Ventilation device, air blowing device and control device

The ventilation device maintains constant air volume by using a control unit with memory units to adjust DC motor input values, addressing pressure loss changes and improving controllability without lengthy trial runs.

JP2025151562APending Publication Date: 2025-10-09MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024053065
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-28
Publication Date
2025-10-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional ventilation devices struggle to maintain constant air volume when pressure loss in the air duct changes, particularly in heat-exchange type ventilation systems, requiring lengthy trial runs to adjust rotation speed and shaft power.

Method used

A ventilation device with a control unit that utilizes a rotation speed-electrical characteristic memory and an offset amount memory to maintain constant air volume by adjusting DC motor input values based on stored data, compensating for changes in pressure loss.

Benefits of technology

Enables constant air volume control without lengthy trial runs, facilitating labor-saving duct design and improved air volume controllability.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a ventilation device capable of performing air quantity fixing control based on a preset air quantity even in a case where a pressure loss changes.SOLUTION: A ventilation device 100 comprises: air blowers 9 and 10 for blowing air by driving DC motors 9a and 10a; a control section 40 for controlling the drive of the DC motors 9a and 10a; a rotation speed-electric characteristic storage section 51 storing correspondence data of rotation speeds and electric characteristics; and an offset amount storage section 53 storing offset amounts of input values to the DC motors 9a and 10a. The control section 40 performs control so as to fix air quantities of the air blowers 9 and 10 at preset air quantity based on the correspondence data stored in the rotation speed-electric characteristic storage section 51 in a first operation state and corrects the input values to the DC motors 9a and 10a using the offset amounts stored in the offset amount storage section 53 in a case where the first operation state switches to a second operation state in which a pressure loss is different from that of the first operation state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a ventilation device, an air blower, and a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are ventilation devices that can control the blower to maintain a constant set airflow, with the aim of reducing the labor required for duct design and improving airflow control. Here, the set airflow is the airflow set in advance by the user using a remote controller or similar device. Such ventilation devices perform repetitive control by detecting information such as the DC motor's rotation speed and current value and adjusting the rotation speed, current value, etc. to maintain a constant airflow. By using DC motor information to control the airflow to a constant level in this way, it is possible to operate the device at a pseudo-constant airflow even without any airflow or speed measuring devices inside the duct.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technical idea in which a trial run is conducted before normal operation, and during the trial run, the target values ​​of the rotation speed and shaft power required for constant air volume control are confirmed, and thereafter the unit is operated at the target values ​​of the rotation speed and shaft power. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5266931 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the air volume does not become constant if the pressure loss in the air duct changes after a test run. In particular, in a heat-exchange type ventilation device that can switch between heat exchange ventilation and non-heat exchange ventilation, when switching between an air duct that passes through a heat exchange element and an air duct that does not pass through a heat exchange element, the pressure loss in the air duct changes, and the air volume does not become constant. In such cases, it is necessary to perform test runs in both heat exchange ventilation and non-heat exchange ventilation to confirm the rotation speed and shaft power required to maintain a constant air volume, which increases the test run time.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a ventilation device, an air blower, and a control device that can perform constant air volume control at a set air volume even when pressure loss changes, without spending a lot of time on trial operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The ventilation device according to the present disclosure is a ventilation device that performs ventilation by sucking air in through an intake port and exhausting it through an outlet port, and includes an air duct with an intake port at one end and an outlet port at the other end, a blower that is installed in the air duct and blows air by driving a built-in DC motor, a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor, a rotation speed-electrical characteristic memory unit that stores correspondence data between rotation speed and electrical characteristics to keep the air volume of the blower constant at a set air volume, and an offset amount memory unit that stores an offset amount of the input value to the DC motor for each operating state where the pressure loss in the air duct differs, In a first operating state, the control unit controls the airflow of the blower to be constant at the set airflow based on the corresponding data stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristic memory unit, and when switching to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air path is different from that in the first operating state, the control unit corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount memory unit, and controls the airflow of the blower to be constant at the set airflow.

[0008] The air blower according to the present disclosure includes a blower that blows air by driving a built-in DC motor, a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor, and an offset amount storage unit that stores an offset amount of an input value to the DC motor for each operating state in which the pressure loss in an air passage in which the blower is installed differs; In a first operating state, the control unit controls the DC motor so that the air volume of the blower is constant at the set air volume, and when the operating state is switched to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air path is different from the first operating state, the control unit corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount memory unit, and controls the air volume of the blower so that it is constant at the set air volume.

[0009] Furthermore, the control device according to the present disclosure is a control device that controls the drive of a DC motor built into a blower, and in a first operating state, controls the DC motor so that the air volume of the blower is constant at a set air volume, and when the operating state switches to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air duct in which the blower is installed is different from the first operating state, corrects the input value of the DC motor using an offset amount corresponding to the difference in pressure loss in the air duct, and controls so that the air volume of the blower is constant at the set air volume. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The ventilation device, blower, and control device according to the present disclosure are capable of performing constant air volume control at a set air volume even when pressure loss changes, without requiring a long trial run, thereby contributing to labor-saving duct design and improved air volume controllability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a heat exchange type ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat exchange type ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a heat exchange element included in a heat exchange type ventilation device according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4]1 is a plan view showing a heat exchange type ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 3 is a block diagram showing a control box provided in the heat exchange type ventilation device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a rotation speed-electrical characteristic table. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a command voltage value offset amount table. [Figure 8] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between airflow rate and external static pressure in the heat exchanger ventilation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the motor rotation speed and the motor current value in the heat exchanger ventilation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for an initial test run of the heat exchange type ventilation apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure when restarting the heat exchange type ventilation apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a heat exchange type ventilation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a command voltage value offset amount table. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control box provided in the heat exchange type ventilation device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a command voltage value offset amount table. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a control box provided in the heat exchanger ventilation device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a command voltage value offset amount table. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a blower according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control box provided in the blower device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 20]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a control unit and a storage unit included in the heat exchange ventilation devices according to the first to fourth embodiments and the air blower device according to the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these parts will be appropriately simplified or omitted. Furthermore, the size relationships between the components in each drawing may differ from those in reality.

[0013] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a heat exchanger ventilation device 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the heat exchanger ventilation device 100 according to embodiment 1, which corresponds to the cross section taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Note that in Fig. 1, the top surface of the heat exchanger ventilation device 100 is not shown to illustrate the internal structure. The heat exchanger ventilation device 100 is a ceiling-concealed outdoor air processing unit that is installed concealed above the ceiling.

[0014] 1 and 2, the heat exchange ventilator 100 includes a rectangular parallelepiped metal housing 1. On the side of the housing 1, there are provided an outdoor air inlet 2 for drawing in outdoor air OA, an indoor air outlet 3 for supplying the outdoor air OA into the room as supply air SA, an indoor air inlet 4 for drawing in indoor air RA, and an outdoor air outlet 5 for discharging the indoor air RA to the outside as exhaust air EA. Here, the symbol OA stands for Outdoor Air, the symbol SA stands for Supply Air, the symbol RA stands for Return Air, and the symbol EA stands for Exhaust Air.

[0015] The outdoor air inlet 2, the indoor air outlet 3, the indoor air inlet 4, and the outdoor air outlet 5 are formed as duct connection flanges that are connected to a duct (not shown). The outdoor air inlet 2 and the outdoor air outlet 5 are provided on one side 1a of the housing 1, and each communicates with the outdoor space via a duct that extends to the outside of the building. The indoor air outlet 3 and the indoor air inlet 4 are provided on the other side 1b of the housing 1 opposite the one side 1a, and each communicates with the indoor space via a duct that extends into the room.

[0016] Inside the housing 1, an intake air duct 6 that connects the outdoor air inlet 2 and the indoor air outlet 3 and an exhaust air duct 7 that connects the indoor air inlet 4 and the outdoor air outlet 5 are formed independently of each other. That is, the intake air duct 6 connects the outside of the building with the inside of the room and is an air duct for supplying outdoor air OA into the room as supply air SA. On the other hand, the exhaust air duct 7 connects the inside of the room with the outside of the building and is an air duct for exhausting indoor air RA to the outside as exhaust air EA.

[0017] A rectangular parallelepiped heat exchange element 8 is provided inside the housing 1. The heat exchange element 8 is installed in the center of the housing 1, and is located midway between the intake air duct 6 and the exhaust air duct 7. As shown in Fig. 3, the heat exchange element 8 has a heat exchanger intake air duct 8a, which has a multilayer structure made of corrugated sheets in which corrugated paperboard is bonded onto flat paperboard, and a heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b, which has a multilayer structure made of corrugated sheets in which corrugated paperboard is bonded onto flat paperboard, formed independently of each other.

[0018] The heat exchanger intake air duct 8a and the heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b are arranged to intersect at right angles in the heat exchange element 8. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, in the heat exchange element 8, the direction of flow of the supply air SA flowing through the heat exchanger intake air duct 8a is perpendicular to the direction of flow of the exhaust air EA flowing through the heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b. This enables the heat exchange element 8 to perform total heat exchange, exchanging heat and humidity between the supply air SA flowing through the heat exchanger intake air duct 8a and the exhaust air EA flowing through the heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b. It is desirable that the heat exchange element 8 be capable of total heat exchange, but it may also be a sensible heat exchange type that exchanges only the temperature of the supply air SA flowing through the heat exchanger intake air duct 8a and the exhaust air EA flowing through the heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b.

[0019] The supply air duct 6 is made up of an upstream supply air duct 6a provided between the outdoor air inlet 2 and the heat exchange element 8, a heat exchanger supply air duct 8a of the heat exchange element 8, and a downstream supply air duct 6b provided between the indoor air outlet 3 and the heat exchange element 8. The outdoor air OA drawn in through the outdoor air inlet 2 passes through the upstream supply air duct 6a, the heat exchanger supply air duct 8a, and the downstream supply air duct 6b in that order as supply air SA, and is supplied into the room from the indoor air outlet 3.

[0020] The exhaust air duct 7 is made up of an upstream exhaust air duct 7a provided between the indoor air inlet 4 and the heat exchange element 8, a heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b of the heat exchange element 8, and a downstream exhaust air duct 7b provided between the outdoor air outlet 5 and the heat exchange element 8. The indoor air RA drawn in through the indoor air inlet 4 passes through the upstream exhaust air duct 7a, the heat exchanger exhaust air duct 8b, and the downstream exhaust air duct 7b in that order as exhaust air EA, and is discharged to the outside of the room through the outdoor air outlet 5.

[0021] A supply air blower 9 is installed in the downstream-side supply air duct 6b. A DC motor 9a is installed in the supply air blower 9, and an impeller (not shown) is connected to the DC motor 9a. When the impeller of the DC motor 9a rotates, a supply airflow is generated that flows from the upstream end to the downstream end of the supply air duct 6. When the supply air blower 9 is driven in this way, outdoor air OA is drawn in through the outdoor air inlet 2 via a duct that communicates with the outside of the building, and passes through the heat exchange element 8 as supply air SA. The supply air SA that has passed through the heat exchange element 8 reaches the indoor air outlet 3 and is supplied to the indoor space through the indoor air outlet 3.

[0022] An exhaust fan 10 is installed in the downstream exhaust airflow duct 7b. A DC motor 10a is installed in the exhaust fan 10, and an impeller (not shown) is connected to the DC motor 10a. Rotation of the impeller of the DC motor 10a generates an exhaust flow from the upstream end of the exhaust airflow duct 7 to the downstream end. When the exhaust fan 10 is driven in this manner, room air RA is drawn in through the indoor air inlet 4 via a duct connected to the room, and passes through the heat exchange element 8 as exhaust air EA. The exhaust air EA that has passed through the heat exchange element 8 reaches the outdoor air outlet 5 and is exhausted from the outdoor air outlet 5 to the outdoor space.

[0023] An air conditioning coil 11 is provided in the downstream-side supply air passage 6b downstream of the supply air blower 9. The air conditioning coil 11 heats or cools the supply air SA blown out from the supply air blower 9. A humidifier 12 is also provided in the downstream-side supply air passage 6b downstream of the air conditioning coil 11. The humidifier 12 humidifies the supply air SA that has passed through the air conditioning coil 11.

[0024] A refrigerant pipe (not shown) is connected to the air conditioning coil 11, and an outdoor unit (not shown) of the air conditioner is connected to the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor unit is supplied to the air conditioning coil 11 via the refrigerant pipe. The air conditioning coil 11 can heat or cool the supply air SA by exchanging heat between the supply air SA supplied from the intake air blower 9 and the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant pipe.

[0025] That is, when the supply air SA supplied from the heat exchange element 8 passes through the air conditioning coil 11, the air conditioning coil 11 heats the passing supply air SA and supplies it to the humidifier 12. Also, when the supply air SA supplied from the heat exchange element 8 passes through the air conditioning coil 11, the air conditioning coil 11 cools and dehumidifies the passing supply air SA.

[0026] This allows the air conditioning coil 11 to adjust the amount of humidification of the air blown out from the indoor air outlet 3, and the temperature and humidity of the air blown out from the indoor air outlet 3, depending on the amount of heating or dehumidification. If there is no need to heat or cool the supply air SA, there is no need to provide the air conditioning coil 11. If there is no need to humidify the supply air SA, there is no need to provide the humidifier 12.

[0027] The exhaust air passage 7 is provided with a bypass air passage 7c that causes the exhaust air EA to flow bypassing the heat exchange element 8, and a bypass damper 13 that is disposed upstream of the bypass air passage 7c and the heat exchange element 8 and that switches the destination of the exhaust air EA to either the heat exchange element 8 or the bypass air passage 7c. Here, Fig. 1 shows a state in which the bypass air passage 7c is closed by the bypass damper 13. In this state, the exhaust air EA flowing through the upstream exhaust air passage 7a flows into the heat exchange element 8, where heat exchange occurs between the supply air SA and the exhaust air EA, thereby performing heat exchange ventilation.

[0028] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, when the air passage on the side where the exhaust air EA flows into the heat exchange element 8 is closed by the bypass damper 13, the exhaust air EA flowing through the upstream exhaust air passage 7a flows into the bypass air passage 7c, and non-heat exchange ventilation is performed in which heat exchange does not occur between the supply air SA and the exhaust air EA.

[0029] An intake-side air filter 14 is removably attached to the surface of the heat exchange element 8 into which the supply air SA flows. The intake-side air filter 14 removes dust and other particles mixed in with the supply air SA, preventing clogging of the heat exchange element 8. Similarly, an exhaust-side air filter 15 is removably attached to the surface of the heat exchange element 8 into which the exhaust air EA flows. The exhaust-side air filter 15 removes dust and other particles mixed in with the exhaust air EA, preventing clogging of the heat exchange element 8.

[0030] An intake air temperature and humidity sensor 16 is installed in the upstream intake air duct 6a. The intake air temperature and humidity sensor 16 detects the temperature and humidity of the supply air SA flowing through the upstream intake air duct 6a. Similarly, an exhaust air temperature and humidity sensor 17 is installed in the upstream exhaust air duct 7a. The exhaust air temperature and humidity sensor 17 detects the temperature and humidity of the exhaust air EA flowing through the upstream exhaust air duct 7a.

[0031] A control box 20 is provided on the side of the housing 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the control box 20 includes a power supply unit 30, a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, and a motor drive unit 60. A communicable remote controller 21 is connected to the control unit 40. The control unit 40 is also referred to as a "control device."

[0032] The remote controller 21 receives commands for various controls such as ventilation operation of the heat exchanger type ventilation device 100. The remote controller 21 outputs various commands received from the user to the control unit 40. Commands received from the user include a command to start or stop operation of the heat exchanger type ventilation device 100, a command to switch the airflow volume, a command to switch the operating state, and the like.

[0033] Here, the operating state includes ventilation mode, operation mode, etc., and switching of the ventilation mode includes switching from heat exchange ventilation mode to non-heat exchange ventilation mode, etc. Switching of the operation mode also includes switching from ventilation airflow mode to heating / humidification mode, and switching from ventilation airflow mode to cooling / dehumidification mode, etc. The ventilation airflow mode refers to either the heat exchange ventilation mode or the non-heat exchange ventilation mode. The operation mode may also be switched between heating / humidification mode and cooling / dehumidification mode. Details of the ventilation mode and operation mode will be described later.

[0034] Furthermore, the remote controller 21 can also output to the control unit 40 information on various control parameters, information on whether or not a filter that can be attached to the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 is attached, or information such as the dust concentration of the outdoor air OA or the indoor air RA.

[0035] The power supply unit 30 supplies power to the DC motors 9a and 10a. The power supply unit 30 is a rectifier that converts AC (Alternating Current) power input from a commercial power source (not shown) into DC (Direct Current) power. This DC power is supplied to the DC motors 9a and 10a via wiring.

[0036] The control unit 40 controls the DC motors 9a and 10a. The control unit 40 includes a command unit 41, a rotation speed detection unit 42, and an electrical characteristic detection unit 43. Information can be transmitted and received between the components of the control unit 40. Note that the control unit 40 only needs to be able to control the DC motors 9a and 10a, and some or all of the elements that make up the control unit 40 may be installed inside the power supply unit 30, the motor drive unit 60, the DC motor 9a, or the DC motor 10a.

[0037] Command unit 41 outputs a command voltage value indicating the voltage for driving DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a to motor drive unit 60. Based on information relating to the motor rotation speed input from rotation speed detection unit 42 and information relating to the electrical characteristics input from electrical characteristic detection unit 43, command unit 41 adjusts the command voltage value output to motor drive unit 60 so that DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a operate at a constant airflow rate.

[0038] The rotation speed detection unit 42 detects the rotation speeds of the DC motors 9a and 10a. The DC motors 9a and 10a each have a built-in rotation speed sensor (not shown), and detection signals detected by these rotation speed sensors are input to the rotation speed detection unit 42. The rotation speed detection unit 42 detects the rotation speeds of the DC motors 9a and 10a based on the detection signals detected by the rotation speed sensors. The rotation speed detection unit 42 outputs the detected rotation speeds to the command unit 41.

[0039] The rotation speed sensor is, for example, a Hall element, which detects the rotation state of DC motors 9a and 10a and outputs the result as an output signal to rotation speed detection unit 42. Note that rotation speed detection unit 42 only needs to be able to detect the rotation speeds of DC motors 9a and 10a, and may calculate the rotation speed from amplitude and phase information of three-phase currents, for example.

[0040] The electrical characteristic detection unit 43 detects the motor currents flowing through the DC motors 9a and 10a. Current sensors (not shown) are built into the DC motors 9a and 10a, respectively, and the motor current values ​​detected by these current sensors are input to the electrical characteristic detection unit 43. The electrical characteristic detection unit 43 outputs the input motor current values ​​to the command unit 41.

[0041] Memory unit 50 stores rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51, command voltage value memory unit 52, and command voltage value offset amount table 53. Rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51 and command voltage value offset amount table 53 are tables for controlling DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a to maintain a constant air volume. Here, constant air volume control refers to controlling DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a so that the air volumes of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 are constant.

[0042] Alternatively, DC motor 9a or DC motor 10a may be controlled so that the air volume of either intake fan 9 or exhaust fan 10 is constant. Furthermore, rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 is also referred to as the "rotation speed-electrical characteristics storage unit." Furthermore, command voltage value offset amount table 53 is also referred to as the "offset amount storage unit."

[0043] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. As shown in FIG. 6, rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 stores, as parameters, correspondence data between rotation speeds and electrical characteristics (in the figure, Iq_af1 corresponds to N_af1, Iq_af2 corresponds to N_af2, Iq_af3 corresponds to N_af3, Iq_af4 corresponds to N_af4, and so on) for keeping the airflow of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 constant at a set airflow. The parameters are data obtained in advance through experiments. The parameters stored in rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 are used as control target values ​​for motor rotation speed and motor current during an initial test run, which will be described later.

[0044] If the pressure loss in the intake air duct 6 and the pressure loss in the exhaust air duct 7 are different, parameters corresponding to the DC motor 9a installed in the intake air duct 6 and parameters corresponding to the DC motor 10a installed in the exhaust air duct 7 are stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. If there are multiple air volumes that can be controlled to a constant air volume, parameters for each air volume are stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. An example of an air volume that can be controlled to a constant air volume is 800 m. 3 / h, 900m 3 / h, 1000m 3 / h, 1100m 3 / h.

[0045] The command voltage value storage unit 52 is a storage area that stores a command voltage value for performing constant air volume control based on a set air volume when the heat exchanger ventilator 100 is installed in a building. The command voltage value storage unit 52 stores a numerical value that converges to a single value by repeatedly changing the command voltage value during an initial test run (described later) and searching for an operating point that matches the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. Storing the command voltage value in the command voltage value storage unit 52 in this way eliminates the need to perform an initial test run every time the heat exchanger ventilator 100 is started, and allows constant air volume control to be performed quickly.

[0046] 7 is a diagram showing command voltage value offset amount table 53. As shown in FIG. 7, command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores offset amounts of command voltage values ​​for performing constant airflow control using a set airflow even in operating states different from the operating state in which the initial test run was performed. Specifically, the command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores the offset amount of the command voltage value when switching from the heat exchange ventilation mode to the non-heat exchange ventilation mode (V_offset1 is shown as an example in the figure), the offset amount of the command voltage value when switching from the ventilation air supply mode to the heating / humidification mode (V_offset2 is shown as an example in the figure), the offset amount of the command voltage value when switching from the ventilation air supply mode to the cooling / dehumidification mode (V_offset3 is shown as an example in the figure), and the like.

[0047] Here, the heat exchange ventilation mode corresponds to the "first operating state," and the non-heat exchange ventilation mode corresponds to the "second operating state." Also, the ventilation air supply mode corresponds to the "first operating state," and the heating / humidification mode and the cooling / dehumidification mode correspond to the "second operating state."

[0048] Here, when the operating state in which the initial test run was performed is switched to another operating state with a different pressure loss, constant air volume control based on the set air volume cannot be performed with the command voltage value stored in command voltage value storage unit 52. Therefore, an offset amount according to the operating state is read from command voltage value offset amount table 53, and the command voltage value is corrected with this offset amount, thereby making it possible to continue constant air volume control based on the set air volume.

[0049] The difference in pressure loss in the air duct due to differences in operating conditions is known and can be determined in advance by experiment. Command voltage value offset amount table 53 is a table that stores values ​​for correcting the influence of this difference in pressure loss. The use of command voltage value offset amount table 53 will be described later.

[0050] The motor driving unit 60 controls the command voltage for driving the DC motors 9a and 10a based on the command voltage value input from the command unit 41. Specifically, the motor driving unit 60 adjusts the DC power supplied from the power supply unit 30 by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control based on the command voltage value input from the command unit 41. The motor driving unit 60 then applies this adjusted DC power as a command voltage to the DC motors 9a and 10a.

[0051] When DC motor 9a is driven, the impeller rotates, and an air flow of supply air SA is generated from intake blower 9. When DC motor 10a is driven, the impeller rotates, and an air flow of exhaust air EA is generated from exhaust blower 10. When a voltage is applied from motor drive unit 60, DC motors 9a and 10a rotate the impellers at a motor rotation speed and with motor electrical characteristics corresponding to this voltage.

[0052] The intake air temperature and humidity sensor 16 can detect the temperature and humidity of the outdoor air OA drawn into the upstream intake air duct 6a from the outdoor air inlet 2 as supply air SA. The exhaust air temperature and humidity sensor 17 can detect the indoor air RA drawn into the upstream exhaust air duct 7a from the indoor air inlet 4 as exhaust air EA. The temperature and humidity information detected by the intake air temperature and humidity sensor 16 and the exhaust air temperature and humidity sensor 17 are output to the control unit 40.

[0053] Based on the input temperature and humidity information, the control unit 40 detects the air conditions of the outdoor air OA and the indoor air RA, and controls the opening and closing of the bypass damper 13. In this way, the control unit 40 controls the opening and closing of the bypass damper 13, thereby switching between the heat exchange ventilation mode and the non-heat exchange ventilation mode. When the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity is large in summer or winter, the air conditioning load increases. Therefore, the control unit 40 performs ventilation in heat exchange ventilation mode to reduce the air conditioning load. Also, when the difference between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity is small in spring or autumn, the air conditioning load is low. Therefore, the control unit 40 performs ventilation in non-heat exchange ventilation mode to reduce power consumption.

[0054] As described above, the control unit 40 detects the air conditions of the outdoor air OA and the indoor air RA, and automatically opens and closes the bypass damper 13 to control the ventilation mode, thereby achieving optimal ventilation operation. Note that the opening and closing of the bypass damper 13 can be controlled not only automatically, but also manually using the remote controller 21.

[0055] The control unit 40 can also automatically switch the operation mode, such as from ventilation / air-flow mode to heating / humidification mode, or from ventilation / air-flow mode to cooling / dehumidification mode, in accordance with the temperature and humidity information detected by the intake air temperature / humidity sensor 16 and the exhaust air temperature / humidity sensor 17. By automatically switching the operation mode in this way, energy savings and comfort are improved. The operation mode can be switched not only automatically, but also manually using the remote controller 21.

[0056] Next, the relationship between rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 and constant air volume control will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between air volume Q and external static pressure P in heat exchanger type ventilation device 100. Figure 9 is a graph showing the relationship between motor rotation speed N and motor current Iq in heat exchanger type ventilation device 100.

[0057] In Figure 8, the section from point a indicated by "●" to point b indicated by "■" is a region where the air volume Q can be kept constant regardless of the external static pressure P. In addition, the section from point a to point c indicated by "▲" is a region where the external static pressure P is high and the air volume Q cannot be kept constant.

[0058] In Figure 9, the section from point a to point b is also the constant airflow control region. In the constant airflow control region, the relationship between the motor rotation speed N and motor current Iq required to maintain a constant set airflow has been confirmed in advance through testing. This relationship can also be said to be a functional relationship that represents the line segment from point a to point b. This relationship is stored in memory unit 50 as rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. By operating DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a according to this table of motor rotation speed N and motor current Iq, it is possible to control the air volume to be constant at the set level in the section from point a to point b without using an air volume sensor.

[0059] Specifically, the control unit 40 changes the command voltage values ​​applied to the DC motors 9a and 10a to search for an operating point where the motor rotation speed N and motor current Iq match the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. The control unit 40 then applies the command voltage values ​​at the extracted operating point to the DC motors 9a and 10a, thereby driving the DC motors 9a and 10a in accordance with the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51.

[0060] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the heat exchanger ventilation apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the control procedure for the initial test run of the heat exchanger ventilation apparatus 100. Here, the initial test run is performed by starting up the heat exchanger type ventilation device 100 after it has been installed in a building. The initial test run is performed to find an operating point that matches the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 and obtain a command voltage value for constant airflow control. Note that the initial test run may be performed in any operating state. Furthermore, it is assumed that, before the initial test run, the user inputs the airflow specified by the user as the set airflow using the remote controller 21.

[0061] First, the control unit 40 applies a command voltage for starting to the DC motors 9a and 10a (step S100). By applying the command voltage for starting, the impeller connected to the DC motor 9a and the impeller connected to the DC motor 10a start to rotate.

[0062] Next, the rotation speed detector 42 detects the motor rotation speed N of the DC motors 9a and 10a (step S101). Furthermore, the electrical characteristic detector 43 detects the motor current Iq of the DC motors 9a and 10a (step S102). Control unit 40 compares the detected motor rotation speed N and motor current Iq with rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 previously stored in storage unit 50, and determines whether these data match the parameters stored in rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 (step S103). Here, the parameters stored in rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 refer to the correspondence data between rotation speed and electrical characteristics for keeping the airflow of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 constant at a set airflow.

[0063] If it is determined in step S103 that the detected data does not match the parameters of the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51, the control unit 40 changes the values ​​of the command voltages to be applied to the DC motors 9a and 10a (step S104). For example, let the motor rotation speed detected in step S101 be Na and the motor current detected in step S102 be Iqa. Control unit 40 references rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 and extracts motor current Iqb corresponding to the value of motor rotation speed Na from the table.

[0064] If the extracted motor current Iqb is greater than the motor current Iqa, the control unit 40 determines that the command voltage applied to the motor is lower than the required value and the airflow is small, and increases the command voltage applied to the motor. Conversely, if the extracted motor current Iqb is less than the motor current Iqa, the control unit 40 determines that the command voltage applied to the motor is higher than the required value and the airflow is large, and decreases the command voltage applied to the motor. After changing the value of the command voltage, the control unit 40 again performs the processes from step S100 to step S103, repeatedly changing the command voltage value until it matches the rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51. In this way, an appropriate command voltage value that matches the rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51 can be found.

[0065] If it is determined in step S103 that the detected data matches the parameters of the rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51, the control unit 40 stores an appropriate command voltage value that matches the parameters of the rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51 in the command voltage value storage unit 52 of the storage unit 50 (step S105). By storing the command voltage value for performing constant air volume control, the next time the heat exchanger type ventilator 100 is restarted, it is not necessary to perform an initial test run again, and it is possible to transition to constant air volume control in a short time.

[0066] When restarting the heat exchanger ventilator 100, the control unit 40 reads out the command voltage values ​​stored in the command voltage value storage unit 52 in the process of step S105, and drives the DC motors 9a and 10a based on these command voltage values. As a result, the heat exchanger ventilator 100 can be operated at the airflow volume specified by the user.

[0067] As described above, by performing an initial trial run of the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 in accordance with the processing from step S100 to step S105, it is possible to extract a command voltage value for maintaining a constant set air volume regardless of pressure losses inside and outside the device due to ducts, grills, etc., and to operate the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 with constant air volume control.

[0068] Next, specific control when the heat exchanger type ventilation device 100 is restarted after the initial test run is completed will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the heat exchange ventilator 100 is restarted, the control unit 40 determines whether the current operating state is the operating state when the initial test run was performed (step S110). Here, the information on the operating state when the initial test run was performed is the information stored in the memory unit 50 when the initial test run was performed, and in step S110, the information on the operating state when the initial test run was performed is read from the memory unit 50 and compared with the current operating state.

[0069] If it is determined in step S110 that the operating state is that at the time of the initial test run, control unit 40 reads out the command voltage value stored in command voltage value storage unit 52 and outputs it to motor drive unit 60 (step S111). Motor drive unit 60 applies DC power adjusted based on the command voltage value as a command voltage to DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a (step S112). As a result, the air volumes of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 are controlled to be constant at the set air volumes.

[0070] The control unit 40 drives the DC motors 9a and 10a based on the command voltage values ​​stored in the command voltage value storage unit 52, thereby eliminating the need to repeat the processes from step S101 to step S105 described above to find an appropriate command voltage value. As a result, constant air volume control can be performed promptly after the heat exchanger type ventilator 100 is restarted.

[0071] If it is determined in step S110 that the operating state is not the same as when the initial test run was performed, the control unit 40 reads out an offset amount for the command voltage value from the command voltage value offset amount table 53 stored in the storage unit 50 based on the operating state when the initial test run was performed and the operating state in which the motor is currently being operated (step S113). Furthermore, the control unit 40 reads out the command voltage value stored in the storage unit 50 and corrects the command voltage value with the offset amount (step S114). Then, the control unit 40 outputs the corrected command voltage value to the motor drive unit 60 (step S115).

[0072] Motor driver 60 applies the DC power adjusted based on the corrected command voltage value as a command voltage to DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a (step S116). As a result, the airflow rates of intake fan 9 and exhaust fan 10 are controlled to be constant at the set airflow rates. In this way, by correcting the command voltage value with the offset amount, constant air volume control can be performed using the set air volume even in an operating state different from the operating state in which the initial test run was performed.

[0073] After executing the processes of steps S112 and S116, the heat exchanger ventilator 100 continues operation (step S117). If the operating state is changed during operation, the control unit 40 returns the process to step S113 (step S118). Furthermore, if there is no change in the operating state in step S118 and the user issues a command to stop operation of the heat exchanger ventilator 100 using the remote controller 21, the control unit 40 ends the process (step S119).

[0074] Next, the processing from step S113 to step S116 will be described using a specific example. In Figures 8 and 9, it is assumed that an initial test run shown in steps S100 to S106 is performed in the heat exchange ventilation mode, and constant airflow control is performed at point d indicated by "◯." The airflow at this time is Q1, the external static pressure is P1, the command voltage is V1, the motor rotation speed is N1, and the motor current is Iq1. Q1 is the airflow specified by the user, and the user has set the remote controller 21 in advance to operate at a constant airflow of Q1.

[0075] Now, let's assume that the mode is switched from heat exchange ventilation mode to non-heat exchange ventilation mode. When the mode is switched from heat exchange ventilation mode to non-heat exchange ventilation mode, the exhaust air EA does not pass through the heat exchange element 8 in non-heat exchange ventilation mode, so the pressure loss in the exhaust air duct 7 is reduced compared to the heat exchange ventilation mode. In this case, if the command voltage applied to the DC motor 10a of the exhaust fan 10 remains V1, the operating point will move from point d to point e, indicated by a triangle, when the pressure loss in the exhaust air duct 7 has decreased. As a result of the shift in the operating point, the motor rotation speed of the DC motor 10a decreases to N2, and the motor current increases to Iq2.

[0076] As a result, the air volume in exhaust air duct 7 increases from Q1 to Q2, and in this state, the unit operates at an operating point outside of rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51. The increase in air volume in exhaust air duct 7 from Q1 to Q2 can lead to an increase in power consumption and ventilation load.

[0077] Therefore, control unit 40 reads an offset amount for the command voltage value from command voltage value offset amount table 53 based on the difference in pressure loss in exhaust air duct 7 between the heat exchange ventilation mode and the non-heat exchange ventilation mode, and corrects the command voltage value with the read offset amount. This correction reduces the command voltage value from V1 to V3. Lowering the command voltage value reduces the motor output of DC motor 10a, and the air volume in exhaust air duct 7 decreases from Q2 to Q1.

[0078] As the air volume in exhaust air duct 7 becomes Q1, the motor rotation speed of DC motor 10a increases from N2 to N3, and the motor current of DC motor 10a decreases from Iq2 to Iq3. That is, the operating point shown in Figures 8 and 9 moves from point d to point f indicated by a double circle. As a result, even after switching from the heat exchange ventilation mode to the non-heat exchange ventilation mode, constant air volume control can continue at air volume Q1.

[0079] In this way, by correcting the command voltage value with an offset amount when switching between multiple operating states with different pressure losses, constant air volume control can be performed without having to search for an operating point through the initial test run shown in steps S100 to S105. As a result, the load on the CPU is reduced, and constant air volume control can be achieved over a wide range of operating states.

[0080] If there are multiple rotation speed-electrical characteristic tables 51 for each operating state, it is possible to operate the fan at a constant air volume in the specific operating state in which the initial test run was performed. However, since the operating points are not associated with each other among the multiple rotation speed-electrical characteristic tables 51, when switching to a different operating state, it is necessary to perform an initial test run again in the changed operating state to determine the operating points, which is time-consuming and laborious.

[0081] Furthermore, if an initial trial run is performed in all operating states after the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 is installed and the operating points are determined in advance, there is no need to perform an initial trial run every time the operating state is changed, but performing an initial trial run in all operating states takes time and effort. By using the command voltage value offset amount table 53, the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 can uniquely determine the operating point when switching the operating state, thereby simplifying the setup work when installing the heat exchange type ventilation device 100 and shortening the work time.

[0082] After the processing of step S116, the motor rotation speed may be detected by the rotation speed detection unit 42, and the motor current may be detected by the electrical characteristic detection unit 43. Then, it may be confirmed whether the detected motor rotation speed and motor current match the parameters in the rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51, and if they do not match, the command voltage value may be further corrected.

[0083] Even in such a case, the influence of the difference in command voltage value between the heat exchange ventilation mode and the non-heat exchange ventilation mode is reduced by the correction using the command voltage value offset amount table 53, so the time required to find the operating point can be shortened compared to performing an initial trial run again and finding the operating point in the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51.

[0084] Furthermore, the electrical characteristic detector 43 only needs to know the electrical characteristics of the motor, and the characteristic value to be detected is not limited to the motor current value. The voltage of the motor coil, or shaft power that can be calculated from the motor current value and applied voltage, may also be used.

[0085] Furthermore, the rotation speed-electrical characteristics table 51 only needs to know the relationship between the motor rotation speed and the electrical characteristics, and the electrical characteristics are not limited to the motor current value. The electrical characteristics may also include the voltage of the motor coil, or shaft power that can be calculated from the motor current value and applied voltage.

[0086] In the above specific example, when the ventilation mode is switched from the heat exchange ventilation mode to the non-heat exchange ventilation mode and the bypass damper 13 is opened or closed, the command voltage value is corrected using the command voltage value offset amount table 53. However, the command voltage value may be corrected using the command voltage value offset amount table 53 in a similar manner not limited to the ventilation mode but also when the operation mode is switched from the ventilation air supply mode to the heating / humidification mode, or from the ventilation air supply mode to the cooling / dehumidification mode, etc.

[0087] For example, in the cooling / dehumidification mode, condensation occurs on air conditioning coil 11, increasing the pressure loss of air conditioning coil 11, and the command voltage value may be corrected using command voltage value offset amount table 53 to take this effect into account. Also, in the heating / humidification mode, depending on the humidification method used in humidifier 12, pressure loss may increase during humidification operation, and the command voltage value may be corrected using command voltage value offset amount table 53 to take this effect into account. Examples of situations in which pressure loss increases during humidification operation include when the air path in a moisture-permeable membrane humidifier is narrowed by filling the moisture-permeable membrane with water during humidification water supply, and when the air path is narrowed by water flowing between humidifying bodies in a drip evaporative humidifier.

[0088] Furthermore, a volume damper may be provided in either or both of the intake air duct 6 and the exhaust air duct 7, and the command voltage value may be corrected when the diameter of the air duct is narrowed by the volume damper. That is, when the diameter of the air duct is narrowed by the volume damper, the pressure loss in the air duct increases, so the control unit 40 reads an offset amount from the command voltage value offset amount table 53 and corrects the command voltage value by the read offset amount. Here, it is assumed that the command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores the offset amount of the command voltage value when the diameter of the air duct is narrowed by the volume damper. The corrected command voltage is applied to either or both of DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a by motor drive unit 60. As a result, heat exchanger type ventilation device 100 can continue constant air volume control at the set air volume.

[0089] As described above, the heat exchanger ventilator 100 according to the first embodiment includes the rotational speed-electrical characteristics table 51 and the command voltage offset table 53. By performing an initial test run when the heat exchanger ventilator 100 is installed, a command voltage value for constant airflow control at a set airflow rate can be extracted. If the operating conditions at the time of restarting the heat exchanger ventilator 100 differ from those during the initial test run, causing a change in pressure loss in either or both of the supply air duct 6 and the exhaust air duct 7, the command voltage value is corrected by the offset stored in the command voltage offset table 53. As a result, the corrected command voltage is applied to either or both of the DC motors 9a and 10a, allowing the heat exchanger ventilator 100 to continue constant airflow control at the set airflow rate.

[0090] Furthermore, even if the operating state is switched after the heat exchanger ventilation device 100 is restarted and the pressure loss in at least one of the supply air duct 6 and the exhaust air duct 7 changes, the command voltage value is corrected by the offset amount stored in the command voltage offset amount table 53. As a result, the corrected command voltage is applied to either or both of the DC motors 9a and 10a, so that the heat exchanger ventilation device 100 can continue constant air volume control at the set air volume. In this way, constant air volume control based on a set air volume can contribute to labor-saving duct design and improved air volume controllability.

[0091] Embodiment 2 12 is a plan view showing a heat exchanger ventilator 101 according to embodiment 2. The heat exchanger ventilator 101 according to embodiment 2 is provided with a detachable high-performance filter 18 inside the housing 1. Other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of the heat exchanger ventilator 100 according to embodiment 1. The same or equivalent configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0092] 12, the high-performance filter 18 can be attached to the surface of the heat exchange element 8 installed in the intake air duct 6 from which the supply air SA flows out. In other words, the high-performance filter 18 can be attached downstream of the intake-side air filter 14, with the heat exchange element 8 in between. The high-performance filter 18 is a filter with higher dust collection performance than the intake-side air filter 14. By attaching the high-performance filter 18 downstream of the intake-side air filter 14, the high-performance filter 18 can capture dust that the intake-side air filter 14 was unable to capture.

[0093] By installing high-performance filter 18 in this manner, the amount of dust contained in supply air SA can be reduced, and ventilation with cleaner air can be achieved. High-performance filter 18 only needs to be able to remove dust within supply air duct 6, and it may be installed anywhere within supply air duct 6.

[0094] If an initial test run is performed without high-performance filter 18 installed, and high-performance filter 18 is then installed, the pressure loss in intake air duct 6 will increase. For this reason, if DC motor 9a is driven at the same command voltage value determined during the initial test run even after high-performance filter 18 is installed, the air volume in intake air duct 6 will decrease.

[0095] In the heat exchanger ventilator 101 according to the second embodiment, the control unit 40 determines that the high-performance filter 18 has been attached to the housing 1. Specifically, when the user inputs the attachment of the high-performance filter 18 using the remote controller 21, information about the filter attachment is output from the remote controller 21 to the control unit 40. The control unit 40, to which the filter attachment information has been input, performs the process of correcting the command voltage value described in the first embodiment with the offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11 ).

[0096] 13, in addition to the offset amounts shown in Fig. 7, the command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores an offset amount of the command voltage value when the high-performance filter 18 is installed (V_offset4 is shown as an example in the figure). Here, the state in which the high-performance filter 18 is not installed corresponds to the "first operating state," and the state in which the high-performance filter 18 is installed corresponds to the "second operating state."

[0097] Control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value with the offset amount read out from command voltage value offset amount table 53. Then, DC power adjusted based on the corrected command voltage value is applied to DC motor 9a as a command voltage, and air supply blower 9 is controlled so that the air volume is constant. The information used by the control unit 40 to determine whether the high-performance filter 18 is attached is not limited to filter attachment information input by the user, but may also be filter attachment information detected by an internal sensor (not shown).

[0098] As described above, in the heat exchange type ventilation device 101 according to embodiment 2, even if the pressure loss in the supply air duct 6 increases due to the installation of the high-performance filter 18, the control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value with the offset amount, so that the air volume does not decrease and constant air volume control can be performed at the set air volume.

[0099] Embodiment 3 14 is a block diagram showing the control box 22 included in the heat exchanger ventilator 102 according to the third embodiment. The control unit 40 of the control box 22 is provided with a filter clogging detection unit 44. The other components are the same as or equivalent to those of the heat exchanger ventilator 100 according to the first embodiment. The same or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0100] Filter clogging detection unit 44 detects filter clogging using a clogging detection sensor (not shown) that detects clogging caused by dust adhesion on intake-side air filter 14 or exhaust-side air filter 15. Clogging detection sensors include sensors that measure pressure loss before and after the filter, and optical sensors that observe clogging with a camera or the like. Information on the amount of dust adhesion detected by the clogging detection sensor is output from the clogging detection sensor to filter clogging detection unit 44 of control unit 40, and control unit 40, which has received the dust adhesion amount information, determines the level of clogging.

[0101] If the control unit 40 determines that there is a certain level of clogging, the control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value explained in the first embodiment with the offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0102] 15, command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores an offset amount of the command voltage value when the filter is clogged (V_offset5 is shown as an example in the figure) in addition to the offset amounts shown in Fig. 7. Here, a state in which the filter is not clogged corresponds to a "first operating state," and a state in which the filter is clogged corresponds to a "second operating state."

[0103] Control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value by the offset amount read out from command voltage value offset amount table 53. Then, DC power adjusted based on the corrected command voltage value is applied as a command voltage to DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a, and the airflow rates of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 are controlled to be constant. Note that only one of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 may be controlled to maintain a constant airflow rate.

[0104] As described above, in heat exchanger ventilator 102 according to embodiment 3, even when intake air filter 14 becomes clogged and the pressure loss in intake air duct 6 increases, or when exhaust air filter 15 becomes clogged and the pressure loss in exhaust air duct 7 increases, control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value by the offset amount. As a result, the air volume does not decrease, and constant air volume control can be performed at the set air volume.

[0105] Note that filter clogging detection unit 44 need only be able to detect filter clogging and does not have to directly measure the degree of clogging using a sensor. For example, the dust concentration in the outdoor air or indoors surrounding the installation environment may be set and stored in advance as parameters in memory unit 50. In this case, filter clogging detection unit 44 calculates the amount of dust adhering to intake-side air filter 14 and exhaust-side air filter 15 based on information on the air volume in intake-side air duct 6 and exhaust-side air duct 7, the operating time of heat exchange ventilation device 102, and the collection efficiencies of intake-side air filter 14 and exhaust-side air filter 15.

[0106] The amount of dust adhering to the intake air filter 14 and the exhaust air filter 15 can be calculated using the following formula. Amount of dust adhering to the filter (g) =Dust concentration (g / m 3 ) x air volume (m 3 / h) x operating time (h) x collection efficiency (%) The filter clogging detection unit 44 estimates the degree of clogging of the filter based on the amount of dust adhering to the filter obtained by this formula. In this case, it is desirable to correct the command voltage value for each fixed amount of dust adhering. However, the command voltage value may simply be corrected at regular intervals. By adopting such a configuration, even when the amount of dust adhering to the filter is small, the command voltage value is corrected at regular intervals, thereby more reliably achieving constant airflow control.

[0107] Embodiment 4 16 is a block diagram showing the control box 23 provided in the heat exchanger type ventilation device 103 according to the fourth embodiment. The control unit 40 of the control box 23 is provided with an actual air volume detection unit 45. The other components are the same as or equivalent to those of the heat exchanger type ventilation device 100 according to the first embodiment. The same or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0108] After the heat exchange ventilation device 103 is installed, the measured air volume detection unit 45 detects the measured air volumes of the supply air SA and the exhaust air EA. Specifically, the installer uses an air volume measurement device (not shown) to measure the measured air volume of the supply air SA blown into the room from the indoor air outlet 3 and the measured air volume of the exhaust air EA sucked from the room into the indoor air inlet 4. When the installer inputs these measured values ​​using the remote controller 21, the remote controller 21 outputs the measured values ​​of the air volumes of the supply air SA and the exhaust air EA to the measured air volume detection unit 45. As a result, the measured air volume detection unit 45 can detect the measured air volumes of the supply air SA and the exhaust air EA.

[0109] A portion of the air blown by heat exchanger ventilation device 103 leaks outside the air passage surface through gaps in the duct, etc., and the air volumes of supply air SA and exhaust air EA may not match the air volumes specified by the user. Control unit 40 determines whether the actual air volumes of supply air SA and exhaust air EA detected by actual air volume detection unit 45 match the set air volumes specified by the user. If control unit 40 determines that there is a difference between these air volumes of a certain amount or more, control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value described in the first embodiment by an offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0110] 17, in addition to the offset amounts shown in FIG. 7, command voltage value offset amount table 53 stores a plurality of offset amounts of command voltage values ​​when there is a difference between the set air volume specified by the user and the measured air volume (in the figure, V_offset6 corresponds to the difference d1-d2 between the set air volume and the measured air volume, V_offset7 corresponds to the difference d2-d3 between the set air volume and the measured air volume, V_offset8 corresponds to the difference d3-d4 between the set air volume and the measured air volume, ... as examples) according to the difference. Here, a state in which there is no difference between the set air volume and the measured air volume by more than a certain amount corresponds to a "first operating state," and a state in which there is a difference between the set air volume and the measured air volume by more than a certain amount corresponds to a "second operating state."

[0111] Control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value by one of the offset amounts read out from command voltage value offset amount table 53. Then, DC power adjusted based on the corrected command voltage value is applied as a command voltage to DC motor 9a and DC motor 10a, and the airflow rates of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 are controlled to be constant. Note that only one of intake air blower 9 and exhaust air blower 10 may be controlled to maintain a constant airflow rate.

[0112] As described above, in the heat exchange type ventilation device 103 according to embodiment 4, even if air leakage occurs in the duct and a difference occurs between the set air volume and the actual measured air volume, the control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value with the offset amount, so that constant air volume control can be performed at the set air volume.

[0113] Embodiment 5. Fig. 18 is a plan view showing a blower 110 according to embodiment 5. In Fig. 18, the top surface of blower 110 is not shown to illustrate the internal structure. Furthermore, parts that are the same as or equivalent to parts in embodiments 1 to 4 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions of these parts will be omitted.

[0114] 18, blower 110 includes metal housing 111. One side surface 111a of housing 111 is provided with inlet 112 for drawing in air. In addition, the other side surface 111b of housing 111 opposite side surface 111a is provided with outlet 113 for blowing out air. An air passage 114 is formed inside housing 111, connecting inlet 112 and outlet 113.

[0115] Blower 115 is incorporated in air passage 114. Blower 115 has a built-in DC motor 115a, to which an impeller (not shown) is connected. When the impeller of DC motor 115a rotates, an airflow is generated that flows from the upstream end to the downstream end of air passage 114. When blower 115 is driven in this manner, air sucked into air inlet 112 is blown out from air outlet 113.

[0116] Air conditioning coil 11 is provided downstream of blower 115 in air passage 114. Air conditioning coil 11 heats or cools the air blown out from blower 115. In addition, humidifier 12 is provided downstream of air conditioning coil 11 in air passage 114. Humidifier 12 humidifies the air that has passed through air conditioning coil 11. Note that if there is no need to heat or cool the air, air conditioning coil 11 does not need to be provided. Similarly, if there is no need to humidify the air, humidifier 12 does not need to be provided.

[0117] A filter 116 is detachably mounted between the intake port 112 and the blower 115 to remove dust and other particles mixed in the air introduced into the air passage 114 . A control box 120 is provided on the side of the housing 111. As shown in Fig. 19, the control box 120 includes a power supply unit 30, a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, and a motor drive unit 60. A communicable remote controller 21 is connected to the control unit 40.

[0118] A power supply unit 30 supplies power to the DC motor 115a. A control unit 40 controls the DC motor 115a. The control unit 40 includes a command unit 41, a rotation speed detection unit 42, an electrical characteristic detection unit 43, and a filter clogging detection unit 44. A memory unit 50 stores a rotation speed-electrical characteristic table 51, a command voltage value memory unit 52, and a command voltage value offset amount table 53 for controlling the DC motor 115a to maintain a constant airflow rate.

[0119] Command voltage offset amount table 53 stores offset amounts of the command voltage value for performing constant airflow control according to the set airflow even in operating states different from the operating state in which the initial test run was performed. Specifically, the command voltage offset amount table 53 stores the offset amount of the command voltage value when switching from ventilation air flow mode to heating / humidification mode, the offset amount of the command voltage value when switching from ventilation air flow mode to cooling / dehumidification mode, the offset amount of the command voltage value when the filter is clogged, and the like.

[0120] Here, the ventilation / air blowing mode state corresponds to the "first operating state," and the heating / humidification mode state and the cooling / dehumidification mode state correspond to the "second operating state." Also, the state in which the filter is not clogged corresponds to the "first operating state," and the state in which the filter is clogged corresponds to the "second operating state."

[0121] Next, the operation of the air blower 110 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. When the ventilation air blowing mode is switched to the heating / humidification mode, or when the ventilation air blowing mode is switched to the cooling / dehumidification mode, the command voltage value is corrected using the command voltage value offset amount table 53. That is, in the cooling / dehumidification mode, condensed water is generated on the air conditioning coil 11, and the pressure loss of the air conditioning coil 11 increases. When the ventilation air blowing mode is switched to the cooling / dehumidification mode, the control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value described in the first embodiment with the offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0122] Furthermore, in the heating / humidification mode, pressure loss may increase during humidification operation depending on the humidification method used in the humidifier 12. When switching from the ventilation / air supply mode to the heating / humidification mode, the control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value with the offset amount described in the first embodiment (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11). Furthermore, if the filter clogging detection unit 44 detects clogging due to dust adhesion on the filter 116, the control unit 40 determines the degree of clogging. If the control unit 40 determines that there is a certain degree of clogging, the control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value described in the first embodiment with the offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0123] The DC power is adjusted based on the command voltage value corrected in this way, and the adjusted DC power is applied to DC motor 115a as a command voltage, thereby controlling the air volume of blower 115 to be constant.

[0124] Note that blower device 110 may be provided with a detachable high-performance filter. In this case, when the high-performance filter is attached, control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value with the offset amount described in the first embodiment (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11). Furthermore, blower 110 may include a volume damper in air passage 114. In this case, when the volume damper narrows the diameter of air passage 114, control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value with the offset amount described in the first embodiment (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0125] Furthermore, control unit 40 of blower device 110 may include an actual air volume detection unit that detects the actual air volume of air blown out from air outlet 113. In this case, when control unit 40 determines that there is a difference of a certain amount or more between the actual air volume detected by the actual air volume detection unit and the air volume specified by the user, control unit 40 performs the process of correcting the command voltage value described in the first embodiment with an offset amount (the process shown in steps S113 to S116 in FIG. 11).

[0126] As described above, in the blower device 110 according to embodiment 5, even if the pressure loss in the air passage 114 changes, the control unit 40 corrects the command voltage value with an offset amount, so that the air volume does not change and constant air volume control can be performed at the set air volume.

[0127] Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 40 and the storage unit 50 included in the heat exchanger ventilators 100, 101, 102, and 103 according to the first to fourth embodiments and the blower 110 according to the fifth embodiment. Fig. 20 illustrates a hardware configuration in which the functions of the control unit 40 are realized using hardware that executes a program. The control unit 40 corresponds to the processor 130 and the memory 131. The storage unit 50 corresponds to the memory 131.

[0128] The processor 130 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 130 may be a processing device, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Each function of the control unit 40 is realized by the processor 130, software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 131, which is an internal memory. The memory 131 is a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0129] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies. Furthermore, embodiments may be combined with each other, and some of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0130] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0131] (Appendix 1) A ventilation device that performs ventilation by sucking air in through an intake port and exhausting it through an outlet port, an air passage having the air inlet at one end and the air outlet at the other end; a blower that is installed in the air passage and blows air by being driven by a built-in DC motor; a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor; a rotation speed-electrical characteristic storage unit that stores correspondence data between rotation speed and electrical characteristics for keeping the air volume of the blower constant at a set air volume; an offset amount storage unit that stores an offset amount of an input value to the DC motor for each operating state in which the pressure loss in the air passage is different, The control unit controls the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume based on the correspondence data stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristic storage unit in a first operating state, and when the operating state is switched to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air path is different from that in the first operating state, corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount storage unit, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume. (Appendix 2) a rotation speed detection unit that detects the rotation speed of the DC motor; an electrical characteristic detection unit that detects electrical characteristics of the DC motor; The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein in the first operating state, the control unit adjusts the input value to the DC motor so that the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit and the electrical characteristics detected by the electrical characteristics detection unit match the corresponding data stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristics memory unit, thereby controlling the airflow of the blower to be constant at the set airflow. (Appendix 3) 3. The ventilation device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure loss changer provided in the air passage to change the pressure loss in the air passage. (Appendix 4) The air conditioner further includes a heat exchange element provided in the air passage and a bypass air passage that bypasses the heat exchange element, the pressure loss changer is a bypass damper that switches the destination of air flow between the heat exchange element and the bypass air passage, 4. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the bypass damper switches the destination of the air flow. (Appendix 5) the pressure loss changer is a volume damper that adjusts the amount of air flowing through the air passage, 5. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when the volume damper changes the amount of air flowing through the air path. (Appendix 6) the pressure loss changing body is an air conditioning coil, 6. The ventilation device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when dehumidification is achieved by the air conditioning coil. (Appendix 7) the pressure loss changing body is a humidifier, 7. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when humidification is performed by the humidifier. (Appendix 8) 8. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein the pressure loss changer is a filter that removes dust particles mixed in the air sucked in through the suction port. (Appendix 9) The filter is provided detachably, 9. The ventilation device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the filter is attached. (Appendix 10) further comprising a filter clogging detection unit that detects clogging of the filter, 10. The ventilation device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when the filter clogging detection unit detects clogging of the filter. (Appendix 11) further comprising an actual air volume detection unit that detects an actual air volume of air flowing through the air passage; 11. The ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when the actual air volume detected by the actual air volume detection unit differs from the set air volume. (Appendix 12) A blower that blows air using a built-in DC motor, a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor; an offset amount storage unit that stores an offset amount of an input value to the DC motor for each operating state in which a pressure loss in an air passage in which the blower is installed differs, The control unit controls the DC motor in a first operating state so that the air volume of the blower is constant at a set air volume, and when the operating state is switched to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air path is different from the first operating state, the control unit corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount memory unit, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume. (Appendix 13) 13. The air blower according to claim 12, further comprising a pressure loss changer provided in the air passage to change the pressure loss in the air passage. (Appendix 14) the pressure loss changing body is an air conditioning coil, 14. The blower device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when dehumidification is achieved by the air conditioning coil. (Appendix 15) the pressure loss changing body is a humidifier, 15. The air blower according to claim 13, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when humidification is performed by the humidifier. (Appendix 16) a filter that removes dust particles mixed in the air flowing through the air passage; further comprising a filter clogging detection unit that detects clogging of the filter, the pressure loss changing body is the filter, A blower device as described in any one of Appendix 13 to Appendix 15, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when the filter clogging detection unit detects clogging of the filter. (Appendix 17) A control device that controls the drive of a DC motor built into a blower, A control device that, in a first operating state, controls the DC motor so that the air volume of the blower is constant at a set air volume, and when the operating state is switched to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air duct in which the blower is installed is different from the first operating state, corrects the input value of the DC motor using an offset amount corresponding to the difference in pressure loss in the air duct, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1,111 housing, 2 outdoor intake port, 3 indoor outlet, 4 indoor intake port, 5 outdoor outlet, 6 intake air duct, 7 exhaust air duct, 7c bypass air duct, 8 heat exchange element, 9 intake air blower, 9a, 10a, 115a DC motor, 10 exhaust air blower, 11 air conditioning coil, 12 humidifier, 13 bypass damper, 14 intake air filter, 15 exhaust air filter, 18 high-performance filter, 20,120 control box, 21 remote controller, 30 power supply unit, 40 control unit (control device), 41 command unit, 42 rotation speed detection unit, 43 electrical characteristics detection unit, 44 filter clogging detection unit, 45 actual air volume detection unit, 50 memory unit, 51 rotation speed-electrical characteristics table (rotation speed-electrical characteristics memory unit), 52 command voltage value memory unit, 53 Command voltage value offset amount table (offset amount memory unit), 60 motor drive unit, 100, 101, 102, 103 heat exchange type ventilation device, 110 blower device, 112 intake port, 113 outlet port, 114 air duct, 115 blower, 116 filter.

Claims

1. A ventilation device that performs ventilation by sucking air in through an intake port and exhausting it through an outlet port, an air passage having the air inlet at one end and the air outlet at the other end; a blower that is installed in the air passage and blows air by being driven by a built-in DC motor; a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor; a rotation speed-electrical characteristic storage unit that stores correspondence data between rotation speed and electrical characteristics for keeping the air volume of the blower constant at a set air volume; an offset amount storage unit that stores an offset amount of an input value to the DC motor for each operating state in which the pressure loss in the air passage is different, The control unit controls the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume based on the corresponding data stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristic memory unit in a first operating state, and when the operating state is switched to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air path is different from that in the first operating state, the control unit corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount memory unit, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume.

2. a rotation speed detection unit that detects the rotation speed of the DC motor; an electrical characteristic detection unit that detects electrical characteristics of the DC motor, The ventilation device of claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts the input value to the DC motor so that, in the first operating state, the rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detection unit and the electrical characteristics detected by the electrical characteristics detection unit match the corresponding data stored in the rotation speed-electrical characteristics memory unit, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume.

3. 3. The ventilation device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure loss changer provided in the air passage, which changes the pressure loss in the air passage.

4. The air conditioner further includes a heat exchange element provided in the air passage and a bypass air passage that bypasses the heat exchange element, the pressure loss changer is a bypass damper that switches the destination of air flow between the heat exchange element and the bypass air passage, The ventilation device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the bypass damper switches the destination of the air flow.

5. the pressure loss changer is a volume damper that adjusts the amount of air flowing through the air passage, The ventilation device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the amount of air flowing through the air passage is changed by the volume damper.

6. the pressure loss changing body is an air conditioning coil, The ventilation device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when dehumidification is achieved by the air conditioning coil.

7. the pressure loss changing body is a humidifier, The ventilation device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the humidifier has performed humidification.

8. 4. The ventilation device according to claim 3, wherein the pressure loss changing body is a filter that removes dust particles mixed in the air sucked through the suction port.

9. The filter is provided detachably, The ventilation device according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the filter is attached.

10. further comprising a filter clogging detection unit that detects clogging of the filter, The ventilation device according to claim 8 , wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the filter clogging detection unit detects clogging of the filter.

11. further comprising an actual air volume detection unit that detects an actual air volume of air flowing through the air passage; The ventilation device described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the control unit determines that the operating state has been switched from the first operating state to the second operating state when the actual air volume detected by the actual air volume detection unit differs from the set air volume.

12. A blower that blows air by driving a built-in DC motor; a control unit that controls the driving of the DC motor; an offset amount storage unit that stores an offset amount of an input value to the DC motor for each operating state in which a pressure loss in an air passage in which the blower is installed differs, The control unit controls the DC motor in a first operating state so that the air volume of the blower is constant at a set air volume, and when the operating state changes to a second operating state that is different from the first operating state in terms of pressure loss in the air path, the control unit corrects the input value to the DC motor using the offset amount stored in the offset amount memory unit, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume.

13. The air blower according to claim 12, further comprising a pressure loss changer provided in the air passage, which changes the pressure loss in the air passage.

14. the pressure loss changing body is an air conditioning coil, The blower device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when dehumidification is achieved by the air conditioning coil.

15. the pressure loss changing body is a humidifier, The air blower according to claim 13, wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the air is humidified by the humidifier.

16. a filter that removes dust particles mixed in the air flowing through the air passage; further comprising a filter clogging detection unit that detects clogging of the filter, the pressure loss changing body is the filter, The blower device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit determines that the operation state has been switched from the first operation state to the second operation state when the filter clogging detection unit detects clogging of the filter.

17. A control device that controls the drive of a DC motor built into a blower, A control device that, in a first operating state, controls the DC motor so that the air volume of the blower is constant at a set air volume, and when the operating state switches to a second operating state in which the pressure loss in the air duct in which the blower is installed is different from the first operating state, corrects the input value of the DC motor using an offset amount corresponding to the difference in pressure loss in the air duct, thereby controlling the air volume of the blower to be constant at the set air volume.

Citation Information

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