Air conditioner capable of controlling heating and humidity, and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948202-B2
Application number	US-201615776621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2015
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Provided are an air conditioner capable of indoor heating and humidity control with a simple structure and a method of controlling the same. The air conditioner comprises: a first air flow channel; a second air flow channel; a dehumidification rotor which comprises a first region provided on the first air flow channel, a second region provided on the second air flow channel, and an adsorbent which alternately passes through the first region and the second region and adsorbs moisture in the first region or the second region; and a control unit configured to control air flowing in the first air flow path so that the air is heated by a heater and discharged to an indoor area and control moisture of air flowing through the second region so that the moisture is evaporated in the first region to humidify the indoor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioner comprising:
a first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) provided to communicate with an indoor area, the first air flow path including a first inlet and a first outlet, both the first inlet and first outlet of the first air flow path being provided in the indoor area;
a second air flow path ( 310 ) provided to communicate with an outdoor area, the second air flow path including a second inlet and a second outlet, both the second inlet and second outlet of the second air flow path being provided in the outdoor area;
a third air flow path ( 410 , 115 ) including a third inlet provided in the outdoor area and the first outlet provided in the indoor area, the third air flow path ( 410 , 115 ) including a path common to both the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) and the third air flow path ( 410 , 115 );
a dehumidifying rotor ( 200 ) including a first region ( 210 ) provided along the path common to both the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) and the third air flow path ( 410 , 115 ), a second region ( 220 ) provided along the second air flow path ( 310 ), and an adsorbing material which alternately passes through the first region ( 210 ) and the second region ( 220 ) according to rotation of the dehumidifying rotor ( 200 ) and adsorbs moisture in the first region ( 210 ) or the second region ( 220 ); and
a control unit configured to control air flowing in the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) so that the air is heated by a heater ( 140 , 180 ) and discharged to the indoor area and supply moisture to indoor air introduced through the first air flow path and flowing toward the second region ( 220 ) in the second air flow path ( 310 ) by a moisture supplier and control moisture of air flowing through the second region ( 220 ) in the second air flow path ( 310 ) to flow to the first region ( 210 ) in the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) by rotation of the dehumidifying rotor ( 200 ) so that the moisture is evaporated in the first region ( 210 ) to humidify the indoor,
wherein:
the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) includes a first inlet flow path ( 111 , 113 ) configured to connect the first inlet through which air in the indoor area is introduced and an inlet end of the first region ( 210 ), and a first outlet flow path ( 115 ) configured to connect an outlet end of the first region ( 210 ) and the outlet through which the air is discharged to the indoor area; and
an extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ) is branched from the first inlet flow path ( 111 , 113 ) at a first point between the first inlet and the first outlet of the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) and connected to the second air flow path ( 310 ) at a second point between the second inlet and the second outlet of the second air flow path ( 310 ) such that air introduced from the indoor area flows to the second region ( 220 ), the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ) providing an air passage from the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) to the second air flow path ( 310 ).

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein:
the third air flow path ( 410 , 115 ) through which outdoor air is introduced is connected to the first inlet flow path ( 113 ).

3. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the heater ( 140 , 180 ) includes a first heater ( 140 ) configured to heat air flowing through the first inlet flow path ( 113 ) at a front end of the first region ( 210 ).

4. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the heater ( 140 , 180 ) includes a third heater ( 180 ) configured to heat air flowing in the first outlet flow path ( 115 ) after passing through the first region ( 210 ).

5. The air conditioner of claim 2 , comprising an evaporative cooler ( 150 ) in which heat is exchanged between indoor air flowing in the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ) and outdoor air flowing in the first outlet flow path ( 115 ).

6. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein:
the evaporative cooler ( 150 ) includes a wet channel connected to the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ), a dry channel connected to the first outlet flow path ( 115 ), and a moisture supplier configured to supply moisture to air flowing in the wet channel; and
the moisture supplied to the air flowing in the wet channel by the moisture supplier is adsorbed in the second region ( 220 ) and evaporated in the first region ( 210 ) by rotation of the dehumidifying rotor ( 200 ), and humidifies the indoor area.

7. The air conditioner of claim 5 , comprising:
an evaporator ( 160 ) provided on the first air flow path ( 115 ) and configured to cool air passing through the first region ( 210 ) when an indoor area is dehumidified;
a condenser ( 350 ) provided on the second air flow path ( 310 ) and configured to heat outdoor air flowing toward the second region ( 220 ) when the indoor area is dehumidified; and
a compressor ( 360 ) connected to the evaporator ( 140 ) and the condenser ( 350 ) and configured to compress a heat transfer medium,
wherein the evaporator ( 160 ), the condenser ( 350 ), and the compressor ( 360 ) form a heat pump system to heat air using heat of the evaporator ( 160 ) when the indoor area is heated.

8. The air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein:
a first damper ( 120 ) configured to open or close the first inlet flow path ( 113 ) and a second damper ( 320 ) configured to open or close one side end of the second air flow path ( 310 ); and
when the indoor area is heated and indoor air is ventilated, and when the second damper ( 320 ) is closed while the first damper ( 120 ) is open, some of the indoor air is introduced into the indoor area through the first region ( 210 ) and the first outlet flow path ( 115 ), and the remaining indoor air is discharged to an outdoor area through the first inlet flow path ( 111 ), the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ), and the second air flow path ( 310 ).

9. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein:
a second heater ( 340 ), which is turned on to heat air flowing toward the second region ( 220 ) to regenerate the second region ( 220 ) when the indoor area is dehumidified, is provided in the second air flow path ( 310 ); and
in a case in which the second heater ( 340 ) heats air using heat of hot water, the indoor air is discharged to the outdoor area through the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 ), the second region ( 220 ), the second heater ( 340 ), and the second air flow path ( 310 ).

10. The air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein:
an extraction blower ( 170 ) configured to cause air to flow is provided on the extraction flow path ( 112 , 114 );
a first flow path blower ( 130 ) configured to introduce air at one side of the indoor area and cause the air to flow to the other side of the indoor area is provided on the first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 );
a second flow path blower ( 330 ) configured to introduce air at one side of an outdoor area and cause the air to flow to the other side of the outdoor area is provided on the second air flow path ( 310 ); and
a direction in which the first flow path blower ( 130 ) blows is opposite to a direction in which the second flow path blower ( 330 ) blows.

11. A method for controlling an air conditioner including a first air flow path ( 111 , 113 , 115 ) provided to communicate with an indoor area, the first air flow path including a first inlet and a first outlet, both the first inlet and first outlet of the first air flow path being provided in the indoor area, a second air flow path ( 310 ) provided to communicate with an outdoor area, the second air flow path including a second inlet and a second outlet, both the second inlet and second outlet of the second air flow path

Assignees

• Kyungdong Navien Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Dong Keun
• Jin Won Jae
• Han Jae Hyun

Classifications

• F24F11/67

  Switching between heating and cooling modes · CPC title

• F24F3/14

  by humidification; by dehumidification · CPC title

• F24F11/74

  for controlling air flow rate or air velocity · CPC title

• F24F2110/10

  Temperature · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title