Thermal device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermotechnical devices, such as domestic water heat pumps, face challenges in safely managing flammable refrigerants in confined spaces, as they require larger room areas due to the placement of emergency outlet openings, which are typically located at the bottom and do not remain open during operation.
Innovation Solution
The emergency outlet opening for the refrigerant is designed to be located above the housing, allowing it to remain open during operation, reducing the required floor space and enabling safer use of flammable refrigerants like R452B without the need for refrigerant detection sensors or fans, by ensuring the refrigerant collects and overflows above the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the emergency outlet opening is located at the bottom of the housing, then the refrigerant can be discharged in case of a leak, but the required floor space of the installation room increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional location of the emergency outlet opening from the bottom of the housing to the top. This inversion allows the refrigerant, being heavier than air, to naturally flow upward through the housing and discharge through the top opening, thereby reducing the required floor space while maintaining safety functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the emergency outlet from a horizontal/displaced location to a vertical/top location. By utilizing the vertical dimension and positioning the outlet at the top of the housing, the design eliminates the need for lateral space while maintaining effective refrigerant discharge capability
2Device complexity
If the emergency outlet opening is located at the bottom of the housing, then the structure is simple, but the opening cannot remain open during operation
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the outlet location to the top, the housing structure naturally allows the opening to remain open during operation without requiring complex closure mechanisms, as the refrigerant flow pattern and safety requirements are better satisfied with a permanently open top outlet
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 allows for the safe operation of heat pumps with flammable refrigerants in smaller rooms, reducing the risk of refrigerant accumulation and eliminating the need for additional safety features like sensors and fans, while adhering to safety standards like DIN EN 378.
Implementation Method 1
If there is a leak in the refrigerant circuit, because the refrigerant is heavier than air, the air is first pressed out of the housing 1 via the emergency outlet opening 3
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a thermal device comprising a housing (1) in which a refrigerant circuit (2) for a refrigerant is arranged, wherein the housing (1), apart from an emergency outlet opening (3) opening into a space, is designed to prevent the escape of the refrigerant in the event of a leak in the refrigerant circuit (2), wherein the refrigerant is heavier than air. According to the invention, the emergency outlet opening (3) for the refrigerant is designed to open above the housing (1) during normal operation of the device.