WO2012001630A1 - Nautical air conditioning system powered with inverter compressor - Google Patents

Abstract

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR" (VARIABLE REFRIGERANT VOLUME SYSTEM) performs inner conditioning in pleasure crafts, boats and ships without tonnage limits. It can perform air conditioning (cooling or heating) in requested areas in a fast and selective way in any rooms with reference to required values. It is possible to activate the "SYSTEM" by a remote control (e. g. by a mobile phone). "INVERTER" technology employed by this "SYSTEM" can reduce energy consumption compared with currently plants, both for cooling (- 80%), and for heating due to high machinery efficiency. You can enjoy a better comfort because it is possible to modulate quantity and temperature of incoming air, reducing in this way temperature up and down during adjusting period. It is possible to air condition various rooms in a different way according to room temperature and inside people needs / requirements. This "SYSTEM" is furthermore very silent.

Description

DESCRIPTION

NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention applies to field of :

air conditioning and heating for crafts, yachts, ships, and cruise ships and all commercial ships without tonnage limit.

BACKGROUND ART

Currently air conditioning systems are "ON - OFF' chiller type: it means system running or switched off.

Usual standards for these systems are the following:

one fixed value of power available;

room conditioned temperature can fluctuate in a range of +/- 3 °C from set value (in best condition of vents position);

- room temperature continuously changes, because the thermostat works in a specific range, and it gives input to engine to run or not;

set temperature is reached in long time.

This working mode does not allow a precise management of room thermal setting: as the system starts to work, it blows air into environment: this air is at a specific temperature with a big gap towards room's air; this happens because the water flowing into fan coil is always at the same temperature. When required temperature is reached, the system shuts down (OFF CONDITION) and starts again when thermostat detects a value over set point.

Then graphic time / temperature has a saw tooth shape, with unpleasant sensations perceived by people standing in the room (no optimal regulation). Moreover air is adduced into the room at a temperature very far from the comfort point, with possible unpleasant condition, even stronger for people close to air diffuser.

With "ON / OFF' systems you can't provide in fine way different temperatures in different rooms, inside a ship it is usual to feel very different room conditions moving from a level to another: e.g. summertime, on upper decks (due to direct solar exposure), the temperature is much higher than on lower decks (that are partly immersed), with a thermal gap of 20°C av. from one level to another. Conditioned air is sent to both ambiance at the same temperature; so it is expected to meet discomfort conditions in one of them and the averaged situation does not offer an agreeable solution for anyone.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION.

The invention consists in application of air conditioning INVERTER technology with some special electronic devices in crafts, yachts, ships, and cruise ships and all commercial ships without tonnage limit. An INVERTER controller is a conversion circuit that can change voltage, power and supply frequency in electrical device and adjusts electronically operating power.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) Such technology offers the following basic features:

conditioning or heating power can self regulate;

room temperature is maintained constant, because the system is continuously monitoring room thermal conditions and reacts by sending small and steady pulses to compressor;

- room temperature alterations are very narrow, because the system self regulates according to workload; temperature of conditioned room can range +/- 1 °C than set temperature (in best condition of vents position);

maximum power is available as the system starts: it is possible to get a best air conditioning in fast way;

- it is possible to reach 80% of energy saving compared with traditional system;

the compressor does not require a peak of power consumption when starts up;

comfort conditions are much better than "ON / OFF" system;

it is possible to regulate compressor power consumption and reduce it to the minimum, so that energy is taken only from battery accumulator without running the engine (noticeable benefit in protected areas and environment in general);

The system is much more silent than the "ON - OFF" one at any speed, also due to the low turbulence tangential fans.

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" controls air conditioning system compressor (variable feed frequency, speed and consequently power supplied): this allows constant temperature control, including temperature setting upon people requirements.

As example: summertime, to keep 25° C temperature, an "ON/OFF" system blows air at 10°C av. continuously until temperature set is detected by thermostat. To maintain set temperature, the "ON/OFF" system reactivates at 27°C and turns off at 23°C (blowing during this time cold air at 10°C, far from comfort point and with con actual thermal range compared with set and wished temperature).

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" blows air at temperature close to the value desired an set (best comfort and less humidity level); consequently chill and cold airstream is avoided, due to small gap between operating and set point temperature.

In winter heating condition, it is possible to obtain 4W in heating with 1W spent in electrical supply (for high efficiency of employed devices).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

- Sheet nr. l "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH CLASSIC INVERTER COMPRESSOR"

In this sheet there is basic scheme of INVERTER system: in particular is outpointed the presence of INVERTER compressor and entire controls systems.

- Sheet nr. 2 "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH VRV-VRF SYSTEM". In this sheet there is basic scheme of VRV System: in particular is outpointed the presence of expansion valves specific for different rooms, INVERTER compressor and entire controls system.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The system is composed by the following groups:

1 - HEAT EXCHANGER (gas / sea water);

2 - CONTROL PANEL, containing:

- 2.1 - "SYSTEM" SOFTWARE: to manage temperature, humidity, speed ventilation and fresh air outlet in multiple rooms; possible additional features can be "TIMER" (to switch automatically on / off ) and "REMOTE CONTROL" (by mobile phone "GSM/UMTS);

- 2.2 - "TOUCH SCREEN" device as user interface;

3 - ENGINE ASSY, composed by following subassemblies:

- 3.1 - INVERTER compressor, with expansion valve;

- 3.2 - ENGINE MANAGEMENT BAORD (Working with SYSTEM Software - point 2.1);

- 3.3 - SPLIT: HEAT EXCHANGER / FAN (with tangential low rotating speed fan and very silent for good acoustic comfort (max. 26 dB);

- 3.4 - MOISTURE RECOVERY ASSY:

4 - ELECTRICAL WIRING ELEMENTS;

5 - IDRAULIC CONNECTION ELEMENTS :

- 5.1 - water;

- 5.2 - cooling gas;

Components 1 (HEAT EXCHANGER) e 3.1 (COMPRESSOR / MOTOR GENERATOR) are normally placed in engine room. For small installation, "SPLIT" (point 3.2) is placed close to compressor; for large installations "SPLIT" can be placed in any room, where required.

"SYSTEM" SOFTWARE / ENGINE MANAGEMENT BOARD" assembly runs supplying cooling fluid toward users according to preset and required microclimate for any specific area.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

It is possible to have different conditions:

standard moduli built in accordance with catalogue and handled in kit to be installed on boats / ships with length from 8 to 15 m.

- installation in accordance with specific order for boats with length over 15 m.

The condition listed above are defined from following considerations:

boats up to 15 m show recurring situations without specific peculiarity;

boats with length over 15 m have special conditions and require a specific project in order to achieve specific requirements for comfort and suitable wellness in different boat rooms. For this reason custom installation are subject to a dedicated project related to ship features, interiors, users position and dimensions and specific requirements from any customer.

Anyway basic SYSTEM principle are respected: basically the system is composed by INVERTER compressor for room air conditioning or cooling fluid management (gas, water) with INVERTER VRV.

Claims

The invention "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" is applicable to pleasure crafts, boats and ships, without tonnage limit. Unlike traditional systems actually on sale (called "ON - OFF"), "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" is powered by a compressor with variable r. p. m. operating speed: in this way it supplies a variable amount of cooling gas, in order to obtain from any heat exchanger (split, fan - coil, etc.), various temperatures according to actual requirements of remote control. Compressor speed variation and a specific expansion valve outfit with electronic control device can adjust cooling gas temperature of vaporisation or condensation.

This principle is applied both to direct expansion systems (canalized and split), and "chillers" (hydraulics pipelines).

"ON - OFF" systems produce in heat exchanger a fixed temperature, where in air conditioning is close to 5°C; when set temperature is reached, they switch off.

This claim is referred entirely to features and employ of an inverter compressor of any power to nautical application.

This claim is applicable to all concerning VRV-VRF (Variable Refrigerating Volume or Variable Refrigerating Flow ) systems application to pleasure craft market, in any situation where one or more "INVERTER" compressor are standing and one or more heat exchanger are located in inner room. If a room requires 16°C temperature, another 20°C and another one 25 °C, VRV-VRF system can perform required temperature from heat exchanger, modifying compressor speed and managing with expansion valves gas flow on each refrigerating line. This happens with a refrigerating or hydraulic line or when air flow from heat exchangers is drive by air ducts from engine room to passengers cabins. (Air Treatment Unit)

A second claim refers to use of expansion or proportional valves to breed variable temperatures on heat exchangers for pleasure craft without tonnage limit. The present claim applies both for valves operating with cooling gas (refrigerating line) and with water (hydraulic line).

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" can reduce energy consumption of about 60% compared with a traditional system. During heating phase, it provides best performances for very high values of COP (Coefficient of Performance) in heating phase: in this situation, when 1 electrical W is consumed, 6 W in heating are produced. With this feature it is possible to eliminate electrical heaters or boilers, sparing diesel oil to feed electrical power generators. This is a valuable effort in order to reduce sea pollution, with an electronic engine management, it is possible to plan power consumption, driving air conditioning with battery, avoiding the use of power generator (petrol or diesel) in environment protected areas.

With reference to claims n. 1 and n. 2, time required to reach set temperature, is very short for this "SYSTEM" compared with a traditional one. "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" is very worthy in case of frequent variation of number of people in the room to be air conditioned. The "SYSTEM" will be equipped with infrared sensor to detect number of people in the room and manage consequently (according to heat sources in the field) compressor, to be adjusted in fine way. For instance, if many people (warm bodies) come into a field with INVERTER system without infrared sensor, air temperature sensor in suction duct will detect the variation after some minutes and therefore it will give input for engine r. p. m. increase: meanwhile temperature is increased and people will feel uneasiness or discomfort. With infrared sensor the detection of an additional warm body gives immediately the information of more heat produced in the field and provides in advance request for more power supply. The present claim refers to application of infrared technology devices to "NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM"

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" can be actuated by a remote control (mobile phone GSM / UMTS/SAT). By employing this technology, it is possible to use a remote assistance module: in this way transmission of operating parameters from ship to an operative station, which will monitor system status and / or foresee risks of failure or malfunction; or forecast damage points and organise extraordinary maintenance. Present claim applies to remote management for air conditioning systems of nautical rooms for pleasure craft without tonnage limit.

"NAUTICAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM POWERED WITH INVERTER COMPRESSOR AND VRV-VRF SYSTEM" is less noisy compared with the ones actually in use for similar purposes (max. 26 dB). Present claim applies for use of tangential fan low turbulence for pleasure craft without tonnage limit.

The system is also suitable for application in the field of sanitary water heating.

This claim refer to a system like traditional boiler that for heating element use the heat pump system and not normal resistance. The heat pump can be with on/off or inverter compressor or two compressor in chain link. This system have the advantages that in many situation reducing the energy consumption until 80%

Another claim on this system is the high thermal insulation obtained with low lambda polyisocyanurate system or another panel called Piral that is sandwich composed with two sheets of aluminium and polyisocyanurate in the middle. This special insulation allow a thermal conservation of several hour.