Multi-Stage Air Conditioner Subcooling for Lower Discharge Superheat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face efficiency losses due to high discharge superheat, which reduces the degree of supercooling and affects cold water supply efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner employs a shell-tube-type condenser, a supercooling heat exchanger with opposing flow channels, and an electronic expansion valve to minimize discharge superheat, along with a capillary tube and a cold water pump, connected through various pipes and channels to optimize refrigerant flow and compression stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the compressor operates with high discharge superheat, then the refrigerant compression is stable, but the efficiency is lowered and liquid refrigerant may flow into the compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The supercooling heat exchanger performs preliminary cooling of the refrigerant after condensation but before it enters the expansion device. This preliminary action reduces the discharge superheat of the compressor by pre-cooling the refrigerant, allowing the compressor to operate with lower superheat while maintaining stability and improving efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The supercooling heat exchanger acts as an intermediary component between the condenser and the expansion device. It mediates the refrigerant temperature, cooling it further after condensation to achieve the desired lower discharge superheat, thus resolving the contradiction between stable compression and efficient operation
2Reliability
If the degree of discharge superheat is high, then the compressor operates reliably, but the degree of supercool is reduced and cold water supply efficiency is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The supercooling heat exchanger performs preliminary cooling of the refrigerant in the liquid line after condensation. This preliminary action increases the degree of supercool before the refrigerant reaches the expansion device, enabling higher cold water supply efficiency while maintaining compressor reliability through controlled superheat levels
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the refrigerant by introducing the supercooling heat exchanger that further cools the condensed refrigerant. This parameter change increases the degree of supercool, which improves the efficiency of the evaporator and cold water supply while allowing the compressor to operate at optimal superheat levels for reliability
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
This configuration reduces the degree of discharge superheat, enhancing the degree of supercooling and improving cold water supply efficiency by mixing supercooled refrigerant with compressed refrigerant across multiple compressor stages.
Implementation Method 1
a supercooling heat exchanger cooling the refrigerant by using cold water supplied from the cooling top
Implementation Method 2
enhancing the degree of supercooling
Implementation Method 3
a supercooling expander expanding the refrigerant passing through the first bypass channel by pressure between a condensation pressure and an evaporation pressure
Implementation Method 4
A capillary tube may be installed in the evaporator connection flow channel
Implementation Method 5
an evaporator heat-exchanging water and a refrigerant
Implementation Method 6
a cold water pump installed in the water pipe
Implementation Method 7
a blow fan blowing a mixture of indoor air and outdoor air to the cold water coil
Data Source
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AI summary
According to the present invention, an air condition comprises: a first compressor and a second compressor which compress a refrigerant through multiple stages; a condenser which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the second compressor; a first flow channel through which a portion of the refrigerant condensed by the condenser passes, in order to be cooled; a supercooling heat exchanger having a second flow channel for exchanging heat with the first flow channel; an expansion instrument which expands the refrigerant cooled by the supercooling heat exchanger; a shell-tube-type evaporator which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expansion instrument, and which is connected to a location requiring cold water via a water pipe to supply cold water to said location requiring cold water; a first bypass channel which guides the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the second flow channel; a supercooling expander installed in the first bypass channel; and a second bypass channel which interconnects the first and second compressors and the second flow channel, thereby decreasing discharge superheat, and thus increasing the degree of subcooling, and improving the efficiency of supplying cold water.