Ceiling-Embedded AC Outlet Guide Tube for Longer Air Throw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ceiling-embedded air conditioners experience a significant drop in airflow velocity when directing air forward, limiting the reachable distance due to sharp changes in airflow direction caused by wind deflectors.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a curved outlet ventilation path in the outlet guide tube of the decorative panel, with a bottom opening facing diagonally downwards, allowing air to be gently guided forward without abrupt direction changes, thereby maintaining airflow velocity and extending its reach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If wind deflectors are used to change the direction of air flow sharply, then the air flow direction is changed to frontward, but the flow velocity drops quickly and the reachable distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet guide tube is designed with a curved shape instead of sharp angles, allowing the air flow to change direction gradually. The curvature radius is specifically set to be 0.05 to 0.15 times the length of the outlet guide tube, which minimizes flow separation and maintains high flow velocity while directing air forward, thereby extending the reachable distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet guide tube extends downward below the decorative panel, utilizing the vertical dimension to guide air flow. The bottom opening of the outlet guide tube protrudes downward, allowing air to be discharged in a direction that combines vertical and horizontal components, effectively extending the reachable distance without requiring sharp directional changes.
2Ease of operation
If wind deflectors change the direction of wind sharply, then the air is directed forward, but the sudden changes make it difficult to extend the reachable distance
Solution Approach 1:
The curved outlet guide tube provides smooth directional control without sharp edges, allowing air to follow the curvature naturally. This maintains ease of operation for direction control while avoiding flow separation that would limit reachable distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet guide tube is designed with specific dimensional ratios (curvature radius of 0.05 to 0.15 times the tube length) that optimize the dynamic behavior of air flow. This dynamic design allows the air to adapt to the curved path while maintaining high velocity and extending reachable distance.
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
This design effectively alleviates the drop in airflow velocity and increases the reachable distance of the outgoing air flow in the forward direction by smoothly guiding air through a curved outlet guide tube, enhancing the overall performance of the ceiling-embedded air conditioner.
Implementation Method 1
an outlet ventilation path that connects the top opening to the bottom opening and is curved
Implementation Method 2
a fan unit that is disposed inside the housing and includes a sirocco fan configured to collect air from the intake port and discharge the air from an outlet tube
Implementation Method 3
a drain pan that is configured to collects dew drops formed on the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A ceiling-embedded air conditioner includes a main unit, and a decorative panel that has an intake port and an outlet guide tube, wherein the main unit includes a box-shaped housing, a heat exchanger that is disposed inside the housing, a fan unit that is disposed inside the housing and collects air from the intake port and discharge the air from an outlet tube, and a drain pan that has an outlet port opening through which the air discharged from the outlet tube passes toward the outlet guide tube, the outlet guide tube has a top opening communicating with the outlet tube, a bottom opening facing a direction below a front plate of the housing, and a curved outlet ventilation path connecting the top opening to the bottom opening, and a bottom end of the bottom opening protrudes more downwards than the decorative panel does.