Heating medium converting machine, and air conditioning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems for multi-story buildings face issues with refrigerant leakage, energy inefficiency due to long heat medium circulation paths, complex and expensive configurations, and reduced serviceability, particularly in compact spaces like above ceilings.
Innovation Solution
A heat medium relay unit with detachable heat medium delivering devices and flow switching devices, allowing for simplified piping, reduced size, and improved serviceability by using a valve block configuration and adaptable housing designs to facilitate maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If refrigerant is circulated through indoor units, then cooling and heating functions are achieved, but refrigerant leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate circulation paths: a refrigerant circulation path (outdoor unit only) and a heat medium circulation path (outdoor unit → heat medium relay unit → indoor units). This segmentation isolates the refrigerant to the outdoor unit, eliminating the leakage risk in indoor spaces while maintaining the cooling and heating functions through the heat medium pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
A heat medium (water or antifreeze solution) is introduced as an intermediary substance between the refrigerant and the indoor units. The refrigerant exchanges heat with this heat medium in the outdoor unit, and the heat medium then carries the thermal energy to indoor units through the heat medium relay unit, eliminating direct refrigerant contact with indoor spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heat medium circulation path is extended to reach indoor units, then heating and cooling functions are provided, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system vertically stacks the heat medium relay unit above the ceiling in the same spatial footprint as the outdoor unit, rather than horizontally extending pipes across long distances. This dimensional reorganization maintains short pipe lengths while achieving the necessary heat medium distribution to multiple indoor units through vertical and horizontal routing within compact spaces.
3Volume of stationary object
If heat medium relay unit is made compact for ceiling installation, then space utilization is improved, but serviceability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat medium relay unit incorporates detachable components including removable side panels and replaceable valves (three-way valves and two-way valves). These dynamic design elements allow maintenance personnel to access internal components by removing panels or replacing valves without dismantling the entire unit, maintaining compactness while improving serviceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay unit is designed with modular components including detachable side panels, removable covers, and replaceable valve assemblies. This segmentation allows specific components to be accessed, inspected, or replaced independently while keeping the overall unit compact for ceiling installation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pipes are used to connect outdoor unit with indoor units for simultaneous cooling and heating, then functional versatility is achieved, but construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat medium circulation system uses a universal piping configuration with supply pipes and return pipes that can serve both cooling and heating functions. By implementing flow direction control valves (three-way valves) at strategic positions, the same physical pipes can reversibly transport heat medium in different directions to achieve either cooling or heating mode, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pipe sets for each function.
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 reduces energy consumption, enhances serviceability, and minimizes refrigerant leakage risks while maintaining efficient heating and cooling performance in compact spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger related to heat medium (15a) and a second heat exchanger related to heat medium (15b) that are connected to the refrigerant pipes (4)
Implementation Method 2
the heated or cooled water, antifreeze, or the like is conveyed to indoor units such as fan coil units or panel heaters, whereby cooling or heating is performed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
To provide a heat medium relay unit and an air-conditioning apparatus or the like that are compact and have improved serviceability while achieving energy saving. A heat medium relay unit 3 according to the invention includes heat medium delivering devices 21 and heat medium flow switching devices (first heat medium flow switching devices 22 and second heat medium flow switching devices 23) that are provided so as to be detachable from a predetermined side.