Air handler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air handlers with delta plates on evaporator coils require disassembly for maintenance, increasing maintenance time and cost, and preventing access to the upstream portion for cleaning due to their presence.
Innovation Solution
An air handler design with removably coupled coil extensions and a door for access, featuring sealing members and insulation strips to create an air-tight seal, allowing easy maintenance without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If delta plates are installed on both sides of the evaporator coil to prevent air bypass, then air sealing performance is improved, but maintenance access and cleaning capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator coil is segmented into a fixed downstream portion and a removable upstream portion (coil extension). The coil extension can be detached from the cabinet without removing the entire coil, allowing maintenance access while maintaining air sealing when installed. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling separate access to different functional zones of the coil.
Solution Approach 2:
The upstream portion of the evaporator coil (coil extension) is extracted as a removable component that can be taken out for cleaning and maintenance. This extracted portion can be easily removed from the cabinet by disconnecting refrigerant lines and electrical connections, allowing full access to the coil for cleaning without compromising the air sealing function when reinstalled.
2Ease of operation
If the entire evaporator coil is removed from the cabinet for cleaning, then complete maintenance access is achieved, but maintenance time and operational disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the evaporator coil into removable and fixed portions, only the necessary upstream section needs to be removed for routine maintenance. This segmentation allows partial maintenance without the time loss associated with removing the entire coil assembly, directly addressing the time loss problem while maintaining adequate access for cleaning dust deposits.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil extension is pre-configured with quick-connect refrigerant line fittings and accessible electrical connections, allowing for rapid installation and removal. This preliminary preparation of connection interfaces enables maintenance personnel to quickly detach and reattach the coil extension without time-consuming disassembly procedures, significantly reducing maintenance time.
3Ease of operation
If coil extensions are added to enable removable access, then maintenance ease is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coil extension uses simple segmentation with standard refrigerant line fittings and basic electrical connections. The structural complexity is minimized by using conventional components and straightforward assembly methods, making the added complexity manageable and cost-effective compared to the benefits of easy maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The coil extension serves multiple functions: it acts as both an evaporator coil component and a removable maintenance access point. The same structure provides refrigeration function, air sealing, and maintenance accessibility, reducing the need for separate specialized components and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Facilitates easy access for maintenance, reduces maintenance time and cost, and prevents air bypass, while maintaining an air-tight seal, thus enhancing operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The first sealing member and the second sealing member are configured to achieve the air-tight seal with an inner surface of the door
Implementation Method 2
Each of the first insulation strip and the second insulation strip is configured to prevent dripping of condensate from corresponding bottom surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides an air handler including a V-shaped round tube plate fin evaporator coil disposed within a cabinet, a first coil extension coupled to a first tube sheet at a first arm of the evaporator coil, a second coil extension coupled to a second tube sheet at a second arm of the evaporator coil, and a door disposed on a front portion of the cabinet to provide access to the evaporator coil. Each of the first coil extension and the second coil extension extends along a transverse direction of the evaporator coil. The first coil extension, the second coil extension, and the door are together configured to achieve an air-tight seal.