Humidifier Flow Path Layout for Clean Air and Low Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional humidifiers face issues with cleanliness due to stagnant water and contamination from fine dust, and they often fail to supply clean, efficiently humidified air with optimal temperature and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier design that separates and combines humidification and cleaning flow paths, guides air flow to minimize resistance, and integrates heating and humidification for improved efficiency, using a fan and auxiliary fan to control air flow and mixing at the discharge opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single monolithic flow path is used for humidified air, then the device structure is simple, but the cleanliness of humidified air deteriorates due to contamination from fine dust and stagnant water
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is divided into separate cleaning flow path and humidification flow path. The cleaning flow path includes a first discharge opening for discharged air and a second discharge opening for cleaned air, while the humidification flow path has its own discharge opening. This segmentation prevents mixing of contaminated and clean air, improving humidified air cleanliness without excessive structural complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If separate humidification and heating flow paths are provided, then air cleanliness is improved, but droplet size increases and energy consumption rises due to continuous heater operation
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning flow path and humidification flow path are merged at the discharge stage, where cleaned air from the first discharge opening mixes with humidified air from the humidification flow path's discharge opening. This allows the heater to operate only when needed for heating while maintaining air cleanliness through the cleaning flow path, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater operates periodically or on-demand based on heating requirements rather than continuously. The control unit activates the heater only when heating is needed, allowing the cleaning flow path to maintain air cleanliness independently during non-heating periods, thus reducing energy consumption.
3Temperature
If the heater operates continuously to maintain temperature, then air temperature is stable, but energy consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors heating requirements and activates the heater only when temperature thresholds are not met. This feedback-based control ensures stable air temperature by maintaining heating only when necessary, reducing unnecessary energy consumption while preserving temperature stability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a complex flow path structure with multiple discharge openings is used, then air cleanliness and humidification efficiency are improved, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the flow path are optimized for different functions: the cleaning flow path is designed with sufficient cross-sectional area to minimize resistance while maintaining cleanliness, and the humidification flow path is optimized for efficient humidification. The discharge openings are strategically positioned to allow natural mixing without creating excessive flow resistance.
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 design ensures clean, efficiently humidified air is supplied with reduced contamination and energy consumption, improving air heating and humidification efficiency while guiding air flow effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a fan disposed inside the case... air blown by the fan flows
Implementation Method 2
Ultrasonic humidifiers are equipped with a vibrator to create vibrations from ultrasonic waves, and convert water into fine particles using the vibrations from the vibrator
Implementation Method 3
The air in the air flow path and the humidified air in the humidification flow path may combine at the discharge opening
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a humidifier. A humidifier according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a case with an intake opening; a fan disposed inside the case; a discharge opening that is open toward the outside of the fan; a humidification assembly that sprays supplied water; a air flow path through which air blown by the fan flows, and that extends toward the discharge opening; and a humidification flow path through which humidified air sprayed from the humidification assembly flows, that is separated from the air flow path at a downstream side of the discharge opening and extends toward the discharge opening and communicates with the discharge opening.