Fluid circulating device and air conditioning system comprising same

Abstract

The utility model relates to a fluid circulation device for an air conditioning system, which comprises a container used for collecting condensed fluid from an evaporator of the air conditioning system, and the evaporator enables part of air flow entering the air conditioning system to be condensed into the condensed fluid. The air conditioning system includes a container, and a core unit disposed within the container, the core unit being capable of absorbing condensed fluid in the container, the core unit being further positioned adjacent to a condenser of the air conditioning system such that the condensed fluid absorbed by the core unit absorbs heat from the condenser and evaporates into an external environment of the air conditioning system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a fluid circulation device for an air-conditioning system and an air-conditioning system including such a fluid circulation device. Background Art

[0002] An air-conditioning system generally includes an evaporator, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and a compressor. A conventional air-conditioning system includes an outdoor unit, and the condenser is disposed in the outdoor unit. During the refrigeration process of the air-conditioning system, the surface temperature of the evaporator in the indoor unit will decrease, and water vapor in the air may condense into water droplets to form condensate. Generally, the air-conditioning system discharges the condensate to the outside through a drain pipe. Since the water in the indoor air condenses and is discharged to the outside, the humidity in the indoor environment will gradually decrease, resulting in a dry indoor environment. The dryness in the room can cause discomfort to users. How to allow the air humidity in the indoor environment not to decrease during the use of the air-conditioning system is an urgent problem to be solved.

[0003] On the other hand, heat released by the condenser must be removed from the surface of the condenser of the air-conditioning system. Generally, the air-conditioning system releases heat into the outdoor environment so that the temperature in the indoor environment will not increase.

[0004] Currently, portable air conditioners have been widely applied to temporary, small spaces without a fixed air-conditioning system or environments where a mobile air conditioner is required to provide local instant cooling. Similar to a fixed air conditioner, a portable air conditioner achieves refrigeration through refrigerant circulation. The refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the evaporator, reducing the air temperature and discharging the low-temperature air to the cooling area, while generating condensate. The compressor compresses the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant into a high-pressure hot gas, and then releases heat in the condenser to complete the cycle. However, for a portable air-conditioning system, it is not practical to discharge the condensate outdoors because a drain pipe connected to the outside needs to be provided, which will greatly limit the use of the portable air-conditioning system. Currently, a water tank is often used to collect the condensate, resulting in the need for the user to empty the water tank, making the operation cumbersome. If the user does not empty the water tank in time, it may cause the air-conditioning system to stop or become unusable. Moreover, if the water tank is not emptied after shutdown, the long-term storage of water in the water tank will accelerate the failure of the air-conditioning system, for example, causing leakage.

[0005] The portable air conditioner outputs the cooled air to the area where the user hopes to cool. However, since the portable air conditioner cannot be provided with an outdoor unit, the heat in the condenser can only be discharged indoors, for example, discharged to another area. This reduces the cooling effect of the portable air conditioner. Moreover, in the case of a small space, this will result in the inability to effectively adjust the air temperature in the space, making it impossible to achieve the desired effect.

[0006] Therefore, a solution that can overcome the above defects is needed. Summary of the Utility Model

[0007] The present utility model aims to propose a better solution to the above problems, so as to at least mitigate or even eliminate the above defects.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a fluid circulation device for an air conditioning system. The fluid circulation device includes: a container for collecting condensed fluid from an evaporator of the air conditioning system, wherein the evaporator condenses a part of the air stream entering the air conditioning system into condensed fluid; and a core unit disposed within the container, the core unit being capable of absorbing the condensed fluid in the container, and the core unit being further positioned adjacent to a condenser of the air conditioning system such that the condensed fluid absorbed by the core unit absorbs heat from the condenser and evaporates into the external environment of the air conditioning system.

[0009] With the aid of this fluid circulation device, it is no longer necessary for an operator to empty the container for collecting condensed water, thereby allowing for simplified operation. Moreover, recycling the condensed water into the environment can increase the air humidity in the indoor environment. In this way, a decrease in humidity caused by using the air conditioning system in the indoor environment can be avoided. On the other hand, by absorbing heat from the condenser through the evaporation of condensed water, the heat discharged from the condenser can be reduced, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the air conditioning system and improving the cooling effect.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the container is in the form of a tray.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit is located below the evaporator such that the core unit can receive the condensed fluid from the evaporator by virtue of the gravitational force of the condensed fluid.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit is located upstream of the condenser along the air flow path to allow for improved efficiency of the condenser.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit is located downstream of the condenser along the air flow path to allow for reducing the temperature of the air stream discharged into the external environment.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the front surface area of the core unit facing the condenser is less than or equal to 5 m 2 .

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit includes a corrugated structure, or the core unit is upright, or the core unit has an arcuate geometry.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit is made of an adsorbent material, including at least one of the following: fabric-based materials, paper, plastics, or mixtures thereof.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the core unit is a porous structure made of a porous material or a solid structure made of different non-porous materials.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes: an evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant; a condenser for condensing the refrigerant; an expansion assembly for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant; a compressor for compressing the refrigerant; and the fluid circulation device as described above.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioning system is a portable air conditioning system.

[0020] By means of the embodiments described above, when the air conditioning system is used for cooling purposes, the heat discharged by the condenser does not heat the room and does not interfere with the user. Moreover, such an air conditioning system does not reduce the air humidity in the indoor environment. When using such a portable air conditioner, there is no need for the user to empty the container for collecting condensed water. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a portable air conditioner according to the present utility model is schematically shown.

[0022] Figure 2 A top view of a part of a portable air conditioner according to the present utility model is schematically shown.

[0023] Figure 3 A perspective view of a part of a portable air conditioner according to the present utility model is schematically shown.

[0024] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a part of a portable air conditioner according to the present utility model is schematically shown. Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0025] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although indicating exemplary embodiments of the air conditioning system and the fluid circulation device, are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the air conditioning system and the fluid circulation device of the present disclosure can be better understood in conjunction with the following description, the appended claims, and the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are only schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numerals represent the same or similar components throughout the drawings.

[0026] In the description of the present utility model, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "side", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0027] The present disclosure proposes an improved air-conditioning system (not shown in the drawings), which provides improved air temperature and humidity regulation effects. The air-conditioning system includes a fluid circulation device that can be used to circulate a condensing fluid (e.g., condensed water). The air-conditioning system can be a fixed air-conditioning system, a portable air-conditioning system, etc.

[0028] Figure 1 An air-conditioning system 1 according to some examples is schematically shown. The air-conditioning system 1 can be a portable air-conditioning system equipped with a movable device. The movable device includes, for example, four wheels or a carriage. The following description is explained by taking a portable air-conditioning system as an example, but the present utility model is not limited thereto, but can be applied to any suitable air-conditioning system. The air-conditioning system 1 includes an evaporator 10 for evaporating the refrigerant and a condenser 20 for condensing the refrigerant. In a portable air-conditioning system, the evaporator 10 and the condenser 20 are usually located in the same housing and are both in the environment where the air temperature is to be regulated. The evaporator 10 evaporates the refrigerant and absorbs heat, thereby reducing the air temperature and achieving a cooling effect. The evaporator 10 will condense a part of the air flow entering the air-conditioning system into a condensing fluid. The condenser 20 condenses the high-pressure, hot refrigerant gas into a liquid state and releases heat to the external environment. The air-conditioning system 1 further includes an expansion assembly (not shown) for reducing the refrigerant pressure and a compressor (not shown) for compressing the refrigerant.

[0029] As Figure 1 shown, the air-conditioning system 1 further includes a fluid circulation device 100. The fluid circulation device 100 includes a container 110, which is used to collect the condensing fluid, such as condensed water, from the evaporator 10 of the air-conditioning system 1. Specifically, when the air flow enters the air-conditioning system and encounters the cold surface of the evaporator, the moisture in the air will condense into condensed water. In some embodiments, the container 110 is in the form of a tray.

[0030] The fluid circulation device 100 further includes a core unit 120. The core unit 120 is disposed within the container 110. The core unit can absorb the condensed fluid in the container 110. In some examples, the core unit 120 absorbs the condensed fluid by means of capillary action. The core unit 120 also allows air flow to pass through. In addition, the core unit 120 is also positioned adjacent to the condenser 20 of the air conditioning system, such that the condensed fluid absorbed by the core unit 120 absorbs the heat from the condenser 20 and evaporates into the external environment of the air conditioning system. In this way, the heat from the condenser can be utilized, which promotes the evaporation of the condensed fluid. Therefore, the condensed water condensed at the evaporator is evaporated again and returns to the external environment. During the operation of the air conditioning system 1, the air humidity in the indoor environment does not decrease significantly.

[0031] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the core unit 120 is located below the evaporator 10, such that the core unit 120 can receive the condensed fluid from the evaporator 10 by the gravitational action of the condensed fluid. In some embodiments, the condensed water condensed at the evaporator can directly drop into the core unit 120 or directly into the condenser. In some embodiments, the condensed water generated in the evaporator passes through the core unit 120 before reaching the container 110, and some of the condensed water starts to evaporate before reaching the core unit 120. A part of the condensed water evaporates after reaching the core unit 120. A part of the condensed water that is not evaporated and not absorbed by the core unit 120 can be collected in the container 110 to be subsequently absorbed by the core unit 120 for evaporation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the core unit 120 is located upstream of the condenser 20 along the air flow path to allow for improving the efficiency of the condenser 20.

[0033] In some embodiments, the core unit 120 is located downstream of the condenser 20 along the air flow path to allow for reducing the temperature of the air flow discharged into the external environment.

[0034] Figure 2 A top view schematically showing a part of the portable air conditioner according to the present utility model is shown. Figure 2 shows that the core unit 120 is located downstream of the condenser 20 along the air flow path (as indicated by the arrow).

[0035] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A part of the air conditioning system 1 is schematically shown. The core unit 120 may include a corrugated structure to facilitate increasing the heat transfer area between the air and the condensed fluid. In some embodiments, for the portable air conditioning system, the front surface area of the core unit 120 facing the condenser may be less than or equal to 5 m 2 . The air flow rate can be up to 1000 m 3 / h. The amount of condensed water evaporated by each unit of air volume passing through the core unit can be as high as 20 ml / m 3 . In some embodiments, multiple core units can be provided, such as 2 or 3 core units, to promote evaporation.

[0036] The front surface area of the core unit 120 is selected to be sufficient to evaporate all the condensed fluid condensed in the evaporator. The larger the front surface area of the core unit, the faster the evaporation. If the front surface area of the core unit is less than required, some of the condensed fluid stored in the container will not be evaporated due to too small evaporation flow rate and thus will be left in the container.

[0037] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the core unit 120 can be upright. In some embodiments, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 visible, the core unit 120 generally has an arc-shaped geometry. The core unit 120 can also have any other suitable geometry.

[0038] In some embodiments, the core unit can be made of an adsorbent material. The adsorbent material can include at least one of the following: fabric-based materials, paper, plastics, or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the core unit 120 is a porous structure made of a porous material. In other embodiments, the core unit 120 can be a solid structure made of different non-porous materials. In this way, air will evaporate the water from the surface of the solid structure.

[0039] In some embodiments, the fluid circulation device can also include a pump for pumping the condensed fluid to the core unit to accelerate the evaporation of the condensed fluid. This can ensure that the core unit always remains in a wet state.

[0040] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system further includes a fan on the condenser side. After the refrigeration process stops, the fan can be made to continue running for a period of time to allow the condensed fluid in the container 110 to continue to evaporate back into the indoor air. In some examples, the running time of the fan is determined according to the amount of remaining condensed fluid detected by the sensor. The fan can be automatically shut down after the determined time.

[0041] In some embodiments, the air conditioning system can also include a control unit. The control unit can measure the temperature and humidity at the condenser outlet and the amount of condensed fluid in the container, and accordingly adjust the fan and the compressor.

Claims

1. A fluid circulation device (100) for an air conditioning system (1), characterized in that: The fluid circulation device comprises: a container (110) for collecting condensed fluid from an evaporator (10) of the air conditioning system, wherein the evaporator (10) condenses a portion of an air flow entering the air conditioning system into condensed fluid; and A core unit (120) is arranged in the container (110), and the core unit is capable of absorbing condensed fluid in the container (110). The core unit (120) is also positioned adjacent to the condenser (20) of the air-conditioning system, so that the condensed fluid absorbed by the core unit (120) absorbs heat from the condenser (20) and evaporates into the external environment of the air-conditioning system.

2. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container (110) is in the form of a tray.

3. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit (120) is located below the evaporator (10), so that the core unit (120) can receive the condensed fluid from the evaporator (10) by means of the gravity of the condensed fluid.

4. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit (120) is located upstream of the condenser (20) along the air flow path to allow the efficiency of the condenser (20) to be improved.

5. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit (120) is located downstream of the condenser (20) along the air flow path to allow the temperature of the air flow discharged to the external environment to be reduced.

6. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front surface area of ​​the core unit (120) facing the condenser is less than or equal to 5m 2 .

7. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit (120) includes a corrugated structure, or the core unit (120) is upright, or the core unit (120) has an arc-shaped geometry.

8. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit is made of an absorbent material including at least one of: a fabric-based material, paper, plastic or a mixture thereof.

9. The fluid circulation device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core unit (120) is a porous structure made of a porous material or a solid structure made of a different non-porous material.

10. An air conditioning system (1), characterized in that: include: an evaporator (10) for evaporating a refrigerant; a condenser (20) for condensing the refrigerant; An expansion assembly for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant; A compressor for compressing the refrigerant; as well as The fluid circulation device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The air conditioning system (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that: The air conditioning system (1) is a portable air conditioning system.

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