Air conditioning system with pipe search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems face challenges in quickly searching for connected pipes to fan coil units, leading to inefficiencies in heating and cooling operations, particularly due to difficulties in determining temperature changes in water channels and applying prior art methods to fan coil units.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioning system performs parallel heating and cooling pipe search operations using a controller to match fan coil units with heating or cooling pipes, employing temperature sensors and flow valves to optimize flow control and reduce search time, allowing for quicker and more efficient heating and cooling operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If sequential pipe search operation is performed for heating and cooling, then the search process is simple to implement, but the time required to search for connected pipes is excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe search operation is segmented into two independent parallel processes: heating pipe search and cooling pipe search. Each process operates independently with its own control logic, allowing simultaneous execution without interference. This segmentation enables the system to reduce total search time by performing both searches concurrently rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic action by alternating between heating and cooling modes during the pipe search process. The controller periodically switches the water channel operation mode to perform heating pipe search and cooling pipe search in parallel, utilizing periodic temperature variations to identify connected pipes through temperature sensor feedback.
2Productivity
If parallel heating and cooling pipe search operations are performed, then the search time is significantly reduced, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into independent heating search control and cooling search control modules. Each module manages its own temperature sensors, flow valves, and control logic separately, allowing parallel operation while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from temperature sensors to automatically determine pipe connections during parallel search operations. Temperature changes in fan coil units provide real-time feedback that enables the controller to identify connected pipes without requiring complex manual intervention, thus reducing operational complexity despite increased automation.
3Productivity
If flow control is not optimized during pipe search, then the control process is simpler, but heating and cooling operations are inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Flow control optimization is performed as a preliminary action during the pipe search process itself. The controller adjusts flow valve opening degrees based on temperature sensor feedback before actual heating or cooling operations begin, ensuring optimal flow conditions are established in advance for efficient operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Temperature sensor feedback is used to dynamically adjust flow valve opening degrees during pipe search and subsequent operations. This feedback mechanism enables automatic optimization of water flow to match actual thermal conditions, improving heating and cooling efficiency without requiring complex manual control.
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 significantly shortens the time required to search for connected pipes, enables optimized flow control of fan coil units, and improves overall efficiency by preventing excessive or insufficient heating and cooling, thus enhancing the air conditioning system's performance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one distributor connected to the outdoor unit and including a condenser and an evaporator that exchange heat between refrigerant and water
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of temperature sensors respectively provided in the plurality of fan coil units
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of flow valves respectively installed in the plurality of connection pipes
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning system may include an outdoor unit including a compressor; at least one distributor connected to the outdoor unit and including a condenser and an evaporator that exchange heat between refrigerant and water; a plurality of heating pipes in communication with the condenser; a plurality of cooling pipes in communication with the evaporator; a plurality of fan coil units connected to the plurality of heating pipes or the plurality of cooling pipes; and a controller configured to perform a heating pipe search operation for matching a portion of the plurality of fan coil units with the plurality of heating pipes, and a cooling pipe search operation for matching another portion of the plurality of fan coil units with the plurality of cooling pipes, in parallel.