Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide a technique for safely starting an air conditioner even in the case of leakage of a refrigerant.SOLUTION: An air conditioning system conveys air-conditioning room air that is air in an air-conditioning room independent of a room to the room. An air conditioner is installed in the air-conditioning room. An air blower sends the air-conditioning room air from the air-conditioning room to the room. A reception section 210 receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system while the air conditioning system is stopped. When the reception section 210 receives the instruction for the start, a control section 220 starts the air blower and then starts the air conditioner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system that controls the air conditioning of a room using an air conditioner installed in an air-conditioning room that is separate from the room. [Background technology]

[0002] In an air conditioning system, an air conditioner is installed in an air conditioning room that is separate from the living room to be air-conditioned, and the air conditioning room air, which is the air in the air conditioning room, is conditioned by the air conditioner. The air conditioning room air is transported to the living room through a transport air duct by a blower (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-169808 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Air conditioners in air conditioning systems typically use flammable refrigerants, such as propane. If the air conditioning system is running when a refrigerant leaks, the leaked refrigerant is expelled from the air-conditioned room by the blower. However, if the air conditioning system is stopped, the leaked refrigerant is not expelled from the air-conditioned room, resulting in a high concentration of refrigerant in the air-conditioned room. Starting the air conditioner when the concentration of flammable refrigerant is high is not desirable.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to solve the above problem, and has an object to provide a technology that allows an air conditioner to be started safely even in the event of a refrigerant leak. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an air conditioning system that transports air-conditioned room air, which is air inside an air-conditioned room that is independent of the living room, to the living room, and includes an air conditioner installed in the air-conditioned room, a blower that blows the air-conditioned room air from the air-conditioned room to the living room, a reception unit that receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system when the air conditioning system is stopped, and a control unit that, when the reception unit receives the start instruction, starts the blower and then starts the air conditioner.

[0007] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, an air conditioner can be started safely even in the event of a refrigerant leak. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure performed by the control device of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Before describing specific examples of the present disclosure, an overview of the examples will be described. This example relates to an air conditioning system installed in a facility such as a house, which performs whole-house air conditioning for the facility. In the air conditioning system, an air conditioner (indoor unit) and a blower are installed in an air-conditioning room separate from the living room to be air-conditioned, and the indoor unit conditions the air-conditioned room. The air-conditioned room and the living room are connected by a duct, and the blower transports air from the air-conditioned room (hereinafter referred to as "air-conditioned room air") to the living room through the duct, thereby conditioning the living room. If a flammable refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit and the air conditioning system is stopped, the air-conditioned room air will not be transported to the living room by the blower, resulting in an increase in the concentration of flammable refrigerant in the air-conditioned room. It is undesirable to start the air conditioner when the concentration of flammable refrigerant is high.

[0011] It is necessary to safely start the air conditioner even if a refrigerant leaks into the air-conditioned room. When the air conditioning system according to this embodiment receives a start-up command, it starts only the blower while keeping the air conditioner stopped. The operation of the blower transports air from the air-conditioned room to the living room. Even if the concentration of flammable refrigerant in the air-conditioned room is high due to a refrigerant leak from the air conditioner, the transport of conditioned air by the blower reduces the concentration of flammable refrigerant in the air-conditioned room. Furthermore, the air conditioning system starts the air conditioner after a certain period of time has elapsed since the blower was started.

[0012] The examples described below each illustrate a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps (processes), and step order shown in the following examples are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following examples, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present disclosure are described as optional components. Furthermore, in each drawing, substantially identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000. The air conditioning system 1000 is installed in a house, which includes a first living room 10a, a second living room 10b, and an air-conditioned room 20, collectively referred to as living rooms 10. The number of living rooms 10 in a house is not limited to two. The living rooms 10 are spaces to be air-conditioned, and the air-conditioned room 20 is a space independent of the living rooms 10.

[0014] The outside air intake duct 102, the exhaust duct 106, the air conditioning duct 130, the first transport duct 150a and the second transport duct 150b collectively referred to as the transport duct 150, the first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164 collectively referred to as the circulation duct 162, and the first exhaust duct 172a and the second exhaust duct 172b collectively referred to as the exhaust duct 172 are pipes that transport air, that is, air paths.

[0015] An outside air inlet 100 is installed on the exterior wall of the house. An outside air inlet duct 102 extends from the outside air inlet 100 toward the interior of the house. The outside air inlet duct 102 is connected to a ventilation device 104. An outside air inlet fan (not shown) is installed in the ventilation device 104, and as the outside air inlet fan rotates, air (outside air) is taken in from the outside air inlet 100 and flows into the ventilation device 104 through the outside air inlet duct 102. The outside air inlet duct 102 extends further from the ventilation device 104 and is connected to a circulation duct 164, causing the air from the ventilation device 104 to flow into the circulation duct 164.

[0016] An exhaust duct 106 is also connected to the ventilation device 104. The exhaust duct 106 is connected to a first exhaust duct 172a extending from the first living room 10a and a second exhaust duct 172b extending from the second living room 10b, and extends toward the exterior wall of the house via the ventilation device 104. The first exhaust duct 172a is also connected to a first air inlet 170a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second exhaust duct 172b is also connected to a second air inlet 170b installed in the second living room 10b. The exhaust duct 106 is also connected to an exhaust outlet 108 installed in the exterior wall of the house.

[0017] An exhaust fan (not shown) is installed in ventilation device 104, and as the exhaust fan rotates, air is taken in through first air inlet 170a and flows into ventilation device 104 through first exhaust duct 172a and exhaust duct 106. As the exhaust fan rotates, air is taken in through second air inlet 170b and flows into ventilation device 104 through second exhaust duct 172b and exhaust duct 106. The air (exhaust) then passes through exhaust duct 106 and is exhausted from exhaust port 108. In this way, first exhaust duct 172a, second exhaust duct 172b, and exhaust duct 106 collect air from first living room 10a and second living room 10b, and exhaust the air to the outdoors through a single exhaust port 108. As a result, the ventilation device 104 ventilates the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b, which are different from each other, and exchanges air between the inside and outside of the living room 10. The ventilation device 104 may exchange heat between the air taken in from the outside air inlet 100 (outside air) and the air taken in from the living room 10 (exhaust air).

[0018] Inside the house, a first circulation duct 162a, a second circulation duct 162b, and a circulation duct 164 are installed, extending from each living room 10 to the air-conditioning room 20, and an air conditioning duct 130, a first conveying duct 150a, and a second conveying duct 150b are installed, extending from the air-conditioning room 20 to each living room 10. The first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164 are also called return air ducts, and the air conditioning duct 130, the first conveying duct 150a, and the second conveying duct 150b are also called supply air ducts. The air passage connecting these ducts is configured in a ring shape.

[0019] The circulation duct 164 is connected to a first circulation duct 162a extending from the first living room 10a, a second circulation duct 162b extending from the second living room 10b, and the outside air introduction duct 102. The first circulation duct 162a is also connected to a first circulation port 160a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second circulation duct 162b is also connected to a first circulation port 160b installed in the second living room 10b. In the circulation duct 164, air from the first circulation duct 162a, air from the second circulation duct 162b, and air from the outside air introduction duct 102 are mixed. The mixed air flows toward the air-conditioned room 20.

[0020] An air conditioning duct 130 extending from the air-conditioned room 20 is connected to a branch chamber 140, and a first transfer duct 150a and a second transfer duct 150b are connected to the branch chamber 140. The first transfer duct 150a is also connected to a first air outlet 152a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second transfer duct 150b is also connected to a second air outlet 152b installed in the second living room 10b.

[0021] The air-conditioned room 20 is equipped with a humidifier 120, an indoor unit 122, and a blower 126. Air flows into the air-conditioned room 20 from a circulation duct 164. The air flowing into the air-conditioned room 20 (the air inside the air-conditioned room 20) corresponds to the "air-conditioned room air" described above. The humidifier 120 humidifies or dehumidifies the air-conditioned room air. The indoor unit 122 (air conditioner) is connected to an outdoor unit 124 installed outside the facility, and cools or heats the air-conditioned room air. The blower 126 blows the air-conditioned room air from the air-conditioned room 20 to an air-conditioning duct 130.

[0022] The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 are equipped with wireless communication or wired communication functions and are capable of communicating with the control device 200. The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 receive instructions from the control device 200, such as instructions for humidification or dehumidification for the humidifier 120, instructions for cooling or heating for the indoor unit 122, and instructions for blowing air for the blower 126. The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 operate in accordance with the instructions received from the control device 200.

[0023] The air-conditioned room 20 may be equipped with a filter. The filter is, for example, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. The HEPA filter is an air filter that removes dirt, dust, etc. from the air in the air-conditioned room and outputs purified air-conditioned room air. The purified air-conditioned room air is blown out by a blower 126.

[0024] The branching chamber 140 branches the air conditioning duct 130 from the air-conditioned room 20 into a first transfer duct 150a and a second transfer duct 150b. The transfer duct 150 is an air passage for transferring the air from the air-conditioned room to the living room 10.

[0025] The control device 200 is a system controller that controls the entire air conditioning system 1000. The control device 200 has a wireless communication function or a wired communication function and can communicate with the humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126. In Fig. 1, the control device 200 is installed in the first living room 10a, but is not limited to this.

[0026] When the air conditioning system 1000 performs whole-building air conditioning, the air in the air-conditioned room 20 is blown out to the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b via the air conditioning duct 130, the branch chamber 140, the first transfer duct 150a, and the second transfer duct 150b. The air in the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b is exhausted to the outside of the facility via the first exhaust duct 172a, the second exhaust duct 172b, and the exhaust duct 106. The air in the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b is returned to the air-conditioned room 20 via the first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164. At this time, outside air flows into the circulation duct 164 via the outside air intake duct 102.

[0027] By circulating the air in this way, air is drawn in and out of the air-conditioned room 20. In other words, the air-conditioned room air is constantly replaced without remaining stagnant in the air-conditioned room 20. Therefore, even if refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 122 and is contained in the air-conditioned room air, the air-conditioned room air containing the refrigerant is also replaced.

[0028] The following describes the operation of starting up the air conditioning system 1000, assuming that the air conditioning system 1000 is stopped. Fig. 2 shows the configuration of the control device 200. The control device 200 includes a reception unit 210, a control unit 220, a timer 230, and a storage unit 240. Here, the configuration necessary for explaining the operation of starting up the air conditioning system 1000 is shown, and the configuration included in the control device 200 is not limited to these.

[0029] The reception unit 210 is, for example, an interface for receiving operations from a user. When the air conditioning system 1000 is stopped, the reception unit 210 receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system 1000 through an operation from the user. The reception unit 210 may also have a wireless communication function and be capable of communicating with a terminal device carried by the user. The terminal device is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system 1000 through an operation from the user. The terminal device may transmit an instruction to start the air conditioning system 1000 to the control device 200, and the reception unit 210 may receive the instruction to start the air conditioning system 1000.

[0030] When the reception unit 210 receives a start-up instruction, the control unit 220 starts the blower 126. At this time, the control unit 220 does not start the indoor unit 122 (air conditioner). The control unit 220 also notifies the timer 230 of the timing at which the blower 126 was started, and the timer 230 measures the time that has elapsed since the blower 126 was started. The control unit 220 monitors the time measured by the timer 230. When the time measured by the timer 230 is equal to or greater than a threshold value stored in the memory unit 240, the control unit 220 starts the indoor unit 122 (air conditioner). At this time, the outdoor unit 124 is also started.

[0031] The threshold value is determined based on the time required for the refrigerant to be sufficiently discharged from the air-conditioned room 20 by the air blown by the blower 126 when the air-conditioning system 1000 is stopped and the refrigerant concentration in the air-conditioned room 20 is high due to refrigerant leakage from the indoor unit 122. For example, the amount of air-conditioned room air in the air-conditioned room 20 is calculated based on the floor area and height of the air-conditioned room 20. The time required for all of the air-conditioned room air to be discharged is calculated by dividing the amount of air-conditioned room air by the air blown per unit time of the blower 126. The threshold value is determined, for example, as the time required for one-quarter of the air-conditioned room air to be discharged. Note that, because typical flammable refrigerants are heavier than air, they tend to accumulate in the lower part of the air-conditioned room 20. In other words, the larger the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room 20, the greater the amount of air-conditioned room air that needs to be discharged. In other words, the threshold value is determined based on the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room 20 and the air flow rate of the blower 126, and the threshold value increases as the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room 20 increases, and the threshold value increases as the air flow rate of the blower 126 decreases.

[0032] The subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure includes a computer. The computer executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure. The computer includes, as its main hardware component, a processor that operates according to the program. The processor may be of any type, as long as it can realize the functions by executing the program. The processor may be composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integration (LSI). The electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or may be provided on multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium, such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0033] The operation of the air conditioning system 1000 configured as described above will now be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure by the control device 200. The reception unit 210 receives a start-up instruction (S10). The control unit 220 starts the blower 126 (S12). The timer 230 starts measuring the time since the blower 126 was started (S14). If the measured time is not equal to or greater than the threshold value (N in S16), the timer 230 continues measuring the time. If the measured time is equal to or greater than the threshold value (Y in S16), the control unit 220 starts the indoor unit 122 (air conditioner) (S18).

[0034] According to this embodiment, when an instruction to start the air conditioning system 1000 is received, the blower 126 is started before the air conditioner is started, so even if a refrigerant leak occurs, the air conditioner can be started safely in the living room 10 with the refrigerant concentration reduced. In addition, the time elapsed since the start of the blower 126 is measured, and the air conditioner is started when the measured time exceeds a threshold, so the start time of the blower 126 and the start time of the air conditioner can be staggered.

[0035] Furthermore, the threshold value is determined based on the size of the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room 20 and the airflow rate of the blower 126, and therefore can reflect the time required to discharge the air-conditioned room air. Furthermore, the threshold value increases as the size of the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room 20 increases, and the threshold value increases as the airflow rate of the blower 126 decreases, so that the air-conditioned room air can be discharged before the air-conditioned room is started up.

[0036] An outline of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. (Item 1) An air conditioning system (1000) that conveys air-conditioned room air, which is air in an air-conditioned room (20) independent of a living room (10), to the living room (10), an air conditioner (122) installed in the air-conditioning room (20); a blower (126) that blows the air-conditioning chamber air from the air-conditioning chamber (20) to the living room (10); a reception unit (210) that receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system (1000) when the air conditioning system (1000) is stopped; a control unit (220) that starts the air blower (126) and then starts the air conditioner (122) when the reception unit (210) receives the start-up instruction; An air conditioning system (1000) comprising:

[0037] (Item 2) The air conditioner further includes a timer (230) for measuring the time elapsed since the fan (126) was started, Item 1. The air conditioning system (1000) according to item 1, wherein the control unit (220) starts the air conditioner (122) when the time measured by the timer (230) becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0038] (Item 3) 3. The air conditioning system (1000) according to item 2, wherein the threshold value is determined based on the floor area of ​​the air-conditioning room (20) and the air volume of the blower (126).

[0039] (Item 4) The threshold value increases as the floor area of ​​the air-conditioning room (20) increases, 4. The air conditioning system (1000) according to item 3, wherein the threshold value increases as the air flow rate of the blower (126) decreases.

[0040] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 living room, 20 air-conditioned room, 100 outdoor air inlet, 102 outdoor air inlet duct, 104 ventilation device, 106 exhaust duct, 120 humidifier, 122 indoor unit, 124 outdoor unit, 126 blower, 130 air conditioning duct, 140 branch chamber, 150 conveying duct, 152 outlet, 160 circulation port, 162, 164 circulation duct, 170 intake port, 172 exhaust duct, 200 control device, 210 reception unit, 220 control unit, 230 timer, 240 memory unit, 1000 air conditioning system.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system that delivers air-conditioned room air, which is air in an air-conditioned room independent of a room, to the room, an air conditioner installed in the air-conditioned room; a blower that blows the air-conditioned room air from the air-conditioned room to the living room; a reception unit that receives an instruction to start the air conditioning system when the air conditioning system is stopped; a control unit that starts the air blower and then the air conditioner when the reception unit receives the start-up instruction; An air conditioning system equipped with:

2. The air conditioner further includes a timer that measures the time that has elapsed since the fan was started, The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit starts the air conditioner when the time measured by the timer reaches or exceeds a threshold value.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is determined based on the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room and the air flow rate of the blower.

4. The threshold value increases as the floor area of ​​the air-conditioned room increases, The air conditioning system according to claim 3 , wherein the threshold value increases as the air flow rate of the blower decreases.

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