Cold Storage Heat Exchanger with Dimpled Container for Direct Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold storage heat exchangers face issues such as volume change of the cold storage medium due to temperature changes, leading to deformation of the container, reduced heat conduction, leakage, and slow cold storage speed, as well as inefficient positioning of refrigerant pipes and cold-storage-medium containers, which affect heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
The design includes refrigerant pipes arranged with intervals, a cold-storage-medium container with a chamber accommodating the medium and an air passageway for heat exchange, featuring depressions and communicating apertures for direct contact with refrigerant pipes, and an outer fin to cool air, ensuring improved heat conduction and reduced deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cold storage medium is accommodated in a sealed container, then the medium is contained securely, but the container deforms due to volume change of the medium caused by temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The cold storage medium container uses a flexible diaphragm structure that can expand and contract to accommodate volume changes of the cold storage medium without deforming the rigid refrigerant pipe connection. The diaphragm acts as a flexible barrier that maintains containment while adapting to thermal expansion and contraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into a rigid connection portion that attaches to the refrigerant pipe and a flexible diaphragm portion that contains the cold storage medium. This segmentation allows different parts of the container to have different mechanical properties - rigid for stable connection and flexible for volume accommodation.
2Strength
If both an outer wall of the refrigerant pipe and an outer wall of the cold-storage-medium container become barriers of heat conduction, then structural integrity is maintained, but cold storage speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A heat conduction member is introduced as an intermediary between the refrigerant pipe and the cold storage medium container. This member bridges the thermal gap created by the double wall structure, improving heat transfer from the refrigerant through the pipe wall and container wall to the cold storage medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses composite construction with the refrigerant pipe, heat conduction member, and container walls working together as a thermal pathway. The heat conduction member is specifically designed with high thermal conductivity to overcome the insulating effect of the dual wall structure.
3Ease of operation
If hot air directly contacts the cold-storage-medium container, then air circulation is simple, but cold storage into the medium is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant pipe acts as an intermediary heat transfer surface between the air and cold storage medium. Instead of direct contact, heat is transferred from the air to the refrigerant pipe and then to the cold storage medium, allowing air circulation while enabling effective cold storage.
4Quantity of substance
If a heat-conduction distance in the cold storage medium from an outer wall of the container is long, then the container can accommodate more medium, but cold storage speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cold storage medium container is segmented into multiple compartments or sections with internal structures that reduce the maximum heat conduction distance. This segmentation allows more medium to be accommodated while ensuring that no point in the medium is too far from a heat transfer surface.
5Adaptability or versatility
If the lowness of thermal conductivity within the cold-storage-medium container is accepted, then container material selection is flexible, but cold storage speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat conduction member serves as a thermal bridge that compensates for the low thermal conductivity of the container material. By introducing this high conductivity intermediary, the system can use flexible container materials while maintaining effective heat transfer to the cold storage medium.
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 conduction between the refrigerant and the cold storage medium, reduces container deformation, and increases cold storage speed by promoting direct contact and efficient heat transfer, while maintaining a predetermined positioning relationship between the refrigerant pipes and the cold-storage-medium container.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigerant pipe and/or the cold-storage-medium container defines an air passageway for carrying out heat exchange with air
Implementation Method 2
enhances heat conduction between the refrigerant and the cold storage medium
Implementation Method 3
an outer fin to cool air
Data Source
AI summary
A cold storage heat exchanger has refrigerant pipes fins, and cold-storage-medium containers. The cold-storage-medium container is arranged next to the refrigerant pipe. A cold storage medium is accommodated in the cold-storage-medium container in order to leave an air cell, and to provide a filling ratio of less than 90%. The cold-storage-medium container has a plurality of depressions at an inside of the cold-storage-medium container. The depression is a dimple. The plurality of depressions are joined each other at top parts and provide high rigidity. The cold-storage-medium container is positioned on the refrigerant pipe by an engaging projection. An open end of an open depression is covered by the refrigerant pipe. The cold storage medium can flow into the open depression. Therefore, the cold storage medium may directly contact the refrigerant pipe, and is directly cooled with the refrigerant.