Heat pump system and air guide assembly for heat pump system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pump systems face challenges with ice formation in the fan nozzle, leading to noise issues and require complex, space-consuming air ducts that are difficult to produce, while also aiming for uniform air flow and efficient design.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system with a guide area assembly on at least three sides and an evaporator on a fourth side, featuring a fan with an offset rotation axis and an insert on a fifth side, designed to guide air efficiently through a prism-shaped guide area, which is easy to produce and space-saving, using a sheet metal assembly and EPS or EPP inserts to ensure uniform airflow and prevent ice formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a complex air duct arrangement is used to guide air from the evaporator to the fan, then uniform airflow can be achieved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct is divided into multiple modular EPS sections that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each section has standardized dimensions and connection interfaces, simplifying both manufacturing and assembly while maintaining the ability to create complex airflow paths
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements are combined into integrated components. The air duct incorporates support structures, insulation layers, and connection mechanisms within a single molded EPS structure, reducing the number of separate parts and assembly steps
2Ease of manufacture
If EPS air duct sections are used to guide air, then the structure is easy to manufacture, but the air duct occupies a relatively large space in the heat pump
Solution Approach 1:
The air duct utilizes three-dimensional space more efficiently by incorporating vertical and diagonal passages. The EPS sections are designed with optimized cross-sectional shapes that guide air flow through available space in multiple dimensions, reducing the overall footprint within the heat pump housing
Solution Approach 2:
The dimensions and geometry of the EPS duct sections are optimized through parameter adjustment. By varying wall thickness, passage cross-sections, and connection geometries, the duct maintains structural integrity and airflow performance while minimizing the volume occupied within the constrained heat pump space
3Reliability
If heaters are installed in the fan nozzle to prevent ice formation, then ice formation is prevented, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design accepts that some ice formation may occur in the fan nozzle but converts this potential harm into a benefit by positioning the fan offset from the center. This creates a protective geometry where the fan blades naturally clear ice accumulations, and any remaining ice is positioned away from critical areas, eliminating the need for active heating while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The offset fan configuration enables self-protection against ice damage. The fan's rotational path and blade geometry automatically prevent ice from accumulating in positions where it would cause harm, and the airflow pattern generated by the offset fan helps prevent ice formation through continuous air movement, eliminating the need for external heating systems
4Device complexity
If the fan rotation axis is positioned at the center of the evaporator surface, then the design is symmetric and simple, but uniform airflow through the evaporator cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The fan is deliberately positioned asymmetrically relative to the evaporator centerline. This offset positioning creates a specific airflow pattern that distributes air more uniformly across the evaporator surface. The asymmetric configuration is optimized through design calculations to ensure that air enters the evaporator evenly across all sections, improving heat exchange efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a heat pump system for outdoor installation with a refrigerant circuit, wherein the heat pump system comprises an evaporator 120, a guide area 130, a nozzle 150 and a fan 140, wherein the guide area is bounded by an assembly on at least three sides of the guide area and by the evaporator on a fourth side of the guide area and is configured to guide air exiting the evaporator towards the fan, wherein the fan is configured to transport air exiting the evaporator and directed towards the fan through the nozzle, wherein a rotation axis of the fan is arranged offset from a center point of a surface of the evaporator through which air passes, and wherein an insert 240, 410, 510 is arranged on a fifth side of the guide area.This allows for space-saving and efficient airflow of the air that is directed from the evaporator of the heat pump system.