Ceiling-Embedded Airflow Layout for Balanced Heat Exchanger Intake
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ceiling-embedded air conditioners, the placement of a heat exchanger around a blowing fan creates a short circuit when suction openings are not feasible, limiting heat exchange performance due to ventilation resistance and housing design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A ceiling-embedded air conditioner design with a box-shaped main unit, including a heat exchanger and air blower, features a decorative panel with an air guide path and recesses to expand airflow, allowing the heat exchanger to be positioned around the fan without suction openings, enhancing heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat exchanger is disposed around the blowing fan, then the heat exchange performance can be increased, but the suction opening cannot be provided on the air blowing direction side causing short circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The air suction function is segmented into two separate chambers: a first air suction chamber outside the rear heat exchange part and a second air suction chamber outside the front heat exchange part. This segmentation allows air to be drawn from multiple locations, preventing short circuit while maintaining heat exchange performance with the centrally positioned heat exchanger.
Solution Approach 2:
The air suction openings are positioned in different spatial dimensions and locations relative to the heat exchanger. By providing suction openings on both sides of the heat exchanger (front and rear), the system creates three-dimensional airflow paths that bypass the heat exchanger, eliminating short circuit while preserving the compact circular configuration.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the air passage from suction opening to heat exchanger is extended, then suction opening can be provided away from blowing direction, but ventilation resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage is segmented into multiple independent paths: one path from the first air suction chamber to the rear heat exchange part, and another path from the second air suction chamber to the front heat exchange part. This segmentation creates multiple parallel airflow routes, reducing overall ventilation resistance while preventing short circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides more than one air suction chamber, creating excessive air intake paths. This ensures that even if one path has higher resistance, the other paths compensate, maintaining low overall ventilation resistance while effectively preventing short circuit.
3Loss of energy
If the heat exchanger is disposed near the suction opening, then the air passage can be short, but the heat exchanger cannot be disposed around the blowing fan
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the advantages of both configurations: the heat exchanger is positioned centrally around the blowing fan (optimizing heat exchange performance) while simultaneously providing suction openings near the heat exchanger (minimizing air passage length). The multiple suction chambers are strategically positioned to maintain short air passages while enabling central heat exchanger placement.
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 enables the heat exchanger to be placed where suction openings cannot be provided, improving heat exchange performance by optimizing airflow and reducing ventilation resistance.
Implementation Method 1
The air sucked from the suction opening can exchange heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a blowing fan formed of a sirocco fan surrounded by the fan casing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In a mode in which a blowing fan is disposed in an air blowing chamber surrounded by heat exchangers, air sucked from an air blowing opening is directed to each heat exchanger without bias. Even in a mode in which an air blower 31 is disposed in an air blowing chamber F which is formed between a first heat exchange part 20L and a second heat exchange part 20R disposed to face each other, and an air suction opening 73 is disposed on the side of a second air suction chamber S1 outside the second heat exchange part 20R, an air guide path L is formed from the air suction part 73 to a first air suction chamber S2 on the side of the first heat exchange part 20L between the rear surface of the decorative panel 70 and the bottom surface of the drain pan 40, so that the air sucked from the air blowing opening 73 is directed to the first heat exchange part 20L and the second heat exchange part 2R without bias.