Clean air supply system

Abstract

To provide an inexpensive clean air supply system capable of surely supplying clean air to a necessary place.SOLUTION: A system (100) for supplying clean air to at least one place (10, 12) includes a supply pipe (16) for supplying clean air obtained from a space (14) separated from the place (10, 12) to the outside of the space (14), a connection port (18) provided at a supply port of the supply pipe (16), and a supply port (20) provided at the place (10, 12) and connected to the connection port (18) to supply clean air supplied from the connection port (18) to the place (10, 12).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clean air supply system for supplying clean air. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, facilities with few pollution sources, such as semiconductor factories and museum storage facilities, have implemented chemical countermeasures to maintain air quality by incorporating chemical filters using activated carbon into circulating air conditioning systems. It is known that purified air provided by chemical filters contributes to the development and treatment of allergic diseases. This has already been demonstrated by the inventors' research using animal experiments.

[0003] On the other hand, HEPA filters are used as an infection control measure in facilities such as hospitals, where alcohol and chemicals are often used, and the filters tend to reach the end of their lifespan in a short period of time.

[0004] A conventional system that performs air conditioning using HEPA filter treatment only in necessary areas is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-131219 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional chemical countermeasures require the circulating air conditioning system to be constantly running, which can lead to high running costs such as filter replacement and electricity bills. One possible solution to this problem is to monitor air quality and control the operating status of the circulating air conditioning system. However, sensors that can measure air quality in real time are generally expensive, and installing an air monitoring device in each room can be costly. Furthermore, constantly purifying the entire indoor air, even in situations where clean air is not required, results in unnecessary energy consumption and is not economical.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a low-cost clean air supply system that can reliably supply clean air to places where it is needed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the clean air supply system of the present invention is a system that supplies clean air to at least one location, and is characterized by comprising: a supply pipe that supplies clean air obtained from a space separated from the location to the outside of the space; a connection port provided at a supply port of the supply pipe; and a supply port that is provided at the location, connects to the connection port, and supplies the clean air supplied from the connection port to the location.

[0009] Furthermore, another clean air supply system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, it further comprises an air purification means for purifying the air in the space, and the supply pipe supplies the clean air purified by the air purification means to the outside of the space.

[0010] Moreover, another clean air supply system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, it further comprises a control means for controlling the volume of clean air supplied to the location.

[0011] Furthermore, another clean air supply system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-described invention, it further comprises an air quality detection means for detecting the air quality in the space, and the control means controls the air volume based on the detection result of the air quality detection means.

[0012] Further, another clean air supply system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the supply port supplies clean air at a preset air volume.

[0013] Further, another clean air supply system according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the connection port is detachably connected to the supply port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The clean air supply system of the present invention is a system that supplies clean air to at least one location, and includes a supply pipe that supplies clean air obtained from a space separated from the location to the outside of the space, a connection port provided at the supply port of the supply pipe, and a supply port that is provided at the location and connected to the connection port to supply the clean air supplied from the connection port to the location, thereby achieving the effect of being able to reliably supply clean air to required locations at low cost.

[0015] Another clean air supply system according to the present invention further comprises an air purification means for purifying the air in the space, and the supply pipe supplies the clean air purified by the air purification means to the outside of the space, so that the air can be efficiently purified in a space separated from the location. In addition, the space to be purified is limited, which has the effect of facilitating maintenance work.

[0016] Furthermore, another clean air supply system according to the present invention further includes a control means for controlling the volume of clean air supplied to the location, thereby providing the effect of easily managing the volume of air.

[0017] Another clean air supply system according to the present invention further includes an air quality detection unit that detects the air quality of the space, and the control unit controls the airflow rate based on the detection result of the air quality detection unit. For example, if the detected air quality is lower than the guideline value, the airflow rate can be reduced to reduce energy consumption. This reduces running costs. Furthermore, since the air quality of the clean air source is detected, the cost required for the detection sensor can be reduced.

[0018] In addition, according to another clean air supply system of the present invention, the supply port supplies clean air at a preset air volume, thereby achieving the effect of reliably supplying the required preset air volume.

[0019] Furthermore, according to another clean air supply system of the present invention, the connection port is detachably connected to the supply port, which provides the advantage that clean air can be supplied only when necessary. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a clean air supply system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a clean air supply system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a clean air supply system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A clean air supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0022] (Embodiment 1) First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0023] 1, the clean air supply system 100 according to the first embodiment is a system for supplying clean air to two rooms 10, 12 (at least one location), and includes a supply pipe 16 that supplies clean air obtained from a space 14 separated from each of the rooms 10, 12 to the outside of the space 14, a connection port 18 provided at the supply port of the supply pipe 16, supply ports 20 provided in each of the rooms 10, 12, an air quality sensor 22, an air conditioner 24, and a control device 26. The first embodiment is intended for a case in which clean air is sent from a room (space 14) with few chemical substances to multiple rooms 10, 12, such as a hospital, that has a large amount of chemical substances.

[0024] Space 14 is a space filled with clean air. This space 14 is a room-like space surrounded by partitions, and can be, for example, a space inside a building where the air quality is better than the air quality of the target rooms 10 and 12, or a space where the air is purified by plants. It is desirable to limit space 14 to one location. In this way, the area to be maintained is limited, making maintenance work easier.

[0025] Two supply pipes 16 are provided to connect the space 14 to each of the rooms 10 and 12. The inlet side of each supply pipe 16 communicates with the space 14. The outlet side of each supply pipe 16 is connected to a supply port 20 of each of the rooms 10 and 12 via a connection port 18.

[0026] The connection port 18 is detachably connected to the supply port 20. When clean air is needed, the connection port 18 is connected to the supply port 20. When clean air is not needed, the connection port 18 is removed from the supply port 20. In this way, clean air can be supplied to the rooms 10, 12 when needed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the connection port 18 may be non-detachably connected to the supply port 20.

[0027] The supply port 20 is connected to the connection port 18 and supplies the clean air supplied from the connection port 18 to the rooms 10, 12. The supply port 20 is provided, for example, near the wall of the rooms 10, 12.

[0028] The air quality sensor 22 is an air quality detection means that detects the air quality of the space 14, and is installed, for example, near a wall within the space 14. The detected value of the air quality sensor 22 is transmitted to the control device 26. The air quality sensor 22 is preferably configured using a semiconductor gas sensor, such as a MEMS gas sensor. Air quality refers to substances contained in the air (e.g., odor components such as ammonia and organic acids, particulate matter, etc.), substances that make up the air (e.g., oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc.), temperature, humidity, etc. A sensor corresponding to each air quality may be used as the air quality sensor 22, and the air quality may be detected as, for example, the air concentration of pollutants present in the air (e.g., ammonia concentration, organic acid concentration, etc.).

[0029] The air conditioner 24 is a device that conditions the clean air in the space 14 and sends it to the supply pipes 16, and can be composed of, for example, an air filter, a cooling coil, a heating coil, a humidifier, a blower fan, and a housing that houses these. The air conditioner 24 is disposed within the space 14, but may also be disposed on the inlet side of each supply pipe 16. The air conditioner 24 takes in air supplied from the space 14 into the housing through an air inlet, conditions the air with a cooling coil, a heating coil, and a humidifier, and then supplies the air to each supply pipe 16 through an air outlet. The air conditioner 24 may have any configuration as long as it has the function of supplying the clean air in the space 14 to each supply pipe 16, and may, for example, be composed of only a blower fan.

[0030] The control device 26 controls the air conditioner 24. The control device 26 functions as a control means for controlling the volume of clean air supplied from the air conditioner 24 to the supply pipe 16 based on the detection value of the air quality sensor 22. For example, when the detection value of the air quality sensor 22 is lower than a guideline value (upper limit value) (e.g., 80% or less of the guideline value), the air volume is reduced to suppress energy consumption. This reduces running costs. Specifically, a threshold value lower than the guideline value (e.g., 80% of the guideline value) is set, and when the detection value of the air quality sensor 22 is equal to or lower than this threshold, the control device 26 controls the rotation speed (motor rotation speed) of the blower fan of the air conditioner 24 to reduce the air volume in the supply pipe 16. On the other hand, when the detection value of the air quality sensor 22 exceeds the threshold, the control device 26 may control the motor rotation speed of the blower fan of the air conditioner 24 to maintain or increase the air volume in the supply pipe 16. This facilitates air volume management. This makes it easy to calculate energy usage.

[0031] The operation and function of the above configuration will now be described. The clean air in the space 14 is supplied to the supply pipe 16 by the air conditioner 24 and then supplied to each room 10, 12 via the connection port 18 and the supply port 20. When the detected value of the air quality sensor 22 is below the threshold, the control device 26 controls the air conditioner 24 to reduce the rotation speed of the blower fan, thereby reducing the air volume in the supply pipe 16. In this way, by reducing the supply of clean air when the detected air quality is lower than the guideline value, the energy consumption associated with air conditioning operation is reduced, thereby reducing running costs.

[0032] Therefore, according to the first embodiment, clean air can be reliably supplied to required locations at low cost. When applied to humans, real-time air quality monitoring enables a reliable supply of clean air. Furthermore, since the air quality of the source of clean air is detected, the number of air quality sensors 22 installed can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost required for the air quality sensors 22. Furthermore, since the air quality of the source of clean air can be monitored on-site at all times, it can be applied to medical treatment. Furthermore, by installing supply ports 20 in multiple rooms or multiple locations, clean air can be used for multiple purposes (for example, in artificial respirators, incubators, etc.).

[0033] In the above-described first embodiment, the case where clean air is supplied to two rooms has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. One room, or three or more rooms may be supplied. In the case of multiple rooms, the connection port 18 is connected to multiple supply ports 20 provided in each room. In this case, too, the air volume can be controlled according to the number of connected ports.

[0034] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0035] 2, a clean air supply system 200 according to the second embodiment is configured by using an air purification device 28 instead of the space 14 filled with clean air in the first embodiment. In the following description, explanations of parts that are the same as those described in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0036] The air purifier 28 is an air purification device that takes in air from an air conditioner 24 installed in a room outside the rooms 10 and 12 and purifies the air by removing contaminants contained in the air. It is composed of a chemical filter 28A housed in a housing. Note that the air purification device of the present invention is not limited to one using a chemical filter; it may also be air purification using plants or fresh air. The chemical filter 28A is a well-known device that efficiently removes various gases, such as acids and alkalis, through physical and chemical adsorption by activated carbon. The chemical filter 28A is selected depending on the air quality conditions to be detected and the contaminants to be removed. For example, if ammonia is to be removed, a chemical filter for removing alkali gases is used. If multiple types of contaminants are to be removed, chemical filters 28A suitable for each type may be arranged in parallel or series within the housing.

[0037] This air purifier 28 is in communication with the supply pipe 16, and the purified air purified by the air purifier 28 is supplied to the supply pipe 16 by the blower fan of the air conditioner 24. The supply pipe 16 supplies the purified air to each of the rooms 10, 12 via the connection port 18 and the supply port 20. It is desirable to install the air purifier 28 in a limited location. In this way, the area requiring maintenance is limited, making maintenance easier.

[0038] The supply pipe 16 branches into two branch pipes 16A and 16B at a branch point 30 midway, and the supply ports of the branch pipes 16A and 16B communicate with the chambers 10 and 12, respectively, via a connection port 18 and a supply port 20.

[0039] Air quality sensor 22 is provided on the inlet side of supply pipe 16 near air purification device 28, and detects the air quality on the outlet side of air purification device 28. The detected value of air quality sensor 22 is transmitted to control device 26. Control device 26 controls the volume of clean air to be supplied in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above.

[0040] The operation and function of the above configuration will now be described. The purified air from the chemical filter 28A of the air purification device 28 is supplied to the supply pipe 16 by the air conditioner 24 and then supplied to each room 10, 12 via the connection port 18 and the supply port 20. When the detected value of the air quality sensor 22 is below the threshold, the control device 26 controls the air conditioner 24 to reduce the rotation speed of the blower fan, thereby reducing the air volume in the supply pipe 16. In this way, by reducing the supply of purified air when the detected air quality is lower than the guideline value, the energy consumption associated with air conditioning operation is reduced, thereby reducing running costs.

[0041] Therefore, according to the second embodiment, clean air can be reliably supplied to necessary locations at low cost. Furthermore, because the air quality of the source of clean air is detected, the number of air quality sensors 22 installed can be reduced, and the cost required for the air quality sensors 22 can be reduced. Furthermore, air can be efficiently purified collectively in a room separated from the rooms 10 and 12. Since the space to be purified is limited, the number of maintenance targets is reduced, making maintenance work easier. Furthermore, since the air purification device 28 only needs to be used when necessary, the life of the device can be extended.

[0042] (Embodiment 3) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 3, a clean air supply system 300 according to the third embodiment is configured such that the supply port 20 has information about the required air volume in the second embodiment. The two rooms 10, 12 are assumed to be a small room 10A containing a medical bed or the like and a small room 12A containing an incubator or animal cage (animal ICU), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of the small rooms 10A, 12A, the air outlets to the rooms 10, 12 may be assumed. Note that in the following explanation, explanations of parts similar to those described in the second embodiment above will be omitted.

[0044] A damper 32 is provided on the inlet side of the supply pipe 16. The control device 26 can adjust the air volume of the supply pipe 16 by adjusting the opening degree of the damper 32.

[0045] Supply port 20 is connected to the end of a communication pipe 20A extending from small rooms 10A, 12A. Connection port 18 is detachably connected to supply port 20. Clean air from air purification device 28 is supplied to supply pipe 16 by air conditioner 24, and is supplied to small rooms 10A, 12A via connection port 18, supply port 20, and communication pipe 20A.

[0046] This supply port 20 is provided with air volume information for supplying clean air at a preset air volume. The air volume is, for example, the required air volume set for each of the small rooms 10A and 12A. Methods for storing the air volume information in the supply port 20 include, for example, incorporating a chip recording the air volume information into the supply port 20, or incorporating a physical recognition pattern indicating the air volume information into the supply port 20. Methods for acquiring the air volume information stored in the supply port 20 include, for example, acquiring the information by recognizing the chip or recognition pattern embedded in the supply port 20 when the connection port 18 is connected to the supply port 20, or acquiring the information by connecting the supply port 20 to the control device 26. The acquired air volume information is transmitted to the control device 26.

[0047] The control device 26 controls the supply of air to correspond to the received air volume information. This ensures that the required air volume set in advance is supplied. The air volume can be controlled by controlling the air volume of the blower fan using an inverter in the air conditioner 24, or by controlling the opening of the damper 32. An air volume adjustment function such as a damper may be added to the supply port 20. In this case, the control device 26 may control the air volume via this air volume adjustment function. This allows for highly accurate adjustment at the supply location, and is suitable for cases where the air volume is small.

[0048] In the above-described third embodiment, the configuration in the second embodiment where the supply port has information on the required air volume has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the first embodiment, the supply port may have information on the required air volume. In this case, the air purification device of the third embodiment may be replaced with a space. In this case, the same effects as those described above can be achieved.

[0049] As described above, the clean air supply system of the present invention is a system that supplies clean air to at least one location, and includes a supply pipe that supplies clean air obtained from a space separated from the location to the outside of the space, a connection port that is provided at the supply port of the supply pipe, and a supply port that is provided at the location and connected to the connection port to supply the clean air supplied from the connection port to the location, so that clean air can be reliably supplied to necessary locations at low cost.

[0050] Another clean air supply system according to the present invention further comprises an air purification means for purifying the air in the space, and the supply pipe supplies the clean air purified by the air purification means to the outside of the space, so that the air can be efficiently purified in a space separated from the location. In addition, the space to be purified is limited, making maintenance work easier.

[0051] Furthermore, according to another clean air supply system of the present invention, the system further comprises a control means for controlling the volume of clean air supplied to the location, so that air volume management can be easily performed.

[0052] Another clean air supply system according to the present invention further includes an air quality detection unit that detects the air quality of the space, and the control unit controls the airflow rate based on the detection result of the air quality detection unit. For example, if the detected air quality is lower than the guideline value, the airflow rate can be reduced to reduce energy consumption. This reduces running costs. Furthermore, since the air quality of the clean air source is detected, the cost required for the detection sensor can be reduced.

[0053] In addition, according to another clean air supply system of the present invention, the supply port supplies clean air at a preset air volume, so that the required preset air volume can be reliably supplied.

[0054] In addition, according to another clean air supply system of the present invention, the connection port is detachably connected to the supply port, so that clean air can be supplied only when necessary.

[0055] The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 international goals adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. The clean air supply system according to this embodiment can contribute to the achievement of one of the 17 SDGs, for example, goal 3, "Ensure good health and well-being for all." [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] As described above, the clean air supply system according to the present invention is useful in facilities such as hospitals, and is particularly suited to supplying clean air to places where it is needed at low cost. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10,12 Room (location) 14 Space 16 Supply pipe 18 connection ports 20 supply port 22 Air quality sensor (air quality detection means) 24 Air conditioner 26 Control device (control means) 28 Air purifying device (air purifying means) 28A Chemical Filter 32 Damper 100~300 Clean air supply system

Claims

1. 1. A system for providing clean air to at least one location, comprising: A clean air supply system comprising: a supply pipe that supplies clean air obtained from a space separated from the location to the outside of the space; a connection port that is provided at a supply port of the supply pipe; and a supply port that is provided at the location, connected to the connection port, and supplies the clean air supplied from the connection port to the location.

2. 2. The clean air supply system according to claim 1, further comprising an air purification means for purifying the air in the space, and the supply pipe supplies the clean air purified by the air purification means to the outside of the space.

3. 3. The clean air supply system according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling the volume of clean air supplied to the location.

4. 4. The clean air supply system according to claim 3, further comprising an air quality detection means for detecting the air quality of the space, and the control means controls the air volume based on the detection result of the air quality detection means.

5. 3. The clean air supply system according to claim 1, wherein the supply port supplies clean air at a preset air volume.

6. 3. The clean air supply system according to claim 1, wherein the connection port is detachably connected to the supply port.

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