Air conditioner, wind direction control method, and program
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners face challenges in reducing the vertical temperature difference within a room while minimizing energy consumption, as conventional methods either insufficiently distribute warm air due to buoyancy or increase energy use by increasing wind speed.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system with a control unit that alternates the direction of air outlets between downward and horizontal orientations at predetermined intervals, adjusting the wind direction based on temperature differences and wind volume, using sensors to measure suction and radiant heat temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the wind direction of all air outlets is directed downward, then the warm wind can reach the floor surface, but the wind volume becomes insufficient due to buoyancy influence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air outlets into multiple groups that can be independently controlled. Instead of directing all air outlets downward simultaneously, the control unit alternates between different groups, with some groups directing wind downward and others directing wind horizontally. This segmentation allows the system to maintain sufficient total wind volume while still delivering warm air to the floor surface periodically.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit implements periodic switching between different wind direction patterns. The air outlets alternate between directing wind downward and directing wind horizontally at predetermined intervals. This periodic action ensures that warm air reaches the floor surface over time while maintaining adequate overall air circulation and wind volume throughout the room.
2Temperature
If the wind volume is increased to ensure warm wind reaches the floor surface, then the warm wind can overcome buoyancy, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the air outlets into controllable groups, the system can direct high-volume wind from horizontal outlets while simultaneously directing warm air downward from other outlets. This segmentation eliminates the need to increase overall wind volume from all outlets, thereby reducing energy consumption while still ensuring warm air reaches the floor.
Solution Approach 2:
The periodic switching between downward and horizontal wind direction patterns allows the system to deliver warm air to the floor surface at specific intervals without maintaining high wind volume continuously. This reduces the average energy consumption compared to continuously increasing wind volume, while still achieving the goal of warming the floor surface periodically.
3Temperature
If the wind direction is alternated between downward and horizontal, then the vertical temperature difference is reduced, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system divides air outlets into distinct groups that can be controlled independently. This segmentation simplifies the control logic by allowing the system to switch between predefined patterns (e.g., Group A downward/Group B horizontal, then Group B downward/Group A horizontal) rather than individually controlling each outlet, thereby reducing overall control complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit follows a predetermined periodic pattern for switching wind directions between different air outlet groups. This periodic approach simplifies control by using fixed timing and sequences rather than complex real-time adjustments, making the control system easier to implement and manage while still effectively reducing vertical temperature differences.
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 reduces the vertical temperature difference in a room by optimizing air distribution, minimizing energy consumption and noise, and reducing temperature variations on the floor surface.
Implementation Method 1
a radiation sensor that measures a radiation temperature which is a temperature of radiant heat from a floor surface
Implementation Method 2
the wind volume (wind speed) becomes insufficient, and the warm wind may not reach the floor surface due to the influence of buoyancy
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
An air conditioner of an embodiment includes a suction temperature sensor, a radiation sensor, and a control unit. The suction temperature sensor measures a suction temperature which is a temperature of air sucked from a suction port of an indoor unit. The radiation sensor measures a radiation temperature which is a temperature of radiant heat from a floor surface. The control unit includes a floor-surface-temperature estimation unit and a wind-direction control unit. The floor-surface-temperature estimation unit estimates a floor surface temperature based on the radiation temperature. The wind-direction control unit controls a wind-direction adjustment member provided in each of a plurality of air outlets of the indoor unit. The wind-direction control unit performs a first wind-direction control. In the first wind-direction control, in a case in which a difference value between the suction temperature and the floor surface temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a first state in which a wind direction of wind blown out from one air outlet is directed downward and a wind direction of the wind blown out from the remaining air outlets is directed in a direction closer to a horizontal direction and a second state in which all air outlets are directed downward are alternately repeated at predetermined intervals.