Air-conditioning apparatus and air-conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020200413-A1
Application number	US-201716500682-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	Jul 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes an air-to-air heat exchanger that transfers at least sensible heat between outdoor air and indoor air, an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger provided in an air supply passage to transfer heat between the outdoor air and refrigerant, a humidifying device provided in part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-refrigerant heat exchange, the humidifying device being provided to humidify the outdoor air, a communication passage that causes part of the air exhaust passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger and part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger to communicate with each other, an opening/closing device provided to open and close the communication passage, and a control unit provided to control a refrigerant temperature in the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger based on an indoor temperature, and to control operation of the opening/closing device based on an indoor humidity.

First claim

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a housing in which an air supply passage and an air exhaust passage are provided, the air supply passage allowing flow of outdoor air to be supplied into indoor space, the air exhaust passage allowing flow of indoor air to be exhausted to outside of the indoor space; an air-to-air heat exchanger provided in the housing, and configured to transfer at least sensible heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air; an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger provided in the air supply passage and forming part of a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate refrigerant, the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger being configured to transfer heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant; a humidifying device provided in part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the humidifying device being configured to humidify the outdoor air; a communication passage configured to cause part of the air exhaust passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger and part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger to communicate with each other; an opening/closing device configured to open and close the communication passage; and a control unit configured to control a refrigerant temperature in the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger based on an indoor temperature in the indoor space, and to control an operation of the opening/closing device based on an indoor humidity in the indoor space, the control unit being configured to: control the refrigerant circuit to reduce the refrigerant temperature, when the indoor temperature is higher than or equal to a threshold temperature, control the refrigerant circuit to raise the refrigerant temperature, when the indoor temperature is lower than the threshold temperature, cause the opening/closing device to be set in a closed state, when the indoor humidity is higher than or equal to a threshold humidity, and cause the opening/closing device to be set in an opened state, when the indoor humidity is lower than the threshold humidity.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the indoor humidity is lower than the threshold humidity, the control unit controls an opening degree of the opening/closing device based on a value obtained by subtracting the indoor humidity from the threshold humidity.

4 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a housing in which an air supply passage and an air exhaust passage are provided, the air supply passage allowing flow of outdoor air to be supplied into indoor space, the air exhaust passage allowing flow of indoor air to be exhausted to outside of the indoor space; an air-to-air heat exchanger provided in the housing, and configured to transfer at least sensible heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air; an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger provided in the air supply passage and forming part of a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate refrigerant, the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger being configured to transfer heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant; a humidifying device provided in part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the humidifying device being configured to humidify the outdoor air; a communication passage configured to cause part of the air exhaust passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger and part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger to communicate with each other; an opening/closing device configured to open and close the communication passage; and a control unit configured to control a refrigerant temperature in the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger based on an indoor temperature in the indoor space, and to control an operation of the opening/closing device based on an indoor humidity in the indoor space, wherein when receiving a specific command from the outside, the control unit controls the refrigerant circuit such that the refrigerant temperature is kept constant, and controls an opening degree of the opening/closing device based on a value obtained by subtracting the indoor humidity from threshold humidity.

5 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a housing in which an air supply passage and an air exhaust passage are provided, the air supply passage allowing flow of outdoor air to be supplied into indoor space, the air exhaust passage allowing flow of indoor air to be exhausted to outside of the indoor space; an air-to-air heat exchanger provided in the housing, and configured to transfer at least sensible heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air; an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger provided in the air supply passage and forming part of a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate refrigerant, the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger being configured to transfer heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant; a humidifying device provided in part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the humidifying device being configured to humidify the outdoor air; a communication passage configured to cause part of the air exhaust passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger and part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger to communicate with each other; an opening/closing device configured to open and close the communication passage; and a control unit configured to control a refrigerant temperature in the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger based on an indoor temperature in the indoor space, and to control an operation of the opening/closing device based on an indoor humidity in the indoor space, wherein the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and the humidifying device are provided in part of the air supply passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger.

6 . An air-conditioning system comprising:
a first air-conditioning apparatus configured to process an outside-air load, and supply outdoor air into an indoor space; a second air-conditioning apparatus configured to process a load in the indoor space; and a system controller configured to control the first air-conditioning apparatus and the second air-conditioning apparatus, wherein the first air-conditioning apparatus comprises:
a housing in which an air supply passage and an air exhaust passage are provided, the air supply passage allowing flow of the outdoor air, the air exhaust passage allowing flow of indoor air to be exhausted to outside of the indoor space;
an air-to-air heat exchanger provided in the housing, and configured to transfer at least sensible heat between the outdoor air and the indoor air;
an air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger provided in the air supply passage and forming part of a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate refrigerant, the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger being configured to transfer heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant;
a humidifying device provided in part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger, the humidifying device being configured to humidify the outdoor air;
a communication passage configured to cause part of the air exhaust passage that is located upstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger and part of the air supply passage that is located downstream of the air-to-air heat exchanger to communicate with each other;
an opening/closing device configured to open and close the communication passage; and
a control unit configured to control a refrigerant temperature in the air-to-refrigerant heat exchanger based on an indoor temperature in the indoor space, and to c

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Horie Hayato
• Hamada Mamoru

Classifications

• Y02B30/56

  Heat recovery units · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title

• F24F11/0008 Primary

  for air-humidification (F24F11/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F24F3/14

  by humidification; by dehumidification · CPC title