Indoor AC Airflow Visualization for Energy-Saving Temperature Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users of air-conditioning apparatuses struggle to understand the indoor air-conditioning status when high power consumption or electricity charges are incurred, leading to inefficient energy-saving measures and potential discomfort due to inadequate cooling or heating.
Innovation Solution
An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus that includes an imaging device to capture room images, a thermal image detection device for temperature distribution, and a controller to generate and display air-conditioning status images, showing the flow of conditioned air and temperature distribution on a remote control, allowing users to visualize the air-conditioning status over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the set temperature is increased to reduce power consumption, then energy saving is achieved, but the user must endure a higher temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements visual feedback by displaying real-time thermal images and air flow images that show the actual temperature distribution and conditioned air flow patterns in the room. This feedback mechanism allows users to observe the direct relationship between air conditioner operation and room temperature distribution, enabling informed decisions about energy-saving adjustments without盲目ly increasing temperature settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables users to identify local temperature variations and air flow patterns within the room through the superimposed thermal and air flow images. Users can distinguish between areas that are adequately cooled and areas that require additional cooling, allowing for targeted adjustments rather than uniformly increasing the set temperature throughout the entire room.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to understand the air-conditioning status within the room, allowing for targeted adjustments to ensure comfort and energy savings by visualizing the air-conditioning status as moving images on a remote control, preventing over-cooling or over-heating and optimizing energy usage.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal image detection device configured to acquire a thermal image of the inside of the room
Implementation Method 2
a fan configured to suck indoor air from the air inlet and form an air path extending to the air outlet
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger installed in the air path and configured to partially perform a role of a refrigeration cycle
Data Source
AI summary
An indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus includes an indoor imaging device that captures an image of inside a room, a thermal image detection device that acquires a thermal image of inside the room, an arithmetic operation device that acquires an air flow inside the room and that generates an air-conditioning status image obtained by superimposing the air flow obtained by the arithmetic operation and the thermal image acquired by the thermal image detection device on a visible image captured by the indoor imaging device, and a storage device that stores therein air-conditioning status images in accordance with the lapse of time. When a visualization button on a remote control is pressed, air-conditioning status images are transmitted to the remote control and are displayed as time-reduced moving images on a display unit of the remote control.