Dual Ceiling Air Inlets for Constant Throw at Variable Flow Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems face challenges in maintaining a constant 'throw' of the inlet air stream jet under variable conditions, such as flow rate and temperature, while ensuring comfortable draft-free conditions for occupants.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a pair of air streams with adjustable directions, using divergent and convergent configurations to control air distribution, with adjustable baffles to direct air streams upwards and horizontally, ensuring consistent 'throw' and distribution across varying air volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the air flow rate is increased to supply more fresh air to the room, then the air distribution coverage is improved, but the jet throw decreases and draft conditions worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The single air inlet opening is divided into two separate openings that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows each opening to operate at optimized flow rates and angles, maintaining jet throw and draft-free conditions even when total air supply volume is increased
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs adjustable baffles in each air inlet opening that can be dynamically positioned to change the air stream directions. This dynamic adjustment allows optimization of jet throw at different flow rates, ensuring draft-free conditions are maintained across varying air supply volumes
2Quantity of substance
If the air inlet opening size is increased to supply higher air volumes, then the air distribution capacity is improved, but the jet velocity and throw decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the air supply into two separate openings, each opening can maintain smaller effective sizes that preserve jet velocity and throw, while the combined output achieves the required total air volume supply to the room
Solution Approach 2:
Adjustable baffles allow dynamic control of air stream directions to optimize jet throw at different flow rates, compensating for the reduced velocity that would normally occur with larger opening sizes
3Length of moving object
If the air stream direction is changed to optimize throw using Coanda effect, then the jet travel distance is improved, but the air distribution coverage and volume supply capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Two separate air inlet openings can be positioned and directed to complement each other, with both streams contributing to overall room coverage while maintaining optimized throw distances through coordinated angular adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The two air streams are directed to converge and combine in the room, merging their individual optimized throws into a combined air distribution pattern that achieves both long throw distance and comprehensive volume supply coverage
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 approach maintains a consistent air throw and distribution across different air flow rates, preventing drafts and ensuring comfort by optimizing airflow direction and volume, even under conditions of varying temperature and flow rates.
Implementation Method 1
Often, one makes use of the so-called 'Coanda effect' for securing draft-free conditions. In brief, the Coanda effect is the tendency of a fluid jet to be attracted to a nearby surface, or vice versa.
Implementation Method 2
the velocity and temperatures of the jet are reduced to comfortable draft-free levels before the fresh air reaches the occupied zone, due to entrainment with room air
Data Source
Figure 1~7
AI summary
A system for supplying air under the ceiling of a room comprising a pair of air inlet openings arranged side by side and configured to supply a pair of air streams into the room along the ceiling. The pair of air inlet openings are controllable to assume a first configuration for supplying a relatively high air flow in divergent directions and with a direction component towards the ceiling, and a second configuration for supplying a relatively low air flow where the supplied pair of air streams have second air stream directions are non-divergent and do not have direction components towards the ceiling.