Air conditioner for sealed enclosures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners for enclosures fail to maintain the internal temperature within safe limits for electrical components and allow contaminants to enter or exit the enclosure, compromising the performance and integrity of the components.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system with a housing and tub arrangement that defines ambient and cooling cavities, incorporating heat exchangers, fans, and a condensed water coil to manage condensate, while providing IP69-rated ingress protection through grommets and sealing mechanisms to prevent dust and water ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional air conditioners are used for enclosures, then cooling function is provided, but contaminants can enter or exit the enclosure compromising component integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs grommets with flexible sealing mechanisms to create IP69-rated barriers. These flexible sealing elements prevent contaminant ingress through penetrations while allowing the air conditioner to maintain its cooling function. The grommets act as flexible membranes that seal around coolant lines and other penetrations, resolving the contradiction between providing cooling access and preventing contaminant entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces grommets as intermediary sealing components between the enclosure interior and exterior. These grommets mediate the conflict by providing IP69-rated sealing at penetration points, allowing coolant lines and electrical connections to pass through while blocking contaminant ingress. The intermediary sealing mechanism enables both cooling functionality and contamination protection simultaneously.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sealing mechanisms are added to prevent contaminant ingress, then ingress protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grommets in the patent serve multiple functions simultaneously: they seal around coolant lines, provide structural support for penetrations, enable IP69-rated protection, and maintain flexibility for installation. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by consolidating multiple sealing and support functions into single components rather than requiring separate elements for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible nature of the grommet seals allows them to adapt to various penetration configurations without requiring complex rigid sealing structures. The flexibility enables a single grommet design to accommodate different line sizes and angles, reducing the variety of components needed and simplifying the overall sealing system while maintaining IP69 protection.
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
Effectively cools the enclosure's interior while maintaining stringent IP69-rated sealing standards, ensuring the performance of electrical components and preventing contamination.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger (e.g., a condenser) disposed within the ambient air exchange cavity
Implementation Method 2
a first fan to move air across the first heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a second heat exchanger (e.g., an evaporator) and a second fan disposed within the cooling cavity
Implementation Method 4
the second fan can move air across the second heat exchanger
Implementation Method 5
A condensed water coil defining a fluid trap can be provided below the second heat exchanger to capture condensate
Implementation Method 6
direct the condensate into the ambient air exchange cavity for disposal
Data Source
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AI summary
An air conditioner (300) for an enclosure that can include a housing (200) that partly defines an ambient air exchange cavity and a tub (302) that further defines the ambient air exchange cavity (310) and partly defines a cooling cavity (318). The tub can support a first heat exchanger (308) within the ambient air exchange cavity, and a second heat exchanger (380) and a fan (314) within the cooling cavity. The second heat exchanger can be included in a coolant flow loop with the first heat exchanger and the fan can move air across the second heat exchanger and into the inlet of the enclosure. The second heat exchanger can be located above the fan. A fluid trap can be provided below the second heat exchanger and adjacent the fan to capture condensate from the second heat exchanger and can direct the condensate into the ambient air exchange cavity for disposal.