Intermediate Heat Exchanger Leak Detection in Air-Conditioning Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning systems that circulate refrigerants through indoor units lack effective detection methods for refrigerant leaks, and similarly, systems using heat media do not adequately address heat medium leakage detection, posing risks and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning apparatus with an intermediate heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerants and heat media, incorporating temperature, current, and pump temperature detection to identify leaks in the heat-medium circulation circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a heat medium is used in the indoor unit instead of refrigerant, then safety is improved (reduced harmful effects on users), but leakage detection capability deteriorates (insufficient detection mechanisms)
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring temperature and current parameters before actual leakage occurs. The control unit compares detected values against predetermined thresholds to predict and prevent leakage issues before they affect users, maintaining safety while enabling early detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms through temperature sensors and current detectors that continuously monitor the heat medium circulation. The control unit receives this feedback, compares it with predetermined values, and can alert users or adjust operations to prevent leakage, thus maintaining both safety and detection capability.
2Reliability
If temperature and current detection are added to the heat-medium circulation circuit, then leakage detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it controls the pump operation, monitors temperature, detects current, compares values against thresholds, and generates alerts. By making the control unit multi-functional, the system avoids adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby improving leakage detection without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing heat medium circulation infrastructure and incorporates detection functions that leverage the natural operation of the system. The temperature and current detectors monitor parameters that are already present during normal operation, and the control unit automatically processes this information without requiring additional complex subsystems.
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
Enables reliable detection and management of refrigerant and heat medium leaks, enhancing safety and operational efficiency by utilizing temperature and current monitoring within the heat-medium circulation circuit.
Implementation Method 1
at least one intermediate heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant changing in two phases or a refrigerant in a supercritical state and a heat medium such as water and anti-freezing fluid different from the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning apparatus has at least one intermediate heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant changing in two phases or a refrigerant in a supercritical state and a heat medium such as water and anti-freezing fluid different from the refrigerant, a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, a heat-source side heat exchanger, at least one expansion valve, and a refrigerant-side channel of the intermediate heat exchanger are connected via a pipeline through which the refrigerant flows, and a heat-medium circulation circuit in which a heat-medium side channel of the intermediate heat exchanger, a pump, and a use-side heat exchanger are connected via a pipeline through which the heat medium flows, in which in the heat-medium circulation circuit, a fourth temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the heat-medium flowing out of the use-side heat exchanger is provided, and leakage of the heat medium from the heat-medium circulation circuit is detected on the basis of a change amount of a detected temperature of the fourth temperature sensor.