Heat Medium Circulation Control for Compressor-Off Room Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems struggle to continuously supply cooling energy to spaces like computer rooms, especially when the compressor is stopped, as the heat emission is limited due to differences between water pipes for cooling and heating energy supply, making it impossible to maintain temperature over a long time.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning apparatus with a heat medium circulation circuit and a control device that prioritizes heat exchange in specific use side heat exchangers, allowing for continuous heat supply by circulating the heat medium between heat-absorbing and heat-emitting exchangers, even when the heating or cooling means are unable to perform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the compressor is stopped, then energy consumption is reduced, but the cooling energy supply to the computer room cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses itself to provide cooling during compressor stoppage by circulating heat medium between use side heat exchangers, where one unit absorbs heat from the computer room and another unit emits the heat, allowing the system to maintain cooling function without external energy input
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple use side heat exchangers into a heat recycling circulation circuit, merging their functions to create a self-sustaining cooling system that operates independently of the compressor by exchanging heat between the connected heat exchangers
2Adaptability or versatility
If water pipes for cooling and heating are used separately, then heating and cooling functions are provided, but heat emission is limited and long-term cooling supply is impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The heat medium circulation circuit serves multiple functions: it can provide cooling to the computer room, absorb excess heat from other indoor units, and recycle the heat for useful purposes, making the same circulation system adaptable to different operational scenarios and extending its effective duration
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers heat that would otherwise be wasted from indoor units that are not requiring cooling, transferring this heat to the computer room or other locations that need cooling, thereby extending the duration of cooling supply without additional 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
This solution enables the maintenance of air temperature for a longer duration by prioritizing heat exchange in designated use side heat exchangers, effectively managing heat absorption and emission, thus ensuring continuous cooling energy supply to the air conditioning target space.
Implementation Method 1
a use side heat exchanger absorbing heat into the heat medium
Implementation Method 2
use side heat exchangers exchanging heat between air which is heat exchange target and the heat medium
Implementation Method 3
a use side heat exchanger emitting heat from the heat medium
Implementation Method 4
use side heat exchangers exchanging heat between air which is heat exchange target and the heat medium
Implementation Method 5
circulates the heat medium so as to preferentially exchange heat
Implementation Method 6
heat medium circulating device that connects a plurality of heat medium feeding devices circulating a heat medium
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat medium side device with plural pumps for circulating the heat medium related to the heating or the cooling of plural intermediate heat exchangers. Plural use side heat exchangers exchange heat between the heat medium and air. Plural flow path switching valves switch the flow path for supplying the heat medium related to a selected system among the heating media circulating in plural systems to each use side heat exchanger. A relay unit side control device controls the flow path switching valves so as to circulate the heat medium between the use side heat exchanger causing the heat medium to absorb the heat and the use side heat exchanger causing the heat medium to emit the preferentially set heat, when it is determined that it is impossible to perform the heating or the cooling of the heat medium by the intermediate heat exchanger.