Relay Unit Layout for Leak-Safe Multi-Indoor Air Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems for buildings face issues with refrigerant leakage and energy inefficiency, particularly when conveying refrigerant to multiple indoor units, leading to potential room contamination and high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a configuration with an outdoor unit, a main relay unit, and sub relay units, where refrigerant is separated into gas and liquid and conveyed to sub relay units, which then exchange heat with a heat medium like water or brine, preventing direct refrigerant circulation indoors and reducing energy consumption by shortening conveyance distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If refrigerant is circulated directly to multiple indoor units, then cooling and heating operations can be performed, but refrigerant leakage into indoor spaces occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat medium (water or brine) as an intermediary substance between the outdoor unit and indoor units. The refrigerant exchanges heat with the heat medium in the outdoor unit, and the heat medium is then circulated to indoor units through heat medium circulation devices. This intermediary approach allows the refrigerant to remain confined to the outdoor unit while still achieving cooling and heating functions in indoor spaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heat medium is conveyed to indoor units located at long distances, then indoor units can be connected, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the indoor units into multiple groups, with each group served by a separate heat medium circulation device. This segmentation allows each circulation device to serve a localized area, reducing the total conveyance distance for heat medium and thereby lowering power consumption compared to a single centralized circulation system serving all indoor units.
3Adaptability or versatility
If refrigerant is used for both cooling and heating operations, then system versatility is achieved, but refrigerant leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat medium serves as an intermediary that carries thermal energy between the outdoor unit and indoor units. The outdoor unit performs both cooling and heating operations by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and heat medium, and then the heat medium is circulated to indoor units. This approach maintains system versatility while improving reliability by keeping the refrigerant confined to the outdoor unit where leakage can be better controlled.
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 prevents refrigerant leakage into indoor spaces and reduces energy consumption by optimizing heat exchange and conveyance power, allowing for efficient cooling and heating operations across multiple indoor units.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium such as water or brine
Implementation Method 2
a gas-liquid separator that separates the refrigerant into a gas phase and a liquid phase
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An air-conditioning apparatus including an outdoor unit 1 having a compressor 10 compressing a refrigerant and a heat source side heat exchanger 12 exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air; a plurality of indoor units 3 having use side heat exchangers exchanging heat between a heat medium that flows therein and air; and a relay unit disposed between the outdoor unit 1 and the indoor units 3, the relay unit exchanging heat between the refrigerant conveyed from the outdoor unit 1 and the heat medium flowing in the indoor units, in which the relay unit includes a main relay unit 2a that is connected to the outdoor unit1 with two pipings and a sub relay unit 2a-1 that is connected to the main relay unit 2a with three pipings.