Total heat exchanger

Abstract

To provide a total heat exchanger capable of uniformizing wind speed distribution by suppressing deviation of air flow which passes through total heat exchanging elements in an air-feeding path and an exhaust path.SOLUTION: A total heat exchanger includes an air-feeding path, an exhaust path, an air-feeding fan, an exhaust fan, a heat exchange element and a housing. The air-feeding path and the exhaust path are continuously elongated along a first direction and, at the same time, are arranged side by side along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Either of the air-feeding fan and the exhaust fan has a motor and an exterior member covering a motor and rotation blades respectively. The exterior member of the air-feeding fan has an exhaust guide part which guides, to the heat exchange element, air going away to the air-feeding path side in a second direction in front of the heat exchange element in the exhaust path and rebounded on an inner wall of the housing. The exterior member of the exhaust fan has an air-feeding guide part which guides, to the heat exchange element, air going away to the exhaust path side in the second direction in front of the heat exchange element in the air-feeding path and rebounded on the inner wall of the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a total heat exchanger using a total heat exchange element. [Background technology]

[0002] A total heat exchanger exchanges heat between, for example, the supply air from the outside to the inside of the room and the exhaust air from the inside of the room to the outside. The total heat exchanger includes a pair of air passages that communicate the outside and the inside of the room, fans provided in each of these air passages, and a total heat exchange element interposed in each of these air passages. When the fan operates, air (outside air) is guided from the outside to the inside of the room through one air passage (hereinafter referred to as the supply air passage), and air (inside air) is guided from the inside of the room to the outside of the room through the other air passage (hereinafter referred to as the exhaust air passage). When the air passing through the supply air passage and the exhaust air passage passes through the total heat exchange element, heat is exchanged between the outside air and the inside air. The supply air passage has an intake port on the primary side that draws in outside air (outside air), and an outlet port on the secondary side that blows air into the room and supplies it. The exhaust air passage has an intake port on the primary side that draws in inside air (inside air), and an outlet port on the secondary side that blows air outside the room and exhausts it. The inlet and outlet are each connected to a connecting pipe.

[0003] In such total heat exchangers, the airflow passing through the total heat exchange element in the air intake and exhaust passages may become biased, causing unevenness in the air speed distribution. For example, if the opening area of ​​the intake port, in other words the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting pipe, is small compared to the area into which air flows in (ventilation front area) in the total heat exchange element, the airflow is likely to become biased. If the connecting pipe is a round duct, its cross-sectional area is likely to be small compared to the ventilation front area. If the airflow becomes biased and the air speed distribution becomes uneven, this is likely to lead to a decrease in the performance of the fan and the total heat exchange element. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4997888 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made based on this, and its object is to provide a total heat exchanger that can suppress bias in the airflow passing through the total heat exchange element in the air intake duct and exhaust duct, and can achieve uniform wind speed distribution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to an embodiment, the total heat exchanger includes an intake air passage, an exhaust air passage, an intake air fan, an exhaust fan, a heat exchange element, and a housing. The intake air passage communicates between the outside and the inside of a room, and guides the air outside the room into the room. The exhaust air passage communicates between the outside and the inside of a room, and guides the air inside the room to the outside. The intake air fan is provided in the intake air passage and flows the air into the intake air passage. The exhaust fan is provided in the exhaust air passage and flows the air into the exhaust air passage. The heat exchange element performs total heat exchange between the air flowing through the intake air passage and the air flowing through the exhaust air passage. The housing has the intake air passage, the exhaust air passage, the intake air fan, the exhaust fan, and the heat exchange element inside. The intake air passage and the exhaust air passage extend continuously along a first direction and are aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Both the intake fan and the exhaust fan have a motor that rotates a rotating shaft, a rotating blade attached to the rotating shaft, and an exterior member that covers the motor and the rotating blade. The exterior member of the intake fan has an exhaust guide portion that guides the air that has deviated from the exhaust path to the intake path side in the second direction before the heat exchange element and bounced off the inner wall of the housing to the heat exchange element. The exterior member of the exhaust fan has an intake guide portion that guides the air that has deviated from the exhaust path to the exhaust path side in the second direction before the heat exchange element and bounced off the inner wall of the housing to the heat exchange element. The exhaust guide portion and the intake guide portion each include a protrusion protruding toward the heat exchange element and an inclined surface continuing to a bottom of the protrusion. When viewed from a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, the protrusion has a generally trapezoidal shape whose dimension in the second direction decreases toward the heat exchange element, and when viewed from the second direction, the protrusion has a generally trapezoidal shape whose dimension in the third direction decreases toward the heat exchange element. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a total heat exchanger according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the total heat exchanger according to the embodiment, viewed from above as indicated by an arrow A2. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the total heat exchanger according to the embodiment, viewed from the side indicated by the arrow A3. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of air (air in a return air space) flowing through an exhaust passage in a total heat exchanger according to a comparative example to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of air (air in a return air space) flowing through an exhaust passage in a total heat exchanger according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing modified examples of the protrusions of the exhaust guide portion and the protrusions of the intake guide portion in the total heat exchanger according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A total heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. The total heat exchanger is a component included in, for example, a ventilation system, and is installed in the ceiling of a building to exchange heat between supply air from the outside to the inside of a room and exhaust air from the inside of a room to the outside of the room.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view that shows a schematic view of the total heat exchanger 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view that shows the total heat exchanger 1 shown in FIG. 1 from above as indicated by an arrow A2. FIG. 3 is a side view that shows the total heat exchanger 1 shown in FIG. 1 from the side as indicated by an arrow A3. In the following description, a first direction X, a second direction Y, and a third direction Z are defined as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. These directions X, Y, and Z are perpendicular to each other. As an example, the direction along the first direction X is the width direction, the direction along the second direction Y is the depth direction, and the direction along the third direction Z is the height direction. However, these directions do not have to coincide with the directions in a state in which the total heat exchanger 1 is actually installed.

[0010] 1 to 3, the total heat exchanger 1 includes, as main elements, an air passage 2, a blower 3, and a heat exchange element 4. The air passage 2, the blower 3, and the heat exchange element 4 are stored in a housing 5. The housing 5 is an element that defines the outer shape of the total heat exchanger 1, and has, for example, a box section 51 that stores the air passage 2, the blower 3, and the heat exchange element 4, and a lid section 52 that closes the box section 51.

[0011] The housing 5 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape having six main surfaces. For example, of the six surfaces, the box portion 51 has four surfaces, and the lid portion 52 has two surfaces. The box portion 51 has a bottom surface 5a, a side surface 5b, and a pair of end surfaces 5c and 5d. The bottom surface 5a is a surface along the XY plane, and as an example, defines the bottom surface of the housing 5. The XY plane is a plane defined by the first direction X and the second direction Y. The side surface 5b is a surface along the XZ plane, and as an example, defines the side surface of the housing 5 in the second direction Y. The XZ plane is a plane defined by the first direction X and the third direction Z. The pair of end surfaces 5c and 5d are surfaces along the YZ plane, and as an example, define the end surface of the housing 5 in the first direction X. The YZ plane is a plane defined by the second direction Y and the third direction Z. The lid portion 52 has a top surface portion 5e and a side surface portion 5f. The top surface portion 5e is a surface portion disposed opposite the bottom surface portion 5a along the XY plane, and as an example, defines the top surface of the housing 5. The side surface portion 5f is a surface portion disposed opposite the side surface portion 5b along the XZ plane, and as an example, defines the side surface of the housing 5 in the second direction Y. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the end surface portion 5c is a surface portion disposed facing the indoor side, and the end surface portion 5d is a surface portion disposed facing the outdoor side.

[0012] The air passage 2 is a passage that communicates between the outside and the inside of the housing 5 and guides air, and has a pair of an air supply passage 21 and an exhaust passage 22. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the air supply passage 21 and the exhaust passage 22 extend continuously along a first direction X. Therefore, the first direction X corresponds to the direction in which the air supply passage 21 and the exhaust passage 22 guide air, in short, the main flow direction of air in these air passages 2. The air supply passage 21 and the exhaust passage 22 are arranged along a second direction Y. The air supply passage 21 is an air passage for guiding outdoor air into the room. The air supply passage 21 has an intake port 61a on the primary side that draws in air (outdoor air) from the outside, and an outlet port 61b on the secondary side that blows out air (supply air) into the room. The primary side is the upstream side of the heat exchange element 4 in the air supply passage 21, and is the side through which the outdoor air flows before heat exchange. The secondary side is the downstream side of the heat exchange element 4 in the air supply path 21, and is the side through which the supply air that has undergone heat exchange with the outside air flows. The exhaust path 22 is an air passage for directing indoor air to the outside. The exhaust path 22 has an intake port 62a on the primary side for drawing in air (return air) from the inside of the room, and an outlet port 62b on the secondary side for blowing out air (exhaust air) to the outside of the room. The primary side is the upstream side of the heat exchange element 4 in the exhaust path 22, and is the side through which the return air flows before being heat exchanged. The secondary side is the downstream side of the heat exchange element 4 in the exhaust path 22, and is the side through which the exhaust air that has undergone heat exchange with the return air flows.

[0013] The intake ports 61a, 62a and the exhaust ports 61b, 62b are openings formed in the housing 5, and are connected to connecting pipes (not shown). In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the intake ports 61a, 62a and the exhaust ports 61b, 62b are cylindrical and connected to round ducts (not shown). However, the shapes of the intake ports 61a, 62a and the exhaust ports 61b, 62b are not limited to this. The exhaust port 61b and the intake port 62a open at the end surface 5c of the housing 5. The intake port 61a and the exhaust port 62b open at the end surface 5d of the housing 5.

[0014] The blower 3 is a device that generates an air flow (air current) in the air passage 2, and has an intake fan 31 and an exhaust fan 32. The intake fan 31 is provided in the intake passage 21 and generates an air current in the intake passage 21. The intake fan 31 draws outside air into the intake passage 21 from an intake port 61a, and blows out the intake air from an exhaust port 61b. The exhaust fan 32 is provided in the exhaust passage 22 and generates an air current in the exhaust passage 22. The exhaust fan 32 draws return air into the exhaust passage 22 from an intake port 62a, and blows out the exhaust air from an exhaust port 62b.

[0015] 1 to 3, the intake fan 31 is disposed on the secondary side of the intake path 21, that is, closer to the outlet 61b than the heat exchange element 4 in the intake path 21. The exhaust fan 32 is disposed on the secondary side of the exhaust path 22, that is, closer to the outlet 62b than the heat exchange element 4 in the exhaust path 22.

[0016] Each of the intake fan 31 and the exhaust fan 32 has a motor 71 that rotates a rotary shaft (not shown), a rotary blade 72 attached to the rotary shaft, and an exterior member 73 that covers the motor 71 and the rotary blade 72.

[0017] The motor 71 includes, as its main elements, a stator, a rotor that rotates relative to the stator, and a motor cover 71a that supports the stator and rotor. The rotating shaft is provided on the rotor and rotates together with the rotor. The motor cover 71a is one of the exterior members 73, and protects the motor 71 by covering the stator, rotor, etc. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the motor cover 71a is configured as a part of the exterior member 73.

[0018] The rotating blades 72 are attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 71 and rotate together with the rotating shaft. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the rotating blades 72 are configured as a cylindrical multi-blade fan that is attached coaxially to the tip of the rotating shaft of the motor 71. In the first direction X, the rotating blades 72 are disposed farther from the heat exchange element 4 than the motor 71. The rotating blades 72 are covered by a fan case 72a. The fan case 72a is one of the exterior members 73, and covers the rotating blades 72 to protect the rotating blades 72. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the fan case 72a is configured as a part of the exterior member 73. For example, the fan case 72a is integrated with the motor cover 71a and configures the exterior member 73.

[0019] For example, when the rotary blades 72 of the intake fan 31 rotate, the outside air sucked into the intake air passage 21 from the intake port 61a passes through the heat exchange element 4 and is heat exchanged with the return air. The heat-exchanged outside air is sucked into the inside of the rotary blades 72. The outside air sucked into the inside of the rotary blades 72 is blown out from the outer periphery of the rotary blades 72 into the inside of the fan case 72a and is blown out from the outlet 61b as the supply air. Also, when the rotary blades 72 of the exhaust fan 32 rotate, the return air sucked into the exhaust passage 22 from the intake port 62a passes through the heat exchange element 4 and is heat exchanged with the outside air. The heat-exchanged return air is sucked into the inside of the rotary blades 72. The return air sucked into the inside of the rotary blades 72 is blown out from the outer periphery of the rotary blades 72 into the inside of the fan case 72a and is blown out from the outlet 62b as the exhaust air.

[0020] The heat exchange element 4 is an element that exchanges heat between air (outside air) flowing through the air intake path 21 and air (return air) flowing through the exhaust path 22. The heat exchange element 4 has a three-dimensional structure in which, for example, a first air flow path and a second air flow path are alternately stacked in a plurality of stages. The first air flow path in a plurality of stages is passed through by the air flowing through the air intake path 21. The first air flow path has an inlet section 41 into which the air flowing through the air intake path 21 flows in, and an outlet section 42 arranged opposite the inlet section 41 and from which the air flows out. The second air flow path in a plurality of stages is passed through by the air flowing through the exhaust path 22. The second air flow path has an inlet section 43 into which the air flowing through the exhaust path 22 flows in, and an outlet section 44 arranged opposite the inlet section 43 and from which the air flows out. A filter for removing dust may be arranged in the inlet sections 41 and 43. The heat exchange element 4 exchanges heat between the air (outdoor air) flowing through the first air flow path and the air (return air) flowing through the second air flow path while blocking the flow of air through the air supply path 21 and the air through the exhaust path 22. The heat exchange element 4 also exchanges humidity at the same time as the heat exchange. That is, the heat exchange element 4 is configured as a total heat exchange element.

[0021] The heat exchange element 4 extends along the second direction Y over almost the entire area between the side portions 5b, 5f inside the housing 5. The heat exchange element 4 is arranged in a position rotated by approximately 45° about an axis along the second direction Y from a state in which the inlet portion 41 and the outlet portion 42 are aligned along the XY plane and the inlet portion 43 and the outlet portion 44 are aligned along the YZ plane. Therefore, the inlet portions 41, 43 and the outlet portions 42, 44 have the second direction Y as their longitudinal direction and extend in a planar shape inclined with respect to both the XY plane and the YZ plane.

[0022] The exterior member 73 covers the motor 71 and the rotating blades 72 to protect them, and also defines the outer shapes of the supply fan 31 and the exhaust fan 32. As described above, in the first direction X, the rotating blades 72 are disposed farther from the heat exchange element 4 than the motor 71. Therefore, in the first direction X, the motor cover 71a is disposed closer to the heat exchange element 4, specifically, the inlets 41 and 43, than the fan case 72a. The motor cover 71a of the supply fan 31 has a surface portion 711 that spreads along the YZ plane and faces the inlet portion 43. The motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32 has a surface portion 712 that spreads along the YZ plane and faces the inlet portion 41.

[0023] Moreover, the exterior member 73 is a partition member that separates the air intake path 21 and the exhaust path 22. That is, the air intake path 21 is formed as a space inside the housing 5 separated from the exhaust path 22 by the exterior member 73. On the other hand, the exhaust path 22 is formed as a space inside the housing 5 separated from the air intake path 21 by the exterior member 73. This space (hereinafter, referred to as the ventilation space) is a space surrounded by the inner surfaces of the box part 51 and the lid part 52 in the housing 5 and the motor cover 71a and the fan case 72a that are the exterior member 73. The exterior member 73 divides the ventilation space into two layers in the third direction Z. The exterior member 73 of the air intake fan 31 divides the ventilation space into an air intake space 81 and a return air space 82. The air intake space 81 is a space that communicates with the air outlet 61b of the air intake path 21 and the outlet part 42 of the heat exchange element 4. The return air space 82 is a space that communicates with the intake port 62a of the exhaust path 22 and the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4. In contrast, the exterior member 73 of the exhaust fan 32 divides the ventilation space into an exhaust space 83 and an outside air space 84. The exhaust space 83 is a space that communicates with the blow-out port 62b of the exhaust path 22 and the outlet portion 44 of the heat exchange element 4. The outside air space 84 is a space that communicates with the intake port 61a of the supply air path 21 and the inlet portion 41 of the heat exchange element 4.

[0024] The exterior member 73 of the intake fan 31 has an exhaust guide portion 91 that guides a part of the air flowing through the exhaust path 22 to the heat exchange element 4. The exhaust guide portion 91 guides the air that flows through the exhaust path 22, deviates toward the intake path 21 in the second direction Y just before the heat exchange element 4, and bounces off the inner wall of the housing 5 to the heat exchange element 4. In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the air that deviates toward the intake path 21 in the second direction Y hits the side surface portion 5f of the lid portion 52 and bounces off. That is, the exhaust guide portion 91 causes the air that does not flow into the heat exchange element 4 from the inlet portion 43 but flows along the inlet portion 43 and bounces off the side surface portion 5f (a part of the air flowing through the exhaust path 22) to flow from the inlet portion 43 into the heat exchange element 4.

[0025] Further, the exterior member 73 of the exhaust fan 32 has an intake guide portion 92 that guides a part of the air flowing through the intake passage 21 to the heat exchange element 4. The intake guide portion 92 guides the air that flows through the intake passage 21, deviates to the exhaust passage 22 side in the second direction Y just before the heat exchange element 4, and bounces off the inner wall of the housing 5 to the heat exchange element 4. In the example shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the air that deviates to the exhaust passage 22 side in the second direction Y hits the side surface portion 5b of the box portion 51 and bounces off. That is, the intake guide portion 92 causes the air that does not flow from the inlet portion 41 into the heat exchange element 4 but flows along the inlet portion 41 and bounces off the side surface portion 5b (a part of the air flowing through the intake passage 21) to flow from the inlet portion 41 into the heat exchange element 4.

[0026] In this embodiment, as an example, exhaust guide portion 91 is provided on motor cover 71a of supply fan 31 as part of exterior member 73 of supply fan 31. Air supply guide portion 92 is provided on motor cover 71a of exhaust fan 32 as part of exterior member 73 of exhaust fan 32.

[0027] The exhaust guide portion 91 includes a protrusion 931 and an inclined surface 941. Similarly, the intake guide portion 92 includes a protrusion 932 and an inclined surface 942. The protrusions 931, 932 protrude from the surfaces 711, 712 of the motor cover 71a toward the heat exchange element 4. In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the protrusions 931, 932 are substantially trapezoidal in shape with a dimension in the second direction Y that becomes smaller (narrower) toward the heat exchange element 4 when viewed from the third direction Z. Also, the protrusions 931, 932 are substantially trapezoidal in shape with a dimension in the third direction Z that becomes smaller (narrower) toward the heat exchange element 4 when viewed from the second direction Y.

[0028] The protrusion 931 is disposed in the return air space 82, and guides a part of the air (return air) sucked into the return air space 82 from the suction port 62a to the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4. For this reason, the protrusion 931 is provided over a height of about half the height of the return air space 82 in the third direction Z (the dimension in the third direction Z), in other words, about half the height of the motor cover 71a of the supply air fan 31. That is, the protrusion 931 enables the flow of the return air in the return air space 82 without blocking the return air space 82 in the third direction Z. In the third direction Z, the lower end of the protrusion 931 is positioned at approximately the same height as the position of the boundary between the inlet portion 43 and the outlet portion 42 of the heat exchange element 4. The tip portion (protruding end portion) 951 of the protrusion 931 is close to the inlet portion 43 with a predetermined gap therebetween without contacting the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4.

[0029] On the other hand, the protrusion 932 is disposed in the outside air space 84, and guides a part of the air (outside air) sucked into the outside air space 84 from the intake port 61a to the inlet portion 41 of the heat exchange element 4. For this reason, the protrusion 932 is provided over a height of about half the height of the outside air space 84 in the third direction Z (the dimension in the third direction Z), in other words, about half the height of the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32. That is, the protrusion 932 enables the flow of outside air in the outside air space 84 without blocking the outside air space 84. In the third direction Z, the lower end of the protrusion 932 is positioned at approximately the same height as the position of the boundary between the inlet portion 41 and the outlet portion 44 of the heat exchange element 4. The tip portion (protruding end portion) 952 of the protrusion 932 is close to the inlet portion 41 with a predetermined gap therebetween without contacting the inlet portion 41 of the heat exchange element 4.

[0030] The inclined surface 941 is smoothly continuous with the inclined surface portion 961 of the protrusion 931 with almost no unevenness. The inclined surface portion (first inclined surface portion) 961 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is a planar portion protruding from the surface portion 711 of the motor cover 71a of the air supply fan 31. The inclined surface portion 961 faces the side surface portion 5f in the second direction Y. The inclined surface 941 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is connected to the inclined surface portion 961 at the bottom of the protrusion 931. The bottom of the protrusion 931 is a base end portion where the protrusion 931 protrudes from the surface portion 711 of the motor cover 71a of the air supply fan 31. In this manner, the inclined surface 941 is continuous with the inclined surface portion 961 of the protrusion 931, so that the end portion of the motor cover 71a of the air supply fan 31 on the side of the side surface portion 5f in the second direction Y is gently inclined and spreads out like a plane. The inclination angle of such an end portion, for example, the inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 711 along the YZ plane may be about 35°, but is not limited to this.

[0031] As described above, the side surface portion 5f is a surface portion against which the air that is sucked into the return air space 82 from the suction port 62a and deviates toward the air supply passage 21 in the second direction Y just before the heat exchange element 4 hits and bounces back. For this reason, the protrusion 931 and the inclined surface 941 guide a part of the air that hits and bounces back against the side surface portion 5f, i.e., the air that is sucked into the return air space 82, to the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4. Note that the end portion of the motor cover 71a of the supply air fan 31 on the side of the side surface portion 5b in the second direction Y (the side opposite to the side surface portion 5f) is also gently inclined like the side surface portion 5f side, and has a shape that spreads out like a plane.

[0032] The inclined surface 942 is smoothly continuous with the inclined surface portion 962 of the protrusion 932 with almost no unevenness. The inclined surface portion (first inclined surface portion) 962 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is a planar portion protruding from the surface portion 712 of the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32. The inclined surface portion 962 faces the side surface portion 5b in the second direction Y. The inclined surface 942 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is connected to the inclined surface portion 962 at the bottom of the protrusion 932. The bottom of the protrusion 932 is a base end portion where the protrusion 932 protrudes from the surface portion 712 of the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32. In this manner, the inclined surface 942 is continuous with the inclined surface portion 962 of the protrusion 932, so that the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32 has a gently inclined end portion on the side surface portion 5b side in the second direction Y, spreading out like a plane. The inclination angle of such an end portion, for example, the inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 712 along the YZ plane may be about 35°, but is not limited to this.

[0033] As described above, the side surface portion 5b is a surface portion against which the air that is drawn into the outside air space 84 from the intake port 61a and deviates toward the exhaust path 22 in the second direction Y just before the heat exchange element 4 hits and bounces off. For this reason, the protrusion 932 and the inclined surface 942 guide a portion of the air that hits and bounces off the side surface portion 5b, i.e., the air that is drawn into the outside air space 84, to the inlet portion 41 of the heat exchange element 4. Note that the end portion of the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32 on the side of the side surface portion 5f in the second direction Y (the side opposite to the side surface portion 5b) is also gently inclined in the same manner as the side surface portion 5b side, and has a shape that spreads out like a plane.

[0034] Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow passing through the heat exchange element 4 in the intake air passage 21 and the exhaust air passage 22, and to achieve uniform wind speed distribution. The effects of this embodiment will be described by comparison with a comparative example. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the air flowing through the exhaust air passage 22 in the total heat exchanger 10 according to the comparative example, specifically, the air flow in the return air space 82. The total heat exchanger 10 does not include the exhaust guide portion 91 (the protrusion 931 and the inclined surface 941) and the intake guide portion 92 (the protrusion 932 and the inclined surface 942) as in this embodiment. Note that the components of the total heat exchanger 10 other than these guide portions 91 and 92 are equivalent to those of the total heat exchanger 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the air flowing through the exhaust air passage 22 in the total heat exchanger 1, specifically, the air flow in the return air space 82.

[0035] 4 and 5, in both the comparative example and this embodiment, the air that is sucked into the return air space 82 from the suction port 62a and deflects toward the air supply passage 21 in the second direction Y just before the heat exchange element 4 bounces off the side surface portion 5f. The flow of the air that bounces off the side surface portion 5f differs between the comparative example and this embodiment as follows.

[0036] In FIG. 4, the arrow A4 is an example of a trajectory showing the flow of air in the return air space 82. As shown by the arrow A4, in the comparative example, the air that bounces back from the side surface 5f is not guided by the exhaust guide portion 91 (the protrusion 931 and the inclined surface 941), and is not forced to flow into the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4. Therefore, the air that bounces back from the side surface 5f passes through the gap between the surface portion 711 of the motor cover 71a of the supply air fan 31 and the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4, and flows along the surface of the motor cover 71a to the vicinity of the intake port 62a. Thereafter, the air flows into the heat exchange element 4 from the inlet portion 43 near the intake port 62a. When such an air flow is analyzed using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), the standard deviation of the wind speed distribution at the inlet portion 43, the pressure difference before and after (upstream and downstream) the supply air fan 31, and the total pressure efficiency of the supply air fan 31 are as follows. The total pressure efficiency is, for example, a value obtained by multiplying the total pressure and air volume of the blower (here, supply air fan 31) and dividing the result by the shaft power, and is a value equivalent to the power of the blower. As a result of CFD analysis of the airflow in the comparative example, the standard deviation of the wind speed distribution at inlet 43 is about 0.6028, the pressure difference before and after supply air fan 31 is about 333 [Pa], and the total pressure efficiency of supply air fan 31 is about 49.3 [%].

[0037] In FIG. 5, the arrow A5 is an example of a trajectory showing the air flow in the return air space 82. As shown by the arrow A5, in this embodiment, the air that bounces back from the side surface 5f is guided by the exhaust guide portion 91 (the protrusion 931 and the inclined surface 941). Therefore, the air that bounces back from the side surface 5f changes direction during the bounce and actively flows into the inlet portion 43 of the heat exchange element 4. That is, the air that bounces back from the side surface 5f does not flow to the vicinity of the suction port 62a, but flows into the inlet portion 43 near the side surface 5f, in other words, near the air supply passage 21 in the second direction Y in the inlet portion 43. When such an air flow is analyzed by CFD, the standard deviation of the wind speed distribution, the pressure difference before and after the supply air fan 31, and the total pressure efficiency of the supply air fan 31 have the following values. In this embodiment, the standard deviation of the wind speed distribution is approximately 0.5796, the pressure difference before and after the air supply fan 31 is approximately 336 [Pa], and the total pressure efficiency of the air supply fan 31 is approximately 49.9 [%].

[0038] That is, according to this embodiment, the standard deviation of the wind speed distribution at inlet portion 43 is improved compared to the comparative example, and both the pressure difference and the total pressure efficiency before and after air supply fan 31 are improved. Therefore, by providing exhaust guide portion 91 (projection 931 and inclined surface 941) as in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow passing through heat exchange element 4 in exhaust path 22 and to uniformize the wind speed distribution.

[0039] In addition, the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32 according to this embodiment includes an air supply guide portion 92 (a protrusion 932 and an inclined surface 942). The air supply path 21 differs from the exhaust path 22 in that the air flows in the opposite direction to the exhaust path 22. However, the air supply guide portion 92 (the protrusion 932 and the inclined surface 942) is provided, so that the air in the outside air space 84 can be guided by the air supply guide portion 92. Therefore, the air that bounces back from the side surface portion 5b does not flow to the vicinity of the intake port 61a, but flows into the inlet portion 41 near the side surface portion 5b, in other words, near the exhaust path 22 in the second direction Y at the inlet portion 41. Therefore, it is possible to suppress bias in the air flow passing through the heat exchange element 4 in the air supply path 21 and to uniformize the wind speed distribution.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow passing through heat exchange element 4 in air supply path 21 and exhaust path 22, and to uniformize the wind speed distribution in inflow sections 41, 43. Therefore, even if the opening area of ​​intake ports 61a, 62a is smaller than the area into which air flows in heat exchange element 4 (ventilation front area), it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow and unevenness in the wind speed distribution in inflow sections 41, 43. As a result, it is possible to improve the performance of air supply fan 31 and exhaust fan 32, the performance of heat exchange element 4, and the like.

[0041] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

[0042] For example, the configurations of the exhaust guide portion and the air supply guide portion are not limited to those of the present embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 3) described above. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the protrusions of the exhaust guide portion and the air supply guide portion. Even with the total heat exchanger 1a according to the modified example shown in FIG. 6, the same effect as the present embodiment described above can be achieved. Below, the total heat exchanger 1a according to the modified example will be described. Note that the total heat exchanger 1a is different from the total heat exchanger 1 according to the present embodiment in the configurations of the protrusions of the exhaust guide portion and the air supply guide portion, but is otherwise similar to the total heat exchanger 1. Therefore, the same reference symbols are used for components of the total heat exchanger 1a that are the same as or similar to those of the total heat exchanger 1, and their description will be omitted.

[0043] 6, the exhaust guide portion 91 includes a protrusion 933 and an inclined surface 941. Similarly, the intake guide portion 92 includes a protrusion 934 and an inclined surface 942.

[0044] The protrusion 933 has a slope portion 961 which is a first slope portion, and also has a slope portion 971 which is a second slope portion. The slope portion 971 is located on the opposite side to the slope portion 961 in the second direction Y, and is a planar portion inclined toward the slope portion 961. The slope portion 971 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is a planar portion protruding from the surface portion 711 of the motor cover 71a of the air supply fan 31. As a result, on the opposite side to the slope portion 961 in the second direction Y, the protrusion 933 continues to the surface portion 711 more gently than the protrusion 931. The inclination angle of the slope portion 971, for example, the inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 711 along the YZ plane may be the same as that of the slope portion 961 (for example, about 35°), but is not limited thereto. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the inclined surface portion 971 is continuous with the surface portion 711 which is the surface of the exterior member 73 at an inclination substantially equal to that of the inclined surface portion 961 and the inclined surface 941 .

[0045] The protrusion 934 has a slope portion 962 which is a first slope portion, and also has a slope portion 972 which is a second slope portion. The slope portion 972 is located on the opposite side to the slope portion 962 in the second direction Y, and is a planar portion inclined toward the slope portion 962. The slope portion 972 is inclined with respect to both the XZ plane and the YZ plane, and is a planar portion protruding from the surface portion 712 of the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32. As a result, on the opposite side to the slope portion 962 in the second direction Y, the protrusion 934 continues to the surface portion 712 more gently than the protrusion 932. The inclination angle of the slope portion 972, for example, the inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 712 along the YZ plane may be the same as that of the slope portion 962 (for example, about 35°), but is not limited thereto. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the inclined surface portion 972 is continuous with the surface portion 712 which is the surface of the exterior member 73 at an inclination substantially equal to that of the inclined surface portion 962 and the inclined surface 942 .

[0046] As an example of the air flow in the return air space 82 of this modified example, the return air sucked in from the suction port 62a is guided by the exhaust guide portion 91 (the protrusion 933 and the inclined surface 941). Therefore, the return air sucked in through the suction port 62a is gently guided by the inclined surface 971 provided on the protrusion 933 of the exhaust guide part 91 to the side surface part 5f. In other words, the return air sucked in through the intake port 62a bounces back just before the exhaust guide portion 91 and does not flow near the intake port 62a, but flows into the inlet portion 43 near the side portion 5f, in other words, near the air supply passage 21 in the second direction Y at the inlet portion 43. Therefore, by providing the exhaust guide portion 91 (the protrusion 933 and the inclined surface 941) as in this modified example, it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow passing through the heat exchange element 4 in the exhaust path 22 and to achieve a uniform wind speed distribution.

[0047] In addition, the motor cover 71a of the exhaust fan 32 according to this modification includes an air supply guide portion 92 (a protrusion 934 and an inclined surface 942). The air supply path 21 differs from the exhaust path 22 in that the air flows in the opposite direction to the exhaust path 22. However, since the air supply guide portion 92 (the protrusion 934 and the inclined surface 942) is provided, the air in the outside air space 84 can be guided by the air supply guide portion 92. Therefore, the outside air sucked in through the suction port 61a is gently guided to the side surface portion 5b by the inclined surface portion 972 provided on the protrusion 934 of the air intake guide portion 92. In other words, the outside air sucked in through the suction port 61a bounces back just before the air supply guide portion 92 and does not flow near the suction port 61a, but instead flows into the inlet portion 41 near the side portion 5b, in other words, near the exhaust path 22 in the second direction Y at the inlet portion 41. Therefore, by providing the air supply guide portion 92 (the protrusion 934 and the inclined surface 941) as in this modified example, it is possible to suppress bias in the air flow passing through the heat exchange element 4 in the air supply path 21, and to achieve a uniform wind speed distribution.

[0048] In this manner, according to this modification, it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow passing through heat exchange element 4 in air supply path 21 and exhaust path 22, and to uniformize the wind speed distribution in inflow sections 41, 43. Therefore, even if the opening area of ​​intake ports 61a, 62a is smaller than the area into which air flows in heat exchange element 4 (ventilation front area), it is possible to suppress bias in the airflow and unevenness in the wind speed distribution in inflow sections 41, 43. As a result, it is possible to improve the performance of air supply fan 31 and exhaust fan 32, the performance of heat exchange element 4, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...total heat exchanger, 2...air passage, 3...blower device, 4...heat exchange element, 5...housing, 5a...bottom surface, 5b...side surface, 5c, 5d...end surface, 5e...top surface, 5f...side surface, 21...air supply passage, 22...exhaust passage, 31...air supply fan, 32...exhaust fan, 41, 43...inlet portion, 42, 44...outlet portion, 51...box portion, 52...lid portion, 61a, 62a...inlet port, 61b, 62b...outlet port, 71...motor, 71a...motor cover, 72... Rotating blade, 72a...fan case, 73...exterior member, 81...air supply space, 82...air return space, 83...exhaust space, 84...outdoor air space, 91...exhaust guide portion, 92...air supply guide portion, 711, 712...surface portion, 931, 932, 933, 934...protrusion, 941, 942...inclined surface, 951, 952...tip of protrusion, 961, 962, 971, 972...slope portion of protrusion, X...first direction, Y...second direction, Z...third direction.

Claims

1. an air supply passage that communicates the outside of the room with the inside of the room and guides the outside air into the room; an exhaust passage that communicates the outside of the room with the inside of the room and guides air from the inside of the room to the outside of the room; an air supply fan provided in the air supply passage for blowing air into the air supply passage; an exhaust fan provided in the exhaust path to flow air through the exhaust path; a heat exchange element that performs total heat exchange between air flowing through the air supply passage and air flowing through the exhaust passage; a housing having the air intake path, the exhaust path, the air intake fan, the exhaust fan, and the heat exchange element therein, the air supply passage and the air exhaust passage extend continuously along a first direction and are aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; each of the intake fan and the exhaust fan has a motor that rotates a rotary shaft, a rotary blade attached to the rotary shaft, and an exterior member that covers the motor and the rotary blade; the exterior member of the intake air fan has an exhaust guide portion that guides air that has deviated toward the intake air path in the second direction before the heat exchange element in the exhaust path and bounced off an inner wall of the housing to the heat exchange element, the exterior member of the exhaust fan has an air intake guide portion that guides air that has deviated toward the exhaust path in the second direction before the heat exchange element in the air intake path and bounced off an inner wall of the housing to the heat exchange element, each of the exhaust guide portion and the intake guide portion includes a protrusion protruding toward the heat exchange element and an inclined surface continuing to a bottom portion of the protrusion; When viewed from a third direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction, the protrusion has a generally trapezoidal shape whose dimension in the second direction decreases toward the heat exchange element, and when viewed from the second direction, the protrusion has a generally trapezoidal shape whose dimension in the third direction decreases toward the heat exchange element. Total heat exchanger.

2. the projection has a first inclined surface portion that is inclined with respect to both a plane defined by the first direction and the third direction and a plane defined by the second direction and the third direction and that protrudes from the exterior member; The inclined surface is smoothly continuous with the first inclined surface portion. The total heat exchanger according to claim 1 .

3. the first inclined surface portion faces the inner wall, the projection has a second inclined surface portion on an opposite side to the first inclined surface portion in the second direction, The second inclined surface portion is continuous with the surface of the exterior member at an inclination substantially equal to that of the first inclined surface portion and the inclined surface. The total heat exchanger according to claim 2.

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