Outdoor Unit Heat Dissipator Layout for Compact Cooling Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor units face challenges in reducing housing size while improving cooling efficiency of the heat dissipator, as increasing the surface area of fins to enhance cooling efficiency leads to increased housing size.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor unit design includes a heat dissipator with fins arranged between the blower and electric component box, featuring a gradually increasing clearance gap between the heat dissipator and the electric component box, allowing for a wider surface area without expanding the housing depth, and optimizing airflow paths for enhanced heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the surface area of fins is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling efficiency is improved, but housing size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clearance gap between the heat dissipator and electric component box is designed to be non-uniform, with different gap widths at different positions. The first clearance gap has a first width while the second clearance gap has a second width greater than the first width, optimizing airflow distribution locally to enhance cooling efficiency without increasing overall housing size
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the spatial arrangement of fins and clearance gaps in multiple dimensions. By arranging fins with varying clearance gaps in the radial direction and optimizing their axial and tangential positions, the design achieves enhanced cooling efficiency through three-dimensional airflow optimization without increasing housing volume
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 enables a compact housing design with improved cooling efficiency of the heat dissipator, effectively transferring heat from electric components to the heat dissipator, thus enhancing the overall performance of the outdoor unit.
Implementation Method 1
a heat dissipator provided between the electric component box and the blower, and thermally connected to the electric component provided on the substrate
Implementation Method 2
The multiple fins are arranged spaced apart from each other in a direction from the top panel toward a bottom panel of the housing, i.e., in the vertical direction
Implementation Method 3
a blower to generate an airflow
Data Source
AI summary
An outdoor unit includes a housing, a heat exchanger, an electric component box, a substrate, and a heat dissipator including multiple fins. The fins each have a first end situated in a windward side of an air passage formed between adjacent ones of the fins, and the first end faces the electric component box. When the heat dissipator and the electric component box are viewed from above, a first clearance gap having a first width and a second clearance gap having a second width greater than the first width are formed between the first end and the electric component box. The second clearance gap is situated closer to a back panel than the first clearance gap.