ADSORPTION HEAT PUMP CONTROL METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND ADSORPTION HEAT PUMP

Abstract

To provide a technique that improves the cooling / heating capacity of an adsorption type heat pump in a control method for the adsorption type heat pump.SOLUTION: A control method for an adsorption type heat pump comprises: a first step of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent housed in a first adsorber, and causing the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; a second step of heating a second adsorbent housed in a second adsorber, and causing the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent to be desorbed from the second adsorbent; and a third step of performing vapor recovery for moving adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and sensible heat recovery for exchanging heat between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, in parallel after the first step and the second step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method for an adsorption heat pump, a computer program, and an adsorption heat pump. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a method for controlling an adsorption heat pump that generates thermal energy for cooling or heating an object by repeating adsorption and desorption of an adsorbate in an adsorbent (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-200342 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even with the above-mentioned prior art, there is still room for improvement in the technology for improving the cooling and heating capacity of an adsorption heat pump in the control method for an adsorption heat pump.

[0005] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the cooling and heating capacity of an adsorption heat pump in a control method for an adsorption heat pump. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following forms.

[0007] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, comprising: a first step of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent housed in a first adsorber to cause the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate, a second step of heating a second adsorbent housed in a second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent, and a third step of, after the first and second steps, performing in parallel a vapor recovery step of transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber and a sensible heat recovery step of performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber.

[0008] According to this configuration, after the first step of adsorbing the adsorbate to the first adsorbent and the second step of desorbing the adsorbate adsorbed on the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent, the third step of recovering vapor from the second adsorbent to the first adsorbent and recovering sensible heat from the second adsorbent to the first adsorbent are performed. In an adsorption heat pump having two adsorbents, the two adsorbents are set so that the time when the adsorbate is supplied to the adsorbent and the time when the adsorbent is heated alternate with each other. In this way, the adsorption heat pump continuously cools or heats the object by switching between the adsorbent that adsorbs the adsorbate and the adsorbent that heats the adsorbent. Therefore, when the time when the adsorbate is supplied to one adsorbent has elapsed, the adsorbate remaining in the other adsorbent that adsorbs the adsorbent to the adsorbent in the next time is moved to one adsorbent, and vapor recovery is performed to adsorb the adsorbent of the one adsorbent. As a result, the other adsorbent can further desorb the adsorbate before the adsorbate is supplied to the other adsorber, so that the operating range of the adsorbent can be expanded and the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent can be improved. In addition, when the time for heating the adsorbent of the other adsorber has elapsed, the sensible heat of the heated adsorbent is transferred to one of the adsorbers whose adsorbent will be heated in the next time, and sensible heat recovery is performed to heat the adsorbent of one of the adsorbers. As a result, the sensible heat of the other adsorbent can be effectively used to reduce the amount of heat required to heat one of the adsorbers in the next time. Therefore, the sensible heat loss can be suppressed and the amount of heat input to the adsorption heat pump system can be reduced, so that the system efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned configuration, steam recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel during the adsorber switching time set between the time when the adsorbate is supplied to the adsorbent and the time when the adsorbent is heated. In this case, the adsorber switching time is the sum of the time for steam recovery and the time for sensible heat recovery, so that it can be shortened compared to the case where steam recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed separately. If the switching time, which is the sum of the vapor recovery time and the sensible heat recovery time, is shortened, the operating time of the evaporator for supplying the adsorbent vapor to the adsorber and the condenser for condensing the adsorbent vapor desorbed from the adsorbent can be extended, thereby improving the cooling and heating capacity of the adsorption heat pump.

[0009] (2) In the control method for an adsorption heat pump of the above embodiment, in the third step, the vapor recovery may be started before the sensible heat recovery, and the sensible heat recovery may be started in the middle of the vapor recovery, so that the vapor recovery and the sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel. According to this configuration, in the third step, the vapor recovery is started first, and the sensible heat recovery is started in the middle of the vapor recovery. Depending on the state of the adsorption heat pump, the time required for the vapor recovery may be longer than the time required for the sensible heat recovery. Therefore, by performing the vapor recovery before performing the vapor recovery and the sensible heat recovery in parallel, the vapor can be sufficiently recovered. This can improve the utilization rate of the adsorbate vapor and the system efficiency of the entire adsorption heat pump.

[0010] (3) In the control method for an adsorption heat pump of the above embodiment, in the third step, after the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel, the steam recovery may be stopped and the sensible heat recovery may be continued. According to this configuration, in the third step, when the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel, the steam recovery is stopped and the sensible heat recovery is continued. Depending on the state of the adsorption heat pump, the time required for the sensible heat recovery may be longer than the time required for the steam recovery. Therefore, by performing the sensible heat recovery after the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery in parallel, the sensible heat can be sufficiently recovered. This can improve the sensible heat recovery rate and system efficiency of the entire adsorption heat pump.

[0011] (4) According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program to be executed by a control unit for controlling the operation of an adsorption heat pump. The computer program causes the control unit to execute a first function of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent housed in a first adsorber to cause the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate, a second function of heating a second adsorbent housed in a second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent, and a third function of, after executing the first and second functions, performing in parallel a vapor recovery of transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and a sensible heat recovery of performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber. According to this configuration, the computer program causes the control unit to perform sensible heat recovery and vapor recovery as the third function after executing the first function of adsorbing an adsorbate to the first adsorbent and the second function of desorbing the adsorbate from the second adsorbent. As a result, when the time for supplying the adsorbate to one adsorber has elapsed, the adsorbate remaining in the other adsorber before the adsorbate is supplied to the other adsorber can be desorbed and adsorbed in one adsorber, thereby widening the operating range of the adsorbent and improving the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. In addition, sensible heat recovery can be performed by effectively utilizing the sensible heat of the adsorbent provided in the other adsorber. As a result, the sensible heat loss can be suppressed and the amount of heat input to the adsorption heat pump system can be reduced, thereby improving the system efficiency. Furthermore, since the vapor recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel, the switching time of the adsorber, which is the sum of the time for vapor recovery and the time for sensible heat recovery, can be shortened, and the operating time of the evaporator and the condenser can be extended. As a result, this computer program can improve the cooling and heating capacity of the adsorption heat pump.

[0012] (5) According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an adsorption heat pump is provided. The adsorption heat pump includes a first adsorber that contains a first adsorbent, a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the first adsorbent, a second adsorber that contains a second adsorbent, a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the second adsorbent, and a control unit that performs in parallel: supplying an adsorbate to the first adsorber to adsorb the adsorbate on the first adsorbent, heating the second adsorbent to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed on the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent, and then performing vapor recovery in which the adsorbate vapor is moved between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and sensible heat recovery in which heat is exchanged between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. According to this configuration, the control unit performs sensible heat recovery and vapor recovery after adsorbing the adsorbate on the first adsorbent and desorbing the adsorbate from the second adsorbent. As a result, when the time for supplying the adsorbate to one of the adsorber has elapsed, the adsorbate remaining in the other adsorber before the adsorbate is supplied to the other adsorber can be desorbed and adsorbed to one of the adsorber in a vapor recovery process, thereby expanding the operating range of the adsorbent and improving the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. In addition, sensible heat recovery can be performed by effectively utilizing the sensible heat of the adsorbent provided in the other adsorber. As a result, the sensible heat loss can be suppressed and the amount of heat input to the adsorption heat pump system can be reduced, thereby improving the system efficiency. Furthermore, since the control unit performs vapor recovery and sensible heat recovery in parallel, the switching time, which is the sum of the time for vapor recovery and the time for sensible heat recovery, can be shortened, and the operating time of the evaporator and the condenser can be extended. Therefore, the adsorption heat pump can improve the cooling and heating capacity.

[0013] (6) The adsorption heat pump of the above embodiment may further include a radiator connected to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, which radiates to the outside heat of adsorption generated when the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent adsorbs the adsorbate vapor. According to this configuration, the radiator radiates to the outside heat of adsorption generated when the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent adsorbs the adsorbate vapor. This makes it possible to lower the temperature of the adsorbent, thereby increasing the adsorption amount of the adsorbent. When the adsorption amount of the adsorbent increases, the amount of vaporization heat generated in the evaporator that supplies the adsorbate vapor to the adsorber increases, thereby improving the cooling capacity.

[0014] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a system including an adsorption heat pump, a control method for such a system, an adsorption heat pump and a server device for distributing a computer program for executing the control method for the adsorption heat pump in such a system, a non-transitory storage medium on which the computer program is stored, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorption heat pump according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart of a control method for an adsorption heat pump according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first adsorption / desorption step. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first simultaneous recovery process. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the second adsorption / desorption step. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the second simultaneous recovery process. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the comparison results of thermal COP ratios. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a comparison result of a cooling heat output ratio. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a control method for an adsorption heat pump according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first vapor recovery step. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of an adsorption heat pump in a first sensible heat recovery step. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorption heat pump according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first adsorption / desorption step. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first simultaneous recovery process. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the second adsorption / desorption step. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the second simultaneous recovery process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorption heat pump 1 of the first embodiment. The adsorption heat pump 1 generates thermal energy capable of cooling an object (hereinafter referred to as "cold heat") and thermal energy capable of heating an object (hereinafter referred to as "hot heat") by adsorbing or desorbing an adsorbate in an adsorbent housed in an adsorber. The adsorption heat pump 1 of this embodiment is used in an indoor air conditioning system, and can adjust the indoor temperature by cooling or heating air as an object. The adsorption heat pump 1 of this embodiment includes a pair of adsorber 11, 12, a low-temperature evaporator 13, a high-temperature evaporator 14, a heat supply unit 15, a condenser 16, an indoor unit 17, an outdoor unit 18, a steam valve 21, a heat medium valve 22, a control unit 25, a plurality of pipes connecting these, a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of a fluid, and a plurality of pumps for pumping the fluid. The application fields of the adsorption heat pump 1 of this embodiment are not limited to indoor air conditioning. Since it can generate cold and hot heat from low-quality energy such as waste heat, it can also be used as a thermal energy generation system or a heat transport system.

[0017] The adsorber 11 and the adsorber 12 are adsorber having approximately the same internal volume. Inside the adsorber 11, the adsorbent 11a and the heat exchanger 11b are arranged so as to be able to exchange heat with each other. Inside the adsorber 12, the adsorbent 12a and the heat exchanger 12b are arranged so as to be able to exchange heat with each other. The adsorbents 11a and 12a are silica gel or zeolite, and have the ability to adsorb water as an "adsorbate". The heat exchangers 11b and 12b are, for example, flow paths through which a heat medium flows, and heat exchange is performed between the heat medium and the adsorbents 11a and 12a. In this embodiment, the heat medium flowing inside the heat exchangers 11b and 12b is water. The types of adsorbents and adsorbates accommodated in each of the adsorber 11 and 12 are not limited to these. The adsorbent may be activated carbon, and the adsorbate may be alcohol or ammonia.

[0018] The low-temperature evaporator 13 is connected to each of the adsorbers 11 and 12 via a steam valve 21. The low-temperature evaporator 13 generates relatively low-temperature water vapor (adsorbate vapor) from liquid water by adsorbing the adsorbate vapor by the adsorbers 11 and 12 in the adsorption process and reducing the pressure inside. The low-temperature evaporator 13 contains a heat exchanger 13a that transfers the heat of vaporization when water vapor is generated. The heat exchanger 13a is connected to the indoor unit 17 or the outdoor unit 18 via two switching valves 23 and 24. A pump 13b that pressurizes the "temperature-controlling heat medium" flowing through the heat exchanger 13a is attached to a pipe connected to the heat exchanger 13a of the low-temperature evaporator 13. In this embodiment, the temperature-controlling heat medium is, for example, water containing antifreeze.

[0019] The high-temperature evaporator 14 is connected to the heat exchangers 11b and 12b of the adsorbers 11 and 12, respectively, via a heat medium valve 22. The high-temperature evaporator 14 generates relatively high-temperature steam from liquid water. The high-temperature evaporator 14 contains a heat exchanger 14a. Here, the relatively high-temperature steam generated in the high-temperature evaporator 14 is referred to as the "heat medium for the adsorber."

[0020] The heat supply unit 15 includes a gas engine 15a and a pipe 15b. The gas engine 15a generates heat by burning gas. The pipe 15b connects the gas engine 15a to the heat exchanger 14a of the high-temperature evaporator 14, and for example, water containing antifreeze is sealed inside as a "heat medium for steam". The heat medium for steam sealed in the pipe 15b transfers heat generated by the gas engine 15a to the high-temperature evaporator 14. The heat transferred to the high-temperature evaporator 14 becomes a heat source for generating the heat medium for the adsorber in the high-temperature evaporator 14. A pump 15c for flowing the heat medium is attached to the pipe 15b. The heat source for generating heat is not limited to the gas engine 15a, and may be waste heat that has no other use as long as it has a heat amount for generating the heat medium for the adsorber.

[0021] The condenser 16 condenses the water vapor discharged from each of the adsorbers 11 and 12. The condenser 16 contains a heat exchanger 16a to which the condensation heat of the water vapor is transferred. The heat exchanger 16a is connected to the indoor unit 17 or the outdoor unit 18 via two switching valves 23 and 24. A pump 16b is attached to a pipe connected to the heat exchanger 16a of the condenser 16, which pressurizes the temperature-adjusting heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 16a. The liquid water generated by the condensation of the water vapor in the condenser 16 is sent to the low-temperature evaporator 13 or the high-temperature evaporator 14 via a flow path not shown.

[0022] The indoor unit 17 is a radiator placed in a room that is a target space for air conditioning. The indoor unit 17 is connected to the low-temperature evaporator 13 or the condenser 16 via two switching valves 23, 24. When the indoor unit 17 is connected to the low-temperature evaporator 13 by switching the two switching valves 23, 24, the heat of vaporization (cold heat) when water vapor is generated is transmitted to the indoor unit 17. As a result, when indoor air is introduced into the indoor unit 17 by the fan 17a, air with a lower temperature than the room temperature is generated. When the indoor unit 17 is connected to the condenser 16 by switching the two switching valves 23, 24, the heat of condensation (hot heat) of water vapor is transmitted to the indoor unit 17. As a result, when indoor air is introduced into the indoor unit 17, air with a higher temperature than the room temperature is generated.

[0023] The outdoor unit 18 is a radiator placed outdoors. The outdoor unit 18 is connected to the low-temperature evaporator 13 or the condenser 16 via two changeover valves 23, 24. When the outdoor unit 18 is connected to the low-temperature evaporator 13 by switching the two changeover valves 23, 24, the heat of vaporization when water vapor is generated is transmitted to the outdoor unit 18. As a result, when outdoor air is introduced into the outdoor unit 18 by the fan 18a, air with a lower temperature than room temperature is discharged from the outdoor unit 18 to the outside. When the outdoor unit 18 is connected to the condenser 16 by switching the two changeover valves 23, 24, the heat of condensation of water vapor is transmitted to the outdoor unit 18, and air with a higher temperature than room temperature is discharged from the outdoor unit 18 to the outside.

[0024] The steam valve 21 includes a plurality of valves 21a and 21b that are used in combination. The steam valve 21 controls the flow of water vapor in and out of the adsorber 11 and 12 by appropriately setting the connection destinations of the plurality of pipes connected to the steam valve 21. For example, water vapor generated in the low-temperature evaporator 13 is supplied to one of the adsorber 11 and 12 via the steam valve 21. The water vapor in the adsorber 11 and 12 is sent to the condenser 16 via the steam valve 21. The steam valve 21 directly connects the inside of the adsorber 11 to the inside of the adsorber 12. This allows the water vapor to move from the high-pressure adsorber side to the low-pressure adsorber side due to the difference in pressure between the water vapor in the adsorber 11 and the water vapor in the adsorber 12.

[0025] The heat medium valve 22 includes a plurality of valves 22a and 22b that are used in combination. The heat medium valve 22 appropriately sets the connection destinations of the plurality of pipes connected to the heat medium valve 22, thereby controlling the inflow and outflow of the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchangers 11b and 12b of the adsorber 11 and 12. For example, the water vapor generated in the high-temperature evaporator 14 is sent to one of the heat exchangers of the adsorber 11 and 12 via the heat medium valve 22. The adsorber heat medium in the heat exchangers 11b and 12b is sent to the condenser 16 via the heat medium valve 22. The heat medium valve 22 directly connects the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 and the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12. As a result, the difference in pressure between the heat medium for the adsorber in heat exchanger 11b and the heat medium for the adsorber in heat exchanger 12b allows the heat medium for the adsorber to move from the high-temperature, high-pressure heat exchanger side to the low-temperature, low-pressure heat exchanger side.

[0026] The control unit 25 has a CPU and a ROM / RAM (not shown). The control unit 25 is electrically connected to the heat supply unit 15, the indoor unit 17, the outdoor unit 18, the steam valve 21, the heat medium valve 22, and the switching valves 23 and 24. The control unit 25 is also electrically connected to the pumps 13b, 15c, and 16b, and to sensors and valves (not shown) included in the adsorption heat pump 1. The ROM stores a computer program that causes the control unit 25 to execute a method for controlling the adsorption heat pump. The CPU operates the heat supply unit 15 and the like and controls the entire adsorption heat pump 1 by expanding the computer program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling the adsorption heat pump in the adsorption heat pump 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 1 in the first adsorption / desorption process. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 1 in the first simultaneous recovery process. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 1 in the second adsorption / desorption process. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 1 in the second simultaneous recovery process. Next, a method for controlling the adsorption heat pump in the adsorption heat pump 1 will be described. In the adsorption heat pump 1 of this embodiment, an adsorption process is performed in one of the adsorbers 11 and 12 to adsorb water vapor to the adsorbent, while a desorption process is performed in the other of the adsorbers 11 and 12 to desorb the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent. The adsorption heat pump 1 having two adsorbers can continuously generate cold heat and hot heat by switching the adsorber performing the adsorption process at regular intervals. The control method for the adsorption heat pump 1 shown in Fig. 2 is executed when a request to cool or heat the indoor air in the indoor unit 17 is input to the control unit 25, and ends when the request to cool or heat the indoor air is canceled. In the control method for the adsorption heat pump 1, when a request to cool or heat the indoor air is input to the control unit 25, the heat supply unit 15 is started. This causes the gas engine 15a to generate heat.

[0028] In the control method for the adsorption heat pump 1, first, an adsorption process is performed in the adsorber 11 while a desorption process is performed in the adsorber 12 (step S11 in FIG. 2: first adsorption / desorption process). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor of the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced into the adsorber 11 and the adsorber heat medium of the high-temperature evaporator 14 is introduced into the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12.

[0029] In the block diagrams of the adsorption heat pump 1 shown in Figures 3 to 6, the pipes through which fluids flow are classified by type of fluid and described as follows, and pipes through which no fluid flows are shown with dashed lines. In addition, for pipes through which water vapor flows, the flow direction is shown with an arrow. Heat medium for temperature control (water containing antifreeze): double-dashed line Heat medium for the adsorber (relatively high temperature steam): solid line Heat transfer medium for steam (water containing antifreeze): dashed line Adsorbate (relatively low temperature water vapor): solid line

[0030] In the first adsorption / desorption step, as shown in Fig. 3, relatively low-temperature steam generated from liquid water in the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced into the adsorber 11 through piping 31, via the valve 21a of the steam valve 21, and through piping 32. The steam introduced into the adsorber 11 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 11a of the adsorber 11. At this time, the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorbent 11a heats the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 11b. The heated adsorber heat medium is sent to the condenser 16 through piping 33 and the valve 22a of the heat medium valve 22.

[0031] In the first adsorption / desorption step, in the adsorber 12, as shown in Fig. 3, relatively high-temperature steam generated from liquid water in the high-temperature evaporator 14 passes through the pipe 41, via the valve 22b of the heat medium valve 22, and through the pipe 42, and is supplied to the heat exchanger 12b. This heats the adsorbent 12a, and for example, desorbs water remaining adsorbed in the adsorbent 12a from the previous operation. The water desorbed from the adsorbent 12a becomes gaseous steam, passes through the pipe 43, via the valve 21b of the steam valve 21, and through the pipe 44, and is sent to the condenser 16.

[0032] In the first adsorption / desorption step, when water vapor is generated in the low-temperature evaporator 13, the heat of vaporization of the water cools the temperature control heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 13a. The cooled temperature control heat medium passes through pipes 34 and 35 and is sent to the indoor unit 17. In the indoor unit 17, the indoor air sent by the fan 17a is cooled. The temperature control heat medium that has flowed through the indoor unit 17 passes through pipes 36 and 37 and returns to the low-temperature evaporator 13.

[0033] In the condenser 16, the heat of condensation of the water vapor generated when condensing the adsorber heat medium (water vapor) sent from the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 and the water vapor sent from the adsorber 12 heats the temperature control heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 16a. The heated temperature control heat medium passes through pipes 45 and 46 and is sent to the outdoor unit 18. The outdoor unit 18 dissipates heat by using the outdoor air sent by the fan 18a. The temperature control heat medium that has flowed through the outdoor unit 18 passes through pipes 47 and 48 and returns to the condenser 16.

[0034] Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 12 is sent into the adsorber 11, and the heat in the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 is sent to the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 (step S12 in FIG. 2: first simultaneous recovery step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 12 is sent into the adsorber 11, and the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 12b is sent to the heat exchanger 11b.

[0035] In the first simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 25 directly connects the inside of the adsorber 12 to the inside of the adsorber 11 using the pipe 43, the steam valve 21, and the pipe 32, as shown in FIG. 4. Here, "directly connected" means connecting so as to reduce thermal change to the flowing fluid, for example, connecting without passing through a radiator. The adsorber 11 is in a state immediately after the adsorption step in step S11 is completed, and the pressure of water vapor in the adsorber 11 is relatively low, while the adsorber 12 is in a state immediately after the desorption step in step S11 is completed, and the pressure of water vapor in the adsorber 12 is relatively high. As a result, when the inside of the adsorber 11 is connected to the inside of the adsorber 12, water vapor is supplied from the adsorber 12 to the adsorber 11 due to the pressure difference of water vapor (vapor recovery). The water vapor supplied to the adsorber 11 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 11a immediately after the adsorption step. Therefore, the adsorber 11 can further adsorb water vapor before the next step. Also, the adsorber 12 can further desorb water vapor before the next adsorption step, thus widening the operating range.

[0036] In the first simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 25 connects the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 to the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 using the pipe 42, the heat medium valve 22, and the pipe 33, as shown in FIG. 4. The adsorber 11 is in a state immediately after the adsorption step is completed, and the pressure of the heat exchanger 11b is relatively low, while the adsorber 12 is in a state immediately after the desorption step is completed, and the pressure of the heat exchanger 12b is relatively high. As a result, when the heat exchanger 12b and the heat exchanger 11b are connected, high-temperature water vapor moves from the heat exchanger 12b to the heat exchanger 11b due to the pressure difference, and the heat of the heat exchanger 12b moves (sensible heat recovery). In this embodiment, the relatively high-temperature water vapor in the heat exchanger 12b moves toward the heat exchanger 11b. Therefore, in the adsorber 11, the adsorbent 11a can be heated via the heat exchanger 11b before the next step. In this manner, in the first simultaneous recovery process, the transfer of water vapor between the adsorber 11 and the adsorber 12 (vapor recovery) and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b (sensible heat recovery) are carried out in parallel.

[0037] Next, while the desorption step is performed in the adsorber 11, the adsorption step is performed in the adsorber 12 (step S13 in FIG. 2: second adsorption / desorption step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor of the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced into the adsorber 12 and the water vapor of the high-temperature evaporator 14 is introduced into the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11.

[0038] In the second adsorption / desorption step, the water vapor generated in the high-temperature evaporator 14 is sent to the heat exchanger 11b through the pipe 41, via the valve 22a of the heat medium valve 22, through the pipe 33, as shown in FIG. 5. This heats the adsorbent 11a, and desorbs the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 11a in the first adsorption / desorption step. The water vapor desorbed from the adsorbent 11a is sent to the condenser 16 through the pipe 32, via the valve 21a of the steam valve 21, through the pipe 44, as shown in FIG. 5. The relatively low-temperature water vapor generated in the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced to the adsorber 12 through the pipe 31, via the valve 21b of the steam valve 21, through the pipe 43, as shown in FIG. 5. In the adsorber 12, the heat of adsorption generated when the water vapor introduced into the adsorber 12 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 12a heats the heat medium for the adsorber in the heat exchanger 12b. The heated heat medium for the adsorber passes through the pipe 42 , passes through the valve 22 b of the heat medium valve 22 , and passes through the pipe 49 to be sent to the condenser 16 .

[0039] In the second adsorption / desorption step, the heat of vaporization of water in the low-temperature evaporator 13 cools the temperature-control heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 13a, and cools the indoor air sent by the fan 17a in the indoor unit 17. The heat of condensation of water vapor in the condenser 16 heats the temperature-control heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 16a, and is released to the outside using the outdoor air sent by the fan 18a in the outdoor unit 18.

[0040] Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 11 is sent into the adsorber 12, and the heat in the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 is sent to the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 (step S14 in FIG. 2: second simultaneous recovery step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 11 is sent into the adsorber 12, and the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 11b is sent to the heat exchanger 12b.

[0041] In the second simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 25 connects the inside of the adsorber 11 to the inside of the adsorber 12 using the piping 32, the steam valve 21, and the piping 43, as shown in FIG. 6, and also connects the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 to the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 using the piping 33, the heat medium valve 22, and the piping 42. As a result, water vapor is supplied from the inside of the adsorber 11 to the inside of the adsorber 12 due to the pressure difference of the steam, and at the same time, the steam moves from the heat exchanger 11b to the heat exchanger 12b due to the pressure difference, so that the heat of the heat exchanger 11b moves from the heat exchanger 11b to the heat exchanger 12b. As a result, in the adsorber 12, the adsorbent 12a adsorbs water vapor and is heated via the heat exchanger 12b before the next step. In this manner, in the second simultaneous recovery step, the transfer of water vapor between the adsorber 11 and the adsorber 12 and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b are carried out in parallel.

[0042] In the above-described control method for the adsorption heat pump 1, a mode has been described in which indoor air is cooled by the indoor unit 17. In the adsorption heat pump 1 of this embodiment, by switching the two switching valves 23, 24, the indoor unit 17 and the condenser 16 are connected, and the outdoor unit 18 and the low-temperature evaporator 13 are connected, so that the indoor unit 17 can heat the indoor air.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the results of comparison of thermal COP ratios. FIG. 7 shows the results of comparison of thermal COP ratios, which are the ratio of cold heat output to the amount of heat input, in an adsorption heat pump that generates cold heat (see the vertical axis of FIG. 7). FIG. 7 shows the thermal COP ratio of a case where the adsorption and desorption are switched in a pair of adsorbers by the control method of the adsorption heat pump of this embodiment as "simultaneous recovery". In addition, FIG. 7 shows, as a comparative example, the thermal COP ratio of a control method in which adsorption and desorption are only stopped at the time of switching as "standby", the thermal COP ratio of a control method in which only sensible heat is recovered at the time of switching as "sensible heat only recovery", and the thermal COP ratio of a control method in which only steam is recovered at the time of switching as "steam only recovery". In addition, as another comparative example, the thermal COP ratio of a control method in which steam is recovered at the time of switching and then sensible heat is recovered is shown as "sensible heat recovery after steam recovery". The thermal COP ratios of these control methods shown in FIG. 7 show calculated values ​​at three types of environmental temperatures (25°C, 35°C, and 40°C).

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, it was revealed that the thermal COP ratio was improved by about 12.2 to 17.5% in the "sensible heat recovery only" compared to the "standby", and about 12.4 to 29.2% in the "steam recovery only" compared to the "standby". It was revealed that the thermal COP ratio was improved by about 20.9 to 39.2% in the "sensible heat recovery after steam recovery". In the "simultaneous recovery" of this embodiment, the thermal COP ratio was improved by about 23.6 to 44.9% compared to the "standby", and it was revealed that the thermal COP ratio was improved the most among the control methods compared this time. In addition, it was also revealed that the degree of improvement in the thermal COP ratio in the "simultaneous recovery" became more remarkable as the environmental temperature increased, as shown in FIG. 7. In this way, it was revealed that the control method of the adsorption heat pump of this embodiment is effective, as the thermal COP ratio is greatly improved compared to the control method of the comparative example.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the results of comparing the cold energy output ratio. In FIG. 8, the amount of cold energy output from the adsorption heat pump when controlled by each of the control methods shown in FIG. 7 is compared in terms of the ratio ("cold energy output ratio") to the amount of cold energy output by the "standby" control method. As shown in FIG. 8, in "sensible heat only recovery", the cold energy output ratio is improved by about 2.0 to 4.7% compared to "standby", and in "vapor only recovery", the cold energy output ratio is improved by about 6.9 to 21.3%. However, in "sensible heat recovery after vapor recovery", the cold energy output ratio is improved by about 3.0 to 15.3%, which is lower than "vapor only recovery". This is thought to be because the operation time of the low-temperature evaporator is shortened by performing sensible heat recovery following vapor recovery. On the other hand, in "simultaneous recovery", the cold energy output ratio is improved by about 8.8 to 23.5% compared to "standby", and it is clear that the cold energy output ratio is improved the most. It was also revealed that the degree of improvement in the cold energy output ratio in "simultaneous recovery" becomes more significant with an increase in the environmental temperature, as shown in Fig. 8. In this way, it was revealed that the control method for the adsorption heat pump of this embodiment is effective in greatly improving the cold energy output ratio compared to the control method of the comparative example.

[0046] According to the control method of the adsorption heat pump of the present embodiment described above, for example, after a first adsorption / desorption step in which water vapor is adsorbed to the adsorbent 11a of the adsorber 11 and water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 12a of the adsorber 12 is desorbed from the adsorbent 12a, a first simultaneous recovery step is performed in which the adsorbed vapor is transferred from the adsorber 12 to the adsorber 11 and sensible heat is recovered from the adsorber 12 to the adsorber 11. In an adsorption heat pump having two adsorbers such as the adsorption heat pump 1, the two adsorbers are set so that the time when the adsorbate is supplied to the adsorbent and the time when the adsorbent is heated alternate with each other. Therefore, for example, when the time when water vapor is supplied to the adsorber 11 has elapsed, the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 12 that adsorbs water vapor to the adsorbent 12a in the next time is transferred to the adsorber 11, and the water vapor is adsorbed to the adsorbent 11a of the adsorber 11, and the water vapor is recovered. As a result, the adsorbent 12a can further desorb water vapor before the water vapor is supplied to the adsorber 12, so that the operating range of the adsorbent 12a is expanded and the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 12a can be improved. In addition, for example, when the time for heating the adsorbent 12a of the adsorber 12 has elapsed, the sensible heat of the heated adsorbent 12a is transferred to the adsorber 11 in which the adsorbent 11a is heated in the next time, and sensible heat recovery is performed to heat the adsorbent 11a of the adsorber 11. As a result, the sensible heat of the adsorbent 12a can be effectively used to reduce the amount of heat required to heat the adsorber 11 in the next time. Therefore, the sensible heat loss can be suppressed and the amount of heat input to the adsorption heat pump system can be reduced, so that the system efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, in the control method for the adsorption heat pump of this embodiment, steam recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel during the adsorber switching time set between the time when the adsorbate is supplied to the adsorbent and the time when the adsorbent is heated. In this case, the adsorber switching time is the sum of the steam recovery time and the sensible heat recovery time, and can be shortened compared to when the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery are performed separately. If the switching time, which is the sum of the steam recovery time and the sensible heat recovery time, is shortened, the operation time of the low-temperature evaporator 13 for supplying water vapor to the adsorber 11, 12 and the condenser 16 for condensing the water vapor desorbed from the adsorbents 11a, 12a can be extended.This makes it possible to improve the cooling and heating capacity of the adsorption heat pump 1.

[0047] In addition, according to the computer program of the present embodiment, as described above, for example, steam recovery can be performed to further desorb the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 11 before the water vapor is supplied to the adsorber 12, so that the adsorption capacity of the adsorbents 11a and 12a can be improved. In addition, sensible heat recovery can be performed to effectively utilize the sensible heat of the adsorbent 12a included in the adsorber 12, so that sensible heat loss can be suppressed and system efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, since steam recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel, the switching time, which is the sum of the time for steam recovery and the time for sensible heat recovery, can be shortened, and the operating time of the low-temperature evaporator 13 and the condenser 16 can be extended. Therefore, the cooling and heating capacity of the adsorption heat pump 1 can be improved. In this way, the computer program of the present embodiment can control the operation of the adsorption heat pump 1 by the control unit 25 so that the cooling and heating capacity can be improved while suppressing sensible heat loss and improving the adsorption and desorption capacity of the adsorbents 11a and 12a.

[0048] According to the adsorption heat pump of the present embodiment, the control unit 25, for example, causes the adsorbent 11a to adsorb water vapor, and then desorbs the water vapor from the adsorbent 12a, and then performs sensible heat recovery and steam recovery. This allows steam recovery to be performed to desorb water vapor remaining in the adsorber 12 before the water vapor is supplied to the adsorber 12, thereby improving the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent 12a. In addition, for example, sensible heat recovery can be performed to effectively utilize the sensible heat of the adsorbent 12a provided in the adsorber 12, thereby suppressing sensible heat loss and improving system efficiency. Furthermore, since the control unit 25 performs steam recovery and sensible heat recovery in parallel, the switching time, which is the sum of the time for steam recovery and the time for sensible heat recovery, can be shortened, and the operation time of the low-temperature evaporator 13 and the condenser 16 can be extended. This allows the adsorption heat pump 1 to improve its cooling and heating capacity. Therefore, the adsorption heat pump 1 can improve the cooling / heating capacity while suppressing the sensible heat loss and improving the adsorption / desorption capacity of the adsorbents 11a and 12a.

[0049] <Second embodiment> Fig. 9 is a flowchart of a control method for an adsorption heat pump according to the second embodiment. The control method for an adsorption heat pump according to the second embodiment is different from the control method for an adsorption heat pump according to the first embodiment (Fig. 2) in that a vapor recovery process is provided before the simultaneous collection process and a sensible heat recovery process is provided after the simultaneous collection process.

[0050] In the control method for the adsorption heat pump 2 of the second embodiment, first, like step S11 of the control method of the first embodiment, an adsorption step is performed in the adsorber 11 while a desorption step is performed in the adsorber 12 (step S21: first adsorption / desorption step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor of the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced into the adsorber 11 and the water vapor of the high-temperature evaporator 14 is introduced into the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12. As a result, the water vapor is adsorbed to the adsorbent 11a in the adsorber 11, while the water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 12a is desorbed in the adsorbent 12a.

[0051] Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 12 is sent to the adsorber 11 (step S22: first vapor recovery step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destination of the pipe in the vapor valve 21 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 12 is sent to the adsorber 11. As a result, vapor recovery is performed prior to simultaneous recovery.

[0052] Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 2 in the first vapor recovery step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in Fig. 10 is the same as that in Fig. 3 of the first embodiment. In the first vapor recovery step, the control unit 25 connects the inside of the adsorber 12 to the inside of the adsorber 11 using the pipe 43, the vapor valve 21, and the pipe 32. As a result, water vapor is supplied from the adsorber 12 to the adsorber 11 due to the pressure difference of the water vapor. The water vapor supplied to the adsorber 11 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 11a.

[0053] Next, similarly to step S12 of the control method of the first embodiment, the water vapor in the adsorber 12 is sent into the adsorber 11, and at the same time, the heat of the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 is sent to the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 (step S23: first simultaneous recovery step). From the state of step S22, i.e., the state in which the inside of the adsorber 11 and the inside of the adsorber 12 are connected, the control unit 25 connects the heat exchanger 12b and the heat exchanger 11b using the piping 42, the heat medium valve 22, and the piping 33. As a result, the movement of water vapor between the adsorber 11 and the adsorber 12 and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b are performed in parallel.

[0054] Next, the heat of the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 is sent to the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 (step S24: first sensible heat recovery step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destination of the pipe in the steam valve 21 so that the connection between the inside of the adsorber 11 and the inside of the adsorber 12 is released from the state of step S23. At this time, the state in which the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b are connected is maintained, so that the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 12b is sent to the heat exchanger 11b. As a result, the sensible heat recovery is continuously performed.

[0055] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump in the first sensible heat recovery step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in Fig. 11 is the same as that in Fig. 3 of the first embodiment. In the first sensible heat recovery step, the control unit 25 connects the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 to the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 using the pipe 42, the heat medium valve 22, and the pipe 33. As a result, high-temperature steam moves from the heat exchanger 12b to the heat exchanger 11b due to the pressure difference, and the heat of the heat exchanger 12b is transferred.

[0056] Next, similarly to step S13 of the control method of the first embodiment, a desorption step is performed in the adsorber 11, while an adsorption step is performed in the adsorber 12 (step S25: second adsorption / desorption step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 21 and the heat medium valve 22 so that the water vapor of the low-temperature evaporator 13 is introduced into the adsorber 12, and the water vapor of the high-temperature evaporator 14 is introduced into the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11.

[0057] Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 11 is sent to the adsorber 12 (step S26: second vapor recovery step). The control unit 25 sets the connection destination of the pipe in the steam valve 21 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 11 is sent to the adsorber 12. As a result, water vapor is supplied from the adsorber 11 to the adsorber 12 due to the pressure difference of the water vapor. The water vapor supplied to the adsorber 12 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 12a. As a result, the vapor recovery is performed prior to the simultaneous recovery.

[0058] Next, similarly to step S14 of the control method of the first embodiment, the water vapor in the adsorber 11 is sent into the adsorber 12, and at the same time, the heat of the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 is sent to the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 (step S27: second simultaneous recovery step). From the state in which the inside of the adsorber 12 and the inside of the adsorber 11 are connected in step S26, the control unit 25 connects the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b using the piping 33, the heat medium valve 22, and the piping 42. As a result, the movement of water vapor between the adsorber 11 and the adsorber 12 and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 11b and the heat exchanger 12b are performed in parallel.

[0059] Next, the heat of the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 is sent to the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 (step S28: second sensible heat recovery step). From the state of step S27, the control unit 25 controls the combination of pipes in the steam valve 21 to disconnect the interior of the adsorber 11 from the interior of the adsorber 12. At this time, since the state in which the heat exchanger 11b of the adsorber 11 and the heat exchanger 12b of the adsorber 12 are connected is maintained, the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 11b is sent to the heat exchanger 12b. As a result, sensible heat recovery is continuously performed.

[0060] According to the control method of the adsorption heat pump 2 of this embodiment described above, vapor recovery is started first (vapor recovery process), and sensible heat recovery is started while vapor recovery is continuing (simultaneous recovery process). Depending on the state of the adsorption heat pump, the time required for vapor recovery may be longer than the time required for sensible heat recovery. Therefore, by performing vapor recovery before performing vapor recovery and sensible heat recovery in parallel, it is possible to sufficiently recover vapor. This makes it possible to improve the utilization rate of water vapor in the entire adsorption heat pump 1.

[0061] According to the control method of the adsorption heat pump 2 of this embodiment, when steam recovery and sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel (simultaneous recovery process), steam recovery is stopped and sensible heat recovery is continued (sensible heat recovery process). Depending on the state of the adsorption heat pump, the time required for sensible heat recovery may be longer than the time required for steam recovery. Therefore, by performing sensible heat recovery after performing steam recovery and sensible heat recovery in parallel, the sensible heat can be sufficiently recovered. This can improve the recovery rate of sensible heat in the entire adsorption heat pump 1.

[0062] <Third embodiment> Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an adsorption heat pump according to the third embodiment. The adsorption heat pump according to the third embodiment differs from the adsorption heat pump according to the first embodiment (Fig. 1) in that it includes a radiator that releases heat from the adsorbent to the outside.

[0063] The adsorption heat pump 3 of this embodiment includes a pair of adsorbers 51, 52, a low-temperature evaporator 53, a heat supply unit 55, a condenser 56, an indoor unit 57, an outdoor unit 58, a radiator 59, a steam valve 61, heat medium valves 62, 63, 64, a control unit 65, a number of pipes connecting these, a valve for controlling the flow of the fluid, and a number of pumps for pressure-transporting the fluid.

[0064] The adsorber 51, 52 has the same configuration as the adsorber 11, 12 of the first embodiment. That is, the adsorber 51 and the adsorber 52 have approximately the same internal volume, and the adsorber 51 contains an adsorbent 51a and a heat exchanger 51b. The adsorber 52 contains an adsorbent 52a and a heat exchanger 52b.

[0065] In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51 is connected to the heat medium valves 62 and 63. As a result, the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 51b flows in a direction from the heat medium valve 62 to the heat medium valve 63, or in a direction from the heat medium valve 63 to the heat medium valve 62. In addition, the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52 is connected to the heat medium valves 62 and 64. As a result, the heat medium flowing in the heat exchanger 52b flows in a direction from the heat medium valve 62 to the heat medium valve 64, or in a direction from the heat medium valve 64 to the heat medium valve 62.

[0066] The low-temperature evaporator 53 is connected to each of the adsorbers 51 and 52 via a steam valve 61. The low-temperature evaporator 53 generates relatively low-temperature water vapor (adsorbate vapor) from liquid water by adsorbing the adsorbate vapor by the adsorbers 51 and 52 in the adsorption process and reducing the pressure inside. The low-temperature evaporator 53 contains a heat exchanger 53a that transfers the heat of vaporization (cold heat) when the water vapor is generated. The heat exchanger 53a is connected to the indoor unit 57 via a pipe 53b through which a heat medium flows. A pump 53c is attached to the pipe 53b to pump the temperature-adjusting heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 53a.

[0067] The heat supply unit 55 includes a gas engine 55a and pipes 55b, 55c, 55d, and 55e. For example, water containing antifreeze is sealed inside each of the pipes 55b, 55c, 55d, and 55e. The pipe 55b is connected to the gas engine 55a and the heat medium valve 63, and the heat medium is supplied to the heat exchanger 51b by the pump 55f. The pipe 55c is connected to the gas engine 55a and the heat medium valve 64, and the heat medium is supplied to the heat exchanger 52b by the pump 55f. The pipe 55d is connected to the gas engine 55a and the heat medium valve 62, and the heat medium discharged from the heat exchanger 51b flows through the pipe 55d. The pipe 55e is connected to the gas engine 55a and the heat medium valve 62, and the heat medium discharged from the heat exchanger 52b flows through the pipe 55e. Here, the water containing the antifreeze liquid sealed in the pipes 55b, 55c, 55d, and 55e is referred to as the adsorber heat medium.

[0068] The condenser 56 condenses the water vapor discharged from each of the adsorbers 51 and 52. Liquid water produced by the condensation of the water vapor is sent to the low-temperature evaporator 53 via a flow path (not shown). The condenser 56 contains a heat exchanger 56a that transfers the condensation heat (heat) of the water vapor. The heat exchanger 56a is connected to an outdoor unit 58. A pump 56c that pressurizes the temperature-adjusting heat medium flowing through the heat exchanger 56a is attached to a pipe 56b that connects the heat exchanger 56a and the outdoor unit 58.

[0069] The indoor unit 57 has the same configuration as the indoor unit 17 of the first embodiment. The indoor unit 57 cools indoor air introduced into the interior of the indoor unit 57 by a fan 57a, using cold heat supplied from the low-temperature evaporator 53. The outdoor unit 58 has the same configuration as the outdoor unit 18 of the first embodiment. The outdoor unit 58 heats air introduced into the interior of the outdoor unit 58 by a fan 58a, using hot heat supplied from the condenser 56, and releases the air to the outside.

[0070] The radiator 59 is a heat exchanger connected to the heat medium valve 62, and has the same configuration as the indoor unit 57. The radiator 59 cools the heat medium discharged from the heat exchangers 51b and 52b, which has been heated by the heat of adsorption generated in the adsorption process, by using the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan 59a.

[0071] The steam valve 61 has the same configuration as the steam valve 21 of the first embodiment, and includes multiple valves 61a, 61b that are used in combination. The steam valve 61 controls the flow of water vapor in and out of the adsorber 51, 52 by appropriately setting the destinations of multiple pipes connected to the steam valve 61. The steam valve 61 directly connects the inside of the adsorber 51 to the inside of the adsorber 52. This allows water vapor to move from the high-pressure adsorber side to the low-pressure adsorber side due to the difference in pressure between the water vapor in the adsorber 51 and the water vapor in the adsorber 52.

[0072] The heat medium valve 62 has the same configuration as the heat medium valve 22 of the first embodiment, and includes multiple valves 62a, 62b that are used in combination. The heat medium valve 62 controls the inflow and outflow of the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchangers 51b, 52b by appropriately setting the connection destinations of multiple pipes connected to the heat medium valve 62. The heat medium valve 62 directly connects the heat exchanger 51b and the heat exchanger 52b. This allows the adsorber heat medium to move from the high-temperature heat exchanger side to the low-pressure heat exchanger side due to the difference in temperature between the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 51b and the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 52b.

[0073] The heat medium valve 63 is connected to the heat exchanger 51b on the side opposite to the side to which the heat medium valve 62 is connected. The heat medium valve 63 is connected to the heat supply unit 55 via a pipe 55b. The heat medium valve 63 supplies the heat medium supplied by the heat supply unit 55 to the heat exchanger 51b, and sends the heat medium that has passed through the heat exchanger 51b to the radiator 59. The heat medium valve 63 moves the heat medium from the heat exchanger 52b via the pump 65a and the heat medium valve 64.

[0074] The heat medium valve 64 is connected to the heat exchanger 52b on the side opposite to the side to which the heat medium valve 62 is connected. The heat medium valve 64 is connected to the heat supply unit 55 via a pipe 55c. The heat medium valve 64 supplies the heat medium supplied by the heat supply unit 55 to the heat exchanger 52b, and sends the heat medium that has passed through the heat exchanger 51b to the radiator 59. The heat medium valve 64 moves the heat medium to the heat exchanger 51b via the pump 65a and the heat medium valve 63.

[0075] The control unit 65 has a CPU and a ROM / RAM (not shown). The control unit 65 is electrically connected to the heat supply unit 55, the indoor unit 57, the outdoor unit 58, the steam valve 61, and the heat medium valves 62, 63, and 64. The control unit 65 is also electrically connected to the multiple pumps 53c, 55f, 56c, 59b, and 65a, and to sensors and valves (not shown) included in the adsorption heat pump 1. The control unit 65 controls the operation of the entire adsorption heat pump 3 by expanding a computer program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it.

[0076] The pump 65a, whose operation is controlled by the control unit 65, is attached to a pipe 65b that connects the heat medium valve 63 and the heat medium valve 64. The pump 65a is a pump that can pump in both directions. The pump 65a pressurizes and pumps the heat medium flowing between the heat medium valve 63 and the heat medium valve 64.

[0077] Next, a method for controlling the adsorption heat pump 3 in the present embodiment will be described. The method for controlling the adsorption heat pump 3 in the present embodiment proceeds in the same flow as in the first embodiment.

[0078] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 3 in the first adsorption / desorption step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in FIG. 13 is the same as that in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. In the control method of the adsorption heat pump in the adsorption heat pump 3, first, the adsorption step is performed in the adsorber 51, while the desorption step is performed in the adsorber 52 (first adsorption / desorption step). Relatively low-temperature water vapor (adsorbate vapor) generated from liquid water in the low-temperature evaporator 53 is introduced into the adsorber 51 through the pipe 71, via the valve 61a of the vapor valve 61, and through the pipe 72. The water vapor introduced into the adsorber 51 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 51a of the adsorber 51.

[0079] The heat of adsorption generated by the adsorption of water vapor in the adsorbent 51a heats the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 51b. The heated adsorber heat medium passes through a pipe 73, passes through a heat medium valve 63, passes through a pipe 74, and is sent to the radiator 59. The adsorber heat medium sent to the radiator 59 is cooled by the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan 59a, passes through a pipe 75, passes through the valve 62a of the heat medium valve 62, passes through a pipe 76, and returns to the heat exchanger 51b. In FIG. 13, the pipes through which the adsorber heat medium flows are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and the flow direction of the adsorber heat medium is indicated by arrows.

[0080] In the first adsorption / desorption step, in the adsorber 52, the heat medium for the adsorber supplied by the heat supply unit 55 passes through the pipe 55c and is sent to the heat exchanger 52b via the heat medium valve 64. This heats the adsorbent 52a, and the remaining water vapor adsorbed in the adsorbent 52a is desorbed. The water vapor desorbed from the adsorbent 52a passes through the pipe 81, passes through the valve 61b of the steam valve 61, and is sent to the condenser 56 via the pipe 82.

[0081] In the adsorber 52, the adsorber heat medium that has flowed through the heat exchanger 52b passes through the pipe 83, passes through the valve 62b of the heat medium valve 62, passes through the pipes 84 and 55e, and returns to the gas engine 55a. The adsorber heat medium that has returned to the gas engine 55a is heated again and sent to the heat exchanger 52b through the pipe 55c.

[0082] In the first adsorption / desorption step, the heat of vaporization (cold heat) of water generated when water vapor is generated in the low-temperature evaporator 53 is sent to the indoor unit 57 by the temperature-adjusting heat medium flowing through the pipe 53b. The indoor unit 57 cools the indoor air sent by the fan 57a. The heat of condensation (hot heat) of the water vapor when the water vapor sent from the adsorber 52 is condensed in the condenser 56 is sent to the outdoor unit 58 by the temperature-adjusting heat medium flowing through the pipe 56b. The outdoor unit 58 dissipates heat by using the outdoor air sent by the fan 58a.

[0083] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 3 in the first simultaneous recovery step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in FIG. 14 is the same as that in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 52 is sent into the adsorber 51, and at the same time, the heat of the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52 is sent to the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51 (first simultaneous recovery step). The control unit 65 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 61 and the heat medium valves 62, 63, and 64 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 52 is sent into the adsorber 51 and the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 52b is sent to the heat exchanger 51b. In FIG. 14, the pipes through which the adsorber heat medium flows are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and the flow direction of the adsorber heat medium is indicated by arrows.

[0084] In the first simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 65 connects the inside of the adsorber 52 to the inside of the adsorber 51 using the pipe 81, the steam valve 61, and the pipe 72. The adsorber 51 is in a state immediately after the completion of the adsorption step, and the adsorber 52 is in a state immediately after the completion of the desorption step. Therefore, when the inside of the adsorber 51 is connected to the inside of the adsorber 52, water vapor is supplied from the adsorber 52 to the adsorber 51 due to the pressure difference of the water vapor (steam recovery). The water vapor supplied to the adsorber 51 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 51a. This allows the adsorber 52 to further desorb water vapor before the next adsorption step.

[0085] In the first simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 65 connects the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51 to the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52 using the pipe 83, the heat medium valve 62, and the pipe 76. The control unit 65 also connects the heat exchanger 51b to the heat exchanger 52b using the pipe 73, the heat medium valve 63, the pipe 65b, the heat medium valve 64, and the pipe 85. As a result, the heat exchanger 51b and the heat exchanger 51b form an annular flow path by the multiple pipes and the heat medium valves 62, 63, and 64. The adsorber 51 is in a state immediately after the adsorption step is completed, and the adsorber 52 is in a state immediately after the desorption step is completed. Therefore, when the heat exchanger 51b and the heat exchanger 52b are connected, the heat of the heat exchanger 12b moves from the heat exchanger 52b to the heat exchanger 51b due to the temperature difference (sensible heat recovery). In this embodiment, the high-temperature adsorber heat medium moves from the heat exchanger 52b toward the heat exchanger 51b. Therefore, in the adsorber 51, the adsorbent 51a can be heated via the heat exchanger 51b before the next desorption step. In this way, in the first simultaneous recovery step, the movement of water vapor between the adsorber 51 and the adsorber 52 (vapor recovery) and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 51b and the heat exchanger 52b (sensible heat recovery) are performed in parallel.

[0086] In this embodiment, in the first simultaneous recovery process, the control unit 65 forms an annular flow path by the gas engine 55a, the pipe 55c, the heat medium valve 64, and the pipes 86 and 55e. The control unit 65 also forms an annular flow path by the radiator 59, the pipe 75, the valve 62a of the heat medium valve 62, the pipe 77, the heat medium valve 63, and the pipe 74. During the first simultaneous recovery process, the heat medium for the adsorber flows through these annular flow paths.

[0087] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 3 in the second adsorption / desorption step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in FIG. 15 is the same as that in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. Next, while the desorption step is performed in the adsorber 51, the adsorption step is performed in the adsorber 52 (second adsorption / desorption step). The control unit 65 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 61 and the heat medium valve 62 so that the water vapor of the low-temperature evaporator 53 is introduced into the adsorber 52 and the heat medium for the adsorber heated by the gas engine 55a is introduced into the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51. In FIG. 15, the pipes through which the heat medium for the adsorber flows are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and the flow direction of the heat medium for the adsorber is indicated by arrows.

[0088] In the second adsorption / desorption step, in the adsorber 51, the heat medium supplied by the heat supply unit 55 passes through the pipe 55b, via the heat medium valve 63, and through the pipe 73 to be sent to the heat exchanger 51b. This heats the adsorbent 51a, and the water vapor adsorbed by the adsorbent 51a in the first adsorption / desorption step is desorbed. The water vapor desorbed from the adsorbent 51a passes through the pipe 72, via the valve 61a of the steam valve 61, and through the pipe 82 to be sent to the condenser 56.

[0089] In the adsorber 52, the relatively low-temperature steam (adsorbate steam) generated in the low-temperature evaporator 53 passes through the pipe 71, the valve 61b of the steam valve 61, and the pipe 81 to be introduced. In the adsorber 52, the heat of adsorption generated when the steam introduced into the adsorber 52 is adsorbed by the adsorbent 52a heats the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 52b. The heated adsorber heat medium passes through the pipe 85, the heat medium valve 64, the pipes 87 and 74, and is sent to the radiator 59. The heat medium sent to the radiator 59 is cooled by the air flow generated by the rotation of the fan 59a, passes through the pipes 75 and 88, passes through the valve 62b of the heat medium valve 64, passes through the pipe 83, and returns to the heat exchanger 52b.

[0090] In the second adsorption / desorption process, the heat of vaporization of water generated when water vapor is generated in the low-temperature evaporator 53 cools the indoor air in the indoor unit 57. The heat of condensation of the water vapor when the water vapor sent from the adsorber 51 is condensed in the condenser 56 is released in the outdoor unit 58 using the outdoor air.

[0091] Next, the water vapor in the adsorber 51 is sent into the adsorber 52, and at the same time, the heat in the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51 is sent to the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52 (second simultaneous recovery step). The control unit 65 sets the connection destinations of the pipes in the steam valve 61 and the heat medium valve 62 so that the water vapor remaining in the adsorber 51 is sent into the adsorber 52, and the adsorber heat medium in the heat exchanger 51b is sent to the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52.

[0092] FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the adsorption heat pump 3 in the second simultaneous recovery step. The classification of the fluid flow shown in FIG. 16 is the same as that in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment. In the second simultaneous recovery step, the control unit 65 connects the inside of the adsorber 51 to the inside of the adsorber 52 using the pipe 81, the steam valve 61, and the pipe 72, and connects the heat exchanger 51b of the adsorber 51 to the heat exchanger 52b of the adsorber 52 using the pipe 76, the heat medium valve 62, and the pipe 83. As a result, water vapor is supplied from the adsorber 51 to the adsorber 52 due to the pressure difference of the steam, and at the same time, heat of the heat exchanger 51b is transferred from the heat exchanger 51b to the heat exchanger 52b due to the temperature difference. Therefore, in the adsorber 52, the adsorbent 52a is heated via the heat exchanger 52b while adsorbing water vapor before the next step. In this way, in the second simultaneous recovery process, the movement of water vapor between the adsorber 51 and the adsorber 52 and the heat exchange between the heat exchanger 51b and the heat exchanger 52b are carried out in parallel. In Fig. 16, the pipes through which the heat medium for the adsorber flows are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and the flow direction of the heat medium for the adsorber is indicated by arrows.

[0093] According to the above-described control method for the adsorption heat pump 3, for example, after a first adsorption / desorption step in which water vapor is adsorbed to the adsorbent 51a of the adsorber 51 and the water vapor adsorbed to the adsorbent 52a of the adsorber 52 is desorbed from the adsorbent 52a, a first simultaneous recovery step is performed. In the first simultaneous recovery step, water vapor is transferred from the adsorber 52 to the adsorber 51 (vapor recovery) and the heat medium for the adsorber is transferred from the heat exchanger 52b to the heat exchanger 51b (sensible heat recovery). This can improve the cooling / heating capacity and system efficiency of the adsorption heat pump 3.

[0094] Moreover, according to the adsorption heat pump 3 of this embodiment, the radiator 59 releases to the outside the heat of adsorption that is generated when the adsorbents 51a, 52a adsorb water vapor. This allows the temperature of the adsorbents 51a, 52a to be lowered when adsorbing water vapor, and therefore the water vapor adsorption amount of the adsorbents 51a, 52a to be increased. When the water vapor adsorption amount of the adsorbents 51a, 52a increases, the amount of vaporization heat generated in the low-temperature evaporator 53 that supplies water vapor to the adsorbers 51, 52 increases, and therefore the cooling capacity of the adsorption heat pump 1 can be improved.

[0095] <Modifications of this embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0096] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, the adsorption process and the desorption process are performed simultaneously as in the first adsorption / desorption process in the control method of the adsorption heat pump. However, the adsorption process and the desorption process may be performed at different times. For example, depending on the relationship between the upper limit of the adsorption amount of the adsorbent contained in the adsorber and the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger, one of the processes may be started first, or may be performed at different times. It is sufficient that the adsorption process and the desorption process are completed before the simultaneous recovery process. In order to maximize the efficiency of the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery in the simultaneous recovery process, it is desirable that the adsorption process and the desorption process are completed at the same time, and the simultaneous recovery process is performed immediately thereafter.

[0097] [Variation 2] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the adsorption heat pump includes a pair of adsorbers, a low-temperature evaporator, a heat supply unit, a condenser, an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, a radiator, a steam valve, a heat medium valve, and a control unit. However, the configuration of the adsorption heat pump is not limited to this. It is sufficient to include a first adsorber that accommodates a first adsorbent, a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the first adsorbent, a second adsorber that accommodates a second adsorbent, a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the second adsorbent, and a control unit for performing an adsorption process, a desorption process, a steam recovery process, and a sensible heat recovery process.

[0098] Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents are included in the present aspect. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1,2,3…Adsorption heat pump 11,12,51,52…Adsorber 11a, 12a, 51a, 52a...Adsorbent 11b,12b,51b,52b...Heat exchanger 13,53…Low temperature evaporator 15,55...Heat supply section 16,56…Condenser 17,57…Indoor unit 18,58...Outdoor unit 21,61…Steam valve 22,62…Heat transfer valve 25,65…Control section 59...Radiator

Claims

1. A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, comprising the steps of: a first step of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent contained in a first adsorber to allow the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; a second step of heating the second adsorbent contained in the second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent; a third step of performing, in parallel, a vapor recovery step of transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and a sensible heat recovery step of performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, after the first step and the second step; the sensible heat recovery performed in the third step is performed by connecting a first heat exchanger included in the first adsorber and a second heat exchanger included in the second adsorber, and moving a heat medium by a pressure difference between a pressure in the first heat exchanger and a pressure in the second heat exchanger; A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump.

2. A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, comprising: a first step of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent contained in a first adsorber to allow the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; a second step of heating the second adsorbent contained in the second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent; a third step of performing, in parallel, a vapor recovery step of transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and a sensible heat recovery step of performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, after the first step and the second step; In the third step, the steam recovery is started before the sensible heat recovery, and the sensible heat recovery is started during the steam recovery, thereby performing the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery in parallel. A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump.

3. A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump, comprising: a first step of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent contained in a first adsorber to allow the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; a second step of heating the second adsorbent contained in the second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent; a third step of performing, in parallel, a vapor recovery step of transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and a sensible heat recovery step of performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, after the first step and the second step; In the third step, after the steam recovery and the sensible heat recovery are performed in parallel, the steam recovery is stopped and the sensible heat recovery is continued. A method for controlling an adsorption heat pump.

4. A computer program to be executed by a control unit that controls the operation of an adsorption heat pump, a first function of supplying an adsorbate to a first adsorbent contained in a first adsorber and causing the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; a second function of heating the second adsorbent contained in the second adsorber to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent; and causing the control unit to execute a third function of, in parallel, recovering vapor by moving adsorbate vapor between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, and recovering sensible heat by performing heat exchange between the first adsorber and the second adsorber, after the first function and the second function have been executed, wherein the sensible heat recovery is performed by connecting a first heat exchanger included in the first adsorber and a second heat exchanger included in the second adsorber, and moving a heat medium by a pressure difference between a pressure in the first heat exchanger and a pressure in the second heat exchanger. Computer program.

5. An adsorption heat pump, a first adsorber housing a first adsorbent; a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the first adsorbent and the first heat exchanger; a second adsorber housing a second adsorbent; a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the second adsorbent and the second heat exchanger; A pipe connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; a control unit that performs in parallel the following steps: supplying an adsorbate to the first adsorbent to cause the first adsorbent to adsorb the adsorbate; heating the second adsorbent to desorb the adsorbate adsorbed in the second adsorbent from the second adsorbent; and then transferring adsorbate vapor between the first adsorbent and the second adsorbent. sensible heat recovery that performs heat exchange between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger by transferring a heat medium through the piping using a pressure difference between a pressure in the first heat exchanger and a pressure in the second heat exchanger. Adsorption heat pump.

6. The adsorption heat pump according to claim 5 further comprises: a radiator connected to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, for radiating to the outside heat of adsorption generated when the first adsorbent or the second adsorbent adsorbs the adsorbate vapor; Adsorption heat pump.

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