Energy-saving air conditioning system and method for animal laboratory

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning systems, and discloses an animal laboratory energy-saving air conditioning system and method.The refrigerant circulation loop comprises a compressor, a high-temperature heat exchanger and a low-temperature heat exchanger which are sequentially arranged, and an air side heat exchanger is arranged between the high-temperature heat exchanger and the low-temperature heat exchanger; the all fresh air handling unit and the low-temperature heat exchanger form a fresh air cooling circulation loop through a cold water pipeline, and the all fresh air handling unit and the high-temperature heat exchanger form a fresh air heating circulation loop through a hot water pipeline, so that cooling and heating are simultaneously supplied to the all fresh air handling unit through a refrigerant circulation loop; an air inlet and an air outlet of the laboratory are connected with the full fresh air processing unit and the air side heat exchanger correspondingly, and refrigerant supercooling is achieved through laboratory exhaust air. According to the invention, a group of refrigerant circulation loop is adopted to realize the function of simultaneously cooling and heating fresh air; the arrangement of the cold side heat exchanger enables exhausted air to cool a refrigerant, improves the refrigeration cycle performance coefficient, and solves the problems that a traditional system is independent in cooling and heating and high in energy consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning system technology, and in particular to an energy-saving air conditioning system and method for animal laboratories. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of industries such as biomedicine, animal laboratories are being built more and more extensively. To meet the specific requirements of animal laboratories regarding environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and fresh air volume, their air conditioning systems consume enormous amounts of energy. How to reduce the energy consumption of air conditioning systems while ensuring that the environmental requirements of animal laboratories are met has become an industry challenge.

[0003] Traditional fresh air handling systems typically employ separate cooling and heating systems. The cooling system cools and dehumidifies the fresh air through a refrigeration cycle, with the condensed heat being directly discharged outdoors; while the heating system heats the fresh air independently using electric heating or other heat sources. In this approach, cooling and heating consume energy separately, resulting in high overall system energy consumption and low energy utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an energy-saving air conditioning system and method for animal laboratories, which solves the problems of independent heating and cooling, high energy consumption, and low energy utilization rate of traditional systems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0006] Firstly, an energy-saving air conditioning system for animal laboratories includes:

[0007] The refrigerant circulation loop includes a compressor, a high-temperature heat exchanger, and a low-temperature heat exchanger arranged in sequence, with an air-side heat exchanger provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger and the low-temperature heat exchanger.

[0008] The all-new air handling unit forms a fresh air cooling circulation loop through chilled water pipes and a low-temperature heat exchanger, and also forms a fresh air heating circulation loop through hot water pipes and a high-temperature heat exchanger, so as to achieve simultaneous cooling and heating to the all-new air handling unit through the refrigerant circulation loop.

[0009] The laboratory's air inlet and outlet are connected to a fresh air handling unit and an air-side heat exchanger, respectively, and the refrigerant is subcooled using the laboratory's exhaust air.

[0010] As a further implementation, a first electronic expansion valve is provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger and the air-side heat exchanger;

[0011] A second electronic expansion valve is provided between the air-side heat exchanger and the low-temperature heat exchanger. The flow rate, pressure and heat exchange status of the refrigerant in the air-side heat exchanger are controlled by the coordinated regulation of the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve.

[0012] As a further implementation, the new air handling unit is provided with a cooling coil section and a heating coil section in sequence from the air inlet to the air outlet.

[0013] The cooling coil section is integrated into the fresh air cooling circulation loop, and the heating coil section is integrated into the fresh air heating circulation loop.

[0014] As a further implementation, a cold water pump and a cold water valve are installed on the cold water pipe of the fresh air cooling circulation loop.

[0015] As a further implementation, a hot water pump and a hot water valve are installed on the hot water pipe of the fresh air heating circulation loop.

[0016] As a further implementation, the hot water valve and the cold water valve are jointly regulated to maintain the outlet air temperature and humidity of the fresh air handling unit within the normal range.

[0017] As a further implementation, a humidity sensor is installed at the air outlet of the fresh air handling unit; the energy-saving air conditioning system is also equipped with a controller to control the operation of the system.

[0018] As a further implementation, the air inlet of the laboratory is connected to the air outlet of a fresh air handling unit via a fresh air duct.

[0019] As a further implementation, the air outlet of the laboratory is connected to the air-side heat exchanger through an exhaust duct, and the heat of the refrigerant is absorbed at the heat exchange coil of the air-side heat exchanger before being discharged into the atmosphere.

[0020] Secondly, a method for operating an energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory, characterized by employing any of the above-described energy-saving air conditioning systems, comprising the following steps:

[0021] In the refrigerant circulation loop, the compressor drives the refrigerant to circulate, and the refrigerant exchanges heat at the high-temperature heat exchanger and absorbs heat at the low-temperature heat exchanger.

[0022] The refrigerant circulation loop, the fresh air cooling circulation loop, and the fresh air heating circulation loop work together to simultaneously supply cooling and heating to the fresh air handling unit. The outdoor fresh air is first cooled and dehumidified, then heated, and enters the laboratory after reaching the air supply state point. The laboratory exhaust air enters the air-side heat exchanger to further cool the refrigerant and increase the subcooling of the refrigerant.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] 1. This invention uses a set of refrigerant circulation loops to achieve the function of simultaneously supplying cooling and heating to fresh air, and arranges a cold-side heat exchanger on the refrigerant circulation loop to cool the refrigerant in the laboratory exhaust air, thereby achieving refrigerant subcooling, improving the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration cycle, and solving the problems of independent cooling and heating and high energy consumption in traditional systems.

[0025] 2. By coordinating the regulation of the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve, this invention can control the flow rate, pressure and heat exchange state of the refrigerant in the air-side heat exchanger, thereby achieving stable system operation.

[0026] 3. This invention fully integrates the specific characteristics of the air treatment process in animal laboratories, and optimizes and allocates energy for the entire system, thereby improving the overall system operating efficiency and having significant energy-saving significance. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the laboratory energy-saving air conditioning system in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The diagram exaggerates the spacing or dimensions between parts to show their positions; the diagram is for illustrative purposes only.

[0030] The components include: 1. Compressor; 2. High-temperature heat exchanger; 3. First electronic expansion valve; 4. Air-side heat exchanger; 5. Second electronic expansion valve; 6. Low-temperature heat exchanger; 8. Refrigerant piping; 9. Fresh air handling unit; 10. Chilled water pump; 11. Chilled water valve; 12. Hot water pump; 13. Hot water valve; 14. Laboratory; 15. Fresh air duct; 16. Exhaust air duct; 17. Hot water pipe; 18. Chilled water pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 1 As shown, an energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory includes a refrigerant circulation loop, a fresh air handling unit 9, a laboratory 14, and an air-side heat exchanger 4.

[0034] The refrigerant circulation loop is connected to the compressor 1, the high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 in sequence through the refrigerant pipeline 8. The low-temperature heat exchanger 6 is connected to the compressor 1 through the refrigerant pipeline 8 to achieve the loop circulation.

[0035] The fresh air handling unit 9 is connected to the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 via the chilled water pipe 18 to form a fresh air cooling circulation loop, and to the high-temperature heat exchanger 2 via the hot water pipe 17 to form a fresh air heating circulation loop, so as to achieve simultaneous cooling and heating to the fresh air handling unit 9 through the refrigerant circulation loop.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the new air handling unit 9 has a cooling coil section and a heating coil section arranged sequentially from the air inlet to the air outlet inside.

[0037] The cooling coil section is integrated into the fresh air cooling circulation loop. Specifically, the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 and the cooling coil section are connected to form a circulation loop via a chilled water pipe 18. A chilled water pump 10 is installed on the chilled water pipe 18 to provide circulation power, and a chilled water valve 11 is also provided to adjust the opening degree.

[0038] The heating coil section is integrated into the fresh air heating circulation loop. The high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and the heating coil section are connected to form a circulation loop via a hot water pipe 17. A hot water pump 12 and a hot water valve 13 are installed on the hot water pipe 17. The hot water pump 12 is used to provide circulation power, and the hot water valve 13 is used to adjust the opening degree.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, an air-side heat exchanger 4 is provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 in the refrigerant circulation loop. The high-temperature heat exchanger 2 is located between the compressor 1 and the air-side heat exchanger 4, and the compressor 1 is located between the high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and the low-temperature heat exchanger 6.

[0040] A first electronic expansion valve 3 is provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and the air-side heat exchanger 4, and a second electronic expansion valve 5 is provided between the air-side heat exchanger 4 and the low-temperature heat exchanger 6.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, laboratory 14 serves as the air supply target, with its air inlet and outlet connected to the 100% fresh air handling unit 9 and the air-side heat exchanger 4, respectively, to achieve refrigerant subcooling using laboratory exhaust air.

[0042] Specifically, the air inlet of laboratory 14 is connected to the air outlet of the fresh air handling unit 9 via fresh air duct 15. The air outlet of laboratory 14 is connected to the air-side heat exchanger 4 via exhaust duct 16, and after absorbing heat from the refrigerant at the heat exchange coil of the air-side heat exchanger 4, it is discharged into the atmosphere.

[0043] The specific working principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0044] For the refrigerant circulation loop, refrigerant is stored in refrigerant line 8. Compressor 1 drives the refrigerant to circulate in refrigerant line 8. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 and enters the compressor 1. In the compressor 1, it is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas and then enters the high-temperature heat exchanger 2. After releasing heat in the high-temperature heat exchanger 2, it flows through the first electronic expansion valve 3 and then enters the air-side heat exchanger 4. In the air-side heat exchanger 4, it further releases heat (exchanges heat with the laboratory exhaust air) and becomes a low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid. Then it flows through the second electronic expansion valve 5, is throttled into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant liquid, and then enters the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 to absorb heat and circulates continuously under the action of the compressor.

[0045] The cooling coil section inside the fresh air handling unit 9 is integrated into the fresh air cooling circulation loop. The chilled water pump 10 in the fresh air cooling circulation loop drives chilled water to flow from the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 to the cooling coil section. The cooling capacity of the cooling coil section can be adjusted by adjusting the opening of the chilled water valve 11.

[0046] The heating coil section inside the fresh air handling unit 9 is integrated into the fresh air heating circulation loop. The hot water pump 12 drives hot water from the high temperature heat exchanger 2 to the heating coil section of the fresh air handling unit 9. The heating amount of the heating coil section can be adjusted by adjusting the opening of the hot water valve 13.

[0047] Understandably, energy-saving air conditioning systems are also equipped with controllers. These controllers connect to various valves and operating components in the system to control valve openings, regulate the system, and maintain stable system operation.

[0048] Understandably, the controller controls the combined regulation of hot water valve 13 and cold water valve 11 to maintain the outlet air temperature and humidity of the fresh air handling unit 9 within the normal range.

[0049] A humidity sensor is installed at the air outlet of the fresh air handling unit 9. Correspondingly, a humidity sensor can also be installed in the laboratory 14. The controller can control the opening of the hot water valve and the cold water valve according to the detected humidity information. The fresh air handling unit 9 is equipped with a humidification unit.

[0050] Fresh air from the outlet of the fresh air handling unit 9 enters the laboratory 14 through the fresh air duct 15, and exhaust air from the laboratory 14 enters the air-side heat exchanger 4 through the exhaust duct 16.

[0051] Specifically, outdoor fresh air enters through the air inlet of the all-fresh-air-handling unit 9, is cooled and dehumidified by the cooling coil section, and then reheated by the heating coil section to reach the air supply state point before flowing through the fresh air duct 15 into the laboratory 14 to meet the fresh air requirements of the laboratory 14 (animal laboratory).

[0052] The exhaust air from laboratory 14 enters the air-side heat exchanger 4 (which contains a fan) through exhaust duct 16. After absorbing the heat of the refrigerant at the heat exchange coil of the air-side heat exchanger 4, it is discharged to the outdoor atmosphere.

[0053] Since the exhaust temperature of the laboratory is around 24℃ (the temperature requirement for animal laboratories is 24±2℃), which is much lower than the refrigerant temperature at the air-side heat exchanger 4, the low-temperature exhaust air from laboratory 14 can be used to cool the air-side heat exchanger 4, which can significantly improve the subcooling of the refrigerant cycle and improve the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration cycle (according to the principle of refrigeration, the lower the air temperature, the better the refrigerant can be cooled, thus improving the subcooling of the refrigerant and improving the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration cycle).

[0054] During this process, the opening degree of the first electronic expansion valve 3 and the second electronic expansion valve 5 is controlled by the controller. Through the coordinated adjustment of the first electronic expansion valve 3 and the second electronic expansion valve 5, the flow rate, pressure and heat exchange state of the refrigerant in the air-side heat exchanger 4 can be controlled, so as to achieve stable operation of the system.

[0055] This invention fully integrates the specific characteristics of the air handling process in animal laboratories, and optimizes and allocates energy for the entire system, thereby improving the overall system operating efficiency. After using this system, the energy consumption of the air conditioning system can be reduced while meeting the environmental requirements of animal laboratories, thus achieving the goal of energy saving.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] In a typical embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 1 As shown, a method for operating an energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory, which adopts the energy-saving air conditioning system of Example 1, specifically includes the following steps:

[0058] The refrigerant circulation loop is driven by a compressor: low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 and enters the compressor 1. In the compressor 1, it is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas and then enters the high-temperature heat exchanger 2. After releasing heat in the high-temperature heat exchanger 2, it flows through the first electronic expansion valve 3 and then enters the air-side heat exchanger 4. In the air-side heat exchanger 4, it further releases heat (exchanging heat with the laboratory exhaust air) and becomes a low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid. Then, it flows through the second electronic expansion valve 5, is throttled into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant liquid, and then enters the low-temperature heat exchanger 6 to absorb heat. Under the action of the compressor, it continues to circulate.

[0059] During the refrigerant circulation process, the refrigerant exchanges heat at high-temperature heat exchanger 2 and absorbs heat at low-temperature heat exchanger 6. Since the refrigerant circulation loop is connected to both the fresh air cooling circulation loop and the fresh air heating circulation loop, only one refrigerant circulation loop is needed to simultaneously supply cooling and heating to the fresh air handling unit. The energy in the refrigerant circulation loop is fully utilized without additional energy consumption, achieving energy saving.

[0060] The refrigerant circulation loop, the fresh air cooling circulation loop, and the fresh air heating circulation loop work together to simultaneously supply cooling and heating to the fresh air handling unit 9. The outdoor fresh air is first cooled and dehumidified, then heated, and enters the laboratory after reaching the air supply state point. The exhaust air from the laboratory 14 enters the air-side heat exchanger 4 to further cool the refrigerant and increase the subcooling of the refrigerant.

[0061] By adding a wind-side heat exchanger 4 to the refrigerant circulation loop, the refrigerant is subcooled using the laboratory's low-temperature exhaust air, further improving the refrigeration cycle efficiency and achieving dual energy savings.

[0062] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory, characterized in that, include: The refrigerant circulation loop includes a compressor, a high-temperature heat exchanger, and a low-temperature heat exchanger arranged in sequence, with an air-side heat exchanger provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger and the low-temperature heat exchanger. The all-new air handling unit forms a fresh air cooling circulation loop through chilled water pipes and a low-temperature heat exchanger, and also forms a fresh air heating circulation loop through hot water pipes and a high-temperature heat exchanger, so as to achieve simultaneous cooling and heating to the all-new air handling unit through the refrigerant circulation loop. The laboratory's air inlet and outlet are connected to a fresh air handling unit and an air-side heat exchanger, respectively, and the refrigerant is subcooled using the laboratory's exhaust air.

2. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first electronic expansion valve is provided between the high-temperature heat exchanger and the air-side heat exchanger. A second electronic expansion valve is provided between the air-side heat exchanger and the low-temperature heat exchanger. The flow rate, pressure and heat exchange status of the refrigerant in the air-side heat exchanger are controlled by the coordinated regulation of the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve.

3. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 1, characterized in that, The new air handling unit is equipped with a cooling coil section and a heating coil section in sequence from the air inlet to the air outlet. The cooling coil section is integrated into the fresh air cooling circulation loop, and the heating coil section is integrated into the fresh air heating circulation loop.

4. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cold water pipe of the fresh air cooling circulation loop is equipped with a cold water pump and a cold water valve.

5. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 4, characterized in that, The hot water pipe of the fresh air heating circulation loop is equipped with a hot water pump and a hot water valve.

6. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 5, characterized in that, The hot water valve and cold water valve work together to maintain the outlet air temperature and humidity of the fresh air handling unit within the normal range.

7. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 6, characterized in that, The air handling unit is equipped with a humidity sensor at its air outlet; the energy-saving air conditioning system is also equipped with a controller to control the operation of the system.

8. The energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laboratory's air inlet is connected to the air outlet of a fresh air handling unit via a fresh air duct.

9. An energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory according to claim 8, characterized in that, The laboratory's air outlet is connected to the air-side heat exchanger via an exhaust duct. After absorbing heat from the refrigerant at the heat exchange coil of the air-side heat exchanger, the heat is discharged into the atmosphere.

10. A method for operating an energy-saving air conditioning system for an animal laboratory, characterized in that, The energy-saving air conditioning system as described in any one of claims 1-9 includes the following steps: In the refrigerant circulation loop, the compressor drives the refrigerant to circulate, and the refrigerant exchanges heat at the high-temperature heat exchanger and absorbs heat at the low-temperature heat exchanger. The refrigerant circulation loop, the fresh air cooling circulation loop, and the fresh air heating circulation loop work together to simultaneously supply cooling and heating to the fresh air handling unit. The outdoor fresh air is first cooled and dehumidified, then heated, and enters the laboratory after reaching the air supply state point. The laboratory exhaust air enters the air-side heat exchanger to further cool the refrigerant and increase the subcooling of the refrigerant.

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