner includes a marine air conditioner.

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