Coolant Condenser Assembly With Low-Refrigerant Flow Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant condenser assemblies for motor vehicle air conditioning systems typically require a significant amount of refrigerant in flow spaces, leading to increased costs, especially when using expensive refrigerants like HFO 1234yf.
Innovation Solution
The design optimizes the refrigerant condenser assembly by minimizing the volume of flow spaces within the collection container, including the inlet chamber, outlet chamber, riser pipe, and downpipe, with a reduced cross-sectional area and volume, allowing only a small amount of refrigerant to be used, achieved through the use of smaller diameters and extruded components, and incorporating dryer granules or filters to reduce the necessary volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the collection container is designed with large diameter riser pipe and downpipe, and large volume inlet chamber and outlet chamber, then the flow guidance function is ensured, but the refrigerant volume in flow spaces increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by significantly reducing the dimensions of flow space components. The riser pipe and downpipe diameters are minimized to just sufficient for flow guidance, and the inlet/outlet chamber volumes are reduced to essential minimums. This changes the physical parameters of the flow guidance system from oversized (conventional) to precisely sized (invention), thereby reducing refrigerant volume while maintaining functional reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the supercooling area is arranged in the upper area of the heat exchanger due to intercooler placement, then the intercooler can be installed in the lower area, but a riser pipe must be installed in the collection container to guide refrigerant upward
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the riser pipe structure with the collection container design. The riser pipe is integrated as an essential component of the collection container assembly, and its minimal design is combined with the outlet chamber configuration. This merging reduces the need for separate, complex vertical guidance structures while maintaining the ability to feed refrigerant to the upper supercooling area.
3Device complexity
If the inlet opening is located in the upper area of the collection container, then the structure can be simplified, but a downpipe must be installed to guide refrigerant below the liquid level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies equipotentiality by positioning the downpipe inlet opening at the upper collection container wall at the same vertical level as the inlet chamber. This creates an equipotential flow path where refrigerant can enter horizontally at upper level and descend vertically to the liquid level without requiring additional pumping or complex level control mechanisms, simplifying both structure and operation.
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 design significantly reduces the amount of refrigerant needed in the flow spaces, thereby lowering production costs and efficiently utilizing the expensive HFO 1234yf refrigerant.
Implementation Method 1
vaporous refrigerant is converted into a liquid aggregate state
Implementation Method 2
the liquid refrigerant is 'supercooled' further in a supercooling area
Implementation Method 3
The purpose of the collection tank is to separate gaseous refrigerant fractions that are still present after the condensation of the refrigerant
Data Source
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AI summary
In a coolant condenser assembly for a motor vehicle air conditioning system, comprising cooling pipes for conducting a coolant through, two collecting pipes for fluidically connecting the cooling pipes, a collecting container (6) with an upper cover wall (21) and a lower bottom wall (22) and a side wall (20) as well as with an inlet opening (18) for conducting the coolant into the collecting container (6) and an outlet opening (19) for conducting the coolant out of the collecting container (8), with the result that through the inlet and outlet openings (18, 19) the collecting container (6) is fluidically connected to the collecting pipe and/or the cooling pipes, the collecting container (8) comprises an outlet chamber (24) and a riser pipe (25), and the outlet opening (19) opens into the outlet chamber (24), and the outlet chamber (24) is connected to the riser pipe (25) and a storage chamber (28) for the coolant is formed within the collecting container (6) and outside the outlet chamber (24) and outside the riser pipe (25), the collecting container (6) preferably has an inlet chamber (26) and a downpipe (27), and the inlet opening (18) opens into the inlet chamber (26) and the inlet chamber (26) is connected to the downpipe (27) and the storage chamber (28) is formed outside the inlet chamber (26) and outside the downpipe (27), the cooling pipes have a superheating region for cooling the vaporous coolant, a condensation region for condensing the coolant and a supercooling region for cooling the liquid coolant, wherein the supercooling region is formed above the superheating region and above the condensation region, the intention is that little coolant will be present in flow spaces in the collecting container (6). This object is achieved in that the height of the storage chamber (28) is greater than the distance between the lower floor wall (22) and the inlet and/or outlet openings (18, 19).