Air-conditioning apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In air-conditioning apparatus, increasing the flow rate of a heat medium requires higher horsepower pumps, leading to increased installation area for the relay unit, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The use of two relay units with different horsepower pumps, where the second relay unit is installed above or on top of the first, and a control system to adjust pump rotation frequency based on temperature and flow-rate differences, allowing for increased flow rate without expanding the installation area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the horsepower of the pump is increased to increase the flow rate for supplying a heat medium to the indoor unit, then the flow rate is improved, but the installation area of the relay increases in proportion to the horsepower of the pump
Solution Approach 1:
The relay is divided into a first relay unit and a second relay unit, each with its own pump. The first pump has greater horsepower than the second pump. By segmenting the relay functionality across two units with different pump capacities, the system achieves increased total flow rate without requiring a single large pump that would demand excessive installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The second relay unit is installed above or on top of the first relay unit, utilizing vertical space rather than horizontal expansion. This vertical stacking arrangement allows the system to accommodate multiple relay units with different pump capacities while maintaining a compact installation footprint and avoiding the area increase that would result from horizontal placement.
2Productivity
If two relay units with different horsepower pumps are used to increase flow rate, then the flow rate is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit includes a determination unit that monitors temperature differences between refrigerant outlets from the first and second heat-medium heat exchangers. When the temperature difference exceeds a threshold, the pump control unit automatically adjusts the rotation frequency of the first pump. This feedback mechanism enables automatic load balancing between the two pumps with different horsepower, simplifying operation despite the complex configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Both the first relay unit and second relay unit include heat-medium heat exchangers and pumps, making them functionally similar but with different capacities. This universal design allows either unit to operate independently or in combination, providing operational flexibility and simplifying the control logic despite the multi-unit configuration.
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 enhances the flow rate of the heat medium while maintaining a compact installation area, reducing the necessary space for the relay units and improving maintenance efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the first relay unit includes a first heat-medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium
Implementation Method 2
the second relay unit includes a second heat-medium heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A relay includes a first relay unit and a second relay unit provided between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit to allow refrigerant to circulate between the first relay unit and the outdoor unit and between the second relay unit and the outdoor unit, and a heat medium circuit connecting the first relay unit and the second relay unit to the indoor unit to allow a heat medium to circulate through the heat medium circuit. The second relay unit is installed above or on a top of the first relay unit.