Refrigeration cycle apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigeration cycle apparatuses struggle to efficiently balance thermal loads and perform simultaneous cooling and heating operations in multiple utilization-side heat exchangers while maintaining efficiency and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration cycle apparatus with a binary refrigerant circuit comprising a primary-side and secondary-side refrigerant circuit, utilizing a cascade heat exchanger and switching mechanisms to enable simultaneous cooling and heating operations, allowing for heat recovery and load balancing across multiple utilization units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a refrigeration cycle apparatus performs simultaneous cooling and heating operations in multiple utilization-side heat exchangers, then system efficiency and flexibility are enhanced, but the device complexity and difficulty of controlling thermal load balance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration cycle apparatus is divided into multiple independent refrigerant circuits (first circuit, second circuit, third circuit) that can operate semi-autonomously. Each circuit has its own compressor and can serve different utilization-side heat exchangers, allowing simultaneous cooling and heating operations while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus employs universal components that can serve multiple functions: the cascade heat exchanger can act as either a condenser or evaporator depending on operational mode, and utilization-side heat exchangers can perform both cooling and heating functions by switching refrigerant flow directions, enabling flexible simultaneous operation across multiple endpoints
2Loss of energy
If thermal load balancing is implemented across multiple utilization units, then heat recovery efficiency improves, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring thermal loads increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously monitors thermal loads from multiple utilization-side heat exchangers and adjusts refrigerant flow distribution in real-time based on detected thermal conditions. This feedback mechanism enables effective heat recovery balancing across circuits while managing the complexity of thermal load measurement through automated control
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-balancing of thermal loads through the inherent thermodynamic interactions between parallel refrigerant circuits. The cascade heat exchanger automatically adjusts heat transfer based on temperature differences between circuits, providing passive thermal load balancing that reduces the complexity of active measurement and control
3Adaptability or versatility
If switching mechanisms are added to enable flow path switching between compressor and heat exchanger, then operational flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switching mechanisms are integrated into the existing refrigerant circuit architecture rather than being added as separate external components. The flow path switching valves are positioned at strategic junctions within the circuits, merging the switching function with the heat exchanger and compressor connections to reduce overall system complexity while maintaining operational flexibility
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 achieves efficient simultaneous cooling and heating operations, balances thermal loads, and recovers heat between utilization units, enhancing overall system efficiency and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a first circuit including a first compressor, a first portion of a cascade heat exchanger, a first heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
a first circuit including a first compressor... a second circuit including a second compressor
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a primary-side refrigerant circuit in which a first refrigerant circulates and a secondary-side refrigerant circuit in which a second refrigerant circulates. The primary-side refrigerant circuit includes a primary-side compressor, a primary-side flow path of a cascade heat exchanger, a primary-side heat exchanger, and a primary-side switching mechanism. The secondary-side refrigerant circuit includes a secondary-side compressor, a secondary-side flow path of the cascade heat exchanger, a secondary-side switching mechanism, a suction flow path, a plurality of utilization-side heat exchangers, a first connection flow path, connecting the plurality of utilization-side heat exchangers and the secondary-side switching mechanism, including a secondary-side first connection pipe, a first heat source pipe, first branch pipes, junction pipes, first connection pipes, and first utilization pipes, a second connection flow path, connecting the plurality of utilization-side heat exchangers and the suction flow path, including a secondary side second connection pipe, a second heat source pipe, second branch pipes, the junction pipes, the first connection pipes, and the first utilization pipes, a third connection flow path, connecting the plurality of utilization-side heat exchangers and the secondary-side flow path of the cascade heat exchanger, including a secondary-side third connection pipe, a fourth heat source pipe, a fifth heat source pipe, third branch pipes, second connection pipes, and second utilization pipes.