Heat source unit and air conditioner having the heat source unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat source units for air conditioners dissipate excessive heat, increasing the temperature in installation environments and requiring additional cooling for nearby equipment, while existing cooling solutions can negatively impact the air conditioner's operation and are costly to control.
Innovation Solution
A heat source unit with a cooling heat exchanger integrated into the refrigerant circuit that recovers heat from electrical components and uses it within the air conditioner, minimizing heat dissipation and incorporating a simple control mechanism to manage refrigerant flow, thereby reducing heat dissipation and maintaining air conditioner efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a cooling heat exchanger is connected to the refrigerant circuit to cool the air passage, then the heat dissipation from the heat source unit is reduced, but the operating conditions of the air conditioner may be negatively affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the refrigerant circuit by dynamically controlling the refrigerant flow distribution between the cooling heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger. A refrigerant flow control valve adjusts the flow rate to the cooling heat exchanger based on temperature sensor feedback, ensuring that heat recovery occurs only when it does not compromise the air conditioner's cooling or heating capacity, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing heat dissipation and maintaining reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system using temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of the heat source heat exchanger and the air passage. Based on these temperature readings, the control unit dynamically adjusts the refrigerant flow control valve to optimize heat recovery while ensuring that the air conditioner's operating conditions remain within safe and effective parameters, preventing negative impacts on system reliability
2Loss of energy
If a refrigerant piping is coupled to a heat dissipating plate for cooling electrical components, then the cooling effectiveness is improved, but the risk of damaging the refrigerant piping increases due to fragility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the main refrigerant circuit by introducing a separate cooling heat exchanger connected through a bypass line with a refrigerant flow control valve. This separation allows the main refrigerant piping to remain intact and undisturbed while still achieving effective cooling of the air passage and electrical components, thereby eliminating the damage risk associated with coupling fragile piping directly to heat dissipating plates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a refrigerant flow control valve as an intermediary component between the refrigerant circuit and the cooling heat exchanger. This valve mediates the refrigerant flow, allowing controlled heat recovery while protecting the fragile refrigerant piping from direct mechanical coupling with the heat dissipating plate, thus reducing the risk of piping damage while maintaining cooling effectiveness
3Device complexity
If the heat source unit dissipates heat in an installation room, then the heat pump operation is simplified, but the temperature in the installation room increases requiring additional cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat dissipation into a beneficial resource by using the cooling heat exchanger to recover heat from the refrigerant circuit and use it to cool the air passage and electrical components. This heat recovery process transforms the waste heat that would otherwise raise the installation room temperature into a useful cooling source, eliminating the need for additional cooling equipment while maintaining simplified heat pump operation
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 need for additional cooling in installation environments and maintaining the air conditioner's capacity and efficiency, while also providing a cost-effective control mechanism.
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
whereby the temperature of the refrigerant is increased and at least some of the refrigerant evaporates
Implementation Method 4
at least some of the refrigerant evaporates
Implementation Method 5
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, 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; and a controller (65) configured to control the valve (20) in an OFF-mode in which the valve (20) is closed and an ON-mode in which the valve (20) is opened.