Binary refrigeration apparatus
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to improve heat exchange efficiency in binary refrigeration circuits, specifically in plate heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
The binary refrigeration apparatus includes a low-temperature side refrigeration circuit with a spiral heat exchanger and a double-tube heat exchanger, both designed to enhance heat exchange efficiency by creating turbulent flow and utilizing multi-petal tubes for increased surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional plate heat exchanger is used in binary refrigeration circuits, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the heat exchange efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces spiral tubes wound around a central tube in a spiral configuration, and multi-petal tubes with petal-shaped cross-sections. These curved geometries create turbulent flow patterns in the refrigerant, significantly enhancing heat transfer coefficients and heat exchange efficiency compared to conventional straight tube designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral and multi-petal tube designs dynamically change the flow characteristics of the refrigerant through curvature-induced turbulence and periodic flow separation. This dynamic flow behavior increases the heat transfer surface area utilization and improves overall heat exchange performance while maintaining a relatively simple plate heat exchanger structure.
2Productivity
If spiral tubes are introduced to improve heat exchange efficiency, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral tubes are nested around a central tube within the plate heat exchanger structure, and multi-petal tubes are integrated into the plate assembly. This nesting approach allows complex heat exchange geometries to be incorporated without significantly increasing the overall device footprint or structural complexity, as the enhanced surfaces are embedded within the existing heat exchanger framework.
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 apparatus effectively improves heat exchange efficiency in plate heat exchangers, achieving enhanced performance in ultra-low-temperature applications.
Implementation Method 1
a spiral tube wound around the main tube in a spiral form, the main tube being a tube where a low-temperature side refrigerant that flows into a low-temperature side compressor enters, the spiral tube being a tube where the low-temperature side refrigerant flown out from the low-temperature side compressor enters
Implementation Method 2
a high-temperature side refrigeration circuit where a high-temperature side refrigerant that exchanges heat with the low-temperature side refrigerant through a plate heat exchanger circulates
Implementation Method 3
a double-tube heat exchanger including a multi-petal tube formed in a tubular shape with a wave shape in a cross section orthogonal to an axis line and an outer tube formed in a tubular shape for housing the multi-petal tube inside
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a binary refrigeration apparatus including: a low-temperature side refrigeration circuit including a spiral heat exchanger including a main tube and a spiral tube wound around the main tube in a spiral form, the main tube being a tube where a low-temperature side refrigerant that flows into a low-temperature side compressor enters, the spiral tube being a tube where the low-temperature side refrigerant flown out from the low-temperature side compressor enters; and a high-temperature side refrigeration circuit where a high-temperature side refrigerant that exchanges heat with the low-temperature side refrigerant through a plate heat exchanger circulates.