Outdoor Unit Airflow Guide for Compact Humidifying Air Conditioners
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners with integrated humidifying units face challenges in reducing the size of the outdoor unit while maintaining effective humidifying performance.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor unit incorporates a guide structure that directs outdoor air from the outdoor fan into the humidifying unit's moisture absorption section, utilizing negative pressure and airflow to enhance moisture absorption, potentially reducing the need for additional fans or motors and allowing for a more compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the humidifying unit size is reduced to make the outdoor unit more compact, then the outdoor unit size is reduced, but the humidifying performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air guiding function with the existing outdoor fan system. The guide structure is integrated into the housing and works in conjunction with the outdoor fan to direct air flow into the humidifying unit, eliminating the need for separate air guiding mechanisms and reducing overall unit size while maintaining effective air supply to the humidifying rotor.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide structure acts as an intermediary element between the outdoor fan and the humidifying unit. It receives air from the outdoor fan and directs it into the humidifying unit's air inlet, ensuring efficient air flow guidance without requiring additional active components, thus reducing size while preserving humidifying performance.
2Reliability
If a dedicated fan and motor are added to guide air into the moisture absorption section, then the humidifying performance is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing outdoor fan to serve dual purposes: both for the heat exchanger operation and for guiding air into the humidifying unit. The guide structure is designed to passively direct air flow using the existing fan's air stream, eliminating the need for dedicated air guiding fans or motors, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining humidifying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The outdoor fan is designed to perform multiple functions: it drives air through the heat exchanger for cooling/heating and simultaneously guides air into the humidifying unit through the guide structure. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated fans, reducing overall device complexity and component count while ensuring adequate air supply for humidifying operations.
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 improves humidifying performance by effectively guiding outdoor air into the moisture absorption section, enabling a reduction in unit size without compromising humidifying efficiency, and allows for cost-effective and simplified mounting of the guide structure.
Implementation Method 1
a moisture absorption section (61) that absorbs moisture from outdoor air, and a moisture desorption section (62) that desorbs moisture to humidify air
Implementation Method 2
a moisture absorption section (61) that absorbs moisture from outdoor air, and a moisture desorption section (62) that desorbs moisture to humidify air
Implementation Method 3
an outdoor heat exchanger (33) that is mounted in the blower chamber and that conducts a heat exchange with the outdoor air
Implementation Method 4
the discharge port (69) is faced a negative pressure space around the outdoor fan, when the outdoor fan is driven, and air changed to a different direction by the guide structure flows from the intake port (68a) through the moisture absorption section (61) and flows out through the discharge port (69)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention allows for a reduction in the size of an outdoor unit while preventing a deterioration in humidifying performance in an outdoor unit having a humidifying function. A guide structure (56b) is provided that changes a direction of a portion of air blown by an outdoor fan (39). A humidifying unit (60) includes a moisture absorption section (61) for absorbing moisture from outdoor air, and an intake port (68a) and a discharge port (69) for outdoor air supplied to a moisture absorption section (62). The discharge port (69) is mounted facing a negative pressure space (70) at the periphery of the outdoor fan (39). The humidifying unit (60) is configured so that outdoor air for which the direction is changed by the guide structure (56b) flows from the intake port (68a) through the moisture absorption section (61) to the discharge port (69).