Humidifier

Abstract

To provide a humidification device which can perform humidification in various scenes, even in the case where a power supply source is a battery such as a storage battery in which a suppliable power amount receives a fixed restriction.SOLUTION: In a humidification device 10, a heat generation unit 30 includes not only an electric type heater 50 but also a heat storage material 40 which generates heat simultaneously with the heater 50. Thereby, at predetermined timing such as right after starting, during rapid heating time and the like of the humidification device 10, not only the heater 50 but also the heat storage material 40 can be functioned as a heat source, and compared with the case where an amount corresponding to a heat amount generated by the heat storage material 40 is covered by the heat generation of the heater 50, a necessary power amount can be reduced. That is, in a constitution where only the heater 50 generates heat, even in the scene where large power is required, the humidification device 10 does not require such large power. Therefore, even in the case where the humidification device 10 is mounted on a movable body such as a vehicle and a battery is a power supply source in which a suppliable power amount receives a fixed restriction, humidification is possible in various scenes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a humidifier equipped with a heating unit that generates saturated steam and a superheating unit that generates superheated steam. In this specification, "superheated steam" refers to steam obtained by further heating, under the same pressure, steam (saturated steam) that has evaporated at a boiling point determined under a certain pressure. In the case of water at atmospheric pressure, this refers to steam heated above the boiling point of 100°C. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a humidifier equipped with a heating unit that generates saturated steam and a superheating unit that generates superheated steam is the "Humidifier, Humidification Method, and Humidification Equipment" disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. These humidifiers and the like include a steam generator as the heating unit that generates saturated steam, and a superheated steam generator as the superheating unit that generates superheated steam, and supply superheated steam heated to 300°C or higher. This converts the steam into gaseous water molecules, making it possible to improve the diffusion efficiency and absorption amount (absolute humidity) of the steam relative to the air, and the effective utilization rate of the supplied water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 180227 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, both the steam generator (heating unit) that generates saturated steam and the superheated steam generator (superheating unit) that generates superheated steam are configured using electric resistance heaters. Therefore, a considerable amount of power is consumed at certain times, for example, immediately after the start of humidification or during rapid heating, which can cause problems when there is a limit to the amount of power that can be supplied from an external source.

[0005] For example, if the power supply source is a battery such as a storage battery, the amount of power that can be supplied to the humidifier is limited to the power capacity of the battery. In particular, when it is necessary to humidify the space inside a moving object such as a vehicle, ship, or aircraft, that is, when the humidifier is mounted on a moving object such as a vehicle, it can be difficult to supply the required amount of power at predetermined times, such as immediately after the start of humidification or during rapid heating.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a humidifier that can humidify in various situations, even when the power supply source is a battery such as a storage battery and the amount of power that can be supplied is subject to certain limitations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the humidifier of the present invention as set forth in claim 1 of the claims, A humidifier that is subject to a certain limit on the amount of power supplied from a power supply source and is equipped with an electric heater and a chemical heat storage material. Heating element By The apparatus includes a heating unit that heats water to generate saturated steam, and a superheating unit that further heats the saturated steam generated by the heating unit to generate superheated steam. The electric heater generates heat using electric energy supplied from the power supply source, and the chemical heat storage material (1) stores heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature during a period in which the heating unit does not generate the saturated water vapor, and (2) generates heat when water vapor generated by the heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature is supplied. , is a technical feature.

[0008] The heating unit has a heating element. The heating element may be an electric heater or a Decomposition Academic heat storage material too Prepare. The electric heater generates heat using electric energy supplied from a power supply source. The chemical thermal storage material (1) stores heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature during a period when the heating unit does not generate saturated steam, and (2) generates heat when steam generated by the heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature is supplied. This means: The chemical heat storage material stores heat during the period when the heating unit does not generate saturated steam, and generates heat during the operating period when the humidifier performs humidification. For example, immediately after starting the humidifier or when it heats up rapidly Time At a predetermined timing, it is possible to make not only the electric heater but also the chemical heat storage material function as a heat source, so it is possible to reduce the amount of power required compared to when the heat equivalent to the amount of heat generated by the chemical heat storage material is supplied by the heat generated by the electric heater. In other words, even in situations where a large amount of power is required in a configuration where heat is generated only by an electric heater, such a large amount of power is not required in the configuration of the present invention.

[0009] The humidifier of the present invention described in claim 2 of the claims is the humidifier of claim 1, The control unit controls at least the heat generation of the heat generating element, and the control unit causes the electric heater and the chemical heat storage material to generate heat at predetermined timings including immediately after the start of humidification by the humidifier or during rapid heating, and causes only the electric heater to generate heat without supplying the water vapor at times other than the predetermined timings. , is a technical feature. Such a period other than the predetermined timing is, for example, a humidification pause period during which the humidifier does not perform humidification. This means: The humidification pause period of the humidifier is a period in which no power consumption occurs due to humidification, etc., and therefore it is possible to suppress the amount of power required for a certain period of time. In other words, if such a chemical heat storage material is not provided, a considerable amount of power that can be consumed at a predetermined timing, including immediately after the start of humidification and at the time of rapid heating, can be distributed, for example, during the humidification pause period of the humidifier by providing the chemical heat storage material. This makes it possible.

[0010] The humidifier of the present invention described in claim 3 of the claims is the humidifier of claim 1 or 2, The chemical heat storage material is a magnesium hydroxide-based material, and the predetermined temperature is the temperature of the heat of reaction generated when the chemical heat storage material changes from magnesium oxide to magnesium hydroxide through a hydration reaction caused by the addition of water. This is a technical feature. The temperature of the heat generated by the hydration reaction is limited to about 300°C, so for example, the housing that contains the heating element is made of brass. This makes it possible. Brass is generally less expensive than stainless steel and has a higher thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of brass (106) is orders of magnitude higher than that of stainless steel (16.7-20.9). This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the housing that houses the heating element compared to a stainless steel construction. Furthermore, by making the housing out of brass, it is possible to efficiently transfer the heat generated by the electric heater inside the housing to the water surrounding the heating element via the chemical heat storage material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The humidifier of the present invention does not require a large amount of power, even in situations where a configuration that generates heat only using an electric heater would require such a large amount of power. Therefore, even when the humidifier is mounted on a mobile object such as a vehicle and the power supply is a battery such as a storage battery, and the amount of power that can be supplied is subject to a certain limit, it can be used to humidify in a variety of situations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a humidifier according to one embodiment of the present invention (referred to as "the humidifier" in this paragraph). [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a heat generating unit that constitutes the humidifier, with Fig. 2A being a vertical cross-sectional view and Fig. 2B being a plan view with the lid and other parts removed. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control process performed by a control unit constituting the humidifier. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the heat storage process shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the rapid heating process shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the normal heating process shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 7]10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the humidifier when performing heat storage treatment. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the humidifying device when rapid heating treatment is performed. FIG. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams showing examples of operation of the humidifying device after rapid heating treatment and when normal heating treatment is performed. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a combined unit that combines a boiler unit and a heat generating unit as a first modified example of the humidifier of the present invention. Fig. 10A is a vertical cross-sectional view, and Fig. 10B is a plan view seen from above. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a combined unit that combines a boiler unit and a heat generating unit as a second modified example of the humidifier of the present invention. Fig. 11A is a vertical cross-sectional view, and Fig. 11B is a plan view seen from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a humidifier of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an example of the configuration of a humidifier 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the humidifier 10. Fig. 2 also shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a heat generating unit 30 that constitutes the humidifier 10.

[0014] The humidifier 10 is mounted or installed in a space (e.g., a passenger compartment) within a moving body such as a vehicle, ship, or aircraft, and in this embodiment, the humidifier 10 is installed in the passenger compartment of an automobile. In this embodiment, when the humidifier 10 is mounted or installed so that it functions normally, the direction of gravity may be expressed as "down", "below", or "lower side", and the direction against gravity may be expressed as "up", "up", or "upper side".

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the humidifier 10 is mainly composed of a boiler unit 20, a heat generating unit 30, a booster unit 60, a water supply tank 70, a control unit 80, etc., which are housed in a housing (not shown) except for the discharge end of the discharge pipe 13 described later.

[0016] The boiler unit 20 is a heating section that heats water Wa supplied via the water supply pipe 11 to generate saturated steam, and is mainly composed of a main container 21 and a heat generating unit 30. The main container 21 has, for example, a cylindrical shape made of metal with a bottom, and is set to an inner diameter and depth that can accommodate the heat generating unit 30. The main container 21 has functions such as accommodating the heat generating unit 30, storing a predetermined amount of water Wa supplied from the water supply pipe 11, and sending the saturated steam generated by heating by the heat generating unit 30 to the booster unit 60.

[0017] For this reason, one end of a connecting pipe 12 is connected (hereinafter referred to as "communicatively connected") to the input side of the booster unit 60 and the other end of the connecting pipe 12 is connected in communication with the upper part of the main container 21 (the output side of the boiler unit 20), and the other end of a water supply pipe 11 is connected in communication with a water supply tank 70 and the other end of the water supply pipe 11 is connected in communication with the upper part or upper part of the main container 21. Furthermore, a bypass pipe 15 is passed through and drawn out from the bottom of the main container 21, one end of which is connected to the lower space of the heating unit 30, and the other end of this bypass pipe 15 is connected in communication with one end of the connecting pipe 12 (the input side of the booster unit 60). The other end of the connecting pipe 12 is connected in communication with the other end of a bypass pipe 14, one end of which is connected to the output side of the heating unit 30 (described later).

[0018] Electromagnetic valves (also called solenoid valves, hereinafter referred to as "valves") 16, 17, 18, and 19 are provided along the water supply pipe 11, connecting pipe 12, and bypass pipes 14 and 15, and these valves 16 to 19 are electrically controllable and connected to a control unit 80. As a result, the valves 16 to 19 are controlled in accordance with opening / closing signals sent from the control unit 80, enabling the opening and closing of the pipes in which they are installed to be made open or closed. Note that when no DC power is supplied to the humidifier 10 from the outside, all of these valves 16 to 19 are configured to close.

[0019] Valve 16 is located in the water supply pipe 11 and controls whether water Wa discharged from the water supply tank 70 flows into the main container 21 (whether water is supplied). Valve 17 is located in the connecting pipe 12 and controls whether the upper part of the main container 21 is in communication with the input side of the booster unit 60. Valve 18 is located in the bypass pipe 14 and controls whether the upper part of the main container 21 is in communication with the output side of the heating unit 30. Valve 19 is located in the bypass pipe 15.

[0020] Main container 21 is also provided with a water level sensor 25, a temperature sensor 27, and a temperature / humidity sensor 29. Water level sensor 25 is a detection device capable of detecting the level of water Wa supplied to main container 21 from water supply tank 70, and is provided inside main container 21. Water level sensor 25 is also called a liquid level sensor, and there are various types that detect the water level (liquid surface position) of water Wa in main container 21, such as a float type, an optical type, an electrode type, and a capacitance type, and in this embodiment, for example, an optical type is used.

[0021] Temperature sensor 27 is a detection device capable of detecting the temperature of water Wa stored in main container 21, and in this embodiment is provided, for example, on the inner wall of main container 21. Temperature sensor 27 is configured, for example, by a thermistor or a resistance temperature detector. Temperature and humidity sensor 29 is a detection device capable of detecting the temperature and humidity (relative humidity or absolute humidity) in the interior space of the automobile in which humidifier 10 is installed, and in this embodiment is provided, for example, in a housing (not shown).

[0022] 1 and 7 to 9, which will be referred to later, water level sensor 25, temperature sensor 27, and temperature / humidity sensor 29 are shown as one sensor, but these sensors 25, 27, and 29 may each be provided in multiple locations. Furthermore, sensors 25, 27, and 29 are all electrically connected to control unit 80, and are configured to output detection signals to control unit 80.

[0023] The heating unit 30 is a heating element housed in the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20 and heats the water Wa in the vessel 21, and is mainly composed of a housing 31, a heat storage material 40 and a heater 50 housed in the housing 31, etc. The configuration of the heating unit 30 is shown in detail in Figure 2, so from here on, we will also refer to Figure 2 for explanation. Figure 2(A) shows a cross-sectional view of the heating unit 30 cut vertically, and Figure 2(B) shows a plan view of the heating unit 30 with the lid 33 and other parts removed.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2(A), the housing 31 of the heating unit 30 is composed of, for example, a cylindrical portion 32, a lid portion 33, a connecting portion 34, and a perforated plate 35. The cylindrical portion 32 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an outer diameter large enough to accommodate the heat storage material 40 and the heater 50. The lid portion 33 is formed in a hollow truncated cone shape, with its large diameter side connected to the opening of the cylindrical portion 32. One end of the connecting portion 34 is connected to the small diameter side of the lid portion 33, and the other end is configured to be connectable to the bypass pipe 14. The perforated plate 35 is a thin plate member that separates the connecting portion between the large diameter portion of the lid portion 33 and the opening of the cylindrical portion 32 into upper and lower portions. The perforated plate 35 is formed in a disk shape, and has a large number of holes 36 positioned on concentric circles, as shown in FIG. 2(B).

[0025] The lower space 31b of the housing 31, which is separated by the perforated plate 35, accommodates a heat storage material 40 and a heater 50. The heat storage material 40 is a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material, and is a powder or granular aggregate. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heater 50 is erected in the lower space 31b of the housing 31 so as to be located at the radial center of the housing 31, and the heat storage material 40 is filled in the space around the heater 50. The heater 50 is fixed in the lower space 31b of the housing 31 by an attachment member (not shown), such as a stay.

[0026] The heater 50 is, for example, a cartridge heater formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer shape resembling a round bar, and generates heat at a predetermined temperature by driving power supplied from a driver 83 of the control unit 80, as will be described later. In this embodiment, the maximum power consumption of the heater 50 is, for example, approximately 80 W. In this embodiment, for example, a wiring hole (not shown) is formed in the bottom of the housing 31, and the electrical wiring of the heater 50 is drawn through this wiring hole to the outside of the heat generating unit 30 and further to the outside of the boiler unit 20 and is electrically connected to the driver 83 of the control unit 80, which will be described later.

[0027] In the heat generation unit 30 configured as described above, there are cases where both the heat storage material 40 and the heater 50 generate heat, and cases where only the heater 50 generates heat. The former is heat generated during the execution of a rapid heating process (S300) shown in FIG. 3, which will be described later, and the latter is heat generated during the normal heating process (S400) shown in FIG. 6, which will be described later. The latter also applies to heat generated during the period from the execution of the rapid heating process (S300) to the end of the overheating and heating process (S123) in FIG. 3. The heater 50 that generates heat within the heat generation unit 30 is surrounded by the heat storage material 40. However, as will be described below, it has been confirmed through demonstration experiments by the present inventors that the heat generated by the heater 50 is well conducted to the peripheral wall of the heat generation unit 30 via the heat storage material 40, regardless of whether the heat storage material 40 is magnesium hydroxide or magnesium oxide.

[0028] In the heat generation unit 30 configured in this manner, when heat of a calorific value Qa is applied to the heat storage material 40 in the state of magnesium hydroxide, an endothermic reaction occurs as shown in the following reaction formula (1), and the heat storage material 40 changes into magnesium oxide and water. Mg(OH)2(+Qa) → MgO + H2O … (1)

[0029] Furthermore, when water is added to the heat storage material 40 in the state of magnesium oxide, the heat storage material 40 generates heat of a calorie Qb, causing an exothermic reaction as shown in the following reaction formula (2), and the heat storage material 40 returns to the state of magnesium hydroxide. MgO + H2O → Mg(OH)2(+Qb) … (2)

[0030] In this embodiment, a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material that can suppress the heat generation temperature during the exothermic reaction (2) above to approximately 300°C is used as the heat storage material 40. This makes it possible to make the housing 31 out of, for example, brass. An exothermic reaction caused by the addition of water can also occur with calcium oxide, for example, but the heat generation temperature can reach 600°C or higher, so the housing 31 cannot be made out of brass. The melting temperature of brass depends on the ratio of copper and zinc mixed together and is generally around 800°C, but brass can denature or soften at a lower temperature, around 400°C.

[0031] Brass is generally less expensive than stainless steel and has a higher thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of brass, which varies depending on the copper and zinc content, is orders of magnitude higher (106) than that of stainless steel (16.7 to 20.9). The unit of thermal conductivity is [W / (m·K)] (W (watts), m (meters), K (Kelvin)). This allows for lower component costs for the housing 31 compared to stainless steel construction. Furthermore, by making the housing 31 out of brass, the heat generated by the heater 50 within the housing 31 can be efficiently transferred to the water (Wa) surrounding the heating unit 30 via the heat storage material 40.

[0032] Furthermore, chemical heat storage materials generally need to be heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the heat generation temperature during an exothermic reaction during an endothermic reaction. However, when the heater 50 is configured using a cartridge heater or a sheathed heater, it is difficult to heat the material to 600°C or higher. Therefore, by using a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material, which can suppress the heat generation temperature during an exothermic reaction to approximately 300°C, as the heat storage material 40, heating is possible even with a heater 50 such as a cartridge heater, and an endothermic reaction can occur. In contrast, calcium oxide, which can reach a heat generation temperature of 600°C or higher during an exothermic reaction, needs to be heated to 600°C or higher to cause an endothermic reaction. Therefore, calcium oxide cannot be used as the heat storage material 40.

[0033] The booster unit 60 is a superheating section that further heats saturated steam generated by heating in the boiler unit 20 to generate superheated steam. Therefore, the input side of the booster unit 60 is connected to the boiler unit 20 via a connecting pipe 12, and the output side is connected to an exhaust pipe 13. The booster unit 60 is composed of, for example, an input pipe corresponding to the input side, a round rod-shaped cartridge heater that generates heat when electricity is applied, a plurality of thin tubes that are bundled around the cartridge heater and have one end connected to the input pipe, output pipes that correspond to the output side and communicate with the other end of these thin tubes, a temperature sensor that detects the heat temperature of the cartridge heater, and the like (all not shown).

[0034] The cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 receives driving power from the control unit 80 and generates heat at, for example, approximately 300°C to heat a plurality of capillaries arranged around it, with maximum power consumption being limited to approximately 30 W. As a result, saturated steam introduced into the input pipe of the booster unit 60 passes through the inside and outside of the capillaries heated by the cartridge heater, where it is heated to approximately 250 to 290°C and becomes superheated steam, which is then discharged from the output pipe to the exhaust pipe 13. As a result, the superheated steam discharged from the output side of the booster unit 60 becomes water molecules in a gaseous monomolecular state (not in a cluster state or tiny water droplets that are visible to the naked eye as white steam) and is released through the exhaust pipe 13 from its exhaust end into the external space, i.e., into the interior space of the automobile.

[0035] The water supply tank 70 is a container that stores water Wa to be supplied to the boiler unit 20, and is mainly composed of a tank body 71, a cap 73, a water level sensor 75, and the like. The tank body 71 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is provided with a water inlet on the upper side and a drain outlet on the lower side. The water inlet is configured to be freely opened and closed by a cap 73, and one end of a water supply pipe 11 is connected in communication with the drain outlet. In addition, a water level sensor 75 that detects the water level of Wa in the tank body 71 is provided on the inner wall of the tank body 71. The water level sensor 75 is, for example, substantially the same as the water level sensor 25 provided in the boiler unit 20, and is electrically connected to the control unit 80 so that a detection signal can be output to the control unit 80.

[0036] The control unit 80 is mainly composed of a controller 81 and a driver 83. The controller 81 is a microcomputer unit composed of, for example, an MPU, memory (RAM, EEPROM), an input / output interface, an A / D converter, etc. (all not shown), and is connected to the valves 16 to 19, the water level sensor 25, the temperature sensor 27, the temperature / humidity sensor 29, the temperature sensor of the booster unit 60, an LED 85, a humidification switch 87, etc. An operation switch (not shown) that can be used to set the set humidity information, etc. is also connected to the controller 81. The controller 81 is also provided with a backup power source (such as a supercapacitor or lithium-ion secondary battery) (not shown) that can supply DC power to enable the MPU and memory to perform information processing for a period of time even after the supply of DC power from the outside is cut off.

[0037] A predetermined control program is stored in the memory (information storage unit) of the controller 81, and the MPU executes this program to perform the control processing described below, thereby controlling the valves 16 to 19, heating unit 30, and booster unit 60. The LED 85 is a light-emitting diode that functions as an indicator to notify the user of the humidifier 10 (a passenger in the vehicle) that there is no water Wa in the water tank 70. The humidification switch 87 is a switch that the user of the humidifier 10 presses to start or stop humidification, and is, for example, a momentary push button switch.

[0038] The driver 83 is a drive unit that supplies the heater 50 and booster unit 60 of the heat generating unit 30 with the power necessary for them to generate heat, and is controlled by the controller 81 in the control process described below to supply power to them. The controller 81 and driver 83 are supplied with DC power from an external power supply source via a power terminal 90 (positive terminal 91 and negative terminal 92) and a power switch 93. DC power of up to 120 W (DC voltage 12 V (maximum current 10 A)) can be obtained from a cigarette lighter socket provided in the passenger compartment of a vehicle in which the humidifier 10 is intended to be installed. Therefore, the humidifier 10 receives DC power via the cigarette lighter socket from the auxiliary battery mounted on the vehicle as a power supply source. The DC power supplied via the cigarette lighter socket is referred to as " power supply source This can be considered "electrical energy supplied from a power source."

[0039] In this embodiment, the ratio of the maximum power consumed by the heater 50 constituting the heat generating unit 30 of the boiler unit 20 and the cartridge heater constituting the booster unit 60 is set to, for example, 7:3. That is, the maximum DC power that can be supplied from the cigarette lighter socket of the automobile in which the humidifier 10 is assumed to be installed is 120 W, and if this is distributed at a ratio of 7:3, the boiler unit 20 will have a maximum of 84 W and the booster unit 60 will have a maximum of 36 W. As described above, the maximum power consumption of the heater 50 of the heat generating unit 30 is approximately 80 W, and the maximum power consumption of the cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 is approximately 30 W, so it can be seen that the ratio is approximately 7:3.

[0040] In the humidifier 10 configured as described above, the controller 81 of the control unit 80 executes a predetermined control program, thereby performing various control processes as shown in Figures 3 to 6. The control processes performed by the controller 81 will now be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the control processes performed by the controller 81 of the control unit 80. This control process begins immediately when, for example, after DC power output from the cigarette lighter socket of the automobile is supplied to the humidifier 10 via the power supply terminal 90, the power switch 93 is turned on (the main power is turned on) to start up the controller 81 of the control unit 80.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, when this control process starts, a predetermined initialization process is first performed in step S101. In this process, for example, the work area of ​​the memory (RAM) of the controller 81 and flags (e.g., the humidification flag) are cleared or turned off. In addition, the valves 16-19 and the LED 85 are set to their initial states. In this embodiment, for example, the LED 85 of the "water empty lamp" that lights up when there is no water Wa in the water tank 70 is set to an on state as the initial state. The humidification flag contains information on the start and end of humidification, and toggles between on and off each time the humidification switch 87 is pressed, as described below.

[0042] <Control processing> In the next step S103, a setting information read process is performed. In this process, predetermined setting information stored in the memory (EEPROM) of the controller 81 is read. The predetermined setting information is, for example, information on a heat storage flag, set humidity information, and information on the heat generation in progress time, which will be described later, and is stored in the memory (EEPROM) by a setting information save process (S127) which will be described later. The heat storage flag has information on whether heat storage is complete or not. The set humidity information is information on the desired humidity that can be arbitrarily set by the user during operation using an operation switch (not shown), and before the user sets it, it is set to a default value (for example, a relative humidity of 55% or an absolute humidity of 11 g / m 3 This humidity is hereinafter referred to as the "set humidity."

[0043] In the next step S105, a process is performed to obtain water level information of the water supply tank 70. As described above, the water supply tank 70 is provided with a water level sensor 75. Therefore, in this process, water level information of the water Wa stored in the water supply tank 70 output from this water level sensor 75 is obtained. This water level information of the water supply tank 70 is used in the determination process in the next step S107.

[0044] That is, if there is no water Wa in the water supply tank 70 (or if there is almost no water remaining), it is not possible to supply water to the boiler unit 20 even if it becomes necessary. Therefore, in step S107, if it cannot be determined that there is water Wa in the water supply tank 70 based on the water level information acquired by the water supply tank water level information acquisition process (S105), that is, if there is no water Wa (S107; No), the process returns to step S105 again and performs the water supply tank water level information acquisition process, and this is repeated until it can be determined that there is water Wa in the water supply tank 70.

[0045] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is water Wa in the water tank 70 (S107; Yes), the process of turning off the LED 85 of the "water empty lamp" is carried out in the next step S108. As a result, if there is no water Wa in the water tank 70, the process of turning off the water empty lamp (S108) is not carried out, and the LED 85 continues to light up, making it possible to notify the user of the humidifier 10 that there is no water Wa in the water tank 70.

[0046] In the next step S109, a humidification start determination process is performed. In this process, it is determined whether the humidification switch 87 has been turned on by the user. Because the humidification switch 87 is a momentary push button switch, it switches on and off each time it is pressed, and this information is set in a humidification flag, for example. Therefore, the controller 81 can obtain humidification start information from the on / off information of this humidification flag (on: start of humidification, off: end of humidification). Therefore, if it is determined that the humidification switch 87 is on, that is, that an instruction to start humidification has been issued (S109; Yes), the process proceeds to the next humidity information acquisition process (S110).

[0047] On the other hand, if it is determined that the humidification switch 87 is off and humidification has ended, i.e., there is no instruction to start humidification (S109; No), there is no need to start humidification yet. Therefore, if it is determined that the heat generating unit 30 has not yet stored heat (S112; Yes), the process proceeds to the heat storage process (S200) during the spare time before humidification starts (before humidification starts), and heat is stored in the heat generating unit 30. If it is determined that the heat generating unit 30 has already stored heat (S112; No), there is no need to store heat, so the process returns to step S109 again to determine whether the humidification switch 87 has been turned on, and the start of humidification is determined.

[0048] That is, in this case, the process waits until the humidification switch 87 is turned on (a command to start humidification is given) (this wait period is a humidification pause period). Information on whether the heat generating unit 30 is storing heat is determined based on a heat storage flag (on: heat storage completed, off: heat storage not completed). Also, even after the heat storage process (S200) is completed, the process returns to step S109 and waits again until a command to start humidification is given (this wait period is also a humidification pause period). Note that such a wait period or humidification pause period may correspond to the "period in which saturated water vapor is not generated" set forth in the claims.

[0049] In step S110, humidity information acquisition processing is performed. As described above, the humidifier 10 is provided with the temperature and humidity sensor 29 that can detect the humidity in the vehicle interior space in which it is installed. Therefore, in this processing, information on the current humidity in the vehicle interior space output from the temperature and humidity sensor 29 is acquired. The humidity information from the temperature and humidity sensor 29 is used in the determination processing in the next step S111.

[0050] Next, in step S111, a humidity difference determination process is performed. In this process, the difference between the set humidity and the current humidity in the vehicle interior space acquired in the humidity information acquisition process (S110) is calculated based on the set humidity information read from the memory (EEPROM) in the setting information read process (S103) or changed by the user after the humidifier 10 is started (during operation), and the humidity difference is determined to be a predetermined humidity difference (for example, a relative humidity difference of 10% or an absolute humidity difference of 2 g / m 3 Determine whether it is greater than the specified value (e.g.,

[0051] If it is determined that the difference between the set humidity and the current humidity is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity difference (S111; Yes), the vehicle interior space needs to be rapidly humidified, and the process proceeds to the rapid heating process of step S300. If it is determined that the humidity difference is not equal to or greater than the predetermined humidity difference, that is, is less than the predetermined humidity difference (S111; No), the vehicle interior space does not need to be rapidly humidified, and the process proceeds to the normal heating process of step S400. Here, the heat storage process will be described before the rapid heating process (S300) and the normal heating process (S400).

[0052] <Heat storage treatment> The heat storage treatment (S200) will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 7. Fig. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating an example of the heat storage treatment. Fig. 7 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the humidifier 10 when the heat storage treatment is performed. When transitioning to this heat storage treatment, it is assumed that almost the entire heat storage material 40 has been converted to a magnesium hydroxide state. In Fig. 7, the symbols of the valves colored black (valves 16, 17) indicate that these valves 16, 17 are in a closed state.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 4, the heat storage process is performed with valves 16 and 17 closed and valves 18 and 19 open. Therefore, first, in step S201, valves 16 to 19 are opened and closed by a valve control process. In this embodiment, solenoid valves that maintain a closed state when not energized are used as valves 16 to 19, so in step S201, controller 81 sends a valve open signal to valves 18 and 19 to energize them. Opening valves 18 and 19 places heat generation unit 30 in ventilated communication with boiler unit 20, and heat generation unit 30 in ventilated communication with the external space via booster unit 60. Closing valves 16 and 17 blocks water supply from feedwater tank 70 to boiler unit 20, and closes communication between boiler unit 20 and booster unit 60.

[0054] In the next step S203, a process is performed to acquire water level information of the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20. As described above, the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20 is provided with a water level sensor 25. Therefore, in this process, water level information of the water Wa in the main vessel 21 output from this water level sensor 25 is acquired. This water level information of the main vessel 21 is used in the determination process in the next step S205.

[0055] That is, when water Wa is stored in the main container 21, the heat generated by the heater 50 during heat storage also heats the water Wa present around the heat storage unit 30 to become saturated steam Wb, and this saturated steam Wb may interfere with heat storage (endothermic reaction) if it flows into the heat storage unit 30 via the bypass pipe 14. Therefore, in step S205, if it cannot be determined that there is no water Wa in the main container 21 based on the water level information acquired in the boiler water level information acquisition process (S203), that is, if it is determined that there is water Wa (S205; No), then in the subsequent heater-on process in step S206, driving power is supplied to the heater 50 to start control to generate heat at a temperature below a predetermined temperature (for example, below approximately 300°C) at which the heat storage material 40 does not undergo an endothermic reaction. Then, based on the water level information acquired by the boiler water level information acquisition process in the next step S207, the processes of steps S207 and S208 are repeated (S208; No) until the judgment process in step S208 determines that there is no water Wa (or almost no water) remaining in the main container 21 (S208; Yes).

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no water Wa in the main container 21 (S205; Yes), the process proceeds to timer count start processing in step S209 and starts timing. The timer count that starts here is timing to ensure the time (time required for heat storage) required for the endothermic reaction of the above-mentioned reaction formula (1) to occur in the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30. This timer time is the total reaction time for the heat storage material 40 when almost all of it is in the state of magnesium hydroxide, and is determined in advance based on the amount of heat Qa (the amount of thermal energy required for the endothermic reaction of reaction formula (1), expressed in units of J (joules)) calculated based on the total weight of the heat storage material 40, the wattage of the heater 50, and the like. For example, it is set to a fixed time of several minutes to several tens of minutes.

[0057] As will be described later, when the exothermic reaction of the heat storage material 40 is interrupted, the ratio (e.g., 40%) of the "complete heat generation time required for the exothermic reaction to almost completely finish" is calculated based on information about the heat generation intermediate time or total heat generation time from the start of heat generation to the interruption, and the timer time is set to be shorter based on that ratio (e.g., 40% of several minutes to several tens of minutes). Such information about the heat generation intermediate time and total heat generation time is stored in memory (RAM) together with the heat storage flag. This makes it possible to complete heat storage in the heat storage material 40 in a shorter time (partial reaction time) than the predetermined total reaction time.

[0058] In the next step S210, a heater-on process is performed. In this process, in order to store heat in the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30, control is started to supply driving power to the heater 50 to generate heat at a predetermined temperature or higher. This predetermined temperature is approximately the same as the heat generation temperature (approximately 300°C) of the heat storage material 40 described above. In this example, the heater 50 is caused to generate heat at a slightly higher temperature (e.g., 310 to 320°C), but it may also be around 300°C. Driving power is supplied to the heater 50 intermittently at predetermined time intervals or continuously for a predetermined time. Note that if driving power has already been supplied to the heater 50 by the heater-on process in step S206, in this step S210, a process is performed to increase the driving power so that the heat generation temperature of the heater 50 becomes equal to or higher than this predetermined temperature (approximately 300°C or around 300°C).

[0059] As a result, the heat storage material 40, which is almost entirely or partially in the state of magnesium hydroxide, is heated to 300°C or higher, and gradually begins an endothermic reaction (reaction formula (1) described above) from the radial center portion of the heat storage material 40 closest to the heater 50. The heat storage material 40 in the state of magnesium hydroxide changes into magnesium oxide and water through the endothermic reaction, and the generated water is heated and vaporized. Therefore, the water generated by the endothermic reaction passes through the upper space 31a of the housing 31 and the bypass pipe 14 in the heat generation unit 30 as water vapor ww, and then condenses on the inner wall of the connecting pipe 12 or flows into the boiler unit 20 (dashed arrow shown in FIG. 7).

[0060] Then, in step S211, a count end determination process is performed to determine whether a predetermined timer time has elapsed, and if it is determined that the timer time has elapsed (S211; Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S213, a heater off process, and the supply of drive power to the heater 50 is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the timer time has not yet elapsed (S211; No), the supply of drive power to the heater 50 continues.

[0061] When the predetermined timer time has elapsed, the heat storage material 40 has completed the endothermic reaction and is almost entirely converted to magnesium oxide, completing heat storage. Therefore, in the following step S215, a process is performed to set the heat storage flag to ON, indicating that heat storage is complete. This ends the heat storage process, and the process returns to the control process of FIG. 3.

[0062] <Rapid heat treatment> Next, the rapid heating treatment (S300) will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 8. Fig. 5 shows a flow chart illustrating an example of the rapid heating treatment. Fig. 8 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the humidifier 10 when the rapid heating treatment is performed. When transitioning to this rapid heating treatment, it is assumed that almost the entire heat storage material 40 is in a magnesium oxide state.

[0063] 5, in the rapid heating process, first, a valve control process in step S301 controls valves 16, 18, and 19 to be opened and valve 17 to be closed. Opening valve 16 allows water to be supplied from water supply tank 70 to boiler unit 20. Opening valves 18 and 19 also allows heat generation unit 30 to communicate with boiler unit 20 in a ventilated manner, and heat generation unit 30 to communicate with the outside space via booster unit 60 in a ventilated manner. Closing valve 17 closes the communication between boiler unit 20 and booster unit 60.

[0064] In step S303, a boiler water level information acquisition process is performed. In this process, water level information of the water Wa in the main vessel 21 output from the water level sensor 25 of the boiler unit 20 is acquired. Since the valve 16 was opened in the previous step S301, water Wa is currently being supplied from the water supply tank 70 to the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20, and therefore the water level information is acquired. This water level information is used in the determination process in the next step S305.

[0065] Then, in step S305, it is determined whether the water level in main container 21 has reached a predetermined water level. If it is determined that water Wa in main container 21 has reached the predetermined water level (S305; Yes), valve control processing is performed in the next step S307 to close valve 16. This stops the supply of water from water supply tank 70 to boiler unit 20. Valve control processing is also performed to open valve 17, connecting the output side of boiler unit 20 with the input side of booster unit 60 so that saturated steam Wb generated by heating water Wa by heating unit 30 can be sent into booster unit 60. On the other hand, if it is not determined that water Wa in main container 21 has reached the predetermined water level (S305; No), the process returns to step S303 and performs boiler water level information acquisition processing again, repeating this process until it is determined that water Wa in main container 21 has reached the predetermined water level.

[0066] In the next step S309, a timer count start process is performed, and in the following step S311, a heater ON process is performed. As a result, driving power is supplied to the heater 50, and the heater 50 generates heat at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature (for example, lower than about 300°C), so that the water Wa present around the heating unit 30 is heated and becomes saturated water vapor Wb, and the saturated water vapor Wb flows into the heating unit 30 via the bypass pipe 14 (broken arrow in FIG. 8). Note that the saturated water vapor Wb flowing into the heating unit 30 is referred to as "a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature" as defined in the claims. The heat generated by the electric heater This can be equivalent to "water vapor."

[0067] Then, due to the inflow of this saturated water vapor Wb, the heat storage material 40 in the heat generating unit 30 is gradually hydrated from the portion close to the upper space 31a, and an exothermic reaction (the above-mentioned reaction formula (2)) begins. In this exothermic reaction, the heat storage material 40 in the state of magnesium oxide emits heat of a calorie Qb and returns to the state of magnesium hydroxide, so a predetermined time required from the start of the heater-on process (S311) until almost the entire heat storage material 40 returns to magnesium hydroxide is determined in advance, and this predetermined time is measured as a timer count (timer time) that starts in step S309.

[0068] This predetermined time is the sum of (a) the preparation time required for the water Wa in the boiler unit 20 to be heated by the heat generated only by the heater 50 of the heat generating unit 30 and for the superheated steam Wc to be generated, (b) the reaction waiting time required from when the generated saturated steam Wb flows into the heat generating unit 30 until the heat storage material 40 starts its exothermic reaction, and (c) the heat generating time from when the heat storage material 40 starts its exothermic reaction until the exothermic reaction ends. Furthermore, because the amount of saturated steam Wb generated differs between when the heat generating unit 30 is generating heat only by the heater 50 and when the heat storage material 40 is also generating heat in addition to the heater 50, (d) the amount of saturated steam Wb that flows into the heat generating unit 30 and contributes to the exothermic reaction of the heat storage material 40 changes over time. Therefore, the heat generating time (c) must be calculated taking into account the fluctuations in the amount of saturated steam Wb that flows in (d). Therefore, the predetermined time (timer time) is determined based on the results of experiments and computer simulations conducted for each of (a) to (d).

[0069] In the next step S313, the superheating process is started, that is, the supply of driving power to the cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 is started. As a result, the saturated steam Wb that has flowed from the boiler unit 20 into the booster unit 60 passes through the inside of the thin tubes heated by the cartridge heater and near the outside of the thin tubes, whereby it is heated to approximately 250 to 290°C and becomes superheated steam Wc, which is then released from the discharge end of the discharge pipe 13 into the external space (the passenger compartment of the automobile) (dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 8). This superheating process by the booster unit 60 continues until the user presses the humidification switch 87 to instruct the end of humidification (S121 in FIG. 3; Yes) or until the water Wa in the water supply tank 70 runs out (S118 in FIG. 3; No).

[0070] In the next step S315, humidity information acquisition processing is performed. In this processing, information on the current humidity in the vehicle interior space output from the temperature and humidity sensor 29 is acquired, and based on this humidity information, processing is performed in the following step S317 to determine whether the current humidity in the vehicle interior space has reached the set humidity. This set humidity is obtained from the set humidity information read in the setting information reading processing (S103 shown in FIG. 3) described above or from set humidity information changed by the user during operation.

[0071] If this determination process determines that the current humidity has reached the set humidity (S317; Yes), there is no need to humidify any further, so the counting is stopped even before the predetermined time measured as the timer count has elapsed (while the heat storage material 40 is generating heat), and the process proceeds to step S321. On the other hand, if it is determined that the current humidity has not reached the set humidity (S317; No), the process proceeds to the count end determination process in the following step S319 to determine whether a predetermined timer time has elapsed.

[0072] If it is determined that the timer time has elapsed (S319; Yes), there is a high probability that the heat storage material 40 has become almost entirely magnesium hydroxide, so the process proceeds to the next heat storage flag setting process (S321), where the heat storage flag is set to OFF, indicating that heat storage is not complete. On the other hand, if it is determined that the timer time has not yet elapsed (S319; No), there is a possibility that the heat storage material 40 will continue to generate heat, so the process waits until the timer time has elapsed. Note that if the timer count is stopped while the heat storage material 40 is generating heat, the heat storage flag is set to OFF, and information on the time required from the start of heat generation to its interruption (heat generation interruption time) and the total time of multiple heat generation interruption times when such interruptions occur multiple times (total heat generation time) is generated by the heat storage flag setting process (S321) and stored in memory (RAM).

[0073] In this manner, during the period when the heat storage material 40 is generating heat in addition to the heater 50, the water Wa in the boiler unit 20 is heated by both the thermal energy generated by the heater 50 and the thermal energy equivalent to the heat quantity Qb emitted by the heat storage material 40, so it is possible to generate saturated steam Wb in a shorter period of time than when the water Wa in the boiler unit 20 is heated only by the heater 50. This makes it possible to rapidly heat the water Wa without temporarily increasing the power consumption of the heater 50.

[0074] When the timer time has elapsed and the heat storage material 40 has finished generating heat, or when the timer count is stopped while the heat storage material 40 is generating heat, the next step S323 performs valve control processing. Here, control is performed to close valves 16, 18, and 19 and open valve 17. That is, the valve control is the opposite of that in the previous step S301. Valve 16 remains closed and valve 17 remains open, while valves 18 and 19 transition from the open state to the closed state. As a result, saturated steam Wb generated in boiler unit 20 no longer flows into bypass pipes 14 and 15, making it possible to send most of the saturated steam Wb to booster unit 60 (dotted arrows in FIG. 9). When this processing is completed, the rapid heating process ends, and the processing returns to the control processing in FIG. 3.

[0075] In the above-described valve control process (S307), the valve 17 is controlled to change from a closed state to an open state, but in this step S307, the valve 17 may not be opened, and may be controlled to be opened after a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds to 1 minute) has elapsed since the temperature of the water Wa in the main container 21 detected by the temperature sensor 27 reaches 100°C. This allows the valve 17 to open after the saturated steam Wb generated in the boiler unit 20 has sufficiently flowed into the upper space 31a and the lower space 31b of the heat generation unit 30 and the exothermic reaction of the heat storage material 40 has progressed to a certain extent, making it possible to more effectively promote the heat generation of the heat storage material 40 than in a state in which the valve 17 is open before the exothermic reaction starts.

[0076] <Normal heat treatment> Next, the normal heating process (S400) will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 9. Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the normal heating process. Figure 9 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the humidifier 10 when performing the normal heating process.

[0077] As shown in Fig. 6, in the normal heating process, first, a valve control process in step S401 controls valves 16 and 17 to open and valves 18 and 19 to close. Opening valve 16 enables water to be supplied from the water supply tank 70 to the boiler unit 20, and opening valve 17 connects the output side of the boiler unit 20 to the input side of the booster unit 60. In the following step S403, a boiler water level information acquisition process is performed to acquire water level information of the water Wa in the main vessel 21 output from the water level sensor 25. Since valve 16 was opened in the previous step S401, water Wa is currently being supplied from the water supply tank 70 to the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20, and therefore the water level information is obtained. This water level information is used in the determination process in the next step S405.

[0078] Then, in step S405, it is determined whether the water level in main container 21 has reached a predetermined water level, and if it is determined that water Wa has reached the predetermined water level (S405; Yes), valve control processing is performed in the next step S407 to close valve 16. This stops the supply of water from water supply tank 70 to boiler unit 20. On the other hand, if it cannot be determined that water Wa in main container 21 has reached the predetermined water level (S405; No), the process returns to step S403 again and repeats this until it can be determined that water Wa in main container 21 has reached the predetermined water level.

[0079] In the next step S409, a heater-on process is performed. As a result, driving power is supplied to the heater 50, and the heater 50 generates heat at a temperature below the aforementioned predetermined temperature (for example, below approximately 300°C), so that the water Wa present around the heating unit 30 is heated and becomes saturated water vapor Wb, and the saturated water vapor Wb flows into the heating unit 30 via the bypass pipe 14 (indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 9). In the following step S411, a superheating process is started, that is, the supply of driving power to the cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 is started. Note that the heating temperature of the heater 50 in this process (S409) may be set to 300°C or higher, so that the heat storage material 40 can store heat during the normal heating process (S400). In this case, as explained in the heat storage process (S200), a timer count start process (equivalent to S209) is added immediately before or immediately after the heater on process (S409), and a process for setting the heat storage flag to on when the timer count ends is added as an information process (task, thread, process, etc.) separate from the normal heating process (S400).

[0080] As a result, saturated steam Wb flowing from the boiler unit 20 into the booster unit 60 passes through the inside and outside of the thin tubes heated by the cartridge heater, whereby it is heated to approximately 250 to 290°C and becomes superheated steam Wc, which is then released from the discharge end of the discharge pipe 13 into the external space (the passenger compartment of the automobile) (dotted arrow in FIG. 9). This superheating process by the booster unit 60 continues until the user presses the humidification switch 87 to instruct the end of humidification (S121 in FIG. 3; Yes) or until the water Wa in the water supply tank 70 runs out (S118 in FIG. 3; No). When this process is completed, the normal heating process ends and the process returns to the control process in FIG. 3.

[0081] When the rapid heating process (S300) or the normal heating process (S400) is completed, the valve control processes of the above-mentioned steps S323 and S401 and S407 control so that only valve 17 is opened among valves 16 to 19, as shown in Fig. 9. Therefore, the saturated steam Wb generated in boiler unit 20 is sent to booster unit 60, where it is further heated, and then becomes superheated steam Wc, which is released into the vehicle interior space from the discharge end of discharge pipe 13.

[0082] Therefore, in step S113 of the control process shown in Fig. 3, a humidity information acquisition process is performed to acquire current humidity information within the vehicle interior space detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 29. Then, in the following step S114, a process is performed to determine whether the current humidity within the vehicle interior space has not yet reached the set humidity. This set humidity is obtained from the set humidity information read in the setting information reading process (S103 shown in Fig. 3) described above or from set humidity information changed by the user during operation.

[0083] If the judgment process of step S114 does not determine that the current humidity has not yet reached the set humidity, that is, if it determines that the current humidity has already reached the set humidity (S114; No), there is no need to perform any further humidification, so the process proceeds to the end of the overheating / heating process of step S123, and the supply of driving power to the cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 and the supply of driving power to the heater 50 of the heat generating unit 30 are also terminated, thereby completing the humidification.

[0084] On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S114 that the current humidity has not yet reached the set humidity (S114; Yes), humidification is still required, so water level information of the boiler unit 20 is acquired in the boiler water level information acquisition process of the next step S115, and then it is determined in the determination process of step S117 based on the water level information whether or not water Wa is present in the boiler unit 20. Then, if it is determined that water Wa is present in the boiler unit 20 (S117; Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S121. On the other hand, if it is determined that water Wa is not present in the boiler unit 20 (S117; No), a determination process of whether or not water Wa is present in the water supply tank 70 is further performed in step S118.

[0085] If there is no water Wa in the water supply tank 70 (S118; No), the process proceeds to step S123, and the superheating by the booster unit 60 and the heating by the heat generating unit 30 are terminated. If there is water Wa in the water supply tank 70 (S118; Yes), the valve control process of step S119 opens the valve 16 for a predetermined time to supply a predetermined amount of water Wa from the water supply tank 70 (the amount of water Wa that will fill the boiler unit 20 when empty) to the boiler unit 20, and then the process returns to the humidity information acquisition process (S113), and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0086] If it is determined in step S117 that water Wa is present in the boiler unit 20 (S117; Yes), the next step S121 determines whether the user has pressed the humidification switch 87 to instruct the end of humidification. If it is determined that the humidification switch 87 has not been pressed (S121; No), the process returns to the humidity information acquisition process (S113). On the other hand, if it is determined that the humidification switch 87 has been pressed (S121; Yes), the overheating / heating process is completed in step S123, and the supply of driving power to the cartridge heater of the booster unit 60 is terminated, and the supply of driving power to the heater 50 of the heat generation unit 30 is also terminated, thereby completing humidification.

[0087] When the user presses the humidification switch 87 to instruct the end of humidification (S121; Yes) or when water Wa runs out in both the main container 21 and the water supply tank 70 (S118; No), a process is performed in step S125 to determine whether the power switch 93 has been turned off by a main power interruption determination process. If this determination process does not determine that the power switch 93 has been turned off, that is, if the power switch 93 remains on (S125; No), the process returns to the heating start determination process (S109) again.

[0088] If it is determined in this determination process that the power switch 93 has been turned off (S125; Yes), the setting information save process is carried out in the following step S127. In this process, predetermined setting information (such as the heat storage flag, set humidity information changed by the user during operation, heating time during operation, total heating time, etc.) is saved in the memory (EEPROM) of the controller 81. This setting information is read from the memory (EEPROM) in the setting information read process (S103) described above immediately after starting this control process.

[0089] This setting information save process (S127) is performed by driving the MPU, memory, etc. with DC power supplied from a backup power supply provided in the controller 81. The information on main power supply interruption determined in the main power supply interruption determination process (S125) is information acquired by the controller 81 by a hardware interrupt, for example. Therefore, if the controller 81 acquires information on main power supply interruption while executing information processing by another processing step, the process forcibly shifts to the setting information save process (S127) and saves the setting information in the memory (EEPROM) of the controller 81.

[0090] As described above, in the humidifier 10 of this embodiment, when the humidification switch 87 is pressed to issue a command to start humidification (S109 shown in FIG. 3; Yes), a rapid heating process (S300) is performed immediately thereafter (immediately after humidification starts), and during this process, the heater 50 and the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30 are caused to generate heat, thereby rapidly heating the water Wa in the boiler unit 20 and generating saturated steam Wb in a short period of time, compared to heating using only the heater 50. This makes it possible to perform such rapid heating, which requires a temporarily large amount of power, even when DC power is supplied from a power supply source that is subject to a certain limit on the amount of power that can be supplied, such as an auxiliary battery mounted on the automobile.

[0091] 5 may be configured to be independent and executed when, for example, a rapid heating switch is pressed. That is, the rapid heating process may be executed not only immediately after the start of humidification as described above, but also at a predetermined timing when rapid heating is desired (during rapid heating). However, since the heat storage material 40 must be almost entirely in the magnesium oxide state when the rapid heating process is executed, it is necessary to configure an information processing algorithm so that a process for determining whether the heat storage flag is on (heat storage completed) as described above is executed before the rapid heating process (S300) is executed, and the rapid heating process is executed only when the heat storage flag is determined to be on in the determination process.

[0092] As described above, in the humidifier 10 of this embodiment, the heat generating unit 30 includes not only the heater 50, which generates heat when supplied with power, but also the heat storage material 40, which generates heat simultaneously with the heater 50. This allows not only the heater 50 but also the heat storage material 40 to function as a heat source at a predetermined timing, such as immediately after the humidifier 10 is started or during rapid heating, thereby reducing the amount of power required compared to when the heat generated by the heater 50 is used to generate the heat equivalent to that generated by the heat storage material 40. In other words, even in situations where a large amount of power would be required if only the heater 50 were used to generate heat, the humidifier 10 does not require such a large amount of power. Therefore, for example, even when the humidifier 10 is mounted on a mobile object such as a vehicle and the power supply source is a battery such as a storage battery, and the amount of power that can be supplied is subject to certain limitations, humidification can be performed in various situations.

[0093] Furthermore, in the humidifier 10 of this embodiment, the heater 50 of the heat generating unit 30 generates heat using electrical energy supplied from an external source, and the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30 (1) stores heat at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 300°C) or higher generated by the heater 50 during a period when the heat generating unit 30 is not generating saturated water vapor Wb, and (2) generates heat when water vapor (saturated water vapor) at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C) generated by the heat generated by the heater 50 is supplied. This makes it possible to set the timing for the heat storage material 40 to store heat during a rest period when the humidifier 10 is not performing humidification. Also, it is possible to set the timing for the heat storage material 40 to generate heat during an operating period when the humidifier 10 is performing humidification.

[0094] Furthermore, in the humidifier 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 80 causes the heater 50 and the heat storage material 40 to generate heat at predetermined times, such as immediately after the humidifier 10 starts humidification or during rapid heating, and causes only the heater 50 to generate heat at times other than these predetermined times. The "times other than the predetermined times" are, for example, the periods when the humidification start determination (S109) of the control process shown in FIG. 3 determines that humidification will not be started (S109; No) (humidification pause periods during which the humidifier 10 does not perform humidification). This reduces the amount of power required for a certain period of time because the humidification pause periods of the humidifier 10 do not consume power for humidification or other purposes. In other words, by including the heat storage material 40, a significant amount of power that would be consumed at predetermined times, such as immediately after the humidifier starts humidification or during rapid heating, can be distributed over, for example, the humidification pause periods of the humidifier 10 if the humidifier 10 does not include the heat storage material 40. In other words, power consumption can be distributed over time.

[0095] In the humidifier 10 of the above-described embodiment, the water level sensor 25 is used to detect the level of the water Wa stored in the boiler unit 20. However, without providing such a water level sensor 25, the remaining amount of water Wa in the boiler unit 20 may be calculated or estimated based on information about the amount of water stored in the boiler unit 20 when it is full, information about the time elapsed since it was full, and information about the temperature change since it was full. The remaining amount of water Wa in the boiler unit 20 may also be calculated or estimated based on the rate of temperature rise (°C / sec) of the water Wa heated by the heater 50 or the time (sec) required for it to reach a predetermined temperature. The remaining amount of water Wa calculated in this manner is used in the boiler water level information acquisition process (S115 in FIG. 3) of the control process and the boiler water level information acquisition process (S203 in FIG. 4) of the heat storage process. The amount of water Wa to be supplied from the water supply tank 70 to the boiler unit 20 can be obtained by subtracting the calculated remaining amount of water Wa from the amount of water stored when it is full. Therefore, in the rapid heating process determination process (S305) described above, the elapsed time from the valve opening is determined so that the valve 16 is opened for the time required to supply the relevant amount of water Wa from the water supply tank 70 to the boiler unit 20. This enables the humidifier 10 to be made water level sensorless.

[0096] Furthermore, the humidifier 10 of the above-described embodiment employs a configuration in which the heat generating unit 30 (heat generating element) is housed within the boiler unit 20 (heating section) and water Wa can be filled around the heat generating unit 30, but for example, as modified example 1, a combined unit 120 in which the heating section and the heat generating element are integrated may be configured as shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 10(A) shows a cross-sectional view of the combined unit 120 of modified example 1 cut vertically, and Fig. 10(B) shows a plan view of the combined unit 120 viewed from above.

[0097] <Modification example 1> 10(A) and 10(B), the composite unit 120 of the first modified example is mainly composed of a housing 121, a lid 122, a plurality of water pipes 123, a porous plate 125, a heat storage material 140, a heater 150, etc. In this embodiment, the plurality of water pipes 123 is composed of, for example, eight pipes (reference numerals 123a to 123h). Note that, except for the components described here, the other components other than the composite unit 120 are configured in the same way as those described in the humidifier 10, and therefore, the same reference numerals are used and description thereof will be omitted.

[0098] The housing 121 has, for example, substantially the same external dimensions as the main vessel 21 of the boiler unit 20 described above. It is a metallic, cylindrical, closed-bottomed body with an inner diameter and depth large enough to accommodate eight water pipes 123a-123h (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "water pipes 123a, etc.") and a heater 150. A lid 122 is connected to an opening of the housing 121. The lid 122 is formed with insertion holes through which the eight water pipes 123a-123h can pass and connection holes through which the four bypass pipes 14a-14d are connected. These bypass pipes 14a-14d correspond to the bypass pipe 14 described above, and their opposite ends are connected to the middle of the connecting pipe 12, one end of which is connected to the input side of the booster unit 60, so as to communicate with each other. Four valves 18a-18d, corresponding to the valve 18 described above, are respectively provided in the middle of the bypass pipes 14a-14d.

[0099] This combined unit 120 differs from the boiler unit 20 in that a large amount of heat storage material 140 is accommodated within the housing 121, that a perforated plate 125 corresponding to the perforated plate 35 constituting the heat generating unit 30 of the boiler unit 20 described above separates the housing 121 into upper and lower sections at the top, and that bottomed water pipes 123a in which water Wa is stored around the heater 150 are disposed within the housing 121. The perforated plate 125 is a thin plate member formed in a disk shape, and has a large number of holes 126 formed therein that are positioned concentrically, for example, similar to the perforated plate 35 of the heat generating unit 30. An upper space 121a on the upper side separated by the perforated plate 125 corresponds to the upper space 31a of the heat generating unit 30, and a lower space 121b on the lower side corresponds to the lower space 31b of the heat generating unit 30.

[0100] In the lower space 121b of the housing 121, a heater 150 is erected so as to be located at the radial center thereof, and eight water pipes 123a to 123h are erected and bundled by a holder (not shown) so as to be scattered around the circumference of a circle centered on the heater 150 and positioned parallel to the heater 150. One end of a bypass pipe 15 is connected to the peripheral wall of the housing 121 so as to communicate with the lower space 121b.

[0101] A gap is also formed between the heater 150 and these water pipes 123a etc. so that the heat storage material 140 can be filled in. These water pipes 123a etc. all have a bottom and an axial length set to be greater than the height of the housing 121. The end opposite the bottom is formed to bend obliquely toward the center of the bundle, and the respective open ends are connected to each other at a collecting section 124 so as to communicate with each other. One end of the connecting pipe 12, the other end of which is connected to the input side of the booster unit 60, is connected to this collecting section 124.

[0102] The open ends of these water pipes 123a, etc. are collected and connected to a collection section 124, which is connected to the water supply pipe 11 so that water can be supplied from the water supply tank 70 to these water pipes 123a, etc. A valve 16 is disposed midway along the water supply pipe 11 to control whether or not water is supplied. Similar to the heater 50 described above, the heater 150 is a cartridge heater (maximum power consumption: approximately 80 W) formed, for example, in a cylindrical rod-like shape. The electrical wiring of the heater 150 is drawn to the outside of the composite unit 120 through a wiring hole formed in the bottom of the housing 121 and is electrically connected to the control unit 80. The heater 150 is also fixed within the lower space 121b of the housing 121 by a mounting member such as a stay.

[0103] Although not shown, the water pipes 123a, etc. of the composite unit 120 are provided with water level sensors and temperature sensors equivalent to the water level sensor 25 and temperature sensor 27 provided in the boiler unit 20 described above, and are configured to detect the water level and temperature of the water Wa stored in the water pipes 123a, etc. and output detection signals to the control unit 80, respectively.

[0104] Furthermore, without providing such a water level sensor, the remaining amount of water Wa in the water pipes 123a, etc. may be calculated based on information about the water storage volume when the tank is full, information about the time elapsed since the tank was full, and information about the temperature change since the tank was full. In other words, an information processing algorithm may be configured in the same way as the means for eliminating the water level sensor in the humidifier 10 described above.

[0105] The lower space 121b of the housing 121, which accommodates the water pipes 123a and the heater 150 configured as described above, is filled with a heat storage material 140. The heat storage material 140 is filled in a larger amount than the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30 described above. However, other than that, it is the same as the heat storage material 40 described above, in that it is a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material and is a powdered or granular aggregate. Therefore, the reaction formulas during endothermic and exothermic reactions are the same as those described above in (1) and (2), and the temperature of heat generated during the exothermic reaction is also the same, being approximately 300°C. Furthermore, the control process (FIGS. 3 to 6) performed by the control unit 80 can be applied in the same manner as described above, except that the valve 18 described above is replaced with four valves 18a to 18d and the heater 50 described above is replaced with the heater 150.

[0106] By configuring the composite unit 120 in this way, the volume (filling amount) of the heat storage material 140 is significantly increased compared to the above-mentioned heat generation unit 30, and accordingly, the amount of heat Qb generated by the heat storage material 140 is further increased in the rapid heating process (S300). Therefore, the water Wa in the water pipes 123a, etc. is heated more rapidly, and it becomes possible to generate saturated steam Wb in an even shorter time than the above-mentioned boiler unit 20.

[0107] In this modified example 1, the number of the plurality of water pipes 123a, etc. is set to eight, but it may be less than that or more (for example, three or ten) as long as it is one or more. Also, the number of the plurality of bypass pipes 14a, etc. is set to four here, but it may be less than that or more (for example, two or six) as long as it is one or more. In this case, the same number of valves 18a, etc. as the number of bypass pipes 14a, etc. is required.

[0108] Furthermore, in the composite unit 120 of this modified example 1, eight water pipes 123a to 123h are arranged so as to be scattered around a circumference centered on the heater 150 and positioned parallel to the heater 150, but one long, bottomed water pipe is wound in a coil shape around the circumference centered on the heater 150, and the open end opposite the bottom of the water pipe is connected in communication with the other end of the connecting pipe 12. This makes it possible to reduce the number of water pipes that store water Wa and the number of valves 18, thereby reducing product costs.

[0109] In the above-described modified example 1, since water Wa is stored in multiple water pipes 123a, etc., increasing the amount of stored water requires increasing the number of water pipes 123a, etc., but this tends to complicate the structure. Therefore, modified example 2, which can increase the amount of stored water Wa, will be described with reference to FIG. 11. Similar to modified example 1, modified example 2 also has a configuration in which the heating unit and the heat generating element are integrated. FIG. 11(A) shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the combined unit 220 of modified example 2, and FIG. 11(B) shows a plan view of the combined unit 220 viewed from above. Except for the components described here, components other than the combined unit 220 are configured in the same way as those described for the humidifier 10, and therefore, the same reference numerals are used and their description will be omitted.

[0110] <Modification example 2> As shown in FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B), a composite unit 220 of the second modified example is mainly composed of a housing 221, a lid 222, a container 223, a porous plate 225, a heat storage material 240, a heater 250, and the like.

[0111] The housing 221 is configured in almost the same manner as the housing 121 of the combined unit 120 of the first modified example, and the differences will be mainly described here. Because the housing 221 needs to house a container 223 that stores water Wa, the housing 221 has an inner diameter and depth that can house the container 223 and the heater 250 that is wound around the container 223. A lid 222 is connected to the opening of the housing 221, and the lid 222 is formed with an insertion hole through which a connecting pipe 224 that is connected in communication with the upper end of the container 223 can pass, and connection holes through which the four bypass pipes 14a to 14d are connected in communication.

[0112] This housing 221 also has a perforated plate 225 that divides the internal space into upper and lower sections. Like the perforated plate 125 of modified example 1, the perforated plate 225 of modified example 2 has a large number of holes 226 formed on concentric circles, and further has a hole formed in the center thereof through which the upper end of the container 223 can pass. In the lower space 221b of the housing 221, the container 223 is erected so as to be located at the radial center thereof, and a heater 250 composed of a long sheath heater is wound in a coil shape around this container 223 so as to be in contact with the peripheral wall of the container 223.

[0113] Container 223 is, for example, a cylindrical water storage container made of brass with a bottom, and its internal capacity is equivalent to, for example, approximately 16 water pipes 123 of Modified Example 1. One end of water supply pipe 11 is connected to water supply tank 70 and the other end is connected in communication with the upper part or upper part of container 223. A connecting pipe 224 is connected to the upper end of container 223 so as to be able to communicate with the internal space of container 223. The other end of connecting pipe 12, one end of which is connected in communication with the input side of booster unit 60, is connected in communication with connecting pipe 224.

[0114] Although not shown, the container 223 of the composite unit 220 is provided with a water level sensor and a temperature sensor corresponding to the water level sensor 25 and the temperature sensor 27 provided in the boiler unit 20 described above, and is configured to detect the water level and temperature of the water Wa stored in the container 223 and output detection signals to the control unit 80, respectively.

[0115] Furthermore, without providing such a water level sensor, the remaining amount of water Wa in container 223 may be calculated based on information about the amount of water stored when the container is full, information about the time elapsed since the container was full, and information about the temperature change since the container was full. In other words, an information processing algorithm may be configured in the same way as the means for eliminating the water level sensor in humidifier 10 described above.

[0116] The lower space 221b of the housing 221, which accommodates the container 223 and heater 250 configured as described above, is filled with a heat storage material 240. Like the heat storage material 140 of the first modified example, this heat storage material 240 is a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material, the same as the heat storage material 40 of the heat generating unit 30 described above, and is a powdered or granular aggregate. Therefore, the reaction formulas during endothermic and exothermic reactions are the same as those described above in (1) and (2), and the temperature of heat generated during the exothermic reaction is also the same, being approximately 300°C. In addition, the control process (FIGS. 3 to 6) performed by the control unit 80 can be applied in the same manner as described above, except that the valve 18 described above is replaced with four valves 18a to 18d, and the heater 50 described above is replaced with heater 250.

[0117] By configuring the composite unit 220 in this manner, the container 223 housed in the housing 221 can store approximately twice as much water Wa as the eight water pipes 123a, etc., of the first modified example, and the heater 250 is wound around the container 223 so as to be in contact with the peripheral wall. This increases the amount of water Wa stored in the housing 221, and the water Wa stored in the container 223 is heated by the heater 250, which generates heat while in contact with the container 223. This makes it possible to effectively transfer the heat generated by the heater 250 to the container 223, and the water Wa in the container 223 is heated more rapidly. This makes it possible to generate saturated steam Wb in a shorter time and maintain that generation for a longer period of time, compared to the composite unit 120 of the first modified example.

[0118] In the humidifier 10 of the above-described embodiment, a magnesium hydroxide-based chemical heat storage material whose heat generation temperature during an exothermic reaction is suppressed to approximately 300°C is used as the heat storage material 40, 140, 240, but other chemical heat storage materials may be used for the heat storage material 40 as long as the heat generation temperature during an exothermic reaction exceeds 100°C, the boiling point temperature of water at atmospheric pressure, and is equal to or lower than 300°C. Furthermore, although the housing 31 of the heat generation unit 30 is made of brass, it may be made of stainless steel (composed of stainless steel) if there is no cost problem.

[0119] Furthermore, in the humidifier 10 of the above-described embodiment, when information on the heat generation intermediate time and the total heat generation time is stored in memory (RAM or EEPROM) along with the heat storage flag, the timer time is set to a partial reaction time that is shorter than the total reaction time as the time required for heat storage in the heat storage process (S200). However, even when the heat generation intermediate time and the like are stored in memory, the timer time may be set to the total reaction time. In other words, even when the heat generation intermediate time and the like are interrupted in the rapid heating process (S300), an algorithm may be configured to set the timer time as the time required for heat storage to the same time as the time (total reaction time) for the heat storage material 40 in a state where almost the entire material is magnesium hydroxide. In this algorithm, information on the heat generation intermediate time and the total heat generation time is unnecessary, and therefore generation and storage of information such as the heat generation intermediate time in the heat storage flag setting process (S321) shown in FIG. 5 is also unnecessary.

[0120] Furthermore, even if the heat generation intermediate time and the like are stored in memory, the total reaction time may be set to the timer time when a predetermined condition is met. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the number of times the heat storage process (S200) has been performed on the heat storage material 40 exceeds a predetermined number (e.g., 50 or 100 times). If the number of times exceeds the predetermined number, the algorithm may be configured to set the total reaction time to the timer time as the time required for heat storage. In the heat storage flag setting process (S321) shown in FIG. 5, the algorithm stores the number of times the heat storage process has been performed in memory together with the heat storage flag. Furthermore, information on the number of times heat storage has been performed (the most recent number of times heat storage has been performed) needs to be saved in memory (EEPROM) by the setting information saving process (S127) or read from memory by the setting information reading process (S103). By configuring in this manner, even if a part of the heat storage material 40 does not become magnesium oxide even after the heat storage process is performed or the endothermic reaction is insufficient due to the interruption of the exothermic reaction by the rapid heating process (S300) or the heat storage process being performed multiple times, it is possible to cause a sufficient endothermic reaction in the heat storage material 40, so that the heat storage material 40 can be refreshed.

[0121] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the humidifier 10 is installed in the passenger compartment of a car, but the humidifier 10 may be mounted or installed in any space within a moving body that requires humidification, such as the passenger compartment of a train, ship, or airplane.

[0122] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications or alterations of the above-described specific examples. Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving one of these objectives alone is technically useful. Note that the descriptions in parentheses in the [Explanation of Symbols] column may clarify the correspondence between the terms used in the above-described embodiments and the terms described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 10…humidifier 20...Boiler unit (heating section) 21...Main container 25...Water level sensor 27...Temperature sensor 29...Temperature and humidity sensor 30...heating unit (heating element) 40…Heat storage material (chemical heat storage material) 50...Heater (electric heater) 60...Booster unit (heating section) 70...Water tank 75...Water level sensor 80...Control unit (control section) 120, 220...Composite unit (heating unit, heating element) 123a~123h…Water pipe 140,240…Heat storage material (chemical heat storage material) 150,250...Heater (electric heater) 223…Container Wa...water Wb: saturated water vapor Wc: Superheated steam

Claims

1. A humidifier in which the amount of power supplied from a power supply source is limited to a certain amount, a heating unit that heats water using a heating element including an electric heater and a chemical heat storage material to generate saturated steam; a superheating unit that further heats the saturated steam generated by the heating unit to generate superheated steam, the electric heater generates heat using electrical energy supplied from the power supply source, The chemical heat storage material (1) stores heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature during a period in which the heating unit does not generate saturated water vapor, and (2) generates heat when water vapor generated by the heat generated by the electric heater at a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature is supplied to the chemical heat storage material.

2. a control unit for controlling at least the heat generation of the heat generating element; The control unit causes the electric heater and the chemical heat storage material to generate heat at a predetermined timing including immediately after the humidification by the humidifier starts or at the time of rapid heating, and causes only the electric heater to generate heat without supplying the water vapor at other than the predetermined timing. The humidifier according to claim 1,

3. The chemical heat storage material is a magnesium hydroxide-based material, 3. The humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature of heat of reaction generated when the chemical heat storage material changes from magnesium oxide to magnesium hydroxide through a hydration reaction caused by the addition of water.

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