Ventilation system

Abstract

A ventilation device (1) comprises: an air supply passage (115) through which flows a supply airflow from outdoor to indoor; an exhaust passage (116) through which flows an exhaust airflow from indoor to outdoor; an air supply blower (12) which is provided to the air supply passage; an exhaust blower (13) which is provided to the exhaust passage; an air quality sensor (17) which detects indoor air quality; and a control unit (19) which controls the airflow amounts of the air supply blower and the exhaust blower. The present invention is characterized in that, when there has been an instruction for operation in accordance with an airflow amount difference value, which is information indicating the difference between an exhaust airflow amount instruction value of the exhaust blower and a supply airflow amount instruction value of the air supply blower set externally, the control unit: acquires, for a first blower among the air supply blower and the exhaust blower, a first airflow amount in accordance with the value of the air quality detected by the air quality sensor, said first airflow amount being acquired from airflow amount setting information that defines the relation between the value of air quality and the airflow amount; controls the first blower with the first airflow amount; uses the airflow amount difference value and the first airflow amount of the first blower to calculate, for a second blower which is not the first blower, a second airflow amount; and controls the second blower with the second airflow amount.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a ventilation device that provides ventilation based on indoor air conditions. [Background technology]

[0002] The first type of ventilation is a type of ventilation in which the supply air is introduced from the outside into the room by the supply air blower, and the exhaust air is exhausted from the inside to the outside by the exhaust air blower, in a ventilation system having an supply air blower and an exhaust air blower. In the first type of ventilation, by using a heat exchange type ventilation system that exchanges heat between the supply air and the exhaust air, it is possible to reduce the energy used by the air conditioner while performing ventilation.

[0003] In an office building, the degree of indoor air pollution varies greatly depending on the number of people present in the room. In general, indoor air pollution is expressed in terms of air quality. Examples of air quality include the concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), whose maximum indoor concentration is specified, and the concentration of fine particulate matter. These include the concentration of dust particles, etc. Normally, the ventilation design of an office building is designed so that the carbon dioxide concentration in the room is below a certain value when the indoor occupancy rate is 100%. However, according to literature surveys and other sources, the actual indoor occupancy rate is usually between 60% and 70%.

[0004] In addition, heat exchange type ventilation devices are often used with the ventilation air volume fixed at a constant volume by, for example, a remote controller installed on the wall. Therefore, when many people are present in the room, there is a problem that the air in the room becomes dirty. In addition, excessive ventilation when only a few people are present in the room in the early morning and at night, or when no one is present, increases the air conditioning load, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of energy saving.

[0005] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a heat exchange type ventilation device that is equipped with a carbon dioxide sensor that detects carbon dioxide in the room, and controls at least the exhaust air volume, out of the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume, to either a first notch with a high flow rate or a second notch with a low flow rate based on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the room.

[0006] Heat exchange ventilation equipment generally uses ducts to connect the room to the heat exchange ventilation equipment, and between the heat exchange ventilation equipment and the outside of the room, forming an air passage for ventilation. In addition, these ducts may branch to connect to multiple rooms along the way, or multiple ducts may be combined to form a single large duct.

[0007] The air passages through these ducts can have various pressure losses depending on the distance from the heat exchange type ventilation device to the room and the distance from the heat exchange type ventilation device to the outside of the room, the diameter of the duct, the number of bends, the components connected such as grills or hoods, etc. For this reason, there are many cases where the amount of pressure loss differs between the supply air passage for supplying air from the outside to the room and the exhaust air passage for exhausting air from the room to the outside.

[0008] Therefore, it is desirable that the heat exchange type ventilation device can independently change the output of the intake air blower and the exhaust air blower according to the instruction of the installer or user, and can independently adjust the intake air volume and the exhaust air volume. Hereinafter, the installer or user is referred to as the user, etc. With such a heat exchange type ventilation device, the user, etc. can make the intake air volume and the exhaust air volume the same even if the pressure loss is different between the intake air duct and the exhaust air duct. In addition, by intentionally making the intake air volume and the exhaust air volume unbalanced, the room can be intentionally made to have a positive or negative pressure, and ventilation can be performed according to the purpose of the room. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-159208 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to control the notch of the exhaust air volume to be changed while keeping the supply air volume constant based on the carbon dioxide gas concentration, but in this case, the supply air volume cannot be changed. In other words, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume cannot be set independently and arbitrarily. Even if the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume can be set independently and arbitrarily in the technology described in Patent Document 1, they are changed to a predetermined exhaust air volume based on the carbon dioxide gas concentration, and the relationship between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume set arbitrarily cannot be maintained. This problem is also the same when the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume are set arbitrarily based on not only the carbon dioxide gas concentration but also the air quality value.

[0011] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a ventilation device that allows a user to set the supply air volume and exhaust air volume independently and arbitrarily, and that can control the supply air volume and exhaust air volume in accordance with an air quality value while maintaining the relationship between the arbitrarily set supply air volume and exhaust air volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the ventilation device of the present disclosure comprises an intake air duct through which an intake current, which is the flow of air from the outdoors to the indoors, passes, an exhaust air duct through which an exhaust current, which is the flow of air from the indoors to the outdoors, an intake air blower provided in the intake air duct, an exhaust air blower provided in the exhaust air duct, an air quality sensor that detects air quality indicating the degree of pollution of the indoor air, and a control unit that controls the air volume of the intake air blower and the exhaust air blower. When the control unit is instructed to operate in accordance with an airflow difference value, which is information indicating the difference between an externally set supply airflow value that specifies the airflow of the supply air blower and an exhaust airflow value that specifies the airflow of the exhaust air blower, the control unit obtains, for a first blower, one of the supply air blower and the exhaust airflow blower, a first airflow corresponding to the air quality value detected by the air quality sensor from airflow setting information that defines the relationship between the air quality value and the airflow, and controls the first blower at the first airflow, and for a second blower that is not the first blower, calculates a second airflow using the first airflow of the first blower and the airflow difference value, and controls the second blower at the second airflow. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The ventilation device according to the present disclosure has the advantage that a user can set the supply air volume and exhaust air volume independently and arbitrarily, and can control the supply air volume and exhaust air volume in accordance with the air quality value while maintaining the relationship between the supply air volume and exhaust air volume that have been arbitrarily set. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a configuration of a ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a heat exchange element; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a remote control provided in a ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control unit provided in a ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an upper limit switching threshold and a lower limit switching threshold; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume, the exhaust air volume, and the air volume difference and the carbon dioxide gas concentration. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume and the carbon dioxide gas concentration when an air volume difference value is set. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume, the exhaust air volume, and the air volume difference and the carbon dioxide gas concentration. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume and the carbon dioxide gas concentration when an air volume difference value is set. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the settings of the supply airflow rate and the exhaust airflow rate and the airflow difference in the airflow reduction priority mode. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume and the carbon dioxide concentration in the air volume reduction priority mode. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control unit provided in a ventilation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 17] A flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a method for controlling the air volume of a ventilator when an air volume reduction priority mode is selected. [Figure 18] A flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a method for controlling air volume of a ventilator when an air volume difference priority mode is selected. [Figure 19] A flowchart showing an example of a control process procedure in an automatic air volume control mode. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information before the automatic air volume control mode is implemented. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information when the automatic air volume control mode is implemented. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration and the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume when the air volume difference value is expressed as the ratio of the supply air volume to the exhaust air volume. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume and the carbon dioxide gas concentration when an air volume difference value is set. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a configuration of a ventilation device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A ventilation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Embodiment 1 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of a configuration of a ventilation device according to embodiment 1. The ventilation device 1 includes a housing 11, an intake fan 12, an exhaust fan 13, a heat exchange element 14, an intake air filter 15, an exhaust air filter 16, a carbon dioxide sensor 17, a remote controller 18, and a control unit 19.

[0017] The housing 11 has a box-like structure that forms the outer shell of the ventilation device 1. In one example, the housing 11 is rectangular parallelepiped. In one example, the housing 11 is made of sheet metal. The housing 11 is installed in a concealed state in a ceiling space 52. In FIG. 1, a room 51 is the target of ventilation, and the area above a ceiling 53 of the room 51 is the ceiling space 52 in which the housing 11 is placed. Hereinafter, the air in the room 51 is referred to as room air.

[0018] The housing 11 has an outside air inlet 111 and an exhaust outlet 112 provided on one end surface 10a in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11. The housing 11 has an air supply outlet 113 and an indoor air inlet 114 provided on the other end surface 10b opposite the one end surface 10a in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11. The outside air inlet 111 is an opening that takes in outdoor air (OA) into the inside of the housing 11. The air supply outlet 113 is an opening that discharges outdoor air from the inside of the housing 11 to the outside. The air discharged from the air supply outlet 113 and guided to the room 51 is also called supply air (SA). The indoor air inlet 114 is an opening that discharges air that is guided from the room 51 to the outside. The exhaust outlet 112 is an opening that takes in the air that is to be exhausted from the room into the housing 11. The air taken in from the indoor air intake port 114 is also called return air (RA). This is an opening that discharges air from the inside of the body 11 to the outside. The air discharged from the exhaust outlet 112 is also called exhaust air (EA).

[0019] The housing 11 has an intake air passage 115 and an exhaust air passage 116 inside. The intake air passage 115 connects the outside air inlet 111 and the intake air outlet 113, and is an air passage through which an intake air flow, which is an air flow from the outdoors toward the room 51 formed by the intake air blower 12, passes. In other words, the intake air passage 115 is an air passage for supplying the outside air OA to the room 51. The intake air passage 115 has an outside air pre-heat exchange air passage 115a formed between the outside air inlet 111 and the heat exchange element 14, an outside air post-heat exchange air passage 115b formed between the heat exchange element 14 and the intake air outlet 113, and an in-element intake air passage 115c which is an intake air passage within the heat exchange element 14.

[0020] The exhaust air passage 116 connects the indoor air intake port 114 and the exhaust air outlet 112, and is an air passage through which the exhaust air flow, which is an air flow from the room 51 to the outdoors formed by the exhaust fan 13, passes. In other words, the exhaust air passage 116 is an air passage for discharging the return air RA, which is the indoor air, to the outdoors. The exhaust air passage 116 has an indoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 116a formed between the indoor air intake port 114 and the heat exchange element 14, an indoor air post-heat exchange air passage 116b formed between the heat exchange element 14 and the exhaust air outlet 112, and an in-element exhaust air passage 116c, which is an exhaust air passage within the heat exchange element 14. The supply air passage 115 and the exhaust air passage 116 intersect at the heat exchange element 14.

[0021] The housing 11 has partition walls 117a, 117b, 117c, and 117d therein that separate the intake air passage 115 and the exhaust air passage 116. The intake air passage 115 and the exhaust air passage 116 are separated inside the housing 11 by the heat exchange element 14 and the partition walls 117a, 117b, 117c, and 117d. Specifically, the outdoor air post-heat exchange air passage 115b and the indoor air post-heat exchange air passage 116b are separated by the heat exchange element 14 and the partition wall 117a. The outdoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 115a and the indoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 116a are separated by the heat exchange element 14 and the partition wall 117b. The outdoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 115a and the indoor air post-heat exchange air passage 116b are separated by the heat exchange element 14 and the partition wall 117c. Outside air post-heat exchange air passage 115b and indoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 116a are partitioned by heat exchange element 14 and partition wall 117d.

[0022] Housing 11 includes air passage switching damper 118, which is an opening / closing part that opens and closes an opening provided in partition wall 117d. The opening communicates between an area upstream of intake air blower 12 in outside air post-heat exchange air passage 115b, i.e., an area between heat exchange element 14 and intake air blower 12 in outside air post-heat exchange air passage 115b, and indoor air pre-heat exchange air passage 116a.

[0023] The intake air blower 12 is provided in the intake air passage 115 and forms an intake air flow. In the example of Fig. 1, the intake air blower 12 is connected to the intake air outlet 113 in the outside air heat exchange air passage 115b. The intake air blower 12 has an intake motor 12a therein for driving the intake air blower 12.

[0024] Exhaust fan 13 is provided in exhaust air passage 116 and forms an exhaust flow. In the example of Fig. 1, exhaust fan 13 is connected to exhaust outlet 112 in indoor air post-heat exchange air passage 116b. Exhaust fan 13 has exhaust motor 13a therein for driving exhaust fan 13.

[0025] The rotation speeds of the air supply motor 12a and the air exhaust motor 13a change in response to control by a control unit 19, which will be described later.

[0026] Heat exchange element 14 is installed between intake air duct 115 and exhaust air duct 116, and performs continuous heat exchange between the intake air flow and the exhaust air flow. Heat exchange element 14 may be a sensible heat exchanger that exchanges sensible heat, i.e., temperature, between the intake air flow and the exhaust air flow, or may be a total heat exchanger that exchanges sensible heat and latent heat, i.e., temperature and humidity, between the intake air flow and the exhaust air flow. Here, a case where heat exchange element 14 is a total heat exchanger is taken as an example.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a heat exchange element. The heat exchange element 14 includes a plurality of sheet materials 141 stacked at intervals, and a spacing member 142 that maintains the spacing between the plurality of sheet materials 141. The heat exchange element 14 is a laminate in which the sheet materials 141 and the spacing member 142 are stacked. The sheet material 141 is a plate-like member that is processed to be flat. The spacing member 142 is a sheet-like member that is provided with corrugated unevenness. The sheet material 141 and the spacing member 142 are bonded to each other. In other words, the heat exchange element 14 is a laminate in which a corrugated sheet to which the spacing member 142 is bonded is stacked on the sheet material 141.

[0028] The spacing member 142 includes spacing member 142a and spacing member 142b, whose corrugated fold directions are different from each other so that they cross each other. In this example, the corrugated fold directions of spacing member 142a and spacing member 142b are perpendicular to each other. The spacing members 142a and 142b are alternately arranged in the stacking direction. The space formed between spacing member 142b and sheet material 141 is element internal supply air passage 115c through which the supply air flow SF passes. The space formed between spacing member 142a and sheet material 141 is element internal exhaust air passage 116c through which the exhaust air flow EF passes. The heat exchange element 14 has a plurality of element internal supply air passages 115c and a plurality of element internal exhaust air passages 116c.

[0029] Spacing members 142b constituting internal air supply passage 115c and spacing members 142a constituting internal air exhaust passage 116c are alternately laminated via sheet material 141 in the thickness direction of sheet material 141, and internal air supply passage 115c and internal air exhaust passage 116c are independent of each other. This enables total heat exchange in heat exchange element 14, in which heat and humidity are exchanged between air flowing through internal air supply passage 115c of air supply passage 115 and air flowing through internal air exhaust passage 116c of air exhaust passage 116.

[0030] 1, the intake air filter 15 is provided in the intake air duct 115 upstream of the heat exchange element 14, i.e., in the outdoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 115a. The intake air filter 15 is an air filter that removes dust from the outdoor air OA sucked into the heat exchange element 14 to prevent a decrease in performance of the heat exchange element 14 due to clogging by dust contained in the outdoor air OA. The intake air filter 15 is detachably installed in the outdoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 115a.

[0031] The exhaust air filter 16 is provided in the exhaust air duct 116 upstream of the heat exchange element 14, i.e., in the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a. The exhaust air filter 16 is an air filter that removes dust from the return air RA that is sucked into the heat exchange element 14 in order to prevent a decrease in performance of the heat exchange element 14 due to clogging by dust contained in the return air RA. The exhaust air filter 16 is detachably installed in the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a.

[0032] The carbon dioxide sensor 17 is a sensor that detects the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the room 51. The carbon dioxide sensor 17 is provided in the exhaust air duct 116. The carbon dioxide sensor 17 is an example of an air quality sensor that detects air quality indicating the degree of pollution of the indoor air. In one example, the carbon dioxide sensor 17 is provided in the exhaust air duct 116 upstream of the heat exchange element 14, i.e., in the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a. In this way, in the first embodiment, the carbon dioxide concentration in the room 51 is detected by detecting the carbon dioxide concentration of the return air RA, which is the indoor air flowing through the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a. The carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 is input to the control unit 19 via the communication line 31.

[0033] The remote controller 18 is an example of an external device that instructs the control unit 19 on settings made by a user or the like regarding ventilation of the room 51 in which the ventilation device 1 is installed. Hereinafter, the remote controller 18 will be referred to as a remote control. The remote control 18 is connected to the control unit 19 by a wired or wireless communication line 31.

[0034] The remote control 18 receives commands for various controls such as the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 1. The remote control 18 transmits various commands received from a user or the like to the control unit 19. In one example, the remote control 18 is capable of setting the operation of the ventilation device 1, including switching between operation on and operation off, switching the ventilation air volume, switching the ventilation mode, setting the operation timer, and the like. In addition, in the first embodiment, the remote control 18 is also capable of setting an air volume difference, which is a setting for setting an air volume difference between the supply air volume 12 and the exhaust air volume 13 of the ventilation device 1. The air volume difference setting includes a pair of air volume designation values, which are a combination of the designated values ​​of the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume at an arbitrary air volume point, and selection of a blower to which the air volume difference is to be applied. Instead of the pair of air volume designation values, an air volume difference value, which is the difference between the air volume designation values ​​between the supply air volume 12 and the exhaust air volume 13 at an arbitrary air volume point, may be used. Also, instead of selecting a blower to which the air volume difference is to be applied, a reference blower may be selected. The reference fan is one of the intake fan 12 and the exhaust fan 13 that does not provide a difference in air volume. Instructions for setting the difference in air volume will be described later. In the first embodiment, the ventilation mode includes a fixed air volume mode in which ventilation is performed at an arbitrary air volume, and an automatic air volume control mode in which the ventilation air volume is automatically switched based on the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air.

[0035] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a remote control provided in the ventilator according to embodiment 1. The remote control 18 includes a processor 181, a memory 182, a communication interface 183, an input unit 184, and a display unit 185. The processor 181, the memory 182, the communication interface 183, the input unit 184, and the display unit 185 are connected via a bus 186.

[0036] The processor 181 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The remote control 18 may be a processing device, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Each function of the remote control 18 is realized by the processor 181 and a combination of software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 182, which is an internal memory.

[0037] The memory 182 is a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Note that it is preferable to use a non-volatile storage device for the memory 182 so that the stored information is not erased even if the power supply to the ventilator 1 is cut off.

[0038] The communication interface 183 is a connection interface with an external device of the remote control 18, in this case the control unit 19. The communication interface 183 transmits and receives information to and from the remote control 18.

[0039] The input unit 184 is an input interface for a user or the like. The display unit 185 is a display device that displays information to a user or the like. Operation settings and air volume difference settings are performed by a user performing operations via the input unit 184. In the air volume difference setting, a blower for which an air volume difference is to be applied is selected, and a pair of designated air volume values ​​are set. The display unit 185 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD).

[0040] Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 19 controls the ventilation operation by controlling the operation of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 connected via the communication line 31 according to an instruction from the remote control 18. In one example, when the control unit 19 is instructed by the remote control 18 to operate in a fixed air volume mode in which ventilation is performed at an air volume determined as a ventilation mode, the control unit 19 operates the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 to achieve the instructed air volume. In another example, when the control unit 19 is instructed by the remote control 18 to operate in an automatic air volume control mode in which the ventilation air volume is switched based on the carbon dioxide concentration in the room 51, the control unit 19 operates the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 to achieve the intake air volume and the exhaust air volume corresponding to the value of the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17. In these cases, when the control unit 19 receives an instruction to set an air volume difference from the remote control 18, the control unit 19 sets the air volume of the reference blower plus the air volume difference value for the blower with the air volume difference according to the instruction.

[0041] Specifically, when an operation according to an airflow difference value, which is information indicating the difference between the airflow of the supply airflow fan 12 and the airflow of the exhaust airflow fan 13, is instructed, the control unit 19 sets an airflow of the reference blower that takes into account the airflow difference value for the blower that provides the airflow difference. For one of the reference blowers, supply airflow fan 12 and exhaust airflow fan 13, the control unit 19 acquires a first airflow corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration value detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 from airflow setting information that defines the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration value, which is a predetermined air quality value, and the airflow, and controls the reference blower at the first airflow. For a blower that provides the airflow difference that is not the reference blower, the control unit 19 calculates a second airflow using the first airflow of the reference blower and the airflow difference value, and controls the blower that provides the airflow difference at the second airflow. The reference blower corresponds to the first blower, and the difference in air volume Difference The attached blower corresponds to the second blower.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, by installing the carbon dioxide sensor 17 inside the housing 11 and disposing the control unit 19 near the housing 11, the length of the communication line 31 connecting the carbon dioxide sensor 17 and the control unit 19 can be shortened, thereby reducing construction costs.

[0043] The following describes in detail the functions of control unit 19. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control unit provided in the ventilation device according to embodiment 1. Control unit 19 has an air quality information acquisition unit 191, an air volume setting information storage unit 192, and an operation control unit 193.

[0044] The air quality information acquisition unit 191 acquires a carbon dioxide concentration value, which is a value of the air quality of the indoor air to be ventilated, from the carbon dioxide sensor 17, and outputs the carbon dioxide concentration value to the operation control unit 193.

[0045] The air volume setting information storage unit 192 stores air volume setting information. The air volume setting information includes information indicating the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration and the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13. The air volume setting information may include upper and lower limit values ​​of the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13. When the ventilation device 1 is operated in the fixed air volume mode, the operation control unit 193 refers to the air volume setting information of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 corresponding to the instruction. When the ventilation device 1 is operated in the automatic air volume control mode, the operation control unit 193 refers to the air volume setting information of the reference blower.

[0046] Usually, in order to make the value of the air quality in the room 51 equal to or lower than a prescribed standard value, the higher the carbon dioxide gas concentration, which is an example of air quality, the larger the air volume output of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 is set. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information. The air volume setting information is information that associates the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air with the air volume output of each blower and an air volume notch. Here, the carbon dioxide gas concentration is divided into 16 stages, and the air volume output of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 is set for each stage of the carbon dioxide gas concentration. In this figure, the air volume output indicates the ratio of the output when the maximum output of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 is set to 100%. Also, in this figure, "SA" indicates the air volume output of the intake air blower 12, and "EA" indicates the air volume output of the exhaust air blower 13. Also, "SA-EA" indicates the air volume difference, which is the difference between the air volume output of the supply air blower 12 and the air volume output of the exhaust air blower 13. However, Fig. 5 shows the case where the air volume difference is "0".

[0047] In the example of Fig. 5, the ventilation device 1 can be operated at 16 levels of air volume ranging from FS (Fan Speed) 1 notch operation at the lowest air volume to FS 16 notch operation at the highest air volume. Note that Fig. 5 is an example, and the air volume notches may be other than 16 levels.

[0048] The operation control unit 193 stores in advance an "upper limit switching threshold" and a "lower limit switching threshold" that are "switching thresholds" that are predetermined for the operation control unit 193 to determine whether or not to change the ventilation air volume of the ventilation device 1. The upper limit switching threshold is an upper limit value of the ventilation air volume that does not change even if the carbon dioxide gas concentration becomes equal to or higher than this value. The lower limit switching threshold is a lower limit value of the ventilation air volume that does not change even if the carbon dioxide gas concentration becomes equal to or lower than this value. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold. In this diagram, the horizontal axis indicates the carbon dioxide gas concentration, and the vertical axis indicates the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13. FIG. 6 is a graph of the air volume setting information in FIG. 5. The air volume curve of the supply air blower 12 is indicated by SA, and the air volume curve of the exhaust air blower 13 is indicated by EA. As shown in Fig. 6, when the carbon dioxide concentration is C1 or less, the airflow rate is constant at the minimum value "min", and when the carbon dioxide concentration is C2 or more, the airflow rate is constant at the maximum value "max". C1 is the lower switching threshold and C2 is the upper switching threshold. The switching thresholds are set in stages between C1 and C2 so that the airflow rate goes from the minimum value to the maximum value.

[0049] By dividing the difference between the upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold into 15 equal parts, it is possible to set 16 levels of switching thresholds for the air volume notches, as shown in Fig. 5. That is, the control unit 19 can switch the ventilation air volume of the ventilator 1 in stages by using multiple thresholds with different carbon dioxide concentrations in the indoor air.

[0050] The upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold may be stored in the airflow setting information of the airflow setting information storage unit 192. The upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold can be changed to any value from an external device such as the remote control 18, when necessary, in accordance with the installation environment of the ventilation device 1. When the upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold are changed, they are overwritten in the airflow setting information storage unit 192.

[0051] Returning to Fig. 4, the operation control unit 193 receives setting instructions related to the ventilation device 1 from the remote control 18, and controls the operation of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 according to the setting instructions. As described above, the ventilation mode includes the fixed air volume mode and the automatic air volume control mode, and an overview of each mode will be described.

[0052] The fixed air volume mode is executed when a fixed air volume mode instruction is received from remote control 18. The instruction includes one of the 16 air volume notches in Fig. 5. Operation control unit 193 obtains the supply air volume and exhaust air volume corresponding to the air volume notch included in the instruction from the air volume setting information, and controls supply air blower 12 and exhaust air blower 13 to operate at the obtained supply air volume and exhaust air volume.

[0053] The automatic air volume control mode is executed when an instruction for the automatic air volume control mode is received from the remote control 18. When the automatic air volume control mode is selected and an air volume difference setting is not performed, the operation control unit 193 obtains the supply air volume and exhaust air volume corresponding to the value of the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 from the air volume setting information, and controls the supply air volume and exhaust air volume based on the obtained supply air volume and exhaust air volume. That is, the operation control unit 193 controls the air volumes of the supply air volume and exhaust air volume of the exhaust fan 13 based on the air volume setting information in accordance with the value of the carbon dioxide concentration detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17.

[0054] When the airflow difference setting is performed from the remote control 18, the operation control unit 193 controls the operation of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 so that the airflow of the blower that provides the airflow difference is equal to the set airflow difference value compared to the airflow of the reference blower. That is, the operation control unit 193 obtains the airflow of the reference blower according to the carbon dioxide concentration value of the indoor air detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 from the airflow setting information, and controls the reference blower to operate at the obtained airflow. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the airflow of the blower that provides the airflow difference from the airflow of the reference blower and the airflow difference value obtained from the airflow difference setting, and controls the blower that provides the airflow difference to operate at the calculated airflow.

[0055] A user or the like can arbitrarily set a pair of designated air volume values ​​and a blower for providing an air volume difference at an arbitrary air volume point from an external device such as a remote control 18. In this case, the air volume difference value is the difference between the designated air volume value of the supply air volume blower 12 and the designated air volume value of the exhaust air volume blower 13 at the arbitrary air volume point. Also, as described above, instead of the pair of designated air volume values, an air volume difference value at an arbitrary air volume point can be used, and instead of the blower for providing an air volume difference, a reference blower can be used. The air volume point refers to the air volume that the user or the like wants to set among the air volumes that can be operated by the supply air volume blower 12 and the exhaust air volume blower 13.

[0056] In one example, by setting "specified supply air volume S1>specified exhaust air volume E1," the target room 51 can be kept at a positive pressure, and ventilation can be performed while suppressing air from entering from other rooms. Also, by setting "specified supply air volume S1<specified exhaust air volume E1," the target room 51 can be kept at a negative pressure, and ventilation can be performed while suppressing air leakage from the target room to other rooms.

[0057] Here, the airflow difference value D is defined as the airflow difference between the supply airflow specification value S1 and the exhaust airflow specification value E1 as shown in the following formula (1). In one example, the airflow difference value is set to an airflow notch that provides the closest airflow to an arbitrary airflow point set by a user or the like as a target, among the 16 airflow notches in the example of airflow setting information shown in Fig. 5. If the arbitrary airflow point does not match the airflow in the airflow setting information, the airflow difference value is set to an airflow notch within a range of one step from the arbitrary airflow point. Airflow difference value D = supply airflow specification value S1 - exhaust airflow specification value E1 (1)

[0058] Here, an automatic air volume control mode in which a user or the like arbitrarily sets a pair of air volume designation values ​​or air volume difference values ​​will be described. Here, it is assumed that the air volume difference setting from the remote control 18 includes a pair of air volume designation values ​​and a blower that applies an air volume difference. When the operation control unit 193 receives the air volume difference setting from the remote control 18, it calculates the air volume difference value D from the pair of air volume designation values ​​using formula (1). In addition, the operation control unit 193 stores the pair of air volume designation values ​​and air volume difference value, and the blower that applies the air volume difference. The operation control unit 193 controls the operation of a blower that is not a blower that applies an air volume difference, that is, a reference blower, based on the air volume setting information. In addition, for a blower that applies an air volume difference, the operation control unit 193 calculates the air volume using the air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value, and controls the operation of the blower that applies the air volume difference so that the calculated air volume is achieved. Note that the carbon dioxide concentration changes during the ventilation operation. Even after the carbon dioxide concentration has changed, the reference blower is controlled based on the air volume obtained from the air volume setting information according to the carbon dioxide concentration, and the air volume of the blower with the air volume difference is calculated using the air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value. In other words, even if the stage of the carbon dioxide concentration in the air volume setting information changes, the operation of the ventilator 1 continues with the air volume difference value maintained.

[0059] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the exhaust blower 13, the reference blower is the supply blower 12. The operation control unit 193 obtains the supply air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the supply blower 12, and controls the supply blower 12 with the obtained supply air volume. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust blower 13 using the supply air volume SA of the supply blower 12 corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration previously set in the air volume setting information, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the exhaust air volume EA is calculated by the following formula (2). The operation control unit 193 then controls the exhaust blower 13 with the calculated exhaust air volume EA. Exhaust air volume EA = Intake air volume SA - Air volume difference value D (2)

[0060] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the supply air blower 12, the reference blower is the exhaust air blower 13. The operation control unit 193 obtains an exhaust air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the exhaust air blower 13, and controls the exhaust air volume obtained. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the supply air volume SA of the supply air blower 12 using the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust air blower 13 corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration previously set in the air volume setting information, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the supply air volume SA is calculated by the following formula (3). The operation control unit 193 then controls the supply air blower 12 with the calculated supply air volume SA. Supply air volume SA = Exhaust air volume EA + Air volume difference value D (3)

[0061] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume, exhaust air volume, and air volume difference and the carbon dioxide gas concentration. This diagram shows the relationship between the carbon dioxide gas concentration in the indoor air and the air volume of each fan during actual operation. The unit of the air volume of each fan during actual operation is the air volume per hour (m 3 / h) The airflow difference "SA-EA" is the difference between the supply airflow SA and the exhaust airflow EA, and "100" is entered. The airflow difference "SA-EA" matches the airflow difference value.

[0062] In FIG. 7, when the supply airflow rate SA is used as a reference, the numerical value of each airflow rate notch of the supply airflow rate SA is a numerical value preset in the airflow rate setting information. The value of the exhaust airflow rate EA of each airflow rate notch is calculated by the operation control unit 193 using the formula (2). In one example, when the airflow rate notch is "16", the supply airflow rate SA of "500" in FIG. 7 is stored in advance in the airflow rate setting information, and the operation control unit 193 controls the supply air blower 12 so that the supply airflow rate SA becomes "500". In addition, the operation control unit 193 calculates the exhaust airflow rate EA "400" from the formula (2) using the supply airflow rate SA of the supply air blower 12 as a reference "500" and the airflow rate difference value "100". Then, the operation control unit 193 controls the exhaust airflow rate EA of the exhaust air blower 13 so that the calculated exhaust airflow rate EA becomes "400".

[0063] In FIG. 7, when the exhaust airflow rate EA is used as a reference, the numerical value of each airflow rate notch of the exhaust airflow rate EA is a numerical value preset in the airflow rate setting information. The value of the supply airflow rate SA of each airflow rate notch is calculated by the operation control unit 193 using the formula (3). In one example, when the airflow rate notch is "16", the exhaust airflow rate EA of "400" in FIG. 7 is stored in advance in the airflow rate setting information, and the operation control unit 193 controls the exhaust blower 13 so that the exhaust airflow rate EA becomes "400". In addition, the operation control unit 193 calculates the supply airflow rate SA of "500" from the formula (3) using the exhaust airflow rate EA of the reference exhaust blower 13 of "400" and the airflow rate difference value of "100". Then, the operation control unit 193 controls the supply airflow rate 12 so that the calculated supply airflow rate SA becomes "500".

[0064] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume and exhaust air volume and the carbon dioxide concentration when an air volume difference value is set. Fig. 8 is a graph of Fig. 7. The air volume curve of the supply air blower 12 is indicated by SA, and the air volume curve of the exhaust air blower 13 is indicated by EA. As shown in Fig. 8, over the entire range of carbon dioxide concentration, the supply air volume SA is larger than the exhaust air volume EA by the air volume difference value D. In other words, over the entire range of carbon dioxide concentration, the air volume difference value D is maintained.

[0065] In the above example, the airflow difference value D is defined by equation (1), but it may also be the airflow difference between the exhaust airflow specification value E1 and the supply airflow specification value S1, as defined by the following equation (4). Airflow difference value D = exhaust airflow specification value E1 - supply airflow specification value S1 (4)

[0066] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the exhaust blower 13, the reference blower is the supply blower 12. The operation control unit 193 acquires the supply air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the supply blower 12, and controls the supply blower 12 with the acquired supply air volume. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust blower 13 using the supply air volume SA of the supply blower 12, which is set in advance in the air volume setting information corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the exhaust air volume EA is calculated by the following formula (5). The operation control unit 193 then controls the exhaust blower 13 with the calculated exhaust air volume EA. Exhaust air volume EA = Intake air volume SA + Air volume difference value D (5)

[0067] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the supply air blower 12, the reference blower is the exhaust air blower 13. The operation control unit 193 obtains the exhaust air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the exhaust air blower 13, and controls the exhaust air volume obtained. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the supply air volume SA of the supply air blower 12 using the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust air blower 13, which is set in advance in the air volume setting information corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the supply air volume SA is calculated by the following formula (6). The operation control unit 193 then controls the supply air blower 12 with the calculated supply air volume SA. Supply air volume SA = Exhaust air volume EA - Air volume difference value D (6)

[0068] In the above example, the air volume of the blower that creates the air volume difference is the difference between the air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value, or the sum of the air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value. However, the air volume of the blower that creates the air volume difference can be changed arbitrarily. When the air volume difference value is defined by equation (1) and the reference blower is the supply air blower 12, the supply air blower 12 is controlled by the supply air volume that is preset in the air volume setting information according to the carbon dioxide concentration. In addition, the exhaust blower 13, which is the blower that creates the air volume difference, may be controlled by the air volume calculated by the following equation (7) with α as a constant. Exhaust air volume EA = Supply air volume SA - Air volume difference value D × α × Supply air volume SA (7)

[0069] When α is positive in equation (7), the difference between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume becomes larger as the supply air volume increases, and becomes smaller as the supply air volume decreases.

[0070] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply air volume, exhaust air volume, and air volume difference and the carbon dioxide concentration. This diagram shows the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air and the air volume output of each blower. In FIG. 9, the reference blower is the supply air blower 12. Also, an example is shown in which the exhaust air volume EA is calculated with the air volume difference value D set to "20" and α set to "0.01".

[0071] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply airflow rate and exhaust airflow rate and the carbon dioxide concentration when an airflow rate difference value is set. Fig. 10 is a graph of Fig. 9. In this diagram, the horizontal axis indicates the carbon dioxide concentration, and the vertical axis indicates the airflow rate of the blowers. The airflow rate curve of the supply air blower 12 is indicated by SA, and the airflow rate curve of the exhaust air blower 13 is indicated by EA. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, as the carbon dioxide concentration increases and the supply airflow rate SA increases, the airflow rate difference between the supply airflow rate SA and the exhaust airflow rate EA increases.

[0072] Furthermore, when the reference blower is exhaust blower 13, exhaust blower 13 is controlled at an exhaust air volume corresponding to a carbon dioxide concentration preset in the air volume setting information. Furthermore, intake blower 12, which is a blower that provides an air volume difference, may be controlled at an air volume calculated by the following formula (8). Supply air volume SA = Exhaust air volume EA + Air volume difference value D × α × Exhaust air volume EA (8)

[0073] Furthermore, even when the air volume difference value is defined by equation (4), the air volume of the blower that provides the air volume difference can be calculated using a similar concept.

[0074] As described above, the operation control unit 193 controls one of the reference blowers, the intake blower 12 and the exhaust blower 13, with the reference air volume, which is the air volume preset in the air volume setting information, and controls the blower that sets the air volume difference other than the reference blower with the air volume calculated using the reference air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value. The reference blower and the blower that sets the air volume difference are usually set by the user or the like in the air volume difference setting, but if they are not set by the user or the like, the reference blower and the blower that sets the air volume difference may be predetermined blowers.

[0075] When setting the airflow difference, the user may set the supply airflow designated value S1 and exhaust airflow designated value E1, or the airflow difference value, at any of the 16 airflow notches in the airflow setting information. Usually, the airflow difference value between the maximum supply airflow designated value and the maximum exhaust airflow designated value is set at one of the 16 airflow notches. In other words, the operation control unit 193 applies the airflow difference value set at any one of the 16 airflow notches to the other stages to perform control.

[0076] In addition, the user may set the airflow difference value at multiple airflow notches among the 16 airflow notches in the airflow setting information. If the airflow notch at which the airflow difference value is set is referred to as a set notch, in this case, the operation control unit 193 performs control using the airflow difference value of the set notch that is closest to the airflow notch to which the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air belongs.

[0077] 11 to 13 are diagrams showing an example of air volume setting information. Here, an example is shown in which the supply air volume is used as the standard. For this reason, the values ​​of exhaust air volume EA and air volume difference SA-EA are not input in FIG. 11. Note that in FIGS. 11 to 13, the value of air volume difference SA-EA indicates air volume difference value D. It is assumed that the air volume difference setting has been performed by a user or the like via remote control 18. Here, it is assumed that the air volume difference values ​​have been set for air volume notch 4 and air volume notch 13, as shown in FIG. 12. In other words, the air volume difference SA-EA for air volume notch 4, which is the set notch, is set to the air volume difference value " 120 " is entered, and the airflow difference value " 100 " is entered.

[0078] As described above, the operation control unit 193 performs control using the airflow difference value of the set notch that is closest to the airflow notch to which the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air belongs. As shown in FIG. 13, airflow notches 1 to 8 are closest to the set notch, which is airflow notch 4, so the airflow difference value " 120 In addition, airflow notches 9 to 16 are closest to the set notch, airflow notch 13, so the airflow difference value " 100 " is used. Note that, if the difference between the airflow notch of the carbon dioxide gas concentration in the indoor air and the two setting notches is the same, either of the two setting notches may be used.

[0079] In the above control, when determining the air volume of each blower, the first priority is given to creating an air volume difference. In other words, as shown in Figures 7, 9, and 13, an air volume difference is created between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume at any carbon dioxide concentration. In this way, the mode in which the air volume difference is created at any carbon dioxide concentration is called the air volume difference priority mode.

[0080] It is also possible to prioritize ensuring energy conservation by reducing the air volume to the lower limit rather than creating an air volume difference between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume. A mode in which the difference in air volume between the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume is eliminated and the air volume is reduced to the lower limit is called an air volume reduction priority mode.

[0081] When the airflow reduction priority mode is set, when the airflow of the blower set to the lower airflow side of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 reaches the lower limit, the reduction of the airflow is prioritized over maintaining the airflow difference. For this reason, the operation control unit 193 reduces the airflow difference and reduces the airflow until the airflow of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 falls to the lower limit. In other words, when either the intake air blower 12 or the exhaust air blower 13 reaches the lower limit of the airflow, the operation control unit 193 does not maintain the airflow difference value, but controls the airflow of the other blower to reach the lower limit.

[0082] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the settings of the supply airflow rate and exhaust airflow rate and the airflow rate difference in the airflow rate reduction priority mode. Here, the exhaust airflow rate EA is used as a reference, and the exhaust airflow rate EA is a value specified by the airflow rate setting information. Also, the exhaust airflow rate EA is set to be smaller than the supply airflow rate SA. In Fig. 14, the supply airflow rate SA is calculated using the exhaust airflow rate EA and the airflow rate difference value D until the exhaust airflow rate EA reaches the lower limit value of 25%.

[0083] As shown in this figure, both the exhaust air volume EA and the supply air volume SA decrease when the carbon dioxide gas concentration is 1500 ppm or more. When the carbon dioxide gas concentration is 850 ppm or more and 899 ppm or less, the exhaust air volume EA reaches the lower limit of 25%. When the operation control unit 193 detects that the exhaust air volume has reached the lower limit and the carbon dioxide gas concentration is 849 ppm or less, it decreases the supply air volume SA without maintaining the air volume difference value D. Here, the air volume difference SA-EA is set to "5" and the supply air volume SA is set to 30%. When the carbon dioxide gas concentration further decreases to 799 ppm or less, the air volume difference SA-EA is set to "0" and the supply air volume is set to 25% of the lower limit. This allows the air volume of the supply air blower 12 to be set to the minimum value.

[0084] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply airflow rate and exhaust airflow rate and the carbon dioxide concentration in the airflow reduction priority mode. FIG. 15 is a graph of the airflow setting information of FIG. 14. In this diagram, the horizontal axis indicates the carbon dioxide concentration, and the vertical axis indicates the airflow rate of the blower. The airflow rate curve of the supply air blower 12 is indicated by SA, and the airflow rate curve of the exhaust air blower 13 is indicated by EA. FIG. 15 also shows that after the exhaust airflow rate EA reaches the lower limit, the airflow rate difference SA-EA between the supply airflow rate SA and the exhaust airflow rate EA becomes smaller than the airflow rate difference value D, and the supply airflow rate SA reaches the lower limit.

[0085] The air volume difference priority mode and the air volume reduction priority mode can be set by the air volume difference setting from the remote control 18. That is, in the air volume difference setting, in the automatic air volume control mode, it is possible to select whether to use the air volume difference priority mode or the air volume reduction priority mode. If no setting is made, it may be determined that the mode is either the air volume difference priority mode or the air volume reduction priority mode.

[0086] 16 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control unit provided in the ventilator according to embodiment 1. The control unit 19 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, and a communication interface 203. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the communication interface 203 are connected via a bus 204.

[0087] The processor 201 is a CPU. The processor 201 may be a processing device, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP. Each function of the control unit 19 is realized by the processor 201 and a combination of software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 202, which is an internal memory.

[0088] The memory 202 is a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM (registered trademark). The memory 202 stores a program for operating the ventilator 1, air volume setting information, and the like. It is preferable that a non-volatile storage device is used for the memory 202 so that the stored information is not erased even if the power supply to the ventilator 1 is cut off.

[0089] The communication interface 203 communicates with the remote control 18 or an external device (not shown) to transmit and receive information.

[0090] The processor 201 reads out and executes programs stored in the memory 202 via the bus 204, and is responsible for the overall processing and control of the ventilator 1. The functions of the control unit 19 shown in FIG.

[0091] The memory 202 is used as a work area for the processor 201. The memory 202 also stores programs such as a boot program, a communication program, and an air volume control program for executing an air volume control method described below. When the air volume control method described above is executed, the processor 201 loads the air volume control program into the memory 202 and executes various processes.

[0092] Next, the air volume control method of the ventilation device 1 in the control unit 19 will be described separately for the case where the air volume reduction priority mode is selected and the case where the air volume difference priority mode is selected.

[0093] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the method for controlling the air volume of the ventilation device when the air volume reduction priority mode is selected. First, the operation control unit 193 reads air volume setting information that specifies the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 for each carbon dioxide concentration, and the upper and lower limit values ​​of the air volumes (step S11).

[0094] Next, the operation control unit 193 reads the airflow difference value and the blower to which the airflow difference is to be applied from the airflow difference setting set from the remote control 18 (step S12). When the airflow difference setting includes a pair of designated airflow values, the operation control unit 193 calculates the airflow difference value from the pair of designated airflow values. When a reference blower, rather than a blower to which the airflow difference is to be applied, is set in the airflow difference setting, the operation control unit 193 reads the reference blower. The operation control unit 193 may store the airflow difference setting in the airflow setting information storage unit 192.

[0095] Thereafter, the operation control unit 193 judges whether an instruction to start operation has been received in the operation settings (step S13). If an instruction to start operation has not been received (No in step S13), the process returns to step S12. If an instruction to start operation has been received (Yes in step S13), the operation control unit 193 judges whether the automatic air volume control mode has been selected in the operation settings (step S14). If the automatic air volume control mode has not been selected (No in step S14), the operation control unit 193 operates the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 in the fixed air volume mode (step S15). That is, the operation control unit 193 operates the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 while fixing the air volume notch selected in the operation settings. At this time, the operation control unit 193 obtains the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 corresponding to the selected air volume notch from the air volume setting information, and controls the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 at the obtained air volumes.

[0096] If the automatic air volume control mode is selected in step S14 (Yes in step S14), the operation control unit 193 operates the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 in the automatic air volume control mode according to the carbon dioxide concentration (step S16). That is, the operation control unit 193 varies the air volumes of the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 according to the carbon dioxide concentration. At this time, in the air volume difference priority mode, the operation control unit 193 operates the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 by setting a difference in air volume between them using the air volume difference value, and in the air volume reduction priority mode, the operation control unit 193 cancels the air volume difference value and operates the supply air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13.

[0097] Thereafter, the operation control unit 193 determines whether either the intake air blower 12 or the exhaust air blower 13 has reached the lower limit of the air volume (step S17). If either the intake air blower 12 or the exhaust air blower 13 has not reached the lower limit of the air volume (No in step S17), the operation control unit 193 operates the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 in the air volume difference priority mode without changing the air volume difference value (step S18).

[0098] If either the supply air blower 12 or the exhaust air blower 13 reaches the lower limit of the air volume (Yes in step S17), the operation control unit 193 cancels the air volume difference value and performs control in a reduced air volume priority mode in which the air volume of both blowers is reduced so that the air volume of both blowers reaches the lower limit (step S19).

[0099] After step S15, S18, or S19, the operation control unit 193 determines whether an instruction to stop operation has been received in the operation settings (step S20). If an instruction to stop operation has not been received (No in step S20), the process returns to step S14. If an instruction to stop operation has been received (Yes in step S20), the operation control unit 193 stops the operation of the intake air blower 12 and the exhaust air blower 13 (step S21), and the process ends.

[0100] Fig. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the air volume control method of the ventilator when the air volume difference priority mode is selected. Note that steps S11 to S18 are the same as the process in Fig. 17, so the description will be omitted.

[0101] If either the intake air blower 12 or the exhaust air blower 13 reaches the lower limit of the air volume in step S17 (Yes in step S17), the operation control unit 193 performs control in an air volume difference priority mode in which the air volume of the other blower is not reduced to the lower limit even if the carbon dioxide concentration decreases, so as to maintain the air volume difference value (step S19A). After that, the process from step S20 in FIG. 17 is executed.

[0102] Here, the control process in the automatic air volume control mode in step S16 of the air volume control method for the ventilator 1 in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18 will be described. Fig. 19 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure of the control process in the automatic air volume control mode. First, the air quality information acquisition unit 191 acquires a carbon dioxide concentration value, which is a value of the air quality in the room 51, from the carbon dioxide sensor 17, which is an air quality sensor (step S31). Next, the operation control unit 193 determines whether the mode is the air volume difference priority mode (step S32).

[0103] In the case of the air volume difference priority mode (Yes in step S32), the operation control unit 193 refers to the air volume setting information, acquires the air volume of the reference blower corresponding to the value of the carbon dioxide concentration, and controls the reference blower with the acquired air volume (step S33). The operation control unit 193 calculates the air volume of the blower for which an air volume difference is to be added from the air volume of the reference blower and the air volume difference value, and controls the blower for which an air volume difference is to be added with the calculated air volume (step S34). After that, the process returns to step S17 in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18.

[0104] If the mode is not the air volume difference priority mode in step S32 (No in step S32), that is, if the mode is the air volume reduction priority mode, the operation control unit 193 cancels the air volume difference value and operates both fans by reducing the air volume so that the air volume becomes the lower limit value (step S35). That is, for the other fan other than the fan whose air volume has reached the lower limit value, the air volume difference value is canceled and the operation is controlled to reduce the air volume until it reaches the lower limit value. Then, the process returns to step S17 in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18.

[0105] Next, an example of ventilation air volume control in the automatic air volume control mode in the ventilation device 1 will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of air volume setting information before the automatic air volume control mode is implemented. In one example, this air volume setting information is used in the fixed air volume mode. The air volume setting information divides the range between the upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold into a plurality of stages, and sets the supply air volume and the exhaust air volume for each stage. In one example, the range between the upper limit switching threshold and the lower limit switching threshold stored in the air volume setting information storage unit 192 as described above is divided into 15 equal parts, and the carbon dioxide gas concentration is classified into 16 stages. Here, it is assumed that the upper limit switching threshold is set to 1500 ppm, and the lower limit switching threshold is set to 750 ppm. The supply air volume and the exhaust air volume are set for each stage. In Fig. 20, the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor air when the airflow notch is "799 ppm or less," but if the range between the upper and lower switching thresholds is divided into 15 equal parts as described above, it becomes "750 ppm or more and 799 ppm or less." However, because carbon dioxide concentration values ​​of 750 ppm or less are also included in the control targets, the figure shows "799 ppm or less."

[0106] By setting the air volume difference from the remote control 18, the exhaust fan 13 is set as the fan that provides the air volume difference, and the air volume difference value is set to 100 [m 3 / h] is set. 20 is set to the airflow difference SA-EA, which is the airflow difference value over the entire carbon dioxide gas concentration range. The exhaust airflow EA of the exhaust blower 13, which is the blower that creates the airflow difference, is not shown here because it is found by calculation.

[0107] In the automatic air volume control mode, the carbon dioxide sensor 17 starts a sensing operation for detecting the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air under the control of the air quality information acquisition unit 191. At this time, it is preferable that the ventilation device 1 performs ventilation operation at a strong air volume, which is the maximum air volume, so that the carbon dioxide sensor 17 can stably detect the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air in a short time. Note that, as long as the carbon dioxide sensor 17 can detect the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air, the ventilation air volume of the ventilation device 1 is not limited to the strong air volume. Thereafter, the air quality information acquisition unit 191 acquires the value of the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air from the carbon dioxide sensor 17.

[0108] As shown in Fig. 1, the ventilation device 1 is installed in the ceiling space 52 and is hidden from the room 51, so that when the operation of the ventilation device 1 is stopped, air does not flow inside the ventilation device 1. As a result, the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 installed in the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a cannot accurately detect the value of the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air. Therefore, while the operation mode of the ventilation device 1 is set to the automatic air volume control mode, the ventilation device 1, particularly the exhaust fan 13, is continuously operated at a low air volume, so that air always flows through the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a. This allows the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 to always accurately detect the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air.

[0109] In this way, when the automatic airflow control mode is selected as the operating mode, the ventilation device 1 is continuously operated at the weak airflow rate as described above, making it possible for the carbon dioxide sensor 17 to always accurately detect the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor air.

[0110] Fig. 7 shows the exhaust airflow EA of Fig. 21 inputted with the calculated results. As described above, the exhaust airflow EA is a value calculated from the supply airflow SA of the supply air blower 12, which is the reference blower, and the airflow difference value. In this example, the exhaust airflow EA is calculated according to formula (2), and is a value that is "100" lower than the supply airflow SA.

[0111] In the above example, in the automatic air volume control mode, the ventilation device 1 is continuously operated at a low air volume, but the ventilation device 1 may be operated under other conditions. In one example, when the carbon dioxide concentration value of the indoor air detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 is a low concentration of less than 700 ppm, the ventilation device 1 may be periodically operated intermittently instead of continuously, so that the carbon dioxide sensor 17 intermittently detects the value of the carbon dioxide concentration in the room 51. In this case, too, air flows intermittently through the indoor air pre-heat exchange air duct 116a, so that the carbon dioxide sensor 17 can intermittently detect the value of the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air accurately.

[0112] Although the case where the ventilation air volume is changed stepwise based on the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air has been described, the change in the ventilation air volume is not limited to this. The change in the ventilation air volume in the ventilator 1 may be such that the ventilation air volume changes steplessly with respect to the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air.

[0113] In this case, the value of the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17 itself corresponds to the threshold value of the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air. The ventilation device 1 may perform control to change the ventilation air volume steplessly in response to the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air, based on the correlation between the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air and the ventilation air volume.

[0114] In the first embodiment, the ventilation device 1 includes an intake fan 12 provided in an intake air duct 115, an exhaust fan 13 provided in an exhaust air duct 116, a carbon dioxide sensor 17 for detecting the concentration of air quality in the room 51, an external device for setting a fan that sets an air volume difference and a pair of designated air volume values, and a control unit 19 for controlling the air volumes of the intake fan 12 and the exhaust fan 13 according to the concentration value of the air quality detected by the carbon dioxide sensor 17. The control unit 19 controls one of the intake fan 12 and the exhaust fan 13, which serves as a reference, with a reference air volume that is a volume preset in the air volume setting information. The control unit 19 also controls the other blower with an air volume calculated using the reference air volume and an air volume difference value obtained from the pair of designated air volume values. This allows users to set the supply air volume and exhaust air volume independently and arbitrarily, and has the effect of controlling the supply air volume and exhaust air volume according to the air quality while maintaining the relationship between the supply air volume and exhaust air volume that have been arbitrarily set.

[0115] Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, the airflow difference value is defined by the formula (1) or (4). That is, the airflow difference value is the difference value between the supply airflow designated value S1 and the exhaust airflow designated value E1, or the difference value between the exhaust airflow designated value E1 and the supply airflow designated value S1. In the second embodiment, the airflow difference value is not defined by the difference value.

[0116] The configuration of the ventilation device 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to that described in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. The following describes the differences from the first embodiment.

[0117] In the second embodiment, the air volume difference value D is set to the ratio of the supply air volume designated value S1 to the exhaust air volume designated value E1, as defined by the following equation (9). Airflow difference value D = supply airflow specification value S1 / exhaust airflow specification value E1 (9)

[0118] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is exhaust blower 13, the reference blower is supply blower 12. For supply blower 12, operation control unit 193 obtains the supply air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information, and performs control with the obtained supply air volume. Furthermore, operation control unit 193 calculates exhaust air volume EA of exhaust blower 13 using supply air volume SA of supply blower 12 corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration previously set in the air volume setting information, and air volume difference value D. In this case, exhaust air volume EA is calculated by the following formula (10). Exhaust air volume EA = Supply air volume SA / Air volume difference value D (10)

[0119] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the supply air blower 12, the reference blower is the exhaust air blower 13. For the exhaust air blower 13, the operation control unit 193 obtains an exhaust air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information, and performs control using the obtained exhaust air volume. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the supply air volume SA of the supply air blower 12 using the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust air blower 13 corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration previously set in the air volume setting information, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the supply air volume SA is expressed by the following equation (11). Supply air volume SA = Exhaust air volume EA × Air volume difference value D (11)

[0120] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration and the supply air volume and exhaust air volume when the air volume difference value is expressed as the ratio of the supply air volume to the exhaust air volume. Fig. 22 shows the relationship between the carbon dioxide concentration of the indoor air and the supply air volume SA and exhaust air volume EA. The air volume difference SA-EA indicates the difference between the supply air volume SA and the exhaust air volume EA. The air volume ratio SA / EA indicates the ratio of the supply air volume to the exhaust air volume, and corresponds to the air volume difference value D. Also, in Fig. 22, it is assumed that a setting instruction is given from the remote control 18 so that the ratio of the supply air volume SA to the exhaust air volume EA at a certain notch is "1.11" as the air volume difference value.

[0121] In FIG. 22, when the supply airflow rate SA is used as a reference, the numerical value of each airflow rate notch of the supply airflow rate SA is a numerical value preset in the airflow rate setting information. The value of the exhaust airflow rate EA of each airflow rate notch is calculated by the operation control unit 193 using the formula (10). In one example, when the airflow rate notch is "16", the supply airflow rate SA of "500" in FIG. 22 is stored in advance in the airflow rate setting information, and the operation control unit 193 controls the supply air blower 12 so that the supply airflow rate SA becomes "500". In addition, the operation control unit 193 calculates the exhaust airflow rate EA "450" ​​from the formula (10) using the supply airflow rate SA of the supply air blower 12 as a reference "500" and the airflow rate difference value "1.11". Then, the operation control unit 193 controls the exhaust airflow rate EA of the exhaust air blower 13 so that the calculated exhaust airflow rate EA becomes "450".

[0122] The operation control unit 193 may calculate the difference between the supply airflow SA and the exhaust airflow EA at which the ratio of the supply airflow SA to the exhaust airflow EA is 1.11 as the airflow difference value D. In other words, the airflow difference at which the ratio of the supply airflow SA to the exhaust airflow EA is 1.11 may be set as the airflow difference value D. In this case, the airflow difference SA-EA in FIG. 22 corresponds to the airflow difference value D. In one example, when the airflow notch is "16", the operation control unit 193 calculates the exhaust airflow EA "450" ​​from equation (2) using the supply airflow SA of the reference supply air blower 12 "500" and the airflow difference SA-EA "50".

[0123] In FIG. 22, when the exhaust airflow rate EA is used as a reference, the numerical value of each airflow rate notch of the exhaust airflow rate EA is a numerical value preset in the airflow rate setting information. The value of the supply airflow rate SA of each airflow rate notch is calculated by the operation control unit 193 using the formula (11). In one example, when the airflow rate notch is "16", the exhaust airflow rate EA of "450" ​​in FIG. 22 is stored in advance in the airflow rate setting information, and the operation control unit 193 controls the exhaust blower 13 so that the exhaust airflow rate EA becomes "450". In addition, the operation control unit 193 calculates the supply airflow rate SA of "500" from the formula (11) using the exhaust airflow rate EA of the reference exhaust blower 13 of "450" ​​and the airflow rate difference value of "1.11". Then, the operation control unit 193 controls the supply airflow rate 12 so that the calculated supply airflow rate SA becomes "500".

[0124] The operation control unit 193 may calculate the difference between the supply airflow SA and the exhaust airflow EA at which the ratio of the supply airflow SA to the exhaust airflow EA is 1.11 as the airflow difference value D. In other words, the airflow difference at which the ratio of the supply airflow SA to the exhaust airflow EA is 1.11 may be set as the airflow difference value D. In this case, the airflow difference SA-EA in FIG. 22 corresponds to the airflow difference value D. In one example, when the airflow notch is "16", the operation control unit 193 calculates the supply airflow SA of "500" from equation (3) using the exhaust airflow EA of the reference exhaust fan 13 of "450" ​​and the airflow difference SA-EA of "50".

[0125] In the above example, the airflow difference value D is defined by equation (9). However, as defined by the following equation (12), the airflow difference value D may also be the ratio of the exhaust airflow specification value E1 to the supply airflow specification value S1. Air flow difference value D= Exhaust air volume specification value E1 / Supply air volume specification value S1 (12)

[0126] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the exhaust blower 13, the reference blower is the supply blower 12. The operation control unit 193 obtains the supply air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the supply blower 12, and controls the supply blower 12 with the obtained supply air volume. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust blower 13 using the supply air volume SA of the supply blower 12, which is set in advance in the air volume setting information corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the exhaust air volume EA is calculated by the following formula (13). The operation control unit 193 then controls the exhaust blower 13 with the calculated exhaust air volume EA. Exhaust air volume EA = Intake air volume SA × Air flow difference value D (13)

[0127] When the blower for which the air volume difference is applied is the supply air blower 12, the reference blower is the exhaust air blower 13. The operation control unit 193 obtains the exhaust air volume corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration from the air volume setting information for the exhaust air blower 13, and controls the exhaust air volume obtained. The operation control unit 193 also calculates the supply air volume SA of the supply air blower 12 using the exhaust air volume EA of the exhaust air blower 13, which is set in advance in the air volume setting information corresponding to the carbon dioxide concentration, and the air volume difference value D. In this case, the supply air volume SA is calculated by the following formula (14). The operation control unit 193 then controls the supply air blower 12 with the calculated supply air volume SA. Supply air volume SA = Exhaust air volume EA / Air flow difference value D (14)

[0128] Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the supply airflow rate and exhaust airflow rate and the carbon dioxide concentration when an airflow rate difference value is set. Fig. 23 is a graph of Fig. 22. In Fig. 23, the horizontal axis indicates the carbon dioxide concentration, and the vertical axis indicates the airflow rate of the blower. As shown in this diagram, it can be seen that the difference value between the supply airflow rate and the exhaust airflow rate increases as the carbon dioxide concentration increases, more specifically, as the reference airflow rate of the blower increases.

[0129] The second embodiment can also provide the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0130] Embodiment 3 Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of the configuration of a ventilation device according to the third embodiment. In the following, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. The ventilation device 1A of the third embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 is provided in the room 51. By providing the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 in the room 51 in this way, the ventilation device 1A, unlike the ventilation device 1 of the first embodiment, can accurately detect the carbon dioxide gas concentration in the indoor air even when the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 1A is stopped.

[0131] FIG. 24 shows a case where the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 is provided in the room 51, but the carbon dioxide gas concentration may be obtained from a device other than the ventilation device 1A as long as it can detect the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air. That is, the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 is a carbon dioxide gas sensor provided in a device other than the ventilation device 1A, and the control unit 19 of the ventilation device 1A may obtain the value of the carbon dioxide gas concentration detected by the carbon dioxide gas sensor 17 through communication from the device other than the ventilation device 1A. An example of the device other than the ventilation device 1A is an air conditioner equipped with a carbon dioxide gas sensor, a fan heater equipped with a carbon dioxide gas sensor, etc., but any device equipped with a carbon dioxide gas sensor may be used. However, in this case, the control unit 19 of the ventilation device 1A is equipped with a communication unit to obtain the carbon dioxide gas concentration from a device other than the ventilation device 1A. Even in this case, the ventilation device 1A can accurately detect the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the indoor air and the carbon dioxide gas concentration of the outside air even if the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 1A is stopped.

[0132] In the third embodiment, the carbon dioxide sensor 17 is disposed in the room 51. This has the effect of enabling accurate detection of the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor air even when the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 1A is stopped.

[0133] Furthermore, the ventilation device 1A can accurately detect the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor air even when the ventilation operation of the ventilation device 1A is stopped. Therefore, the ventilation device 1A according to the third embodiment does not require continuous or intermittent ventilation operation, which is necessary for the sensing operation to accurately detect the carbon dioxide concentration in the indoor air as in the ventilation device 1 according to the first embodiment. This allows the ventilation device 1A to further reduce the ventilation operation time, thereby increasing the energy-saving effect of the ventilation device 1A. Furthermore, the ventilation device 1A can increase the energy-saving effect of other air conditioners, such as air conditioners, that air-condition the space to be ventilated by the ventilation device 1A, by reducing the outside air load.

[0134] In the above-described embodiment, the ventilation device 1, 1A is a heat exchange type ventilation device equipped with the heat exchange element 14, but the ventilation device 1, 1A may be a ventilation device that does not include the heat exchange element 14. In other words, the ventilation device 1, 1A is not limited to a heat exchange type ventilation device as long as it has a ventilation function.

[0135] In the above-described embodiment, the carbon dioxide sensor 17 is an air quality sensor, but the air quality sensor is not limited to the carbon dioxide sensor 17. The air quality sensor can be one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of the carbon dioxide sensor 17, a dust sensor that measures dust concentration, a Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) gas sensor that detects VOC gas, an odor sensor that detects odorous substances, a CO sensor that detects carbon monoxide (CO), and an occupancy sensor that detects the number of people in the room 51.

[0136] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example of a heat exchange type ventilation device has been shown, but it is sufficient that the device performs first-type ventilation in which air is supplied and exhausted simultaneously. In one example, as described above, the ventilation device may be configured with an air supply section having an air supply blower 12 in the air supply duct 115 and an exhaust section having an exhaust blower 13 in the exhaust duct 116 integrated into one housing 11, or the ventilation device may be configured with the air supply section and the exhaust section as separate entities. In other words, the ventilation device 1, 1A may be equipped with a housing that houses the air supply section and a housing that houses the exhaust section. In the ventilation device 1, 1A in this case, the air supply section is an air supply device and the exhaust section is an exhaust device. ventilation It can also be considered as a system.

[0137] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or the embodiments may be combined with each other. Also, parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1,1A ventilation device, 11 housing, 12 air supply blower, 12a air supply motor, 13 Exhaust fan, 13a exhaust motor, 14 heat exchange element, 15 intake air filter, 16 exhaust air filter, 17 carbon dioxide sensor, 18 remote controller (remote control), 19 control unit, 31 communication line, 51 indoors, 52 ceiling, 53 ceiling, 111 outdoor air intake port, 112 exhaust air outlet, 113 intake air outlet, 114 indoor air intake port, 115 intake air duct, 115a outdoor air heat exchange pre-air duct, 115b outdoor air heat exchange post-air duct, 115c intake air duct within element, 116 exhaust air duct, 116a indoor air heat exchange pre-air duct, 116b indoor air heat exchange post-air duct, 116c exhaust air duct within element, 117a, 117b, 117c, 117d partition wall, 118 Air passage switching damper, 141 Sheet material, 142, 142a, 142b Distance maintaining member, 191 air quality information acquisition unit, 192 air volume setting information storage unit, 193 operation control unit.

Claims

1. An intake air duct through which the intake airflow, which is the flow of air from outdoors to indoors, passes; an exhaust air duct through which an exhaust flow, which is an air flow from the room toward the outside, passes; an intake air blower provided in the intake air duct; an exhaust fan provided in the exhaust air duct; an air quality sensor that detects air quality indicating the degree of pollution of the indoor air; a control unit for controlling the air volume of the intake air blower and the exhaust air blower; Equipped with When the control unit is instructed to operate in accordance with an airflow difference value, which is information indicating the difference between an externally set supply airflow designated value that specifies the airflow of the supply air blower and an exhaust airflow designated value that specifies the airflow of the exhaust blower, the control unit obtains, for a first blower, one of the supply air blower and the exhaust blower, a first airflow corresponding to the air quality value detected by the air quality sensor from airflow setting information that defines the relationship between the air quality value and the airflow, and controls the first blower at the first airflow, and for a second blower that is not the first blower, calculates a second airflow using the first airflow of the first blower and the airflow difference value, and controls the second blower at the second airflow.

2. 2 . The ventilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the air volume difference value is a difference between the designated supply air volume value and the designated exhaust air volume value, or a difference between the designated exhaust air volume value and the designated supply air volume value.

3. 2 . The ventilation device according to claim 1 , wherein the air volume difference value is a ratio of the designated exhaust air volume to the designated supply air volume or a ratio of the designated supply air volume to the designated exhaust air volume.

4. The ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air quality sensor is one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a carbon dioxide sensor, a dust sensor, a volatile organic compound gas sensor, an odor sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor and an occupancy sensor.

5. 5. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein when either the first fan or the second fan reaches a lower limit of the airflow, the control unit does not maintain the airflow difference value, but controls the airflow of the other fan to reach the lower limit.

6. 6. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein the air quality sensor is provided in the exhaust air duct.

7. 6. The ventilation device according to claim 1, wherein the air quality sensor is provided in the room.

8. The ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a housing having an air intake section having the air intake blower in the air intake duct, and an exhaust section having the exhaust blower in the exhaust duct.

9. The ventilation device according to claim 8, further comprising a heat exchange element that exchanges heat between the supply air flowing through the supply air duct and the exhaust air flowing through the exhaust air duct.

10. The ventilation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that an air supply section having the air supply blower in the air supply duct and an exhaust section having the exhaust blower in the exhaust duct are each configured as separate entities.

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