Ejector module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ejector refrigeration cycles with fixed throttles and nozzles face reduced energy conversion efficiency and insufficient pressurizing effects due to variations in refrigerant flow rates, leading to suboptimal COP performance, and integrating variable throttle mechanisms or nozzles increases the system size.
Innovation Solution
An ejector module with a variable throttle mechanism and a variable nozzle, featuring a decompression portion, valve body, and driving portion, allows for adjustable passage cross-sectional areas without increasing the system's size by overlapping the decompression-side driving portion and nozzle central axis, enabling efficient refrigerant flow adjustment with load variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If variable throttle mechanisms or nozzles are integrated into the ejector refrigeration cycle, then energy conversion efficiency and pressurizing effects are improved, but system size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the variable throttle mechanism and variable nozzle into a single integrated ejector module. The throttle valve and nozzle are positioned adjacent to each other within the same housing structure, allowing both components to share common mounting surfaces and refrigerant passages. This merging approach enables the system to achieve variable throttling and variable nozzle areas for improved energy conversion efficiency while avoiding the space multiplication that would result from separate implementations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ejector module serves multiple functions within a single compact structure: it provides both variable throttling control and variable nozzle area adjustment, while also serving as the housing for the expansion valve. This multi-functionality allows the system to optimize refrigerant flow control and pressurizing effects without adding separate dedicated components for each function, thereby maintaining compact system size.
2Loss of energy
If variable throttle mechanisms or nozzles are integrated into the ejector refrigeration cycle, then COP performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the variable throttle mechanism and variable nozzle into a single ejector module with unified housing. The throttle valve and nozzle share common mounting structures and refrigerant passages, reducing the number of separate components and connections required. This integration simplifies the overall device architecture while maintaining the ability to optimize COP performance through variable throttling and nozzle area control.
3Device complexity
If fixed throttles and nozzles are used in the ejector refrigeration cycle, then device complexity is reduced, but energy conversion efficiency decreases due to refrigerant flow rate variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements variable throttling and variable nozzle areas that can dynamically adjust to match refrigerant flow rate variations. The throttle valve and nozzle are designed to change their opening areas in response to varying system conditions, allowing the ejector to maintain optimal energy conversion efficiency across different operating loads while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple through integration.
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 ejector module maintains high COP performance across varying loads while preventing system size increase, ensuring efficient refrigerant supply and energy conversion by integrating the variable throttle mechanism and nozzle within the existing structure.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle configured to decompress a part of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator and to inject the decompressed refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a decompression portion configured to decompress another part of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator
Implementation Method 3
a pressurizing portion configured to pressurize a mixed refrigerant of the injection refrigerant and a suction refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant suction port
Implementation Method 4
a body portion having a refrigerant suction port, through which the refrigerant is drawn from an outside by a suction effect of an injection refrigerant injected from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
When an ejector having a variable nozzle and a variable throttle mechanism are integrated together as an ejector module, a nozzle-side central axis CL1 and a decompression-side driving mechanism have a twisted positional relationship, if the nozzle-side central axis CL1 is defined as a central axis of a nozzle-side driving mechanism in a displacement direction in which the nozzle-side driving mechanism of the ejector having the variable nozzle displaces a needle valve, and the decompression-side central axis CL2 is defined as a central axis of a decompression-side driving mechanism in a displacement direction in which the decompression-side driving mechanism of the variable throttle mechanism displaces a throttle valve. When viewed from the central axis direction of one of the nozzle-side central axis CL1 and the decompression-side central axis CL2, a driving portion corresponding to the one central axis is disposed to overlap with the other central axis.