Multi-zone variable refrigerant flow heating/cooling unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-zone air conditioning systems are inefficient in providing simultaneous heating and cooling to individual zones without using additional heat mediums and often require extensive refrigerant and electrical infrastructure, which can be costly and difficult to maintain, while also posing challenges in complying with refrigerant safety standards.
Innovation Solution
A multi-zone variable refrigerant flow (VRF) unit that consolidates refrigerant piping and electrical wiring, using a mode control unit to manage refrigerant flow to evaporating coils, allowing for independent heating or cooling of zones and reducing the need for additional heat sources, with the refrigerant and electrical components housed within a centralized unit to minimize installation costs and maintenance disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-zone air conditioning systems are used to provide simultaneous heating and cooling to individual zones, then heating and cooling functionality is achieved, but extensive refrigerant and electrical infrastructure is required which increases cost and maintenance difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple evaporating coils serving different zones into a single centralized air handling unit, consolidating the refrigerant distribution system. This merging approach maintains the ability to provide simultaneous heating and cooling to multiple zones while reducing the overall refrigerant infrastructure and electrical wiring requirements compared to distributed systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized evaporating coils are designed to serve multiple zones simultaneously, with each coil capable of operating in heating or cooling mode. The system uses a single refrigerant circulation system to provide multi-functional heating and cooling services to different zones, eliminating the need for separate infrastructure for each zone.
2Ease of operation
If conventional multi-zone systems are used, then zone temperature control is achieved, but refrigerant safety compliance becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant containment function to a centralized location within the air handling unit, removing refrigerant from distributed indoor units and ductwork. By concentrating all refrigerant in the centralized evaporating coils housed within the air handler, the system simplifies refrigerant safety compliance while maintaining precise zone temperature control through electronic expansion valves.
3Productivity
If additional heat mediums are used for simultaneous heating and cooling, then heating and cooling efficiency is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the refrigerant system by using electronic expansion valves to precisely control refrigerant flow to each evaporating coil. This allows the same refrigerant system to efficiently provide both heating and cooling to multiple zones simultaneously by adjusting refrigerant distribution parameters, eliminating the need for additional heat mediums like hot water or steam systems.
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 solution enables efficient, cost-effective, and compliant heating and cooling of multiple zones with reduced refrigerant and electrical requirements, improving maintenance accessibility and compliance with safety standards by containing refrigerant within the unit, thus addressing the inefficiencies and challenges of conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
The coils may allow heat transfer between supply air from a supply fan and the refrigerant in the coils to reduce the temperature of the supply air for various zones in a cooling mode of operation
Implementation Method 2
The mode control unit may supply refrigerant from the VRF unit to two or more evaporating coils ('coils') through a thermal or thermostatic expansion valve
Data Source
AI summary
A method for air conditioning including installing an air conditioning unit at a desired location. The air conditioning unit includes a housing that has air supply inlets and exhaust air outlets. The housing encloses a mode control unit that switches a zone coil associated with a zone from a cooling mode to a heating mode by switching from a cooling medium to a heating medium flowing through the zone coil. The zone coil receives the heating or cooling medium and conditions incoming air from a supply fan to be exhausted in a zone associated with the zone coil. A variable refrigerant flow cooling/heating unit provides a cooling medium or a heating medium at varying rates to control a temperature of a zone.