Air-conditioning system

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional air-conditioning systems with multiple indoor units in a shared space operate independently, leading to insufficient air-conditioning capability and comfort when people are concentrated in certain areas, and simultaneous defrosting operations reduce overall performance.

Innovation Solution

An air-conditioning system where control units of multiple indoor units are connected via wiring or wirelessly to share human detection and temperature information, allowing for coordinated operation to calculate and manage air-conditioning loads across spaces, optimizing power-saving and comfort by adjusting compressor and fan operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If each air conditioner operates independently with human detection sensor, then power-saving operation can be achieved in individual areas, but air-conditioning capability becomes insufficient when people are concentrated in certain areas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower-saving operationVSAvoidair-conditioning capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the control functions of multiple air conditioners by connecting control units via wiring or wireless communication. The first air conditioner's control unit receives operation status information from the second air conditioner and coordinates compressor operations to prevent simultaneous defrosting, thereby maintaining reliable air-conditioning capability across the entire space while enabling power-saving operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If multiple air conditioners operate independently, then each can control its own operation mode, but simultaneous defrosting operations markedly decrease air-conditioning capability and lower comfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent operation controlVSAvoidair-conditioning capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback control where the first air conditioner's control unit receives operation status information from the second air conditioner's control unit. Based on this feedback, the first control unit determines whether to perform defrosting operation, thereby coordinating defrosting timing across multiple air conditioners and preventing simultaneous defrosting that would markedly decrease air-conditioning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If uniform small shift amount is used for power-saving operation, then air-conditioning capability is maintained, but power-saving effect is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair-conditioning capabilityVSAvoidpower-saving effect
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts the power-saving operation strategy based on real-time operation status information from multiple air conditioners. By coordinating compressor operations and defrosting timing across the system, the control unit can apply larger power-saving shifts in areas where other air conditioners are actively providing air-conditioning capability, thereby achieving both maintained capability and sufficient power-saving effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 achieves efficient energy-saving operations while maintaining comfort by sharing load information and coordinating compressor and fan operations, preventing simultaneous defrosting and ensuring adequate air-conditioning capability across the entire space.

Implementation Method 1

an indoor unit arranged with a human detection sensor for detecting the human motion in an air-conditioning target space

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared detection: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

an inlet temperature sensor for detecting an inlet temperature of the indoor unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature sensing: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 3

a compressor for controlling an efficiency of heat exchange of a heat exchanger installed in the indoor unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP2206985B1Air-conditioning system
Publication Date: 2019.10.30 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2206985B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2206985B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2206985B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Control units 17 for three indoor units of air conditioners installed in a same indoor space are connected by a communication line 20. Each of the control units can grasp the detection information of the human detection sensor 16, preset temperature information of the remote controller 18, inlet temperature information of the inlet temperature sensor 15 of all of the other air conditioners in the same space. On the basis of the above-mentioned information, each of the control units calculates an air-conditioning load of each of the air-conditioning target spaces and the air-conditioning load of an entire air-conditioning space on the basis of these air-conditioning target spaces in the same manner. A compressor is driven and controlled on the basis of a calculation result thereof to perform a power-saving operation of the entire air-conditioning space.