Heat Storage Defrost Circuit for Air Conditioner Refrigerant Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners experience heat loss during defrosting, reducing the efficiency of the defrosting process due to limited heat storage capacity in the heat storage tank.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner incorporates a refrigerating cycle with a heat storage device and a defrosting bypass circuit, controlled by a controller that manages the flow of refrigerant through a heat storage tank and heat storage heat exchanger to minimize heat loss during defrosting, using sensors to optimize the operation of the compressor and fan based on temperature conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the indoor fan operates during defrosting to maintain warmth, then warmth loss is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to additional control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the compressor's own waste heat, stored in the heat storage tank, to defrost the outdoor heat exchanger. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate heating elements or complex external control systems, while the stored heat automatically maintains indoor warmth during defrosting operations
2Reliability
If the heat storage tank capacity is increased to store more compressor heat, then defrosting effectiveness improves, but the device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses only the necessary portion of compressor heat that is stored in the heat storage tank for defrosting purposes. Rather than storing all compressor heat or using excessive storage capacity, the system implements partial action by storing only the amount of heat needed for effective defrosting, thereby avoiding oversized tank volume while maintaining defrosting effectiveness
3Reliability
If the defrosting cycle duration is extended to complete defrosting, then defrosting completeness improves, but the loss of stored heat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors the defrosting process and uses feedback to determine when defrosting is complete. Based on this feedback, the controller stops the defrosting cycle at the optimal moment, preventing excessive duration that would cause stored heat loss while ensuring complete defrosting is achieved
4Device complexity
If the compressor heat is used directly for defrosting without storage, then the device complexity is reduced, but the defrosting capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing compressor heat in the heat storage tank during the heating operation before defrosting is needed. This preliminary heat storage enables the system to have defrosting capability ready when required, rather than needing complex real-time heat transfer mechanisms during defrosting
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 solution enables efficient defrosting by minimizing heat loss and effectively utilizing stored heat, ensuring comfort and reducing noise by controlling pressure fluctuations, while preventing ineffective defrosting operations.
Implementation Method 1
a heat storage tank for accommodating a heat storage material that stores heat generated by a compressor
Implementation Method 2
a heat storage heat exchanger for heat exchanging with use of heat stored in the heat storage material
Implementation Method 3
introduce a refrigerant having passed through the indoor heat exchanger into the heat storage heat exchanger to absorb heat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An air conditioner is provided with a heat storage tank 32 that accommodates a heat storage material 36 for storing therein heat generated by a compressor 6 and a heat storage heat exchanger 34. A heat storage bypass circuit is provided to connect a refrigerant pipe between an indoor heat exchanger 16 and an expansion valve 12 and a refrigerant pipe between a four-way valve 8 and an inlet port defined in the compressor 6, and a defrosting bypass circuit is provided to connect a refrigerant pipe between the expansion valve 12 and an outdoor heat exchanger 14 and a refrigerant pipe between an outlet port defined in the compressor 6 and the four-way valve 8. The heat storage heat exchanger 34 and a heat storage two-way valve 42 are provided in the heat storage bypass circuit, and a defrosting two-way valve 30 is provided in the defrosting bypass circuit. At the start of a defrosting operation, a refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 14 by opening the defrosting two-way valve 30, and after a lapse of a predetermined period of time from the opening control of the defrosting two-way valve 30, a refrigerant having passed through the indoor heat exchanger 16 is introduced into the heat storage heat exchanger 34 by opening the heat storage two-way valve 42.