Dual chiller
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chillers face difficulties in separately controlling the flow rates and temperatures of refrigerants through multiple heat exchangers to match coolant temperatures, leading to reduced responsiveness and precision in temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A dual chiller system with two coolant circuits and a refrigeration circuit, featuring adjustable expansion valves and heat exchangers connected in parallel, allows for independent control of refrigerant flow rates and temperatures to maintain set coolant temperatures in each circuit, eliminating the need for electric heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If two heat exchangers are connected in series with a single expansion valve, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to separately control flow rates and temperatures of refrigerants through each heat exchanger deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration circuit is segmented into two independent parallel paths, each with its own expansion valve (first expansion valve and second expansion valve) and heat exchanger (first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger). This segmentation allows independent control of refrigerant flow rates and temperatures to each heat exchanger, resolving the contradiction by sacrificing some structural simplicity for gained operational independence.
2Stability of the object's composition
If coolant is supplied through a tank after temperature adjustment, then temperature stability is improved, but the responsiveness to temperature changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary temperature adjustment of the coolant through the heat exchangers before supply, with the ability to directly supply temperature-adjusted coolant to loads without requiring storage in a tank. This preliminary action enables rapid response to temperature changes while maintaining stability through controlled heat exchange processes.
3Device complexity
If a single expansion valve controls both heat exchangers, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of temperature control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single expansion valve is segmented into two independent expansion valves, each dedicated to controlling refrigerant flow to a specific heat exchanger. This segmentation enables precise independent control of refrigerant parameters to each heat exchanger, achieving high temperature control precision for multiple coolant circuits with different temperature requirements.
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 responsiveness to coolant temperature changes and improves temperature control precision, reducing power consumption and enabling efficient cooling of loads with different temperature requirements, such as a laser oscillator and a probe in a laser welding apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the liquid refrigerant supplied from the first main expansion valve with that of the first coolant in the first coolant circuit into a low-pressure gas refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the liquid refrigerant supplied from the second main expansion valve with that of the second coolant in the second coolant circuit
Implementation Method 2
a compressor that compresses a gas refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
a condenser that cools the gas refrigerant supplied from the compressor into a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
a first main expansion valve and a second main expansion valve that cause the liquid refrigerant supplied from the condenser to expand into low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerants
Data Source
AI summary
There are a first coolant circuit that supplies a first coolant in a first tank to a first load, a second coolant circuit that supplies a second coolant in a second tank to a second load, and a refrigeration circuit that adjusts temperatures of the first and second coolants to set temperatures by heat exchange between the first and second coolants and refrigerants by using heat exchangers. The set temperature of the second coolant is equal to the set temperature of the first coolant or higher than the set temperature of the second coolant, and the set flow rate of the first coolant is higher than the set flow rate of the second coolant, and the volume of the first tank is larger than the volume of the second tank.