Split air conditioning system with a single outdoor unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599353-B2
Application number	US-201414266142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A split air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within a single living area of a building, that includes a single outdoor unit; a refrigerant flow pathway made up of a plurality of refrigerant conduits having a common refrigerant flow path portion and at least two divergent flow path portions, a first divergent flow path and a second divergent flow path and the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another; at least one throttling device; a portioning device configured to selectively and proportionately regulate the flow of a refrigerant fluid to the first evaporator and the second evaporator, respectively where the compressor is configured to be capable of simultaneously driving both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity.

First claim

The disclosure claimed is:

1. A split air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within a single living area of a building, the split air conditioning system comprising:
a single outdoor unit comprising:
a compressor; a condenser; and
a condenser fan associated with the condenser that moves air to cool the condenser;
a refrigerant flow pathway comprised of a plurality of refrigerant conduits having a common refrigerant flow path, portion and at least two divergent flow path portions, a first divergent flow path portion that delivers refrigerant to a first evaporator configured to operate at a first evaporator pressure and a second divergent flow path portion that delivers refrigerant to a second evaporator such that the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another;
at least one throttling device wherein a throttling device is positioned along the common refrigerant flow path portion when a single throttling device is used and a first throttling device is positioned along the first divergent flow path portion and a second throttling device is positioned along the second divergent flow path portion when two or more throttling devices are employed; a portioning device configured to selectively and proportionately regulate the flow of a refrigerant fluid to the first evaporator and the second evaporator, respectively;
wherein the compressor is configured to be capable of simultaneously driving both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity and wherein the first evaporator is positioned within a housing of a first indoor air unit positioned within the single living area of the building and the second evaporator is positioned within a housing of a second indoor air unit and both the first and second indoor air units each further comprise a fan configured to drive air across the first evaporator of the first indoor air unit and across the second evaporator of the second indoor air unit; and wherein the first evaporator is a disjointed evaporator and the second evaporator is a disjointed evaporator such that each indoor air unit is configured to control the ratio of the latent to sensible cooling capacity of the evaporator, fan speed, and proportional flow of refrigerant to different evaporator sections of the disjointed evaporators.

2. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one temperature sensor in communication with a controller; and
at least one humidity sensor in communication with the controller; and
wherein the plurality of refrigerant conduits are free of any check valves;
wherein the portioning device is in communication with the controller; and
wherein the fans are variable speed fans in communication with the controller.

3. The split air conditioning system of claim 2 , wherein the, portioning device, the at least one humidity sensor and the at least one temperature sensor are in signal communication with the controller and controlled by the controller.

4. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a compressor chosen from the group consisting of a variable capacity compressor and a dual suction compressor.

5. The split air conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor is a dual suction compressor and the first divergent flow path portion and the second divergent flow path portion merge into the common refrigerant flow path portion within the dual suction compressor and each indoor air unit is configured to control temperature, humidity and airflow velocity output of the indoor air unit by controlling the cooling capacity of the evaporator, fan speed, and proportional flow of refrigerant to different evaporator sections of the disjointed evaporators.

6. The split air conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein the first divergent flow path portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a first intake port of the dual suction compressor and the second divergent flow path portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a second intake port of the dual suction compressor and the dual suction compressor delivers a refrigerant to the common refrigerant flow path portion and the split air conditioning system comprises: a first throttling device where the first throttling device is positioned along the first divergent flow path portion and positioned to receive coolant from the condenser before the coolant is delivered to the first evaporator and a second throttling device where the second throttling device is positioned along the second divergent flow path portion and positioned to receive coolant from the condenser before the coolant is delivered to the second evaporator.

7. The split air conditioning system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second throttling devices are each a capillary tube.

8. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a single speed compressor and the fans are variable speed fans.

9. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the portioning device is a portioning device chosen from the group consisting of a three way solenoid valve and a stepper motor switching valve.

10. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the portioning device is a multi-port portioning valve.

11. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator is associated with and positioned within a housing of a first indoor air treatment unit and the first indoor air treatment unit is positioned within the single living area to condition air in a first zone of the single living area and the second evaporator is associated with and positioned within a housing of a second indoor air treatment unit and the second indoor air treatment unit is positioned within the single living area to condition air in a second zone of the single living area.

12. The split air conditioning, system of claim 11 , wherein the first zone and the second zone are volumes of air within a single room and the first indoor air treatment unit is configured to regulate both temperature and humidity within the first zone and the second indoor air treatment unit is configured to regulate both temperature and humidity within the second zone.

13. The split air conditioning system of claim 12 , wherein the first indoor air treatment unit and the second indoor air treatment unit are each chosen from the group consisting of a floor standing indoor air treatment unit not connected to a wall and at occupant level and a wall mounted indoor air treatment unit.

14. The split air conditioning system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second indoor air treatment units are both vertically oriented floor standing units that are either fixed or movable and both further comprise an air purification system configured to remove an air impurity chosen from the group consisting of dust, particulates, volatile organic compounds, and combinations thereof and wherein the split air conditioning system further comprises a heating element and are configured to provide heating to the single living area.

15. The split air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein each indoor air unit is configured to control temperature, humidity and airflow velocity output of the indoor air unit by controlling the ratio of the latent to sensible cooling capacity of the evaporator, fan speed, and proportional flow of refrigerant to different evaporator sections of the disjointed evaporators.

16. The split air conditioning system of claim 15 , wherein the compressor is a variable capacity compressor.

17. A split a

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cur Nihat O
• Kee Timothy A
• Kendall James W
• Kuehl Steven J
• Miller Jeffrey A
• Myers Verne H
• Pit Heng Tong
• Wu Guolian

Classifications

• F24F11/86

  by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits · CPC title

• F24F11/84

  using valves · CPC title

• F25B41/00

  Fluid-circulation arrangements · CPC title

• F24F5/0096

  combined with domestic apparatus · CPC title

• F25B41/062

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic