Fluid temperature control system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ternary refrigeration apparatuses require high-performance compressors, especially in the low-temperature-side refrigerator, leading to increased size and cost, and pose challenges in durability and manufacturing delays due to the need for special structures to handle extremely low temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A fluid temperature control system with a cascade refrigeration circuit configuration, including a high-temperature-side, medium-temperature-side, and low-temperature-side refrigerators, utilizing cascade condensers and evaporators, and internal heat exchangers to optimize refrigerant flow and reduce compressor burden, allowing for stable and efficient cooling to desired temperatures without excessive performance requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a high-performance compressor with special structure is used in the low-temperature-side refrigerator to ensure durability against extremely low temperature refrigerant, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is divided into three independent temperature stages (high-temperature-side, medium-temperature-side, and low-temperature-side refrigerators), each handling a specific temperature range. This segmentation allows each compressor to operate within its optimal temperature range, eliminating the need for special cold-tolerant structures in the low-temperature compressor while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The medium-temperature-side refrigerator acts as an intermediary between the high-temperature-side and low-temperature-side refrigerators. It receives heat from the low-temperature-side evaporator through the medium/low side cascade condenser, thereby protecting the low-temperature-side compressor from direct exposure to extreme cold conditions while maintaining the desired low temperature output.
2Reliability
If a high-performance compressor with special structure is used in the low-temperature-side refrigerator, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the refrigeration system into three temperature stages, each compressor operates in a moderate temperature range that does not require special cold-tolerant designs. This enables the use of standard, off-the-shelf compressors that are easier and cheaper to manufacture while maintaining system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses standard, readily available compressors for all three temperature stages rather than investing in expensive specialized low-temperature compressors. This approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and ease of replacement over extreme durability, aligning with the principle of using simpler, more economical components.
3Reliability
If a high-performance compressor with special structure is used in the low-temperature-side refrigerator, then reliability is improved, but construction period increases due to difficulty of obtaining compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The three-stage temperature segmentation allows all compressors to operate in moderate temperature ranges, making them commercially available as standard components. This eliminates the need to wait for custom-manufactured special-structure compressors, significantly reducing the construction period.
Solution Approach 2:
Standard compressors designed for general refrigeration applications can be used in all three temperature stages, leveraging their universal availability and multi-functionality. This approach avoids the time-consuming process of sourcing specialized compressors while maintaining system effectiveness.
4Productivity
If cascade refrigeration system is used to cool fluid through multiple evaporators, then cooling efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is segmented into three sequential stages, with each evaporator handling a specific temperature range. This segmentation improves overall cooling efficiency by optimizing heat transfer at each stage while keeping individual components relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The three independent refrigeration circuits are merged through cascade condensers that serve dual purposes: condensing refrigerant for one stage while evaporating it for the next stage. This merging achieves efficient multi-stage cooling while reducing the need for separate, complex components.
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 system enables easy and stable cooling to target temperatures by optimizing refrigerant flow and reducing the need for high-performance compressors, thereby simplifying manufacturing and enhancing durability, while using refrigerants like R23, R1132a, or R508A to achieve cooling down to -70°C or lower.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporator of the high-temperature-side refrigerator and the condenser of the medium-temperature-side refrigerator constitute a high/medium side cascade condenser which exchanges heat between the high-temperature-side refrigerant and the medium-temperature-side refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
The evaporator of the medium-temperature-side refrigerator and the condenser of the low-temperature-side refrigerator constitute a medium/low side cascade condenser which exchanges heat between the medium-temperature-side refrigerant and the low-temperature-side refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
cooling a fluid down to a desired temperature by the medium-temperature-side first evaporator and then cooling the fluid by the low-temperature-side evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid temperature control system according to an embodiment cools a fluid by means of a multiple refrigeration apparatus including a high-temperature-side refrigerator, a medium-temperature-side refrigerator and a low-temperature-side refrigerator. The medium-temperature-side refrigerator in the multiple refrigeration apparatus has a medium-temperature-side first evaporator and a medium-temperature-side second evaporator. A high-temperature-side evaporator of the high-temperature-side refrigerator and a medium-temperature-side condenser of the medium-temperature-side refrigerator constitute a first cascade condenser. The medium-temperature-side second evaporator of the medium-temperature-side refrigerator and a low-temperature-side condenser of the low-temperature-side refrigerator constitute a second cascade condenser. The medium-temperature-side refrigerant and the low-temperature-side refrigerant are the same refrigerant. The fluid allowed to flow by a fluid flow apparatus is cooled by the medium-temperature-side first evaporator of the medium-temperature-side refrigerator, and is then cooled by the low-temperature-side evaporator of the low-temperature-side refrigerator.