Perforated Air Outlet Control for Draft-Free Air Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners often make users feel uncomfortable due to direct contact with cool air and high wind speeds, and they struggle to maintain pleasant indoor temperatures and humidity levels without causing condensation on the device's surface.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner design featuring a housing with discharge holes and a blower fan that controls air flow through these holes to reduce wind speed and prevent condensation, using sensors to adjust operation based on indoor temperature and humidity for efficient cooling and heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the blower fan RPM is increased to reduce heat exchanger size and increase air discharge volume, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the wind speed becomes too high causing user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The air discharge system is segmented into multiple discharge holes distributed across the panel surface. This divides the single high-speed air stream into multiple lower-speed streams, reducing the perceived wind speed while maintaining total cooling capacity. The panel includes numerous small discharge holes (e.g., 3-5mm diameter) arranged in a grid pattern across the front surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the panel have different discharge characteristics. The discharge holes are distributed non-uniformly with higher density in certain areas to create localized cooling zones. This allows air to be discharged at lower speeds across multiple locations rather than concentrated in one high-velocity stream.
2Ease of operation
If the air discharge speed is decreased to prevent user discomfort, then user comfort is improved, but the cooling effectiveness and air circulation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling effect is maintained by segmenting the air discharge into multiple holes, which collectively deliver the required cooling capacity while each individual hole produces lower velocity air flow. The total cross-sectional area of all discharge holes is optimized to balance velocity and volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The air discharge is transitioned from a single-direction high-velocity stream to a multi-directional pattern covering a larger spatial area. Air is discharged through holes distributed across the entire panel surface, creating a two-dimensional cooling pattern that maintains effectiveness while reducing localized wind speed.
3Temperature
If the cooling operation is intensified to maintain pleasant indoor temperature, then temperature control is improved, but condensation occurs on the air conditioner surface
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor detects indoor temperature and humidity conditions, and the control unit adjusts the compressor and fan operations accordingly. When conditions indicate high condensation risk (low temperature differential), the system reduces cooling intensity or adjusts air discharge parameters to prevent surface temperature from dropping below dew point.
Solution Approach 2:
The air discharge parameters are dynamically adjusted based on environmental conditions. The system can vary discharge hole activation patterns, air flow distribution, and cooling intensity in real-time to maintain surface temperature above condensation threshold while achieving desired indoor temperature control.
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 air conditioner maintains pleasant indoor conditions without direct contact with cool air and prevents condensation on its surface by adjusting operation modes in response to real-time temperature and humidity readings, providing efficient and comfortable air conditioning.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger to exchange heat with air introduced into a housing
Implementation Method 2
a blower fan to suck air from a room into the housing and blow the sucked air back into the room
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 4
AI summary
An air conditioner maintains a pleasant indoor temperature or humidity without making a user feel wind speed. The air conditioner includes a housing comprising a discharge plate having a plurality of discharge holes and an outlet, a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air introduced into the housing, a blower fan configured to allow the heat-exchanged air to flow through the discharge plate or the outlet, a discharge blade having a plurality of blade holes and configured to open and close the outlet; and a controller configured to control the heat-exchanged air to be discharged through the discharge holes and the blade holes when the outlet is closed and configured to reduce a frequency of a compressor to a predetermined value when an indoor relative humidity is within a predetermined range.