Humidity control and ventilation device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing humidity control and ventilation devices face inefficiencies when operating with other ventilation devices, leading to excessive power usage due to unbalanced airflow rates, which is not addressed by current solutions requiring communication cables for installation complexity and increased components.
Innovation Solution
A humidity control and ventilation device that includes an air supply fan, an exhaust fan, a humidity controller, and an airflow-rate controller, which determines the operation of other ventilation devices by monitoring rotation speed variations to balance airflow rates without external communication, thereby adjusting fan speeds to prevent excessive power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If constant airflow rate control is executed by adjusting fan rotation speeds to maintain target airflow rates, then ventilation performance is optimized, but power consumption increases excessively when other ventilation devices operate simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The control method dynamically switches between constant airflow rate control and constant rotation speed control based on detection results. When another ventilation device is detected, the system transitions to constant rotation speed control, allowing fan rotation speeds to be reduced while maintaining adequate ventilation, thereby reducing power consumption excessively.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a determiner to detect whether another ventilation device is operating by monitoring airflow conditions. This feedback mechanism allows the control system to adjust its strategy accordingly - maintaining constant airflow rate when alone, but reducing to constant rotation speed control when another device is detected, thus optimizing power consumption.
2Ease of operation
If communication cables are installed to enable coordination between ventilation devices, then airflow balance can be achieved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each ventilation device independently detects the presence of other ventilation devices by monitoring airflow conditions through its own sensors. The determiner analyzes airflow patterns to determine if another device is operating, eliminating the need for inter-device communication cables or centralized control systems, thus reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical communication cable system with an airflow-based detection mechanism. By using airflow sensors and analysis to detect the presence of other ventilation devices, the system eliminates the need for physical communication infrastructure between devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for immediate detection and adjustment of airflow rates to balance supply and exhaust rates, reducing power consumption and improving energy conservation without the need for additional communication cables or complex installations.
Implementation Method 1
an air supply fan which supplies outdoor air into a ventilation target space
Implementation Method 2
an exhaust fan which exhausts air in the ventilation target space out of the room
Implementation Method 3
moisture in the air is adsorbed onto an adsorbent of the adsorption heat exchanger acting as an evaporator
Implementation Method 4
the moisture desorbs from the adsorbent of the adsorption heat exchanger acting as a condenser
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A humidity control and ventilation device (10) includes: a determiner (103) determining that another ventilation device (80, 90) has turned on, if at least one of an increasing variation in the rotation speed of the air supply fan (26) and an increasing variation in the rotation speed of the exhaust fan (25) exceeds a corresponding one of predetermined values while the air supply fan (26) and the exhaust fan (25) are under the constant airflow rate control; and an air-flow-rate controller (101) decreasing one of the rotation speed of the air supply fan (26) or the rotation speed of the exhaust fan (25) if the determiner (103) determines that the ventilation device (80, 90) is on, such that a total air supply rate and a total air exhaust rate in the ventilation target space (S) are balanced with each other.