WO2004046617A2

WO2004046617A2 - Air flow switching type air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2004046617A2
Application number: PCT/KR2003/002471
Authority: WO
Inventors: Meyong Hyek Yun
Original assignee: Meyong Hyek Yun
Priority date: 2002-11-19
Filing date: 2003-11-18
Publication date: 2004-06-03
Also published as: KR20050077041A; AU2003279584A1; AU2003279584A8; KR20040044099A; KR100541247B1; WO2004046617A3

Abstract

This invention relates to an airflow switching type air conditioner having high efficiency of heat exchange and saving space. This invention comprising the first heat exchange chamber (110), the second heat exchange chamber (120), and the blowers (112, 122) and the first and second outlets (114, 124) are disposed on one side of each heat exchanger (111, 121) in each heat exchange chamber (110, 120), and the first and second inlets (115, 125) are disposed on the other side of each heat exchanger (111, 121) opposite to the outlets (114, 124), and dampers (116, 117, 126 and 127) are disposed on the first and second inlets (115, 125) or on the ducts connected to the inlets (115, 125).

Description

AIR FLOW SWITCHING TYPE AIR CONDITIONER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a air flow switching type air conditioner, and more particularly to a air flow switching type conditioner which has high efficiency of heat exchange and could save the occupying space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Air flow switching type air conditioner have been introduced in which the flow of room air and outdoor air should be selectively switched into the condenser or the evaporator, or the mixed air in which the room air and outdoor air are appropriately mixed should be switched into the condenser or the evaporator. By using this air flow switching, or additionally combined by coolant switching with a four way valve, the air conditioning system with one condenser unit and one evaporator unit could be used for both cooling and heating, or could reuse the exhausted heat by absorbing the heat from the exhausting air at the outdoor unit to enhance the heat exchange efficiency or achieve room air refreshing.

Figure 1 shows the conventional air flow switching type air conditioner, in which a room air outlet 11, a room air inlet 12, an outdoor air outlet 13 and an outdoor air inlet 14 are provided on the opposite side of the case 1. The room air outlet 11 and the outdoor air outlet 13 are separated by partition 25, and the roomair inlet 12 and the outdoor air inlet 14 are separated by partition 26. A heat exchange chamber 20 is provided between these outlet 11, 13 and inlet 12, 14 by partitioning with damper 31 to 38. This heat exchange chamber 20 also divided by horizontal partition 21, and the upper heat exchange chamber includes an evaporator 2 and the lower heat exchange chamber includes a condenser 3. The blowers 10a, 10b are provided in each outlet

11, 13. Numerical 4 is a compressor and 5 is expansion valve. These elements are connected by coolant line 9 to achieve an ordinary cooling cycle. And a filter 15 is placed near the inlet

12, 14.

In cooling mode of the above system, the dampers 31, 33 disposed on the room air route and the evaporator 2 and the damper 36, 38 disposed on the outdoor air route and the condenser 3 are opened, and the other dampers 32, 34, 35, 37 are closed. Then the room air flows through the evaporator 2 to be cooled, and the outdoor air flows through the condenser 3 to be heated. In heating mode, the dampers 32, 34 disposed on the room air route and the condenser 3 and the dampers 35, 37 disposed on the outdoor air route and the evaporator 2 are opened and the other dampers 31, 33, 6, 38 are closed. Then roomair flows through the condenser 3 to be heated, and outdoor air flows through the evaporator 3 to be cooled.

But, this type of air flow switching air conditioner has somewhat complicated structure because the air flow introduced into the case 1 is to be switched or mixed by a plurality of dampers and chambers in the case, so the construction of air conditioner is rather difficult, and it occupies wide space. And as each damper is disposed near the heat exchanger and only faces with only the partial area of the heat exchangers, the free airflow passing through any damper should contact to only a partial area of the heat exchanger, therefore, all area of the heat exchanger could not be used to heat exchanging work, so the heat exchange efficiency is relatively low. If the damper is disposed far away from the heat exchanger with a long distance enough for the air flow to contact all most all area of heat exchanger, the size of air conditioner will inevitably become larger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is provided to solve the problems as described above and the object of the invention is to suggest a novel airflow switching type air conditioner with relatively simple structure and smaller occupying space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel air flow switching type air conditioner inwhich the air flow contacts almost all the area ofthe heat exchanger sufficientlyandequally to achieve high efficiency of heat exchange.

According to the aspect of the invention, there is provided an air flow switching type air conditioner comprising the first heat exchange chamber 110 including the first heat exchanger 111, the second heat exchange chamber 120 including the second heat exchanger 121, a compressor, an expansion valve or a capillary tube and a coolant line, wherein the blowers 112, 122 and the first and second outlets 114, 124 exhausting the room and outdoor air are disposed on one side of each heat exchanger 111, 121 in each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first and second inlets 115, 125 introducing the room and outdoor air are disposed on the other side of each heat exchanger 111, 121 opposite to the outlets 114, 124, and dampers 116, 117, 126 and 127 are disposed on the first and second inlets 115, 125 or on the ducts connected to the inlets 115, 125 to switch the inflow air between the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 or to adjust the volume of air flow.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an air flow switching type air conditioner, wherein the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 are divided by partition 102 disposed on the center of the case 100, and the first and the second inlets 115, 125 are disposedonthe center ofthe case 100 adjacent to thepartition 102 so that each inlet 115, 125 is commonly opened to each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first and the second outlets 114 , 124 are disposed on the case 100 outside of the heat exchanger 111, 121.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an air flow switching type air conditioner, wherein the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 are divided by partition 102 in a single case 100, and the first and the second inlets 115, 125 are respectively disposed on longitudinal one side of the partition 102 as being commonly opened to each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first andthe second outlets 114, 124 are disposedon longitudinal opposite side of the partition 102.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an air flow switching type air conditioner, wherein one of the two heat exchange chambers 110, 120 has relatively narrower width than the other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the conventional air flow switching type air conditioner

Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the invention Figure 3 to 6 show a heating and a cooling mode of the embodiment

Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the invention ^•

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Referring Figure 1, there is provided a single case 100 having the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 divided by a crossing central partition 102. Each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, has the first heat exchanger 111 and the second heat exchanger 120 respectively. The invention also is providedwitha compressor 104, an expansion valve 105, a four way valve 108 and a coolant line 109 connecting these elements.

Each heat exchange chamber 110, 120 is provided with the first inlet 115 for the room air and the second inlet 125 for the outdoor air on the upper and the side walls of the case 100 respectively adjacent to the partition 102 and being abutting to the partition 102. Thus, the first and the second inlet 125 are opened both to the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120. And, the first and the second outlets 114, 124 and the blowers 112, 122 connecting to the outlets 114, 124 are disposed on the other side of the heat exchange chamber 110, 120 opposite to the inlets 115, 125, that is, the longitudinal outer side of the case 100. These outlets 114, 124 exhaust the room air and the outdoor air passing through heat exchangers 111, 121 into the room and outdoor respectively. And dampers 116, 117, 126, 127 are provided on the first and second inlets 115, 125 to switching or adjusting the volume of the air inflow. Though the dampers are described to be attached on the inlets 115, 125 themselves in the Figure 2. these damper may be alternatively disposed on the ducts connecting to these inlets 115, 125. The numeral 106 is an air cleaning filter and 107 is a reheater.

In cooling mode, as shown in Figure 3 and 4, the four way valve 108 is set so that the first heat exchanger 111 functions as an evaporator and the second heat exchanger 121 functions as a condenser, and the damper 116, 117, 126, 127 are adjusted so that the room air is introduced into the first inlet 115 and cooled at the first heat exchanger 111 in the first heat exchange chamber 110 and exhausts to the first outlet 114. And the outdoor air is introduced into the second inlet 125 and heat at the second heat exchanger 121 in the second heat exchanger 121 and exhausts to the second outlet 124.

In heating mode, as shown in Figure 5 and 6, the four way valve 108 is set contrary to the cooling mode so that the first heat exchanger 111 functions as a condenser and the second heat exchangex 121 functions as an evaporator, so that the room air is heated at the first heat exchanger 111 and the outdoor air is cooled at the second heat exchanger 121 to achieve heating operation.

Meanwhile, for the purpose of the room air refreshing circulation, the reuse of exhausted heat or high efficiency of heat exchange, the opening ratio of the dampers are appropriately adjusted to mix the outdoor air and room air appropriately. For example, if the dampers are set so that 30% of room air volume and 30% outdoor air volume are mixed to each other, 30% room air will be replaced by fresh outdoor air and the evaporating efficiency and condensing efficiency will be enhanced by absorption of exhausted heat.

This embodiment is described to change the heating and cooling modes by means of a four way valve 108 switching the coolant. But, this invention could also be applied to the type of air conditioner in which the change of heating and cooling modes could be implemented only by means of switching the air flow. For this purpose, a proper duct system disposed on the outside of the case 100 may be adopted to introduce the first and second outlets into the room or outdoor selectively.

Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the invention, in which the two heat exchange chambers 110, 120 are disposed in parallel, According to this embodiment, the first and the second heat exchange chambers 110, 120 are divided by partition 102 extending in the longitudinal direction of the case 100. And the first and second inlets 115, 125 are disposed in longitudinal one end of the partition 102 and opened both to the heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first and second outlets 114, 124 are disposed in longitudinal opposite end of the partition 102 respectively. According to this embodiment, the room air and outdoor air introduced fromthe inlets 115, 125 will flowparallel to each other and pass through each heat exchanger 111, 121 and exhaust to the outlet 114, 124 by means of the blower 112, 122.

Meanwhile, in the heat pump system of the invention, the load or capacity of the outdoor unit should be larger than those of the indoor unitbecause heat shouldbe absorbed fromthe outdoor air of low temperature in heating mode and heat should be discharged into the outdoor air of high temperature in cooling mode. Therefore, in order to optimize the air conditioning system, the volume and capacity of outdoor unit should be relatively larger than those of the indoor unit. Accordingly, in the embodiment of Figure 7, each heat exchange chamber 110, 120 is disposed in the single case 100 of simple cubic shape in parallel and with different widths. That is, the heat exchange chamber will save the occupying space and construction cost together with achieving a optimized design and a simple cubic shape.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the invention described above, as the inlets 115, 125 and the outlets 114, 124 are disposed on the opposite side of each heat exchange chamberllO, 120, and the dampers 116, 117 126, 127 are provided on the adjacent inlets 115, 125 to switch or adjust the air flow, the inflow air will flow smoothly in the case 100 and contact the total area of heat exchangers sufficiently and equally to achieve a high efficiency of heat exchange, and the structure of total air conditioning system will be simplified and the volume of it will also be reduced. This will result in the savings of construction cost and occupying space.

In addition, in case that the heat exchange chambers are disposed in parallel and the inflow air flows in parallel in each chamber, the air will flow even more smoothly to contact the all area of heat exchangers equally, and the indoor unit of relatively low load could be made to have small capacity with narrower width and keep the total system in shape of balanced cubic of small space which will result in a optimized air conditioning design.

Claims

1, An air flow switching type air conditioner comprising the first heat exchange chamber 110 including the first heat exchanger 111, the second heat exchange chamber 120 including the second heat exchanger 121, a compressor, an expansion valve or a capillary tube and a coolant line, wherein the blowers 112, 122 and the first and second outlets 114, 124 exhausting the roomandoutdoor air are disposedonone side of eachheat exchanger 111, 121 in each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first, and second inlets 115, 125 introducing the room and outdoor air are disposed on the other side of each heat exchanger 111, 121 opposite to the outlets 114, 124, and dampers 116, 117, 126 and 127 are disposed on the first and second inlets 115, 125 or on the ducts connected to the inlets 115, 125 to switch the inflow air between the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 or to adjust the volume of air flow.

2. An air flow switching type air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 are divided by partition 102 disposed on the center of the case 100, and the first and the second inlets 115, 125 are disposed on the center of the case 100 adjacent to the partition 102 so that each inlet 115, 125 is commonly opened to each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first and the second outlets 114, 124 are disposed on the case 100 outside of the heat exchanger 111, 121.

3. An air flow switching type air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchange chamber 110 and the second heat exchange chamber 120 are dividedbypartition 102 in a single case 100, and the first and the second inlets 115, 125 are respectively disposed on longitudinal one side of the partition 102 as being commonly opened to each heat exchange chamber 110, 120, and the first and the second outlets 114, 124 are disposed on longitudinal opposite side of the partition 102.

4. An airflow switching type air conditioner of claim 3, wherein one of the two heat exchange chambers 110, 120 has relatively narrower width than the other.