Blower Heat Exchanger Branch Layout for Unidirectional Refrigerant Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioners with two-path refrigerant channels have lower refrigerant flow speeds and heat transfer coefficients, particularly in supercooled states, limiting heat exchanger capability, and configurations with branching refrigerant paths lead to opposite temperature changes in air and refrigerant, further reducing performance.
Innovation Solution
A blower-integrated heat exchanger with perpendicularly inserted tubes forming refrigerant channels between fins, and a branch pipe that adjusts the number of paths, ensuring refrigerant flows in a single direction between rows, aligning air and refrigerant temperature changes for efficient heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If refrigerant channels are configured with two paths, then the refrigerant flow distribution can be balanced, but the refrigerant flow speed and heat transfer coefficient become smaller, reducing heat exchanger capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the number of refrigerant paths changeable rather than fixed. The refrigerant path number changing device dynamically adjusts the number of active paths based on operating conditions, allowing the system to optimize between balanced flow distribution and high flow speed/heat transfer coefficient depending on whether dehumidification or cooling is the primary function.
2Loss of energy
If refrigerant channels are branched into four paths, then pressure loss is suppressed, but refrigerant flows in opposite directions in single channels, causing opposite temperature changes that reduce heat exchanger capability
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls the number of active refrigerant paths to prevent opposite flow directions. By adjusting which paths are active based on operating mode, the system maintains unidirectional flow within each active path, ensuring that temperature changes in air and refrigerant remain parallel rather than opposite, thus preserving heat exchanger capability.
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 enhances heat transfer performance and energy efficiency by maintaining parallel temperature changes, thereby improving the overall heat exchange capability of the air conditioner.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the gas and a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a blower for introducing a gas that flows in from an intake port, into a blowoff port
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes fins arranged in parallel with each other with a predetermined spacing along the rotational axis direction of a blower. Heat exchanger tubes are inserted into the fins to form rows along a longitudinal direction of the fins connected to each other along the airflow direction, to form refrigerant channels. A branch portion is provided to connection portions of the heat exchanger tubes to increase or decrease the number of paths in the refrigerant channels. Refrigerant flows through each of the refrigerant channels passing through paths mutually different at least at one portion between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlets, flows along one direction from the windward-side row to the leeward-side row, or from the leeward-side row to the windward-side row in the airflow direction, in sequence between rows. One-path portion is provided in the most windward-side row heat exchanger tubes. The fins are in close contact with a refrigerant outlet case when the heat exchanger is operated as a condenser, and a connection piping are thermally separated by separation means.