Air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners struggle to uniformly distribute air temperature within a room, leading to discomfort due to temperature unevenness, particularly during heating and cooling operations.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner with an indoor unit equipped with a housing, indoor fan, indoor heat exchanger, airflow direction blade, and controller that adjusts airflow direction and volume to execute a circulation operation based on environmental information, such as temperature differences and heat insulation performance, to stir indoor air and reduce temperature unevenness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the air conditioner performs a circulator operation to move air from ceiling to floor, then temperature uniformity is improved, but the execution time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller executes the circulation operation periodically rather than continuously, controlling both the execution time and execution interval based on temperature differences. This periodic operation reduces energy consumption while maintaining temperature uniformity through repeated circulation cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically adjusts the execution time and execution interval of the circulation operation based on the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor environments. When temperature difference exceeds a threshold, the circulation operation is executed with specific time parameters to optimize both temperature uniformity and energy efficiency.
2Temperature
If the air conditioner executes circulation operation frequently, then temperature uniformity is improved, but the loss of time for other operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation operation is implemented as a periodic process with controlled execution intervals. The controller determines optimal intervals based on temperature differences, allowing the system to balance temperature uniformity maintenance with minimizing time loss for other air conditioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller predicts when circulation operations will be needed based on temperature trends and environmental conditions, executing them in advance to maintain temperature uniformity without interrupting other operations unnecessarily.
3Temperature
If the airflow direction blade adjusts airflow direction dynamically, then temperature distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow direction blade is designed to dynamically adjust its position under controller command, changing airflow direction between downward and forward directions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables improved temperature distribution while the controller manages the complexity through automated decision-making based on temperature sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The airflow direction blade serves multiple functions: it directs airflow downward during cooling operations, directs airflow forward during heating operations, and enables circulation operations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, managing device complexity while achieving versatile temperature control.
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
The air conditioner effectively reduces temperature unevenness by adjusting airflow direction and volume, enhancing user comfort by ensuring more uniform air distribution during heating and cooling operations.
Implementation Method 1
an indoor fan that is disposed in the housing and forms an airflow from the suction port to the blowout port
Implementation Method 2
an indoor heat exchanger positioned in a path of the airflow
Implementation Method 3
an airflow direction blade that is disposed at the blowout port and changes an airflow direction, in a vertical direction, of the indoor air from blowout port between a downward direction directing downward from the indoor unit and a forward direction directing forward from the indoor unit
Implementation Method 4
the controller executes a circulation operation of circulating the indoor air by controlling the indoor fan and the airflow direction blade
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An air conditioner according to the present disclosure is an air conditioner that conditions indoor air, including an indoor unit. The indoor unit includes: a housing including a suction port and a blowout port for indoor air; an indoor fan that is disposed in the housing and generates an airflow from the suction port to the blowout port; an indoor heat exchanger positioned in a path of the airflow; an airflow direction blade that is disposed at the blowout port and changes an airflow direction, in a vertical direction, of the indoor air from blowout port between a downward direction directing downward from the indoor unit and a forward direction directing forward from the indoor unit; and a controller that controls the indoor fan and the airflow direction blade. The controller executes a circulation operation of circulating the indoor air by controlling the indoor fan and the airflow direction blade to change at least one of an air volume or an airflow direction from the indoor fan, and controls at least one of an execution time or an execution interval of the circulation operation based on information regarding an environment of indoors.