Heat Source Unit Bypass Cooling for Electric Box Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat source units for air conditioners dissipate significant heat, leading to increased temperatures in installation environments and potential overheating, which can require additional cooling for nearby equipment and reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cooling heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant circuit that recovers heat from the air flowing through the electric box, minimizing heat dissipation by using the heat in the refrigerant circuit while maintaining the air conditioner's operational capacity through a simple control mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a fan is used to induce air flow through the air passage for cooling electrical components, then the electrical components are cooled effectively, but heat is dissipated into the installation room causing temperature increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by electrical components into a useful resource by directing it to cool hot refrigerant components. The air passage is designed to flow air from the electric box (where electrical components are cooled) to the refrigerant components (compressor, heat source heat exchanger, expansion valve), transforming waste heat into beneficial cooling for the refrigerant system.
2Loss of energy
If refrigerant piping is coupled to the heat dissipating plate for heat recovery, then heat recovery is achieved, but the refrigerant piping is vulnerable to damage during maintenance or modification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant piping connection from the vulnerable heat dissipating plate configuration and relocates it to a safer position. The refrigerant piping is now coupled to the heat source heat exchanger directly, which is a robust component, rather than to an external heat dissipating plate that requires disassembly for maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If the heat source unit dissipates heat into the installation room, then cooling of electrical components is achieved, but additional cooling equipment may be required for temperature-sensitive devices
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage system serves multiple functions: it cools electrical components in the electric box, cools hot refrigerant components (compressor, heat source heat exchanger, expansion valve), and recovers heat that would otherwise be wasted. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate cooling systems for different components.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If a cooling heat exchanger is added to recover heat, then heat dissipation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling heat exchanger functionality with existing components. The air passage that cools electrical components is integrated with the refrigerant circuit, and the heat dissipating plate is combined with the heat source heat exchanger. This integration achieves heat recovery without adding significant complexity to the system.
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 effectively reduces heat dissipation from the heat source unit, minimizing the increase in installation environment temperature and enhancing the air conditioner's heating and cooling performance by utilizing the recovered heat within the refrigerant circuit, thus improving overall efficiency and reducing the need for additional cooling.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling heat exchanger (22) to be connected to the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner and flown through by a refrigerant, wherein the cooling heat exchanger is arranged so as to be flown through by the air flow induced through the air passage of the electric box, whereby the air is cooled
Implementation Method 2
the cooling heat exchanger is arranged in the refrigerant circuit so as to enable heat recovery
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
Heat source unit (2) for an air conditioner (1) comprising a refrigerant circuit, the heat source unit comprising an external housing (10) accommodating a compressor (3) to be connected to the refrigerant circuit; a heat source heat exchanger (5) to be connected to the refrigerant circuit and configured to exchange heat between a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit and a heat source (104); an electric box (30) having a top (31) and side walls (32 to 34), the electric box accommodating electrical components (36) to configured to control the air conditioner and having an air passage (37) comprising an air inlet (38) and an air outlet (39), an air flow (41) being induced through the air passage from the air inlet to the air outlet for cooling at least some of the electrical components, wherein a cooling heat exchanger (22) is accommodated in the external housing and to be connected to the refrigerant circuit, wherein the cooling heat exchanger (22) is arranged so as to be flown through by the air flow (41) and exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air flow (41), the cooling heat exchanger (22) being connected to a bypass line (24) branched from a liquid refrigerant line (25) and a gas suction line (26), wherein the bypass line (24) has a valve (20) upstream of the cooling heat exchanger, a controller (65) configured to control the valve (20), and a first temperature sensor (66) accommodated within the external housing (10), wherein the controller (65) is configured to control the valve (20) on the basis of a temperature measured by the first temperature sensor (66).