Air-conditioning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceiling-mounted indoor air-conditioning units installed at a predetermined distance from each other can cause air currents to collide and flow downward, resulting in drafts perceived by users underneath.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates airflow blocking mechanisms and direction adjusting flaps in each indoor unit to control airflow, ensuring that air is not blown from opposing outlet openings, thereby preventing collisions and drafts, and allowing for alternating full and partial supply operations to optimize air distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple indoor units are installed in the ceiling at a predetermined distance apart and blow air currents from opposing outlet openings, then air distribution coverage is improved, but air currents collide and are forced to flow downward causing drafts
Solution Approach 1:
The control device prevents air currents from blowing simultaneously in opposite directions by selectively controlling the operation of adjacent indoor units. When one indoor unit blows air from its outlet openings, the control device prevents the adjacent indoor unit from blowing air from its opposing outlet openings, thereby avoiding collision and downward flow that causes drafts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation status of multiple indoor units based on their relative positions and airflow directions. The control device changes the operational state of indoor units in real-time to optimize air distribution while preventing harmful airflow collision, transitioning between different operational modes (full operation, partial operation, or shutdown) of individual units.
2Productivity
If air currents are blown from all outlet openings of adjacent indoor units, then air distribution efficiency is improved, but temperature differences in the room increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control device applies different operational qualities to different indoor units based on their local positions and airflow characteristics. Instead of uniformly operating all indoor units, it selectively controls which units operate and in what mode, creating localized optimal airflow patterns that prevent temperature stratification while maintaining overall distribution efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A draft perceived by a user under an indoor unit is reduced. A controller (70) makes each of a plurality of indoor units (10) perform a partial supply operation. In the partial supply operation, the controller (70) controls an airflow blocking mechanism (50) such that, regarding the indoor units (10) adjacent to each other with a predetermined distance α interposed therebetween, no air current is blown from one of the outlet openings (24a to 24d) which face each other with the predetermined distance α interposed therebetween.