Non-stop defrosting multi-connected hot water system and control method thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-connected hot water systems face issues during defrosting, including compressor damage from liquid refrigerant impact, noise from four-way valve reversal, inefficient heat storage, and energy waste due to lack of phase-change heat storage, leading to reduced equipment efficiency and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A non-stop defrosting multi-connected hot water system incorporating a phase-change heat storage module, real-time temperature sensors, and a control method that adjusts switching devices and throttling devices to store heat during standby and defrosting, preventing four-way valve reversal and ensuring continuous operation without noise or energy waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the four-way valve is reversed during defrosting to prevent liquid refrigerant from flowing back to the compressor, then the compressor is protected from liquid impact, but a large noise is generated from the indoor unit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-way valve as an intermediary component to control refrigerant flow during defrosting. Instead of directly reversing the four-way valve, the three-way valve redirects refrigerant through alternative paths, mediating the flow to avoid both liquid impact on the compressor and the noise generated by four-way valve reversal. This intermediary mechanism allows precise control of refrigerant distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the refrigerant flow control into multiple independent valve operations (three-way valve and four-way valve) rather than relying on a single four-way valve reversal. This segmentation allows the system to control defrosting refrigerant flow separately from the main cooling/heating flow, enabling noise-free operation while protecting the compressor.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the hydraulic module is used for reversing to prevent the sound of refrigerant flowing, then the noise is reduced, but a large amount of low-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through the hydraulic module causing it to freeze and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The three-way valve acts as an intermediary that prevents low-pressure liquid refrigerant from entering the hydraulic module during defrosting. By controlling the refrigerant path through the three-way valve, the system avoids sending harmful refrigerant flow through the hydraulic module, preventing freezing and damage while still managing noise levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the defrosting function from the hydraulic module by providing a dedicated defrosting path through the three-way valve. This separation ensures that the hydraulic module is not exposed to the low-pressure liquid refrigerant used for defrosting, preventing damage while allowing the defrosting process to occur independently.
3Reliability
If the indoor unit or hydraulic module is used as evaporator during defrosting, then the defrosting function is achieved, but the water temperature drops and user experience is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into independent defrosting and hot water supply paths. The defrosting path uses the three-way valve to control refrigerant flow to the outdoor heat exchanger, while the hot water path continues to operate normally through the hydraulic module. This segmentation allows defrosting to occur without cooling the hot water supply, maintaining water temperature and user experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-way valve serves as an intermediary that directs defrosting refrigerant away from the hydraulic module and indoor unit. By controlling the refrigerant flow path, the valve prevents the refrigerant from absorbing heat from the hot water or indoor air during defrosting, thereby maintaining temperatures and avoiding degradation of user experience.
4Reliability
If the four-way valve is reversed during defrosting, then the defrosting process is enabled, but the effective heating time is reduced and equipment utilization rate is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous useful action by allowing the hot water supply function to operate continuously without interruption during defrosting. The three-way valve allows the hydraulic module to maintain hot water production while the defrosting process occurs in parallel through a separate refrigerant path, eliminating the need to stop heating for defrosting and maximizing equipment utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the defrosting operation from the hot water supply operation, allowing both functions to occur simultaneously and independently. This segmentation eliminates the trade-off between defrosting and heating, enabling continuous hot water production while maintaining defrosting capability, thereby maximizing effective heating time and equipment productivity.
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 system effectively stores and recovers high-grade heat energy, preventing compressor damage, reducing noise, and maintaining indoor and hydraulic module stability, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
a phase-change heat storage module with a heat storage function
Implementation Method 2
the phase-change heat storage module starts to store heat
Implementation Method 3
a fin type heat exchanger, a plate type heat exchanger, an indoor unit heat exchanger, and a refrigerant water heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
a first throttling device, a second throttling device, a third throttling device, and a fourth throttling device
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A non-stop defrosting multi-connected hot water system and a control method thereof are provided in the present invention. In the example embodiments heat is recovered by utilizing the characteristic of a phase-change heat storage module 15 that can store heat, and then the heat is released during defrosting. Therefore, in a defrosting process, modes of a hydraulic module and an indoor unit are not changed, and a four-way valve is not reversed, so as to avoid the influence of the defrosting process on an indoor ambient temperature and a water temperature of the hydraulic module, and avoid the condition where a liquid refrigerant generated in the defrosting process does not evaporate and directly flows back into a compressor 1 which causes liquid return of the compressor 1, thus improving the reliability of the overall operation of the example system. At the same time, components of an internal unit and the hydraulic module are controlled so that they do not need to be reversed during defrosting, which can ensure the stable operation of the system, and can also avoid noise of reversing and the refrigerant flowing sound in the defrosting process. With the effective storage and recovery of high-grade heat energy by the heat storage module 15, the energy use efficiency is improved, and the energy consumption is reduced.