Evaporation and absorption unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current absorption heat pumps face high manufacturing costs due to the use of costly tube-and-shell heat exchangers, particularly for small-scale systems, which require materials and processes that are inefficient and costly for producing heat exchangers with the necessary thermal inertia for rapid start-up.
Innovation Solution
The design of an evaporator with vapor leading spaces between the heat exchanging strip and outer walls, incorporating openings to even out gas flow differences and a coolant outlet for non-evaporated coolant, allowing for a more cost-efficient manufacturing process using sheet metal with pressed patterns to form flow channels, and potentially combining the evaporator and absorber into a single unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tube-and-shell heat exchangers are used, then thermal inertia is sufficient for rapid start-up, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is divided into multiple stacked plate modules, each with integrated flow channels. This segmentation allows for simpler manufacturing of individual plates while maintaining the overall thermal performance through the stacked configuration, reducing the need for costly tube-and-shell assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from the traditional three-dimensional tube-and-shell structure to a planar stacked plate design. By arranging flow channels in two dimensions on flat plates and stacking them, the design achieves sufficient thermal inertia with reduced material costs and simplified manufacturing processes suitable for small-scale systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal with pressed patterns is used, then manufacturing cost decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into the pressed plate structure: the plate serves as both the structural element and the heat transfer surface, while the pressed patterns simultaneously create flow channels and support structures. This integration reduces the number of separate components needed, offsetting the complexity of the pressed pattern design with overall structural simplification.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressed plate design creates a universal component that performs multiple functions: structural support, heat transfer, and fluid distribution. The same pressed pattern structure that provides mechanical integrity also creates the flow channels and supports the falling film, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall device complexity despite the intricate press pattern.
3Ease of operation
If vapor leading spaces are added between heat exchanging strip and outer walls, then gas flow uniformity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vapor leading spaces are created as distinct segmented regions between the heat exchanging strip and outer walls, with openings strategically placed to control gas flow distribution. This segmentation allows for improved gas flow uniformity by creating separate flow paths while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that integrates seamlessly with the stacked plate design.
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 solution reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the efficiency of heat transfer, allowing for rapid start-up and reduced thermal inertia, thus improving the overall performance and cost-effectiveness of absorption heat pumps.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant forms a falling film on external surfaces of the heat carrier channels by being provided above the heat carrier channels by a coolant inlet, wherein coolant being vaporized from the external surfaces by heat from a heat carrier flowing from the inlet to the outlet
Implementation Method 2
coolant being vaporized from the external surfaces by heat from a heat carrier flowing from the inlet to the outlet rapidly enters the vapor leading spaces
Data Source
AI summary
An evaporator for an absorption heat pump or a single coolant cooling process comprises a number of stacked plates provided with a pressed pattern to hold the plates on a distance from one another to form a heat exchanging strip, vapor leading spaces and outer walls, the heat exchanging strip being designed such that flow channels are formed by internal surfaces of the strip, said flow channels connecting a heat carrier inlet and a heat carrier outlet, wherein a coolant forms a falling film on external surfaces of the heat carrier channels by being provided above the heat carrier channels by a coolant inlet, wherein coolant being vaporized from the external surfaces by heat from a heat carrier flowing from the inlet to the outlet rapidly enters the vapor leading spaces. The vapor leading spaces are provided between the heat exchanging strip and the outer walls.