Gas-fired air conditioning units

Abstract

This application relates to a gas-fired air conditioning unit, which includes an air conditioner, a gas furnace, and a unit controller. The air conditioner is equipped with a gas concentration detection device, which is located on the side of the air conditioner connected to the gas furnace. The gas concentration detection device includes an alarm and is electrically connected to the unit controller. The gas furnace includes a combustion chamber, which is located on the side of the furnace connected to the air conditioner. This application embodiment can promptly issue an alarm signal via the alarm in the event of a leak of refrigerant, gas, or other hazardous gases, alerting the user to the existing safety hazard. The unit controller can also control the unit to respond to the gas leak, improving the operational safety of the gas-fired air conditioning unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a gas-fired air conditioning unit. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing environmental awareness, more and more environmentally friendly refrigerants are being used in refrigeration products. Among them, the most widely used refrigerants, such as R32, R454B, and R290, are mostly flammable and explosive gases with a density greater than air. Under normal temperature and pressure, since air conditioners are often installed at the top or high places in the workplace, if a refrigerant leak occurs, it will gradually diffuse downwards due to gravity and accumulate at the bottom of the workplace. Once it reaches a certain concentration, it can cause discomfort to the human body and pose risks of combustion and explosion.

[0003] Currently, for air conditioning units equipped with gas-fired boilers, the gas in the boiler needs to be ignited, while the refrigerant in the air conditioner is a flammable gas. Therefore, air conditioning units equipped with gas-fired boilers pose a significant safety risk in the event of refrigerant or gas leakage. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, to solve some or all of the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a gas-fired air conditioning unit. The gas-fired air conditioning unit includes: an air conditioner, a gas furnace, and a unit controller. The air conditioner is equipped with a gas concentration detection device, which is located on the side of the air conditioner connected to the gas furnace. The gas concentration detection device includes an alarm and is electrically connected to the unit controller. The gas furnace includes a combustion chamber, which is located on the side of the gas furnace connected to the air conditioner.

[0005] In one possible implementation, the height of the combustion chamber relative to a reference horizontal plane is lower than the height of the gas concentration detection device relative to the reference horizontal plane.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the gas concentration detection device includes a refrigerant gas sensor and a gas fuel sensor, which are disposed inside the housing of the gas concentration detection device, and the housing is provided with an air inlet.

[0007] In one possible implementation, air inlets are provided on two opposing target sides of the housing, the target sides being surfaces perpendicular to the airflow direction within the furnace and the air conditioner.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the alarm includes an indicator light disposed on the housing of the gas concentration detection device. The gas concentration detection device contains a control unit, the input of which is electrically connected to the refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor, and the output of which is electrically connected to the indicator light.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the indicator light includes a first color indicator light for indicating whether a refrigerant gas leak has occurred, and a second color indicator light for indicating whether a gas leak has occurred, both of which are electrically connected to the output terminal of the control unit.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the unit further includes an air duct connected to the exhaust side of the air conditioner.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the furnace includes a blower electrically connected to the unit controller, and the airflow generated by the blower during operation is directed toward the connection between the air conditioner and the furnace.

[0012] In one possible implementation, an airflow isolation device is provided on the side of the air conditioner connected to the furnace, and the gas concentration detection device is located within the airflow isolation space formed by the airflow isolation device.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the air conditioner further includes an evaporator disposed within the airflow isolation space.

[0014] The gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in this application embodiment can detect the concentration of dangerous gases in the air conditioning unit in real time by installing a gas concentration detection device in the area where the air conditioner and the gas furnace are connected. This allows for the determination of whether there is a leak of dangerous gases such as refrigerant or gas. In the event of a leak of dangerous gases such as refrigerant or gas, an alarm signal can be issued in a timely manner to alert the user to the existing safety hazard. The unit controller can also control the unit to respond to the gas leak, thereby improving the safety of the gas-fired air conditioning unit operation. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the gas concentration detection device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure label:

[0024] 100-Gas-fired air conditioning unit; 101-Air conditioner; 1011-Evaporator; 102-Gas furnace; 1021-Combustion chamber; 1022-Fan; 103-Unit controller; 104-Gas concentration detection device; 1041-Monitoring module; 1042-Air inlet; 1043-Indicator light; 1044-Control unit; 105-Air duct; 106-Airflow isolation device. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Various exemplary embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this application are only used to distinguish different steps, devices or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meaning, nor do they indicate the logical order between them.

[0027] It should also be understood that in this embodiment, "multiple" can refer to two or more, and "at least one" can refer to one, two or more.

[0028] It should also be understood that any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of this application can generally be understood as one or more unless explicitly defined or given contrary guidance in the context.

[0029] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0030] It should also be understood that the description of the various embodiments in this application emphasizes the differences between the various embodiments, and the similarities or similarities can be referred to each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail.

[0031] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the scope of this application and its application or use.

[0032] Techniques, circuits, and devices known to a person skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, circuits, and devices should be considered part of the specification.

[0033] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0034] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas-fired air conditioning unit 100 provided in an embodiment of this application. This gas-fired air conditioning unit is typically used in display panels. Specifically, the gas-fired air conditioning unit 100 includes an air conditioner 101, a gas furnace 102, and a unit controller 103. A gas concentration detection device 104 is installed inside the air conditioner 101, located on the side connected to the gas furnace 102. The gas concentration detection device 104 includes an alarm and is electrically connected to the unit controller 103.

[0036] The aforementioned gas concentration detection device 104 can be used to detect the concentration of hazardous gases such as refrigerant gas and fuel gas, and determine whether a hazardous gas leak has occurred based on the hazardous gas concentration. That is, a hazardous gas leak is determined to have occurred when other concentrations are greater than or equal to a concentration threshold. The aforementioned alarm may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: indicator lights, speakers, network signal transmitters, etc. When a hazardous gas leak is detected, the alarm outputs light signals, sound signals, etc., and can also send alarm signals to the user's terminal via the network to prompt the user to respond to the dangerous situation.

[0037] The unit controller 103 is used to control the operation of the gas-fired air conditioning unit in this embodiment. The gas concentration detection device 104 can also send an alarm signal to the unit controller 103 in the event of a hazardous gas leak. The unit controller 103 then controls the unit's operation accordingly based on the alarm signal, such as automatically shutting down the unit. The hazardous gas may include refrigerant gas, fuel gas, etc.

[0038] The furnace 102 includes a combustion chamber 1021, which is located on the side of the furnace 102 that is connected to the air conditioner 101.

[0039] After the gas in the combustion chamber 1021 is burned, the heat is conducted to the air conditioner 101. The air conditioner 101 uses this heat to circulate the refrigerant, thereby adjusting the temperature of the target space. Gas in the furnace 102 may leak or undergo incomplete combustion, and may then enter the air conditioner 101 with the airflow. The aforementioned gas concentration detection device 104 can detect the gas concentration and determine whether a gas leak has occurred.

[0040] The gas-fired air conditioning unit provided in this application embodiment, by installing a gas concentration detection device 104 in the area where the air conditioner 101 and the gas furnace 102 are connected, can detect the concentration of dangerous gases in the air conditioning unit in real time to determine whether there is a leak of dangerous gases such as refrigerant or gas. In the event of a leak of dangerous gases such as refrigerant or gas, an alarm signal can be issued in a timely manner through an alarm device to alert the user to the current safety hazard. The unit controller can also control the unit to respond to the gas leak, thereby improving the safety of the gas-fired air conditioning unit operation.

[0041] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the height of the combustion chamber 1021 relative to the reference horizontal plane is lower than the height of the gas concentration detection device 104 relative to the reference horizontal plane.

[0042] The reference horizontal plane can be any specified horizontal plane, such as the ground. Since the density of the combustible refrigerant inside the air conditioner 101 is greater than that of air, leaked refrigerant will continue to diffuse downwards; while the density of the gas is less than that of air, leaked gas will continue to diffuse upwards. Therefore, by placing the gas concentration detection device 104 between the air conditioner 101 and the combustion chamber 102, and at a position higher than the combustion chamber 1021, the different diffusion directions of different gases due to their different densities can be utilized to simultaneously detect the concentrations of both refrigerant gas and gas. This improves the integration of the gas concentration detection device 104 and facilitates unit installation and commissioning.

[0043] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the gas concentration detection device 104 includes a refrigerant gas sensor and a fuel gas sensor, which are disposed within the housing of the gas concentration detection device 104. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor can be integrated on the monitoring module 1041, and the housing is provided with an air inlet 1042.

[0044] Both the refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor can employ technologies relevant to this field. The refrigerant gas sensor can detect the concentration of leaked refrigerant gas in the air conditioner 101, while the gas sensor can detect the concentration of gas flowing into the air conditioner 101 from the furnace 102 due to gas leakage or incomplete combustion. Leaked refrigerant gas and / or gas can enter through the air inlet 1042 on the casing, and the concentration of the entering hazardous gas can be detected by the refrigerant gas sensor and / or the gas sensor.

[0045] This embodiment, by setting a refrigerant gas sensor and a fuel gas sensor in the gas concentration detection device 104, can simultaneously detect the refrigerant gas concentration and the fuel gas concentration, thereby improving the integration and ease of use of the gas concentration detection device 104.

[0046] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, air inlets 1042 are provided on two opposite target sides of the housing, and the target sides are surfaces perpendicular to the airflow direction inside the furnace 102 and the air conditioner 101.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the side where the air intake 1042 is located is one target side, and the opposite side is another target side. Figure 1 The arrows indicate the direction of airflow. Figure 2 The side of the target shown is perpendicular to the airflow direction.

[0048] In this embodiment, by providing air inlets 1042 on two target sides of the housing of the gas concentration detection device 104, it is possible to allow fuel gas with a density less than air to flow into the housing from the lower air inlet 1042, and refrigerant gas with a density greater than air to flow into the housing from the upper air inlet 1042. By utilizing the different properties of the gases, the refrigerant gas sensor and the fuel gas sensor can be made to contact the gas being detected more effectively, thereby improving the accuracy of hazardous gas concentration detection.

[0049] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the alarm includes an indicator light 1043, which is mounted on the housing of the gas concentration detection device 104. The gas concentration detection device 104 contains a control unit 1044, whose input terminal is electrically connected to the refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor, and whose output terminal is electrically connected to the indicator light 1043.

[0050] The control unit 1044 may include an integrated circuit with logic processing capabilities (e.g., an MCU), or a detection circuit composed of discrete components (e.g., a signal amplifier, a filter circuit). The refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor can respectively send the collected sensing signals to the control unit. The control unit can convert the received sensing signals into signals representing gas concentration, and based on these concentration signals, determine whether a hazardous gas leak has occurred. If a hazardous gas leak is detected, an alarm signal is sent to the indicator light 1043, which then emits light indicating a hazardous gas leak.

[0051] In this embodiment, by setting an indicator light 1043 on the housing of the gas concentration detection device 104, it is convenient for users to check whether a dangerous gas leak has occurred, thereby improving the pertinence of the hazard warning.

[0052] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the indicator light 1043 includes a first color indicator light for indicating whether a refrigerant gas leak has occurred, and a second color indicator light for indicating whether a gas leak has occurred. Both the first color indicator light and the second color indicator light are electrically connected to the output terminal of the control unit.

[0053] As an example, the first color indicator light can be a blue indicator light, which illuminates when a refrigerant leak is detected; the second color indicator light can be a yellow indicator light, which illuminates when a gas leak is detected.

[0054] Optionally, the indicator light 1043 may also include a third-color (e.g., green) indicator light, which the control unit controls to illuminate when no hazardous gas leak occurs. Furthermore, the indicator light 1043 may also include a fourth-color (e.g., red) indicator light, which the control unit controls to illuminate when both refrigerant gas and fuel gas leaks occur simultaneously.

[0055] This embodiment uses indicator lights of different colors to indicate leaks of different types of hazardous gases, which helps to more specifically alert users to which gas is leaking, thereby improving the efficiency of fault response.

[0056] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the unit also includes an air duct 105, which is connected to the exhaust side of the air conditioner 101.

[0057] The air duct 105 can guide the airflow in the air conditioner 101 and the furnace 102 to prevent dangerous gases from leaking from the air conditioner 101 and the furnace 102 into the user's space, thereby improving the safety of the unit.

[0058] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the furnace 102 includes a fan 1022, which is electrically connected to the unit controller 103. The airflow direction caused by the fan during operation is towards the connection between the air conditioner 101 and the furnace 102.

[0059] The aforementioned fan 1022 can promote gas flow within the air conditioner 101 and the furnace 102. Normally, the fan can operate continuously unless a hazardous gas leak occurs.

[0060] Optionally, when a refrigerant gas leak is detected, the unit controller 103 can shut down the operation of other components of the unit, keeping only the fan 1022 running, to avoid the risk of explosion caused by excessive refrigerant concentration within the unit. When a gas leak is detected, the unit controller 103 can shut down the unit and the fan simultaneously to prevent gas from being discharged into the room through the duct.

[0061] This embodiment, by setting up a fan 1022, can effectively control the airflow in the air conditioner 101 and the furnace 102, which helps to effectively control the spread of dangerous gases in the event of a dangerous gas leak and improve the safety of unit operation.

[0062] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 5As shown, an airflow isolation device 106 is provided on the side of the air conditioner 101 that is connected to the furnace 102, and a gas concentration detection device 104 is provided in the airflow isolation space formed by the airflow isolation device 106.

[0063] When the fan inside the combustion chamber 102 is running, the airflow entering the air conditioner 101 is blocked by the airflow isolation device 106, making the airflow velocity inside the airflow isolation space relatively lower than the airflow outside the airflow isolation space. This allows hazardous gases to enter the gas concentration detection device more effectively. Specifically, leaked, denser refrigerant gas is prevented from diffusing upwards with the airflow and instead diffuses downwards into the gas concentration detection device 104, improving the accuracy of refrigerant gas concentration detection. Simultaneously, less dense combustible gas can be carried downwards from the gas concentration detection device 104 by the airflow, thus not affecting the detection of combustible gas concentration.

[0064] In some optional implementations of this embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, the air conditioner 101 also includes an evaporator 1011, which is disposed in an airflow isolation space.

[0065] like Figure 5 As shown, the gas concentration detection device 104 and the evaporator 1011 are located on the side where the air conditioner 101 is connected to the furnace 102. The gas concentration detection device 104 is close to the evaporator 1011, which can more efficiently detect refrigerant gas leaks. Furthermore, the airflow passes through the gaps in the evaporator 1011 and the air inlet 1042 of the gas concentration detection device 104, entering the airflow isolation space. Within this space, the denser refrigerant gas diffuses downwards into the gas concentration detection device 104, while the less dense fuel gas can rise upwards into it, thus enabling more efficient detection of both refrigerant gas and fuel gas concentrations.

[0066] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also mean including the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0067] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. A gas air conditioning unit characterized by, The unit includes an air conditioner, a gas furnace, and a unit controller. The air conditioner is equipped with a gas concentration detection device, which is located on the side of the air conditioner connected to the gas furnace. The gas concentration detection device includes an alarm and is electrically connected to the unit controller. The furnace includes a combustion chamber, which is located on the side of the furnace connected to the air conditioner.

2. The machine group according to claim 1, characterized in that The height of the combustion chamber relative to the reference horizontal plane is lower than the height of the gas concentration detection device relative to the reference horizontal plane.

3. The crew of claim 1, wherein, The gas concentration detection device includes a refrigerant gas sensor and a gas combustion sensor, which are disposed inside the housing of the gas concentration detection device. The housing is provided with an air inlet.

4. The machine group according to claim 3, characterized in that Air inlets are provided on two opposite target sides of the outer casing, and the target sides are surfaces perpendicular to the airflow direction inside the furnace and the air conditioner.

5. The crew of claim 3, wherein, The alarm includes an indicator light, which is mounted on the housing of the gas concentration detection device. The gas concentration detection device contains a control unit, the input of which is electrically connected to the refrigerant gas sensor and the gas sensor, and the output of which is electrically connected to the indicator light.

6. The machine group according to claim 5, characterized in that The indicator lights include a first color indicator light for indicating whether a refrigerant gas leak has occurred, and a second color indicator light for indicating whether a gas leak has occurred. Both the first color indicator light and the second color indicator light are electrically connected to the output terminal of the control unit.

7. The machine group according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that The unit also includes an air duct, which is connected to the exhaust side of the air conditioner.

8. The machine group according to claim 7, characterized in that The furnace includes a blower, which is electrically connected to the unit controller. The airflow generated by the blower during operation is directed toward the connection between the air conditioner and the furnace.

9. The machine group according to claim 8, characterized in that An airflow isolation device is provided on the side of the air conditioner connected to the furnace, and the gas concentration detection device is located in the airflow isolation space formed by the airflow isolation device.

10. The crew of claim 9, wherein, The air conditioner also includes an evaporator, which is disposed within the airflow isolation space.

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