Header box for collecting a refrigerant fluid, comprising at least one device for the angular positioning of a pipe
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle air conditioning systems, the refrigerant fluid in the heat exchanger separates into liquid and gas phases due to differences in physical properties, leading to heterogeneity in tube supply and air flow temperature, complicating thermal management and causing temperature differences in the passenger compartment.
Innovation Solution
A header box with an angular positioning device that orients a conduit with orifices to ensure homogeneous distribution of refrigerant fluid between its liquid and gaseous phases, ensuring uniform temperature distribution across all tubes of the heat exchanger bundle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the refrigerant fluid is admitted through an inlet mouth inside a collector box, then the refrigerant fluid can be distributed to the tubes of the bundle, but the refrigerant separates into liquid and gas phases causing heterogeneity in tube supply and air flow temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the single inlet mouth into multiple inlet mouths distributed around the collector box. This segmentation allows refrigerant to enter at multiple locations, preventing phase separation and ensuring homogeneous distribution of both liquid and gas phases to all tubes of the bundle simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by positioning inlet mouths at specific locations around the collector box perimeter. Each inlet mouth supplies refrigerant to nearby tubes, ensuring that local regions receive homogeneous refrigerant mixture, which collectively achieves uniform temperature distribution across the entire heat exchanger.
2Productivity
If tubes closest to the inlet mouth are mainly supplied with liquid, then liquid refrigerant can be efficiently delivered, but tubes furthest from the inlet mouth are mainly supplied with gas reducing heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The collector box is segmented into multiple inlet zones, each with its own inlet mouth. This segmentation ensures that liquid refrigerant is delivered efficiently to nearby tubes while gas-phase refrigerant reaches distant tubes, maintaining temperature uniformity across the entire heat exchanger surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the collector box are designed with local inlet mouths positioned to match the refrigerant phase distribution patterns. This local quality approach ensures optimal refrigerant supply to each tube group, balancing delivery efficiency with temperature uniformity.
3Device complexity
If a single conduit with orifices is used to spray refrigerant, then the device complexity is reduced, but the angular orientation of the conduit affects the homogenization of temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an angular positioning device that allows the conduit to be dynamically oriented at different angles relative to the collector box. This dynamic adjustment capability enables optimization of refrigerant spray patterns to achieve uniform temperature distribution while maintaining a simple single-conduit structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The angular orientation of the conduit is used as a可调 parameter to optimize temperature homogeneity. By adjusting the angle parameter of the conduit, the system achieves optimal refrigerant distribution without increasing device complexity, maintaining a simple single-conduit 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 enhances the uniformity and efficiency of the heat exchanger by balancing the temperature of the air passing through and the cooling liquid, improving thermal management and reducing temperature differences within the passenger compartment.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigerant fluid is in the two-phase liquid/gaseous state when it is admitted inside the heat exchanger. Due to the difference in physical properties between liquid and gas, the refrigerant tends to separate into its liquid phase and its gas phase.
Implementation Method 2
A header box with an angular positioning device that orients a conduit with orifices to ensure homogeneous distribution of refrigerant fluid between its liquid and gaseous phases
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchanger is for example an evaporator providing a heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid and an air flow passing through it
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a box (7) for collecting a refrigerant fluid (FR) for a heat exchanger (5). The collecting box (7) is formed by a wall (7a) and accommodates at least one pipe (14) extending along a longitudinal axis (A1). One of the longitudinal ends (15) of the pipe (14) communicates with an inlet mouth (10) for taking the refrigerant fluid (FR) inside the pipe (14). The pipe (14) comprises at least one aperture (17) oriented in a direction transverse (DT) to its longitudinal axis (A1). The collecting box (7) is provided with at least one angular positioning device (30a, 30b) arranging at least the pipe (14) about its longitudinal axis (A1) in a predetermined angular position relative to the wall (7a) of the collecting box (7).