Evaporator with cool storage function
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing evaporators with a cool storage function face issues with breakage of cool storage material containers and significant variation in blown air temperature due to the low cool storage material charging ratio, leading to inefficient cooling when the compressor stops.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a plurality of flat refrigerant flow tubes with cool storage material containers and fins, where each container has a main body portion and an outward projecting portion, allowing the cool storage material to be distributed over a larger vertical range, thereby increasing the internal volume and ensuring the cool storage material is present throughout the container, even at the upper end, to maintain consistent air temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cool storage material charging ratio is decreased to prevent container breakage, then the reliability of the container is improved, but the cool storage capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The container is designed with an outward projecting portion that extends in the air-passing direction (horizontal dimension) rather than only increasing vertical height. This dimensional change allows the cool storage material to be distributed over a larger volume without increasing the charging ratio excessively, thereby maintaining reliability while improving cool storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The container is divided into a container main body portion and an outward projecting portion, creating distinct functional zones. The first containing portion is in the main body region while the second containing portion extends into the outward projecting portion, allowing optimized distribution of cool storage material throughout the container structure
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cool storage material charging ratio is decreased, then the container breakage risk is reduced, but the temperature uniformity in the heat exchange core section deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the container in the air-passing direction through the outward projecting portion, the cool storage material is distributed across a wider horizontal range. This ensures that air flowing through different portions of the heat exchange core section (including upper portions) encounters cool storage material, maintaining temperature uniformity without requiring a high charging ratio that would increase breakage risk
Solution Approach 2:
The outward projecting portion is specifically designed to address the local need for cool storage material in regions where it was previously absent (upper portions of the heat exchange core section). This localized addition ensures temperature stability in critical areas without uniformly increasing the charging ratio throughout the entire container
3Quantity of substance
If the container volume is increased to improve cool storage capacity, then the cool storage function is enhanced, but the device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing container volume by adding height in the vertical direction, the design extends the container in the horizontal air-passing direction through the outward projecting portion. This dimensional strategy increases cool storage capacity while minimizing the impact on overall evaporator size and weight, as the extension utilizes existing spatial dimensions rather than adding in new directions
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 design prevents breakage of cool storage material containers and suppresses the variation in blown air temperature, ensuring effective cooling by maintaining consistent air temperature and increasing the cool storage capacity while reducing the size and weight of the evaporator.
Implementation Method 1
a cool storage material whose freezing point is adjusted to about 5° C. to 10° C. is used as a cool storage material which is charged into cool storage material containers
Implementation Method 2
a paraffin-based latent heat storage material (e.g., pentadecane, tetradecane, or the like) whose freezing point is adjusted to about 5° C. to 10° C. is used as a cool storage material
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of flat refrigerant flow tubes disposed in parallel in a heat exchange core section
Implementation Method 4
fins which are disposed in the remaining clearances and which are brazed to the corresponding refrigerant flow tubes
Data Source
AI summary
A cool storage material container of an evaporator with a cool storage function includes a container main body portion located within the range of a heat exchange core section in the air-passing direction and an outward projecting portion projecting from the container main body portion. A cool storage material containing portion provided in the cool storage material container has a first containing portion which is present in a region where only the container main body portion is provided, and a second containing portion which extends upward from the first containing portion and is present in a region where the container main body portion and the outward projecting portion are provided. The level of a cool storage material is located within the vertical range of the second containing portion in the case where the cool storage material is in liquid phase at ordinary temperature.