Environmental testing device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current environmental testing apparatuses for hydrogen tanks are limited in their temperature control range, particularly failing to maintain low temperatures effectively in large chambers, which is insufficient for simulating various environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a binary type cooling system with a low temperature side refrigerating circuit and a heating unit, allowing for adjustable refrigerating capacity and temperature control by using brine circulation and bypassing mechanisms to achieve a broad temperature range from -67.5°C to 127.5°C, ensuring stable temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the chamber space is enlarged to accommodate multiple hydrogen tanks or tanks of various sizes, then the versatility and testing capacity are improved, but the ability to control temperature down to significantly low temperature zones deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent cooling circuits (first cooling circuit with first evaporator, second cooling circuit with second evaporator, third cooling circuit with third evaporator). Each circuit can be independently controlled to cool different regions or zones within the large chamber, ensuring effective temperature control even in significantly large spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
A brine circulation system is introduced as an intermediary cooling medium. The brine circulation apparatus circulates cooled brine from the evaporators through heat exchangers positioned throughout the chamber, acting as a mediator to distribute cooling effect uniformly across the entire large chamber space, including remote areas.
2Temperature
If the refrigerating capacity is increased to achieve lower temperatures in a large chamber, then the low temperature control is improved, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent cooling circuits (first cooling circuit with first evaporator, second cooling circuit with second evaporator, third cooling circuit with third evaporator). Each circuit can be independently controlled to cool different regions or zones within the large chamber, ensuring effective temperature control even in significantly large spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates variable capacity control through the brine circulation apparatus and multiple evaporators that can be dynamically activated or deactivated based on the required temperature and chamber size. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize its complexity level according to actual testing requirements.
3Temperature
If the refrigerating capacity is increased to achieve lower temperatures in a large chamber, then the low temperature control is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates variable capacity control through the brine circulation apparatus and multiple evaporators that can be dynamically activated or deactivated based on the required temperature and chamber size. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize its complexity level according to actual testing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by selectively activating different evaporators and adjusting brine circulation rates based on the required temperature level and chamber configuration. This parameter adjustment allows the system to achieve efficient operation across various temperature ranges without excessive energy consumption.
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 setup enables efficient temperature control within a broad range, allowing for effective environmental testing of hydrogen tanks under various conditions, including low and high temperatures, while maintaining a stable and uniform temperature distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a first low temperature side coolant and the brine can be heat-exchanged with each other in a first low temperature evaporator
Implementation Method 2
the first low temperature side coolant having passed through the first low temperature evaporator can be heated by the low temperature side brine in an internal heat exchanger provided in the first low temperature side refrigerating circuit
Implementation Method 3
a heating side brine circulation apparatus having a circulation path for circulating the heating side brine, wherein a part of the circulation path is located in the temperature control space
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
To provide an environmental testing apparatus capable of sufficiently ensuring a space in a chamber, and of carrying out an environmental test sufficiently considering various environments. An environmental testing apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10, a cooling unit 50 including a cooling apparatus of a brine that cools the inside of the chamber 10, a heating unit 60 and a control apparatus 70. The cooling apparatus includes: a high temperature side cooling circuit in which a high temperature side compressor, a condenser, a high temperature side expansion valve and a cascade condenser are connected in this order by pipes so as to circulate a high temperature side heating medium; and a low temperature side cooling circuit in which a low temperature side compressor, the cascade condenser, a low temperature side expansion valve and an evaporator are connected in this order by pipes so as to circulate a low temperature side heating medium. The low temperature side heating medium is cooled by the high temperature side heating medium in the cascade condenser, while the brine is cooled by the low temperature side heating medium in the evaporator. The control apparatus 70 controls a temperature inside the chamber 10 within a temperature zone of between -67.5°C and 127.5°C.