Indoor Unit Airflow Partition for Refrigerant Leak Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems face challenges with refrigerant leakage accumulation in machine rooms and complex installation requirements due to the need for drain pans and air passageways, which complicate the flow of leaking refrigerant out of the indoor unit.
Innovation Solution
An indoor air-conditioning unit design featuring a partition plate with communicating paths between the airflow and pipe chambers, allowing leaking refrigerant to flow out quickly and easily, eliminating the need for sensors and simplifying installation by using the air current to direct refrigerant away from the indoor unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If refrigerant leakage detection and venting systems are implemented using conventional methods (drain pan and sensor), then refrigerant accumulation can be detected and vented, but the structure becomes complex and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the refrigerant venting function from the conventional complex system (sensor + drain pan + external venting) and integrates it into the air passageway that already exists for air conditioning operation. The air passageway serves dual purposes: normal air circulation and refrigerant venting when leakage occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The air passageway is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as the air intake/exhaust path during normal air conditioning operation and simultaneously acts as the refrigerant venting path when leakage is detected, eliminating the need for separate dedicated venting components.
2Reliability
If a hole is formed in the house wall and air passageway pipe is inserted for refrigerant venting, then refrigerant can be directed outdoors, but installation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The air passageway components (air inlet, air outlet, fan) are designed to serve dual purposes: normal air conditioning air flow and refrigerant venting. This eliminates the need for separate wall holes and external piping, allowing installation to follow standard air conditioner mounting procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the refrigerant venting path with the air conditioning air passageway, combining two previously separate functions into a single integrated system that uses the same physical components for both purposes.
3Reliability
If refrigerant leaks in the machine room, then refrigerant accumulates at high concentration, but the conventional drain pan configuration allows slow accumulation rather than quick dispersal
Solution Approach 1:
The fan that continuously operates during air conditioning to circulate air is used to continuously draw and vent refrigerant when leakage occurs, providing immediate and sustained refrigerant removal rather than passive accumulation waiting for drain pan levels to rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses the pneumatic action of the fan creating air flow through the passageway to actively draw and expel refrigerant gas, replacing the passive gravitational drainage mechanism of the conventional drain pan system.
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 quick and reliable dispersal of refrigerant to prevent flammable concentrations, simplifies installation, and reduces the risk of ignition, while improving air-conditioning quality by minimizing outside air entry during normal operation.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between refrigerant flowing in from the outdoor unit through the connection pipe and air sucked into the housing
Implementation Method 2
a fan configured to suck air into the housing through the air inlet, and blow the air subjected to heat exchange by the heat exchanger out of the housing through the air outlet, to generate an air current
Data Source
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AI summary
In an indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus according to the present invention, an air inlet for room air is provided at a position lower than a height position of a drain pan. A partition plate is provided to partition a space below a height position of the drain pan in a housing. A pipe connecting portion connected to a refrigerant pipe of an outdoor unit is provided in one part of the partitioned space and a heat exchanger and a fan are placed in the other part of the partitioned space. At least one communicating path is formed in the partition plate to communicate the two parts of the partitioned space with each other.