Multi-Evaporator Air Conditioning for Independent Zone Humidity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air conditioning systems for buildings lack the ability to independently regulate temperature and humidity in different zones within a structure, as they typically use a single evaporator that cannot meet varying humidity and temperature preferences across multiple rooms.
Innovation Solution
A high-efficiency air conditioning system with a single outdoor unit and multiple indoor air handling units, utilizing dual suction compressors and multiple evaporators operating at different pressures, allowing for independent control of temperature and humidity in each zone through a refrigerant flow pathway without check valves, enabling simultaneous or sequential cooling capacity distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single evaporator is used in traditional air conditioning systems, then the system structure is simple, but the ability to independently regulate temperature and humidity in different zones is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The single evaporator is segmented into multiple independent evaporator circuits, each serving a different zone. The evaporator is divided into first and second evaporator circuits with separate refrigerant flow paths, allowing independent temperature and humidity control in different zones while maintaining a relatively compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A common condenser serves as an intermediary component that receives refrigerant from multiple evaporator circuits. The condenser acts as a mediator that consolidates refrigerant from different zones before returning it to the compressor, enabling zone independence while sharing common components to limit complexity increase.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple evaporators are used to serve different zones, then temperature and humidity control is improved, but the compressor capacity must be increased to supply full cooling capacity to all zones simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different evaporator circuits based on zone demands. The compressor operates at a reduced capacity and switches between first and second evaporator circuits as needed, rather than continuously supplying full capacity to all zones simultaneously. This dynamic switching allows a smaller compressor to serve multiple zones effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor alternates between serving different evaporator circuits in periodic cycles. By switching between first and second evaporator circuits periodically based on zone requirements, the system allows a single compressor of reduced capacity to provide cooling to multiple zones over time, rather than requiring peak simultaneous capacity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single throttling device is used, then the system is simpler, but the ability to independently control refrigerant flow to different evaporators is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The single throttling device is segmented into multiple independent throttling devices, with each device controlling refrigerant flow to a specific evaporator circuit. The first throttling device controls flow to the first evaporator circuit while the second throttling device controls flow to the second evaporator circuit, enabling independent refrigerant flow control for each zone.
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 system efficiently provides customizable temperature and humidity control across multiple zones, enhancing comfort and energy efficiency by allowing for proportional refrigerant distribution based on demand, thus optimizing the overall coefficient of performance compared to conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
a condenser fan positioned within the housing and configured to move air to cool the condenser
Implementation Method 2
a first evaporator configured to operate at a first evaporator pressure and a second evaporator such that the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another
Implementation Method 3
a compressor, a condenser
Data Source
AI summary
A high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of rooms within an interior of a building, the air conditioning system including: two separate rooms within a building, a single outdoor unit a refrigerant flow pathway that includes a plurality of refrigerant conduits having a common refrigerant flow path portion and at least two divergent flow path portions, a first divergent flow path where the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another; at least one throttling device and at least a first indoor air handling unit positioned within and providing cooling to the first room and a second indoor air handling unit positioned within and providing cooling to a second room. The compressor is incapable of simultaneously supplying both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity.