Heat Medium Circuit Branch Valve Layout for Compact Outdoor Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat medium circulation devices have long and cumbersome pipes due to the placement of pressure relief and air vent valves within the main water circuit, making maintenance difficult and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The pressure relief valve and air vent valve are strategically placed in a branch pipe downstream of the use-side heat exchanger, shortening the heat medium circuit and allowing for downsizing of the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pressure relief valve and air vent valve are placed in the main water circuit, then the valves can be easily accessed for maintenance, but the pipe length increases and the device becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The water circuit is segmented into a main circuit and a branch circuit. The pressure relief valve and air vent valve are placed in the branch circuit that branches off from the main water circuit downstream of the heat exchanger. This segmentation allows the valves to be accessible while keeping the main circuit compact.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of extending the main water circuit linearly to accommodate the valves, a branch circuit is created in a different spatial dimension (branching off from the main circuit). This allows the valves to be positioned in a compact arrangement while maintaining accessibility for maintenance.
2Reliability
If pressure relief valve and air vent valve are placed in the main water circuit, then the valves are integrated into the main flow path, but the device complexity increases and downsizing is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit is divided into main and branch segments, with the valves located in the branch segment. This segmentation maintains the reliability of valve integration into the water circuit while preventing the main circuit from becoming complex and cumbersome.
3Productivity
If the heat medium circuit is shortened and downsized, then the device becomes more compact and efficient, but maintenance of the valves becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The branch circuit provides an alternative spatial arrangement that allows the valves to be positioned for easy maintenance without extending the main heat medium circuit. The branch circuit acts as a separate access path that does not interfere with the compactness of the main circuit.
4Volume of stationary object
If the outdoor unit is downsized by shortening pipes, then the device occupies less space, but the risk of refrigerant leakage into the indoor unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure relief valve and air vent valve are extracted from the main water circuit and placed in a separate branch circuit within the outdoor unit. This extraction allows the outdoor unit to be downsized while maintaining safety functions, as the branch circuit provides a dedicated path for valve operations isolated from the main refrigerant circuit.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Object] The present invention provides a heat medium circulation device including a pressure relief valve and an air vent valve placed in a pipe of a water circuit in an outdoor unit, the pipe of the water circuit can be shortened, the outdoor unit can be downsized, and maintenance of the heat medium circulation device is easy. [Solving Means] The heat medium circulation device 300 includes: a refrigerant circuit 30 formed by annularly connecting, to one another, a compressor 3, a heat source-side heat exchanger 1, an expansion device 5 and a use-side heat exchanger 2; and a heat medium circuit 40 through which heat medium cooled or heated in the use-side heat exchanger 2 by refrigerant discharged from the compressor 3 is circulated. The heat medium circuit 40 includes a pressure relief valve 9 which discharges the heat medium in the heat medium circuit 40 and an air vent valve 10 which discharges air in the heat medium circuit 40, and the pressure relief valve 9 and the air vent valve 10 are located downstream of the use-side heat exchanger 2. The pressure relief valve 9 and the air vent valve 10 are connected to a branch pipe 50 which branches off from the heat medium circuit 40 at the downstream of the use-side heat exchanger 2.