Air conditioner
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners with switchable refrigerant circuits for cooling and heating operations face inefficiencies due to the need for multiple heat exchangers and increased costs when attempting to utilize an intermediate cooler, especially in supercritical refrigeration cycles.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design featuring a compression mechanism with dual compression units, a heat-source-side unit with multiple heat exchangers, and a control unit that dynamically switches the refrigerant flow to optimize operations between cooling, heating, and simultaneous cooling-heating modes, allowing one heat exchanger to function as both an intermediate cooler and evaporator, thereby reducing the need for additional heat exchanger divisions and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heat exchangers are used for cooling and heating operations, then operational flexibility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first heat-source-side heat exchanger is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as a radiator during cooling operations, as an evaporator during heating operations, and as an intermediate cooler during simultaneous cooling-heating operations. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated heat exchangers for each operation mode, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining operational flexibility.
2Productivity
If an intermediate cooler is added to cool high-temperature refrigerant, then operation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first heat-source-side heat exchanger serves as an intermediate cooler during simultaneous cooling-heating operations, cooling the high-temperature refrigerant from the compression mechanism. By using an existing heat exchanger for this additional function rather than adding a dedicated intermediate cooler, the system achieves improved operation efficiency while avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling function for the high-temperature refrigerant is merged with the radiating function in the first heat-source-side heat exchanger. During simultaneous cooling-heating operations, the same heat exchanger that radiates heat to the outdoor environment also cools the compressed refrigerant, combining multiple functions into a single component.
3Productivity
If heat exchangers are divided into multiple units, then operational efficiency is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first heat-source-side heat exchanger is designed as a universal component that can operate in three different modes: as a radiator during cooling, as an evaporator during heating, and as an intermediate cooler during simultaneous operations. This approach achieves operational efficiency through dynamic flow switching without the need to manufacture multiple separate heat exchanger units, thereby controlling manufacturing costs.
4Adaptability or versatility
If refrigerant flow is dynamically switched between operations, then adaptability is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic refrigerant flow switching through control valves that redirect refrigerant based on operational requirements. The control unit dynamically adjusts the flow paths to match the desired operation mode (cooling, heating, or simultaneous), enabling high adaptability. The control complexity is managed by implementing a centralized control unit that coordinates all switching operations based on simple operational mode selection.
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 enhances operational efficiency by dynamically adjusting heat exchanger functions based on load demands, reducing energy consumption and costs while maintaining flexibility between cooling and heating operations.
Implementation Method 1
The first heat-source-side heat exchanger and the second heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a control unit. The control unit performs switching between a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation by switching a flow of a refrigerant at the heat-source-side unit.
Data Source
AI summary
A heat-source-side heat exchanger is divided so that a heat-source-side heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator also functions as an intermediate cooler. Since, when an air conditioner includes a bypass pipe, a heat-source-side heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator and as an intermediate cooler also further functions as a radiator, operation efficiency is increased.