Air conditioning device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning apparatuses with multiple indoor units experience increased communication traffic as the number of indoor units grows, requiring inefficient data transmission between remote controllers, indoor unit controllers, and heat source unit controllers.
Innovation Solution
The air-conditioning apparatus incorporates a heat source unit and indoor units connected via a heat medium converter, where remote controllers directly transmit operation instructions and temperature data to the heat source unit controller, reducing redundant data transmission and communication traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple indoor units are connected to a heat source unit in a conventional air-conditioning apparatus, then the air-conditioning coverage and functionality are improved, but the communication traffic between remote controllers, indoor unit controllers, and heat source unit controller increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat medium converter as an intermediary device between the heat source unit and multiple indoor units. This converter acts as a central coordination point that manages communication and heat medium distribution, thereby reducing the direct communication burden between the heat source unit controller and each individual indoor unit controller, while still supporting multiple indoor units for expanded air-conditioning coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional modules: heat source unit, heat medium converter, and multiple indoor units. Each module has its own controller that communicates through standardized protocols. This segmentation allows the communication traffic to be organized and managed in discrete units rather than requiring all-to-all communication between components
2Productivity
If remote controllers directly transmit operation instructions and temperature data to the heat source unit controller, then the communication efficiency is improved and redundant data transmission is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat source unit controller is designed with multi-functionality to directly receive and process operation instructions and temperature data from remote controllers. This universal controller can handle multiple types of commands and data formats, eliminating the need for intermediate processing by indoor unit controllers, thereby improving communication efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity
3Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are installed in each indoor unit to detect space temperature, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the number of temperature sensors and communication data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the temperature sensing function into the remote controller that the user already possesses. The temperature sensor in the remote controller directly measures the ambient temperature and transmits this data to the heat source unit controller, eliminating the need for separate temperature sensors in each indoor unit. This approach maintains temperature control precision while reducing the total number of sensors and associated communication overhead
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 configuration effectively suppresses the increase in communication traffic with multiple indoor units by direct data transmission, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the need for redundant temperature sensors in indoor units.
Implementation Method 1
a heat source unit configured to exchange heat between outdoor air and a heat source-side heat exchanger thereby generating cooling energy or heating energy
Implementation Method 2
indoor units each connected to the heat source unit, and configured to exchange heat between air in a space to be air-conditioned supplied by an indoor air-sending device and a use-side heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
In an air-conditioning apparatus 100 including a plurality of indoor units 2 connected to a heat medium converter 3 and a plurality of remote controllers 53 respectively provided for the indoor units 2, the remote controllers 53 each include a temperature sensor 39 that detect a temperature of a corresponding space to be air-conditioned, and are each configured to communicate with a heat medium converter controller 52 of the heat medium converter 3 and an indoor unit controller 54 of the corresponding indoor unit 2, transmit an instruction to start and stop an operation and data related to rotation speed of an indoor air-sending device 27 to the corresponding indoor unit controller 54, and transmit the instruction to start and stop the operation, and a target temperature and a temperature detected by the temperature sensor 39 or a difference therebetween, to the heat medium converter controller 52.