Compressed-Air Air Conditioner Without External Heat Evacuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable air conditioners require a heat evacuation pipe to expel hot air outside, necessitating an opening in the room, which compromises insulation and convenience.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design utilizing an air-liquid heat exchanger to transfer heat directly from compressed air to a liquid, combined with an air-air heat exchanger and a compressed air motor to recover mechanical energy, enclosed in a thermally insulated casing to maintain efficiency without external heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a heat evacuation pipe is used to expel hot air outside, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase due to requiring wall openings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat evacuation function from the traditional external pipe system and integrates it into the enclosed device. The hot air is redirected through an internal passage system within the housing, eliminating the need for external pipe connections and wall openings while maintaining effective heat transfer from the condenser to the exterior environment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into the housing structure: the housing serves as both the protective enclosure and the heat evacuation pathway. The rear wall of the housing is designed to directly discharge hot air outdoors, merging the structural housing with the heat exchange function, thereby eliminating separate pipe components and simplifying the overall device structure
2Loss of energy
If an opening is made in the wall for hot air evacuation, then heat transfer is improved, but room insulation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat evacuation function from the room interior and directs it through the housing structure to the exterior. The hot air is discharged through the rear wall of the housing rather than requiring an opening in the room wall, thereby maintaining room insulation while achieving effective heat evacuation
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure acts as an intermediary between the room interior and the external environment. It provides a dedicated pathway for hot air discharge that does not require compromising the room's thermal insulation, serving as a mediator that separates the heat evacuation function from the room envelope
3Productivity
If a phase change cycle with refrigerant is used, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple heat exchangers and refrigerant management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs air as a universal working fluid that serves multiple functions: it is compressed to drive the compression motor, it absorbs heat in the evaporator, and it is discharged to provide cooling. This eliminates the need for separate refrigerant management systems, multiple heat exchangers, and phase change components, significantly simplifying the device while maintaining cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The compressed air serves the system's own needs by providing both the cooling medium and the mechanical energy to drive the compression motor. The air that is compressed and cooled is directly used for cooling purposes, and the expansion of this air drives the motor, creating a self-sufficient system that eliminates the need for external refrigerant cycles and complex heat exchanger networks
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
Achieves cooling efficiency comparable to traditional systems without the need for external heat evacuation, utilizing ambient air for cooling and potentially generating mechanical or electrical energy, while maintaining room insulation.
Implementation Method 1
an air compressor intended to compress the air to be cooled, this compression being accompanied by a strong rise in the temperature of the air thus compressed
Implementation Method 2
an air-liquid heat exchanger intended to transfer the heat from the air thus compressed to a liquid placed in a tank
Implementation Method 3
an air-air heat exchanger intended to further lower the temperature of the air to be cooled which, at this stage, is still maintained in the state of compressed air
Implementation Method 4
a compressed air motor making it possible to obtain an expansion of the compressed air, which naturally lowers its temperature and provides cooled air
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to an air conditioner comprising an air compressor (1) intended to compress the air that is to be cooled, an air-liquid heat exchanger (3) intended to transfer the heat from the air thus compressed to a liquid placed in a reservoir (9), an air-air heat exchanger (5) intended to lower still further the temperature of the air that is to be cooled which, at this stage, is still kept in the compressed-air state, a compressed-air motor (7) able to achieve expansion of the compressed air, something which naturally lowers its temperature and supplies cooled air, and a casing (17), having good thermal insulation properties and intended to contain all of the constituent components of the air conditioner; there will therefore be no need to provide for the removal of hot air as is required with most known air-conditioners of the prior art.