Heat pump and heating system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pumps are visually unappealing, noisy, and cumbersome due to their large size and vertical orientation, making them undesirable for residential use, especially in urban environments.
Innovation Solution
A compact, horizontally-oriented heat pump design featuring a housing with a recessed bottom profile for airflow, a fan rotating about a vertical axis to direct noise upwards, and a lightweight expanded plastic material construction, minimizing visibility and installation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heat pump is designed with a vertical orientation and large size to ensure efficient heat exchange, then the heat exchange capability is improved, but the visibility and aesthetic appeal deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump is reoriented from a vertical configuration to a horizontal configuration, changing the primary dimension of its footprint. This dimensional transformation allows the heat pump to maintain its heat exchange surface area while reducing its vertical profile, making it less visible from the street level and more aesthetically acceptable for residential installation.
2Productivity
If the fan rotates about a horizontal axis to maximize airflow, then the heat exchange efficiency is improved, but the noise spread to neighbors deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fan's rotation axis is changed from horizontal to vertical orientation. This reorients the noise propagation direction from horizontal (affecting neighbors) to vertical (directed upward), significantly reducing the impact on surrounding residents while preserving the fan's ability to generate sufficient airflow for heat exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The noise generated by the fan, which is an unavoidable harmful byproduct, is redirected upward rather than horizontally. By changing the fan orientation, the harmful noise is converted into a vertically-directed output that does not adversely affect neighbors, effectively transforming a harmful horizontal spread into a benign vertical discharge.
3Reliability
If the heat pump is constructed with robust materials to ensure durability, then the reliability is improved, but the weight and installation complexity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is constructed from composite materials, specifically a foam core (such as polyurethane or polystyrene) surrounded by a thin metal or plastic skin. This composite structure provides the necessary mechanical strength and durability while keeping the overall weight low, enabling easier installation by fewer persons without compromising reliability.
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 reduces the visibility and noise of the heat pump, making it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to install, while maintaining efficient heat exchange capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
heat is extracted from the outside air by circulation and evaporation of the circulation fluid at the heat pump
Implementation Method 2
the fan operable to generate an air flow through the housing and across the tube system, for the exchange of heat between the air and the circulation fluid inside the tube system
Implementation Method 3
a tube system for circulating the circulation fluid... for the exchange of heat between the air and the circulation fluid inside the tube system
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A heat pump comprising a housing, a fan, and a tube system for circulating circulation fluid: - the housing adapted to be arranged on a substantially horizontal base area, the housing having a bottom profile including at least one supporting element with which the housing, when installed, rests on the base area and a portion that is recessed with respect to the supporting element, the recessed portion spaced apart from the base area so that air can flow into the housing from below; - the tube system surrounded by the housing, arranged in a horizontal plane,; and - the fan operable to generate an air flow through the housing and across the tube system, for the exchange of heat between the air and the circulation fluid.