Evaporative Pre-cooling of Vehicle Condenser Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning systems for vehicles, particularly aerial vehicles, face challenges in efficiently cooling compartments without increasing the weight and bulk of the condenser, which is crucial for maintaining payload and efficiency across varying external temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a circuit that feeds air to a condenser, with supply means that introduce water into the airflow upstream of the condenser, allowing for evaporation and cooling of the air before it reaches the condenser, thereby increasing the efficiency of the vapour compression cycle without enlarging the condenser's surface area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the condenser surface area is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then the heat absorption capacity increases, but the weight and bulk of the system increase
Solution Approach 1:
Water is introduced into the airflow upstream of the condenser, allowing evaporation to occur before the air reaches the condenser. This preliminary evaporative cooling action pre-cools the air, increasing the temperature differential across the condenser and thereby enhancing heat absorption capacity without requiring additional condenser surface area
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the airflow by introducing water that evaporates and cools the air. This parameter change (lowering air temperature before the condenser) increases the efficiency of heat transfer in the condenser, allowing better cooling performance with the same condenser size
2Use of energy by moving object
If the condenser surface area is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then the heat absorption capacity increases, but the bulk of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Water is introduced into the airflow upstream of the condenser, allowing evaporation to occur before the air reaches the condenser. This preliminary evaporative cooling action pre-cools the air, increasing the temperature differential across the condenser and thereby enhancing heat absorption capacity without requiring additional condenser surface area
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the airflow by introducing water that evaporates and cools the air. This parameter change (lowering air temperature before the condenser) increases the efficiency of heat transfer in the condenser, allowing better cooling performance with the same condenser size
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 approach enhances the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system by increasing the heat absorbed by the condenser, reducing the weight and bulk of the system, and maintaining desired temperature levels within the vehicle compartment even under extreme external conditions.
Implementation Method 1
supply means (61) for supplying water inside said flow in a position upstream of said condenser (22) and spaced from said condenser (22), proceeding along the feed direction of the flow along circuit (60), so as to cause evaporation of the water and cool the air within the flow flowing in circuit (60) in the condenser (22)
Implementation Method 2
a condenser (22), which causes transition of the coolant from the vapour phase to the liquid phase
Implementation Method 3
an evaporator (24), which causes transition of the coolant from the two-phase condition to a vapour phase
Data Source
AI summary
An aerial, marine or land vehicle comprising: a compartment to be cooled; a first circuit through which can pass and, in turn, comprising, a heat exchanger that can be fed with the coolant and is designed to enable the coolant to release heat; a second circuit that can be fed with a second flow of a heat-carrying fluid and is thermally coupled to the heat exchanger; and supply means for supplying a mixture comprising water, inside the second flow in a position upstream of the heat exchanger and spaced from the heat exchanger, proceeding along the feed direction of the second flow along the second circuit, so as to cause evaporation of the mixture and cool the second flow in the heat exchanger.