Air conditioning system with heat pump section and separate heat source section
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioning systems with a heat pump section and a separate heat source section face a temporary drop in indoor temperature and comfort level when switching from separate heat source air-warming to heat pump air-warming operation due to the time it takes for the heat pump to take effect.
Innovation Solution
The system starts the heat pump air-warming operation while continuing the separate heat source air-warming operation and ends the separate heat source operation once an overlapping air-warming ending condition is met, ensuring the heat pump's air-warming capability is sufficient to prevent temperature drops and discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the operation is switched directly from separate heat source air-warming operation to heat pump air-warming operation, then the system can respond quickly to temperature changes, but the indoor temperature temporarily drops and comfort level is impaired because the heat pump takes time to take effect
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit starts the heat pump air-warming operation in advance while the separate heat source air-warming operation is still continued. This preliminary action allows the heat pump to begin heating before it needs to fully take over, preventing temporary temperature drops when switching operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The separate heat source air-warming operation is continued while the heat pump air-warming operation is starting up, creating an overlapping period where both systems operate together. This ensures continuous and sufficient heating capability during the transition, maintaining indoor temperature stability.
2Reliability
If the heat pump air-warming operation is started while the separate heat source air-warming operation is continued, then the air-warming capability deficiency is supported, but the system complexity increases due to overlapping operations control
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the indoor temperature and the operation status of both heat pump and separate heat source systems. Based on feedback from temperature sensors and system status, the control unit automatically determines when to start the heat pump operation and when to end the separate heat source operation, simplifying the control logic despite the overlapping operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically manages the overlapping operation period and determines when to switch from separate heat source operation to heat pump operation based on predefined conditions and real-time system status, eliminating the need for complex manual control or additional control mechanisms.
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 approach prevents temporary indoor temperature drops and maintains comfort by supporting the heat pump's air-warming capability during the transition, ensuring effective switching between heat sources.
Implementation Method 1
The heat pump section has a refrigerant heat-radiator for heating an air by radiating a heat of a refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning system includes a heat pump section performing indoor air-warming by using a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle, a separate heat source section performing indoor air-warming by using a heat source separate from the heat pump section, and a control unit configured to control actions of the heat pump section and the separate heat source section. When an operation is switched from a separate heat source air-warming operation to a heat pump air-warming operation, the control unit starts the heat pump air-warming operation while the separate heat source air-warming operation is continued, and after an overlapping air-warming ending condition is met, the control unit ends the separate heat source air-warming operation. The overlapping air-warming ending condition is that a temperature difference resulting from subtracting a target indoor temperature from an indoor temperature is equal to or greater than an overlapping air-warming ending air temperature difference.