FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a condensing unit adapted for use in conjunction with an evaporator in air conditioning system; and more particularly an environmentally-friendly condensing unit which is capable of reducing temperature of waste heat being released into the environment when used in conjunction with an evaporator in air conditioning system.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Air conditioning system has been widely used to cool a designated area so as to achieve a comfortable indoor temperature, especially by those living in uncomfortably hot climates. It should be noted that while being able to provide the desirous cooling effect inside a building, a significant amount of waste heat is also being discharged into the outdoor environment by the condensing unit of air conditioning system during its operation. The discharged waste heat could raise the outdoor temperature which adds to the severity of urban heat islands. It should be noted that higher or warmer outdoor temperature would eventually lead to increased air conditioning demand which resulting in a positive feedback loop.

Further, condensate water produced by the evaporator of air conditioning system is typically drained into the environment and not being utilised. Aside from impacting appearances of building, the disorderly discharge of condensate water is also a waste of free water source.

In view of these and other shortcomings, it is desirous to provide a condensing unit which is capable of reducing temperature of waste heat being discharged into the outdoor environment during its operation. Further, it is another objective of the present invention to provide a condensing unit which is utilising low temperature condensate water as an additional cooling medium during its operation. The condensing unit according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and its combination of elements or parts thereof will be described and/or exemplified in the detailed description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a condensing unit adapted for use in conjunction with an evaporator in air conditioning system. According to the present invention, the condensing unit comprises an air outlet, at least one porous side wall, a compressor, a water reservoir for containing water, a centrifugal fan , a water pump and at least one evaporative pad.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compressor is operatively connected to an evaporator coil of an evaporator, an expansion valve and a condensing coil through a plurality of refrigerant lines. Preferably, the compressor is mounted on a supporting platform centrally located in the condensing unit. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensing coil is configured to be placed in the water reservoir of the condensing unit for removing heat from the condensing coil during its operation. It should be noted that the water contained in the water reservoir will become warm after absorbing heat from the condensing coil. In order to avoid overheating, the warm water contained in the water reservoir is delivered to the at least one evaporative pad by means of at least one conduit operatively connected to the water pump of the condensing unit. It will be appreciated that the water pump is configured to continuously supply and deliver the warm water to the at least one evaporative pad.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one evaporative pad is preferably mounted proximate the at least one porous side wall. It should be noted that the warm water is preferably delivered to the top of the at least one evaporative pad such that the warm water flows down and wet the entire evaporative pad.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the centrifugal fan is suitably positioned proximate the air outlet of the condensing unit. It should be noted that the centrifugal fan is configured to draw ambient air from the at least one porous side wall of the condensing unit through the wetted evaporative pad. It will be appreciated that the drawn air remove heat from the wetted evaporative pad when the air travels through the wetted evaporative pad. It should be noted that the air that moves through the wetted evaporative pad is discharged through the air outlet of the condensing unit and excessive water from the wetted evaporative pad is cascaded back into the water reservoir. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensate water formed on the evaporator coil of the evaporator is drained into the water reservoir of the condensing unit through a condensate line. The condensate water is used as an additional cooling medium to cool the warm water contained in the water reservoir and also as an additional water source to replenish the volume of water in the water reservoir.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensing unit may be further provided with a plurality of wheels mounted on base surface of the condensing unit for portability.

The condensing unit according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention and its combination of elements and parts thereof will be described and/or exemplified in the detailed description. The present invention consists of several novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying description and drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the condensing unit adapted for use use in conjunction with an evaporator in air conditioning system in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2a illustrates a top view of the condensing unit in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2b illustrates a top view of the condensing unit in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a condensing unit adapted for use in conjunction with an evaporator in air conditioning system. More particularly, an environmentally- friendly condensing unit which is capable of reducing temperature of waste heat being released into the environment during its operation. Hereinafter, this specification will describe the present invention according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications and equivalents without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

The condensing unit according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in accordance to the accompanying drawings FIGS. 1 to 2b, either individually or in any combination thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 2b, illustrate therein is a condensing unit 100 adapted for use in conjunction with an evaporator 300 in air conditioning system 1. The condensing unit 100 comprises an air outlet 110, at least one porous side wall 120, a compressor 140, a water reservoir 150 for containing water, a centrifugal fan 170, a water pump 160 and at least one evaporative pad 130. It should be noted that the condensing unit 100 of the present invention is adapted to be operatively connected to any known evaporator in air conditioning system.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compressor 140 of the condensing unit 100 is operatively connected to an evaporator coil 310 of an evaporator 300, an expansion valve 500 and a condensing coil 180 through a plurality of refrigerant lines 700 and formed a closed circuit. Preferably, the closed circuit is filled with refrigerant. In the preferred embodiment, the compressor 140 is preferably mounted on a supporting platform 30. Preferably, the supporting platform 30 is centrally located in the condensing unit 100. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensing coil 180 of the condensing unit 100 is configured to be placed and submerged in water contained in the water reservoir 150 so as to allow heat from the hot refrigerant in the condensing coil 180 to be removed due to heat exchange when the condensing unit 100 is put into operation. Preferably, the condensing coil 180 is made of copper tubing for efficient heat transfer. It should be noted that the condensing coil 180 is preferably helically arranged and can have either a vertical or horizontal orientation.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water reservoir 150 is preferably sited below the at least one evaporative pad 130 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the water reservoir 150 should be filled with sufficient water to fully submerge the condensing coil 180 before the condensing unit 100 is put into operation. If desired, the top of the water reservoir 150 may be covered by a removable sheltering means (not shown) to prevent dirt or small organisms such as insects from entering the water reservoir 150. The removable sheltering means (not shown) may be formed of plastic, aluminium, or any other suitable light weight material. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, water is supplied into the water reservoir 150 through a water inlet 151 connected to a float valve 153 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The float valve 153 is configured to control water flow so as to replenish and maintain the water level of the water reservoir 150 during operation of the condensing unit 100.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water reservoir 150 of the condensing unit 100 is further provided with an overflow pipe 157. Preferably, the overflow pipe 157 is located proximate the top of the water reservoir 150 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the overflow pipe 157 is configured to allow surplus water to be discharged from the water reservoir 150 in the event of malfunctioning of the float valve 153. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water reservoir 150 of the condensing unit 100 is connected to a drain pipe 155. Preferably, the drain pipe 155 is located proximate the bottom of the water reservoir 150 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted that the drain pipe 155 is configured to drain water from the water reservoir 150 for maintenance or servicing of the condensing unit 100. In the present invention, the water contained in the water reservoir 150 will become warm after absorbing heat from the hot refrigerant in the condensing coil 180. In order to prevent the water contained in the water reservoir 150 from being overheated, the warm water is continuously delivered to the at least one evaporative pad 130 of the condensing unit 100 through at least one conduit 10 operatively connected to the water pump 160 of the condensing unit 100. In the preferred embodiment, the water pump 160 is configured to continuously pump and supply the warm water from the water reservoir 150 to the at least one evaporative pad 130. It should be noted that the water pump 160 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be placed external to the water reservoir 150 or is a submersible type as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the warm water from the water reservoir 150 is preferably delivered to an upper surface 131 of the at least one evaporative pad 130 such that the warm water flows down and wet the at least one evaporative pad 130. In accordance to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensing unit 100 is provided with a trough 20 suitably positioned above the at least one evaporative pad 130 and is in fluid communication with the at least one conduit 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trough 20 is provided with a plurality of space apart indentations 21a formed on at least one side wall 21 of the trough 20 as illustrated in FIG. 2a. It should be noted that the plurality of indentations 21a of the trough 20 are configured to allow the warm water to flow uniformly out of the trough 20 such that the warm water is continuously distributed over the upper surface 131 of the evaporative pad 130.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the trough 20 is provided with a plurality of protruding lips 21 b. Preferably, the plurality of protruding lips 21b are formed integral with and extend outwardly from the at least one side wall 21 of the trough 20 as illustrated in FIG. 2b. It should be noted that the plurality of protruding lips 21b of the trough 20 are configured to guide and direct the flow of warm water onto the upper surface 131 of the evaporative pad 130 in a continuous and uniform manner.

Preferably, the trough 20 only covers a portion of the upper surface 131 of the evaporative pad 130 as illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b so as to allow the warm water to be directly distributed over the upper surface 131 of the evaporative pad 130. It should be noted according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, excessive water in the evaporative pad 130 will be cascaded back into the water reservoir 150 of the condensing unit 100.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one evaporative pad 130 is preferably mounted proximate the at least one porous side wall 120 of the condensing unit 100. It should be noted that the at least one evaporative pad 130 is preferably having dimensions sufficient to conceal the at least one porous side wall 120 of the condensing unit 100. Preferably, the condensing unit 100 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided with three porous side walls 120 and each of the three porous side wall 120 is concealed by the evaporative pad 130 as illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the evaporative pad 130 is preferably honeycomb cooling pad. Preferably, the honeycomb cooling pad is made of cellulose. However, it should be readily apparent that the evaporative pad 130 may be a multilayer fiber pad or a wood wool pad or corrugated cardboard or the like.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the centrifugal fan 170 is preferably deposited at the central portion of the condensing unit 100 and suitably positioned proximate the air outlet 110 of the condensing unit 100. In the preferred embodiment, ambient air from the surrounding is drawn by the centrifugal fan 170 from the at least one porous side wall 120 and travelled through the at least one evaporative pad 130. It will be appreciated that the drawn air cools the warm water flowing down the at least one evaporative pad 130 by removing heat from the warm water through heat transfer. It should be noted that the at least one evaporative pad 130 must have a sufficient thickness so as to allow efficient heat exchange between the warm water and the cooler ambient air. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the evaporative pad 130 is preferably in the range of 50mm to 80mm in order to achieve the desirous heat transfer efficiency. However, it should also be readily apparent that the thickness of the evaporative pad 130 can be a variety of thicknesses and the thickness may vary depending on the materials of the evaporative pad 130 used in the condensing unit 100.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drawn air is discharged through the air outlet 110 of the condensing unit 100. It will be appreciated that the temperature of the air discharged from the air outlet 110 of the condensing unit 100 of the present invention is in the range of about 23°C to 30°C which is almost half of the temperature (50°C to 60°C) of waste heat generated by a typical condenser in air conditioning system. More specifically, the temperature of the air discharged from the air outlet 110 of the condensing unit 100 of the present invention is in the range of about 27°C to 30°C during day time when the outdoor temperature is in the range of about 27°C to 35°C. While at night, the temperature of the air discharged from the air outlet 110 of the condensing unit 100 of the present invention is in the range of about 23°C to 27°C when the outdoor temperature is in the range of about 23°C to 30°C.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, condensate water formed on the evaporator coil 310 of the evaporator 300 is being channeled into the water reservoir 150 of the condensing unit 100 through a condensate line 900 as illustrated in FIG. 1. It should be noted that aside from being used an additional cooling medium to cool the warm water contained in the water reservoir 150, the condensate water 150 is also used as an additional water source to replenish the volume of water contained in the water reservoir 150.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the condensing unit 100 may be further provided with a plurality of wheels 190 as illustrated in FIG. 1 for portability. Preferably, the plurality of wheels 190 are mounted on base surface of the condensing unit 100. It should be noted that configurations of various parts, elements and/or members used to carry out the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrative and exemplary only. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that those configurations, parts, elements and/or members used herein may be altered in a manner so as to obtain different effects or desired operating characteristics. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described configurations, arrangements, structures, applications, functions or components used in the practice of the present invention, in addition to those not specifically recited, may be varied or otherwise particularly adapted to specific environments and conditions, manufacturing specifications, design parameters or other operating requirements without departing from the general principles of the same.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the principle and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would obvious to one skilled in the art intended to be included within the scope of following claims.