Climate control device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Climate control devices, such as evaporative coolers and humidifiers, face inefficiencies due to the reliance on user maintenance for liquid supply and evaporative medium performance, which can lead to suboptimal cooling or humidification.
Innovation Solution
A climate control device equipped with a liquid level sensor and controller that determines the liquid level and efficiency of the evaporative medium, providing an efficiency indication and adjusting the liquid flow rate through a pump to optimize evaporation based on the medium's performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If user manually maintains liquid supply and evaporative medium, then device complexity is reduced, but climate control efficiency deteriorates due to suboptimal performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors liquid levels via sensors and adjusts pump operation without user intervention. The evaporative medium efficiency is self-assessed by comparing actual liquid consumption against expected consumption, enabling the device to self-optimize performance while reducing user maintenance burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where liquid level sensors provide continuous data to the controller, which adjusts pump operation accordingly. Additionally, evaporative medium efficiency is calculated based on feedback from liquid level changes, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes climate control effectiveness.
2Productivity
If liquid flow rate is increased to improve evaporation, then climate control efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pump operates dynamically with variable flow rates rather than at a fixed high rate. The controller adjusts the pump speed based on real-time evaporative medium efficiency calculations, increasing flow only when needed to maintain optimal evaporation, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while preserving climate control effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the liquid flow rate parameter dynamically based on evaporative medium performance. When efficiency drops below thresholds, the system increases flow rate to compensate; when efficiency is adequate, it reduces flow rate to save energy, optimizing the balance between performance and energy consumption.
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
Enhances the efficiency of climate control devices by automatically monitoring and adjusting liquid levels and flow rates, simplifying user maintenance and ensuring consistent performance.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid level sensor is configured to sense a level of liquid in the receptacle
Implementation Method 2
climate control devices, such as evaporative coolers and humidifiers, may be used to cool or humidify air by causing the air to flow through a dampened evaporative medium
Data Source
AI summary
Climate control devices and methods are disclosed. One climate control device includes a housing, an evaporative medium port, a liquid level sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a change in the level of liquid in the housing, calculate an efficiency of an evaporative medium received by the evaporative medium port based on the change in the level of liquid, and provide an evaporative medium efficiency indication when the efficiency of the evaporative medium falls below a predetermined value. Another climate control device includes a housing, an evaporative medium port, a pump, a first conduit, and a controller. The controller configured to determine an evaporation rate of an evaporative medium received by the evaporative medium port, and operate the pump to pump liquid through the first conduit to the evaporative medium port at varying liquid flow rates dependent on the evaporation rate of the evaporative medium.