Expanding Air Discharge Flow Path for Long-Throw Air Conditioners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face challenges in efficiently discharging a large volume of air over long distances due to vortex formation and reduced cross-sectional area in the discharge flow path, leading to ineffective cooling in large spaces.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design includes a housing with a vertically positioned air inlet and outlet, a blowing fan rotating about a left-right axis, and guides that increase the cross-sectional area of the discharge flow path, utilizing a curved upper guide surface and protrusions/grooves to enhance airflow directionality and prevent flow separation, leveraging the Coanda effect for long-distance air discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional discharge flow path is used with a blowing fan, then the air conditioner can discharge air, but the cross-sectional area decreases toward the downstream and air discharge distance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the discharge flow path by forming the upstream side surface and downstream side surface of the guide body with curved surfaces rather than flat surfaces. This curvature design allows the flow path to smoothly expand in the streamwise direction while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency, preventing flow separation and enabling air to be discharged over longer distances without significant loss of cross-sectional area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional two-dimensional discharge flow path to a three-dimensional expanding flow path. The guide body is designed with width that increases in the streamwise direction, creating a volumetric expansion rather than merely a planar expansion. This dimensional approach allows the flow path cross-sectional area to increase while maintaining efficient airflow characteristics.
2Length of moving object
If the cross-sectional area of the discharge flow path is maintained, then air can be discharged over long distance, but the guide structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guide body with the housing structure, where the guide body forms an integrated component that defines the discharge flow path. The upstream side surface and downstream side surface are formed as continuous curved surfaces that seamlessly connect to the housing, eliminating the need for separate guide components and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining the expanded flow path geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide body serves multiple functions: it guides airflow from the blowing fan, expands the discharge flow path cross-sectional area, maintains flow attachment through curved surfaces, and integrates with the housing structure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies the overall device design.
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 configuration ensures a predetermined volume of air is discharged over long distances, maintaining airflow efficiency even in large spaces without significant reduction in cross-sectional area, thereby enhancing cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
a blowing fan that is disposed inside the housing, that is disposed at an upper rear side of the air outlet, and that is configured to rotate about a rotational axis that extends in a left-right direction of the housing to cause air introduced through the air inlet to flow toward the air outlet
Implementation Method 2
an upper guide that is disposed vertically above the lower guide and that defines a discharge flow path with the lower guide. The discharge flow path extends from the blowing fan to the air outlet, and a cross sectional area of the discharge flow path increases toward the air outlet. The upper guide defines a curved surface that is disposed at a downstream end of the upper guide adjacent to the air outlet and that is convex toward the air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes a housing that defines an air inlet and an air outlet, a heat exchanger, a blowing fan inside the housing, a lower guide configured to guide, toward the air outlet, air discharged to a rear side of the blowing fan and a lower side of the blowing fan, and an upper guide that is disposed vertically above the lower guide and that defines a discharge flow path with the lower guide. The discharge flow path extends from the blowing fan to the air outlet, and a cross sectional area of the discharge flow path increases toward the air outlet. The upper guide defines a curved surface that is disposed at a downstream end of the upper guide adjacent to the air outlet and that is convex toward the air outlet.