Humidification device

Abstract

It is possible to further increase the flow velocity of the air to be delivered while maintaining the falling liquid film.SOLUTION: An inclined surface portion 101 having an inclined surface 1011 extending so as to be inclined with respect to a horizontal direction and having a hydrophilic portion in at least a part of the inclined surface 1011, a water supply portion 102 that supplies water to the hydrophilic portion in the inclined surface 1011, an air supply portion 103 that has an angle with respect to the inclined surface 1011 and sends air so that the water supplied by the water supply portion 102 flows along a direction in which the water flows down along the inclined surface 1011, and a flow path space 107 that guides the air sent by the air supply portion 103 in the flow-down direction, An air flow passage part 104 constituting a flow passage space 107 gradually narrowed together with an inclined surface 1011, and an air discharge part 105 for discharging air passing through the flow passage space 107 are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a humidification device. [Background technology]

[0002] Humidifiers come in a variety of types, including evaporation, steam, water spray, and ultrasonic types, and are available in a variety of structures depending on the application. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a humidifier that is particularly suited for use as an addition to a central air conditioning system in a centrally air-conditioned home or small office.

[0003] The humidifier disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a flat surface having a surface extending at an angle to the horizontal direction and having a hydrophilic portion on at least a portion of the surface; a water supply unit that supplies water to the hydrophilic portion of the flat surface; an air supply unit that is arranged opposite the flat surface and delivers air that contacts at least a portion of a liquid film formed on the hydrophilic portion of the flat surface by the water supplied by the water supply unit; and an air discharge unit that discharges air that has contacted at least a portion of the liquid film.

[0004] The humidifier disclosed in Patent Document 1 was developed with the aim of providing a humidifier that can promote water evaporation by airflow more than conventional humidifiers. By forming a very thin, uniform, flowing liquid film on the hydrophilic part of the flat surface, the surface area of ​​the water that comes into contact with the air is increased, and the airflow is effectively directed at this part, allowing for efficient evaporation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-189727 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the air supplied to the humidifier is relatively low-temperature indoor air rather than heated air, the amount of humidification cannot be increased significantly. Therefore, if a larger amount of humidification is required, the air flow velocity and volume must be increased accordingly. However, with conventional methods, if the air flow velocity is increased to a certain level (for example, above 5 m / s), the liquid film is prevented from flowing downward, and the liquid film dries out in areas where the fast-flowing air hits, causing the liquid film to flow away from those areas, resulting in a decrease in humidification efficiency.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a humidifier that can increase the flow rate of the air being discharged while maintaining a falling liquid film. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The humidifying device according to the present disclosure is characterized by comprising an inclined surface section having an inclined surface extending at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction and having a hydrophilic portion on at least a portion of the inclined surface; a water supply section that supplies water to the hydrophilic portion of the inclined surface; an air supply section that is angled with respect to the inclined surface and that sends out air in the direction in which the water supplied by the water supply section flows down along the inclined surface; an air flow path section that, together with the inclined surface, forms a flow path space that gradually narrows and guides the air sent out by the air supply section in the flow down direction; and an air discharge section that discharges air that has passed through the flow path space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the above-described configuration makes it possible to increase the flow rate of the blown air while maintaining the falling liquid film. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a humidifier according to embodiment 1, with FIG. 1A being a side view and FIG. 1B being a front view. [Figure 2] 3 is an enlarged view showing a configuration example of a water supply section in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are enlarged views showing another configuration example of the water supply section in the first embodiment, with FIG. 3A being a side view and FIG. 3B being a front view. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a configuration example of a humidifier according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the longitudinal vortex generating section in embodiment 2, where Figure 5A is a diagram of the longitudinal vortex generating section viewed from diagonally below, and Figure 5B is a diagram of the longitudinal vortex generating section viewed from below. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a water supply section in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Figures 7A, 7B, and 7C are side views showing examples of the configuration of a water supply unit in embodiment 2, where Figure 7A is a diagram showing an example of installation of a spray guide plate, Figure 7B is a diagram showing another example of installation of a spray guide plate, and Figure 7C is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a water supply unit when a spray guide plate is not provided. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing another example of the configuration of the humidifier according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a side view showing another example of the configuration of the humidifier according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment. The humidifier 1 is a humidifier that is used in conjunction with or in addition to a central air conditioning system in, for example, a centrally air-conditioned house or a small office.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the humidifier 1 includes an inclined surface portion 101, a water supply portion 102, an air supply portion 103, an air flow path portion 104, an air discharge portion 105, and a drainage portion 106.

[0013] The inclined surface portion 101 is a member having an inclined surface 1011 (flat or curved surface) that extends at an angle relative to the horizontal direction. The inclined surface portion 101 has a hydrophilic portion on at least a part of the upper surface of the inclined surface 1011 (the surface to which water is supplied by the water supply portion 102). The angle of the inclined surface 1011 relative to the horizontal may be selected, for example, from about 20° to 70°.

[0014] Here, "inclined surface 1011 is hydrophilic" means that the solid surface (inclined surface 1011) has a high affinity with water, and that water that comes into contact with the solid surface spreads along the surface in the form of a thin film rather than forming droplets. A state in which the contact angle between the solid surface (inclined surface 1011) and water is 90° or less is generally referred to as hydrophilic. In the humidifier 1 according to embodiment 1, a state known as high hydrophilicity, where the contact angle is approximately 20 to 30° or less, is preferred, and a state known as superhydrophilicity, where the contact angle is approximately 10° or less, is even more preferred. The degree of hydrophilicity is selected taking into consideration various factors, such as the inclination angle of inclined surface portion 101, the amount of water flowing down, the water quality, the degree of scale buildup, and the wind speed of the air delivered from air supply unit 103.

[0015] To form the inclined surface 1011 with high hydrophilicity, various methods for modifying the surface of the inclined surface 1011 are available, such as coating the surface of the inclined surface 1011 with an inorganic or organic hydrophilic material, coating with titanium oxide and UV light irradiation, plasma treatment, corona discharge, fluorine gas treatment, and nanoimprinting. A highly hydrophilic surface can also be formed even from materials with low hydrophilicity, such as resin. Alternatively, a hydrophilically treated film can be attached to the inclined surface 1011, or the material of the inclined surface 1011 itself can be molded by incorporating a hydrophilic agent. To maintain excellent hydrophilicity for a long period of time, it is preferable to bake an inorganic hydrophilic material (paint) onto a material such as stainless steel. The entire inclined surface 1011 may be formed with a hydrophilic portion, but it is preferable to form a hydrophilic portion at least in the portion that comes into contact with the high-speed airflow and contributes to humidification.

[0016] The material of the inclined surface 1011 is preferably stainless steel, for example, because of its high corrosion resistance and rigidity. However, the material of the inclined surface 1011 is not limited to this. The thickness of the flat plate member constituting the inclined surface 1011 is preferably about 0.3 to 3 mm, and when stainless steel is used, it is more preferably about 0.5 to 0.7 mm. The thickness of the flat plate member is selected appropriately to have the required strength according to its area and material.

[0017] The inclined surface 1011 may have a water-repellent (or hydrophobic) portion on at least one of the two sides or the lower side of the inclined surface 1011, which does not contribute much to humidification, so that water that comes into contact with the inclined surface 1011 turns into droplets and quickly flows down. In this way, when the supply of water from the water supply unit 102 starts from the upper side of the inclined surface 1011, the water-repellent portion of the inclined surface 1011 drains well, thereby preventing the buildup of scale and the growth of mold.

[0018] Here, "inclined surface 1011 is water-repellent (or hydrophobic)" means that the solid surface (inclined surface 1011) has a low affinity with water, and water that comes into contact with it forms droplets, and the contact angle between the solid surface (inclined surface 1011) and water is 90° or more, and more preferably, a state called super-water-repellent, in which the contact angle is about 150° or more. The degree of water repellency (hydrophobicity) is selected taking into consideration various aspects, such as the inclination angle of inclined surface 1011, the amount of water flowing down, the water quality, and the degree of water stain adhesion.

[0019] The water supply unit 102 is provided on the upper end side of the inclined surface 1011. The water supply unit 102 supplies water to a hydrophilic portion of the inclined surface 1011, for example, by supplying water over a part or the entire width of the inclined surface 1011. As a result, a thin liquid film is formed flowing down on the hydrophilic portion of the inclined surface 1011. A specific example of the configuration of the water supply unit 102 will be described later.

[0020] Air supply unit 103 is provided above inclined surface 1011. This air supply unit 103 is angled with respect to inclined surface 1011, and sends out air in the direction in which the water supplied by water supply unit 102 flows down along inclined surface 1011 (the direction in which the liquid film flows down). The angle of the air blown out from the air supply unit 103 relative to the inclined surface 1011 is preferably, for example, about 10° to 45°.

[0021] 1, for example, a cross-flow fan is used as this air supply unit 103. A cross-flow fan is a fan used for blowing air out of the indoor unit of a home air conditioner. By using a cross-flow fan as the air supply unit 103, it is possible to blow out air at a uniform high speed in the width direction.

[0022] The air flow path section 104 is a flow path space 107 that guides the air sent out by the air supply section 103 in the downward flow direction, and together with the inclined surface 1011, forms the flow path space 107 that gradually narrows. Furthermore, the air flow path section 104 may be configured to have a flow path space 107 that gradually narrows and then gradually widens as the flow path space 107. Note that the "gradually widening" portion of the flow path space 107 does not need to be configured with the inclined surface 1011.

[0023] The air discharge section 105 discharges the air that has passed through the flow path space 107 . This air discharge section 105 may be connected to, for example, a duct of a central air conditioning unit or ventilation system, and humidified air may be supplied to each room. Alternatively, in a house equipped with central air conditioning equipment or central ventilation equipment, even if humidified air is simply blown out into a space somewhere, it will be sucked into the equipment and supplied to each room.

[0024] In Figure 1, thick arrows indicate the air that is sent out from the air supply section 103 and hits at least a part of the liquid film, the air that passes through the flow path space 107, and the air that is discharged from the air discharge section 105 to the outside of the humidifier 1.

[0025] The drainage section 106 discharges the water (liquid film) that has passed through the flow path space 107. Drainage section 106 is provided on the lower end side of inclined surface 1011. Drainage section 106 collects water that flows down inclined surface 1011 without evaporating and discharges it to the outside of humidifier 1. If all of the water that flows down is evaporated, mineral components (so-called scale) such as calcium and magnesium contained in tap water will precipitate and adhere to and accumulate on inclined surface 1011. Therefore, it is preferable to supply a slightly larger amount of water than the amount to be evaporated (for example, about 1.2 to 2 times the amount). Furthermore, filters that remove dust and other particles from the air are installed in parts that draw in indoor air, such as air supply section 103 and air induction section 108 (described later). Even if a large amount of dust and other particles passes through the filter and enters, adhesion and accumulation on inclined surface 1011 can be suppressed by supplying a slightly larger amount of water. Note that cleaning may be performed by periodically running a larger amount of water, or the water used may be fine-bubble water to effectively suppress the adhesion and accumulation of scale and dirt, or the proliferation of bacteria. Fine bubble water also has a low surface tension, which has the effect of further improving the wettability of the inclined surface 1011 (the hydrophilic portion thereof) (equivalent to improving hydrophilicity). For example, a tray and a drain pipe may be connected to the drain unit 106. Note that the drain unit 106 is not an essential component of the humidifier 1 and may be omitted.

[0026] 1, for example, air induction section 108 may be formed in at least a part of the periphery of the portion of air supply section 103 that delivers air (air delivery section). This air induction section 108 draws air around the air delivery section of air supply section 103 into flow path space 107. In FIG. 1B, air induction sections 108 are provided on the front and back sides of air supply section 103, but air induction sections 108 may also be provided on both sides of air supply section 103. In this way, by providing the air induction section 108 in the humidifier 1, the air flow rate can be made greater than the capacity of the air supply section 103. Because the heat of evaporation of water must be provided by the air, when the air temperature is low, this must be compensated for by the flow rate, requiring a large flow rate. In addition, air flow rate is also necessary for the appropriate transport of water vapor, and the air flow rate must be increased and discharged at an appropriate humidity (for example, 80% RH or less) to prevent condensation from occurring immediately after discharge. It is not always necessary to provide the air induction section 108, and the air supply section 103 and the flow path space 107 may be connected in a sealed manner.

[0027] Next, a configuration example of the water supply unit 102 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. The water supply unit 102 shown in FIG. 2 has a water supply tube 1021 and a water supply amount adjusting plate 1022.

[0028] The water supply tube 1021 supplies water. The water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 spreads the water supplied by the water supply tube 1021 in the width direction of the inclined surface 1011 and adjusts the amount of water supplied.

[0029] 2, the upper end of water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 is supported by pivot shaft 10221, water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 is configured to be rotatable about pivot shaft 10221, and water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 is in contact with inclined surface 1011 at a predetermined angle. When water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 rotates about pivot shaft 10221 due to the weight of water supplied by water supply tube 1021, a gap is formed between the lower end of water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011, and water flows out from this gap. In this way, by forming a gap between water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011, the amount of water supplied to inclined surface 1011 can be adjusted, and the thickness of the liquid film and the flow rate of the water can be adjusted to appropriate values. Furthermore, the water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 can make the amount of water supplied in the width direction uniform (prevent the amount of water supplied in the width direction from becoming uneven) even when the humidifier 1 is tilted in the width direction of the inclined surface 1011. The predetermined angle is preferably, for example, about 10 to 30 degrees. The material of the water supply adjusting plate 1022 is preferably a corrosion-resistant material such as resin or SUS, and the thickness is preferably about 0.1 to 1 mm.

[0030] 2. Furthermore, water supply unit 102 shown in Fig. 3 has water supply tube 1021, water supply amount adjustment plate 1022, and gap adjustment member 1023. That is, water supply unit 102 shown in Fig. 3 has gap adjustment member 1023 added to water supply unit 102 shown in Fig. 2.

[0031] One or more gap adjustment members 1023 are provided on the lower end side of water supply amount adjustment plate 1022. These gap adjustment members 1023 form a gap between the lower end side of water supply amount adjustment plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011. These gap adjustment members 1023 are members for appropriately setting and maintaining the shape and size of the gap between water supply amount adjustment plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011. In the case of water supply unit 102 shown in FIG. 3, the predetermined angle between water supply amount adjusting plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011 is preferably, for example, about 10° or less.

[0032] The gap adjustment member 1023 may be configured integrally with or separately from the water supply amount adjustment plate 1022. For example, the gap adjustment member 1023 may be configured as a member that can be attached to the water supply amount adjustment plate 1022, and the shape and size of the gap may be appropriately adjusted.

[0033] Here, a water vapor concentration gradient layer called a boundary film is formed between the liquid film and the air convection layer, and the evaporation rate of water vapor (movement to the air convection layer) can be improved by either increasing the pressure (concentration) difference between the water vapor on both ends of this boundary film or by reducing the thickness of the boundary film. The former can be achieved by increasing the temperature of the air or supply water to raise the liquid film temperature, and the latter by increasing the air flow velocity. Conventional methods, in which air is blown in the direction opposite the direction in which the liquid film formed on the flat surface flows, are preferable as long as the air flow velocity is within a certain range (for example, 5 m / s or less), as this allows for efficient mass transfer and heat exchange between the two fluids. However, with conventional methods, if the air flow velocity is increased beyond this, the liquid film is prevented from flowing downward, and the liquid film dries out in particular in the areas where the fast-flowing air hits, causing the liquid film to flow around those areas, resulting in a problem of reduced evaporation efficiency and making it impossible to increase the amount of humidification. Therefore, in a humidifier 1 that requires the supply of air at a particularly high flow rate, it is preferable to send out air at a predetermined angle in the direction of the downward flow of the liquid film so as not to impede the downward flow of the liquid film. The reason for sending out air at a predetermined angle rather than parallel is to suppress the development of velocity and temperature boundary layers by causing the air to flow so that it collides with and adheres to the flat surface (liquid film), thereby making it possible to thin the boundary film and maintain high heat exchange efficiency.

[0034] Furthermore, if high-velocity air is suddenly applied to the liquid film, the liquid film will escape, and if there is a large difference in the air flow velocity distribution across the width, the liquid film in the high-velocity area will dry out, resulting in unevenness in the liquid film. Therefore, it is preferable to gradually narrow the height of the air flow path and straighten the air so that the flow velocity gradually increases along the downward flow direction of the liquid film, as this will create a high-velocity air flow with an approximately uniform flow velocity distribution in the width direction of the liquid film. This structure also has the effect of suppressing the development of a velocity boundary layer in the airflow flowing along the liquid film, preventing a decrease in the air flow velocity near the liquid film. Since the development of the velocity boundary layer is suppressed, the development of the temperature boundary layer is also suppressed.

[0035] Furthermore, to alleviate the problem of high-speed airflow being blown out into the room, it is preferable to gradually widen the outlet side of the flow path space 107. That is, if the flow path space 107 is suddenly widened or the flow velocity is reduced by a resistor such as a filter, pressure loss and noise will increase, so it is preferable to gradually widen the outlet side of the flow path space 107.

[0036] As described above, according to this embodiment 1, the humidifier 1 comprises an inclined surface section 101 having an inclined surface 1011 extending at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction, at least a portion of the inclined surface 1011 being a hydrophilic portion; a water supply section 102 that supplies water to the hydrophilic portion of the inclined surface 1011; an air supply section 103 that is angled with respect to the inclined surface 1011 and that blows out air in the direction in which the water supplied by the water supply section 102 flows down along the inclined surface 1011; an air flow path section 104 that, together with the inclined surface 1011, forms a flow path space 107 that guides the air blown out by the air supply section 103 in the flow direction, the flow path space 107 gradually narrowing; and an air discharge section 105 that discharges air that has passed through the flow path space 107. This allows the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment to increase the flow rate of the air being blown out while maintaining the falling liquid film.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the air flow path section 104 forms the flow path space 107, which gradually narrows and then gradually widens. As a result, the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment can alleviate the problem of high-speed airflow being blown into the room.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the air supply unit 103 is a cross-flow fan. This allows the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment to deliver air at a uniform high speed in the width direction.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, air induction section 108 is provided which induces the air around the portion of air supply section 103 from which air is sent out, into flow path space 107. As a result, the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment can deliver air at a flow rate greater than the capacity of the air supply unit 103.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment 1, the water supply section 102 has a water supply tube 1021 that supplies water, and a water supply amount adjustment plate 1022 that spreads the water supplied by the water supply tube 1021 in the width direction of the inclined surface 1011 and adjusts the amount of water supplied. Moreover, according to the first embodiment, water supply section 102 further includes gap adjustment member 1023 that forms a gap between water supply amount adjustment plate 1022 and inclined surface 1011. As a result, the humidifier 1 according to the first embodiment can adjust the amount of water supplied to the inclined surface 1011.

[0041] Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, a humidifier 1 was described that can increase the flow rate of the discharged air while maintaining a falling liquid film. In the second embodiment, a humidifier will be described that can increase the amount of air that contributes to evaporating water or absorbing and transporting water vapor when the amount of discharged air is increased.

[0042] For example, to increase the amount of humidification in the humidifier 1, it is necessary not only to increase the flow rate of the air being delivered, as described in the first embodiment, but also to increase the amount of air. However, simply increasing the amount of air does not necessarily mean that all of that air will pass close to the liquid film and contribute to the evaporation of water or the absorption and transport of water vapor. In other words, simply increasing the amount of air also results in a problem in that much air passes far from the liquid film and does not contribute much to the evaporation of water or the absorption and transport of water vapor, resulting in poor humidification efficiency relative to the amount of air. In the second embodiment, we will describe a humidifier 1b that can solve these problems and further increase humidification efficiency.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2. The humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2 differs from the humidifier 1 according to embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the air supply unit 103 is configured as a cross-flow fan 1031 having a blowout (guide) flow path 1032, and the water supply unit 102 is configured as a spray nozzle that blows water in a fan shape. The humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2 also differs from the humidifier 1 according to embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that a vertical vortex generating unit 109 is provided in a portion other than the inclined surface 1011 of the air supply unit 103 or the air flow path unit 104, and that the air induction unit 108 has been eliminated. The other configuration of the humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2 is the same as that of the humidifier 1 according to embodiment 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used and a repeated description will be omitted.

[0044] The air supply unit 103 is configured by a cross-flow fan 1031 having an outlet flow path 1032. The cross-flow fan 1031 itself may be the same as the cross-flow fan in the first embodiment. Discharge flow path 1032 is attached to the air outlet of cross flow fan 1031, and guides air discharged from the air outlet of cross flow fan 1031 to flow path space 107. The front surface (right side in FIG. 4) of discharge flow path 1032 is continuously connected to air flow path section 104, and water supply section 102 is provided on the back side of the rear surface (left side in FIG. 4) of discharge flow path 1032 in a manner that seals the space on the back side. In this respect, humidifier 1b has a slightly different configuration from humidifier 1, in which air induction sections 108 are provided on the front and rear sides of air supply section 103. In this way, since the air supply unit 103 is configured by the cross flow fan 1031 having the blowout flow path 1032, the air supply unit 103 can blow out high-speed air uniformly in the width direction of the inclined surface 1011.

[0045] The vertical vortex generating section 109 is provided in the air supply section 103 or in a portion of the air flow path section 104 other than the inclined surface 1011. When the vertical vortex generating section 109 is provided in the air supply section 103, the vertical vortex generating section 109 may be provided in the outlet flow path 1032 of the cross flow fan 1031, for example, as shown in FIG. The longitudinal vortex generating section 109 is configured, for example, by a vortex generator of a type in which a pair of rectangular thin plates are arranged facing each other in a V-shape. The longitudinal vortex generating section 109 generates longitudinal vortices in the air flow path section 104, each having a rotation axis in the air flow direction.

[0046] One or more vertical vortex generating sections 109 are provided in the air supply section 103 or in a portion of the air flow path section 104 other than the inclined surface 1011. When a plurality of vertical vortex generating sections 109 are provided, the vertical vortex generating sections 109 are preferably provided at equal intervals along the width direction of the inclined surface 1011.

[0047] 5A and 5B show examples of installation of the longitudinal vortex generating section 109. Fig. 5A is a view of the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 seen from diagonally below, and Fig. 5B is a view of the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 seen from below. In Figs. 5A and 5B, one longitudinal vortex generating section 109 is composed of vortex generators in which a pair of rectangular thin plates 109A and 109B are arranged opposite each other in a V-shape, and four longitudinal vortex generating sections 109 are provided at equal intervals along the width direction of the inclined surface 1011. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, each of the longitudinal vortex generating sections 109 can generate a pair of longitudinal vortices that rotate in opposite directions. 5A and 5B, adjacent longitudinal vortices rotate in opposite directions, so they do not attenuate each other even at the contact points of the vortices, and multiple (eight in this case) rows of longitudinal vortices flow stably downstream. As a result, the multiple rows of longitudinal vortices can agitate the entire air passage section 104.

[0048] In addition, longitudinal vortices have the advantage of having little pressure loss and being difficult to attenuate. If the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 has the structure and arrangement shown in Figures 5A and 5B, it is possible to make the pressure loss of the longitudinal vortices relatively small despite the simple structure.

[0049] When the vertical vortex generating section 109 is configured as a vortex generator of the type in which a pair of rectangular thin plates are arranged facing each other in a V-shape, the height (length of the short side) of the pair of rectangular thin plates from the installation surface is preferably about half the height of the flow path through which the air flows, i.e., the length from the installation surface of the thin plates to the surface opposite the installation surface, and the pair of thin plates are preferably arranged facing each other in a V-shape with an angle of about 20° with respect to the air flow direction. The thickness of the thin plates is preferably about 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, for example, but an appropriate thickness can be selected depending on the strength of the material, etc.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 has the length of the long sides of the rectangular thin plates, the opposing spacing, or the angle set so that the diameter of the longitudinal vortex is approximately the same as the height of the flow path through which the air flows, since this allows for the generation of powerful longitudinal vortices that are difficult to attenuate with relatively low pressure loss. Furthermore, taking into consideration the number or spacing of the longitudinal vortex generating sections 109, or the width of the flow path space 107, it is preferable to set the number or spacing of the longitudinal vortex generating sections 109 so that nearly perfect circular longitudinal vortices are lined up in the width direction of the flow path space 107, because this allows the formation of a powerful row of longitudinal vortices that are unlikely to attenuate downstream.

[0051] In the above description, the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 is configured as a vortex generator in which a pair of rectangular thin plates are arranged facing each other in a V-shape. However, the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 may be configured in a manner other than the above. For example, the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 may be configured as a vortex generator in which triangular thin plates, including right-angled triangles, are arranged facing each other in a V-shape.

[0052] Water supply unit 102 is configured with a spray nozzle 1024 that sprays water in a fan shape, as shown in Fig. 6, for example. When water supply unit 102 is configured with a spray nozzle 1024 such as that shown in Fig. 6, water supply unit 102 can form a stable, downward-flowing liquid film that is less susceptible to the state of inclined surface 1011 or air flow. A preferred example of spray nozzle 1024 is one such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-310256. This type of spray nozzle is of the type that sprays water from the nozzle onto a surface placed at an angle, spreading it in a fan shape, and is preferred because it can operate at a relatively low pressure and low flow rate and can also form a wide fan angle.

[0053] In addition, the water supply unit 102 may be provided with a spray guide plate 1025 that guides the water sprayed in a fan shape from the spray nozzle 1024 along the surface of the spray nozzle and supplies it to the inclined surface unit 101 . 7A and 7B show configuration examples of spray guide plate 1025. For example, spray guide plate 1025 shown in Fig. 7A is provided so as to connect inclined surface 1011 with a support member that supports spray nozzle 1024, at a position closer to the water outlet of spray nozzle 1024 (left-right direction in Fig. 7A) in the extension direction of spray nozzle 1024 (left-right direction in Fig. 7A). In addition, the spray guide plate 1025 shown in Figure 7B is arranged to connect the support member that supports the spray nozzle 1024 to the inclined surface 1011 at a position further back (to the right in Figure 7B) than the water outlet of the spray nozzle 1024 in the extension direction of the spray nozzle 1024 (left and right direction in Figure 7B). In either case of FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B, the spray guide plate 1025 guides the water sprayed from the spray nozzles 1024 along its surface and supplies it to the inclined surface portion 101.

[0054] For example, as shown in Figure 7C, if water supply unit 102 does not have spray guide plate 1025, in humidifier 1b, fine water droplets will scatter when water sprayed from spray nozzle 1024 hits inclined surface 1011, and the water droplets may be carried by the air current and released into the room from air discharge unit 105. In this regard, if water supply unit 102 is equipped with spray guide plate 1025 as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, in humidifier 1b, water sprayed from spray nozzle 1024 will be smoothly guided along spray guide plate 1025 to inclined surface 1011, thereby preventing the occurrence of problems such as those described above.

[0055] As described above, the humidifier 1b according to the second embodiment has one or more longitudinal vortex generating units 109 (vortex generators) installed in the air flow path to generate longitudinal vortices or longitudinal vortex arrays having rotation axes in the air flow direction. This allows the humidifier 1b to efficiently bring the air flow in the flow path space 107 into contact with the liquid film, thereby increasing the amount of air in the flow path space 107 that contributes to evaporating water or absorbing and transporting water vapor.

[0056] In particular, to increase the amount of humidification in the humidifier 1b, it is necessary not only to increase the flow rate of the air being delivered, as described in the first embodiment, but also to increase the amount of air. However, simply increasing the amount of air also results in a problem of poor humidification efficiency relative to the amount of air, because the air also contains a large amount of air that passes far from the liquid film and does not contribute much to the evaporation of water or the absorption and transport of water vapor. In this regard, the humidifier 1b according to the second embodiment is provided with the above-described vertical vortex generating section 109, which solves the above problem and makes it possible to improve the humidification efficiency relative to the amount of air.

[0057] The configuration related to spray nozzle 1024 described in embodiment 2 may be employed as water supply section 102 described in embodiment 1. Conversely, the configuration related to water supply section 102 described in embodiment 1 may be employed as water supply section 102 in embodiment 2 in place of spray nozzle 1024.

[0058] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the humidifier 1b may be configured as shown in Fig. 8, for example, in addition to the exemplary configuration shown in Fig. 4. In the exemplary configuration shown in Fig. 8, the water supply unit 102 (spray nozzle 1024) is attached directly to the inner surface of the discharge flow path 1032, and the water discharge port of the spray nozzle 1024 is disposed facing the discharge flow path 1032. In this case, the humidifier 1b shown in Fig. 8 can save space compared to the humidifier 1b shown in Fig. 4.

[0059] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, humidifier 1b may be configured, for example, as shown in Fig. 9. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 9, the angle of air supply unit 103 relative to inclined surface 1011 in the configuration example shown in Fig. 4 is changed. In this way, the angle of air supply unit 103 relative to inclined surface 1011 may be set appropriately depending on the size of the space in which humidifier 1b is installed, etc., thereby improving the degree of freedom in the installation location of humidifier 1b.

[0060] As described above, according to this second embodiment, humidifier 1b is provided with longitudinal vortex generating section 109 that generates longitudinal vortices having an axis of rotation in the air flow direction in air supply section 103 or in a portion of air flow path section 104 other than inclined surface 1011. As a result, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, humidifier 1b according to the second embodiment can increase the amount of air that contributes to evaporating water or absorbing and transporting water vapor, thereby improving the humidification efficiency relative to the amount of air.

[0061] Furthermore, the longitudinal vortex generating section 109 is a vortex generator of a type in which a pair of rectangular thin plates are arranged opposite each other in a V-shape, and at least one such vortex generating section is provided. As a result, the humidifier 1b according to the second embodiment can achieve a relatively small pressure loss of the longitudinal vortices while maintaining a simple structure for the longitudinal vortex generating section 109. Furthermore, when multiple longitudinal vortex generating sections 109 are provided, adjacent longitudinal vortices rotate in opposite directions, so they do not decay even at the contact points between the vortices. This allows multiple rows of longitudinal vortices to flow stably downstream and agitate the entire air passage section 104. Furthermore, by setting the number or spacing of the longitudinal vortex generating sections 109 to a predetermined value, a powerful row of longitudinal vortices that does not decay downstream can be formed.

[0062] Moreover, air supply unit 103 is composed of cross flow fan 1031 and outlet flow path 1032 of cross flow fan 1031. As a result, in humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2, air supply unit 103 can deliver high-speed air uniformly across inclined surface 1011 in the width direction.

[0063] Furthermore, water supply unit 102 is a spray nozzle 1024 that sprays water in a fan shape. As a result, in humidifier 1b according to embodiment 2, water supply unit 102 can form a liquid film that flows down stably without being affected by the state of inclined surface 1011 or the air flow.

[0064] Water supply unit 102 also includes spray guide plate 1025 that guides water sprayed in a fan shape from spray nozzle 1024 along the surface of the spray guide plate, supplying it to inclined surface unit 101. This prevents fine water droplets from scattering and being carried by the air current and released into the room from air discharge unit 105.

[0065] The above describes in detail preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0066] Furthermore, the present disclosure allows for free combination of the embodiments, modification of any of the components of the embodiments, or omission of any of the components of the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1, 1b Humidifier 101 Slope section 102 Water supply section 103 Air supply unit 104 Air flow path section 105 Air exhaust section 106 Drainage section 107 Flow path space 108 Air induction section 109 Vertical vortex generator 109A, 109B thin plate 1011 Slope 1021 Water supply tube 1022 Water supply adjustment plate 1023 Gap adjustment member 1024 spray nozzle 1025 Spray guide plate 1031 Crossflow Fan 1032 Outlet (guide) flow path 10221 Rotating shaft

Claims

1. an inclined surface portion having an inclined surface extending at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction, at least a part of the inclined surface having a hydrophilic portion; a water supply unit that supplies water to the hydrophilic portion of the inclined surface; an air supply unit that is angled with respect to the inclined surface and that sends out air in a direction in which the water supplied by the water supply unit flows down along the inclined surface; an air flow path portion that, together with the inclined surface, forms a flow path space that guides the air sent out by the air supply portion in the downward flow direction and that gradually narrows; an air discharge section that discharges air that has passed through the flow path space; A humidifying device comprising:

2. The air flow path portion forms a flow path space that gradually narrows and then gradually widens.

2. The humidifier according to claim 1.

3. The air supply unit is composed of a cross-flow fan, or the cross-flow fan and an outlet flow path of the cross-flow fan.

2. The humidifier according to claim 1.

4. An air induction section is provided that induces air around a portion of the air supply section that delivers air into the flow path space.

4. The humidifier according to claim 3.

5. The water supply unit is a water supply tube for supplying water; a water supply amount adjusting plate that spreads the water supplied by the water supply tube in the width direction of the inclined surface and adjusts the amount of water supplied.

2. The humidifier according to claim 1.

6. The water supply unit is The water supply adjusting plate further includes a gap adjusting member for forming a gap between the water supply adjusting plate and the inclined surface.

6. The humidifier according to claim 5.

7. A longitudinal vortex generating section that generates longitudinal vortices having a rotation axis in the air flow direction is provided in the air supply section or in a portion of the air flow path section other than the inclined surface. The humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The vertical vortex generating section is a vortex generator of a type in which a pair of rectangular thin plates are arranged opposite each other in a V-shape, and one or more of them are provided.

8. The humidifier according to claim 7.

9. The water supply unit is a spray nozzle that sprays water in a fan shape.

5. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the humidifier is a heater.

10. The water supply unit is provided with a spray guide plate that guides the water sprayed in a fan shape from the spray nozzle along its surface and supplies it to the inclined surface.

10. The humidifier according to claim 9.

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