Heat exchanger ventilator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10337758-B2
Application number	US-201515502843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

Supply air conduit ( 7 ) along which air is sent from outdoors to indoors by the air supply fan ( 9 ), exhaust air conduit ( 8 ) along which air is sent from indoors to outdoors by the air exhaust fan ( 10 ), and heat exchange element ( 6 ) provided at a position where supply air conduit ( 7 ) and exhaust air conduit ( 8 ) intersect, for exchanging heat between indoor air and outdoor air for ventilation are included. In addition, in exhaust air conduit ( 8 ), humidity detection unit ( 14 ) is provided at a position upstream of heat exchange element ( 6 ), and, in supply air conduit ( 7 ), temperature detection unit ( 13 ) is provided at a position upstream of heat exchange element ( 6 ). In addition, controller ( 11 ) reduces, when a temperature detected by temperature detection unit ( 13 ) and humidity detected by humidity detection unit ( 14 ) are predetermined values, speed of an air supply motor and an air exhaust motor so that air flow rates at which moisture neither condenses nor freezes are attained.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger ventilator comprising:
an air supply fan equipped with an air supply motor;
an air exhaust fan equipped with an air exhaust motor;
a supply air conduit along which air is sent from outdoors to indoors by the air supply fan;
an exhaust air conduit along which air is sent from indoors to outdoors by the air exhaust fan; and
a heat exchange element provided at a position where the supply air conduit and the exhaust air conduit intersect, for exchanging heat between indoor air and outdoor air when the indoor air and the outdoor air are ventilated,
wherein
in the supply air conduit, a temperature detection unit is provided at a position upstream of the heat exchange element,
in the exhaust air conduit, a humidity detection unit is provided at a position upstream of the heat exchange element,
the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor are controlled for operations and speed by a controller, and
the controller reduces, when a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below a first predetermined temperature, and a humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within a first predetermined humidity range, speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined first A 1 supply air flow rate and a predefined first A 1 exhaust air flow rate are attained, and reduces, when a humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within a second predetermined humidity range, speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined first A 2 supply air flow rate and a predefined first A 2 exhaust air flow rate are attained, where a maximum value of the first predetermined humidity range<a minimum value of the second predetermined humidity range, the first A 1 supply air flow rate>the first A 2 supply air flow rate, the first A 1 exhaust air flow rate>the first A 2 exhaust air flow rate are satisfied.

2. The heat exchanger ventilator according to claim 1 , wherein
when the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below an n-th predetermined temperature, where n is an integer equal to or above 2 , after the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below the first predetermined temperature and reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor, the controller stops the air supply motor from rotating, without stopping the air exhaust motor from rotating, to continue a ventilation operation only with an exhaust air operation, where the n-th predetermined temperature is satisfied.

3. The heat exchanger ventilator according to claim 2 , wherein
when n is an integer equal to or above 3 , after the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below the first predetermined temperature, and before the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below the n-th predetermined temperature, when the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below a k-th predetermined temperature, where k is an any integer of 2, 3, . . . , and n−1, and humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within the first predetermined humidity range, the controller keeps or reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined k-th A 1 supply air flow rate and a predefined k-th A 1 exhaust air flow rate are attained, and, when humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within the second predetermined humidity range, the controller keeps or reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined k-th A 2 supply air flow rate and a predefined k-th A 2 exhaust air flow rate are attained, where the n-th predetermined temperature<the k-th predetermined temperature<the first predetermined temperature, the k-th A 1 supply air flow rate≤the first A 1 supply air flow rate, the k-th A 1 exhaust air flow rate≤the first A 1 exhaust air flow rate, the k-th A 1 supply air flow rate>the k-th A 2 supply air flow rate, and the k-th A 1 exhaust air flow rate>the k-th A 2 exhaust air flow rate are satisfied.

4. The heat exchanger ventilator according to claim 3 , wherein
when n=3, after the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below the first predetermined temperature, and before the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below a third predetermined temperature, when the controller detects that a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below a second predetermined temperature, and humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within the first predetermined humidity range, the controller keeps or reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined second A 1 supply air flow rate and a predefined second A 1 exhaust air flow rate are attained, and, when humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within the second predetermined humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within the second predetermined humidity range, the controller keeps or reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined second A 2 supply air flow rate and a predefined second A 2 exhaust air flow rate are attained, where the third predetermined temperature<the second predetermined temperature<the first predetermined temperature, the second A 1 supply air flow rate≤the first A 1 supply air flow rate, the second A 1 exhaust air flow rate≤the first A 1 exhaust air flow rate, the second A 1 supply air flow rate>the second A 2 supply air flow rate, and the second A 1 exhaust air flow rate>the second A 2 exhaust air flow rate are satisfied.

5. The heat exchanger ventilator according to claim 1 , wherein
a temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is below the first predetermined temperature, and humidity detected by the humidity detection unit falls within a third predetermined humidity range, the controller reduces speed of the air supply motor and the air exhaust motor so that a predefined first A 3 supply air flow rate and a predefined first A 3 exhaust air flow rate are attained, where a maximum value of the second predetermined humidity range<a minimum value of the third predetermined humidity range, the first A 1 supply air flow rate>the first A 2 supply air flow rate>the first A 3 supply air flow rate, and the first A 1 exhaust air flow rate>the first A 2 exhaust air flow rate>the first A 3 exhaust air flow rate are satisfied.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iio Kouji
• Shima Yasuaki
• Ishiguro Kenichi
• Suzuki Yasuhiro
• Hashimoto Toshihiko
• Yasunishi Teruaki
• Kido Yoshiyuki

Classifications

• F24F13/22

  Means for preventing condensation or evacuating condensate · CPC title

• F24F2110/12

  of the outside air · CPC title

• F24F2110/22

  of the outside air · CPC title

• F24F12/006 Primary

  using an air-to-air heat exchanger (F24F12/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F2013/221

  to avoid the formation of condensate, e.g. dew · CPC title