Systems and Methods for Duct-Free Heat Pump Water Heater
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional duct-free heat pump water heaters discharge cool air in a concentrated manner, which is undesirable and often leads users to turn off the system, as it creates a noticeable cooling effect similar to an air conditioner, making it difficult to maintain ambient temperature.
Innovation Solution
The system redesigns duct-free heat pumps with a substantially downward air flow and multiple air outlets distributed around the perimeter of the housing, diffusing the cool air 360 degrees to reduce its cooling effect and make it less noticeable, featuring a fan positioned adjacent to the air inlet to direct airflow vertically and a diffuser to redirect air to the outlets, minimizing the impact on surrounding air temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional duct-free heat pump water heaters discharge cool air through a single concentrated outlet, then the heat exchange efficiency is maintained, but the cooling effect becomes noticeable and undesirable to users
Solution Approach 1:
The single concentrated air outlet is divided into multiple air outlets distributed around the perimeter of the housing. This segmentation disperses the cool air discharge into multiple streams, reducing the concentration and noticeability of the cooling effect in any single location while maintaining overall heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The air outlets are positioned at different locations around the perimeter of the housing rather than in a single concentrated point. This spatial distribution across multiple dimensions disperses the cool air discharge pattern, reducing the localized cooling effect that was problematic in the conventional single-outlet design.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the air inlet and air outlet are positioned opposite each other laterally, then the airflow path is simplified, but the cool air stream becomes more concentrated and noticeable
Solution Approach 1:
The single lateral air outlet is segmented into multiple air outlets positioned around the perimeter of the housing. This division transforms the concentrated cool air stream into multiple dispersed streams, reducing the noticeable cooling effect while the airflow path remains straightforward with the fan positioned adjacent to the air inlet.
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 diffuses the cool air, reducing its cooling effect and making it less noticeable, enhancing user comfort by minimizing the impact on ambient temperature and improving the overall efficiency of the heat pump system.
Implementation Method 1
The fan may be positioned in a horizontal plane about the top of the housing adjacent the at least one air inlet such that the blades of the fan rotate in a substantially horizontal plane
Implementation Method 2
The relatively warm air heats the refrigerant, sometimes vaporizing the refrigerant within the coil
Implementation Method 3
heats the refrigerant, sometimes vaporizing the refrigerant within the coil
Implementation Method 4
which is pumped through a compressor to further increase the temperature of the refrigerant
Implementation Method 5
The hot, vaporized refrigerant is then circulated through a closed-loop coil that surrounds a water tank, transferring the heat from the refrigerant, through the coil wall, and to the water in the water tank
Implementation Method 6
a diffuser to redirect air to the outlets, minimizing the impact on surrounding air temperature
Data Source
AI summary
Duct-free heat pumps for water heaters are provided. In some instances, the heat pump includes a housing comprising at least one air inlet and a plurality of air outlets disposed around a perimeter of the housing, at least one fan configured to move air from the at least one air inlet to the plurality of air outlets, an evaporator positioned adjacent to the at least one air inlet, and a diffuser positioned below the evaporator. The diffuser is configured to redirect air to the plurality of air outlets.