Pivoting Sleeve Damper Valve for Seasonal Chilled-Air Routing
Solution Overview
Problem
Heat pump water heaters face challenges in efficiently directing chilled air away from living areas during winter months and towards living areas during summer months, affecting user convenience and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A damper valve system is introduced, comprising an outer and inner sleeve that pivots between positions to align radial and axial openings, allowing for the regulation of air flow through intake and exhaust ducts, enabling selective direction of air flow based on seasonal needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the heat pump water heater is positioned within or adjacent to a living space, then the cooled air benefit during summer months is improved, but the convenience during winter months deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damper valve incorporates a movable inner sleeve that can pivot between different positions to dynamically adjust air flow direction. This dynamic mechanism allows the system to adapt to seasonal changes, directing cooled air toward living spaces in summer and away in winter, thereby resolving the contradiction between energy savings and user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow direction parameter of cooled air based on seasonal conditions. By using the damper valve to alter the direction parameter, the heat pump water heater can provide cooled air to living spaces during summer for energy savings while preventing cooled air discharge into living spaces during winter to maintain user convenience.
2Ease of operation
If the heat pump water heater is positioned in a garage or non-living space, then the winter convenience problem is resolved, but the summer air conditioning energy savings are eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The damper valve acts as an intermediary component that controls and regulates the flow of cooled air. By positioning the heat pump water heater in a non-living space and using the damper valve as an intermediary to direct cooled air toward living spaces when needed, the system can maintain user convenience while still achieving energy savings during summer months.
3Device complexity
If a simple damper valve with single openings is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to regulate air flow in multiple directions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The damper valve is segmented into an outer sleeve with radial openings and an inner sleeve with axial openings. This segmentation allows each sleeve to control different flow directions independently. The inner sleeve can pivot to align its axial openings with either the radial openings of the outer sleeve or block them, enabling versatile air flow direction control without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner sleeve is nested within the outer sleeve, creating a compact structure. This nested arrangement allows the inner sleeve to pivot and control flow direction while remaining integrated within the outer sleeve housing. The nesting principle achieves multi-directional flow control capability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
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 damper valve effectively directs chilled air away from living spaces during winter and towards them during summer, enhancing user convenience and energy efficiency by optimizing air flow management in heat pump water heaters.
Implementation Method 1
The inner sleeve is pivotable between a first position and a second position within the outer sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
The present subject matter provides a damper valve. The damper valve includes an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is positioned within the outer sleeve and is pivotable between a first position and a second position within the outer sleeve. Radial openings of the inner sleeve align with radial openings of the outer sleeve when the inner sleeve is in the first position, and axial openings of the inner sleeve align with axial openings of the outer sleeve when the inner sleeve is in the second position. A related heat pump water heater appliance is also provided.