Multi-room air conditioning apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of indoor units in multi-room air conditioning systems leads to significant time delays in initializing electronic expansion valves before activating the refrigerating cycle, causing inconvenience to users, and existing solutions complicate control devices to achieve simultaneous initialization.
Innovation Solution
The system initializes only the electronic expansion valves corresponding to indoor units with operation commands first, followed by compressor activation and subsequent adjustment of all valves to predetermined opening degrees, with an optional sensor-based mechanism to prevent rapid temperature rises and maintain valve openings if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If all electronic expansion valves are initialized sequentially before compressor activation, then the zero point of each valve is properly calibrated, but the system activation time becomes excessively long as the number of indoor units increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the initialization process into two segments: (1) initialize only expansion valves for indoor units that have issued operation commands before compressor activation, and (2) initialize remaining expansion valves after compressor activation. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize critical initializations while deferring non-critical ones, thereby reducing overall activation time without compromising necessary calibration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary initialization only for expansion valves corresponding to indoor units that have issued operation commands, rather than initializing all valves beforehand. This preliminary action approach ensures that only necessary valves are calibrated in advance, reducing unnecessary waiting time while maintaining sufficient calibration accuracy for immediate operation.
2Loss of time
If the compressor is activated immediately after partial initialization, then system activation time is reduced, but rapid temperature rise may damage the compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control device monitors compressor discharge temperature in real-time during and after expansion valve initialization. Based on this temperature feedback, the control device dynamically adjusts the initialization process - pausing or slowing down valve closure when temperature rise exceeds safe thresholds, and resuming when temperature stabilizes. This feedback control enables the system to reduce activation time while preventing compressor damage through continuous temperature monitoring and adaptive process adjustment.
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 approach reduces initialization time without requiring complex control devices, ensuring quicker refrigerating cycle activation and preventing compressor damage from rapid temperature changes.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigerant is decompressed through an electronic expansion valve
Implementation Method 2
the refrigerant is subjected to heat exchange using evaporation action in the indoor unit
Implementation Method 3
the compressor starts up and delivers a refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
the four-way valve for switching a refrigerant flow direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
If an operation command is received from any of the indoor units when the initialization of the corresponding electronic expansion valves is not completed. First, initialization is performed on the electronic expansion valve corresponding to the indoor unit which has issued an operation command. When the initialization has been performed on the electronic expansion valves corresponding to all of the indoor units which have issued an operation command, the flow proceeds to a processing step for a compressor. Then, the electronic expansion valves which have been initialized are adjusted to a predetermined operational opening degree. After this step is completed, the electronic expansion vales corresponding indoor units which have issued no operation command and whose initialization has not been completed are initialized and adjusted to a predetermined opening degree. This leads to a reduced loss of time until the compressor is activated after the electronic expansion valves are initialized.