Air Conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-type air conditioners, continuous heating operations can lead to frost formation on outdoor heat exchangers, necessitating a defrosting process that reduces heating efficiency and temperature, as only one outdoor unit performs cooling while others continue heating.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner is designed with multiple outdoor units, each comprising multiple heat exchanger parts that successively perform defrosting operations during heating, allowing continuous heating of the indoor space without significantly reducing heating performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If one outdoor unit performs cooling operation for defrosting while others perform heating operation, then defrosting can be achieved, but heating efficiency deteriorates and heating temperature reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor heat exchanger is divided into multiple heat exchanger parts (first heat exchanger part and second heat exchanger part). During defrosting operation, only specific segments (parts) perform defrosting while other segments continue heating, rather than the entire heat exchanger stopping heating function. This segmentation allows partial maintenance of heating capability during defrosting.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the entire outdoor unit to perform cooling operation for defrosting, only partial heat exchanger parts perform defrosting function while the rest continue heating operation. This partial action approach maintains sufficient heating output while achieving necessary defrosting.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If outdoor heat exchanger performs defrosting operation, then frost is removed, but heating temperature reduces
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions (heat exchanger parts) of the outdoor heat exchanger are assigned different functions: some parts perform defrosting operation while other parts maintain heating operation. This local differentiation allows frost removal in specific areas without compromising overall heating temperature output.
3Power
If multiple outdoor units are used, then heating capacity increases, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple outdoor units are integrated into a single system with shared control logic and coordinated operation. The control unit manages multiple outdoor units and their respective heat exchanger parts in a unified manner, enabling them to work together as one system rather than independent units, thus increasing heating capacity while limiting complexity growth.
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 approach ensures continuous heating efficiency and minimizes temperature reduction by allowing all outdoor heat exchanger parts to perform defrosting operations in a coordinated manner, maintaining comfort and preventing heating performance deterioration.
Implementation Method 1
each of the plurality of heat exchanger parts constituting the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers successively perform a defrosting operation
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a plurality of indoor units (21, 22) and a plurality of outdoor units (11, 12) connected to the plurality of indoor units (21, 22), each of the plurality of outdoor units (11, 12) including a plurality of outdoor heat exchangers (130, 200). Each of the outdoor heat exchangers (130, 200) includes a plurality of heat exchanger parts (131/132, 201/202). When a defrosting operation condition is satisfied during a heating operation, the plurality of heat exchanger parts constituting the plurality of outdoor heat exchangers successively perform a defrosting operation.