Cooling and heating device

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Solution Overview

Problem

In hot water heaters with multiple indoor radiators, adjusting outward temperatures to meet individual heat radiation loads is not possible, leading to inconsistent air temperatures and reduced comfort in rooms.

Innovation Solution

An air conditioning apparatus with a pump, flow regulating valves, and a control unit that adjusts the flow rate of a heat medium through multiple indoor heat exchangers based on their respective heat loads, ensuring balanced temperature and flow rates across all units.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple indoor radiators are provided in parallel in a water circuit, then the system can serve multiple rooms, but outward temperature adjustment in accordance with heat radiation load on each radiator becomes impossible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to serve multiple roomsVSAvoidoutward temperature adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the water circuit into multiple independent branches, each serving an indoor radiator. Flow regulating valves are installed in each branch to independently control the flow rate of heat medium to each radiator, enabling separate temperature adjustment for each room while maintaining the parallel configuration that serves multiple rooms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If flow rate is not adjusted according to heat load on each indoor heat exchanger, then system operation is simple, but blowout air temperatures demanded of respective radiators cannot be obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem operation simplicityVSAvoidblowout air temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates flow regulating valves that allow the system to respond to the actual heat load requirements of each indoor radiator. By adjusting the flow rate based on the heat load, the system maintains the desired blowout air temperature for each room, creating a feedback mechanism that links flow control to temperature output.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If single water circuit controls multiple radiators, then device structure is simple, but comfort in rooms with respective radiators is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater circuit structureVSAvoidcomfort quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the water circuit into multiple branches with individual flow control for each indoor radiator. This segmentation allows each room to receive the appropriate heat medium flow rate according to its specific heat load, thereby maintaining comfortable conditions in each room while preserving a relatively simple overall system structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

The apparatus improves comfort by ensuring adequate air conditioning in rooms with multiple indoor radiators by adjusting flow rates and temperatures to match individual heat loads, preventing over or under-circulation of refrigerant.

Implementation Method 1

a heat source device that adjusts a temperature of the heat medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

a pump that circulates a heat medium in a heat medium circuit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPumping: Pump

Data Source

PatentEP4628810A1Cooling and heating device
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 FUJITSU GENERAL LTD
  • EP4628810A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4628810A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4628810A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An air conditioning apparatus includes a pump (8) that circulates a heat medium through a heat medium circuit (4), a plurality of indoor heat exchangers (7-1 to 7-3), a plurality of flow regulating valves (6-1 to 6-3) that are respectively provided for the plurality of indoor heat exchangers (7-1 to 7-3), a plurality of heat medium temperature detection units (26-1 to 26-3), a heat source device (5) that adjusts a temperature of the heat medium, and a control unit (28) that controls the pump (8) such that a heat medium at a predetermined flow rate circulates through the heat medium circuit (4), and controls the plurality of flow regulating valves (6-1 to 6-3) such that a flow rate of a heat medium flowing through a largest load indoor heat exchanger with a largest heat load thereon becomes equal to a largest heat load target flow rate calculated on the basis of a heat load on the largest heat load indoor heat exchanger and a flow rate of a heat medium flowing through a residual heat load indoor heat exchanger different from the largest heat load indoor heat exchanger becomes equal to a residual heat load target flow rate calculated on the basis of a heat load on the residual heat load indoor heat exchanger and a temperature of a heat medium flowing into the largest load indoor heat exchanger.