Heat pump system, air conduction assembly for a heat pump system and method for operating a heat pump system
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of flammable refrigerants in heat pump systems poses a safety risk due to the potential for uncontrollable escape of refrigerant, creating a flammable gas mixture in the surrounding area.
Innovation Solution
The heat pump system incorporates a vaporizer, a guide area, a fan, and an external opening, where the guide area leads air from the evaporator to the fan, which then directs the air and refrigerant mixture towards an external opening, allowing for controlled dissipation of the refrigerant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flammable refrigerant is used in the refrigerant circuit, then the heat pump system can operate efficiently, but the risk of uncontrolled refrigerant escape and formation of flammable gas mixtures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful refrigerant gas from the enclosed refrigerant circuit space and directs it through a dedicated guide region to an external discharge opening. The guide region acts as a separate pathway that extracts the refrigerant from the potential accumulation zone and transports it safely outside the heat pump system, preventing flammable mixture formation in the surrounding environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide region serves as an intermediary structure between the refrigerant circuit space and the external environment. It provides a controlled transition zone with fluid connections that mediate the refrigerant discharge process, ensuring that escaping refrigerant is channeled through a defined path rather than releasing uncontrollably into the surrounding area.
2Stress or pressure
If refrigerant is allowed to escape from the refrigerant circuit, then the pressure in the circuit can be relieved, but the refrigerant may escape in an uncontrolled manner creating safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The guide region acts as an intermediary structure that provides a controlled pathway for refrigerant discharge. It includes defined fluid connections between the refrigerant circuit space and the external environment, ensuring that pressure relief occurs through a structured route rather than uncontrolled leakage, thereby maintaining operational control during pressure relief events.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide region is pre-configured with fluid connections and a defined structural pathway before any refrigerant escape occurs. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when pressure relief is needed, the refrigerant immediately follows the pre-established controlled path to the external opening, eliminating the need for reactive control measures during the escape event.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the refrigerant circuit is completely enclosed, then refrigerant leakage is prevented, but pressure build-up may occur without relief
Solution Approach 1:
The guide region extracts the refrigerant from the enclosed circuit space through controlled fluid connections, allowing the refrigerant to be removed from the sealed environment in a managed manner. This extraction pathway prevents both uncontrolled leakage and dangerous pressure build-up by providing a designated exit route that maintains the overall enclosed structure while enabling safe pressure relief.
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 configuration enables the controlled release of flammable refrigerants, reducing the risk of accumulation in the environment and preventing the formation of flammable gas mixtures, thereby enhancing safety.
Implementation Method 1
a fan (130), wherein the fan is arranged on the guide area and is designed to transport air which is guided in the direction of the fan towards the outside opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat pump system 100 for outdoor installation with a refrigerant circuit, wherein the heat pump system comprises an evaporator 110, a guide area 120, a fan 130 and an external opening 160, wherein the guide area is arranged on the evaporator and is configured to guide air that enters the guide area from the evaporator towards the fan, wherein the fan is arranged on the guide area and is configured to transport air that is guided towards the fan towards the external opening, wherein the heat pump system further comprises a refrigeration circuit space 140, wherein the refrigerant circuit is arranged in the refrigeration circuit space (140), and wherein the refrigeration circuit space has a fluid connection 150 with the guide area.