FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]
AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS;
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORPORATION ORGANISED AND
EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF JAPAN, WHOSE ADDRESS IS 7-3,
MARUNOUCHI 2-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 1008310, JAPAN
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE INVENTION
AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED
2
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
[0001]
5 The present disclosure relates to an air-conditioning apparatus that performs
air-conditioning in a room.
Background Art
[0002]
Hitherto, in an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus, an unusual odor
10 may be generated when an operation is started. Such an unusual odor is often
caused by mold or dust attached to an indoor heat exchanger. It is known that such
an unusual odor is generated especially when the indoor heat exchanger is getting
wet and when the indoor heat exchanger is getting dry. Because an unusual odor
generated in the indoor unit at the time of starting operation is caused when the
15 indoor heat exchanger is getting wet, various techniques have been proposed
recently for suppressing generation of an unusual odor when the indoor heat
exchanger is getting wet.
[0003]
For example, in Patent Literature 1, an air-conditioning apparatus is proposed
20 that activates a compressor after a certain time period has elapsed after the start of a
cooling operation, stops the rotation of an indoor fan during a time period when an
indoor heat exchanger is getting wet, and drives the indoor fan continuously after
driving the indoor fan intermittently after the indoor heat exchanger gets wet. In the
air-conditioning apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, control is performed in
25 which the indoor fan is stopped for a first time period after the start of a cooling
operation and then an intermittent operation of the indoor fan is repeated. As a
result, the air-conditioning apparatus drives the indoor fan after the indoor heat
exchanger gets wet in some degree, and thus generation of an odor due to mold or
dust attached to the indoor heat exchanger is suppressed.
30 Citation List
3
Patent Literature
[0004]
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2007-139228
5 Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0005]
However, in the air-conditioning apparatus described in Patent Literature 1,
because the rotation speed of a fan for an initial activation is not specified, the indoor
10 fan is usually rotated at the wind velocity set by a user. For example, when the
indoor fan is rotated while the wind velocity is set to be high, the indoor heat
exchanger in a cold and wet state may be dried rapidly by a sucked warm indoor air.
Consequently, when the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit of the airconditioning apparatus is dried, an unusual odor may be generated.
15 [0006]
The present disclosure has been made to overcome the problem in the abovementioned related-art technique, and an object thereof is to provide an airconditioning apparatus capable of suppressing generation of an unusual odor in an
indoor unit at the start of a cooling operation.
20 Solution to Problem
[0007]
An air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure has a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger,
an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected by a pipe and
25 refrigerant circulates in the pipe, and includes an indoor fan configured to supply an
indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger, and a controller configured to control the
compressor and the indoor fan. The controller is configured to run the compressor
at a start of a cooling operation, start running the indoor fan at less than a set
minimum wind velocity after a first set time has elapsed since the compressor started
30 operating, run the indoor fan at the set minimum wind velocity after a second set time
4
has elapsed since the indoor fan started operating at less than the set minimum wind
velocity, and run the indoor fan at a set wind velocity after a third set time has elapsed
since the indoor fan started operating at the set minimum wind velocity.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
5 [0008]
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by gradually increasing
the wind velocity of the indoor fan after the first set time has elapsed since the
compressor started operating at the start of cooling operation, the indoor fan is driven
while the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is kept at a low temperature and
10 dew is formed on the indoor heat exchanger. As a result, generation of an unusual
odor can be suppressed in the indoor heat exchanger at the start of the cooling
operation.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0009]
15 [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of
an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the
configuration of an indoor control device of Fig. 1.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of the
20 configuration of the controller of Fig. 2.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating another example
of the configuration of the controller of Fig. 2.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a bottom view illustrating an example of the appearance of an
indoor unit of Fig. 1.
25 [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the indoor unit taken along the
line A-A of Fig. 5.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a bottom view illustrating the indoor unit of Fig. 5 without a
suction grill.
5
[Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an example of a connection
relationship among units in the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment
1.
[Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a first operation example of an
5 indoor fan in odor suppression processing.
[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a second operation example of
the indoor fan in odor suppression processing.
[Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of odor
suppression processing in the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1.
10 [Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a relationship between a dewpoint temperature and a fictive dew-point temperature in Embodiment 2.
Description of Embodiments
[0010]
Embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described below with
15 reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments
described below, and various modifications can be made without departing from the
spirit of the present disclosure. Further, the present disclosure includes every
possible combination of the components shown in the embodiments below. In the
drawings, components denoted by the same reference signs are the same or
20 corresponding components, and this applies to the entire description. Furthermore,
although terms indicating directions (such as "top", "bottom", "right", "left", "front", and
"rear") are used, as appropriate, to facilitate understanding, these terms are used only
for the explanation purpose and do not limit the arrangement and direction of a device
or a component. In addition, in terms of pressures and temperatures, the states of
25 "high" and "low" are not determined by comparing with any specific absolute values,
but are relatively determined based on a condition and an operation in a system or a
device. Note that, in the drawings used in the following description, a relative size
relationship among components may differ from the actual relationship and the shape
of each component may differ from the actual shape.
30 [0011]
6
Embodiment 1
An air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
The air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 is configured to perform
air-conditioning by heating or cooling an air-conditioning target space by causing
5 refrigerant to circulate in a refrigerant circuit and transferring heat between an outdoor
air and an indoor air via the refrigerant.
[0012]
[Configuration of Air-Conditioning Apparatus 1]
Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an air10 conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, an airconditioning apparatus 1 includes an outdoor unit 200, an indoor unit 100, and a
remote controller 300. The outdoor unit 200 and the indoor unit 100 are connected
to each other by a refrigerant pipe 120 and a refrigerant pipe 130. By connecting the
outdoor unit 200 and the indoor unit 100 in this way, a refrigerant circuit 140 through
15 which refrigerant circulates is formed. In the refrigerant circuit 140 of the airconditioning apparatus 1, a compressor 31, a flow switching device 32, an outdoor
heat exchanger 33, an expansion valve 34, and an indoor heat exchanger 36 are
connected via refrigerant pipes.
[0013]
20 (Outdoor Unit 200)
The outdoor unit 200 includes the compressor 31, the flow switching device 32,
the outdoor heat exchanger 33, an outdoor fan 35, and the expansion valve 34. The
outdoor unit 200 further includes an outdoor control device 60 that controls the
compressor 31, the flow switching device 32, and the outdoor fan 35.
25 [0014]
The compressor 31 is configured to compress and discharge sucked
refrigerant. The compressor 31 may include an inverter device, and may be
configured so that the capacity of the compressor 31 can be changed by changing an
operation frequency by the inverter device. Note that the capacity of the compressor
30 31 is the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time.
7
[0015]
The flow switching device 32 is, for example, a four-way valve and is
configured to switch directions of a refrigerant passage. By switching refrigerant
flows by the flow switching device 32 based on an instruction from the outdoor control
5 device 60, the air-conditioning apparatus 1 can achieve a heating operation or a
cooling operation.
[0016]
The outdoor heat exchanger 33 is configured to cause heat exchange to be
performed between the refrigerant and an outdoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger
10 33 functions as an evaporator in heating operation to evaporate and gasify the
refrigerant by causing heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant in a
low-pressure state flowing from the refrigerant pipe 130 and an outdoor air. The
outdoor heat exchanger 33 functions as a condenser in a cooling operation to
condense and liquefy the refrigerant by causing heat exchange to be performed
15 between the refrigerant, which has been compressed by the compressor 31 and
entered from the side of the flow switching device 32, and an outdoor air.
[0017]
The outdoor fan 35 is provided to improve the efficiency of heat exchange
between the refrigerant and an outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 33. The
20 outdoor fan 35 is controlled to be driven or stopped based on an instruction of the
outdoor control device 60. In the outdoor fan 35, the rotation rate of a fan may be
changed by changing the operation frequency of the fan motor based on an
instruction of the outdoor control device 60. In the outdoor fan 35, when the rotation
rate of the fan is controlled by the outdoor control device 60, the velocity of wind to be
25 supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 33 is controlled.
[0018]
The expansion valve 34 is an expansion device (flow control unit) that functions
as an expansion valve by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the
expansion valve 34. The pressure of the refrigerant is adjusted by changing the
30 opening degree of the expansion valve 34. For example, when the expansion valve
8
34 is an electronic expansion valve or a similar device, the opening degree thereof is
adjusted based on an instruction of the outdoor control device 60.
[0019]
The outdoor control device 60 is housed in an electric component box, for
5 example. The outdoor control device 60 is configured to control devices provided in
the outdoor unit 200. In the air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1,
the outdoor control device 60 is configured to control the compressor 31, the flow
switching device 32, the outdoor fan 35, and the expansion valve 34 based on
instructions from an indoor control device 50, which is connected to the outdoor
10 control device 60 via a cable 5. The indoor control device 50 will be described later.
The outdoor control device 60 is an arithmetic unit, such as a microcomputer that
executes software to achieve various functions, or hardware, such as circuit devices
corresponding to respective functions.
[0020]
15 (Indoor Unit 100)
The indoor unit 100 includes the indoor heat exchanger 36 and an indoor fan
37. The indoor unit 100 also includes the indoor control device 50 that controls the
indoor fan 37.
[0021]
20 The indoor heat exchanger 36 is configured to cause heat exchange to be
performed between the refrigerant and an indoor air, which is air in an air-conditioning
target space. The indoor heat exchanger 36 functions as a condenser in a heating
operation to condense and liquefy the refrigerant by causing heat exchange to be
performed between the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant pipe 120 and the
25 indoor air. The indoor heat exchanger 36 functions as an evaporator in cooling
operation. The indoor heat exchanger 36 is configured to cause heat exchange to
be performed between the refrigerant whose pressure is reduced by the expansion
valve 34 and the indoor air to cause the refrigerant to draw heat away from the air,
thereby evaporating and gasifying the refrigerant.
30 [0022]
9
The indoor fan 37 is configured to control a flow of air to be used in heat
exchange at the indoor heat exchanger 36 and supply the indoor air to the indoor
heat exchanger 36. The indoor fan 37 is controlled to be driven or stopped based on
an instruction of the indoor control device 50. In the indoor fan 37, the rotation rate
5 of a fan may be changed by changing the operation frequency of the fan motor based
on an instruction of the indoor control device 50. In the indoor fan 37, when the
rotation rate of the fan is controlled by the indoor control device 50, the velocity of
wind to be supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 36 is controlled.
[0023]
10 Furthermore, the indoor unit 100 is provided with a suction temperature sensor
41, a humidity sensor 42, a two-phase pipe temperature sensor 43, and a liquid pipe
temperature sensor 44. The suction temperature sensor 41 is configured to detect
the temperature of air in the indoor space, which is the air-conditioning target space.
The humidity sensor 42 is configured to detect the humidity in the indoor space, which
15 is the air-conditioning target space. That is, the suction temperature sensor 41 and
the humidity sensor 42 detect the temperature and the humidity of air passing through
an air inlet 14a (see Figs. 5 and 6) of the indoor unit 100. The temperature and the
humidity of the air detected by the suction temperature sensor 41 and the humidity
sensor 42 are output to the indoor control device 50.
20 [0024]
The two-phase pipe temperature sensor 43 is installed at the indoor heat
exchanger 36 to detect the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36. The
temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 detected by the two-phase pipe
temperature sensor 43 is output to the indoor control device 50. The liquid pipe
25 temperature sensor 44 is installed at the indoor heat exchanger 36 to detect the
temperature of a heat transfer tube in which the refrigerant in a liquid state flowing
into and out from the indoor heat exchanger 36 flows. For example, the indoor heat
exchanger 36 may have such a configuration that the heat transfer tube has a
plurality of paths, the refrigerant having flowed in the indoor heat exchanger 36 is
30 divided to the plurality of paths, heat exchange is performed in in each path, flows of
10
the divided refrigerant are merged together after heat exchange, and the merged
refrigerant is discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 36. In this case, the liquid
pipe temperature sensor 44 detects the temperature of the refrigerant before being
divided or after being merged. That is, because the refrigerant having passed the
5 installation positon of the liquid pipe temperature sensor 44 is divided to each path
through a branch pipe, the temperature of the heat transfer tube detected by the liquid
pipe temperature sensor 44 can be used as an index of the temperature of the
refrigerant immediately before the division. The temperature of the heat transfer
tube detected by the liquid pipe temperature sensor 44 is output to the indoor control
10 device 50.
[0025]
(Indoor Control Device 50)
The indoor control device 50 is housed, as an indoor control board, in an
electric component box 40 (see Figs. 6 and 7), which will be described later. The
15 indoor control device 50 is configured to control the devices provided in the indoor
unit 100 and also control the devices provided in the outdoor unit 200 via the outdoor
control device 60, which is connected thereto by the cable 5. That is, the indoor
control device 50 is configured to control the entire air-conditioning apparatus 1. In
Embodiment 1, the indoor control device 50 performs odor suppression processing,
20 which will be described later, while controlling the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37
based on detection results of the suction temperature sensor 41, the humidity sensor
42, and the two-phase pipe temperature sensor 43. Note that details of the indoor
control device 50 will be described later.
[0026]
25 Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration
of the indoor control device of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the indoor control device
50 includes an arithmetic unit 51, a comparison determination unit 52, a device
control unit 53, a timer 54, and a storage unit 55. The indoor control device 50 is an
arithmetic unit, such as a microcomputer that executes software to achieve various
30 functions, or hardware, such as circuit devices corresponding to respective functions.
11
[0027]
The arithmetic unit 51 is configured to derive a dew-point temperature based
on an indoor temperature detected by the suction temperature sensor 41 and an
indoor humidity detected by the humidity sensor 42. The storage unit 55 stores
5 various types of information to be used in the units of the indoor control device 50.
In Embodiment 1, the storage unit 55 stores in advance a first set time T1 to a fifth set
time T5 to be used in the comparison determination unit 52.
[0028]
The first set time T1 is a time period from the start of operation of the
10 compressor 31 to the start of operation of the indoor fan 37. The first set time T1 is
set to 30 seconds, for example. The second set time T2 is a time period during
which the indoor fan 37 runs at less than a set minimum wind velocity (very quiet
wind). The second set time T2 is set to 60 seconds, for example. The third set time
T3 is a time period during which the indoor fan 37 runs at the set minimum wind
15 velocity (quiet wind). The third set time T3 may be set to the same time period as
that of the second set time T2, or may be set to a different time period, such as a
longer or shorter time period than that of the second set time T2.
[0029]
The fourth set time T4 is a time period during which the temperature of the
20 indoor heat exchanger 36 is continuously below the dew-point temperature and the
indoor fan 37 runs at less than the set minimum wind velocity (very quiet wind). The
fourth set time T4 is set to a time period shorter than that of the second set time T2
and shorter than that of the third set time T3. The fourth set time T4 is set to 30
seconds, for example. The fifth set time T5 is a time period during which the
25 temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is continuously below the dew-point
temperature and the indoor fan 37 runs at the set minimum wind velocity (quiet wind).
The fifth set time T5 may be set to the same time period as that of the fourth set time
T4, or may be set to a different time period, such as a longer or shorter time period
than that of the fourth set time T4. Note that the set minimum wind velocity
12
represents the lowest wind velocity that a user can set within an operable range of the
indoor fan 37.
[0030]
The comparison determination unit 52 is configured to compare various
5 information and make determinations based on the comparison results when
performing the odor suppression processing, which will be described later. More
specifically, the comparison determination unit 52 compares the indoor set
temperature supplied from the remote controller 300 and a suction temperature,
which is the indoor temperature, detected by the suction temperature sensor 41 to
10 determine which temperature is higher. In addition, the comparison determination
unit 52 compares the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 detected by the
two-phase pipe temperature sensor 43 and a dew-point temperature calculated by the
arithmetic unit 51 to determine which temperature is higher.
[0031]
15 The device control unit 53 is configured to control the rotation rate of the indoor
fan 37 to change the wind velocity of air to be supplied to the indoor heat exchanger
36 from the indoor fan 37 based on a determination result of the comparison
determination unit 52. The timer 54 is configured to measure time from a
predetermined time. Specifically, the timer 54 measures an operation time of the
20 compressor 31, and an operation time of the indoor fan 37 since the rotation rate was
controlled.
[0032]
Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of the
configuration of the controller of Fig. 2. When various functions of the indoor control
25 device 50 are executed by hardware, the indoor control device 50 of Fig. 2 is formed
as a processing circuit 71, as shown in Fig. 3. In the indoor control device 50 of Fig.
2, functions of the arithmetic unit 51, the comparison determination unit 52, the device
control unit 53, the timer 54, and the storage unit 55 are achieved by the processing
circuit 71.
30 [0033]
13
When the functions are implemented by hardware, the processing circuit 71
corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed
processor, a parallel-programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit
(ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of these circuits.
5 The indoor control device 50 may achieve the functions of the arithmetic unit 51,
comparison determination unit 52, the device control unit 53, the timer 54 and the
storage unit 55 by respective processing circuits 71 or by a single processing circuit
71.
[0034]
10 Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating another example of the
configuration of the controller of Fig. 2. When various functions of the indoor control
device 50 are executed by software, the indoor control device 50 of Fig. 2 is formed
as a processor 72 and a memory 73, as shown in Fig. 4. In the indoor control device
50, functions of the arithmetic unit 51, the comparison determination unit 52, the
15 device control unit 53, the timer 54, and the storage unit 55 are achieved by the
processor 72 and the memory 73.
[0035]
When the functions are implemented by software, the functions of the
arithmetic unit 51, the comparison determination unit 52, the device control unit 53,
20 the timer 54, and the storage unit 55 are achieved by software, firmware, or a
combination of software and firmware in the indoor control device 50. The software
and the firmware are described as programs and stored in the memory 73. The
processor 72 is configured to read out and execute the programs stored in the
memory 73 to thereby implement the functions.
25 [0036]
The memory 73 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only
memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), an
electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), or other types of nonvolatile or volatile semiconductor memory. In addition, the memory 73 may be, for
30 example, a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disc, a compact disc (CD), a mini
14
disc (MD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or other types of detachable recording
medium.
[0037]
(Remote Controller 300)
5 The air-conditioning apparatus 1 includes a remote controller (hereinafter
referred to as "remote") 300. The remote 300 is used by a user to remotely control
the air-conditioning apparatus 1.
[0038]
The remote 300 is connected to the indoor control device 50 by a remote line 6.
10 The remote 300 is configured to communicate with the indoor control device 50 via
the remote line 6 by transmitting and receiving signals. For example, the remote 300
transmits a stop signal for stopping the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1
to the indoor control device 50. The operations of the indoor unit 100 and the
outdoor unit 200 are thus stopped. In addition, the remote 300 transmits a start
15 signal for starting the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 to the indoor
control device 50. The operations of the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200
are thus started.
[0039]
Furthermore, the remote 300 can set an indoor set temperature, which is a
20 desired indoor temperature, based on an operation of a user. The remote 300
transmits a signal indicating the indoor set temperature being set to the indoor control
device 50. Note that, the connection between the remote 300 and the indoor control
device 50 is not limited to the connection using the remote line 6. The remote 300
and the indoor control device 50 may be wirelessly connected, for example.
25 [0040]
(Configuration of Indoor Unit 100)
Next, the configuration of the indoor unit 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a
bottom view illustrating an example of the appearance of the indoor unit of Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a schematic sectional view of the indoor unit taken along the line A-A of Fig.
30 5. An X-axis shown in Fig. 5 and the following drawings represents the right and left
15
width direction of the indoor unit 100. A Y-axis represents the front and back
direction of the indoor unit 100. A Z-axis represents the vertical direction of the
indoor unit 100. More specifically, the indoor unit 100 will be described with an X1
side of the X-axis as the left side and an X2 side thereof as the right side, a Y1 side of
5 the Y-axis as the front side and a Y2 side thereof as the back side, and a Z1 side of
the Z-axis as the upper side and a Z2 side thereof as the lower side. Furthermore,
the description basically represents a positional relationship (for example, a
relationship in the vertical direction) among the components based on the assumption
that the indoor unit 100 is placed in an actual use state.
10 [0041]
The indoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 is, for example, an indoor unit
of a ceiling embedded type that can be embedded in a ceiling, and of a four-way
cassette type in which air outlets 13c are formed in four directions. As shown in Fig.
6, the indoor unit 100 has a casing 10 that houses the indoor fan 37 and the indoor
15 heat exchanger 36. The casing 10 has a top panel 11 forming a ceiling face and four
side plates 12 forming front, back, right, and left side-faces. The casing 10 has an
opening on a lower side (Z2 side) facing the inside of a room. On the opening of the
casing 10, a decorative panel 13 having a substantially rectangular shape in a plane
view is attached, as shown in Fig. 5.
20 [0042]
The decorative panel 13 is a plate-like component. One face of the decorative
panel 13 faces an attached face, such as a ceiling or a wall, and the other face faces
the inside of a room, which is an air-conditioning target space. As shown in Figs. 5
and 6, an opening part 13a as a through hole is formed near the center of the
25 decorative panel 13. A suction grill 14 is attached on the opening part 13a. On the
suction grill 14, an air inlet 14a is formed through which air enters the casing 10 from
the inside of the room corresponding to an air-conditioning target space. On the
casing 10 side of the suction grill 14, a filter (not shown) for removing dust in the air
having passed through the suction grill 14 is arranged. An air outlet 13c from which
30 air flows out is formed on the decorative panel 13 between an outer edge part 13b of
16
the decorative panel 13 and an inner edge part forming the opening part 13a. One
air outlets 13c is formed along each of the four sides of the decorative panel 13.
That is, in the casing 10, the indoor heat exchanger 36 and the indoor fan 37 are
housed, and a plurality of air outlets 13c are formed from which air having passed
5 through the indoor heat exchanger 36 is blown out by driving of the indoor fan 37. In
the casing 10, an air passage is formed between the air inlet 14a and the air outlet
13c.
[0043]
Each air outlet 13c is provided with a vane 15 that changes the direction of
10 wind flow. The indoor unit 100 is capable of changing the direction of wind blown out
from the air outlet 13c by changing the angle of the vane 15. The vane 15 is a wind
direction plate that is connected to a motor (not shown) and whose angle can be
changed by the indoor control device 50. By changing the angle of the vane 15, the
indoor control device 50 can open and close the air outlet 13c.
15 [0044]
Fig. 7 is a bottom view illustrating the indoor unit of Fig. 5 without the suction
grill. The indoor fan 37 and the indoor heat exchanger 36 are provided inside the
casing 10. The indoor fan 37 is configured to cause air in the room to enter the air
inlet 14a of the indoor unit 100 and cause air to flow into the room from the air outlet
20 13c of the indoor unit 100. The indoor fan 37 is arranged to face the suction grill 14
in the casing 10. In addition, the indoor fan 37 is arranged in the casing 10 in such a
manner that the rotation shaft is extended in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).
[0045]
In the casing 10, the indoor heat exchanger 36 is arranged in an air passage
25 between the indoor fan 37 and the air outlet 13c. The indoor heat exchanger 36 is
configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant flowing
therein and air flowing in the air passage. By causing heat exchange to be
performed between the refrigerant flowing therein and the indoor air, the indoor heat
exchanger 36 produces air for air-conditioning. The indoor heat exchanger 36 is, for
17
example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger, and is arranged to surround the indoor fan
37 on a downstream side of the indoor fan 37 in the air flow.
[0046]
In the casing 10, the indoor fan 37 and the indoor heat exchanger 36 are
5 arranged on a downstream side of the air inlet 14a in the air flow but on an upstream
side of the air outlet 13c in the air flow. In addition, in the indoor unit 100, the indoor
fan 37 is arranged above the suction grill 14 and the indoor heat exchanger 36 is
arranged in a radial direction of the indoor fan 37. Furthermore, in the indoor unit
100, the suction grill 14 is arranged below the indoor heat exchanger 36.
10 [0047]
The indoor unit 100 also has a bell mouth 16. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the
bell mouth 16 is installed on an upstream side of the indoor fan 37 on the air inflow
side of the indoor unit 100. The bell mouth 16 is configured to straighten the flow of
air entering from the air inlet 14a of the suction grill 14 and then supply the air to the
15 indoor fan 37.
[0048]
The indoor unit 100 is provided with the electric component box 40 between the
bell mouth 16 and the suction grill 14 in the casing 10. The electric component box
40 houses a device such as the indoor control device 50. The device in the electric
20 component box 40 supplies power to devices of the indoor unit 100 and performs
transmission/reception (communication) of signals with various devices included in
the air-conditioning apparatus 1. The electric component box 40 is formed in a
substantially cuboid shape. The electric component box 40 is arranged in the
opening part 13a formed on the decorative panel 13, in a plane view looking up at the
25 ceiling from the inside of the room. The longitudinal direction of the electric
component box 40 is arranged along an edge part of the decorative panel 13, the
edge part forming one side of the opening part 13a. The electric component box 40
is fixed in the casing 10 by a fixing component, such as a screw, for example.
[0049]
18
The indoor unit 100 also has the cable 5. The cable 5 is a communication line
that is used in communication of signals including data between the indoor unit 100
and the outdoor unit 200. However, note that the connection between the indoor unit
100 and the outdoor unit 200 is not limited to a wired connection such as the one
5 using the cable 5. The indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 may be connected
via a wireless connection.
[0050]
The suction temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are arranged
between the air inlet 14a and the indoor fan 37. However, note that the installation
10 positions of the suction temperature sensor 41 and the humidity sensor 42 are not
limited to the position described above. The suction temperature sensor 41 and the
humidity sensor 42 may be arranged at positions appropriate for detection of the
indoor temperature and the indoor humidity, based on the structure of the indoor unit
100.
15 [0051]
Fig. 8 is a schematic view illustrating an example of a connection relationship
among units in the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. As shown
in Fig. 8, the indoor unit 100 is connected to the outdoor unit 200 via the refrigerant
pipe 120 and the refrigerant pipe 130. The indoor unit 100 is also connected to the
20 remote 300 via the remote line 6.
[0052]
The remote 300 is provided with an operation unit 301 and a display unit 302.
The operation unit 301 is an input device for inputting an instruction of a user into the
indoor control device 50 of the air-conditioning apparatus 1. An input method for the
25 operation unit 301 is not limited to any particular method. For example, the
operation unit 301 may be a button, a contact-type sensor or a microphone for voice
input.
[0053]
The display unit 302 displays operation conditions of the air-conditioning
30 apparatus 1 based on the indoor control device 50, such as an operation mode
19
(cooling, heating, dehumidification, etc.), a set temperature, a detected room
temperature, a set humidity, a detected humidity, and the current time. The display
unit 302 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro
luminescence (EL) display.
5 [0054]
[Operation of Air-Conditioning Apparatus 1]
Next, with reference to Fig. 1, operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1
having the abovementioned configuration will be described together with refrigerant
flows. Here, the refrigerant flow for a case where the air-conditioning apparatus 1
10 performs a cooling operation and that for a case of a heating operation will be
described. In Fig. 1, the solid line arrows represent the flow of the refrigerant in a
cooling operation and the broken line arrows represent the flow of the refrigerant in a
heating operation. Note that, the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is capable of
performing an operation other than the cooling operation and the heating operation,
15 such as, for example, a dehumidification operation or a ventilation operation.
[0055]
(In Cooling Operation)
When the air-conditioning apparatus 1 performs a cooling operation, the flow
switching device 32 is first switched to the state indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 1.
20 That is, the flow switching device 32 is switched so that the discharge side of the
compressor 31 and the outdoor heat exchanger 33 are connected to each other and
the suction side of the compressor 31 and the indoor heat exchanger 36 are
connected to each other.
[0056]
25 When the compressor 31 is driven, the compressor 31 discharges the
refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state. The refrigerant in a
high-temperature and high-pressure gas state discharged from the compressor 31
flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 33 functioning as a condenser, via the flow
switching device 32. The outdoor heat exchanger 33 exchanges heat between the
30 refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state flowing therein and an
20
outdoor air supplied by a fan (not shown). The refrigerant in a high-temperature and
high-pressure gas state is thus condensed and enters a high-pressure liquid state.
[0057]
The refrigerant in a high-pressure liquid state that has flowed out from the
5 outdoor heat exchanger 33 is expanded in the expansion valve 34 and thus enters a
two-phase state in which the refrigerant in a low-pressure gas state and the
refrigerant in a low-pressure liquid state are mixed. The refrigerant in a two-phase
state flows into the indoor heat exchanger 36 functioning as an evaporator. The
indoor heat exchanger 36 exchanges heat between the refrigerant in a two-phase
10 state flowing therein and a heat medium flowing in a heat medium circulation circuit.
The refrigerant in a liquid state of the refrigerant in a two-phase state is thus
evaporated and enters a low-pressure gas state.
[0058]
The refrigerant in a low-pressure gas state that has flowed out from the indoor
15 heat exchanger 36 flows into the compressor 31 via the flow switching device 32, is
compressed therein, and thus enters a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state.
Then, the refrigerant is discharged again from the compressor 31. By repeating this
cycle, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 140 as shown by the
solid line arrows in Fig. 1.
20 [0059]
(In Heating Operation)
When the air-conditioning apparatus 1 performs a heating operation, the flow
switching device 32 is first switched to the state indicated by the broken lines in Fig.
1. That is, the flow switching device 32 is switched so that the discharge side of the
25 compressor 31 and the indoor heat exchanger 36 are connected to each other and
the suction side of the compressor 31 and the outdoor heat exchanger 33 are
connected to each other.
[0060]
When the compressor 31 is driven, the compressor 31 discharges the
30 refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state. The refrigerant in a
21
high-temperature and high-pressure gas state discharged from the compressor 31
flows into the indoor heat exchanger 36 functioning as a condenser, via the flow
switching device 32. The indoor heat exchanger 36 exchanges heat between the
refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state flowing therein and the
5 heat medium flowing in the heat medium circulation circuit. The refrigerant in a hightemperature and high-pressure gas state is thus condensed and enters a highpressure liquid state.
[0061]
The refrigerant in a high-pressure liquid state that has flowed out from the
10 indoor heat exchanger 36 is expanded in the expansion valve 34 and thus enters a
two-phase state in which the refrigerant in a low-pressure gas state and the
refrigerant in a low-pressure liquid state are mixed. The refrigerant in a two-phase
state flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 33 functioning as an evaporator. The
outdoor heat exchanger 33 causes heat exchange to be performed between the
15 refrigerant in a two-phase state flowing therein and outdoor air supplied by a fan (not
shown). The refrigerant in a liquid state of the refrigerant in a two-phase state is thus
evaporated and enters a low-pressure gas state. The refrigerant in a low-pressure
gas state that has flowed out from the outdoor heat exchanger 33 flows into the
compressor 31 via the flow switching device 32, is compressed therein, and thus
20 enters a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state. Then, the refrigerant is
discharged again from the compressor 31. By repeating this cycle, the refrigerant
circulates through the refrigerant circuit 140 as shown by the broken line arrows in
Fig. 1.
[0062]
25 [Odor Suppression Processing]
Next, odor suppression processing will be described. In the air-conditioning
apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, odor suppression processing is performed
to suppress generation of an unusual odor in the indoor unit 100. The odor
suppression processing suppresses an unusual odor generated at the start of
22
operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 by controlling the wind velocity of the
indoor fan 37.
[0063]
(Regarding Generation of Unusual Odor)
5 Before odor suppression processing is explained, a mechanism that generates
an unusual odor in the indoor unit 100 will be described. In recent years, to achieve
energy saving and improve efficiency, the capacities of indoor heat exchangers to be
installed in indoor units are increased by making fin pitches smaller. Consequently,
the surface area of such an indoor heat exchanger having a larger capacity is
10 increased, and thus the amount of an oil of human skin or other oil that enters the
indoor unit via the air inlet thereof and adheres to the surface area is increased.
When the oil of human skin or other oil attached to the indoor heat exchanger is
decomposed by microorganisms, a malodorous substance is generated in the indoor
heat exchanger.
15 [0064]
Furthermore, from a macro perspective, dust attached to an indoor heat
exchanger or propagation of mold in the indoor heat exchanger causes generation of
an unusual odor in the indoor heat exchanger. When a fan of an indoor unit is driven
under such a condition, an unusual odor is blown out into an air-conditioning target
20 space together with air blown out from the indoor unit. Consequently, a user can
smell the unusual odor in the air supplied by the indoor unit. It is known that this
unusual odor occurs when the indoor heat exchanger is getting wet and when the
indoor heat exchanger is getting dry.
[0065]
25 The odor suppression processing according to Embodiment 1 is performed to
suppress generation of an unusual odor when the indoor heat exchanger 36 is getting
wet after the air-conditioning apparatus 1 starts cooling operation. More specifically,
in the odor suppression processing, to suppress generation of an unusual odor in the
indoor unit 100 at the start of a cooling operation, the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37
30 is controlled in such a manner that the wind velocity is gradually increased.
23
[0066]
(Control of Wind Velocity of Indoor Fan 37)
Fig. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a first operation example of the indoor fan
in the odor suppression processing. In Fig. 9, the horizontal axis represents time.
5 The vertical axis represents an operation state of the air-conditioning apparatus 1
input from the remote 300, an operation state of the compressor 31, and a state of
wind velocity of the indoor fan 37.
[0067]
As shown in Fig. 9, when the remote 300 transmits a signal (ON signal) for
10 starting operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 at tA, operation of the
compressor 31 is started at tB. At this moment, the indoor fan 37 is in a stop state.
That is, no air flow is coming from the indoor unit 100.
[0068]
At tC, which is a time when the first set time T1 has elapsed after the
15 compressor 31 starts operating, operation of the indoor fan 37 is started. At this
time, the indoor control device 50 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 so that
the indoor fan 37 runs at less than a set minimum wind velocity (for example, "very
low wind").
[0069]
20 Next, at tD, which is a time when the second set time T2 has elapsed from tC,
the indoor control device 50 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 so that the
indoor fan 37 runs at the set minimum wind velocity (for example, "low wind"). Then,
at tE, which is a time when the third set time T3 has elapsed from tD, the indoor control
device 50 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 so that the indoor fan 37 runs
25 at a set wind velocity (for example, "strong wind"). Note that, although the example
of Fig. 9 shows a case where the third set time T3 is longer than the second set time
T2, the set times are not limited thereto. The third set time T3 may be shorter than
or equal to the second set time T2.
[0070]
24
Fig. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a second operation example of the
indoor fan in the odor suppression processing. In Fig. 10, the horizontal axis
represents time. The vertical axis represents an operation state of the airconditioning apparatus 1 input from the remote 300, an operation state of the
5 compressor 31, and a state of wind velocity of the indoor fan 37.
[0071]
The second operation example shows a case where the wind velocity of the
indoor fan 37 is increased to the set wind velocity in a shorter time than that of the
first operation example, when it can be determined that the indoor heat exchanger 36
10 is wet. Whether or not the indoor heat exchanger 36 is wet can be determined by
whether or not the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is below the dewpoint temperature. Therefore, when a condition in which the temperature of the
indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point temperature is known, the
rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 is controlled according to the second operation
15 example, and thus a time required for increasing the wind velocity of air blown from
the indoor unit 100 to the set wind velocity can be shorten.
[0072]
As shown in Fig. 10, when the remote 300 transmits a signal (ON signal) for
starting operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 at tA, the compressor 31 starts
20 operating at tB. At this moment, the indoor fan 37 is in a stop state. That is, no air
flow is coming from the indoor unit 100.
[0073]
At tC, which is a time when the first set time T1 has elapsed after the
compressor 31 starts operating, operation of the indoor fan 37 is started. At this
25 time, the indoor control device 50 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 so that
the indoor fan 37 runs at less than the set minimum wind velocity (for example, "very
low wind").
[0074]
Next, when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the
30 dew-point temperature from tC to tF, which is a time when the fourth set time T4 has
25
elapsed from tC, the indoor control device 50 controls, at tF, the rotation rate of the
indoor fan 37 so that the indoor fan 37 runs at the set minimum wind velocity (for
example, "low wind"). Then, when the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36
is kept below the dew-point temperature from tF to tG, which a time when the fifth set
5 time T5 has elapsed from tF, the indoor control device 50 controls, at tG, the rotation
rate of the indoor fan 37 so that the indoor fan 37 runs at the set wind velocity (for
example, "high wind"). Note that, although the example of Fig. 10 shows a case
where the fifth set time T5 is longer than the fourth set time T4, the set times are not
limited thereto. The fifth set time T5 may be shorter than or equal to the fourth set
10 time T4.
[0075]
(Odor Suppression Processing)
Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of the odor suppression
processing in the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. Note that,
15 the following description is made of a case where the wind velocity of the airconditioning apparatus 1 is set to "high" in advance by a user.
[0076]
First, after an operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is started by
operating the remote 300 by a user, the comparison determination unit 52 of the
20 indoor control device 50 determines whether or not the operation mode of the airconditioning apparatus 1 is a cooling operation (or a dehumidification operation) and
whether or not the set temperature is lower than the suction temperature in step S1.
[0077]
The comparison between the set temperature and the suction temperature is
25 made to determine whether or not the air-conditioning apparatus 1 enters a thermoon state. When the set temperature is lower than the suction temperature, a cooling
operation is started and the air-conditioning apparatus 1 enters a thermo-on state in
which the compressor 31 is operating. Thus, the indoor heat exchanger 36 is cooled
and thus gets wet. Meanwhile, when the set temperature is equal to or higher than
30 the suction temperature, a cooling operation is not started and the air-conditioning
26
apparatus 1 enters a thermo-off state in which the compressor 31 is stopped. Thus,
the indoor heat exchanger 36 is not cooled. Because the control in the odor
suppression processing is effective when the indoor heat exchanger 36 is cooled and
gets wet, the comparison between the set temperature and the suction temperature is
5 made to perform the odor suppression processing when the air-conditioning
apparatus 1 enters the thermo-on state.
[0078]
When it is determined that the operation mode of the air-conditioning apparatus
1 is a cooling operation or a dehumidification operation and the set temperature is
10 lower than the suction temperature (YES in step S1), the device control unit 53 drives
the compressor 31 in step S2. At this time, the device control unit 53 causes the
indoor fan 37 to stop its operation when the indoor fan 37 is operating, or the device
control unit 53 keeps the stop state of the indoor fan 37 when the indoor fan 37 is
stopped.
15 [0079]
In step S3, the comparison determination unit 52 compares a time measured
by the timer 54 with the first set time T1, which has been stored in the storage unit 55
in advance. Then, the comparison determination unit 52 determines whether or not
the first set time T1 has elapsed since the compressor 31 started operating.
20 [0080]
When the first set time T1 has elapsed (YES in step S3), the device control unit
53 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 in step S4 so that the velocity of wind
supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 36 becomes "very low", which is less than the
set minimum wind velocity. Meanwhile, when the first set time T1 has not elapsed
25 yet (NO in step S3), the processing returns to step S3 to repeat the processing of
step S3 until the first set time T1 has elapsed since the compressor 31 started
operating.
[0081]
In step S5, the comparison determination unit 52 compares a time measured
30 by the timer 54 with the second set time T2 or the fourth set time T4, which has been
27
stored in the storage unit 55 in advance. Then, the comparison determination unit
52 determines whether or not the second set time T2 has elapsed since the indoor
fan 37 started operating at "very low” whether or not the fourth set time T4 has
elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "very low" in a state where the
5 temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point
temperature.
[0082]
When it is determined that the second set time T2 has elapsed since the indoor
fan 37 started operating at "very low wind" or that the fourth set time T4 has elapsed
10 since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "very low," in a state where the
temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point temperature
(YES in step S5), the device control unit 53 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan
37 in step S6 so that the velocity of wind supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 36
becomes "low", which is the set minimum wind velocity. Meanwhile, when the
15 second set time T2 has not elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "very
low" and the fourth set time T4 has not elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started
operating at "very low" in a state where the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger
36 is kept below the dew-point temperature (NO in step S5), the processing returns to
step S5.
20 [0083]
Next, in step S7, the comparison determination unit 52 compares a time
measured by the timer 54 with the third set time T3 or the fifth set time T5, which has
been stored in the storage unit 55 in advance. Then, the comparison determination
unit 52 determines whether or not the third set time T3 has elapsed since the indoor
25 fan 37 started operating at "very low wind" or whether or not the fifth set time T5 has
elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "low" in a state where the
temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point
temperature.
[0084]
28
When it is determined that the third set time T3 has elapsed since the indoor
fan 37 started operating at "low wind" or that the fifth set time T5 has elapsed since
the indoor fan 37 started operating at "low wind," in a state where the temperature of
the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point temperature (YES in step
5 S7), the device control unit 53 controls the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 in step S8
so that the velocity of wind supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 36 becomes a wind
velocity set by a user (for example, "high"). Meanwhile, when the third set time T3
has not elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "low" and the fifth set
time T5 has not elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at "low wind," in a
10 state where the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dewpoint temperature (NO in step S5), the processing returns to step S7.
[0085]
Furthermore, in step S1, when the operation mode of the air-conditioning
apparatus 1 is not a cooling operation or a dehumidification operation or when the set
15 temperature is equal to or above the suction temperature (NO in step S1), the indoor
control device 50 controls the air-conditioning apparatus 1 to perform a normal
operation in step S9.
[0086]
As described above, in the odor suppression processing, when operation of the
20 air-conditioning apparatus 1 starts, operation of the indoor fan 37 is started after the
first set time T1 has elapsed since the operation of the compressor 31 was started.
Then, the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 is gradually increased and thus the
velocity of wind supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 36 is gradually increased. As
a result, the indoor unit 100 is prevented from supplying air when the indoor heat
25 exchanger 36 is getting wet immediately after the air-conditioning apparatus 1 starts
operation. In addition, in the odor suppression processing, because, when the
indoor fan 37 is driven, the rotation rate of the indoor fan 37 is controlled to be
gradually increased, the wind velocity to the indoor heat exchanger 36 is not rapidly
increased. Therefore, the indoor heat exchanger 36 in a wet state is not rapidly
30 dried. Thus, the air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 can
29
suppress generation of an unusual odor by performing the odor suppression
processing at the start of operation.
[0087]
Note that, in this example, determination is made whether or not the
5 temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is below the dew-point temperature
based on the temperature detected by the two-phase pipe temperature sensor 43, but
the determination is not limited thereto. The determination may be performed based
on the temperature detected by the liquid pipe temperature sensor 44. Although the
liquid pipe temperature sensor 44 detects the temperature of the refrigerant entering
10 the indoor heat exchanger 36 in a cooling operation, the temperature of the liquid pipe
on the inlet side of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is often lower than the temperature
of the two-phase pipe in the indoor heat exchanger 36 in cooling operation.
Therefore, in normal cases, it is only required to confirm that the temperature of the
two-phase pipe is below the dew-point temperature. However, when the
15 temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is determined to be below the dew-point
temperature by confirming that the temperature of the two-phase pipe or that of the
liquid pipe, whichever is higher, is below the dew-point temperature for just in case, a
condition where the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is below the dewpoint temperature can be reliably detected.
20 [0088]
As described above, in the air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to
Embodiment 1, the indoor control device 50 runs the indoor fan 37 to gradually
increase the wind velocity after the first set time T1 has elapsed since the compressor
31 started operating at the start of a cooling operation.
25 [0089]
In this case, the indoor control device 50 runs the indoor fan 37 at less than the
set minimum wind velocity after the first set time T1 has elapsed since the
compressor 31 started operating. Furthermore, the indoor control device 50 runs the
indoor fan 37 at the set minimum wind velocity after the second set time T2 has
30 elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at less than the set minimum wind
30
velocity or after the third set time T3 has elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started
operating at less than the set minimum wind velocity, in a state where the temperature
of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point temperature. Then, the
indoor control device 50 runs the indoor fan 37 at the set wind velocity after the
5 second set time T2 has elapsed since the indoor fan 37 started operating at the set
minimum wind velocity or after the third set time T3 has elapsed since the indoor fan
37 started operating at the set minimum wind velocity, in a state where the
temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept below the dew-point
temperature.
10 [0090]
As described above, the indoor fan 37 is driven while the temperature of the
indoor heat exchanger 36 is kept at a low temperature and dew is formed on the
indoor heat exchanger 36 by gradually increasing the wind velocity of the indoor fan
37. As a result, generation of an unusual odor from the indoor heat exchanger 36 at
15 the start of a cooling operation can be suppressed.
[0091]
Furthermore, in the air-conditioning apparatus 1, because the wind velocity of
the indoor fan 37 is gradually increased after the start of a cooling operation, the
indoor heat exchanger 36 in a wet state is not rapidly dried. As a result, an unusual
20 odor that may be generated when the indoor heat exchanger is getting dry can be
prevented.
[0092]
In the air-conditioning apparatus 1, the dew-point temperature is derived based
on the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity. By using these values, the
25 indoor control device 50 can determine whether or not dew is formed on the indoor
heat exchanger 36, and thus can determine whether or not the indoor heat exchanger
36 is wet.
[0093]
Embodiment 2
31
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. Embodiment 2 differs from
Embodiment 1 in that no humidity sensor 42 is provided in Embodiment 2. Note
that, in Embodiment 2, components that are common to those in Embodiment 1 will
be denoted by the same reference signs, and their detailed descriptions will be
5 omitted.
[0094]
As described in Embodiment 1, in the odor suppression processing, the dewpoint temperature can be used when the wind velocity of the indoor fan 37 is
gradually increased. In general, the dew-point temperature of the indoor air is
10 calculated based on the temperature and the humidity of the air. For this reason,
when the humidity of the indoor air cannot be detected, the dew-point temperature of
the indoor air cannot be obtained. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, when the odor
suppression processing is performed by using a dew-point temperature, a fictive dewpoint temperature corresponding to the dew-point temperature of the indoor air is
15 used.
[0095]
Generally, a cooling operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is performed
under a usage environment expected by the manufacturer. Therefore, when a
temperature equivalent to the dew-point temperature is set as a fictive dew-point
20 temperature in the expected usage environment, processing similar to the odor
suppression processing using the dew-point temperature can be performed.
[0096]
Meanwhile, it is known that, under the same humidity environments, the higher
the temperature of air is, the higher the dew-point temperature becomes.
25 Furthermore, the dew-point temperature is lower than the temperature of air. Hence,
when a calculated value obtained by subtracting a set temperature from the air
temperature is used as a fictive dew-point temperature, dew formation on the indoor
heat exchanger 36 can be reliably determined if the fictive dew-point temperature is
lower than the actual dew-point temperature.
30 [0097]
32
For instance, a case is considered where the expected usage environment of
the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is an environment in which, for example "the indoor
humidity is 40% relative humidity (RH) and the indoor temperature is from 19 to 30
degrees C". Fig. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a relationship between dew-point
5 temperature and fictive dew-point temperature in Embodiment 2.
[0098]
As shown in Fig. 12, supposing that the humidity of air to be sucked into the
indoor unit 100 is 40%RH and a usage temperature range of the air-conditioning
apparatus 1 is from 19 to 30 degrees C, the dew point temperature is about 5.1
10 degrees C when the temperature of the air is 19 degrees C, which is the lowest
temperature in the usage temperature range. In addition, the dew point temperature
is about 14.9 degrees C when the temperature of the air is 30 degrees C, which is the
highest temperature in the usage temperature range. Meanwhile, when a set value
to be subtracted from the suction temperature, which is the indoor air temperature, is
15 set to 16 degrees C, the fictive dew-point temperature for a case where the suction
temperature is 19 degrees C is 3 degrees C. The fictive dew-point temperature for a
case where the suction temperature is 30 degrees C is 14 degrees C.
[0099]
Thus, in this example, by setting the set value to be subtracted from the air
20 temperature to 16 degrees C, the fictive dew-point temperature becomes lower than
the dew-point temperature in the usage temperature range. Therefore, when the
fictive dew-point temperature obtained in this way is used in the odor suppression
processing, dew formation on the indoor heat exchanger 36 can be reliably
determined.
25 [0100]
Note that, when the odor suppression processing is performed by using a
fictive dew-point temperature, calculation for deriving the fictive dew-point
temperature by subtracting the set value from the suction temperature, which is the
air temperature, is performed by the arithmetic unit 51 in the indoor control device 50.
30 In addition, the set value to be subtracted from the suction temperature, used in the
33
calculation in the arithmetic unit 51 is stored in the storage unit 55 in advance. As
the set value for this case, a user selects an appropriate value in advance while
taking the expected usage temperature range into consideration.
[0101]
5 As described above, in the air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to
Embodiment 2, the fictive dew-point temperature obtained by subtracting the set
value from the indoor temperature is used in place of the actual dew-point
temperature. As a result, as with the case of Embodiment 1, the indoor control
device 50 can determine whether or not dew is formed on the indoor heat exchanger
10 36, and thus can determine whether or not the indoor heat exchanger 36 is wet.
Reference Signs List
[0102]
1: air-conditioning apparatus, 5: cable, 6: remote line, 10: casing, 11: top panel,
12: side plate, 13: decorative panel, 13a: opening part, 13b: outer edge part, 13c: air
15 outlet, 14: suction grill, 14a: air inlet, 15: vane, 16: bell mouth, 31: compressor, 32:
flow switching device, 33: outdoor heat exchanger, 34: expansion valve, 35: outdoor
fan, 36: indoor heat exchanger, 37: indoor fan, 40: electric component box, 41:
suction temperature sensor, 42: humidity sensor, 43: two-phase pipe temperature
sensor, 44: liquid pipe temperature sensor, 50: indoor control device, 51: arithmetic
20 unit, 52: comparison determination unit, 53: device control unit, 54: timer, 55: storage
unit, 60: outdoor control device, 71: processing circuit, 72: processor, 73: memory,
100: indoor unit, 120, 130: refrigerant pipe, 140: refrigerant circuit, 200: outdoor unit,
300: remote, 301: operation unit, 302: display unit

We Claim:
[Claim 1]
5 An air-conditioning apparatus having a refrigerant circuit, in which a
compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat
exchanger are connected by a pipe and refrigerant circulates in the pipe, comprising:
an indoor fan configured to supply an indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger;
and
10 a controller configured to control the compressor and the indoor fan,
the controller being configured to
run the compressor at a start of a cooling operation,
start running the indoor fan at less than a set minimum wind velocity after a first
set time has elapsed since the compressor started operating,
15 run the indoor fan at the set minimum wind velocity after a second set time has
elapsed since the indoor fan started operating at less than the set minimum wind
velocity, and
run the indoor fan at a set wind velocity after a third set time has elapsed since
the indoor fan started operating at the set minimum wind velocity.
20 [Claim 2]
The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the controller is configured to
run the indoor fan at the set minimum wind velocity after a fourth set time,
which is shorter than the second set time, has elapsed since the indoor fan started
25 operating at less than the set minimum wind velocity, in a state where a temperature
of the indoor heat exchanger is below a dew-point temperature, and
run the indoor fan at the set wind velocity after a fifth set time has elapsed
since the indoor fan started operating at the set minimum wind velocity, in a state
where the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is below the dew-point
30 temperature.
35
[Claim 3]
The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
a suction temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature,
which is a temperature of the indoor air; and
5 a humidity sensor configured to detect an indoor humidity, which is a humidity
of the indoor air,
wherein the controller is configured to derive the dew-point temperature based
on the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity.
[Claim 4]
10 The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
a suction temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature,
which is a temperature of the indoor air,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate a fictive dew-point temperature
by subtracting a set value from the indoor temperature, and use the calculated fictive
15 dew-point temperature in place of the dew-point temperature.