Angled Heat Exchanger Pipeline Layout for Freeze Damage Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchangers in washing machines and dishwashers face issues with residual water trapping, leading to stress and damage due to the higher density of water compared to ice, as water inclusions can cause volume increase and pressure on pipelines during freezing.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger design features a liquid container with a pipeline where more than 75% of the pipeline sections are angled to allow ice formation along adjacent sections, enabling residual water to escape along icing fronts, and includes support devices with flow openings to facilitate water drainage, preventing water entrapment and stress on the pipeline.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If heat is extracted from water in the liquid container until it freezes, then thermal energy is transferred to the process water, but residual water can be trapped between ice fronts leading to volume increase and pipeline damage
Solution Approach 1:
Adjacent straight pipeline sections are arranged at an angle to each other (not parallel), creating asymmetric ice formation patterns. This asymmetric arrangement ensures that ice fronts from different sections do not collide head-on, preventing water entrapment and the associated volume increase that would damage the pipeline while still allowing effective heat extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipeline sections are arranged in three-dimensional space at specific angles, adding a spatial dimension to the ice formation process. By positioning sections at angles (e.g., 45 degrees) rather than parallel, the ice fronts propagate in different directions and intersect in a controlled manner that allows water to escape, preventing the harmful volume increase effect.
2Reliability
If pipeline sections are arranged at angles to each other, then residual water can escape along icing fronts, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pipeline is divided into multiple straight sections that are angled relative to each other. This segmentation allows each section to form ice independently, creating multiple icing fronts that intersect at angles. The segmented approach enables controlled water drainage paths while maintaining a relatively simple overall pipeline structure that can be manufactured and installed efficiently.
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 effectively prevents water entrapment, allowing residual water to escape and reducing the risk of pipeline damage by ensuring controlled ice formation and water displacement, maintaining the structural integrity of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
heat is extracted from the water in the container via the pipeline until it freezes
Implementation Method 2
the water in the container via the pipeline until it freezes, the first layers of ice form directly on the surface of the pipeline
Implementation Method 3
water has a higher density than ice, and if water inclusions form, the subsequent freezing of the trapped residual water and the associated increase in volume would lead to stresses in the pipelines
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A heat exchanger comprises a liquid container (1) for receiving water and a pipeline (4) arranged at least partially in the liquid container (1) for conducting a heat-absorbing fluid. The pipeline (4) is mostly designed in such a way that when ice forms in the liquid container (1), layers of ice are formed along adjacent straight pipeline sections (41-44) in different icing directions (12, 13). This allows residual water to escape along an icing front (91-94).