Air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners face challenges in maintaining effective dehumidification across varying loads, as lowering evaporation temperature can lead to freezing and decreased efficiency, while raising it may prevent dehumidification, especially under low loads.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner features a refrigerant circuit with a variable evaporation region in the indoor heat exchanger, controlled by the compressor and expansion valve, allowing the evaporation region to adjust based on load, with temperature detection mechanisms to maintain optimal evaporation temperatures and ensure dehumidification across different load conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the evaporation temperature is lowered to increase cooling capacity under high load, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the heat exchanger may freeze and the refrigeration cycle efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the evaporation region extent variable rather than fixed. The evaporation region is dynamically adjusted based on load conditions - extending into the main heat exchanger when load is high, and retracting to the auxiliary heat exchanger when load is low. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain optimal evaporation temperature across varying loads, preventing freezing while meeting cooling demands.
2Reliability
If the evaporation temperature is raised to prevent freezing under low load, then the freezing risk is reduced, but dehumidification cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics to adjust the evaporation region extent according to load conditions. Under low load conditions, the evaporation region is dynamically positioned within the auxiliary heat exchanger where it can maintain higher temperature for freezing prevention while still enabling dehumidification. The dynamic control ensures that the evaporation region adapts its position and extent to meet both temperature and dehumidification requirements.
3Productivity
If the evaporation temperature is kept constant to maintain dehumidification under low load, then dehumidification is achieved, but the cooling capacity is insufficient under high load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by dynamically adjusting the extent of the evaporation region rather than keeping it constant. When load is low, the evaporation region is positioned in the auxiliary heat exchanger to maintain appropriate temperature for dehumidification. When load increases, the evaporation region dynamically extends into the main heat exchanger to increase cooling capacity while maintaining dehumidification effectiveness.
4Productivity
If the evaporation region is limited to the auxiliary heat exchanger to enable low load dehumidification, then dehumidification under low load is achieved, but the cooling capacity is limited under high load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the evaporation region extent adjustable between the auxiliary heat exchanger and the main heat exchanger. Under low load conditions, the evaporation region is confined to the auxiliary heat exchanger to enable effective dehumidification. Under high load conditions, the evaporation region dynamically extends into the main heat exchanger to provide sufficient cooling capacity, thus resolving the limitation of fixed evaporation region location.
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 solution enables consistent dehumidification performance across varying loads without significant changes in evaporation temperature, preventing freezing and ensuring efficient operation under both high and low load conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporation region where a liquid refrigerant evaporates
Implementation Method 2
a evaporation region where a liquid refrigerant evaporates
Data Source
AI summary
Dehumidification cannot be performed when a load decreases. In an air conditioner of the present invention, an indoor heat exchanger includes an auxiliary heat exchanger 20 and a main heat exchanger 21 disposed leeward from the auxiliary heat exchanger 20. In an operation in a predetermined dehumidification operation mode, a liquid refrigerant supplied to the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 all evaporates midway in the auxiliary heat exchanger 20. Therefore, only an upstream partial area in the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 is an evaporation region, while an area downstream of the evaporation region in the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 is a superheat region. In the predetermined dehumidification operation mode, a compressor and an expansion valve are controlled so that the extent of the evaporation region of the auxiliary heat exchanger 20 varies depending on the load.