GB2572563A

GB2572563A - Modular air conditioning unit

Info

Publication number: GB2572563A
Application number: GB1805434.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chen Yunshui; Fang Xuming
Original assignee: Airsys Refrigeration Engineering Tech Beijing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Airsys Refrigeration Engineering Tech Beijing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-16
Filing date: 2018-04-03
Publication date: 2019-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2038-04-03
Also published as: CN108458402B; GB201805434D0; CN108458402A; GB2572563B

Abstract

A modular air conditioning unit, which may be for cooling a data centre room, comprises condensing, evaporating and air supply sections which are separately provided and assembled together sequentially from top to bottom in a vertical direction. It may be installed in sections, thus reducing installation costs. The condensing section 100 may contain a v-shaped condenser 130 comprising two finned heat exchangers, air inlets 114, 117, a valve 116 connecting to an exhaust outlet, and a fan 140. The evaporating section 200 may contain a v-shaped evaporator 230, a compressor 280, and various air inlet and outlet valves 215, 217, 218, 219. The air supply section may contain an air supply fan 320 and outlet 311. Each section may have openings enabling air flow between them. The unit may have a completely mechanical cooling mode, a completely fresh-air free cooling mode, or a partially free cooling mode, depending on outdoor temperature.

Description

In existing technology, an air conditioning unit is mainly composed of two sections that are separately provided. An air supply structure of the air conditioning unit is usually installed at the bottom of a lower sections. When the air conditioning unit is installed in a data center room, its air supply structure needs to be installed under the floor, especially when the air conditioning unit employs an underfloor air outlet mode. Because the air supply structure is integrated with the lower section of the air conditioning unit, this makes the volume of the section larger and heavier, during installing a crane is necessary. However, once the crane is used, it will inevitably cause damage to the data center room, meanwhile it also requires the professional to implement the operation, which results in increasing the cost of installation. In addition, a forklift may be used for the installation of a relatively small-sized air conditioning unit. However, since the air supply structure of the air conditioning unit needs to be installed under the floor, when the air conditioning unit is installed with a forklift, it is necessary to sink the section with the air supply structure under the floor, which will inevitably increase the requirements for an operator’s operational skill, i

resulting in an increase in installation difficulty.

Given the above, for the air conditioning unit under the floor, the bottom air-out structure of the air conditioning unit in the existing technology is integrated with other sections thereof, resulting in an increase in installation difficulty and high installation cost.

Invention Description

For this purpose, the main object of the present disclosure is to provide a modular air conditioning unit, of which installation difficulty and installation cost are reduced.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a modular air conditioning unit comprising a condensing section, an evaporating section, and an air supply section which are separately provided; these three sections are assembled together sequentially from top to bottom in the vertical direction.

With this solution, since the air supply section and other parts are separately installed, when the air conditioning unit is needed to be installed in an underfloor air supply mode, this can be achieved without using a crane or a forklift, or requiring a professional installer, which significantly reduces the installation cost and installation difficulty of the air conditioning unit compared with the prior art. And due to the relatively smaller size of the three sections, production, handling and installation of the unit are convenient and the maintenance or replacement is facilitated.

Preferably, the condensing section has a condensing section first chamber connecting with an indoor space, a condensing section second chamber connecting with an outdoor space and configured to install a condenser, and a condensing section first opening connecting with the condensing section first chamber and a condensing section second opening connecting with the condensing section second chamber are provided at the bottom of the condensing section; the evaporating section has an evaporating section third chamber connecting with an outdoor space and configured to install an evaporator, an evaporating section first chamber connecting with the evaporating section third chamber, an evaporating section second chamber connecting with the evaporating section first chamber and the outdoor space respectively, and an evaporating section first opening connecting with the evaporating section first chamber and an evaporating section second opening connecting with the evaporating section second chamber are provided at the top of the evaporating section, and an evaporating section third opening connecting with the evaporating section third chamber is provided at the bottom of the evaporating section; the air supply section has an air supply section chamber connecting with the indoor space and configured to install an air supply fan, and an air supply section opening connecting with the air supply chamber is provided at the top of the air supply section; when the condensing section, the evaporating section, and the air supply section are in an assembled state, the evaporating section first opening connects with the condensing section first opening, the evaporating section second opening connects with the second opening condensing section, and the evaporating section third opening connects with the air supply section opening.

With this solution, when the condensing section, the evaporating section, and the air supply section are in an assembled state, connection between the condensing section first chamber and the evaporating section first chamber is achieved by connecting the evaporating section first opening with the condensing section first opening. Connection between the condensing section second chamber and the evaporating section second chamber may be achieved by connecting the evaporating section second opening with the condensing section second opening, connection between the condensing section third chamber and the air supply section chamber is achieved by connecting the evaporating section third opening with the air supply section opening. When the air conditioning unit is in a mechanical cooling mode, indoor return air may flow sequentially through the condensing section first chamber, the evaporating section first chamber, the evaporating section third chamber, the evaporator, and the air supply section chamber, which are configured to connect with each other, so as to enter the indoor. The outdoor fresh air flows through the evaporating section second chamber and the condenser sequentially and then is discharged to the indoor space; when the air conditioning unit is in a free cooling mode, the outdoor fresh air flows sequentially through the evaporating section third chamber, the evaporator, and the air supply section chamber, which are configured to connect with each other, so as to enter the indoor, and the indoor return air flows sequentially through the condensing section first chamber, the evaporating section first chamber, the evaporating section second chamber and the condenser and then is discharged to the outdoor. When the air conditioning unit is in a partially free cooling mode, the outdoor fresh air and the indoor return air both entering the evaporating section second chamber flow through the condenser and then are discharged to the outdoor. The outdoor fresh air and the indoor return air both entering the evaporating section third chamber flow sequentially through the evaporator and the air supply section chamber, and then enter the indoor. Thereby, it can be ensured that the air conditioning unit can operate normally when the condensing section, the evaporating section, and the air supply section are in the assembled state and the installation difficulty and installation cost can be reduced.

Preferably, the evaporating section first chamber is located at a front side of the evaporating section, and a compressor and refrigeration system accessories provided with the compressor as a set are installed within the evaporating section first chamber, and a front panel of the evaporating section is detachably mounted on the evaporating section body.

With this solution, since the compressor and the refrigeration system accessories are provided within the evaporating section first chamber located in the front side of the evaporating section and the front panel is detachably mounted on the evaporating section body, the compressor and refrigeration system accessories can be directly accessed when opening the front panel of the evaporating section during maintenance, so that complete maintenance from the front can be achieved without a reserved maintenance space around the air conditioning unit, and the installation space occupied by the air conditioning unit can be reduced. Meanwhile, the utilization rate of the evaporating section first chamber can also be increased.

Preferably, connecting pipes for connecting the compressor and the evaporator are provided within the evaporating section first chamber.

With this solution, since the connecting pipes for connecting the compressor and the evaporator are provided within the evaporating section first chamber located on the front side of the evaporating section, these connecting pipes can be directly accessed when opening the front panel of the evaporating section during maintenance, so that complete maintenance from the front can be achieved without a reserved maintenance space around the air conditioning unit, and the installation space occupied by the air conditioning unit can be reduced.

Preferably, the condensing section first chamber is located at a front side of the condensing section, and connecting pipes for connecting the compressor and the condenser are provided within the evaporating section first chamber and the condensing section first chamber, and the front panel of the condensing section is detachably mounted on the condensing section body.

With this solution, since the connecting pipes for connecting the compressor and the condenser are provided within the evaporating section first chamber located on the front side of the evaporating section, and the front panels of the evaporating section first chamber and the condensing section first chamber are detachably provided, these connecting pipes can be directly accessed when opening the front panels of the evaporating section and the condensing section during maintenance, so that complete maintenance from the front can be achieved without a reserved maintenance space around the air conditioning unit, and the installation space occupied by the air conditioning unit can be reduced.

Preferably, an electric box is installed within the condensing section first chamber.

With this solution, since the electric box is provided within the condensing section first chamber located on the front side of the condensing section, the electric box can be directly accessed when opening the front panel of the condensing section during maintenance, so that complete maintenance from the front can be achieved without a reserved maintenance space around the air conditioning unit, and the installation space occupied by the air conditioning unit can be reduced.

Preferably, an indoor return air valve provided near the front side and configured to connect the evaporating section first chamber and the evaporating section third chamber is detachably installed in the evaporating section.

With this solution, since the front panel of the evaporating section and the indoor return air valve are both detachably installed, the evaporator can be cleaned and maintained from the front after removing the front panel and the indoor return air valve.

Preferably, an indoor exhaust valve provided near the front side and configured to connect the evaporating section first chamber and the evaporating section second chamber is detachably installed in the evaporating section.

With this solution, since the front panel of the evaporating section and the indoor exhaust valve are both detachably installed, the condenser can be cleaned and maintained from the front when removing the front panel and the indoor exhaust valve.

Preferably, a return air inlet connecting with the condensing section first chamber is provided in an upper portion of the condensing section, and an air supply outlet connecting with the air supply section chamber is provided at the front side of the air supply section.

With this solution, the spacing distance between the return air inlet and the air supply outlet can be increased, and bypass between the indoor return air and the indoor air supply can be effectively prevented.

Preferably, at the connected ends of the condensing section, the evaporating section and the air supply section, a groove is formed around one of the two connected ends, and an embossment to be plugged in the groove is formed around the other end.

With this solution, the connection structures between the condensing section, the evaporating section, and the air supply section can be simplified, and installation difficulty can be reduced.

Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a front view of the air conditioning unit;

Figure 2 is a left side view of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top view of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a schematic view of an air conditioning unit in a disassembled state;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning unit, of which the air supply section is located above the floor;

Figure 6 is a left side view of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a schematic view of an air conditioning unit, of which the air supply section is located below the floor;

Figure 8 is a left side view of the air conditioning unit shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a schematic view of an air conditioning unit in a fully mechanical cooling mode;

Figure 10 is a schematic view of an air conditioning unit in a partially free cooling mode;

Figure 11 is a schematic view of an air conditioning unit in a fully free cooling mode.

Detailed Description

The detailed description of the modular air conditioning unit according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 11. In the following description, the “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” directions are consistent with the “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” directions as marked in Fig. 4, wherein the side of the air conditioning unit near the wall is the “rear” side, the side opposite to the wall is the “front” side, the side in contact with the ground is “lower” side, and the side opposite to the ground is the “upper” side.

As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 4, the air conditioning unit of the present embodiment mainly includes a condensing section 100, an evaporating section 200, and an air supply section 300 that are separately provided. These three sections each have a shape of cuboid. When the air conditioning unit is in an assembled state, the foregoing three sections are sequentially combined together from top to bottom in the vertical direction and respectively aligned in the front-rear direction and in the left-right direction. The specific structure of the foregoing three sections will be described in detail below.

Condensing section 100

As shown in Fig.l to Fig.4 and Fig.9 to Fig. 11, the condensing section 100 is in cuboid shape as a whole and has a cuboid-shaped condensing section housing 110. The condensing section housing 110 mainly includes a cuboid-shaped supporting frame and multiple panels mounted on the surface of the supporting frame. And the front panel 111 of the condensing section 100 is detachably mounted on the main frame of the condensing section housing 110. In the condensing section housing 110, a condensing section partition plate 112 is installed in parallel with the front panel 111 of the condensing section 100 at a certain distance, and the condensing section partition plate 112 partitions the interior space of the condensing section housing 110 into a condensing section first chamber 150 provided close to the front side and a condensing section second chamber 120 provided close to the rear side.

An opening connecting with the top of the evaporating section 200 is disposed at the bottom of the condensing section housing 110. The opening is partitioned by the condensing section partition plate 112 into a front opening and a rear opening. For convenience of description, the front opening located in the bottom of the condensing section first chamber 150 is defined as a condensing section first opening, and the rear opening located at the bottom of the condensing section second chamber 120 is defined as a condensing section second opening, which are not shown in the drawing.

A first return air inlet 117 connecting with the condensing section first chamber 150 is disposed on the front panel 111 of the condensing section near the top thereof. A second return air inlet 114 connecting with the condensing section first chamber 150 is disposed on a top panel 113 of the condensing section housing 110 near the front side thereof. An exhaust outlet connecting with the condensing section second chamber 120 is disposed on a rear panel 115 of the condensing section housing 110 near the top thereof, an air valve 116 is installed at the exhaust outlet.

In addition, an electric box 400 is mounted on the front surface of the condensing section partition plate 112 in the condensing section first chamber 150. In the condensing section first chamber 150, connecting pipes for connecting the compressor 280 and the condenser 130 to be described below are also provided.

In the condensing section second chamber 120, a condenser 130 located at a lower portion and a condenser fan 140 located at an upper portion are installed, wherein the condenser 130 consists of two finned heat exchangers symmetrically arranged in a “V” shape when it is viewed from the side (left or right side) of the air conditioning unit, and the top of the V-shaped structure is hermetically connected to the inner wall surfaces of the front and rear sides of the condensing section second chamber 120. By arranging the condenser 130 in a V shape, the heat exchange area of the condenser 130 can be sufficiently increased in a limited space, which is advantageous in improving the heat dissipation and reducing the airflow resistance. The condenser fan 140 is a centrifugal fan that axially intakes the air and radially supplies the air. As shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 11, the condenser fan 140 is located above the condenser 130, and the air inlet of the condenser fan 140 is just facing the opening at the top of the

V-shaped structure of the condenser 130. In this way, it can be ensured that the high-temperature air generated during heat exchange in the condenser 130 all enters the condenser fan 140 via the air inlet of the condenser fan 140 and then is discharged to the outdoor through the exhaust outlet.

Evaporating section 200

The evaporating section 200 is also in a shape of cuboid as a whole and has a cuboid-shaped evaporating section housing 210,which is similar to that of the condensing section housing 110 described above, so it will not be described here, and the front panel 211 of the evaporating section 200 is detachably mounted on a main frame of the evaporating section housing 210.

The internal space of the evaporating section housing 210 is partitioned into an evaporating section first chamber 260 located near the front side, an evaporating section second chamber 250 located at the upper portion of the rear side, and an evaporating section third chamber 220 located at the lower portion of the rear side. On the top of the evaporating section housing 210, an evaporating section first opening 261 (shown in Fig. 4) connecting with the evaporating section first chamber is provided in the front, and an evaporating section second opening 251 (shown in Fig. 4) connecting with the evaporating section second chamber is provided in the rear. An evaporating section third opening (not shown in the figure) connecting with the evaporating section third chamber is provided at the bottom of the evaporating section housing 210.

An indoor exhaust valve 215 connecting the evaporating section first chamber 260 and the evaporating section second chamber is installed therebetween; an indoor return air valve 218 connecting the evaporating section first chamber 260 and the evaporating section third chamber is installed therebetween. A condensing air inlet connecting the condensing section second chamber is provided on the rear panel 216 of the evaporating section, where a condensing air inlet valve 217 is mounted. In this embodiment, the condensing air inlet valve 217 is opposed to the indoor exhaust valve 215 in the front-rear direction; an air inlet connecting with the evaporating section second chamber is provided on the rear panel 216 of the evaporating section, and a fresh air valve 219 is installed at the air inlet. In the present embodiment, the fresh air valve 219 is opposed to the indoor return air valve 218 in the front-rear direction.

Specifically, as shown in Figs. 9 to 11, an evaporating section first partition plate 212, which is installed in the vicinity of the front side of the evaporating section housing 210 and is installed in parallel with the front plate 211 of the evaporating section housing 210, and an evaporating section second partition plate 213 located above the evaporating section first partition plate 212 and is perpendicular thereto, are mounted at the bottom of the evaporating section housing 210. As viewed from the side surface of the air conditioning unit, the evaporating section second partition plate 213 is connected to the rear panel 216 of the evaporating section and the top of the evaporating section first partition plate 212, the front end of the evaporating section second partition plate 213 is at a certain distance from the front panel 211 of the evaporating section housing 210. An evaporating section third partition plate 214 is mounted in the evaporating section housing 210, which is installed near an upper portion of the evaporating section housing 210 in the up-down direction at a distance from the front panel 211 of the evaporating section housing 210 in the front-rear direction, and is in parallel with the evaporating section second partition plate 213. A indoor return air valve 218 is installed between the evaporating section third partition plate 214 and the evaporating section second partition plate 213, and is connected to the front ends of the two; a fresh air valve 219 is installed on the evaporating section third partition plate 214 located between the evaporating section third partition plate 214 and the evaporating section second partition plate 213. An indoor exhaust valve 215 is installed between the evaporating section third partition plate 214 and the top of the evaporating section housing 210 and is located near the front side; the condensing air inlet valve 217 is installed on the rear panel 216 of the evaporating section located between the evaporating section third partition plate 214 and the top of the evaporating section housing 210.

An evaporating section first chamber 260 having an open top is enclosed jointly by the indoor exhaust valve 215, the indoor return air valve 218, the evaporating section first partition plate 212, the front panel 211 of the evaporating section, and the bottom of the evaporating section 200. In the evaporating section first chamber 260, a compressor 280 located at the bottom and refrigeration system accessories provided with the compressor as a set are installed. The connecting pipes for connecting the compressor 280 and the evaporator 230 are mainly received at a lower portion of the evaporating section first chamber 260. A part of the connecting pipe for connecting the compressor 280 and the condenser 130 is installed in the evaporation unit first chamber

260 in the vertical direction.

An evaporating section second chamber 250 having an open top is enclosed jointly by the indoor exhaust valve 215, the evaporating section third partition plate 214 and the evaporating air inlet valve 217. The evaporating unit second chamber 250 may connect with the outdoor space through the condensing air inlet valve 217, connect with the condensing section second chamber 120 through the evaporating section second opening 251 and connect with the condensing section first chamber 150 through the indoor exhaust valve 215.

An evaporating section third chamber 220 for air circulation is enclosed jointly by the evaporating section rear panel 216, the evaporating section third partition plate 214, the indoor return air valve 218, the evaporating section first partition plate 212 and the bottom of the evaporating section 200. An evaporator 230 located at the bottom and a filter 240 located above the evaporator 230 are installed in the evaporating section third chamber 220. When viewed from the side of the air conditioning unit, the evaporator 230 is located between the evaporation section rear panel 216 and the evaporating section first partition plate 212. The evaporator 230 also consists of two finned heat exchangers symmetrically arranged in a “V” shape. The filter 240 is in the form of a plate as a whole, and it is installed on the preset mounting hole of the evaporating section second partition plate 213 and is located at the entire opening of the “V”-shaped structure of the evaporator 230.

Air supply section 300

The air supply section 300 is also in a shape of cuboid as a whole and has a cuboid-shaped air supply section housing 310. The structure of the air supply section housing 310 is similar to that of the condensing section housing 110 described above, so it will not be described here. An air supply section opening 351 (see Fig. 4) is provided or reserved at the top of the air supply section housing 310 for connecting with the evaporating section third chamber 220 (specifically, with the air outlet side of the evaporator 230), an air supply port 311 is provided on the front panel of the air supply section housing 310, and an air supply section chamber 350 that connects with the air supply section opening 351 and the air supply outlet 311 respectively is provided in the air supply section housing 310. The air supply fan 320 and a heating device 330 located between the air supply fan 320 and the air supply outlet 311 are installed in the air supply section chamber 350. The air supply fan 320 is also a centrifugal fan that axially intakes the air and radially supplies the air. The heating device 330 is electrically heated.

Supporting feet 340 are provided at the bottom of the air supply section housing 310, which are evenly distributed around the bottom thereof. The height of supporting feet 340 is adjustable in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving the adaptability of the air supply section 300 to an installation environment.

In addition, a detachable connecting structure, for example, an engagement connection, a plug-in connection, and the like, is provided as a set at the connection place of the adjacent sections of the above three sections. Take the plug-in connection as an example, among connected ends of the condensing section 100, the evaporating section 200 and the air supply section 300, a groove is formed around one of the two connected ends, and a projection to be plugged in the groove is formed around the other end. When the air conditioning unit is in the assembled state, the two adjacent sections are assembled together and form a detachable connection through the connecting structure provide thereon.

Referring to Fig.9 to Fig. 11, when the air conditioning unit is in the assembled state, that is the condensing section 100, the evaporating section 200, and the air supply section 300 are all in an assembled state. In such a state, the evaporating section first opening 261 connects with the condensing section first opening, so that the evaporating section first chamber 260 is linked with the condensing section first chamber 150. The evaporating section second opening 251 connects with the condensing section second opening, so that the evaporating section second chamber 250 is linked with the condensing section second chambers 120. The evaporating section third opening is in connection with the air supply section 300, so that the evaporating section third chamber 220 is linked with the air supply section 300.

When viewed from the side of the air conditioning unit, the condensing section first chamber 150 and the evaporating section first chamber 260 are both installed near the front side of the air conditioning unit, and they are interconnected longitudinally. Two parts of connecting pipes (including connecting pipes in the condensing section first chamber 150 and connecting pipes in the evaporating section first chamber 260) for connecting the compressor 280 and the condenser 130 are connected and installed in the vertical direction in the evaporating section first chamber 260 and the condensing section first chamber 150.

In the following, in connection with the above description of the structure, the installation method of the modular air conditioning unit shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 11 will be briefly described.

The modular air conditioning unit of the present invention is generally installed in a data center room and is generally located close to the wall 500 of the data center room. As shown in Fig.9 to Fig. 11, an air inlet 510 and an exhaust outlet 520 are provided on the wall 500. The condensing air inlet valve 217 and the fresh air valve 219 on the air conditioning unit are respectively linked with the air inlet 510 on the wall 500, and are mainly used for introducing outdoor air into the air conditioning unit; the exhaust air valve 118 on the air conditioning unit is linked with the exhaust outlet 520 on the wall 500 and is mainly used to exhaust heat-exchanged air and indoor hot air to the outside.

As shown in Fig.5 to Fig.6, the air conditioning unit is installed in the data center room in such a manner that the air supply section 300 is installed on the floor 600 of the room. With this installation manner, the air supply outlet 311 is located at the bottom of the air conditioning unit and is located above the floor 600 of the room. As shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 8, the air conditioning unit may also be installed in the data center room in such a manner that the air supply section 300 is installed below the room floor 600. With this installation manner, the air supply outlet 311 is located below the floor 600 of the room, and air supply under the floor can be realized. It can be seen that by adopting the air conditioning unit of the present invention, the air supply mode of the air conditioning unit can be altered by changing the positional relationship between the air supply section 300 and the floor 600, so that a proper air supply mode can be selected according to the installation environment such as the building structure of the data center room, equipment layout and the like. It can provide a variety of air supply modes to ensure that the air distribution in the room is reasonable. Meanwhile, it can also achieve a variety of different installation options for customers.

In particular, when the air conditioning unit of the present invention adopts the installation method of the underfloor air supply shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 8, since the air supply section 300 is separately provided from other parts, the volume of the air supply section 300 is relatively small and the weight is relatively small, there is no need to use cranes or forklifts or to employ professional installers, one can first install the air supply section 300 under the floor 600 and make the top of the air supply section 300 flush with the floor surface, and then install the evaporating section 200 and the condensing section 100 provided as a set on the floor 600, in this manner it can significantly reduce the installation difficulty and installation requirements, and can achieve the installation of the air conditioning unit without employing a professional installer. Compared with the prior art, the installation cost and installation difficulty of air conditioning unit can be significantly reduced.

With reference to the above description of the structure, the working principle of the modular air conditioning unit will be briefly described with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 11.

According to various conditions such as indoor and outdoor temperatures, the air conditioning unit of the present invention mainly has the following three operation modes:

1. Completely mechanical cooling mode

As shown in Fig. 9, when the outdoor temperature is higher than the indoor temperature, the modular air conditioning unit is operated in the mechanical cooling mode.

The fresh air valve 219 and the indoor exhaust valve 215 are closed; the condensing air inlet valve 217, the indoor return air valve 218, the exhaust air outlet valve 118 are opened, and the compressor 280 is turned on. Indoor return air passes through the first return air inlet 117 and the second return air inlet 114 to enter the condensing section first chamber 150 and then sequentially flows through the condensing section first chamber 150 and the evaporating section first chamber 260, then enters the evaporating section third chamber 220 via the indoor return air valve 218, and sequentially flows through the filter 240 and the evaporator 230 to enter the air supply section 300, and then the air is sent through the air supply outlet 311 to the indoor space under the action of the air supply fan 320. Outdoor fresh air passes through the condensing air inlet valve 217, the evaporating section second chamber 250, the condenser 130, the condenser fan 140 and the exhaust air valve 118 to exhaust the indoor load.

2. Completely fresh-air free cooling

When the outdoor ambient temperature meets the free cooling conditions, the modular air conditioning unit is operated in a free cooling mode. As shown in Fig. 10, the condensing air inlet valve 217 and the indoor return air valve 218 are closed, the fresh air valve 219, the indoor exhaust valve 215, the exhaust air outlet valve 118 are opened, then the compressor 280 is turned off. Outdoor fresh air enters the evaporating section third chamber 220 through the fresh air valve 219, and then sequentially passes through the filter 240 and the evaporator 230 to enter the air supply section 300, and then the air is sent through the air supply outlet 311 to the indoor space under the action of the air supply fan 320. The indoor return air passes through the first return air inlet 117 and the second return air inlet 114 to enter the condensing section first chamber 150 and then sequentially flows through the condensing section first chamber 150 and the evaporating section first chamber 260, and enters the evaporating section second chamber 250 via the indoor exhaust valve 215, and sequentially flows through the condenser 130, the condenser fan 140 and finally exhausts the indoor load via the exhaust air valve 118. As a result, indoor hot air is replaced by continuously entering outdoor low-temperature air to cool down the interior of the data center room.

In addition, when the outdoor temperature is low, the air supply temperature may also be adjusted by opening the indoor return air valve 218.

3. Partially free cooling mode

When the outdoor temperature is in a certain suitable range, the unit is operated in a partially free cooling mode. As shown in Fig. 11, the condensing air inlet valve 217, the indoor return air valve 218, the exhaust air valve 118, the fresh air valve 219, and the indoor exhaust valve 215 are opened, the compressor 280 is turned on. Outdoor fresh air enters the evaporating section second chamber 250 through the condensing air inlet valve 217. Indoor return air enters the evaporating section second chamber 250 via the indoor exhaust valve 215, and the air from two sources flows through the condenser 130, the condenser fan 140 in sequence and finally exhausts the indoor load via the exhaust air valve 118.

The outdoor fresh air enters the evaporating section third chamber 220 through the fresh air valve 219, and the indoor return air enters the evaporating section third chamber 220 via the indoor return air valve 218, and the air from two sources flows through the filter 240 and the evaporator 230 in sequence to enter the air supply section 300, and the air is blown into the indoor space through the air outlet 311 by the air supply fan 320.

It can be seen that by controlling the opening and closing states of the condensing air inlet valve 217, the indoor return air valve 218, the fresh air valve 219, the indoor exhaust valve 215, and the compressor 280, the modular air conditioning unit can be switched into a mechanical cooling mode, a free cooling mode, or a partially free cooling mode so as to effectively use outdoor natural cold source in the winter and a transition season with low outdoor air temperature to reduce the temperature of the data center room, which is beneficial to improve the flexibility of operation mode of the modular air conditioning unit and save energy. In addition, by controlling the opening and closing states of the four air valves, i.e. the condensing air inlet valve 217, the indoor return air valve 218, the fresh air valve 219, and the indoor exhaust valve 215, an independent introduction of fresh air and an independent air discharge can also be achieved.

From above, the modular air conditioning unit of the present invention mainly has the following technical effects:

First, as shown in Fig. 4, the overall structure of the air conditioning unit is divided into the condensing section 100, the evaporating section 200, and the air supply section 300 which are separately provided. Since the three sections have relatively smaller sizes, the production, handling and installation thereof are convenient. Meanwhile, if a failure happens on any one of these three sections, the unit can be easily disassembled for maintenance or replacement; or if any of these three sections is scrapped, the corresponding section can be directly replaced without replacement of the whole unit, which is beneficial to reduce cost.

Secondly, since the air supply section 300 is provided separately from other parts, when the air conditioning unit is installed in an underfloor air supply mode, there is no need to employ a crane or a forklift or a professional installer to achieve an installation of the unit with the underfloor air supply mode. Compared with the prior art, it can significantly reduce the installation cost and installation difficulty of the air conditioning unit.

Thirdly, as shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 11, the electric box 400 is installed on the front surface of the condensing unit partition plate 112; the indoor exhaust valve 215 and the indoor return air valve 218 are arranged near the front side of the evaporating section 200; compressor 280 and the accessories of the refrigeration system and the connecting pipes for connecting the compressor 280 and the evaporator 230 are received in the evaporating section first chamber 260 installed near the front side of the evaporating section 200; the connecting pipes for connecting the compressor 280 and the condenser 130 are received in the condensing section first chamber 150 installed near the front side and the evaporating section first chamber 260 installed near the front side, which are interconnected in the longitudinal direction. The foregoing components can be directly viewed when opening the front panel of the air conditioning unit (that is, the front panel of each section), and full maintenance from the front can be achieved; meanwhile, after removing the front panel, indoor exhaust valve 215 and indoor return air valve 218, the condenser 130 and the evaporator 230 can also be cleaned from the front, which facilitates the maintenance of the air conditioning unit. Also, the installation space for maintenance reserved in other portions of the air conditioning unit can be omitted, and the installation space occupied by the air conditioning unit can be reduced.

Fourthly, as shown in Fig.4 and Fig.9 to Fig.11, since the first return air inlet 117 and the second return air inlet 114 are both provided close to the upper portion of the air conditioning unit, while the air supply outlet 311 is located at the bottom of the air conditioning unit, so that the spacing distance between the return air inlet and the air supply outlet can be increased, and a bypass between the indoor return air and the indoor air supply can be effectively prevented.

The foregoing descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular air conditioning unit comprising a condensing section (100), an evaporating section (200) and an air supply section (300) which are separately provided and assembled together sequentially from top to bottom in a vertical direction.

2. The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 1, wherein the condensing section (100) has a condensing section first chamber (150) connecting with an indoor space, a condensing section second chamber (120) connecting with an outdoor space and configured to install a condenser (130), and a condensing section first opening connecting with the condensing section first chamber (150), and a condensing section second opening connecting with the condensing section second chamber (120) are provided at the bottom of the condensing section (100);

the evaporating section (200) has an evaporating section third chamber (220) connecting with an outdoor space and configured to install an evaporator (230), an evaporating section first chamber (260) connecting with the evaporating section third chamber (220), an evaporating section second chamber (250) connecting with the evaporating section first chamber (260) and the outdoor space respectively, an evaporating section first opening (261) connecting with the evaporating section first chamber (260) and an evaporating section second opening (251) connecting with the evaporating section second chamber (250) are provided at the top of the evaporating section (220), and an evaporating section third opening connecting with the evaporating section third chamber (220) is provided at the bottom of the evaporating section (220);

the air supply section (330) has an air supply section chamber (350) connecting with the indoor space and configured to install an air supply fan (320), and an air supply section opening (351) connecting with the air supply chamber (350) is provided at the top of the air supply section (300);

when the condensing section (100), the evaporating section (200), and the air supply section (300) are in an assembled state, the evaporating section first opening (261) connects with the condensing section first opening, the evaporating section second opening (251) connects with the second opening condensing section, and the evaporating section third opening connects with the air supply section opening (351).

3. The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 2, wherein the evaporating section first chamber (260) is located at a front side of the evaporating section (200), a compressor (280) and refrigeration system accessories provided with the compressor (280) as a set are installed within the evaporating section first chamber (260), and a front panel (211) of the evaporating section (200) is detachably mounted on the evaporating section body.

4 . The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 3, wherein connecting pipes for connecting the compressor (280) and the evaporator (230) are provided within the evaporating section first chamber (260).

5 . The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 3, wherein the condensing section first chamber (150) is located at the front side of the condensing section (100), and a front panel (111) of the condensing section (100) is detachably mounted on the condensing section body.

6 . The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 5, wherein an electric box (400) is installed within the condensing section first chamber (150).

7. The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 3, wherein an indoor return air valve (218) provided near the front side of the evaporating section (200) and configured to connect the evaporating section first chamber (260) and the evaporating section third chamber (220) is detachably installed in the evaporating section (200).

8 . The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 3, wherein an indoor exhaust valve (215) provided near the front side of the evaporating section (200) and configured to connect the evaporating section first chamber (260) and the evaporating section second chamber (250) is detachably installed in the evaporating section (200).

9 . The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 2, wherein each return air inlet (114, 117) connecting with the condensing section first chamber (150) is provided in an upper portion of the condensing section (100), and an air supply outlet (311) connecting with the air supply section chamber (350) is provided at a front side of the air supply section (300).

10. The modular air conditioning unit according to claim 2, wherein, at the connected ends of the condensing section (100), the evaporating section (200) and the air supply section (300), a groove is formed around one of the two connected ends, and a projection that is plugged in the groove is formed around the other end.