Integrated Heat-Medium Flow Control for Multi-Zone Air Conditioners
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-zone air conditioning systems require multiple heat-medium flow-path switching devices and flow-rate adjusting devices for each indoor unit, leading to increased size and manufacturing costs due to the need for various control parts, drive units, and connection components.
Innovation Solution
Integration of heat-medium flow-path switching devices that combine the functions of both switching and flow-rate adjustment, driven by a single unit, reducing the number of required components and enhancing system compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heat-medium flow-path switching devices and flow-rate adjusting devices are provided for each indoor unit, then the air conditioning system can control temperature of each space independently, but the system size and manufacturing costs increase due to more control parts, drive units, and connection components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple heat-medium flow-path switching devices into a single integrated switching device that can route heat medium to multiple indoor units simultaneously. This merging reduces the total number of switching devices and flow-rate adjusting devices while maintaining the capability to independently control temperature in each space, thereby reducing system size and manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated heat-medium flow-path switching device is designed with multi-functional capability to perform both flow-path switching and flow-rate adjustment for multiple indoor units through a single device structure. This universal design eliminates the need for separate switching and adjustment devices at each indoor unit, reducing overall system complexity while preserving independent temperature control functionality
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 integration results in a more compact air conditioning system with reduced manufacturing costs, improved energy efficiency, and simplified maintenance by minimizing the number of control parts and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the heat medium through intermediate heat exchangers provided in the relay unit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A heat-medium flow-path switching device and a heat-medium flow-rate adjusting device are integrated into an integrated heat-medium flow-rate adjusting device. The integrated heat-medium flow-rate adjusting device is configured to perform the heat-medium flow-path switching function and the meat-medium flow-rate adjusting function by driving and controlling a single drive unit. Moreover, the integrated heat-medium flow-path switching device is configured to perform a function of closing flow paths from/to a use-side heat exchanger added to the heat-medium flow-rate adjusting function.