Barocaloric Refrigerating Machine Using Pressure-Driven Phase Change
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration technologies using chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons cause environmental damage and have high global warming potential, while solid-state refrigeration technologies face performance gaps due to lower isothermal entropy changes in materials, limiting their application.
Innovation Solution
A barocaloric refrigerating machine utilizing a high-precision high-pressure injection pump to provide pressure-driven phase changes in a barocaloric element made of high-pressure resistant stainless steel, using carborane materials like NaPF6, KPF6, or KSbF6, with anti-wear hydraulic oil as a heat exchange fluid, and controlled by a PLC system for intelligent temperature and pressure regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional gas compression refrigeration technology using chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons is used, then refrigeration effect is achieved, but environmental damage occurs and global warming potential increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of refrigeration from gas compression to solid-state barocaloric effect, utilizing pressure-induced phase transitions in plastic crystal materials to achieve refrigeration without harmful refrigerants. This parameter change eliminates environmental damage while maintaining refrigeration effectiveness through the barocaloric cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits phase transitions in plastic crystal materials under pressure conditions. When pressure is applied or removed, the material undergoes phase change accompanied by heat absorption or release, enabling refrigeration and heating effects without using traditional harmful refrigerants.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If solid-state refrigeration technology is used, then environmental friendliness is improved, but performance gap exists due to lower isothermal entropy change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs plastic crystal materials as composite solid-state refrigerants that exhibit high isothermal entropy change. These materials combine the environmental benefits of solid-state refrigeration with enhanced performance, achieving isothermal entropy change values comparable to traditional liquid refrigerants while maintaining zero global warming potential.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes pressure as a controllable parameter to induce phase transitions in plastic crystal materials, thereby achieving high isothermal entropy change. By precisely controlling pressure conditions, the system maximizes the barocaloric effect and overcomes the performance limitations of conventional solid-state refrigeration materials.
3Productivity
If barocaloric material is used with high pressure, then isothermal entropy change increases, but system complexity and pressure control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulic pressure transmission systems to achieve high pressure conditions for barocaloric effect. By using hydraulic oil as both pressure medium and heat exchange fluid, the system efficiently transmits pressure to the plastic crystal material while simplifying the overall pressure control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic oil serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the pressure transmission medium to induce barocaloric effect, as the heat exchange fluid for thermal management, and as the working fluid for the hydraulic pump system. This multi-functionality reduces system complexity by eliminating the need for separate pressure and thermal management systems.
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 machine efficiently achieves refrigeration and heating cycles with minimal heat loss by leveraging the barocaloric effect, providing intelligent temperature and pressure control for continuous heat and cold transfer.
Implementation Method 1
when the pressure is applied to the plastic crystal material or the pressure field is removed, the material may generate the heat absorption or heat release phenomenon due to phase change, so as to conduct heat exchange with the load to complete the refrigeration or heating effect. This process is called the barocaloric effect.
Implementation Method 2
A barocaloric refrigerating machine utilizing a high-precision high-pressure injection pump to provide pressure-driven phase changes in a barocaloric element
Implementation Method 3
uses fluid to circulate through the system to bring the heat to a high temperature heat source end and to bring the cold to a cold-end load end to complete the entire refrigeration cycle
Data Source
AI summary
An ambient temperature barocaloric refrigerating machine has a high-precision high-pressure electric injection pump, a barocaloric element, heat exchange fluid, a cold end heat exchanger and a hot end heat exchanger. The phenomena of heat release after pressurization and heat absorption after depressurization are generated due to phase change through a barocaloric medium under the action of the high-pressure injection pump. The heat exchange fluid flows back and forth between the barocaloric refrigerators and exchanges heat and cold. The high-precision high-pressure electric injection pump provides pressure for the barocaloric refrigeration cycle. The pressurization oil is also used as the heat exchange fluid and in direct contact with a sample. Pressure-driven heat and cold are directly brought into the hot end heat exchanger and the cold end heat exchanger to complete the cycle, thereby reducing the heat loss.