Control method, program, and airflow control system

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of improving comfort. This control method is a method for controlling an airflow control system (100). The airflow control system (100) comprises an airflow blowing device (1) and a supply device (7). The airflow blowing device (1) has a flow outlet (24) for blowing out a straight-forward airflow. The airflow blowing device (1) is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the flow outlet (24). The supply device (7) is capable of supplying, to the airflow blown out from the flow outlet (24), a functional component for blowing into the atmosphere. The control method involves controlling the speed of the airflow blown out from the flow outlet (24) so as to fluctuate and causing the functional component to be supplied from the supply device (7) to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control method, a program, and an airflow control system, and more particularly to a control method, a program, and an airflow control system for an airflow control system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multi-function fan that supplies functions of the device, such as air blowing, heating and cooling, aromatization, deodorization, air purification, etc., to a predetermined local area.

[0003] In the multi-function fan of Patent Document 1, the air volume is predetermined based on the size of the local space to be air-conditioned and air-cleaned, so there is a possibility that the airflow may make people feel cold or uncomfortable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-287000 Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a control method, a program, and an airflow control system that can improve comfort.

[0006] A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a system including an airflow blowing device and a supplying device. The airflow blowing device has an outlet that blows out a straight airflow. The airflow blowing device is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet. The supplying device is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet. The supply device is configured to supply the functional component from a functional material that includes the functional component. The control method includes fluctuating the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet, and supplying the functional component from the supply device to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value. The control method permits the supply device to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the airflow velocity is equal to or less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, and does not allow the supply device to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow even if the airflow velocity becomes greater than the first threshold value before a predetermined time has elapsed since the functional ingredient was supplied.

[0007] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer system to execute the control method.

[0008] An airflow control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an airflow blowing device, a supply device, and a control unit. The airflow blowing device has an outlet that blows out a straight-line airflow. The airflow blowing device is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet. The supply device is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet. The control unit controls the airflow blowing device and the supply device. The supply device is configured to supply the functional component from a functional material that includes the functional component. The control unit controls the airflow blowout device to fluctuate the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet, and controls the supply device to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value. The control unit permits the supply device to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is equal to or less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, and the control unit does not permit the supply device to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow even if the velocity of the airflow becomes greater than the first threshold value before a predetermined time has elapsed since the functional ingredient was supplied. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an airflow control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the airflow blowing device in the airflow control system. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a plan view of a fan in the airflow blowing device of the airflow control system, Figure 3B is a plan view of a first rectifying device in the airflow blowing device of the airflow control system, and Figure 3C is a plan view of a second rectifying device in the airflow blowing device of the airflow control system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the airflow control system. [Figure 5] Fig. 5A is a flow velocity distribution diagram of an airflow blowing device in the airflow control system according to the embodiment, and Fig. 5B is a flow velocity distribution diagram of an airflow blowing device in an airflow control system according to a comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of an airflow control system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a control method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of an airflow control system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of an airflow control system according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The drawings described in the following embodiments 1 to 4 are schematic drawings, and the ratios of sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) An airflow control system 100 and a control method according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0012] (1) Overview The airflow control system 100 is used for space zoning in facilities, for example. Space zoning is the zoning of air, and means creating an air environment in a specific area within a target space without creating physical barriers such as walls or partitions.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the airflow control system 100 includes an airflow blowing device 1, a supply device 7, and a control unit 8. The airflow blowing device 1 has an outlet 24 that blows out a straight airflow. The airflow blowing device 1 is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The supply device 7 is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The control unit 8 controls the airflow blowing device 1 and the supply device 7.

[0014] The airflow blown out from the outlet 24 of the airflow blowout device 1 in the airflow control system 100 into the target space is a jet, and is a directional airflow with a straight-line tendency. The airflow is a flow of air. The facility is, for example, an office building. The target space is, for example, a free address office in the office building. The target space is not limited to a free address office, and may be, for example, a conference room space.

[0015] Examples of facilities include office buildings, as well as hotels, hospitals, educational facilities, detached houses, apartment complexes (dwelling units and common areas), stores, commercial facilities, art galleries, and museums.Facilities do not only refer to buildings, but may also include the buildings and the grounds on which they are located, such as factories, parks, amusement facilities, theme parks, airports, train stations, and domed stadiums.

[0016] (2) Details As shown in FIG. 1, the airflow control system 100 includes an airflow blowing device 1, a supply device 7, and a control unit 8.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the airflow control system 100 is attached to a wiring duct 13 provided on a ceiling, for example. The airflow control system 100 includes a mounting device 14, an arm 15, and a connecting device 16. The mounting device 14 is slidably attached to the wiring duct 13. The arm 15 has a first end 151 and a second end 152. The first end 151 of the arm 15 is connected to the mounting device 14. The connecting device 16 connects the second end 152 of the arm 15 to the cylindrical body 2 of the airflow blowing device 1. By attaching the mounting device 14 to the wiring duct 13, the airflow control system 100 is electrically connected to an AC power supply connected to the wiring duct 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the airflow control system 100 further includes a first power supply circuit 91, a first drive circuit 101, a second power supply circuit 92, and a second drive circuit 102. The first power supply circuit 91, for example, converts AC voltage from an AC power supply into a first DC voltage and outputs it. The first drive circuit 101 receives the first DC voltage output from the first power supply circuit 91 as input and drives the motor 36 of the fan 3 of the air blowing device 1. The second power supply circuit 92, for example, converts AC voltage from an AC power supply into a second DC voltage and outputs it. The second drive circuit 102 receives the second DC voltage output from the second power supply circuit 92 as input and drives the supply device 7. The first power supply circuit 91, the first drive circuit 101, the second power supply circuit 92, the second drive circuit 102, and the control unit 8 are housed in a housing of the mounting device 14 (see FIG. 4). The arm 15 (see Figure 4) and the connecting device 16 (see Figure 4) have spaces for passing a portion of the first electric wire 111 connecting the first drive circuit 101 and the motor 36 and a portion of the second electric wire 112 connecting the second drive circuit 102 and the supply device 7.

[0018] The airflow blowout device 1 is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24.

[0019] 1 and 2, the air blowing device 1 includes a cylindrical body 2, a fan 3, a first rectifier 4, and a second rectifier 5. The air blowing device 1 can adjust the speed of the air blown out from the outlet 24 by adjusting the rotation speed of the fan 3. The rotation speed of the fan 3 changes in response to a change in the magnitude of the voltage supplied from a first drive circuit 101 to a motor 36. The first drive circuit 101 is controlled by a control unit 8 to change the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the motor 36.

[0020] The cylindrical body 2 is, for example, cylindrical. The cylindrical body 2 has a gas inlet 23 at a first end 21 and an outlet 24 at a second end 22. The fan 3 is disposed inside the cylindrical body 2. The first straightening device 4 is located between the fan 3 and the outlet 24 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, and redirects the swirling airflow F1 (see FIG. 3A). The second straightening device 5 is located between the first straightening device 4 and the outlet 24 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, and aligns the direction of the airflow along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The first straightening device 4 has a cylindrical tube portion 41 and multiple fins (stator blades) 42. When viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, each of the multiple fins 42 is arc-shaped (see FIG. 3B). 3B, the multiple fins 42 protrude from the inner circumferential surface 413 of the tubular portion 41 toward the central axis 40 of the tubular portion 41, and are aligned in a direction along the inner periphery of the tubular portion 41. The second straightening device 5 has multiple flow paths 55 along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, as shown in FIGS.

[0021] 1, 2, and 4, the cylindrical body 2 is cylindrical. The cylindrical body 2 has a first end 21 and a second end 22. The first end 21 has a gas inlet 23, and the second end 22 has a gas outlet 24. The material of the cylindrical body 2 is, for example, metal or resin, but is not limited to these.

[0022] The fan 3 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) blows air that has flowed in through the inlet 23 of the cylindrical body 2 toward the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2. The fan 3 is an electric axial flow fan that can rotate around a central rotation axis 30 of a rotor (hub) 31 that the fan 3 has. The fan 3 moves the air that has flowed into the fan housing 33 while rotating it in a spiral around the rotor 31, and can flow the air downstream. The "downstream side" means the downstream side when viewed in the direction of air flow.

[0023] The fan 3 is disposed inside the cylindrical body 2. The fan 3 is disposed near the first end 21 of the first end 21 and the second end 22 of the cylindrical body 2 in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 2. In the axial direction of the cylindrical body 2, the distance between the fan 3 and the inlet 23 is shorter than the distance between the fan 3 and the outlet 24.

[0024] The fan 3 includes a rotor 31, a plurality of (e.g., four) blades (rotor blades) 32, a fan housing 33, a motor 36, a motor mounting portion, and a plurality of (e.g., three) beam portions. The rotor 31, the plurality of blades 32, and the fan housing 33 of the fan 3 are made of, for example, resin or metal.

[0025] The rotor 31 is rotatable around a central rotation axis 30. When viewed in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the outer edge of the rotor 31 is circular. The rotor 31 is disposed coaxially with the cylindrical body 2 inside the cylindrical body 2. "The rotor 31 is disposed coaxially with the cylindrical body 2" means that the rotor 31 is disposed so that the central rotation axis 30 of the rotor 31 is aligned with the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2. In the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the length of the rotor 31 is shorter than the length of the cylindrical body 2. The axial direction D3 of the fan 3 is the direction along the central rotation axis 30. The rotor 31 is cylindrical with a bottom, having a cylindrical portion 311 and a bottom wall 312, and is disposed so that the bottom wall 312 faces the inlet 23 of the cylindrical body 2. The rotor 31 has a boss portion 313 that protrudes from the center of the bottom wall 312 toward the side opposite the inlet 23 of the cylindrical body 2.

[0026] The blades 32 are disposed between the rotor 31 and the fan housing 33 and rotate together with the rotor 31. The blades 32 are connected to the rotor 31 and protrude from the outer peripheral surface 316 of the rotor 31 toward the inner peripheral surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2. When viewed in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the blades 32 protrude radially from the rotor 31. Each of the blades 32 is disposed such that a gap is formed between the blade 32 and the inner peripheral surface 333 of the fan housing 33 when viewed in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. In other words, in the fan 3, a gap is formed between each of the blades 32 and the inner peripheral surface 333 of the fan housing 33. The blades 32 are disposed at equal intervals when viewed in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The term "equal intervals" as used herein does not necessarily mean that the blades are disposed at exactly the same intervals, but may also mean, for example, intervals within a predetermined error range (e.g., ±10% of the specified interval) with respect to a specified interval. In each of the multiple blades 32, the first end 321 (see Figure 3A) on the inlet 23 side is located forward of the second end 322 (see Figure 3A) on the outlet 24 side in the rotation direction R1 (see Figure 3A) of the rotor 31 of the fan 3.

[0027] The fan housing 33 rotatably houses the rotor 31 and the plurality of blades 32. The fan housing 33 is cylindrical. The outer diameter of the fan housing 33 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 2. In the fan 3, for example, the fan housing 33 is fixed to the cylindrical body 2.

[0028] The motor 36 drives the rotating body 31 to rotate. More specifically, the motor 36 rotates the rotating body 31 around the central axis of rotation 30 of the rotating body 31. The motor 36 is, for example, a DC motor. The motor 36 is driven by the first drive circuit 101 described above. The motor 36 includes a motor body 361 and a rotating shaft 362 that partially protrudes from the motor body 361. In the motor 36, the rotating shaft 362 is connected to the rotating body 31. The rotating shaft 362 of the motor 36 is fixed to a boss portion 313 of the rotating body 31.

[0029] A motor body 361 of the motor 36 is attached to the motor attachment portion. When viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the motor attachment portion is located inside the outer edge of the rotating body 31. However, this is not limiting, and for example, the entire motor attachment portion may overlap the entire rotating body 31.

[0030] A plurality of (for example, three) beam portions connect the motor mounting portion and the fan housing 33. The plurality of beam portions are arranged at equal intervals in a direction along the outer edge of the motor mounting portion.

[0031] The first rectifier 4 is located between the fan 3 and the outlet 24 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The first rectifier 4 redirects the swirling airflow F1 (see FIG. 3A) downstream of the fan 3. The first rectifier 4 redirects the swirling airflow F1 downstream of the fan 3 into an airflow F2 (see FIG. 3B) toward the center of the fan 3. The first rectifier 4 also forms a flow velocity distribution in which the airflow speed in a first region is faster than the airflow speed in a second region downstream of the first rectifier 4 as viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. Here, the airflow speed is the speed in the direction along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The first region is a region (inner region) between the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2 and the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 that is closer to the central axis 20, and the second region is a region (outer region) between the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2 and the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 that is closer to the inner circumferential surface 27.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first rectifier 4 has a cylindrical tube portion 41 and a plurality of (for example, 12) fins .

[0033] The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 2. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the fan housing 33.

[0034] Each of the fins 42 has an arc shape when viewed in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The fins 42 protrude from the inner circumferential surface 413 of the tubular portion 41 toward the central axis 40 of the tubular portion 41 and are aligned in a direction along the inner periphery of the tubular portion 41. Each of the fins 42 has, in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, a first end 421 on the inlet 23 side and a second end 422 on the outlet 24 side.

[0035] Each of the multiple fins 42 is disposed parallel to the axial direction D3 of the fan 3 between the inner circumferential surface 413 of the cylindrical portion 41 and the central axis of the cylindrical portion 41. In each of the multiple fins 42, the first end 421 and the second end 422 overlap when viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3.

[0036] The ends of the multiple fins 42 on the cylindrical portion 41 side are arranged at equal intervals in a direction along the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 41. Here, "equal intervals" does not necessarily mean exactly the same intervals, but may also mean, for example, intervals within a predetermined error range with respect to a specified interval (for example, ±10% of the specified interval). The first rectifier 4 has multiple (for example, 12) flow paths 45 surrounded by two adjacent fins 42 of the multiple fins 42 and the cylindrical portion 41. When viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the width of the flow paths 45 in a direction along the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 41 narrows from the inner circumferential surface 413 of the cylindrical portion 41 toward the central axis 40 of the cylindrical portion 41.

[0037] In the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the length of each of the multiple fins 42 is the same as the length of the cylindrical portion 41. The length of each of the multiple fins 42 does not necessarily have to be the same as the length of the cylindrical portion 41, and may be longer or shorter than the cylindrical portion 41.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3B, each of the multiple fins 42 has a first surface 43 that intersects with the direction along the inner circumference of the cylindrical body 2, and a second surface 44 that intersects with the direction along the inner circumference of the cylindrical body 2 and is on the opposite side to the first surface 43. The first surface 43 is a surface located rearward in the direction along the rotation direction R1 of the rotating body 31 (see FIG. 3A), and the second surface 44 is a surface located forward in the direction along the rotation direction R1 of the rotating body 31. The first surface 43 is a concave curved surface. The second surface 44 is a convex curved surface.

[0039] The material of the first rectifier 4 is metal, but is not limited to this and may be resin.

[0040] The second rectifier 5 is located between the first rectifier 4 and the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The second rectifier 5 adjusts the flow velocity distribution of the airflow from the first rectifier 4 downstream of the first rectifier 4. The second rectifier 5 has multiple flow paths 55 along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. Each of the multiple flow paths 55 has an inlet 551 on the first rectifier 4 side and an outlet 552 on the outlet 24 side of the cylindrical body 2. In each of the multiple flow paths 55, the inlet 551 and the outlet 552 have the same shape. In each of the multiple flow paths 55, the inlet 551 and the outlet 552 have the same size. The second rectifier 5 includes a flow straightening grid 50 and a cylindrical tube portion 51 surrounding the flow straightening grid 50. The flow straightening grid 50 has multiple partition plate portions 56 that separate any two adjacent flow paths 55 from the multiple flow paths 55. Each of the plurality of partition plate portions 56 is arranged along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The flow straightening grid 50 has a honeycomb lattice shape. When viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, the inlet 551 and the outlet 552 of each of the plurality of flow paths 55 have a regular hexagonal shape. From another perspective, each of the plurality of flow paths 55 has a hexagonal prism shape.

[0041] The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 51 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 2. The second flow straightening device 5 is disposed inside the cylindrical body 2 so that the central axis of the cylindrical portion 51 coincides with the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2.

[0042] The material of the second rectifier 5 is resin, but is not limited to this and may be metal.

[0043] The supply device 7 is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. More specifically, the supply device 7 has a generator 71 and a functional component transport flow path 72. The generator 71 generates, for example, a mist containing the functional component. The functional component transport flow path 72 is connected to the space between the first rectifier 4 and the outlet 24 in the cylindrical body 2. Examples of functional components include deodorizing components, fragrance components, disinfecting components, sterilizing components, cosmetic components, and medicinal components. The supply device 7 is configured to supply the functional component from a functional material containing the functional component. The functional material containing the functional component is, for example, a solution containing the functional component.

[0044] The generator 71 includes, for example, an atomizer that atomizes a solution containing the functional ingredient, and an energy supply device that provides energy to the solution to atomize it in the atomizer. The energy supply device is, for example, an ultrasonic vibrator, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) device. The generator 71 is driven by a second drive circuit 102.

[0045] In the air blowing device 1, the cylindrical body 2 has a communication hole 25 penetrating between the first end 21 and the second end 22 in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylindrical body 2. A functional component transport flow path 72 is connected to an outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2 via the communication hole 25. The functional component transport flow path 72 is formed, for example, by attaching a flow path forming member 73 to the cylindrical body 2. The functional component transport flow path 72 is formed between the flow path forming member 73 and the outer peripheral surface 28 of the cylindrical body 2, and is connected to the space inside the cylindrical body 2 through the communication hole 25 of the cylindrical body 2.

[0046] In the supply device 7, the mist containing the functional component generated in the generation unit 71 is supplied to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 through the functional component transport flow path 72 and the communication hole 25. The supply device 7 may transport the mist containing the functional component into the cylindrical body 2 by attracting the mist containing the functional component into the airflow inside the cylindrical body 2, or may be equipped with a fan that sends the mist containing the functional component into the cylindrical body 2. The functional component transport flow path 72 is not limited to being formed using the flow path forming member 73, and may be formed, for example, by a tubular member having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the generation unit 71 and the second end disposed inside the cylindrical body 2 through the communication hole 25.

[0047] The control unit 8 controls the air blowing device 1 and the supply device 7. The control unit 8 controls the fan 3 by controlling the first drive circuit 101. The control unit 8 also controls the supply device 7 by controlling the second drive circuit 102. Examples of the control of the air blowing device 1 by the control unit 8 include starting and stopping the operation of the fan 3, and controlling the rotation speed of the fan 3. The control unit 8 controls the rotation speed of the fan 3 by controlling the drive voltage of the fan 3 (its motor 36), thereby controlling the speed of the air blown out from the outlet 24 of the air blowing device 1. The rotation speed and air volume of the fan 3 change in response to changes in the drive voltage. The rotation speed and air volume of the fan 3 increase as the drive voltage increases. In the air blowing device 1, the speed of the air blown out from the outlet 24 increases as the rotation speed of the fan 3 increases. Examples of the control of the supply device 7 by the control unit 8 include starting atomization of the solution in the generation unit 71, stopping atomization of the solution, and controlling the amount of atomization of the solution.

[0048] The control unit 8 controls the airflow blowing device 1 and the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The control unit 8 controls the airflow blowing device 1 and the supply device 7 to control the timing at which the functional component to be blown into the air is supplied to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24.

[0049] The control unit 8 includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The functions of the control unit 8 are realized by the processor executing a program stored in the computer system's memory. The program may be pre-stored in the computer system's memory, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that is readable by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The IC or LSI referred to here is referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which is programmable after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the connections within the LSI or the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be used as a processor. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller also comprises one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits or large-scale integrated circuits.

[0050] (3) Operation of the airflow control system (3.1) Operation of the airflow blower In the airflow blowing device 1, the rotor 31 and the plurality of blades 32 of the fan 3 rotate in a predetermined rotational direction R1 (see FIG. 3A), causing air to be drawn into the fan 3 from the air inlet 23 side of the cylindrical body 2, and generating an airflow F1 (see FIG. 3A) swirling within the cylindrical body 2 along the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 on the downstream side of the fan 3. The swirling airflow F1 is an airflow that rotates in a three-dimensional spiral.

[0051] In the airflow blowing device 1, airflow F1 (see FIG. 3A) generated downstream of the fan 3 and swirling near and along inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 is redirected by the first rectifier 4 in a direction approaching the central axis 40 of the first rectifier 4. More specifically, in the first rectifier 4, the airflow F1 (see FIG. 3A) swirling along the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 collides with the fins 42, and is thereby redirected into airflow F2 (see FIG. 3B) approaching the central axis 40 of the first rectifier 4. In other words, the first rectifier 4 collects the airflow F1 generated by the fan 3 and swirling along the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 toward the central axis 40 of the first rectifier 4, thereby forming a flow velocity distribution downstream of the first rectifier 4 in which the airflow speed in the first region is faster than the airflow speed in the second region. In short, in the airflow blowing device 1, the first straightening device 4 can form a velocity distribution in which the airflow velocity is relatively fast on the inside and relatively slow on the outside. Here, the airflow velocity is the velocity in the direction along the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The first region is a region (inner region) between the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2 and the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 and close to the central axis 20, and the second region is a region (outer region) between the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2 and the inner circumferential surface 27 of the cylindrical body 2 and close to the inner circumferential surface 27.

[0052] In the air blowing device 1, the second rectifier 5 downstream of the first rectifier 4 rectifies the direction of the airflow from the first rectifier 4 side in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3.

[0053] In the air blowing device 1 , the airflow rectified by the second rectifying device 5 flows out from the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2 .

[0054] In the airflow blowout device 1, when the fan 3 is driven, the airflow flowing downstream of the fan 3 is rectified by the first rectifier 4 and the second rectifier 5 and is blown out from the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2.

[0055] 5A shows the flow velocity distribution in the vicinity of the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2 of the airflow blowing device 1. In the airflow blowing device 1 in the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment, the airflow volume of the fan 3 is set to 70 m 3 / h and the structural parameters are set as follows: Fig. 5B shows the flow velocity distribution in an air blowing device according to a comparative example that does not include the first and second flow straightening devices 4 and 5. <Structural parameters> Inner diameter of cylinder 2: 144 mm Number of fins 42 of the first rectifier 4: 12 Length of each fin 42 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3: 50 mm Inlet 551 of each flow path 55 in the second rectifier 5: regular hexagon with a distance between opposite sides of 8 mm Outlets 552 of each flow path 55 in the second rectifier 5: regular hexagon with a distance between opposite sides of 8 mm Length of each flow path 55 in the second rectifier 5: 30 mm 5A and 5B each show the flow velocity distribution in a cross section including the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2. In each of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the horizontal axis represents the distance from the central axis 20 of the cylindrical body 2, and the vertical axis represents the flow velocity. Note that with respect to the horizontal axis, the right side of the central axis 20 is "positive" and the left side is "negative (- sign)." The "positive" and "negative (- sign)" symbols are used to distinguish between the distance to an arbitrary position on the right side of the central axis 20 and the distance to an arbitrary position on the left side.

[0056] In the airflow blowing device according to the comparative example, as shown in Fig. 5B, the flow velocity increases with increasing distance from the center of the outlet 24. In contrast, the airflow blowing device 1 in the airflow control system 100 according to embodiment 1 achieves a flow velocity distribution in which the flow velocity in the inner region of the outlet 24 is faster than the flow velocity in the outer region, as shown in Fig. 5A. The airflow blowing device 1 can blow out a double jet flow including a first jet flow ejected from the inner region of the outlet 24 and a second jet flow ejected from the outer region of the outlet 24.

[0057] The airflow blowing device 1 can increase the directionality of the airflow (jet) blown out from the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2, and can suppress the diffusion of the airflow. Therefore, the airflow blowing device 1 can deliver the airflow in a spot (local) manner to a specific area in the target space.

[0058] (3.2) Operation of the control unit The control unit 8, for example, performs fluctuation control on the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 (for example, the speed of the first jet of air blown out from the inner region of the outlet 24) (see FIG. 6), and causes the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is greater than a threshold V1 (see FIG. 6). "Fluctuatingly controlling the airflow speed" means controlling the airflow speed so that the time change in the airflow speed has fluctuation characteristics. The fluctuation characteristics are, for example, 1 / f fluctuation characteristics. In this case, the control unit 8 controls the airflow speed so that the change in the airflow speed has a 1 / f fluctuation waveform. "1 / f fluctuation" means fluctuation in which the power spectrum density is inversely proportional to the frequency f. The fluctuation characteristics are not limited to 1 / f fluctuation, but may be, for example, 1 / f 2 The fluctuation characteristic may be a random fluctuation characteristic (for example, 1 / f fluctuation or 1 / f 2 The fluctuation is not limited to a regular fluctuation, but may be a regular fluctuation.

[0059] When the control unit 8 causes the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow, the control unit 8 causes the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow temporarily (instantly).

[0060] The control unit 8 permits the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 is equal to or less than a second threshold V2, which is greater than the first threshold V1. FIG. 6 shows the temporal change in the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the airflow velocity. The control unit 8 controls the fluctuation of the airflow velocity, thereby varying the airflow velocity, for example, within a range greater than a first velocity VL and less than a second velocity VH. The second velocity VH is greater than the first velocity VL. The first velocity VL is, for example, 0.05 m / sec. The second velocity VH is, for example, 1.5 m / sec. The first threshold V1 is determined so that the functional ingredient travels along the airflow and reaches the target space, and is, for example, 1.0 m / sec. The second threshold V2 is, for example, 1.6 m / sec. The values ​​of the first threshold V1 and the second threshold V2 are merely examples and are not particularly limited.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 8 causes the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow at time t3, which is after time t2, when a predetermined time T1 has elapsed since time t1 when the functional ingredient was supplied, and when the airflow velocity is greater than the first threshold V1 and equal to or less than the second threshold V2. The control unit 8 does not cause the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow, even if the airflow velocity is greater than the first threshold V1 and equal to or less than the second threshold V2, before the predetermined time T1 has elapsed since time t1. The predetermined time T1 is, for example, 30 seconds, but is not limited to 30 seconds.

[0062] (4) Control method The control method according to the first embodiment is a control method for a system including an air blowing device 1 and a supplying device 7.

[0063] The control method according to the first embodiment is realized by the operation of the control unit 8. This control method performs fluctuation control on the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 (see FIG. 6), and causes the supply device 7 to supply a functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is greater than a threshold V1 (see FIG. 6). More specifically, in the control method, the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 is fluctuation controlled by controlling, for example, the rotation speed of the fan 3 of the airflow blowout device 1.

[0064] Furthermore, the control method according to the first embodiment permits the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 is equal to or less than a second threshold V2, which is greater than the first threshold V1. For example, the control method permits the supply device 7 to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the drive voltage of the motor 36 is greater than the voltage value corresponding to the threshold V1 and equal to or less than the voltage value corresponding to the second threshold V2. This makes it possible, for example, to reduce the amount of functional material used by the supply device 7. Therefore, the control method according to the first embodiment makes it possible, for example, to reduce the frequency of replacing a container containing the functional material in the generation unit 71 of the supply device 7 or the frequency of refilling the container with the functional material.

[0065] The control method according to the first embodiment is realized by a computer system executing a program. This program is a program (computer program) for causing the computer system to execute the control method.

[0066] (5) Effects The control method according to the first embodiment is a control method for a system including an airflow blowing device 1 and a supply device 7. The airflow blowing device 1 has an outlet 24 that blows out a straight-line airflow. The airflow blowing device 1 is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The supply device 7 is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The control method controls fluctuations in the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24, and causes the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is greater than a threshold V1. This control method makes it possible to improve comfort. More specifically, this control method makes it possible to improve the comfort of people within the reach of the airflow blown out from the airflow blowing device 1. According to this control method, the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 is controlled to fluctuate, thereby reducing the possibility that people within the reach of the airflow will feel chills or discomfort, and further, when the speed of the airflow is greater than the threshold V1, the supply device 7 supplies functional ingredients to the airflow, making it possible for the functional ingredients to reach people within the reach of the airflow.

[0067] Furthermore, the control method according to the first embodiment permits the supply of a functional ingredient from the supply device 7 to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 is equal to or less than a second threshold V2 that is greater than the first threshold V1, which is a threshold V1. This makes it possible to reduce, for example, the frequency with which a container containing a functional material is replaced in the supply device 7 or the frequency with which the container is replenished with the functional material.

[0068] Furthermore, the program according to the first embodiment is a program (computer program) for causing a computer system to execute the above-described control method. According to such a program, it is possible to improve comfort in the same way as the above-described control method.

[0069] Moreover, the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment includes an airflow blowing device 1, a supplying device 7, and a control unit 8. The airflow blowing device 1 has an outlet 24 that blows out a straight airflow. The airflow blowing device 1 is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The supplying device 7 is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The control unit 8 controls the airflow blowing device 1 and the supplying device 7. The control unit 8 controls the airflow blowing device 1 to fluctuate the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24. The control unit 8 controls the supplying device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value. Therefore, the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment can improve comfort.

[0070] The airflow control system 100 includes an airflow blowout device 1 having an outlet 24 that blows out a straight-line airflow, thereby suppressing the diffusion of the airflow and thus the diffusion of the airflow containing the functional component. The airflow control system 100 includes a supply device 7 and a control unit 8, thereby enabling the airflow blown into a target space in the facility to contain the functional component and suppressing the diffusion of the airflow containing the functional component within the target space. "Suppressing the diffusion of the airflow containing the functional component" means improving the straightness of the airflow containing the functional component and increasing its directionality. The airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment can suppress a decrease in the concentration of the functional component before it reaches the target space to which the functional component is supplied, thereby enhancing the effect of the functional component.

[0071] (Embodiment 2) An airflow control system 100a and a control method according to embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The airflow control system 100a according to embodiment 2 differs from the airflow control system 100 according to embodiment 1 in that it includes a supply device 7a instead of the supply device 7 in the airflow control system 100 according to embodiment 1. In the airflow control system 100a according to embodiment 2, components that are the same as those in the airflow control system 100 according to embodiment 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0072] The supply device 7a is configured to generate and supply a functional component from components in the air. The functional component is, for example, charged atomized water particles containing OH radicals. The generator 71a includes, for example, an electrostatic atomizer that generates charged atomized water particles containing OH radicals. The charged atomized water particles are nanometer-sized ion particles. The electrostatic atomizer can generate ion particles with particle diameters of 5 nm to 20 nm by applying a high voltage to water in the air. In the charged atomized water particles, OH radicals easily react with various substances. The supply device 7a has a functional component transport flow path 74 instead of the functional component transport flow path 72 in the supply device 7. The functional component transport flow path 74 is, for example, a tubular member having a first end and a second end, the first end of which is connected to the generator 71a and the second end of which is disposed within the cylindrical body 2 through the communication hole 25.

[0073] In the airflow control system 100a according to the second embodiment, the control unit 8 fluctuates the airflow speed within a range of a first speed VL or more and a second speed VH or less when fluctuation-controlling the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24, and permits the supply device 7a to supply the functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is greater than a threshold value V1. In the airflow control system 100a according to the second embodiment, the threshold value V1 is, for example, a speed (e.g., 0.04 m / sec) smaller than the first speed VL of 0.05 m / sec.

[0074] The control method of embodiment 2, like the control method of embodiment 1, controls the fluctuation of the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24, and supplies functional components to the airflow from the supply device 7a when the airflow speed is greater than the threshold V1, thereby improving comfort.

[0075] The control method according to the second embodiment fluctuates the airflow velocity within a range of a first velocity VL or more and a second velocity VH or less when fluctuation-controlling the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24, and permits the supply device 7a to supply a functional component to the airflow when the airflow velocity is greater than a threshold value V1. This makes it possible for the control method according to the second embodiment to continuously supply the functional component while the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 of the airflow blowing device 1 is fluctuating within a range of a first velocity VL or more and a second velocity VH or less. More specifically, the control method controls the velocity of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 by, for example, controlling the rotation speed of the fan 3 of the airflow blowing device 1.

[0076] In the control method according to the second embodiment, the threshold value V1 is not limited to a value smaller than the first speed VL, and may be, for example, the same value as the first speed VL.

[0077] (Embodiment 3) An airflow control system 100b according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. In the airflow control system 100b according to the third embodiment, components similar to those in the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0078] The airflow control system 100b is applied to an environmental control system 200 that controls the spatial environment of a facility such as an office, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 9 , the environmental control system 200 includes multiple air conditioners 201, a server 202, and multiple airflow control systems 100b. The server 202 can communicate with the multiple air conditioners 201 through a communication network 500. The server 202 can also communicate with the multiple airflow control systems 100b through a communication network 600. The communication networks 500 and 600 may include the Internet. The communication networks 500 and 600 may be configured not only as a network conforming to a single communication protocol, but also as multiple networks conforming to different communication protocols. The communication protocol may be, for example, a communication protocol conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard, or a communication protocol conforming to a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication network may include data communication devices such as a repeater hub, a switching hub, a bridge, a gateway, and a router. The communication networks 500 and 600 may also be a power line communication network using power lines.

[0080] The plurality of air conditioning equipment 201 are placed, for example, on the ceiling of an office. The plurality of air conditioning equipment 201 have different identification information. The identification information of the air conditioning equipment 201 is stored in a storage unit 215 included in the air conditioning equipment 201. The storage unit 215 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

[0081] Each of the plurality of air conditioning devices 201 has a flap 211 for changing the direction in which air is blown out, a fan 212 for adjusting the flow rate of the air being blown out, a communication unit 213 for communicating with the server 202, a control unit 214 for controlling the flap 211 and the fan 212 based on instruction information from the server 202 received via the communication unit 213, and a memory unit 215. Each of the control units 214 of the plurality of air conditioning devices 201 controls the flow rate and the blowing direction of the air being blown out from the air conditioning device 201 based on instructions from the server 202, for example.

[0082] The multiple airflow control systems 100b are connected, for example, to a wiring duct on the ceiling of an office where multiple air conditioning devices 201 are installed. The multiple airflow control systems 100b have different identification information from each other. The identification information of the airflow control systems 100b is stored, for example, in a non-volatile memory or the like of the control unit 8. Each airflow control system 100b has a communication unit 9 that communicates with the server 202. Each of the control units 8 of the multiple airflow control systems 100b controls the airflow blowing device 1 and the supply device 7 based on, for example, information (e.g., instruction information, operation information of the air conditioning devices 201, etc.) received from the server 202 via the communication unit 9.

[0083] The server 202 has a control unit 220 that controls multiple air conditioning equipment 201 and multiple airflow control systems 100b, a first communication unit 221 that communicates with the multiple air conditioning equipment 201, a second communication unit 222 that communicates with the multiple airflow control systems 100b, and a memory unit 223.

[0084] The server 202 stores in the storage unit 223 the identification information and position information of the plurality of air conditioners 201 and the identification information and position information of the plurality of airflow control systems 100b.

[0085] The first communication unit 221 is a communication interface. In particular, the first communication unit 221 is a communication interface that can be connected to a communication network, and has the function of communicating through the communication network 500. This allows the server 202 to communicate with multiple air conditioning devices 201 through the communication network 500. The signals that the first communication unit 221 receives from each of the multiple air conditioning devices 201 include, for example, identification information of the air conditioning device 201, information about the flow rate of the air flow blown out from the air conditioning device 201, information about the blowing direction of the air flow from the air conditioning device 201, etc.

[0086] The second communication unit 222 is a communication interface. In particular, the second communication unit 222 is a communication interface connectable to the communication network 600 and has the function of communicating through the communication network 600. In particular, the second communication unit 222 is capable of communicating with a plurality of airflow control systems 100b through the communication network 600. The communication protocol of the second communication unit 222 can be selected from various well-known wired communication standards and wireless communication standards.

[0087] The memory unit 223 is a device for storing information. The memory unit 223 is a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EEPROM, or the like. The memory unit 223 has an area for storing determination information used to determine whether the airflow blowing direction of the air conditioning equipment 201 is aligned with the airflow blowing direction of the airflow control system 100b. For example, the determination information includes information on the air-conditioned area, information on each air conditioning equipment 201, and information on each airflow control system 100b. The information on the air-conditioned area is information for identifying the size, shape, etc. of the air-conditioned area. The information on each air conditioning equipment 201 includes information for identifying the air conditioning equipment 201 (identification information) and position information of the air conditioning equipment 201. The position information of the air conditioning equipment 201 is, for example, coordinates indicating the position of the air conditioning equipment 201 within a facility such as an office. The information of each airflow control system 100b includes information (identification information) for identifying the airflow control system 100b and location information of the airflow control system 100b. The location information of the airflow control system 100b is, for example, coordinates indicating the location of the airflow control system 100b within a facility such as an office.

[0088] The control unit 220 is configured to perform overall control of the server 202. That is, the control unit 220 is configured to control the first communication unit 221, the second communication unit 222, and the storage unit 223. The control unit 220 can be realized, for example, by a computer system including one or more processors (microprocessors) and one or more memories. That is, the one or more processors execute one or more programs (applications) stored in one or more memories, thereby functioning as the control unit 220. Here, the programs are pre-recorded in the memory of the control unit 220, but they may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0089] The control unit 8 of each airflow control system 100b controls the supply device 7 based on operation information of the air conditioner 201 received from the control unit 220 of the server 202. The operation information of the air conditioner 201 may include information related to the flow speed of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201 and information related to the blowing direction of the airflow. If the flow speed of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201 that conditions the air-conditioned space including the space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied is greater than the second threshold value V2, the control unit 8 does not allow the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow. This makes it possible for the airflow control system 100b to suppress the functional component from being diffused by the influence of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201.

[0090] The control method according to the third embodiment does not permit the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow when the flow velocity of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201 that conditions the air of the air-conditioned space including the space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied is greater than the second threshold value V2. This makes it possible for the control method according to the third embodiment to suppress the functional component from being diffused by the influence of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201.

[0091] Furthermore, the control method according to the third embodiment does not permit the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow when it is determined that the direction of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201 is toward the space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied. This makes it possible for the control method according to the third embodiment to suppress the functional component from being diffused due to the influence of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201. Note that the control method determines, for example, based on information from the server 202, whether the direction of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner 201 is toward the space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied. This determination may be made by the control unit 220 of the server 202.

[0092] (Embodiment 4) An airflow control system 100c according to a fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 10. The airflow control system 100c according to the fourth embodiment differs from the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment in that the control unit 8 controls the supply device 7 based on an evaluation value output from the detection unit 11, which indicates the amount of movement corresponding to the movement of a person. The airflow control system 100c further includes an acquisition unit 10 that acquires the evaluation value output from the detection unit 11, and the control unit 8 controls the supply device 7 based on the evaluation value acquired by the acquisition unit 10. The acquisition unit 10 is, for example, a communication interface. In the airflow control system 100c according to the fourth embodiment, components similar to those in the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0093] The detection unit 11 detects people within a detection area, including a space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied, and outputs an evaluation value indicating the amount of movement (movement speed) of the people. The detection unit 11 is attached to, for example, the ceiling of an office where the airflow blowing device 1 is installed, and has an infrared image sensor that detects people within the detection area in the office. The infrared image sensor includes an infrared sensor having multiple infrared detection units that absorb infrared rays from people within the detection area, and a processing unit that processes the output signal of the infrared sensor to continuously generate infrared image data. The infrared detection unit includes, for example, a thermopile. The processing unit detects people based on the infrared image data and calculates an evaluation value corresponding to the people's movement. The processing unit detects people within a predetermined area in the detection area that includes the reach of the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1, and calculates an evaluation value corresponding to the people's movement. The predetermined area may be smaller than the detection area or may be the same as the detection area. The processing unit calculates the average movement speed per unit time for each person within the predetermined area, and calculates the sum of these average values ​​as the evaluation value. Therefore, the evaluation value increases as the average moving speed of people within a predetermined area increases, and the greater the number of people moving within the predetermined area, the greater the evaluation value. The processing unit is primarily composed of a computer such as a microcomputer, and performs appropriate processing by executing a program recorded in the computer's memory with the computer's processor. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or provided by being recorded on a recording medium such as a memory card.

[0094] In airflow control system 100c according to embodiment 4, if the evaluation value from detection unit 11, which detects a person in a detection area including a space to which airflow from airflow blowing device 1 is supplied and outputs an evaluation value according to the person's movement, is greater than a specified value, control unit 8 does not permit supply of the functional component from supply device 7 to the airflow. This makes it possible for airflow control system 100c according to embodiment 4 to prevent the functional component from being dispersed by the movement of the person.

[0095] Furthermore, the control method according to the fourth embodiment does not permit the supply device 7 to supply the functional component to the airflow if the evaluation value from the detection unit 11, which detects a person in a detection area including the space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied and outputs an evaluation value according to the person's movement, is greater than a specified value. This makes it possible for the control method according to the fourth embodiment to prevent the functional component from being dispersed by the movement of the person.

[0096] (Variation) The above-described first to fourth embodiments are merely examples of various embodiments of the present invention. The above-described first to fourth embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved, and different components of different embodiments can be combined as appropriate.

[0097] For example, the control method according to the first embodiment may include a first control mode for controlling the fluctuation of the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet 24, in which the supply device 7 supplies the functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is greater than a threshold V1, and a second control mode for controlling the functional component to the airflow when the airflow speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value lower than the threshold V1. In this case, the control method may control the supply device 7 in either the first control mode or the second control mode in response to the operation of an operation unit (e.g., a remote controller or an operation switch) that can be operated by a person, or may control the supply device 7 in either the first control mode or the second control mode in response to the number of people detected by a human body detection sensor. The human body detection sensor detects people within a detection area that includes a space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device 1 is supplied. In the control method, when the supply device 7 is controlled in response to the number of people detected by the human body detection sensor, the supply device 7 is controlled in the first control mode when the number of people is one, and in the second control mode when the number of people is two or more. According to this control method, when the number of people is one, the range in which the functional component is transported can be narrowed compared to when the number of people is two or more, and when the number of people is two or more, the range in which the functional component is transported can be widened compared to when the number of people is one.

[0098] In addition, the control method may be, for example, to control the supply device 7 in accordance with the output of an AI (Artificial Intelligence) speaker or the like that accepts human voice input.

[0099] Furthermore, the control unit 8 of the airflow control system 100 according to the first embodiment may control the fan 3 and the supply device 7 based on information acquired from a sensor, for example. Examples of sensors include an image sensor, a motion sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a Doppler sensor, a radio wave sensor, a biometric sensor, a behavior sensor, and an environmental sensor. The image sensor may output information related to a target object (e.g., a person) present in the target space, and examples of the image sensor include an infrared image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and a distance image sensor that uses distance as a pixel value. Examples of the biometric sensor include a wearable device that measures at least the heart rate. Examples of the wearable device that measures at least the heart rate include a wristband-type or watch-type wearable device worn on the wrist of a person entering or exiting the target space. The behavior sensor may be configured, for example, by a location information acquisition system. A location information acquisition system acquires location information of a transmitter using a transmitter carried by a person and a receiver installed in a facility. Assuming that the person carries the transmitter, the location of the transmitter is treated as the person's location. The transmitter has a function of transmitting a wireless signal. The transmitter transmits the wireless signal at a predetermined interval. The wireless signal may include identification information of the transmitter. The identification information may be used to distinguish multiple transmitters from one another. In the transmitter, the identification information is stored, for example, in a memory unit of the transmitter. The memory unit is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The behavior sensor is a sensor that uses a location information acquisition system that uses a beacon, but is not limited to this and may also be, for example, a sensor that uses a GPS (Global Positioning System). Examples of environmental sensors include an odor sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a CO2 sensor.

[0100] Furthermore, in the supply device 7, the generator 71 may have multiple atomizers that atomize solutions containing different functional components. In this case, the airflow control system 100 can change the functional component supplied to the airflow blown out from the outlet 24 by controlling the generator 71 with the control unit 8.

[0101] Furthermore, each of the multiple fins 42 in the first rectifier 4 is not limited to a configuration in which the entire first end 421 and the entire second end 422 overlap when viewed from the axial direction D3 of the fan 3, but may be a configuration in which at least a portion of the first end 421 and at least a portion of the second end 422 overlap. Furthermore, each of the multiple fins 42 may be configured such that the first end 421 and the second end 422 do not overlap when viewed from the axial direction D3.

[0102] Furthermore, in the second straightening device 5, the straightening grid 50 is not limited to a honeycomb grid, but may be, for example, a square grid or a triangular grid.

[0103] The second straightening device 5 is not limited to the straightening grid 50 described above, but may be a straightening grid in the form of a bundle of a plurality of (e.g., 19) thin tubes, or may be a perforated plate (e.g., punched metal). Each of the thin tubes has a flow path 55. The perforated plate has a plurality of through holes that form the plurality of flow paths 55.

[0104] The airflow blowing device 1 may further include a third rectifier located between the first rectifier 4 and the second rectifier 5 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The third rectifier includes, for example, an inner cylinder disposed coaxially with the cylindrical body 2 inside the cylindrical body 2, and a plurality of mounting portions for mounting the inner cylinder to the cylindrical body 2. The inner and outer diameters of the inner cylinder decrease toward the outlet 24 in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The third rectifier functions as a restriction that rectifies the airflow downstream of the first rectifier 4 so as to increase the airflow speed in the first region and decrease the airflow speed in the second region. The inner cylinder may be cylindrical, with both the inner and outer diameters constant in the axial direction D3 of the fan 3. The inner cylinder may include a tapered portion whose inner and outer diameters gradually change, and a cylindrical portion whose inner and outer diameters are constant. By including the third straightening device, the air flow blowing device 1 can increase the flow rate in the inner region of the outlet 24 while slowing the flow rate in the outer region compared to when the third straightening device is not included, thereby increasing the difference in flow rate between the inner region and the outer region and improving the directionality of the air flow blown out from the outlet 24.

[0105] In the airflow blowing device 1, the cylindrical body 2 may also serve as the fan housing 33 of the fan 3. In the airflow blowing device 1, the cylindrical body 2 may also serve as the cylindrical portion 41 of the first airflow straightening device 4. In the airflow blowing device 1, the cylindrical body 2 may also serve as the cylindrical portion 51 of the second airflow straightening device 5.

[0106] Furthermore, the cylindrical body 2 only needs to have an inlet 23 at the first end 21 and an outlet 24 at the second end 22, and the shape of the cylindrical body 2 is not limited to a cylindrical shape.

[0107] The air blowing device 1 may be embedded in a ceiling material so that the outlet 24 of the cylindrical body 2 faces the target space. The cylindrical body 2 may be attached to a wall or a stand.

[0108] The airflow blowing device 1 may also be configured so that air from an air conditioning facility on the upstream side flows into the inlet 23 of the cylindrical body 2. The air conditioning facility is, for example, a blower, but is not limited to this and may also be, for example, a ventilation device, an air conditioner, an air supply cabinet fan, or an air conditioning system equipped with a blower and a heat exchanger.

[0109] (Aspect) The present specification discloses the following aspects.

[0110] The control method according to the first aspect is a control method for a system including an airflow blowing device (1) and a supply device (7; 7a). The airflow blowing device (1) has an outlet (24) that blows out a straight airflow. The airflow blowing device (1) is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet (24). The supply device (7; 7a) is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet (24). The control method controls fluctuations in the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet (24), and causes the supply device (7; 7a) to supply the functional component to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value (V1).

[0111] The control method according to the first aspect can improve comfort.

[0112] A control method according to a second aspect is based on the first aspect. The supply device (7) is configured to supply a functional component from a functional material containing the functional component. The control method allows the supply device (7) to supply the functional component to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is equal to or less than a second threshold (V2) that is greater than the first threshold (V1).

[0113] The control method according to the second aspect makes it possible to reduce the amount of functional material used in the supply device (7).

[0114] The control method according to the third aspect does not allow the supply device (7) to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow even if the airflow velocity becomes greater than the first threshold value (V1) before a predetermined time (T1) has elapsed since the functional ingredient was supplied in the second aspect.

[0115] The control method according to the third aspect makes it possible to reduce the frequency with which the functional ingredient is supplied from the supply device (7) to the airflow.

[0116] A control method according to a fourth aspect is based on the first aspect. The supply device (7a) is configured to generate and supply a functional component from components in the air. The control method involves fluctuating the airflow velocity from the outlet (24) within a range from a first velocity (VL) to a second velocity (VH) when fluctuation-controlling the velocity of the airflow, and permitting the supply device (7a) to supply the functional component to the airflow when the airflow velocity is greater than a threshold value (V1). The threshold value (V1) is less than the first velocity (VL).

[0117] The control method according to the fourth aspect makes it possible to continuously supply the functional component during the period when the airflow blown out from the outlet (24) of the airflow blowing device (1) fluctuates within a range of not less than the first velocity (VL) but not more than the second velocity (VH).

[0118] A control method according to a fifth aspect is based on the second or third aspect. The control method does not permit the supply device (7) to supply a functional component to the airflow when the flow velocity of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner (201) that conditions the air of the air-conditioned space including the space to which the airflow from the airflow blow-out device (1) is supplied is greater than a second threshold value (V2).

[0119] The control method according to the fifth aspect makes it possible to suppress the functional components from being diffused due to the influence of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner (201).

[0120] The control method according to the sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, and when it is determined that the direction of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner (201) is toward the space to which the airflow from the airflow blow-out device (1) is supplied, the control method does not permit the supply device (7; 7a) to supply the functional component to the airflow.

[0121] The control method according to the sixth aspect makes it possible to suppress the functional components from being diffused due to the influence of the airflow blown out from the air conditioner (201).

[0122] A control method according to a seventh aspect is based on any one of the first to sixth aspects. The control method does not permit the supply of a functional component from the supply device (7; 7a) to the airflow when an evaluation value from a detection unit (11) that detects a person in a detection area including a space to which an airflow from the airflow blowing device (1) is supplied and outputs an evaluation value indicating an amount of movement according to the person's movement is greater than a specified value.

[0123] The control method according to the seventh aspect makes it possible to prevent the functional component from being dispersed due to human movement.

[0124] A control method according to an eighth aspect is based on the first aspect. The control method has a first control mode in which a functional ingredient is supplied from a supply device (7) to an airflow when the airflow velocity is greater than a threshold value (V1), and a second control mode in which the functional ingredient is supplied to an airflow when the airflow velocity is equal to or less than a predetermined value smaller than the threshold value (V1). The control method controls the supply device (7) in one of the first control mode and the second control mode in response to operation of an operating unit that can be operated by a person.

[0125] The control method according to the eighth aspect enables a person to change the range in which the functional ingredient is delivered by operating the operation unit.

[0126] A control method according to a ninth aspect is based on the first aspect. The control method has a first control mode in which the supply device (7) supplies the functional ingredient to the airflow when the airflow velocity is greater than a threshold value (V1), and a second control mode in which the supply device (7) supplies the functional ingredient to the airflow when the airflow velocity is equal to or less than a predetermined value smaller than the threshold value (V1). The control method controls the supply device (7) in one of the first control mode and the second control mode depending on the number of people detected by the human body detection sensor.

[0127] In the control method according to the ninth aspect, for example, when the number of people is 1, the supply device (7) is controlled in the first control mode, and when the number of people is 2 or more, the supply device (7) is controlled in the second control mode. According to this control method, when the number of people is 1, the range in which the functional ingredient is delivered can be narrowed compared to when the number of people is 2 or more, and when the number of people is 2 or more, the range in which the functional ingredient is delivered can be widened compared to when the number of people is 1.

[0128] A program according to a tenth aspect is a program for causing a computer system to execute the control method according to any one of the first to ninth aspects.

[0129] The program according to the tenth aspect makes it possible to improve comfort.

[0130] An airflow control system (100; 100a; 100b; 100c) according to an eleventh aspect includes an airflow blowing device (1), a supply device (7; 7a), and a control unit (8). The airflow blowing device (1) has an outlet (24) that blows out a straight airflow. The airflow blowing device (1) is capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet (24). The supply device (7; 7a) is capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet (24). The control unit (8) controls the airflow blowing device (1) and the supply device (7; 7a). The control unit (8) controls the airflow blowing device (1) to fluctuate the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet (24). The control unit (8) controls the supply device (7; 7a) to supply the functional ingredient to the airflow when the speed of the airflow is greater than a threshold value (V1).

[0131] The airflow control system (100; 100a; 100b; 100c) according to the eleventh aspect can improve comfort. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1 Airflow blowing device 24 Outlet 7, 7a Feeding device 8 Control Unit 11. Detection unit 100, 100a, 100b, 100c Airflow Control System 201 Air conditioning equipment T1 Predetermined time Time t1 Time t2 Time t3 V1 threshold (first threshold) V2 Second Threshold VL 1st speed VH 2nd speed

Claims

1. A control method for a system including an airflow blowout device having an outlet that blows out a straight airflow and capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet, and a supply device that can supply a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet, comprising: the supply device is configured to supply the functional component from a functional material containing the functional component; The control method includes: Fluctuation control of the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet, supplying the functional ingredient from the supply device to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is greater than a threshold value; permitting the supply of the functional ingredient from the supply device to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is equal to or less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value; the supply device does not supply the functional ingredient to the airflow even if the velocity of the airflow becomes greater than the first threshold value before a predetermined time has elapsed since the functional ingredient was supplied; Control method.

2. If the flow velocity of the air flow blown out from the air conditioning equipment that conditions the air in the air-conditioned space, including the space to which the air flow from the air flow blowing device is supplied, is greater than the second threshold value, the supply device is not permitted to supply the functional component to the air flow. The control method according to claim 1 .

3. When it is determined that the direction of the air flow blown out from the air conditioning equipment is toward the space to which the air flow from the air flow blowing device is supplied, the supply device is not permitted to supply the functional component to the air flow. The control method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A detection unit detects a person within a detection area including a space to which the airflow from the airflow blowing device is supplied, and outputs an evaluation value indicating the amount of movement corresponding to the person's movement. If the evaluation value from the detection unit is greater than a specified value, the supply device is not permitted to supply the functional component to the airflow. The control method according to claim 1 or 2.

5. For causing a computer system to execute the control method according to claim 1 or 2, program.

6. An airflow blowing device having an outlet for blowing out a straight airflow and capable of adjusting the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet; a supply device capable of supplying a functional component to be blown into the air to the airflow blown out from the outlet; a control unit that controls the airflow blowing device and the supply device, the supply device is configured to supply the functional component from a functional material containing the functional component; The control unit The airflow blowing device is controlled to fluctuate the speed of the airflow blown out from the outlet, controlling the supply device to supply the functional ingredient from the supply device to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is greater than a threshold value; permitting the supply of the functional ingredient from the supply device to the airflow when the velocity of the airflow is equal to or less than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value; the supply device does not supply the functional ingredient to the airflow even if the velocity of the airflow becomes greater than the first threshold value before a predetermined time has elapsed since the functional ingredient was supplied; Airflow control system.

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