Systems and Methods for Heating and Removing Condensation from Air Conditioning Units

Abstract

An air conditioning unit is disclosed herein. The air conditioning unit may include a compressor configured to pump a refrigerant, a valve configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor, a heat exchanging coil configured to receive the refrigerant from the valve in a defrosting mode and melt ice formed on the heat exchanging coil into condensate, a drip pan arranged to receive the condensate from the heat exchanging coil, a heating element disposed within the dip pan so as to heat the condensate received in the drip pan, and a condensate pump configured to pump the condensate from the drip pan.

That which is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioning unit comprising:
 a compressor configured to pump a refrigerant;   a valve configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor;   a heat exchanging coil configured to receive the refrigerant from the valve in a defrosting mode and melt ice formed on the heat exchanging coil into condensate;   a drip pan arranged to receive the condensate from the heat exchanging coil;   a heating element disposed within the drip pan to heat the condensate received in the drip pan; and   a condensate pump configured to pump the condensate from the drip pan.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises piping comprising refrigerant. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 heat exchanging coil piping configured to provide the refrigerant as a compressed gas from the valve to the heat exchanging coil; and   a valve connecting the heat exchanging coil piping with the piping of the heating element,   wherein the valve is configured to regulate an amount of the refrigerant to enter into the piping of the heating element from the refrigerant in the heat exchanging coil piping.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 3 , further comprising a controller configured to (i) instruct the valve to shuttle the refrigerant as a compressed gas to the heat exchanging coil in the defrosting mode, (ii) instruct the condensate pump to operate, and (iii) instruct the valve to regulate the amount of the hot refrigerant to enter into the piping of the heating element from the hot refrigerant in the heat exchanging coil piping. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the condensate pump to operate (i) for a first predetermined period of time and (ii) a second predetermined period of time after instructing the compressor to pump the refrigerant in the defrosting mode. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 3 , wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water transport system,   wherein the condensate pump is configured to pump the condensate from the drip pan via the water transport system.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fan configured to blow air through the heat exchanging coil; and   a vaporizer,   wherein the condensate pump is configured to pump the heated condensate to the vaporizer, and   wherein the vaporizer is configured to convert the heated pumped condensate to vapor in air blown by the fan.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 8 , wherein the vaporizer is disposed between the fan and the heat exchanging coil. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning unit of  claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanging coil is disposed between the fan and the vaporizer. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating an air conditioning unit, the method comprising:
 pumping, via a compressor, a refrigerant;   providing, via a valve, the refrigerant from the compressor to a heat exchanging coil in a defrosting mode,   receiving, via the heat exchanging coil, the refrigerant from the valve to melt frost or ice formed on the heat exchanging coil into condensate;   receiving, via a drip pan, the condensate from the heat exchanging coil;   heating, via a heating element disposed within the drip pan, the condensate received in the drip pan; and   pumping, via a condensate pump, the condensate from the drip pan.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the heating element comprises piping having refrigerant. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 providing, via heat exchanging coil piping, the refrigerant from the valve as a compressed gas and to the heat exchanging coil; and   regulating, via a valve connecting the heat exchanging coil piping with the piping of the heating element, an amount of the refrigerant to enter into the piping of the heating element from the refrigerant in the heat exchanging coil piping.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 instructing, via a controller, the valve to shuttle the refrigerant in a defrosting mode;   instructing, via the controller, the condensate pump to operate; and   instructing, via the controller, the valve to regulate the amount of the refrigerant to enter into the piping of the heating element from the refrigerant in the heat exchanging coil piping.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising instructing, via the controller, the condensate pump to operate for a first predetermined period of time and after a second predetermined period of time after instructing the compressor to pump the refrigerant in the defrosting mode. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pumping, via the condensate pump, the condensate from the drip pan comprises pumping the condensate from the drip pan via a water transport system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 blowing, via a fan, air through the heat exchanging coil;   pumping, via the condensate pump, the condensate to a vaporizer; and   converting, via the vaporizer, the heated pumped condensate to vapor in the air blown by the fan.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the vaporizer is disposed between the fan and the heat exchanging coil, and wherein the heat exchanging coil is disposed between the fan and the vaporizer. 
     
     
         20 . An air conditioning unit comprising:
 a compressor configured to pump a refrigerant;   a valve configured to receive the refrigerant from the compressor;   a heat exchanging coil configured to receive the refrigerant from the valve to melt ice formed on the heat exchanging coil;   a drip pan arranged to receive condensate from the heat exchanging coil;   a heating element disposed within the drip pan to heat the condensate received in the drip pan;   a condensate pump configured to pump the condensate from the drip pan;   a vaporizer configured to vaporize the condensate; and   a fan configured to blow the vaporized condensate outside.