Radiation Panel Valve Isolation During Air Conditioner Defrost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners face challenges in effectively defrosting the outdoor heat exchanger while preventing the radiation panel from serving as an evaporator, which can lead to increased heating loads and discomfort in the indoor space.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner incorporates a control unit that switches between normal refrigeration and defrosting cycles, fully closing the radiation expansion valve during defrosting to prevent refrigerant flow through the radiation panel, allowing for defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger without the radiation panel acting as an evaporator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the radiation panel is connected to the refrigerant circuit for normal cooling/heating operations, then the radiation panel can perform efficient heat exchange, but during defrosting operations the refrigerant may flow through the radiation panel causing it to act as an evaporator and increase heating load
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant circuit is segmented into separate pathways by using isolation valves (first isolation valve and second isolation valve) that can independently control refrigerant flow to different heat exchangers. During defrosting operations, these valves isolate the radiation panel from the refrigerant circuit, preventing it from acting as an evaporator and eliminating the associated heating load penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of the radiation panel acting as an evaporator during defrosting is extracted/removed by closing the isolation valves. This separates the defrosting function (performed by the outdoor heat exchanger) from the radiation panel, ensuring that only the intended components participate in the defrosting cycle.
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 solution ensures efficient defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures by preventing the radiation panel from evaporating refrigerant, thus avoiding increased heating loads and discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
an expansion valve that regulates a flow rate of a refrigerant flowing through the radiation panel
Implementation Method 2
the first heat exchanger serves as a radiator
Implementation Method 3
the second heat exchanger serves as an evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner switches between a normal refrigeration cycle and a defrosting refrigeration cycle, and includes: a refrigerant circuit that connects a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a radiation panel, and an expansion valve that regulates a flow rate of a refrigerant flowing through the radiation panel; and a controller that causes the air conditioner to switch between the normal refrigeration cycle and the defrosting cycle. During the normal refrigeration cycle, the radiation panel performs cooling or heating. During the defrosting cycle, the first heat exchanger serves as a radiator and the second heat exchanger serves as an evaporator. During the defrosting cycle, the controller causes the expansion valve to be in a fully closed state.