Relay-Unit Air Conditioning for Simultaneous Heating and Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning apparatuses for buildings face challenges such as refrigerant leakage, complex installation processes, energy loss, and safety concerns due to the use of flammable refrigerants, particularly when attempting simultaneous cooling and heating operations.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning apparatus that employs two heat medium pipes to facilitate simultaneous cooling and heating operations without introducing refrigerant pipes into the building, utilizing a relay unit outside the indoor space to minimize refrigerant leakage and reduce refrigerant quantity, thereby enhancing safety and simplifying installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If refrigerant pipes are introduced into the building for simultaneous cooling and heating operations, then cooling and heating functionality is improved, but refrigerant leakage risk and safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional zones: the outdoor unit handles refrigerant circulation and heat exchange externally, while indoor units handle air handling only. This segmentation allows simultaneous cooling and heating operations without introducing refrigerant pipes into the building, thereby maintaining safety while achieving functional versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a heat exchange medium (water or antifreeze solution) as an intermediary between the outdoor unit and indoor units. This medium carries thermal energy without requiring refrigerant pipes to penetrate the building, thus enabling simultaneous cooling and heating operations while preventing refrigerant leakage into indoor spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If four water pipes are used to connect outdoor unit and indoor units for selectable cooling or heating operation, then operational flexibility is improved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the refrigerant circulation function from the indoor units and concentrates it in the outdoor unit. By doing so, the system achieves operational flexibility through simplified two-pipe connections for heat medium, reducing installation complexity while maintaining the ability to perform both cooling and heating operations.
3Productivity
If heat exchanger is located in the vicinity of each indoor unit with heat medium supply, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but refrigerant leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a heat exchange medium (water or antifreeze solution) as an intermediary to transfer thermal energy between the outdoor unit and indoor units. This allows heat exchangers to be located near indoor units for efficient heat exchange while preventing refrigerant leakage into rooms, as the refrigerant remains confined to the outdoor unit.
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 solution enables efficient, safe, and cost-effective simultaneous cooling and heating operations while preventing refrigerant leakage and reducing installation complexity, ensuring higher safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
cooling energy or heating energy is generated in the heat source unit installed outdoors, and a heat medium such as water or antifreeze solution is heated or cooled with a heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit
Implementation Method 2
the refrigerant transfers heat to air so as to heat the air or removes heat from the air so as to cool the air
Data Source
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AI summary
An air-conditioning apparatus 100 is capable of cooling a first heat medium and heating the first heat medium at the same time in a relay unit 3, and the cooled first heat medium and the heated first heat medium can be separately distributed to a plurality of indoor units 2. Waste heat of a first refrigerant circuit D can be discharged to an outdoor space via a second heat medium and the second refrigerant.