Discrete Heat-Insulated Exhaust Muffler for Refrigeration Compressor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional refrigeration compressors suffer from high temperatures and pressure retention, leading to reduced cooling performance and increased energy consumption due to heat retention within the compressor, and existing solutions are heavy, expensive, and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A discrete heat-insulated exhaust muffler device with a non-metallic shell and metal cavity body, where the exhaust muffler is located outside the compressor cylinder block, utilizing a non-metallic shell with raised projections to prevent thermal contact and a simplified manufacturing process, reducing heat transfer and improving cooling efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the exhaust muffler chamber is casted onto the compressor cylinder block, then the structure is simplified and manufacturing is easier, but heat is retained at the compressor cylinder block leading to reduced cooling performance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexhaust muffler chamber integrationVSAvoidcompressor internal temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The exhaust muffler device is divided into separate components: a metal cavity body, a non-metallic shell, and raised projections. This segmentation allows the heat-insulating non-metallic shell to be added to the metal cavity body, creating a composite structure that reduces heat retention while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The exhaust muffler device uses a composite structure combining metal cavity body with non-metallic shell. The non-metallic material provides heat insulation properties while the metal cavity provides structural integrity and acoustic damping, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and temperature control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Temperature

If copper pipe is used to form the exhaust buffer chamber, then heat conduction is improved, but the device becomes heavy and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat conductionVSAvoidexhaust buffer chamber weight
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure of metal cavity body and non-metallic shell, replacing the all-copper construction. The metal cavity provides necessary thermal conduction while the non-metallic shell provides insulation and reduces overall weight and cost compared to pure copper construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the exhaust muffler device have different material properties: the metal cavity body provides local thermal conduction where needed, while the non-metallic shell provides local insulation. This local differentiation of material quality achieves optimal thermal management without the weight and cost of full copper construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Temperature

If the exhaust muffler device is placed outside the compressor cylinder block, then heat transfer is reduced and cooling performance improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer reductionVSAvoidexhaust muffler structure
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the exhaust muffler into a metal cavity body and a non-metallic shell that can be assembled together, the device achieves reduced heat transfer when placed outside the compressor while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The segmented design allows for easier installation and positioning outside the compressor cylinder block.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Stress or pressure

If high-temperature gas is compressed, then compression ratio is improved, but gas density decreases and mass of incoming gas is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression pressureVSAvoidmass of incoming gas
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of heat generation during compression into a beneficial outcome by using the heat-insulated exhaust muffler device to manage the hot exhaust gas. The insulated structure allows the system to handle high-temperature compression while preventing heat from affecting the intake gas, thereby maintaining gas density and mass flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 solution effectively reduces compressor noise, improves cooling performance, and decreases energy consumption by minimizing heat retention and weight, while being cost-effective and easy to manufacture.

Implementation Method 1

a non-metallic shell (12) mounted at an outside of the metal cavity body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal Insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

Raised projections are provided on an interior wall of the non-metallic shell that can prevent thermal contact between the metal cavity body and the non-metallic shell

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal Insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentEP2725228B1Discrete heat-insulated exhaust muffler device and refrigeration compressor using same
Publication Date: 2017.05.10 HUANGSHI DONGBEI ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE
  • EP2725228B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2725228B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2725228B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A discrete, heat-insulating exhaust muffler device (8) and a refrigeration compressor using the exhaust muffler device are provided. The exhaust muffler device (8) includes a metal cavity body defining cavities (9, 10), and intake pipe and exhaust pipe installation holes respectively arranged on the cavities (9, 10). Non-metallic shell bodies (17, 18) are further arranged outside the cavities (9, 10), and the exhaust muffler device (8) is disposed outside cylinder blocks (14) and is separated from the cylinder blocks (14). By disposing a layer of the non-metal shell bodies (17, 18) outside the metal cavity body (9, 10), thermal contact between exhaust gas and gas inside a compressor can be reduced owing to a better heat-insulating effect of the non-metallic material, thereby reducing heat transfer from the metal cavity body (9, 10) to the outside. The gas inside the compressor can have a relatively lower temperature, and the efficiency of the compressor is improved. The metal cavity bodies (9, 10) are formed by stamping, thereby reducing material cost and the weight of the device, simplifying the manufacturing process, and leaving more room at the periphery of the cylinder blocks (14).