Cooling unit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling units face challenges in achieving energy-efficient cooling while maintaining a manageable design for installation and user convenience, with suboptimal air flow routing and thermal insulation.
Innovation Solution
The cooling unit design incorporates a radial fan in the upper half of the vertical intermediate space above the evaporator, with strategically positioned fans and flow conduits to create a uniform air flow and efficient cooling, including a thermally insulating structure with plate-shaped elements and foamed plastic conduits for enhanced insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fan is positioned in the base group adjacent to the evaporator, then air flow is generated through the flow conduit system, but back pressure increases and electrical malfunctions risk increases due to proximity to water
Solution Approach 1:
The fan is extracted from the base group and repositioned to the rear wall group, specifically in the upper section of the vertical intermediate space. This spatial extraction removes the fan from the harmful environment near the evaporator, eliminating back pressure issues and electrical malfunction risks while preserving its air flow generation function.
2Productivity
If the base group is made voluminous to accommodate fan and flow conduit system, then air circulation is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flow conduit system transitions from a horizontal arrangement in the base group to a vertical arrangement in the rear wall group. The vertical intermediate space provides a compact three-dimensional pathway for air circulation, achieving effective cooling air distribution without requiring a voluminous base group structure.
3Temperature
If fans are positioned close to the evaporator, then cooling efficiency is improved, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates due to heat transfer pathways
Solution Approach 1:
The rear wall group serves as an intermediary structure that houses both the fan in its upper section and the evaporator in its lower section, spatially separating these components while maintaining functional connection through the vertical intermediate space. This intermediary arrangement preserves thermal insulation by preventing direct heat transfer pathways between the fan motor and evaporator.
4Productivity
If a stratified air flow routing is implemented in the rear wall group, then cooling distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fan housing and flow conduit system are merged into a single integrated structure within the rear wall group. The housing simultaneously serves as the fan mounting structure and as part of the flow conduit system, with the front wall of the housing forming a boundary for the vertical intermediate space. This merging eliminates separate components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining stratified air flow routing functionality.
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 design achieves efficient cooling with reduced back pressure and risk of electrical malfunctions, while providing effective thermal insulation and a stable, user-friendly shelving module configuration for improved cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one fan, particularly embodied in the form of a radial fan, is also provided at least in the vertical intermediate space in order to produce an air flow through the intermediate spaces
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator or another heat exchanger of the cooling device is situated or positioned in the vertical intermediate chamber for generating cooling air
Implementation Method 3
thermally insulating structure with plate-shaped elements and foamed plastic conduits for enhanced insulation
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling unit including a base group, a rear wall group and an upper group, defining a cooling chamber from below, the back and above, and are provided at least in part with components of a cooling device and which have a multi-layered structure with a flow channel arrangement embodied therein. In the base group as well as the rear wall group and the upper group intermediate spaces are formed between respective layers as parts of the flow channel arrangement, and an evaporator or another heat exchanger of the cooling device is arranged in a vertical intermediate chamber for generating cooling air.