Air conditioning system and clean room facility

Abstract

To provide an air conditioning system that has a simple structure, and keeps a room pressure in a clean room with high accuracy.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system S comprises fan filter units 1 and 2 comprising air supply fans 1a and 2a for supplying air to a preparation room R7 from a chamber C including a space of an attic of the preparation room R7, and a fan filter unit 3 comprising a return air fan 3a for returning air in the preparation room R7 via the chamber C, and exhausting air from the preparation room R7, and comprises a pressure sensor 31 provided in the preparation room R7, and a control unit for controlling the return air fan 3a on the basis of a detection value of the pressure sensor 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system. [Background technology]

[0002] Clean rooms with high air purity are often used in the manufacture of semiconductors and precision machinery, as well as in regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical manufacturing. For example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known for adjusting the room pressure in such clean rooms. That is, Patent Document 1 describes that "by providing an air volume adjustment damper 20a in a duct leading from a ceiling-embedded air conditioner 13 to the intra-ceiling chambers 12a-e, it is possible to realize the desired distribution of the amount of air supplied to the intra-ceiling chambers 12a-e." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5615417 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, while the clean room pressure is adjusted by the air volume adjustment damper, the air volume of each fan on the supply air side and return air side is constant. In such a configuration, if the opening degree of the damper is changed to maintain the clean room pressure at a predetermined target value, a response delay in the room pressure is likely to occur due to air pressure loss in the duct, etc.

[0005] Furthermore, in addition to the response delay described above, there is also a problem that overshoot is likely to occur when adjusting the room pressure in the clean room due to the nonlinearity of the damper opening-air volume characteristic. As such, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of maintaining the room pressure with high precision. There is also a demand for simplification of the air conditioning system that conditions the air in the clean room.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning system that maintains the room pressure in a clean room with high precision using a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the air conditioning system of the present invention comprises a first unit having a first fan that supplies air to a clean room from a chamber including a space above the ceiling of the clean room, and a second unit having a second fan that performs at least one of returning air of the clean room via the chamber and exhausting air from the clean room, and is characterized by also comprising a pressure sensor provided in the clean room and a control unit that controls at least one of the first fan and the second fan based on a detection value of the pressure sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air conditioning system that maintains the room pressure in a clean room with high precision using a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout of each room in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a plurality of fan filter units included in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram relating to control of a fan filter unit included in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed and air volume of the return air fan of the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a plurality of fan filter units included in the air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout of each room in an air conditioning system S according to an embodiment. In Fig. 1, the direction of air flow when a specific door (e.g., door Dm) is opened is indicated by a dashed arrow with a white outline. In this embodiment, adjustment of the room pressure in each room will be mainly described, but adjustment of the air temperature and humidity in addition to the room pressure is also considered to be included in "air conditioning". Adjustment of only the room pressure is also considered to be included in "air conditioning".

[0011] The air conditioning system S is a system that adjusts the room pressure of multiple rooms such as a pretreatment room R3 (clean room) and a preparation room R7 (clean room), and is installed in, for example, a regenerative medicine facility. In such an air conditioning system S, multiple rooms with different air cleanliness levels are often installed. In order to prevent air from leaking from a room with a low cleanliness level to a room with a high cleanliness level, a difference in room pressure is set between adjacent rooms.

[0012] For example, the pre-treatment room R3 shown in Fig. 1 has a higher air cleanliness and room pressure than the primary changing room R2. Therefore, when a worker opens the door De to enter the pre-treatment room R3 from the primary changing room R2, air flows from the high-pressure pre-treatment room R3 to the low-pressure primary changing room R2 as shown by the dashed arrow in Fig. 1, but the reverse flow rarely occurs. This prevents dust from entering the pre-treatment room R3 from the primary changing room R2, and maintains the cleanliness of the pre-treatment room R3 at a specified level.

[0013] However, as the air moves, the pressure in the primary changing room R2 temporarily rises, while the pressure in the pre-treatment room R3 temporarily falls. Every time the door De is opened or closed, such fluctuations in the pressure occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, the fluctuations in the pressure in each room are suppressed by controlling each device, which will be described later.

[0014] In addition, in Fig. 1, when a dashed white arrow is drawn from one of two adjacent rooms to the other, the room pressure in the one room is higher than that of the other room. Also, among the multiple rooms and doors marked with symbols in Fig. 1, the description of some of them will be omitted as appropriate. For example, the description of some of the multiple doors Da to Dz, Dα, Dβ, Dγ, and Dδ will be omitted.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the loading and unloading room R1, the first changing room R2, the pre-treatment room R3, the undressing room R10, and the front room R11 are arranged next to each other in this order. When an operator performs a specific task in the pre-treatment room R3, he or she passes through each room in the above-mentioned order. The pre-treatment room R3 is provided with a biohazard cabinet BSC1 for handling specific samples. Samples used in the biohazard cabinet BSC1 are carried in through the front room R4 and the pass box PB1 in this order. On the other hand, products (cell processed products, etc.) created in the biohazard cabinet BSC1 are carried out through the pass box PB2 and the front room R5 in this order. The pass boxes PB1 and PB2 are spaces for suppressing contamination (sample contamination).

[0016] In addition, the changing room R1, the first changing room R2, the second changing room R6, the airlock AL1, the preparation room R7, the airlock AL2, the changing room R10, and the anteroom R11 are arranged next to each other in that order. When workers perform a given task in the preparation room R7, they pass through each room in the order mentioned above. The airlocks AL1 and AL2 are spaces to prevent dust from entering the highly clean preparation room R7, and the room pressure is higher than that of the other rooms.

[0017] In addition, between the preparation chamber R7 and the pretreatment chamber R3, it is possible to take in and out cell processed products, etc., via the pass box PB5. The preparation chamber R7 has a higher cleanliness level than the pretreatment chamber R3, and the chamber pressure is also higher than the pretreatment chamber R3. This makes it possible to suppress contamination when the door Dx or door Dy is opened.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, preparation room R7 is provided with biohazard cabinets BSC2 and BSC3 for handling predetermined samples. Products (cell processed products, etc.) prepared in biohazard cabinets BSC2 and BSC3 are carried out via pass box PB3 and front room R8 in that order. Meanwhile, waste materials, etc. are carried out via pass box PB4 and front room R9 in that order.

[0019] The changing room R1, the first changing room R2, the pre-treatment room R3, the anterooms R4 and R5, the second changing room R6, the preparation room R7, the anterooms R8 and R9, the changing room R10, the anteroom R11, and the airlocks AL1 and AL2 shown in Fig. 1 correspond to "clean rooms." In addition to the fan filter units 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 18 shown in Fig. 1, the air handling unit 50 will be described later.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a plurality of fan filter units. In Fig. 2, the air flow is indicated by solid arrows. Also, Fig. 2 illustrates some of the rooms in Fig. 1 (floor plan), and the remaining rooms are shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 are schematic cross-sectional views focusing on the air flow, for example, air being led from preparation chamber R7 through duct shaft DS2 to chamber C.

[0021] Duct shaft DS1 shown in Fig. 2 is a space that guides air from preparation chamber R7 to chamber C, although it is not shown in Fig. 1. Duct shafts DS2 to DS5 are also spaces that guide air from predetermined rooms to chamber C, although they are not shown in Fig. 1. These duct shafts DS1 to DS5 are formed by air guide pipes (not shown) provided in gaps between adjacent rooms, etc.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioning system S includes an air handling unit 50, fan filter units 1-11, and pressure sensors 31-36. The air handling unit 50 is a device that adjusts the temperature of air, etc. As shown in Fig. 2, the air handling unit 50 includes a filter 51, a cooling coil 52, a fan 53, and an inverter 54.

[0023] The filter 51 removes dust from the air sucked from the preparation chamber R7 through the duct shaft DS1. The cooling coil 52 is a heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the air that has passed through the filter 51 and a refrigerant that flows through a heat transfer tube (not shown). The fan 53 is a blower that pressurizes the air that has undergone heat exchange in the cooling coil 52 and sends it to the chamber C through the duct D1. The inverter 54 controls a motor (not shown) that is the drive source of the fan 53.

[0024] 2, the blowing side of fan 53 and chamber C are connected via duct D1. Duct D1 is an air guide tube that guides air whose temperature, etc. have been adjusted by air handling unit 50 to chamber C. This duct D1 is provided with a damper B1. For example, damper B1 is set to a predetermined opening degree during a test run of air conditioning system S, and is maintained at the predetermined opening degree during the subsequent air conditioning operation.

[0025] In the example of Fig. 2, in addition to the above-mentioned duct D1, air whose temperature, etc. has been adjusted is introduced into chamber C via another duct D2. Note that another air handling unit that supplies air whose temperature, etc. has been adjusted via duct D2 is a well-known configuration and is therefore not shown in Fig. 2. In this manner, the air supplied via ducts D1 and D2 join together in chamber C. Note that the temperature of the air flowing through one duct D1 and the temperature of the air flowing through the other duct D2 may be different or approximately equal.

[0026] The chamber C shown in FIG. 2 is a space provided between the downstream ends of the ducts D1 and D2 and each room such as the preparation room R7. To be more specific, the chamber C is formed by the ceiling G of each room such as the preparation room R7, the upper plate Ta, and the side plates Tb and Tc. In the example of FIG. 2, the upper plate Ta is provided at a position higher than the ceiling G, and the plate surface of the upper plate Ta is approximately parallel to the surface of the ceiling G. In addition, the side plate Tb is provided so as to connect the edge of the ceiling G and the upper plate Ta on one side in the horizontal direction (left side of the paper). Similarly, the side plate Tc is provided so as to connect the edge of the ceiling G and the other side in the horizontal direction (right side of the paper) of the upper plate Ta. The vertical distance between the ceiling G and the upper plate Ta is appropriately set at the design stage so as not to cause any hindrance to the flow of air through the chamber C.

[0027] The fan filter unit 1 (first unit) is a device that supplies air from a chamber C including the space above the ceiling of the preparation room R7 (clean room) to the preparation room R7, and is embedded in the ceiling G. The fan filter unit 1 includes a control device (not shown) in addition to an air supply fan 1a (first fan) and a filter 1b (first filter) shown in FIG.

[0028] The air supply fan 1a is a blower that supplies air from the chamber C to the preparation room R7, and includes a fan body and a fan motor (not shown). For example, an axial fan such as a propeller fan is used as the fan body of the air supply fan 1a. For example, a DC motor is used as the fan motor of the air supply fan 1a. The DC motor may be a brushless DC motor or a DC motor with brushes.

[0029] The filter 1b is a filter that removes dust from the air blown from the air supply fan 1a to the preparation room R7, and is provided on the blowing side of the air supply fan 1a. For example, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter) or a ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air Filter) is used as such a filter 1b. A housing (not shown) that houses the air supply fan 1a and the filter 1b is fitted into an opening (not shown in FIG. 2) in the ceiling G of the preparation room R7 and fixed with metal fittings or the like. Another fan filter unit 2 provided on the ceiling G of the preparation room R7 has the same configuration as the fan filter unit 1 described above.

[0030] The fan filter unit 3 (second unit) is a device that returns the air in the preparation chamber R7 through the chamber C and exhausts the air from the preparation chamber R7. Note that the "return air" of the preparation chamber R7 means that at least a part of the air in the preparation chamber R7 is returned to the preparation chamber R7.

[0031] In addition, for simplification, the fan filter unit 3 is illustrated on the underside of the floor F of the preparation chamber R7 in Fig. 2, but as shown in Fig. 1, the fan filter unit 3 is provided on the outside of the wall of the space R12 adjacent to the preparation chamber R7 via the door Dp. As shown in Fig. 2, the fan filter unit 3 includes a return air fan 3a (second fan) and a filter 3b (second filter), as well as a control device 3c (not shown in Fig. 2, see Fig. 3).

[0032] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram relating to the control of the fan filter unit 3. As shown in FIG. The return air fan 3a shown in Fig. 3 is a blower that returns air from the preparation chamber R7 through the chamber C (see Fig. 2) and exhausts air from the preparation chamber R7, and includes a fan body a1 and a fan motor a2. For example, an axial fan such as a propeller fan is used as the fan body a1 of the return air fan 3a. For example, a DC motor is used as the fan motor a2 of the return air fan 3a.

[0033] The control device 3c is a device that controls the fan motor a2 based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 31, and is disposed, for example, near the fan motor a2. Although not shown, the control device 3c is configured to include electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and various interfaces. The control device 3c reads out a program stored in the ROM and expands it in the RAM, and the CPU executes various processes.

[0034] 3, the control device 3c includes a storage unit c1 and a control unit c2. A predetermined program is stored in the storage unit c1. The control unit c2 controls the fan motor a2 of the return air fan 3a in a predetermined manner based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 31. A PLC (Programmable Logic Controller, not shown) may be provided to be connected to the control device 3c. The control device 3c may then change the upper and lower limit values ​​of the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a to predetermined values ​​based on values ​​input to the PLC (not shown) from other devices and sensors.

[0035] The filter 3b is provided on the intake side of the return air fan 3a to remove dust particles from the air (see also FIG. 2) drawn from the preparation chamber R7 to the return air fan 3a. For example, a high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) or an ultra low penetration air filter (ULPA) is used as the filter 3b. The filter 3b also functions as a resistor (air resistance) when air flows out of the preparation chamber R7, which is advantageous in that it is easy to maintain the room pressure of the preparation chamber R7 at a relatively high value. A housing (not shown) that houses the return air fan 3a and the filter 3b is fitted into an opening (no symbol is shown in FIG. 1) in the wall that forms the above-mentioned space R12 (see FIG. 1) and fixed in place with metal fittings or the like.

[0036] The pressure sensor 31 shown in Fig. 3 is a sensor that detects the pressure in the preparation chamber R7 (see Fig. 2) and is provided in the preparation chamber R7. The detection value of this pressure sensor 31 is output to the control device 3c. Note that the room pressure of a predetermined general room (not shown) provided outside each room of the air conditioning system S may be used as the reference pressure when detecting the room pressure of the preparation chamber R7.

[0037] In this embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which the rotation speeds of the supply air fans 1a, 2a shown in Figure 2 are predetermined values ​​(fixed values), while the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a is changed appropriately based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 31.

[0038] The supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a shown in Fig. 2 are often driven constantly during air conditioning operation. The supply air fans 1a, 2a have their air volumes (i.e., rotation speeds) preset so that the air in the preparation room R7 is ventilated a predetermined number of times per unit time. The higher the number of ventilation times per unit time, the higher the cleanliness of the preparation room R7.

[0039] The rotational speed of the return air fan 3a is appropriately adjusted so that the air taken in by the supply air fans 1a and 2a leaves the preparation chamber R7 and so that the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7 is maintained at a predetermined set pressure (target room pressure value).

[0040] The gaps k1 and k2 shown in Fig. 2 are ventilation passages through which air leaves the preparation chamber R7. One gap k1 is, for example, a gap between a packing (not shown) at the lower end of a door Dq (see Fig. 1) that separates the preparation chamber R7 from a space R13 (see Fig. 1) and the floor surface of the preparation chamber R7. The space R13 shown in Fig. 1 is connected to the suction side of the air handling unit 50 via a duct shaft DS1 (see Fig. 2). Also, the height position of the lower end of the packing of the door Dq is adjustable so that the size of the gap k1 can be adjusted as appropriate.

[0041] The other gap k2 shown in FIG. 2 is, for example, a gap between a packing (not shown) at the lower end of the door Dp that separates the preparation chamber R7 from the space R12 (see FIG. 1) and the floor surface of the preparation chamber R7. The space R12 shown in FIG. 1 communicates with the chamber C (see FIG. 2) via the duct shaft DS2 (see FIG. 2) and also communicates with the suction side of the return air fan 3a. The height position of the packing of the door Dp is adjustable so that the size of the gap k2 can be adjusted. The sizes (opening ratios) of the gaps k1 and k2 are appropriately adjusted at the time of design or trial operation based on the volume of the preparation chamber R7 as well as target values ​​such as the ventilation rate and room pressure.

[0042] 2, a thin plate h2 having a plurality of holes is provided at the upper end of the duct shaft DS2. Then, while the return air fan 3a is in operation, a portion of the air introduced from the preparation chamber R7 through the gap k2 into the duct shaft DS2 is returned (i.e., returned) to the chamber C through the plurality of holes in the thin plate h2. In this way, by returning the air from the preparation chamber R7 through the chamber C, the highly purified air is reused for air conditioning of each room.

[0043] On the other hand, a part of the air guided to the lower part of the duct shaft DS2 is sucked into the return air fan 3a and exhausted to the outside. That is, the fan filter unit 2 (second unit) is arranged to suck in air through a predetermined gap k2 provided in the wall W2 (or floor F) of the preparation room R7, return a part of the sucked air to the chamber C through the duct shaft DS2, and exhaust the remaining air.

[0044] In this way, when the return air fan 3a performs both return and exhaust of the preparation chamber R7, the preparation chamber R7 communicates with the chamber C via the suction sides of the supply air fans 1a and 2a, and also communicates with the chamber C via the suction side of the return air fan 3a. Then, as will be described next, the chamber pressure of the preparation chamber R7 is adjusted by controlling the return air fan 3a.

[0045] For example, when an operator opens the door Do shown in Fig. 1, the room pressure in the airlock AL1 is higher than that in the preparation chamber R7, so that air flows from the airlock AL1 into the preparation chamber R7, causing a slight increase in the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7. If the detection value of the pressure sensor 31 exceeds the target value of the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7 due to this increase in the room pressure, the control unit c2 (see Fig. 3) increases the rotation speed of the fan motor a2 (see Fig. 3) to a predetermined value. The increase (and decrease) in the rotation speed of the fan motor a2 is calculated based on a program previously stored in the memory unit c1 (see Fig. 3).

[0046] FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the rotation speed and air volume of the return air fan. In addition, the horizontal axis of FIG. 4 is the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a (i.e., the rotation speed of the fan motor a2), and the vertical axis is the air volume of the return air fan 3a. As shown in FIG. 4, the higher the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a, the larger its air volume. Also, there is a linear relationship (proportional relationship) between the rotation speed and air volume of the return air fan 3a. Therefore, there is an advantage that the air volume can be easily fine-tuned by the return air fan 3a compared to adjusting the air volume using a damper (not shown) whose opening-air volume characteristic has a nonlinear relationship. In addition to the return air fan 3a, the supply air fans 1a, 2a, etc. also have characteristics similar to those in FIG. 4.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 4, a lower limit N1 for the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a and a lower limit Q1 for the corresponding air volume are preset based on predetermined specifications. Similarly, an upper limit N2 for the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a and an upper limit Q2 for the corresponding air volume are also preset. In particular, focusing on the lower limit Q1 for the air volume of the return air fan 3a, a specific numerical example thereof is 50 [m 3 / h], which is the lower limit of the air volume when adjusting the air volume with a conventional damper (not shown) (150 [m 3 / h]. Therefore, the supply air fans 1a, 2a (see FIG. 2) and the return air fan 3a (see FIG. 2) can be driven at a low air volume, which allows a significant reduction in the power consumption of the air conditioning system S compared to when the air volume is adjusted by a damper (not shown).

[0048] In addition, because the air volume is adjusted by the return air fan 3a, which has a linear rotation speed-air volume characteristic, the air volume can be finely adjusted even near the upper and lower limits of the rotation speed. This makes it possible to maintain the room pressure in the preparation room R7 with high precision while driving the supply air fans 1a, 2a (see Figure 2) and the return air fan 3a (see Figure 2) at low air volume.

[0049] For example, when an operator opens the door Do shown in FIG. 1 and the detection value of the pressure sensor 31 in the preparation room R7 exceeds the target value, the control unit c2 (see FIG. 3) increases the rotation speed of the fan motor a2 (see FIG. 3) to a predetermined value, as described above. When the rotation speed of the return air fan 3a increases in this way, the flow rate per unit time of the air flowing out from the preparation room R7 to the duct shaft DS2 (see FIG. 2) through the gap k2 (see FIG. 2) increases. On the other hand, the supply air fan 2a is driven at a predetermined rotation speed (fixed value). As a result, the temporarily increased room pressure in the preparation room R7 is returned to a predetermined target value. In particular, since the air volume of the return air fan 3a can be finely adjusted even near the lower limit value Q1 shown in FIG. 4, the room pressure in the preparation room R7 can be maintained with high accuracy even at a low air volume.

[0050] Also, for example, when an operator opens the door Dx shown in FIG. 1, the room pressure in the pass box PB5 is lower than that in the preparation chamber R7, so air flows out from the preparation chamber R7 to the pass box PB5, causing a slight drop in the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7. If the detection value of the pressure sensor 31 falls below the target value of the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7 due to such a drop in the room pressure, the control unit c2 (see FIG. 3) reduces the rotation speed of the fan motor a2 (see FIG. 3) to a predetermined value. This causes the temporarily lowered room pressure in the preparation chamber R7 to return to the predetermined target value. This control suppresses fluctuations in the room pressure in the preparation chamber R7, and maintains the room pressure near the predetermined target value.

[0051] Although the pressure in chamber C fluctuates slightly due to the return air to chamber C by return air fans 7a, 9a, and 11a (described below) in addition to return air fan 3a, there is little risk of this having a negative effect on maintaining the room pressure in each room.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 2, a fan filter unit 4 is embedded in the ceiling G of the front room R9. A pressure sensor 32 is also provided in the front room R9. The rotation speed of the supply air fan 4a is controlled based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 32 so as to maintain the room pressure in the front room R9 at a predetermined target value. Note that the configuration and control of the supply air fan 4a are similar to those of the return air fan 3a described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0053] Incidentally, in the example of Fig. 2, no exhaust fan (not shown) is provided on the exhaust side of the air from the front room R9. Also, in Fig. 2, an arrow is shown pointing from the floor F of the front room R9 to the bottom of the page, but the air in the front room R9 is exhausted through, for example, a gap between a packing (not shown) at the bottom end of the door Dw (see Fig. 1) and the floor surface of the front room R9. The same applies to the other front rooms R8.

[0054] A supply air fan 6a (first fan) is embedded in the ceiling G of the airlock AL2 shown in FIG. 2. Meanwhile, a return air fan 7a (second fan) is embedded in the side wall of the airlock AL2. The airlock AL2 is also provided with a pressure sensor 34 for detecting the room pressure. The supply air fan 6a is driven at a predetermined rotation speed (fixed value), while the rotation speed of the return air fan 7a is controlled (changed) so as to maintain the room pressure in the airlock AL2 at a predetermined target value. The air blown out from the return air fan 7a is returned to the chamber C via the duct shaft DS3 and multiple holes in the thin plate h3 in sequence.

[0055] In this way, when the return air fan 7a (second fan) returns air to the airlock AL2 (clean room), the airlock AL2 is connected to the chamber C via the suction side of the supply air fan 6a (first fan), and is also connected to the chamber C via the blowing side of the return air fan 7a (second fan).

[0056] The configuration and control of the return air fan 7a are similar to those of the return air fan 3a used for air conditioning the preparation room R7, except that the air blown out from the return air fan 7a is returned directly to the chamber C. This makes it possible to maintain the room pressure in the airlock AL2 with high precision, and also to reuse the relatively clean air for air conditioning in each room.

[0057] The control of the room pressure in the airlock AL1 and the secondary changing room R6 is the same as the control of the room pressure in the preparation room R7. Therefore, detailed explanations of these will be omitted. Next, the air conditioning of the remaining rooms not shown in FIG. 2 among the rooms shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0058] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a plurality of fan filter units. The ceiling G shown in Fig. 5 is the same as that shown in Fig. 2. The chamber C shown in Fig. 5 is also the same as that shown in Fig. 2. The fan filter unit 12 (first unit) is a device that supplies air from the chamber C to the primary changing room R2, and is embedded in the ceiling G. Note that the configuration of the fan filter unit 12 is similar to that of the fan filter unit 1 in the preparation room R7 (see FIG. 2), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The fan filter unit 13 (second unit) is a device that exhausts air from the primary changing room R2. Thus, the example in Fig. 5 differs from the above-mentioned fan filter units 3, 7, 9, and 11 (see Fig. 2) in that the fan filter unit 13 is not used for return air. Also, for simplification, Fig. 5 illustrates the fan filter unit 13 on the underside of the floor F of the primary changing room R2, but as shown in Fig. 1, the fan filter unit 13 is embedded in the wall that separates the primary changing room R2 from the outside.

[0060] The fan filter unit 13 includes a control device (not shown) in addition to the exhaust fan 13a (second fan) and filter 13b (second filter) shown in Fig. 5. A pressure sensor 37 for detecting the room pressure is provided in the primary changing room R2. Based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 37, the control device (not shown) controls the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 13a so that the room pressure in the primary changing room R2 becomes a predetermined target value.

[0061] The above-mentioned "exhaust air" and "return air" have in common the fact that they both expel air from a room. Therefore, the same control as that for the return air fan 3a in the preparation room R7 (see FIG. 2) can also be applied to the exhaust fan 13a (see FIG. 5). The same control is also applied to the changing room R10 shown in FIG. 5.

[0062] The "second unit" having a "second fan" which performs at least one of returning air to the "clean room" via chamber C and exhausting air from the "clean room" includes fan filter units 3, 7, 9, 11, and 13 (see Figure 2), as well as fan filter units 18 and 22 (see Figure 5).

[0063] The air conditioning of the attachment / detachment chamber R1 and the front chambers R4, R5, and R11 shown in FIG. 5 is similar to that of the front chamber R9 (see FIG. 2) described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] Fan filter units 20-22 are embedded in the ceiling G of the pre-treatment chamber R3 shown in Fig. 5. The suction sides of the air supply fans 20a, 21a of the fan filter units 20, 21 communicate with the chamber C. Meanwhile, the blowing side of the exhaust fan 22a of the fan filter unit 22 is open to the outside. A pressure sensor 43 is provided in the pre-treatment chamber R3. Based on the detection value of the pressure sensor 43, the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 22a is controlled so as to maintain the chamber pressure of the pre-treatment chamber R3 at a predetermined target value.

[0065] In the example of Fig. 5, a part of the air supplied to the pre-treatment chamber R3 by driving the air supply fans 20a and 21a is discharged by the exhaust fan 22a. The rest of the air is led to the suction side of the air handling unit (not shown) through a predetermined gap k3, a duct shaft DS6, and a duct D3 in this order. The duct D3 is an air guide pipe that leads air from the chamber C to the air handling unit (not shown). The air handling unit (not shown) is a device that supplies air whose temperature has been adjusted through the duct D3. The opening degree of the damper B3 provided in the duct D3 is maintained at a predetermined setting during a test run or the like.

[0066] <Effects> According to this embodiment, for example, the room pressure of the preparation chamber R7 (see FIG. 2) to which air is supplied from the supply air fans 1a, 2a (see FIG. 2) is maintained at a predetermined level by controlling the return air fan 3a. Therefore, there is no need to provide a duct (not shown) for guiding air to the preparation chamber R7 or a duct (not shown) for guiding air from the preparation chamber R7 to the outside, and the configuration of the air conditioning system S can be simplified. In addition, it becomes easy to provide a predetermined gas pipe (not shown) in the chamber C and to route communication lines and power lines.

[0067] Furthermore, the construction period for installing the air conditioning system S can be shortened, and the cost required for installation can be reduced, compared to the case where a duct (not shown) is provided in the chamber C. In addition, it is easy to deal with cases where the installation space is limited, such as a building that houses multiple facilities.

[0068] In addition, in the conventional configuration in which the room pressure is adjusted by a damper (not shown) provided in a duct (not shown), in addition to the air pressure loss in the duct, the nonlinearity of the damper opening-air volume characteristic and the like tend to cause response delays and overshoots in adjusting the room pressure in the clean room. In contrast, in this embodiment, for example, the room pressure in the preparation room R7 (see FIG. 2) is adjusted by the return air fan 3a, so the above-mentioned pressure loss and response delays hardly occur. In addition, since the rotation speed-air volume characteristic of the return air fan 3a and the like is linear (see FIG. 4), the room pressure in the preparation room R7 can be maintained with high accuracy. The same can be said for each of the other rooms.

[0069] Furthermore, in the conventional technology of adjusting the room pressure with a damper (not shown), it is difficult to finely adjust the air volume near the upper and lower limits of the damper opening, and there is a problem that the variable range of the air volume is narrow. In contrast, in this embodiment, for example, the range of the air volume from the lower limit Q1 (see FIG. 4) to the upper limit Q2 (see FIG. 4) of the return air fan 3a is relatively wide, and the air volume can be finely adjusted even near the lower limit Q1 and the upper limit Q2. This enables highly accurate room pressure control, particularly at low air volumes near the lower limit Q1, and the power consumption of the air conditioning system S can be significantly reduced.

[0070] In addition, by using DC motors for the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a, etc., the air conditioning system S can be applied to foreign countries with different regulations regarding voltage and current by using transformers, etc. appropriately with little change to the configuration.

[0071] Furthermore, in addition to the simple configuration, the configuration and control for adjusting the room pressure are independent (complete) in each clean room (for example, preparation room R7 in FIG. 2). This allows for a high degree of freedom in designing the air conditioning system S, and expansion is also easy. Thus, according to this embodiment, an air conditioning system S that maintains the room pressure in a clean room (such as preparation room R7) with a simple configuration with high accuracy can be provided, thereby making a contribution to society.

[0072] <<Variations>> Although the air conditioning system S according to the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and various modifications can be made. For example, in the embodiment, the room pressure in the preparation room R7 (see Figure 2) is adjusted by the return air fan 3a, and the room pressure in the primary changing room R2 (see Figure 5) is adjusted by the exhaust fan 13a, but this is not limited to the above. That is, in a configuration provided with a "first fan" that supplies air to the clean room and a "second fan" that returns air to and / or exhausts air from the clean room, the "first fan" may be controlled (changed in rotation speed) to keep the rotation speed of the "second fan" constant. In such a configuration, when the room pressure of the clean room exceeds a target value, the "control unit" reduces the rotation speed of the "first fan" to a predetermined value. On the other hand, when the room pressure of the clean room falls below the target value, the "control unit" increases the rotation speed of the "first fan" to a predetermined value. With such a configuration, the room pressure of the clean room can be maintained with high precision.

[0073] Also, the "control unit" may be configured to control both the "first fan" and the "second fan". In such a configuration, when the room pressure of the clean room exceeds a target value, the "control unit", for example, reduces (or maintains) the rotation speed of the "first fan" while increasing the rotation speed of the "second fan". On the other hand, when the room pressure of the clean room falls below the target value, the "control unit" increases (or maintains) the rotation speed of the "first fan" while decreasing the rotation speed of the "second fan". In this way, the "control unit" may be configured to control the rotation speed of at least one of the "first fan" and the "second fan". With such a configuration, the room pressure of the clean room can also be maintained with high accuracy.

[0074] Also, three or more clean rooms separated by walls provided with doors may be provided, and among the three or more clean rooms, there may be a specific clean room (e.g., airlocks AL1 and AL2 shown in FIG. 1) whose adjacent clean rooms all have a lower set pressure (target room pressure value) than the set pressure of the specific clean room. As described above, such an arrangement of rooms is possible because the room pressure of each clean room is controlled independently. In such an arrangement, for example, the filter 7b of the fan filter unit 7 on the return air side of airlock AL2 (see FIG. 2) also functions as a resistor in the air flow, which has the advantage that the room pressure of airlock AL2 can be easily maintained at a relatively high value.

[0075] Also, three or more clean rooms may be provided, separated by walls with doors, and among the three or more clean rooms, there may be a specific clean room whose set pressure (target value of room pressure) is higher than that of any of the adjacent clean rooms. As described above, such an arrangement of rooms is possible because the room pressure of each clean room is controlled independently.

[0076] Also, a clean room (preparation room R7: see FIG. 2) in which both return air and exhaust air are performed by a "second fan" (e.g., return air fan 3a: see FIG. 2) may be mixed with a clean room (airlock AL2: see FIG. 2) in which return air is performed by another "second fan" (e.g., return air fan 7a: see FIG. 2). In this way, by performing exhaust air by return air fans 3a, 7a, etc. in addition to exhaust air via duct D3 (see FIG. 5), pressure fluctuations in chamber C are suppressed, and the room pressure in each room can be maintained with even higher accuracy. Also, by performing return air for each room, highly clean air can be reused.

[0077] Also, a clean room (preparation room R7: see FIG. 2) in which both return air and exhaust air are performed by a "second fan" (e.g., return air fan 3a: see FIG. 2) may be mixed with a clean room (primary changing room R2: see FIG. 5) in which exhaust air is performed by another "second fan" (e.g., exhaust fan 13a: see FIG. 5). This suppresses pressure fluctuations in chamber C, and ultimately allows the room pressure in each room to be maintained with even greater precision. Furthermore, in such a configuration, the number of ventilations per unit time of a clean room where both return air and exhaust air are generated (e.g., preparation room R7: see FIG. 2) may be made greater than the number of ventilations of a clean room where only exhaust air is generated (e.g., primary changing room R2: see FIG. 5). This allows, for example, a portion of the highly clean air in the preparation room R7 to be reused for air conditioning in each room.

[0078] Also, a clean room (airlock AL2: see FIG. 2) in which return air is provided by a "second fan" (e.g., return air fan 7a: see FIG. 2) and a clean room (primary changing room R2: see FIG. 5) in which exhaust air is provided by another "second fan" (e.g., exhaust fan 13a: see FIG. 5) may be mixed together. This suppresses pressure fluctuations in chamber C, and ultimately allows the room pressure in each room to be maintained with even greater precision.

[0079] In the embodiment, an axial flow fan is used as each of the fans including the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a, but this is not limiting. In other words, a diagonal flow fan, a cross flow fan, or a centrifugal fan may be used as each of the fans including the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a.

[0080] In the embodiment, the driving sources of the fans including the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a are DC motors, but this is not limiting. That is, AC motors such as synchronous motors may be used as driving sources of the fans including the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a.

[0081] In the embodiment, the filter 1b of the fan filter unit 1 is described as being HEPA or ULPA, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Other types of filters, such as a filter using PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), may also be used.

[0082] In the embodiment, for example, a case has been described in which the control device (not shown) for the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the control device 3c for the return air fan 3a (see FIG. 3) are provided separately for the air conditioning of the preparation room R7, but this is not limited thereto. That is, the supply air fans 1a, 2a and the return air fan 3a may be connected to one control device (not shown). Also, the fans used for air conditioning of multiple clean rooms may be controlled by one control device (not shown).

[0083] In the embodiment, the room pressure of the pretreatment room R3 (see FIG. 1) and the preparation room R7 (see FIG. 1) where the sample is handled is higher (i.e., positive pressure) than the room pressure of each room other than the airlocks AL1 and AL2 (see FIG. 1), but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the embodiment can also be applied to a case where a clean room with a lower room pressure (i.e., negative pressure) than other rooms is provided as a work space for production processes in medical facilities or experimental animal facilities.

[0084] In addition, in the embodiment, the case where the air conditioning system S is used in a regenerative medicine facility has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the embodiment can be applied to various other fields such as the manufacturing of industrial products, the food industry, and the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.

[0085] In addition, each embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with other configurations. Furthermore, the above-mentioned mechanisms and configurations are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all mechanisms and configurations of the product. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1,2,4,5,6,8,10,12,14,15,16,17,19,20,21 Fan filter unit (first unit) 3,7,9,11,13,18,22 Fan filter unit (second unit) 1a, 2a, 4a, 5a, 6a, 8a, 10a, 12a, 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a, 19a, 20a, 21a Intake fan (first fan) 1b,2b,4b,5b,6b,8b,10b,12b,14b,15b,16b,17b,19b,20b,21b Filter (1st Filter) 3a, 7a, 9a, 11a Return air fan (second fan) 3b, 7b, 9b, 11b filter (second filter) 13a, 18a, 22a Exhaust fan (second fan) 13b, 18b, 22b filter (second filter) 31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43 Pressure Sensors 3c Control device a1 fan body a2 Fan motor (DC motor) c1 storage section c2 Control section AL1, AL2 Airlock (Clean Room) C Chamber Da,Db,Dc,Dd,De,Df,Dg,Dh,Di,Dj,Dk,Dm,Dn,Do,Dp,Dq,Dr,Ds,Dt,Du,Dv,Dw,Dx,Dy,Dz,Dα,Dβ,Dγ Door DS1,DS2,DS3,DS4,DS5,DS6 Duct shaft F floor G. Ceiling k2 Gap R1 Clean room R2 1st dressing room (clean room) R3 Pre-treatment room (clean room) R4, R5, R8, R9, R11 Front room (clean room) R6 Secondary changing room (clean room) R7 Preparation room (clean room) R10 Changing room (clean room) S Air Conditioning System W1 Wall

Claims

1. In a clean room facility used for medical or pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a first clean room and a second clean room, a plurality of first units each having a first fan for supplying air to each of the first clean room and the second clean room from a chamber including a space above the ceiling of the clean room facility; a second unit having a second fan that returns air from a specific clean room included in the clean room facility to the chamber; the chamber is common to the first clean room and the second clean room, The second unit is provided at least on a side wall of the first clean room, a first duct shaft for guiding air from the first clean room to the chamber is provided on a side of the first clean room, and air is directly guided from the first clean room to the first duct shaft via the second fan of the second unit; An air conditioning system characterized by:

2. In a clean room facility used for medical or pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a first clean room and a second clean room, a plurality of first units each having a first fan for supplying air to each of the first clean room and the second clean room from a chamber including a space above the ceiling of the clean room facility; a second unit having a second fan that returns air from a specific clean room included in the clean room facility to the chamber; the chamber is common to the first clean room and the second clean room, the second unit is provided at least on a side wall of the first clean room and above a floor of the first clean room; a first duct shaft for guiding air from the first clean room to the chamber is provided on a side of the first clean room, and air is guided from the first clean room to the first duct shaft via the second fan of the second unit; An air conditioning system characterized by:

3. A pressure sensor provided in the clean room; a control unit that controls at least one of the first fan and the second fan based on a detection value of the pressure sensor.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2,

4. Air whose temperature has been adjusted to a predetermined value is introduced into the chamber, and is then introduced from the chamber to each of the first clean room and the second clean room by the first unit.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2,

5. The first clean room and the second clean room have different target values ​​for room pressure or cleanliness.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2,

6. The first clean room is cleaner than the second clean room.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2,

7. In the second clean room, the air in the second clean room is exhausted to the outside of the second clean room without passing through a duct shaft; The first clean room has a higher degree of cleanliness than the second clean room, and no return air flow path is provided from the second clean room to the chamber.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2,

8. The second clean room is provided with a third unit having a third fan for exhausting air from the second clean room.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 7,

9. In a clean room facility used for medical or pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a first clean room and a second clean room, a plurality of first units each having a first fan for supplying air to each of the first clean room and the second clean room from a chamber including a space above the ceiling of the clean room facility; a second unit having a second fan that returns air from a specific clean room included in the clean room facility to the chamber; the chamber is common to the first clean room and the second clean room, The second unit is provided at least on a side wall of the first clean room, a first duct shaft for guiding air from the first clean room to the chamber is provided on a side of the first clean room, and air is directly guided from the first clean room to the first duct shaft via the second fan of the second unit; A clean room facility featuring:

10. A clean room facility used for medical or pharmaceutical manufacturing, including a first clean room and a second clean room, a plurality of first units each having a first fan for supplying air to each of the first clean room and the second clean room from a chamber including a space above the ceiling of the clean room facility; a second unit having a second fan that returns air from a specific clean room included in the clean room facility to the chamber; the chamber is common to the first clean room and the second clean room, the second unit is provided at least on a side wall of the first clean room and above a floor of the first clean room; a first duct shaft for guiding air from the first clean room to the chamber is provided on a side of the first clean room, and air is guided from the first clean room to the first duct shaft via the second fan of the second unit; A clean room facility featuring:

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