Split Outdoor Air Conditioner Layout With Low Pressure-Drop Piping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners with integrated outdoor units face issues of noise disturbance and heavy installation due to their size and construction, and the splitting of the outdoor unit into a heat exchanger and compressor unit leads to increased pressure drops in refrigerant piping, reducing efficiency and capacity.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner design separates the heat exchanger and compressor units with optimized casings for noise insulation and placement, and increases the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipes connecting them to reduce pressure drops and maintain efficiency without additional pipework or components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the outdoor unit is integrated into the building ceiling to hide it from outside view, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but noise disturbance increases and installation/maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor unit is divided into two separate units: a heat exchanger unit and a compressor unit. The heat exchanger unit can be installed in the building ceiling to maintain aesthetic appearance, while the compressor unit (which generates noise) is installed separately in a different location, thereby reducing noise disturbance while preserving aesthetic benefits.
2Shape
If the outdoor unit is integrated into the building ceiling, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but installation space requirements increase due to height constraints
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the outdoor unit into two smaller units (heat exchanger unit and compressor unit), each unit requires less installation space. The heat exchanger unit can be installed in the ceiling with reduced height requirements, while the compressor unit is installed separately, thereby reducing overall installation space requirements while maintaining aesthetic appearance.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the outdoor unit is split into separate heat exchanger and compressor units, then noise disturbance is reduced, but pressure drops in refrigerant piping increase reducing system efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary refrigerant piping system with optimized design (including appropriate pipe diameter, minimal bends, and proper insulation) connects the heat exchanger unit and compressor unit. This intermediary piping minimizes pressure drops and energy losses while allowing the units to be separated for noise reduction purposes.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the heat exchanger and compressor are separated into different casings, then noise insulation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional refrigerant piping connections
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant piping connections between the heat exchanger unit and compressor unit are designed as standardized intermediary components with pre-configured connections. This reduces the complexity of installation and maintenance while maintaining effective noise insulation through separate casings.
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 design minimizes noise disturbance, simplifies installation, and maintains or improves efficiency and capacity by reducing pressure drops and eliminating the need for subcooling components, while maintaining aesthetic appeal by hiding the units within the building.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger (5) disposed in a first casing (2) and configured to exchange heat with a heat source, in particular outside air
Implementation Method 2
the lengths of the piping 76 and 78 connecting the heat source heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger as well as the heat source heat exchanger and the compressor are increased resulting in a relatively high pressure drop in the pipes during operation
Data Source
AI summary
Air conditioner for conditioning a space inside a building includes a heat source unit and at least one indoor unit. The heat source unit has a heat exchanger unit and a compressor unit. The heat exchanger unit includes a first heat exchanger disposed in a first casing and configured to exchange heat with a heat source. The compressor unit includes a compressor disposed in a second casing separate from the first casing, the heat exchanger unit and the compressor unit being fluidly connected via a first liquid refrigerant pipe and a first gaseous refrigerant pipe. At least one indoor unit has a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the space to be conditioned and being fluidly communicated to the heat exchanger unit and/or the compressor unit via a second liquid refrigerant pipe and a second gaseous refrigerant pipe. The outer diameter of the first liquid refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second liquid refrigerant pipe and/or the outer diameter of the first gaseous refrigerant pipe is larger than the outer diameter of the second gaseous refrigerant pipe.