Evaporator Shield Layout for Frost-Resistant Refrigerator Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Evaporators in refrigeration appliances face inefficiencies due to frost and ice buildup from moist air, which can compromise their operation despite the use of heaters for defrosting, as the heat applied by these heaters is often insufficient to maintain the evaporators frost- and ice-free.
Innovation Solution
An evaporator shield is positioned between the enclosure opening and the evaporator, deflecting air and providing a site for moisture collection, thereby dehumidifying the air before it reaches the evaporator. The shield features slatted openings that deflect air in specific directions and includes panels to confine and direct air to the evaporator, ensuring that moisture deposits and reduces frost and ice buildup without completely blocking airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heaters are provided at the evaporators for intermittently defrosting frost and ice, then the evaporators can be maintained frost- and ice-free to some extent, but the amount of heat that can be applied is limited and insufficient to maintain efficient operation in all circumstances
Solution Approach 1:
The shield is positioned upstream of the evaporator to intercept and redirect moist air before it reaches the evaporator surface. This preliminary action prevents frost and ice accumulation at the evaporator, eliminating or reducing the need for heater operation and associated energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield acts as an intermediary component between the moist air stream and the evaporator. It provides a sacrificial surface that condenses and freezes moisture, protecting the evaporator from direct frost accumulation while requiring minimal or no active heating.
2Reliability
If the shield deflects air away from the direct path to the evaporator, then moisture collection at the shield reduces frost buildup at the evaporator, but the shield may block airflow and reduce cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The shield incorporates slatted openings that segment the air flow into multiple streams. This segmentation allows moisture-laden air to contact the shield surface for condensation while maintaining sufficient airflow through the slats to the evaporator, balancing moisture capture with cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is positioned and configured to create localized moisture capture zones at specific locations upstream of the evaporator. The slatted openings are strategically arranged to deflect air in specific directions, concentrating moisture deposition at the shield while preserving airflow pathways to the evaporator surface.
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 evaporator shield effectively reduces frost and ice accumulation at the evaporator, enhancing its operational efficiency by allowing moisture to collect and deposit at the shield, thereby minimizing the need for excessive heater operation and maintaining airflow even when slatted openings are partially blocked by frost and ice.
Implementation Method 1
The shield can be positioned so as to deflect from the direct and interrupted path to the evaporator at least a portion of the at least a part of the air passing through the enclosure opening from outside the enclosure
Implementation Method 2
The shield can have a temperature lower than the temperature of the at least a portion of the at least a part of the air passing through the enclosure opening, thereby providing a site at which at least a portion of the moisture contained within the at least a portion of the at least a part at of the air passing through the enclosure opening can collect, thereby dehumidifying the air
Implementation Method 3
The evaporator shield effectively reduces frost and ice accumulation at the evaporator, enhancing its operational efficiency by allowing moisture to collect and deposit at the shield
Data Source
AI summary
An enclosure includes an enclosure interior and an enclosure opening through which air passes from outside the enclosure into the enclosure interior. An evaporator located at the enclosure interior is positioned so that at least some of the air that passes through the enclosure opening flows in a direct and uninterrupted path to the evaporator. A shield within the enclosure interior is interposed between the enclosure opening and the evaporator and is positioned so as to deflect at least a part of the air flowing from that direct and uninterrupted path. The shield provides a site at which moisture contained within at least some of the air passing through the enclosure opening can collect. The enclosure can comprise the freezer compartment of a refrigerator, and the enclosure opening can be in fluid communication with an interior of a fresh food compartment of the refrigerator.