Dual-Compressor Air Conditioner for Higher Refrigerant Subcooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face efficiency losses due to high discharge superheat, which reduces the degree of supercool and leads to refrigerant flowing into the compressor as a liquid, affecting cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner employs a dual-compressor system with a supercooling heat exchanger and bypass channels to mix refrigerant streams, reducing discharge superheat and enhancing supercooling efficiency by using a shell-tube-type evaporator and condenser, along with an electronic expansion valve and capillary tube for pressure regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a single compressor is used in the air conditioner, then the device complexity is low, but the degree of supercool is insufficient and discharge superheat is high
Solution Approach 1:
The single compressor is divided into two separate compressors (first compressor and second compressor) that operate in sequence. The first compressor compresses refrigerant to a first pressure, and the second compressor further compresses it to a second pressure. This segmentation allows for staged compression and supercooling processes that increase the degree of supercool while managing discharge superheat effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The supercooling heat exchanger is positioned before the expansion device to perform preliminary cooling of the refrigerant. This preliminary action (supercooling) occurs before the refrigerant enters the expansion device, ensuring that the refrigerant is sufficiently cooled to increase the degree of supercool and prevent liquid refrigerant from entering the compressors.
2Productivity
If the degree of discharge superheat is high, then the compressor operation is simple, but the efficiency is lowered and liquid refrigerant flows into the compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds a temporal dimension to the compression process by using two compressors operating in sequence rather than simultaneously. This allows the refrigerant to undergo compression, supercooling, and expansion in distinct stages, effectively managing discharge superheat while improving cooling efficiency through controlled temperature profiles at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The supercooling heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the compressors and the expansion device. It mediates the temperature of the refrigerant by providing additional cooling, ensuring that the refrigerant achieves the necessary degree of supercool before expansion, thereby preventing liquid refrigerant from entering the compressors and improving overall efficiency.
3Productivity
If a dual-compressor system with supercooling heat exchanger is used, then the degree of supercool increases and efficiency enhances, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supercooling heat exchanger is integrated into the existing refrigerant circulation path between the compressors and the expansion device. Rather than adding a completely separate system, the supercooling function is merged with the existing heat exchange components, allowing the dual-compressor system to achieve enhanced supercooling and efficiency while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
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 increases the degree of supercool and enhances cold water supply efficiency by minimizing discharge superheat, improving the overall cooling performance of the air conditioner.
Implementation Method 1
a supercooling heat exchanger including a first flow channel through which a portion of the refrigerant condensed by the condenser passes in order to be cooled, and a second flow channel for heat exchanging heat with the first flow channel
Implementation Method 2
a condenser which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the second compressor
Implementation Method 3
a shell-tube-type evaporator which includes a shell allowing the refrigerant to pass therethrough and a tube disposed within the shell and allowing water to be heat-exchanged with the shell to pass therethrough, which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expansion instrument
Implementation Method 4
a first compressor which compresses a refrigerant; a second compressor which compresses the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, an air condition comprises: a first compressor and a second compressor which compress a refrigerant through multiple stages; a condenser which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the second compressor; a first flow channel through which a portion of the refrigerant condensed by the condenser passes, in order to be cooled; a supercooling heat exchanger having a second flow channel for exchanging heat with the first flow channel; an expansion instrument which expands the refrigerant cooled by the supercooling heat exchanger; a shell-tube-type evaporator which evaporates the refrigerant expanded by the expansion instrument, and which is connected to a location requiring cold water via a water pipe to supply cold water to said location requiring cold water; a first bypass channel which guides the refrigerant condensed in the condenser to the second flow channel; a supercooling expander installed in the first bypass channel; and a second bypass channel which interconnects the first and second compressors and the second flow channel, thereby decreasing discharge superheat, and thus increasing the degree of subcooling, and improving the efficiency of supplying cold water.