Ventilator Heat Exchanger Layout for Low-Power Fresh Air Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems face challenges in efficiently controlling indoor space temperature and reducing power consumption, as they often rely on auxiliary heat sources and have limited control over the temperature of supplied outside air, leading to high energy inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner incorporates a ventilator with multiple heat exchangers and a refrigerant distribution system that allows for efficient heat exchange between indoor and outdoor air, using a compressor-driven refrigerant system to control temperature without auxiliary heat sources, and includes a reheat exchanger to further heat air and a preheat exchanger to primarily heat outside air entering the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a separate cooling coil is used to control the temperature of outside air, then the temperature control is achieved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling function with the existing heat exchanger that uses refrigerant from the compressor, merging temperature control with the refrigeration cycle. This eliminates the need for a separate cooling coil and its dedicated power consumption, as the same refrigerant system performs both cooling and temperature regulation functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the primary cooling device and the temperature control device for outside air. By making the heat exchanger universal, the system avoids adding separate components and their associated power consumption, achieving energy efficiency while maintaining temperature control capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a ventilator is added to supply fresh outside air, then fresh air is provided continuously, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator is integrated with the existing air conditioner system, sharing the same housing, control unit, and electrical system. This merging approach provides fresh air supply capability without proportionally increasing system complexity, as many components are shared between the ventilator function and the existing air conditioning function.
3Productivity
If multiple heat exchangers are used in the ventilator, then heat exchange efficiency is maximized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange function is segmented into multiple heat exchangers with distinct roles: one heat exchanger handles cooling of outside air, while another handles heating of discharged air. This segmentation maximizes heat exchange efficiency for each function while maintaining manageable system complexity through clear functional division and modular design.
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 reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for auxiliary heat sources, enhances refrigeration efficiency through opposite heat exchange operations in main and recovery heat exchangers, and improves heating efficiency by continuous refrigerant supply to reheat exchangers, while maintaining precise temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
an outdoor unit having a compressor for compressing a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a main heat exchanger disposed in the supply passage and heat exchanging between flowing air and the refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
heat exchanging between flowing air and the refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
a refrigerant distributor connected to the outdoor unit by the plurality of refrigerant pipes, and supplying the refrigerant, introduced from the outdoor unit, to the main heat exchanger or the recovery heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger. A ventilator connected to the outdoor unit by refrigerant pipes allows outside air to pass through a heat exchanger and flow into an indoor space, and allows indoor air to pass through the heat exchanger and flow to an outdoor space. The ventilator includes a supply passage through which the outside air flows into the indoor space, and a discharge passage through which the indoor air is discharged to the outdoor space. The ventilaro also includes a main heat exchanger in the supply passage and a recovery heat exchanger in the discharge passage. A refrigerant distributor supplies the refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the main heat exchanger or the recovery heat exchanger, vice-versa. A reheat exchanger in the supply passage heats the air flowing therethrough.