Method and system for reducing moisture carryover in air handlers
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-velocity airflow in HVACR units can blow condensate off refrigerant coils, leading to corrosion, contamination, and reduced system efficiency, necessitating larger drain pans and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A diffuser comprising multiple diffuser elements is placed between the blower and refrigerant coil to deflect and spread airflow, reducing velocity and moisture carryover, thereby minimizing condensate transport and allowing for smaller drain pans and reduced unit size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-velocity airflow is used through the refrigerant coil, then cooling efficiency is improved, but condensate is blown off the coil causing corrosion and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A diffuser is introduced as an intermediary component between the blower and refrigerant coil. The diffuser mediates the airflow by reducing its velocity and redistributing it uniformly across the coil surface, thereby preventing condensate blowoff while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser changes the airflow parameters (velocity, distribution pattern) before the air reaches the refrigerant coil. By transforming the concentrated high-velocity flow into a distributed lower-velocity flow, the system achieves both effective cooling and prevention of condensate carryover.
2Productivity
If high-velocity airflow is used through the refrigerant coil, then cooling performance is improved, but vortices cause airflow to circulate backwards through the blower reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser acts as a flow-conditioning intermediary that eliminates vortex formation. By providing a uniform velocity distribution across the coil inlet, the diffuser prevents the development of rotational flow patterns that would otherwise cause backward circulation and energy loss.
3Reliability
If drain pans are installed to capture condensate, then corrosion and contamination are prevented, but unit size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful high-velocity airflow into a beneficial low-velocity distributed flow that naturally prevents condensate blowoff. By changing the airflow characteristics, the system eliminates the need for large drain pans while maintaining protection against corrosion and contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser extracts the harmful high-velocity characteristic from the airflow while retaining the beneficial cooling function. This separation allows the system to achieve effective cooling without the negative side effect of condensate carryover, eliminating the need for oversized drain pans.
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
The solution effectively reduces moisture carryover, shortens drain pans, and decreases the size of HVACR units, enhancing system efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The diffuser elements are arranged and/or configured to deflect the airflow, spreading it over more of the refrigeration coil and reducing the velocity of air passing through any particular point in the refrigeration coil
Implementation Method 2
cooling the airflow after it exists the diffuser, using a refrigeration coil
Data Source
AI summary
A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration system includes a diffuser comprising a plurality of diffuser elements located between a blower driving airflow through the system and a refrigeration coil used to cool the airflow prior to the distribution of the airflow to a building. Locating diffusers between the blower and the refrigeration coil reduces the extent to which the airflow carries moisture from condensate on the refrigeration coil, and can prevent circulation of air backwards through the refrigeration coil.