Air-conditioning device

Abstract

To appropriately adjust a temperature and humidity.SOLUTION: A cooling part 26 includes evaporators N=4 pieces of 26a1 to 26a4 arranged on a downstream side part of an air guide path L, and M=4 pieces of evaporators 26b1 to 26b4 arranged on an upstream side part. The evaporators 26a, 26b are aligned in a vertical direction in a state of standing such that a coolant inlet Pi is positioned above a coolant outlet Po, connected such that a coolant that has passed through any of the evaporators 26a passes through any of the evaporators 26b, and a coolant that has passed through the other of the evaporators 26a passes through the other of the evaporators 26b, and arranged such that the inlet Pi of any of the evaporators 26b is not positioned above the outlet Po of any of the evaporators 26a, and the inlet Pi of the other of the evaporators 26b is not positioned above the outlet Po of the other of the evaporators 26a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner configured to be able to adjust at least one of temperature and humidity by cooling air to be adjusted using an evaporator. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of this type of air conditioning device, the following patent document discloses an invention for an outdoor air treatment machine configured to adjust the temperature and humidity of outside air and supply it indoors. This outdoor air treatment machine includes a heat pump unit and a boiler unit, both of which are integrated. Furthermore, this outdoor air treatment machine houses the components of each of the above units in a metal casing divided into three sections: a lower casing, a middle casing, and an upper casing (hereinafter referred to as the "lower casing section," "middle casing," and "upper casing").

[0003] Specifically, the lower storage compartment houses the boiler and hot water tank of the boiler unit, and the compressor of the heat pump unit. The middle storage compartment houses the condenser (reheater) and evaporator of the heat pump unit, two heat transfer water coils that heat air with heat transfer water (hot water) supplied from the hot water tank of the boiler unit, and a humidifier. It also has an opening (hereinafter also referred to as an "inlet") on one of the left and right sides for introducing outside air, and an opening (hereinafter also referred to as an "exhaust port") on the other of the left and right sides for exhausting (supplying to the room, etc.) temperature- and humidity-adjusted air. The upper storage compartment houses the condenser and exhaust fan (condenser fan) of the heat pump unit, and also has openings (hereinafter also referred to as an "opening") on the left and right sides for introducing outside air, and an opening (hereinafter also referred to as an "opening") on the top (top) for exhausting air whose temperature has increased due to heat exchange with the condenser.

[0004] In this case, in this outside air treatment machine, outside air (air) moving from an inlet opening in the middle accommodation section toward an exhaust outlet passes through one heat transfer water coil, evaporator, condenser, humidifier, and the other heat transfer water coil in that order, and these components are accommodated in the middle accommodation section in a horizontally arranged state. As a result, in this outside air treatment machine, by appropriately adjusting the degree of cooling and dehumidification by the evaporator, humidification by the humidifier, and heating by both heat transfer water coils and the condenser, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the temperature and humidity of the air introduced from the exhaust outlet and exhaust (supply) it into the room from the exhaust outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-109494 A (pages 3-7, figures 1-4) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the outside air processing device disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document has the following problems to be solved.

[0007] Specifically, as described above, the above-mentioned outdoor air treatment machine employs a configuration in which air introduced from an inlet passes through one heat transfer water coil, an evaporator, a condenser, a humidifier, and the other heat transfer water coil in this order toward the exhaust port, and the temperature and humidity of the air are adjusted by cooling and dehumidifying by the evaporator, humidifying by the humidifier, and heating by both heat transfer water coils and the condenser. Note that the heating of air by both heat transfer water coils in the above-mentioned outdoor air treatment machine is not directly related to the invention of the air conditioner of the present application, so hereinafter, explanations of the configuration and operation of the boiler unit (the presence of both heat transfer water coils, the heating of air by both heat transfer water coils, etc.) will be omitted.

[0008] In this type of air conditioner, an air guide duct that guides air from the inlet to the exhaust port is provided within the housing, and an evaporator, a condenser, and other components are disposed within the air guide duct. This type of air conditioner also employs a configuration in which, when air moving within the air guide duct toward the exhaust port passes through the evaporator, the air temperature is lowered by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the evaporator, and the relative humidity increases due to the temperature drop, causing condensation, which separates moisture from the air and lowers the absolute humidity, thereby adjusting the air temperature and humidity. Therefore, when a large amount of air reaches the exhaust port without passing through the evaporator, the air supplied to the target from the exhaust port contains a large amount of air whose temperature and humidity have not been adjusted, making it difficult to supply air adjusted to the desired temperature and humidity. Therefore, this type of air conditioner is configured such that the air inlet surface of the evaporator is positioned so as to intersect the direction of air movement within the air guide duct, and the evaporator is positioned so as to block the air guide duct, so that most of the air moving within the air guide duct toward the exhaust port passes through the evaporator.

[0009] The evaporator has a refrigerant inlet, which introduces refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve into the evaporator, and a refrigerant outlet, which discharges refrigerant that has been heated by heat exchange with air (absorbing heat from the air) outside the evaporator. While the refrigerant near the refrigerant inlet has sufficient heat absorption capacity, the refrigerant that has been transported to the refrigerant outlet has a lower heat absorption capacity than when it was near the refrigerant inlet due to heat exchange with air during its movement within the evaporator. Therefore, the air that has been transported near the refrigerant outlet (air that has exchanged heat with refrigerant near the refrigerant inlet) tends to experience a lower temperature and absolute humidity drop than the air that has been transported near the refrigerant inlet (air that has exchanged heat with refrigerant near the refrigerant inlet). This tendency becomes more pronounced in larger evaporators, i.e., the longer the distance from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet.

[0010] The outdoor air treatment machine disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document is equipped with a single large evaporator, as shown in FIG. 1 of the document. Furthermore, this outdoor air treatment machine has a refrigerant inlet at an upper portion of the evaporator and a refrigerant outlet at a lower portion of the evaporator. Therefore, even if this outdoor air treatment machine can sufficiently reduce the temperature and absolute humidity of air passing through the upper portion of the evaporator, it may be difficult to sufficiently reduce the temperature and absolute humidity of air passing through the lower portion of the evaporator. Therefore, this outdoor air treatment machine, which supplies a mixture of air passing through the upper portion of the evaporator and air passing through the lower portion of the evaporator to a target, makes it difficult to supply air adjusted to a desired temperature and humidity to the target.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems to be solved, and has as its main object to provide an air conditioner that can suitably adjust the temperature and humidity of the air to be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner described in claim 1 is an air conditioner including a blower that compresses and sends air to be adjusted in at least one of temperature and humidity, and a cooling unit that is arranged to allow the air compressed by the blower to pass through and cools the air to adjust at least one of the temperature and humidity, wherein the cooling unit includes N (N is a natural number of 2 or more) first evaporators arranged in a downstream portion of an air guide duct that guides the air compressed by the blower to an exhaust port, and M (M is a natural number of 2 or more) second evaporators arranged in an upstream portion of the air guide duct, and each of the first evaporators is arranged vertically in an upright position so that an inlet surface of the air intersects with a traveling direction of the air in the air guide duct and a refrigerant inlet is located above a refrigerant outlet, and each of the second evaporators is arranged vertically in an upright position so that an inlet surface of the air intersects with a traveling direction of the air in the air guide duct and a refrigerant inlet is located above a refrigerant outlet, The evaporators are arranged vertically with the air inlet surface intersecting the direction of travel and the refrigerant inlet positioned higher than the refrigerant outlet, and refrigerant piping is connected so that refrigerant passed through any one of the first evaporators is passed through any one of the second evaporators, and refrigerant passed through any other one of the first evaporators is passed through any other one of the second evaporators, and the first evaporators and second evaporators are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet of any one of the second evaporators is not positioned higher than the refrigerant outlet of any one of the first evaporators, and the refrigerant inlet of any one of the other second evaporators is not positioned higher than the refrigerant outlet of any one of the other first evaporators.

[0013] The air conditioning device of claim 2 is the air conditioning device of claim 1, and further comprises a heating section arranged downstream of the cooling section in the air guide path and heating the air cooled by the cooling section, and the heating section comprises a condenser that condenses at least a portion of the refrigerant supplied to each of the first evaporators, and is configured to be able to heat the air by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the condenser. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the air conditioner of claim 1, the cooling unit that cools air to be adjusted in at least one of temperature and humidity includes N first evaporators arranged in a downstream portion of an air guide duct that guides air compressed by a blower to an exhaust port, and M second evaporators arranged in an upstream portion of the air guide duct, and each first evaporator is arranged vertically in an upright position so that an air inlet surface intersects with the direction of air movement in the air guide duct and the refrigerant inlet is located higher than the refrigerant outlet, and each second evaporator is arranged vertically in an upright position so that an air inlet surface intersects with the direction of air movement in the air guide duct and the refrigerant inlet is located higher than the refrigerant outlet. The refrigerant piping is connected so that the refrigerant passed through any one of the first evaporators is passed through any one of the second evaporators, and the refrigerant passed through any other one of the first evaporators is passed through any other one of the second evaporators. The first evaporators and second evaporators are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet of any one of the second evaporators is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet of any one of the first evaporators, and the refrigerant inlet of any other one of the second evaporators is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet of any one of the other first evaporators.

[0015] Therefore, in the air conditioner of claim 1, the air compressed by the blower is passed through one of the second evaporators and then one of the first evaporators, so the time for heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant is longer and the air to be conditioned can be sufficiently cooled compared to a configuration including a cooling unit configured to pass the air through the evaporators only once. Also, by arranging N first evaporators in a row and M second evaporators in a row, the length of the refrigerant flow path in the first evaporator and the second evaporator can be sufficiently shortened compared to a configuration having one large first evaporator or one large second evaporator. This allows the difference in heat absorption power between the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the first evaporator to be sufficiently small, and also allows the difference in heat absorption power between the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the second evaporator to be sufficiently small, thereby preventing air with insufficient temperature and humidity adjustment from being contained in the air that has passed through the cooling unit due to being forced to pass through a portion with excessively low heat absorption power, and allows the temperature and humidity of the air to be adjusted to be adjusted appropriately. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the refrigerant that has passed through the first evaporator located downstream in the air flow direction in the air guide passage is passed through the second evaporator located upstream in the air flow direction in the air guide passage, the air and the refrigerant can flow countercurrently in the air guide passage, thereby significantly improving the air cooling efficiency by the cooling unit compared to a configuration in which the first evaporator is located upstream and the second evaporator is located downstream (a configuration in which the air and the refrigerant flow parallel to each other in the air guide passage). This allows the temperature and humidity of the air to be adjusted to be adjusted more suitably.

[0016] The air conditioner described in claim 2 includes a heating unit disposed downstream of the cooling unit in the air guide passage and configured to heat the air cooled by the cooling unit, the heating unit including a condenser that condenses at least a portion of the refrigerant supplied to each first evaporator, and configured to heat the air by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the condenser. Therefore, the air conditioner described in claim 2 can avoid a situation in which air cooled in the cooling unit to an excessively low temperature is supplied to the target (room), thereby effectively preventing condensation from forming around the intake air duct or an excessive drop in the target's temperature. Furthermore, by heating the air using heat radiation from the condenser, the temperature of the air supplied to the target can be raised more efficiently and at lower cost than, for example, a configuration including a heating unit that heats the air using an electric heater. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an outside air processing air conditioner 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the air conditioner body 2 in the outside air processing air conditioner 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the internal structure of the air conditioner main body 2. [Figure 4] 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration of a cooling section 26 in an air conditioner main body 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an air conditioner will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] First, the configuration of the outside air processing air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 shown in Figure 1 is an example of an "air conditioning device" and is installed outdoors, such as on the ground, a balcony, or a roof, and is configured to adjust the temperature and humidity of outdoor air (air: an example of "air to be adjusted") and supply it to a room, which is an example of a "supply target." This outdoor air processing air conditioner 1, as an example, comprises an air conditioner main body 2 and a condenser unit 3 configured separately from the air conditioner main body 2 and connected to the air conditioner main body 2.

[0021] The air conditioner main body 2, together with the condenser unit 3, constitutes the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1, and is also a device that constitutes an "air conditioning device" on its own, and is equipped with a filter 21, a blower 22, a compressor 23, a heating section 24, expansion valves 25a, 25b, a cooling section 26, a distribution board 27, etc., and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, these are housed in a housing 10 to form a unit.

[0022] As an example, the housing 10 is formed from a metal plate in the shape of a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped, and its interior is divided into two housing sections: a lower housing section Sa and an upper housing section Sb. The lower housing section Sa is provided with an inlet Hi for introducing air to be conditioned and a unidirectional exhaust port Hv (one-way vent) for discharging air within the lower housing section Sa (excluding air within the air guide passage L, which will be described later). The upper housing section Sb is provided with an exhaust port Ho for discharging air whose temperature and humidity have been conditioned. In this case, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the inlet Hi is provided on one side surface of the housing 10, the exhaust port Ho is formed on the side surface opposite to the side surface on which the inlet Hi is provided, and the exhaust port Hv is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 10.

[0023] Furthermore, a communication hole Hb that allows air to move from the upper storage section Sb to the lower storage section Sa is opened in the partition wall (the portion that constitutes the top plate of the lower storage section Sa and the bottom plate of the upper storage section Sb) that separates the lower storage section Sa and the upper storage section Sb. Furthermore, an air guide passage L (an example of an "air guide passage") that guides air from the inlet Hi to the outlet Ho is provided within the housing 10. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, an air intake port Hs is opened downstream of the cooling section 26 in the air guide passage L for supplying a portion of the air cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the cooling section 26 into the upper storage section Sb (discharging the air from the air guide passage L within the upper storage section Sb to the outside of the air guide passage L), as will be described later. However, with the exception of this air intake port Hs, the entire air guide passage L provided within the air conditioner main body 2 from the inlet Hi to the outlet Ho is isolated from its surroundings (outside the air guide passage L in the lower storage section Sa and the upper storage section Sb).

[0024] Furthermore, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the lower accommodation section Sa and upper accommodation section Sb are isolated and sealed from the outside of the housing 10, excluding the above-mentioned inlet Hi and exhaust ports Ho and Hv. This prevents foreign matter from entering the housing 10 (areas in the lower accommodation section Sa and upper accommodation section Sb other than the air guide passage L) in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example. Furthermore, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, a hood F with an opening facing downward is attached to the inlet Hi to prevent rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, and the like from entering the air guide passage L.

[0025] The filter 21 is a filtering device for preventing the intrusion of foreign matter into the air duct L (the suction of rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, insects, animals, dust, and the like into the air duct L), and is attached to the housing 10 so as to close the inlet Hi. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the air conditioner main body 2 of this example has, as an example, two types of filters arranged in this order along the air passage direction: a liquid droplet removal filter 21a (eliminator) for preventing the intrusion of rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, insects, animals, and the like, and a dust removal filter 21b (a nonwoven fabric filter, as an example) for preventing the intrusion of small dust particles and water droplets that have passed through the liquid droplet removal filter 21a.

[0026] 3, the blower 22 is an example of a "blower that compresses and sends air to be conditioned," and is configured as a centrifugal electric fan (centrifugal fan) having an impeller 22a rotated by a motor 22b, and is disposed in the air guide duct L between the filter 21 and the cooling section 26. In this case, the air conditioner main body 2 of this example employs a configuration in which the inlet Hi is present in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the impeller 22a (the shaft of the motor 22b), and the blower 22 is installed in the housing 10 so that the exhaust port of the blower 22 faces upward, and the air taken into the blower 22 via the inlet Hi is exhausted upward from the blower 22.

[0027] The compressor 23 pressure-feeds the refrigerant to a condenser 24a in the heating section 24 described below and a condenser 31 (see FIG. 1) in the condenser unit 3. The heating section 24 is an example of a "heating section" and includes a condenser 24a, which is an example of a "condenser," and is disposed downstream of the cooling section 26 in the air guide passage L (a guide passage G2 described below). As described below, the heating section 24 (condenser 24a) condenses a portion of the refrigerant supplied to each of the evaporators 26a1-26a4, 26b1-26b4 of the cooling section 26 by heat exchange with the air in the air guide passage L, and heats (reheats) the air cooled in the cooling section 26. The expansion valves 25a, 25b are, for example, electronic expansion valves and discharge a required amount of refrigerant to the cooling section 26.

[0028] Cooling unit 26 is an example of a "cooling unit" and is configured to be able to adjust the temperature and humidity by cooling the air to be adjusted. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, cooling unit 26 includes evaporators 26a1 to 26a4 (hereinafter also referred to as "evaporator 26a" when not distinguished) and evaporators 26b1 to 26b4 (hereinafter also referred to as "evaporator 26b" when not distinguished) that are arranged in air guide path L to allow the air compressed by blower 22 to pass through, and drain pans 26p arranged below each of evaporators 26a and 26b.

[0029] Each evaporator 26a is an example (example where N=4) of "N first evaporators arranged in a downstream portion of the air guide passage," and is arranged vertically in a state in which each evaporator is erected such that its air inlet surface (in this example, the left surface of each evaporator 26a) intersects with the direction of air flow (the direction of arrow A2 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) in the air guide passage L, and its refrigerant inlet Pi is positioned higher than its refrigerant outlet Po. Each evaporator 26b is an example (example where M=4) of "M second evaporators arranged in an upstream portion of the air guide passage," and is arranged vertically in a state in which each evaporator is erected such that its air inlet surface (in this example, the left surface of each evaporator 26b) intersects with the direction of air flow (the direction of arrow A1 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) in the air guide passage L, and its refrigerant inlet Pi is positioned higher than its refrigerant outlet Po. The "state in which the evaporator is installed upright" means "a state in which the air inlet surface of the evaporator is at an angle within the range of 45° to 135° with respect to the horizontal direction."

[0030] In this case, in the cooling section 26 of the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, each evaporator 26b is arranged upstream in the air flow direction within the air guide duct L, and each evaporator 26a is arranged downstream in the air flow direction. Also, in the cooling section 26 of this example, the refrigerant piping is connected so that the refrigerant that has passed through any one of the evaporators 26a can be passed through any one of the evaporators 26b, and the refrigerant that has passed through any other one of the evaporators 26a can be passed through any other one of the evaporators 26b.

[0031] Furthermore, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the evaporators 26a and 26b are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet Pi of any of the evaporators 26b is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet Po of any of the evaporators 26a, and the refrigerant inlet Pi of any of the other evaporators 26b is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet Po of any of the other evaporators 26a. Specifically, in the cooling section 26 of the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the evaporators 26a, 26b are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b1 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a1 are at the same height, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b2 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a2 are at the same height, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b3 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a3 are at the same height, and the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b4 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a4 are at the same height.

[0032] 1, the switchboard 27 includes a power supply unit 27a that supplies power to the blower 22, compressor 23, expansion valves 25a, 25b, etc., and a control unit 27b that performs overall control of each part of the air conditioner main body 2. In this case, the switchboard 27 is housed in the upper housing section Sb of the housing 10, as will be described later, to prevent the switchboard 27 from being submerged in water and breaking down in the event of a natural disaster such as a flood. In reality, indicators that notify the operating status of each part and an operation unit with operation switches for setting operating conditions are provided on the air conditioner main body 2, but illustrations and detailed description of these are omitted.

[0033] 3, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the filter 21, the blower 22, the compressor 23, and the expansion valves 25a, 25b are housed in a lower housing portion Sa of the housing 10, and the heating portion 24, the cooling portion 26, and the switchboard 27 are housed in an upper housing portion Sb of the housing 10. Furthermore, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, a configuration is adopted in which, when air introduced from the inlet Hi is moved through the air guide duct L toward the exhaust port Ho as shown by arrows A1 and A2, the air passes through the filter 21 (the liquid droplet removal filter 21a and the dust removal filter 21b), the blower 22, the cooling portion 26 (the evaporators 26b, 26a), and the heating portion 24 (the condenser 24a) in this order.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the air guide passage L is configured to include a guide portion G1 that guides the air exhausted from the blower 22 diagonally upward with respect to the air inlet surface of the cooling section 26 (each evaporator 26 b), and a guide portion G2 that guides the air that has passed through the cooling section 26 toward the lateral exhaust port Ho. Furthermore, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, in which the inlet port Hi is opened on one side surface of the housing 10 and the exhaust port Ho is formed on the side surface opposite to the side surface on which the inlet port Hi is opened, the traveling direction of the air from the inlet port Hi to the blower 22 and the traveling direction of the air from the cooling section 26 (each evaporator 26 a, 26 b) to the exhaust port Ho are the same in a side view and also in a plan view.

[0035] 1, the condenser unit 3 includes a condenser 31 that condenses a portion of the refrigerant supplied to the evaporators 26a1-26a4, 26b1-26b4 of the cooling section 26, similar to the condenser 24a of the heating section 24 in the air conditioner main body 2, and is connected to the air conditioner main body 2 via a refrigerant piping. In this case, in the outside air processing air conditioner 1 of this example, the compressor 23, the condenser 24a of the heating section 24, the expansion valves 25a, 25b, and the evaporators 26a, 26b of the cooling section 26 in the air conditioner main body 2, and the condenser 31 in the condenser unit 3 work together to form a "refrigeration cycle." Furthermore, although not shown and not described in detail, a flow rate adjustment valve is provided between the compressor 23 and the condensers 24a, 31 to adjust the ratio (flow rate ratio) of the amount of refrigerant flowing into the condenser 24a to the amount of refrigerant flowing into the condenser 31 in accordance with the amount of heat required to heat (reheat) the air in the heating section 24.

[0036] Next, the adjustment of air temperature and humidity (hereinafter simply referred to as "air conditioning") by the outside air processing air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] During air conditioning using the outside air processing air conditioner 1, the compressor 23 starts to pump the refrigerant, and the blower 22 starts to pump the air. At this time, the high-temperature, high-pressure vaporized refrigerant pumped by the compressor 23 is condensed in the condenser 24a of the heating section 24 by heat exchange with the air in the air guide duct L, and is also condensed in the condenser 31 of the condenser unit 3 by heat exchange with the outside air. The liquefied refrigerant condensed in the condenser 24a passes through the expansion valve 25a and is discharged into each evaporator 26a of the cooling section 26, and the liquefied refrigerant condensed in the condenser 31 passes through the expansion valve 25b and is discharged into each evaporator 26a of the cooling section 26.

[0038] Furthermore, the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valves 25a, 25b and been discharged into each evaporator 26a is vaporized by heat exchange with the surrounding air (air in the air guide duct L) while passing through each evaporator 26a and evaporator 26b in sequence, and is then drawn into the compressor 23. In the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 of this example, the openings of the expansion valves 25a, 25b are adjusted by the control unit 27b in accordance with the amount of refrigerant to be supplied to the heating unit 24 (the amount of refrigerant required to heat the air in the heating unit 24) and the amount of refrigerant to be supplied to the cooling unit 26 (the amount of refrigerant required to cool the air in the cooling unit 26). However, to facilitate understanding of the basic operation of the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1, a description of the adjustment of the openings of the expansion valves 25a, 25b will be omitted.

[0039] Furthermore, as the blower 22 starts operating, the air between the blower 22 and the filter 21 in the air guide duct L is sucked into the blower 22, and new air (outside air) is introduced into the air guide duct L from the inlet Hi and passed through the filter 21. In this case, in the outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, as described above, the hood F is attached to the inlet Hi with its opening facing downward, so that rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, and the like are suitably prevented from entering the air guide duct L from the inlet Hi. Even if rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, and the like are sucked into the air guide duct L from the lower opening of the hood F toward the inlet Hi, these foreign matters are separated from the air by the droplet removal filter 21a of the filter 21. Therefore, the rainwater, snow, fallen leaves, and other foreign matters are prevented from entering the air guide duct L together with the air, and clogging of the dust removal filter 21b arranged downstream is also prevented. Furthermore, even if small dust particles or water droplets pass through the droplet removal filter 21a along with the air, such foreign matter is separated from the air by the dust removal filter 21b, making it possible to supply clean air that is free of foreign matter to the target.

[0040] In this case, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, as described above, the blower 22 is installed in the lower accommodation portion Sa so that the inlet Hi is located in the axial direction of the rotation axis of the impeller 22a (the shaft of the motor 22b). Therefore, although air can be smoothly drawn from the inlet Hi toward the blower 22, the operating noise of the blower 22 (wind noise accompanying the rotation of the impeller 22a and the operating noise of the motor 22b; hereinafter simply referred to as "noise") is likely to leak out of the housing 10 from the inlet Hi. However, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, as described above, the hood F with its opening facing downward is attached to the inlet Hi, so it is possible to sufficiently reduce the volume (sound pressure level) of noise emitted from the blower 22 from the inlet Hi.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the hood F employed in the air conditioner body 2 of this example includes an inclined portion Fa that guides air supplied from below the hood F to the inlet Hi, and a hanging portion Fb provided at the tip (lower end) of the inclined portion Fa. The hood F is attached to the inlet Hi in such a manner that the upper end of the inclined portion Fa is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper end of the inlet Hi, and the lower end of the hanging portion Fb is positioned at approximately the same height as the lower end of the inlet Hi, such that in a side view (when viewed from the left side in Fig. 3), the entire inlet Hi is covered by the inclined portion Fa and the hanging portion Fb. As a result, in the air conditioner body 2 of this example, noise emitted from the inlet Hi is less likely to travel in a straight line toward the side of the housing 10.

[0042] In this case, by extending the inclined portion Fa of the hood F downward, the extended inclined portion Fa can cover the entire inlet Hi in a side view, even if the hanging portion Fb is not present. However, in a configuration without the hanging portion Fb, noise emitted laterally from the inlet Hi is reflected diagonally downward by the inclined portion Fa, and some of this reflected sound (sound reflected at a lower portion of the inclined portion Fa) may be reflected at a portion of the housing 10 below the inlet Hi and travel toward the side of the housing 10. In contrast, in the hood F of this example, in which the hanging portion Fb is provided at the tip (lower end) of the inclined portion Fa, the reflected sound reflected at the hanging portion Fb travels back from the inlet Hi toward the inside of the housing 10 (lower accommodation portion Sa) like the majority of the reflected sound reflected at the inclined portion Fa, and therefore the volume of the noise traveling toward the side of the housing 10 is sufficiently reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, the hood F of this example has a sound-absorbing material such as a foam resin sheet or a rubber sheet attached to its inner surface (not shown). This makes it possible to sufficiently reduce the volume of noise emitted from the inlet Hi and reflected by the inner surface of the hood F. In addition to the presence of the hood F as described above, the air conditioner main body 2 of this example has the inlet Hi opening in the lower housing section Sa of the housing 10. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the inlet Hi opens in a higher position, such as the upper housing section Sb, the noise is emitted from a lower position, making it more difficult for the noise to reach farther. As a result, the air conditioner main body 2 of this example effectively prevents unpleasant noise with a high sound pressure level from reaching people around the housing 10.

[0044] Meanwhile, the air that has been passed through filter 21 and sucked into blower 22 as described above is exhausted upward from the exhaust port of blower 22 and is guided to cooling unit 26 by guide portion G1 in air guide channel L. Therefore, unlike a configuration in which cooling unit 26 is disposed to the side or below blower 22, that is, a configuration in which air pressurized by blower 22 toward cooling unit 26 is moved to the side or downward, even if, for example, atomized moisture is sucked from inlet Hi, passes through droplet removal filter 21a, reaches dust removal filter 21b, and condenses into droplets in dust removal filter 21b, such droplets are less likely to reach cooling unit 26 together with the air.

[0045] The air guided to the cooling unit 26 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant inside each evaporator 26b as it passes through, and then further cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant inside each evaporator 26a as it passes through. During this process, as the relative humidity increases due to the drop in temperature, moisture in the air condenses and separates from the air, and the separated moisture drips from each evaporator 26b, 26a into the drain pan 26p as condensed water. As a result, the humidity (absolute humidity) of the air after passing through each evaporator 26b, 26a is reduced (process of adjusting the humidity of the "air to be adjusted": hereinafter, "process of reducing humidity" is also referred to as "dehumidification").

[0046] In this case, in the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, as described above, N = 4 evaporators 26a1 to 26a4 are arranged side by side in the air guide duct L, and M = 4 evaporators 26b1 to 26b4 are arranged side by side in the air guide duct L, thereby configuring the cooling section 26. For this reason, in the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, the length of the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet Pi to the refrigerant outlet Po in each evaporator 26a is sufficiently short compared to the length of the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet in one large evaporator (hereinafter, this evaporator will also be referred to as "evaporator 26ax") formed by adding up the capacity of the four evaporators 26a. Therefore, since the difference between the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant inlet Pi and the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant outlet Po in each evaporator 26a is sufficiently smaller than the difference between the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet in the evaporator 26ax, it is possible to sufficiently cool the air passing through each evaporator 26a as a whole. This makes it possible to preferably avoid a situation in which the air passing through each evaporator 26a contains air that is insufficiently cooled (dehumidified).

[0047] Similarly, the length of the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet Pi to the refrigerant outlet Po in each evaporator 26b is sufficiently shorter than the length of the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant inlet to the refrigerant outlet in a single large evaporator (hereinafter, this evaporator will also be referred to as "evaporator 26bx") formed by adding up the capacities of the four evaporators 26b. Therefore, the difference between the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant inlet Pi and the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant outlet Po in each evaporator 26b is sufficiently smaller than the difference between the heat absorption capacity near the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet in the evaporator 26bx. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently cool the air passing through each evaporator 26b as a whole. This makes it possible to preferably avoid a situation in which the air passing through each evaporator 26b contains air that is insufficiently cooled (dehumidified).

[0048] Furthermore, in the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, as described above, the refrigerant that has passed through each evaporator 26a passes through each evaporator 26b, and each evaporator 26a is arranged at a downstream position in the air guide duct L, and each evaporator 26b is arranged at an upstream position in the air guide duct L, so that the air compressed and transported by the blower 22 passes through each evaporator 26b and each evaporator 26a in this order. As a result, the air compressed by the blower 22 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant inside the evaporator when it passes through one of the evaporators 26b, and is further cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant inside the evaporator when it passes through one of the evaporators 26a.Therefore, compared to a configuration that does not have each evaporator 26b and has only each evaporator 26a (a ``cooling section'' in which heat exchange occurs once when the air compressed by the blower 22 passes through one of the evaporators 26a), the time for heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant is longer, making it possible to sufficiently cool the air to be conditioned.

[0049] In addition, in the cooling section 26 of this example, in which the refrigerant discharged from the expansion valves 25a, 25b is passed through each evaporator 26a and then through each evaporator 26b, the heat absorption capacity of each evaporator 26a, through which the refrigerant immediately after being discharged from the expansion valves 25a, 25b (refrigerant that has not undergone heat exchange with air) is passed, is higher than the heat absorption capacity of each evaporator 26b, through which the refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange with air in each evaporator 26a is passed. Therefore, when, as in the cooling section 26 in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the evaporators 26a with high heat absorption efficiency are arranged in the downstream portion of the air guide duct L and the evaporators 26b with low heat absorption capacity are arranged in the upstream portion of the air guide duct L (when an arrangement is adopted in which the air and the refrigerant flow countercurrently along the air guide duct L), and when, instead of the configuration of the cooling section 26 in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the evaporators 26a with high heat absorption efficiency are arranged in the upstream portion of the air guide duct L and the evaporators 26b with low heat absorption capacity are arranged in the downstream portion of the air guide duct L (when an arrangement is adopted in which the air and the refrigerant flow parallel to the air guide duct L), the countercurrent arrangement results in a higher heat exchange rate between the air and the refrigerant in the cooling section 26 as a whole, and the air to be conditioned can be cooled suitably, and as a result, the humidity (absolute humidity) can also be sufficiently reduced.

[0050] Furthermore, in the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, as described above, the evaporators 26a, 26b are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b1 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a1 are at the same height, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b2 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a2 are at the same height, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b3 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a3 are at the same height, and the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b4 and the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a4 are at the same height. Therefore, in the cooling section 26 of this example, when the lubricating oil to be circulated within the refrigeration cycle together with the refrigerant is caused to flow from each evaporator 26a to each evaporator 26b, there is no need for movement against gravity, so the lubricating oil discharged from the refrigerant discharge port Po of evaporator 26a1 can flow smoothly toward the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b1, the lubricating oil discharged from the refrigerant discharge port Po of evaporator 26a2 can flow smoothly toward the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b2, the lubricating oil discharged from the refrigerant discharge port Po of evaporator 26a3 can flow smoothly toward the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b3, and the lubricating oil discharged from the refrigerant discharge port Po of evaporator 26a4 can flow smoothly toward the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b4.

[0051] As a result, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, it is possible to prevent the lubricating oil that should be discharged from each evaporator 26a from accumulating within the evaporator 26a, thereby avoiding an increase in passage resistance due to the accumulation of lubricating oil and avoiding a situation in which an insufficient amount of lubricating oil circulates in the "refrigeration cycle" and causes burnout of the compressor 23. Furthermore, since an increase in passage resistance is avoided, a sufficient amount of refrigerant can be reliably flowed into each evaporator 26b, and it is possible to suitably cool the air by heat exchange with the refrigerant not only in each evaporator 26a but also in each evaporator 26b.

[0052] Instead of arranging the evaporators 26a, 26b in the cooling unit 26 of this embodiment, the evaporators 26a, 26b can also be arranged so that the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b1 is located below the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a1, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b2 is located below the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a2, the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b3 is located below the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a3, and the refrigerant inlet Pi of evaporator 26b4 is located below the refrigerant outlet Po of evaporator 26a4 (not shown). Even in such a configuration, the lubricating oil does not need to move against gravity when flowing from each evaporator 26a to each evaporator 26b, so the lubricating oil can move smoothly from each evaporator 26a to each evaporator 26b, similar to the cooling unit 26 of this embodiment.

[0053] On the other hand, the cooling of air by the cooling unit 26 as described above is primarily for temperature adjustment purposes, such as dehumidification. Therefore, the temperature of the air passing through the cooling unit 26 is lowered to a temperature even lower than the temperature at which the relative humidity becomes 100%. If the low-temperature air passing through the cooling unit 26 were directly supplied to the target (room), condensation would form around the intake air duct and the room temperature of the target room would be excessively lowered. Therefore, the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner body 2) of this example employs a configuration in which the low-temperature air dehumidified by passing through the cooling unit 26 is heated by the heating unit 24 disposed in the guide portion G2 of the air guide passage L, thereby preventing condensation in the intake air duct and excessive lowering of the room temperature of the target room. This allows air to be supplied to the room without condensation in the intake air duct or excessive lowering of the room temperature of the target room.

[0054] Furthermore, the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example employs a configuration in which a portion of the air that has passed through the cooling section 26 is supplied from the air intake port Hs into the upper accommodation section Sb (outside the air guide duct L) to cool the distribution board 27 housed in the upper accommodation section Sb. In this case, in the air conditioner main body 2 installed outdoors, the inside of the housing 10 becomes extremely hot due to heat generated by the distribution board 27 and sunlight. For this reason, in the summer when sunlight is strong and the hours of sunlight are long, the power supply section 27a may become excessively hot, reducing the efficiency of power supply to each section, or the control section 27b may become excessively hot, making normal control difficult.

[0055] Meanwhile, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, a portion of the low-temperature air cooled by the cooling unit 26 as described above is supplied from the air intake port Hs into the upper accommodation unit Sb, and this low-temperature air cools the switchboard 27 (power supply unit 27a and control unit 27b). In this case, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, as shown in FIG. 3, one end of the guide pipe Gp is ​​connected to the air intake port Hs, and the other end is installed so as to be located near the switchboard 27 (power supply unit 27a and control unit 27b). As a result, a portion of the low-temperature air cooled in the cooling unit 26 is supplied from the air intake port Hs, which opens at a portion downstream of the cooling unit 26 in the air guide channel L (i.e., near the exhaust port Ho), to a portion near the switchboard 27, which is located at a portion in the upper accommodation unit Sb on the opposite side from the opening of the exhaust port Ho, and this low-temperature air cools the switchboard 27. As a result, excessive price increases for the distribution board 27 are avoided, and power can be efficiently supplied to each part from the power supply unit 27a even in the summer, and each part can be stably controlled by the control unit 27b.

[0056] Furthermore, the air supplied from the air supply port Hs through the guide pipe Gp into the upper accommodation section Sb, which cools the switchboard 27, flows into the lower accommodation section Sa through the communication hole Hb. As described above, the lower accommodation section Sa accommodates the compressor 23, the blower 22, and other components. When the outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) is operating, the heat generated by these components causes the temperature inside the lower accommodation section Sa to rise. If the air in the lower accommodation section Sa attempts to move upward due to the temperature rise and enters the upper accommodation section Sb through the communication hole Hb, the high-temperature air entering from the lower accommodation section Sa may impede the cooling of the switchboard 27 by the low-temperature air from the guide pipe Gp. However, in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the air is supplied to the upper accommodation section Sb through the guide pipe Gp as described above, creating a positive pressure inside the upper accommodation section Sb. This effectively prevents the high-temperature air in the lower accommodation portion Sa from entering the upper accommodation portion Sb via the communication holes Hb or the like.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 3 , in the air conditioner main body 2 of this example, the aforementioned communication hole Hb, which allows air to move from the upper storage section Sb to the lower storage section Sa, opens above the compressor 23. In this case, the air flowing into the lower storage section Sa through the communication hole Hb has a temperature increased by cooling the switchboard 27, but is still at a temperature sufficiently lower than that of the compressor 23 and the motor 22b of the blower 22 housed in the lower storage section Sa. Therefore, the low-temperature air flowing from the upper storage section Sb into the lower storage section Sa through the communication hole Hb effectively cools the compressor 23 and the motor 22b, allowing these components to continue operating stably. The air, now heated after cooling the compressor 23 and the motor 22b, is then exhausted from the lower storage section Sa to the outside of the housing 10 through the exhaust port Hv. As mentioned above, this exhaust port Hv is configured as a one-way exhaust port (1-way vent), so when the air conditioner main body 2 is not operating, it is possible to prevent insects and other insects from entering the lower storage section Sa through this exhaust port Hv.

[0058] Furthermore, in the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) of this example, as described above, the drain pan 26p, into which the moisture (condensation water) separated from the air by cooling by the cooling unit 26 drips, is housed together with the evaporators 26a, 26b in the upper housing unit Sb. Therefore, without the need for a drain pump or the like to drain the moisture stored in the drain pan 26p outside the housing 10, the moisture in the drain pan 26p can be drained outside the housing 10 by allowing it to flow down naturally.

[0059] Furthermore, the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 of this example employs a configuration in which the necessary amount of refrigerant is condensed by a condenser 31 disposed in a condenser unit 3 configured separately from the air conditioner main body 2, excluding the amount of refrigerant required to heat (reheat) the air cooled by the cooling section 26 to the desired temperature. Therefore, the installation locations of the air conditioner main body 2 and the condenser unit 3 can be selected freely within restrictions such as the piping length of the refrigerant piping connecting the air conditioner main body 2 and the condenser unit 3. This significantly improves the degree of freedom in selecting the installation location of the outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 compared to an "air conditioner" (not shown) in which the components of the air conditioner main body 2 and the component of the condenser unit 3 (condenser 31) are housed in a single housing.

[0060] In this way, in this outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the cooling section 26 that cools the air to be adjusted to adjust the temperature and humidity includes N=4 evaporators 26a1 to 26a4 arranged in a downstream portion of the air guide duct L that guides the air compressed by the blower 22 to the exhaust port Ho, and M=4 evaporators 26b1 to 26b4 arranged in an upstream portion of the air guide duct L, and each evaporator 26a is arranged upright in the vertical direction so that the air introduction surface intersects with the direction of air movement in the air guide duct L and the refrigerant introduction port Pi is located higher than the refrigerant discharge port Po, and each evaporator 26b is arranged upright in the vertical direction so that the air introduction surface intersects with the direction of air movement in the air guide duct L and the refrigerant introduction port Pi is located higher than the refrigerant discharge port Po. The evaporators 26a and 26b are arranged vertically and erect so that the refrigerant passing through any one of the evaporators 26a is passed through any one of the evaporators 26b, and the refrigerant passing through any other one of the evaporators 26a is passed through any other one of the evaporators 26b. The evaporators 26a and 26b are arranged such that the refrigerant inlet Pi of any one of the evaporators 26b is not positioned higher than the refrigerant outlet Po of any one of the evaporators 26a, and the refrigerant inlet Pi of any one of the other evaporators 26b is not positioned higher than the refrigerant outlet Po of any one of the other evaporators 26a.

[0061] Therefore, with this outside-air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the air compressed by the blower 22 is passed through one of the evaporators 26b and then one of the evaporators 26a, which lengthens the time for heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant and allows the air to be sufficiently cooled compared to a configuration with a "cooling unit" configured to pass the air through the "evaporator" only once. Also, by arranging N=4 evaporators 26a side by side and M=4 evaporators 26b side by side, the length of the refrigerant flow path in the "first evaporator" and "second evaporator" can be sufficiently shortened compared to a configuration with one large "first evaporator (the aforementioned evaporator 26ax)" or a configuration with one large "second evaporator (the aforementioned evaporator 26bx)." This makes it possible to sufficiently reduce the difference in heat absorption power between the vicinity of the "refrigerant inlet" in the "first evaporator" and the vicinity of the "refrigerant outlet" (in this example, the difference between the heat absorption power near the refrigerant inlet Pi in the evaporator 26a and the heat absorption power near the refrigerant outlet Po), and also makes it possible to sufficiently reduce the difference in heat absorption power between the vicinity of the "refrigerant inlet" in the "second evaporator" and the vicinity of the "refrigerant outlet" (in this example, the difference between the heat absorption power near the refrigerant inlet Pi in the evaporator 26b and the heat absorption power near the refrigerant outlet Po). This prevents air with insufficient temperature and humidity adjustment from being contained in the air that has passed through the cooling unit 26 due to the air having passed through a portion with excessively small heat absorption power, and makes it possible to suitably adjust the temperature and humidity of the air to be adjusted. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 26a disposed downstream in the airflow direction within the air guide passage L is passed through the evaporator 26b disposed upstream in the airflow direction within the air guide passage L, the air flow and the refrigerant flow in the air guide passage L can be made to flow countercurrently, and therefore the air cooling efficiency by the cooling unit 26 can be sufficiently improved compared to a configuration in which the evaporator 26a is disposed upstream and the evaporator 26b is disposed downstream (a configuration in which the air flow and the refrigerant flow parallel to each other within the air guide passage L). This makes it possible to more suitably adjust the temperature and humidity of the air to be adjusted.

[0062] The outside-air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) also includes a heating unit 24 disposed downstream of the cooling unit 26 in the air guide channel L and configured to heat the air cooled by the cooling unit 26. The heating unit 24 includes a condenser 24a that condenses at least a portion of the refrigerant supplied to each evaporator 26a, and is configured to heat the air through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the condenser 24a. Therefore, the outside-air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) can prevent air cooled to an excessively low temperature by the cooling unit 26 from being supplied to the target (room). This effectively prevents condensation from forming around the intake air duct and excessively low temperatures (room temperatures) of the target. Heating the air using heat dissipated from the condenser 24a also allows the temperature of the air to be supplied to the target to be increased more efficiently and at lower cost than, for example, a configuration including a heating unit that heats the air using an electric heater.

[0063] Furthermore, this outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) includes a blower 22 that compresses and sends air that is to be adjusted in at least one of temperature and humidity, a cooling section 26 that has evaporators 26a1 to 26a4, 26b1 to 26b4 that are arranged to allow the air compressed by the blower 22 to pass through and that cool the air to adjust at least one of the temperature and humidity, a refrigeration cycle that has a condenser 24a (heating section 24) that condenses refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporators 26a and 26b (cooling section 26) and a compressor 23 that compresses and sends the refrigerant, a distribution panel 27 that has a power supply section 27a that supplies power to the blower 22 and the compressor 23, and a power supply unit 27b that supplies power to at least the blower 22, the evaporators 26a and 26b, the compressor 23, and the refrigeration cycle. and a housing 10 that houses a switchboard 27, the housing 10 being configured to be able to form a lower housing section Sa that is provided with an air inlet Hi and that houses at least a blower 22 and a compressor 23, and an upper housing section Sb that is provided with an air exhaust port Ho and is located above the lower housing section Sa, separated from the lower housing section Sa, and that houses at least evaporators 26a, 26b and the switchboard 27, and an air intake port Hs that supplies part of the air that has passed through the evaporators 26a, 26b into the upper housing section Sb is arranged in an air guide path L that guides air compressed by the blower 22 to the exhaust port Ho.

[0064] Therefore, with this outside-air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the distribution board 27 is cooled by the low-temperature air cooled by the cooling unit 26. This reliably prevents the temperature of the distribution board 27 from rising, compared to, for example, a configuration in which a cooling fan is attached to the distribution board 27 and the air is cooled by circulating air within the upper housing section Sb. This allows for stable power supply from the distribution board 27 to the components of the air conditioner main body 2, and also prevents malfunctions caused by abnormal heating, ensuring stable operation. Furthermore, because the air supplied from the air inlet Hs creates positive pressure within the upper housing section Sb housing the distribution board 27, it is possible to prevent air in the lower housing section Sa, which has risen in temperature due to heat generated by the compressor 23, blower 22, etc., from entering the upper housing section Sb. This reliably prevents the temperature of the distribution board 27 from rising due to heat generated by the compressor 23, blower 22, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, in this outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the "air supply section" is equipped with a guide pipe Gp that guides some of the air that has passed through each of the evaporators 26a, 26b from the air guide duct L to the vicinity of the switchboard 27. Therefore, with this outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the low-temperature air that is supplied to the upper accommodation section Sb from the air intake port Hs of the air guide duct L is not heated by components other than the switchboard 27 (for example, the housing 10), and is guided by the guide pipe Gp to the vicinity of the switchboard 27 while maintaining its low temperature, thereby enabling the switchboard 27 to be cooled even more effectively.

[0066] Furthermore, in this outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), the inlet Hi opens on a side surface of the lower accommodation section Sa, and the exhaust port Ho opens on a side surface of the upper accommodation section Sb, the blower 22 is composed of a centrifugal fan and is housed within the lower accommodation section Sa so that it can exhaust air drawn in from the inlet Hi upward, the air guide passage L is provided with a guide section G1 that guides the air exhausted from the blower 22 obliquely upward relative to the air inlet surface of the evaporators 26a, 26b, and a guide section G2 that guides the air that has passed through the evaporators 26a, 26b towards the exhaust port Ho on the side, and is configured so that the direction of travel of the air from the inlet Hi to the blower 22 and the direction of travel of the air from the evaporators 26a, 26b to the exhaust port Ho are the same in a plan view.

[0067] Therefore, according to this outdoor air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2), since the blower 22 is disposed in the lower accommodation part Sa, it is possible to avoid an unstable state where the heavy motor 22b is present in the upper accommodation part Sb. Since the cooling part 26 is disposed in the upper accommodation part Sb, compared with a configuration in which the cooling part 26 together with the blower 22 is disposed in the lower accommodation part Sa, the area required for installing the air conditioner main body 2 can be made sufficiently small. Also, since the moisture (condensed water: drain water) separated from the air by the cooling in the cooling part 26 can be drained outside the housing 10 by its own weight without requiring a drain pump or the like, it can be drained by flowing it down by its own weight. Further, for example, compared with a configuration in which the air introduction direction and the exhaust direction are opposite, the air can be smoothly moved from the air inlet Hi toward the air outlet Ho.

[0068] Note that the configuration of the "air conditioning device" is not limited to the example of the configuration of the above outdoor air processing air conditioner 1.

[0069] For example, although an example in which the cooling part 26 having N = 4 evaporators 26a1 to 26a4 and M = 4 evaporators 26b1 to 26b4 is provided has been described, the number N of the "first evaporators" and the number M of the "second evaporators" are not limited to "4", and can be "2", "3", and "any plural number of 5 or more". In this case, it is not limited to a configuration in which the number (N) of the "first evaporators" and the number (M) of the "second evaporators" are the same. A configuration (an example where N < M) in which the refrigerant is branched after passing through any one of the "first evaporators" and flows into a plurality of "second evaporators", or a configuration (an example where N > M) in which the refrigerant is merged after passing through any plurality of the "first evaporators" and flows into any one of the "second evaporators" can also be adopted. Even when these configurations are adopted, by making the "first evaporators" and the "second evaporators" plural respectively, the same effects as the configuration provided with the above "cooling part 26" can be achieved.

[0070] Furthermore, an example has been described in which an air intake port Hs is provided between the cooling unit 26 and the heating unit 24, and the air intake port Hs is provided to supply a portion of the air cooled and dehumidified by the cooling unit 26 into the upper storage unit Sb. However, instead of (or in addition to) such an air intake port Hs, a configuration can be adopted in which a portion of the air heated (reheated) by the heating unit 24 is supplied into the upper storage unit Sb. In this case, when the power distribution board 27 is used in an environment in which cooling is not required, a configuration can be adopted in which an "air intake port" such as the air intake port Hs is not provided. When an "air intake port" is not provided, the communication hole Hb and the exhaust port Hv can also be unnecessary.

[0071] In addition, although the configuration of the outside air processing air conditioner 1 (air conditioner main body 2) that adjusts both temperature and humidity (relative humidity) has been described as an example, the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to an "air conditioner" whose purpose is only to adjust temperature (an air conditioner that does not intend to separate moisture during cooling in the "cooling unit"), or an "air conditioner" whose purpose is only to adjust humidity (an air conditioner that does not care about the temperature of the air after dehumidification by cooling in the "cooling unit"). In this case, in an "air conditioner" whose purpose is only to adjust humidity, a configuration that does not include a "heating unit" can be adopted for an "air conditioner" that is used in an environment where condensation in the intake air duct or a drop in the temperature of the target air is not a problem, as described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1. Outdoor air processing air conditioner 2 Air conditioner unit 3 Condenser unit 10. Cabinet 21 Filters 21a Droplet removal filter 21b Dust removal filter 22 Blower 22a impeller 22b Motor 23 Compressor 24 Heating section 24a,31 Condenser 25a, 25b Expansion valve 26 Cooling section 26a1~26a4, 26b1~26b4 Evaporator 26p Drain pan 27 Switchboard 27a Power supply section 27b Control section F Hood Fa inclined part Fb hanging part G1 Information Department G2 Information Department Gp guide piping Hb communication hole Hi inlet Ho exhaust port Hs air supply port Hv exhaust outlet L Air guide path Pi refrigerant inlet Po Refrigerant outlet Sa Lower storage area Sb Upper storage section

Claims

1. a blower that pressurizes and sends air that is to be adjusted in at least one of temperature and humidity; an air conditioning device including a cooling unit that is arranged to allow the air compressed by the blower to pass through and that cools the air to adjust at least one of the above, the cooling unit includes N first evaporators (N is a natural number of 2 or more) arranged at a downstream side portion of an air guide duct that guides the air pressurized by the blower to an exhaust port, and M second evaporators (M is a natural number of 2 or more) arranged at an upstream side portion of the air guide duct, the first evaporators are arranged vertically in a state in which an air inlet surface intersects with a direction in which the air flows in the air guide passage, and a refrigerant inlet is positioned higher than a refrigerant outlet, the second evaporators are arranged vertically in a state in which an air inlet surface intersects with a direction in which the air flows in the air guide passage, and a refrigerant inlet is positioned higher than a refrigerant outlet, refrigerant pipes are connected so that the refrigerant passed through any one of the first evaporators is passed through any one of the second evaporators, and the refrigerant passed through any other one of the first evaporators is passed through any other one of the second evaporators; and An air conditioning system in which each of the first evaporators and each of the second evaporators are arranged so that the refrigerant inlet of any of the second evaporators is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet of any of the first evaporators, and so that the refrigerant inlet of any of the other second evaporators is not located higher than the refrigerant outlet of any of the other first evaporators.

2. a heating unit disposed downstream of the cooling unit in the air guide passage and configured to heat the air cooled by the cooling unit, 2. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit includes a condenser that condenses at least a portion of the refrigerant supplied to each of the first evaporators, and is configured to heat the air by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air in the condenser.

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