Cold-Storage Heat Exchanger Air Passage to Prevent Frost Breaks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cold-storage type cooling devices for vehicles require separate evaporators for cooling during vehicle operation and for nap purposes, leading to increased costs and the risk of frost breaks due to condensed water freezing in clearance gaps between refrigerant tubes and cold storage containers.
Innovation Solution
A single cold storage heat exchanger design featuring refrigerant tubes with a clearance and a bonded cold storage container, where the outer surface of the container has protrusion or recess portions forming a cold-storage side air passage to separate airflow and drain condensed water, preventing frost breaks by allowing water to drain and reducing contact area for improved heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cold storage heat exchanger is used for both cold storage and vehicle compartment cooling, then device complexity is reduced and cost is decreased, but condensed water freezing in clearance gaps causes frost breaks reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the clearance space between the refrigerant tube and cold storage container by providing protrusion portions on the refrigerant tube that extend into the clearance. This segmentation prevents condensed water from accumulating and freezing in the clearance gap, eliminating frost breaks while maintaining the single heat exchanger design for both cold storage and vehicle compartment cooling functions
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions act as intermediary structures that modify the clearance gap geometry. By introducing these protrusions, the invention creates a controlled interface between the refrigerant tube and cold storage container that prevents water accumulation while maintaining thermal contact efficiency for the dual-function heat exchanger
2Loss of energy
If the refrigerant tube and cold storage container are bonded with large contact area, then heat exchange performance is improved, but condensed water accumulates in clearance gaps causing frost breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing protrusion portions at specific locations on the refrigerant tube where clearances are most problematic. This localized modification prevents water accumulation in critical clearance zones while maintaining adequate thermal contact area in other regions, thus preventing frost breaks without sacrificing overall heat exchange performance
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 design enables efficient cooling of both the vehicle compartment and the cold storage material using a single heat exchanger, preventing frost breaks and maintaining heat exchange performance by draining condensed water and optimizing contact areas between the refrigerant tubes and cold storage container.
Implementation Method 1
condensed water generated on the evaporator surface
Implementation Method 2
causes condensed water generated in the cold storage time of the cold storage material to be drained along the cold-storage side air passage
Implementation Method 3
refrigerant flows into refrigerant tubes in which the container is inserted, so as to configure an evaporator
Implementation Method 4
air passing through the air passage is supplied to the trucker, thereby performing a cooling operation by the evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
An outer surface of a cold-storage container (or a refrigerant tube) is provided with a plurality of protrusion portions or recess portions. A cooling air passage, in which air flows to cool a space to be cooled in a cold storage time and in a cold release time of the cold storage material, is provided to contact a surface of the refrigerant tube on a side opposite to the cold storage container bonded to the refrigerant tube. The refrigerant tubes and the cold storage container form therebetween a cold-storage side air passage by the protrusion portions or the recess portions, such that air flows in the cold-storage side air passage separated from the cooling air passage. For example, the cold-storage side air passage is provided with a slanting space that causes condensed water or ice generated in the cold storage time to be drained along the cold-storage side air passage.