Accumulator with Protrusions for Bumping and Noise Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat pump systems experience bumping phenomena and associated impact noise during compressor startup due to rapid pressure drops, which existing solutions complicate the structure and increase cost and size by requiring agitating blades, driving sources, or bypass channels.
Innovation Solution
An accumulator with protrusions on the outflow pipe and tank bottom, which serve as boiling origins, promoting gradual vaporization of refrigerant before pressure reaches critical levels, thereby suppressing bumping and noise without complex structures or increased costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If protrusions are added to promote boiling, then bumping and noise are suppressed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adding protrusions only at specific locations (outflow pipe and tank bottom) where boiling initiation is most effective, rather than modifying the entire accumulator structure. This localized modification promotes gentle boiling at critical points while maintaining simplicity elsewhere in the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are simple geometric features that can be easily formed during manufacturing without adding significant cost or complexity. They represent a low-cost structural modification compared to more complex solutions like agitating blades or bypass channels.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If complex structures like agitating blades or bypass channels are used, then bumping is suppressed, but manufacturing cost and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of promoting boiling and implements it through simple protrusions, removing the need for complex auxiliary systems like agitating blades, driving sources, or bypass channels. This extraction simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining the bumping suppression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions create self-service boiling promotion - the structural features themselves generate the boiling initiation effect without requiring external power sources, control systems, or additional components. The accumulator structure serves its own purpose of preventing bumping through the geometric features.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The accumulator effectively reduces bumping and noise during compressor startup by promoting gentle boiling through the use of protrusions on the outflow pipe and tank bottom, simplifying the design and reducing costs compared to conventional solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a protrusion serving as an origination of boiling is disposed at a part soaked with a liquid part including liquid-phase refrigerant and oil accumulated in the tank
Implementation Method 2
protrusions serving as an origination of boiling (generation of gas-phase refrigerant bubbles) are provided at a part soaked with a liquid part
Implementation Method 3
refrigerant introduced into this accumulator collides with the gas-liquid separating member to be diffused radially and to be separated into liquid-phase refrigerant and gas-phase refrigerant. The liquid-phase refrigerant (including oil) flows down along the inner periphery of the tank and is accumulated at a lower part of the tank, and the gas-phase refrigerant descends through the space defined between the inner pipe and the outer pipe
Implementation Method 4
when the operation of the system (compressor) is stopped, liquid-phase refrigerant including oil is accumulated at the lower part of the tank of the accumulator. In this case, when the oil used is not compatible with the refrigerant and has specific weight smaller than that of the refrigerant, they are separated into two layers due to a difference in specific weight and viscosity between the liquid-phase refrigerant and the oil
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an accumulator (1) capable of effectively suppressing a bumping phenomenon and the following impact noise without making the structure of the accumulator complicated or increasing the cost and the size thereof. A protrusion serving as an origination of boiling is disposed at a part soaked with a liquid part including liquid-phase refrigerant and oil accumulated in the tank (10) of the accumulator (1). Especially the protrusion is disposed at least at a part of an outer periphery of the outer pipe (32) in a double-pipe structure, and an inner periphery and an upper face of a bottom of the tank (10).