Heat Source Unit Layout for Electrical Cooling and Easy Maintenance
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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 requiring additional cooling, while maintenance is complicated due to the fragility of refrigerant piping and the need to disassemble components.
Innovation Solution
A heat source unit with a cooling heat exchanger integrated into the refrigerant circuit, allowing air flow through it to cool electrical components and reduce heat dissipation, and an independent mounting system for the electric box and cooling heat exchanger to simplify maintenance without disassembling the refrigerant piping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a cooling heat exchanger is integrated into the refrigerant circuit to cool electrical components and reduce heat dissipation, then heat dissipation is reduced, but maintenance becomes more complex due to the need to disassemble refrigerant piping
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: the cooling heat exchanger remains integrated with the refrigerant circuit, while the electric box is made independently removable. This segmentation allows maintenance of electrical components without disturbing the refrigerant piping, resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation reduction and maintenance ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric box is extracted as an independent removable component from the overall heat source unit assembly. This extraction enables the electric box to be removed and serviced without disassembling the refrigerant piping connected to the cooling heat exchanger, thus maintaining the heat dissipation reduction benefit while improving maintenance accessibility.
2Ease of repair
If the electric box is independently mounted to simplify maintenance, then maintenance ease is improved, but the cooling efficiency may be reduced due to increased air passage resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage design incorporates dynamic flow paths that adapt to the independently mounted electric box configuration. The air inlet and outlet are positioned to create optimal airflow patterns around the electric box, minimizing resistance while maintaining effective cooling of electrical components, thus balancing maintenance ease with cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the refrigerant circuit and the air flow passing through the electric box. It efficiently transfers heat from the air to the refrigerant, compensating for any increased air passage resistance caused by the independent mounting of the electric box, thereby maintaining cooling efficiency while enabling easy maintenance.
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, maintaining a lower temperature in installation environments and simplifying maintenance by preventing damage to refrigerant piping and reducing disassembly work.
Implementation Method 1
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
a fan configured to induce an air flow through the air passage from the air inlet to the air outlet for cooling the electrical components
Implementation Method 3
the heat source heat exchanger used to transfer heat energy between a source of heat, such as air, ground or water, and a refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit
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), wherein the electric box (30) and the cooling heat exchanger (22) are independently supported in the external housing.