Condenser Tank with External Riser Pipe for Subcooling Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automotive vehicle condensers with a sub cooling portion placed below the core portion experience reduced efficiency when the vehicle is stationary or idling, as cooling air passes through the sub cooling portion, leading to inefficient fluid circulation and dehydration.
Innovation Solution
A condenser tank design with a riser pipe connecting the drying zone to the connection zone, allowing the dried fluid to be directed to the sub cooling portion, enabling flexible design and industrial manufacturability, independent of the core condenser design, with options for baffle or thru pipe configurations for sealed separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the sub cooling portion is placed below the core portion, then the condenser can be vertically mounted with straightforward fluid flow, but the sub cooling portion efficiency decreases when the vehicle is stationary or idling due to cooling air being driven through it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the sub cooling portion above the core portion instead of below it. This inversion allows the dried refrigerant fluid to flow upward through gravity and pressure into the sub cooling portion, ensuring it remains efficient even when the vehicle is stationary or idling, while the cooling air still passes through the core portion effectively
2Reliability
If the sub cooling portion is placed above the core portion, then the sub cooling efficiency is maintained during idle operation, but the fluid circulation becomes more complex requiring additional ducting mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tank and the upward duct into a single integrated component. The tank serves dual purposes: as the drying zone for refrigerant dehydration and as the housing for the upward duct that transports dried fluid to the sub cooling portion. This integration simplifies the overall structure while maintaining efficient fluid circulation
Solution Approach 2:
The upward duct is designed to utilize the natural pressure differential and gravity to drive the dried refrigerant fluid upward from the tank to the sub cooling portion without requiring additional pumps or complex mechanical actuators. The system serves itself through proper positioning and pressure management
3Ease of operation
If custom tanks with internal ducting are used, then the fluid can be driven to the sub cooling portion, but the manufacturing complexity increases and industrial production becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid transport function into a separate upward duct component that is positioned alongside the tank rather than embedded within it. This allows the tank to be manufactured as a simple, standard component suitable for industrial production, while the upward duct can be added as a separate element during assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The upward duct acts as an intermediary element between the tank and the sub cooling portion. It provides the necessary fluid transport pathway without requiring complex internal modifications to the tank structure itself, thereby simplifying tank manufacturing while achieving the desired fluid circulation
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 enhances the efficiency of the sub cooling portion by ensuring proper fluid circulation and dehydration, allowing for industrial production and increased design flexibility, improving overall condenser performance.
Implementation Method 1
a riser pipe connected at one end to the outlet opening of the drying zone and at another end to an inlet opening of the wall member in the connection zone, and the pipe is located exterior to the interior space, for driving a fluid dried in the drying zone to the connection zone
Implementation Method 2
the condenser is placed vertically in the vehicle, the refrigerant fluid flowing from top to bottom
Implementation Method 3
the core portion condenses a refrigerant fluid flowing through the condenser, which is then dehydrated or dried in a tank
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention proposes a tank for a condenser, comprising a wall member (50) defining an interior space (52) having a drying zone (D) and a connection zone (C). The wall member (50) receives a drying element (38) and has an inlet opening (35) in an upper portion of the drying zone (D) and an outlet opening (40) in the lower portion of the drying zone (D). The tank (32) further comprises a riser pipe (42) connected at one end to the outlet opening (40) of the drying zone (D) and at another end to an inlet (44) opening of the wall member (50) in the connection zone (C). The riser pipe (42) is located exterior to the interior space (52), for driving a fluid dried in the drying zone (D) to the connection zone (C).