Outdoor Unit Layout Using Fan Dead Space for Service Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor air conditioning units face challenges in downsizing while maintaining heat exchange ability and ensuring maintenance workability, as extending the heat exchanger to face four side surfaces reduces the space for the control box, impacting maintenance accessibility.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor unit is designed with the electric component unit arranged in the dead space outside the ventilating member's airflow path, allowing for a reduced space allocation for maintenance and replacement, while the heat exchanger is positioned to face four side surfaces for efficient airflow and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat exchanger is extended to face four side surfaces, then heat exchange ability is improved, but the arrangement space of the control box in the opening portion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control box is arranged in the vertical direction above the heat exchanger rather than horizontally within the opening portion. This vertical arrangement allows the heat exchanger to extend along all four side surfaces while the control box occupies the vertical space, thereby maintaining both enhanced heat exchange ability and adequate maintenance access through the opening portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The bell mouth is designed with a removable cover that can be opened to provide access to the control box. This dynamic access mechanism allows maintenance personnel to reach the control box even when it is positioned above the heat exchanger, ensuring maintenance workability is not compromised by the extended heat exchanger configuration.
2Reliability
If the heat exchanger is extended to face four side surfaces, then heat exchange ability is improved, but the opening portion space for maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control box is repositioned from the horizontal plane to the vertical dimension, arranged above the heat exchanger. This dimensional transition allows the heat exchanger to maximize its surface area by facing all four side surfaces, while the control box utilizes the vertical space, thereby preserving the opening portion area for maintenance activities.
3Ease of operation
If the control box is arranged in the opening portion, then ease of maintenance is improved, but heat exchange efficiency is reduced due to dead space
Solution Approach 1:
The control box is arranged in the vertical dimension above the heat exchanger rather than in the horizontal opening portion. This eliminates the dead space that would otherwise obstruct airflow across the heat exchanger surfaces, maintaining heat exchange efficiency while the removable bell mouth cover provides maintenance accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable cover of the bell mouth acts as an intermediary mechanism that provides maintenance access to the control box without requiring the control box to be positioned in the horizontal opening portion. This mediator enables maintenance accessibility while preserving the full heat exchange surface area.
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 enhances maintenance workability by maximizing the use of the opening portion for maintenance and replacement tasks without compromising heat exchange efficiency, allowing for a compact and efficient outdoor unit design.
Implementation Method 1
an upward blowing type outdoor unit including a fan in an upper part of an outdoor unit main body
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger with an approximately U-shaped cross-section arranged on the bottom plate along three faces which are the back face and both side faces of the unit case
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An outdoor unit for an air conditioning device includes an outdoor unit main body (5), a heat exchanger (13) accommodated in the outdoor unit main body (5), a fan (23) provided in an upper part of the outdoor unit main body (5), the fan blowing out the air taken in from a side surface of the outdoor unit main body (5) upward, a ventilating member (30a) surrounding an outer circumference of the fan (23) and forming a blow-out port of the air, and an electric component unit (38) accommodated in the outdoor unit main body (5) and arranged in an opening portion (36) between one side end portion (32a) and the other side end portion (35a) of the heat exchanger (13), wherein the electric component unit (38) is provided so as to cross over a lower end of the ventilating member (30a) in the up and down direction, and on the upper side than the lower end of the ventilating member (30), the electric component unit (38) is arranged on the horizontally outer side than the ventilating member (30a).