Outdoor Heat Exchanger Bypass for Cold-Region Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cold regions, air conditioners experience excessive refrigerant pressure loss in the outdoor heat exchanger during heating operations, leading to low heating performance.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner incorporates a separating device within the outdoor heat exchanger's unit channels to separate liquid and vapor refrigerant components, with a bypass pipe connecting the separating device to the compressor suction channel, allowing the vapor refrigerant component to be bypassed directly to the compressor, thereby reducing pressure loss and refrigerant flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the refrigerant flows through the entire outdoor heat exchanger in a heating operation in a cold region, then heat exchange is maintained, but the refrigerant pressure loss excessively increases
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor heat exchanger is divided into multiple unit channels, and a separating device is installed in each unit channel to separate liquid and vapor refrigerant components. This segmentation allows the vapor refrigerant component to be extracted early from each channel, preventing it from traveling the full length of the heat exchanger and reducing cumulative pressure loss while maintaining heat exchange efficiency in the sections where refrigerant flows through.
Solution Approach 2:
The vapor refrigerant component is extracted from the outdoor heat exchanger using a bypass pipe that connects the separating device to the compressor suction channel. By taking out the vapor refrigerant component before it completes its full path through the heat exchanger, the system reduces the flow rate and pressure loss in the rear end portions of the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby improving heating performance without compromising overall heat exchange.
2Loss of energy
If the refrigerant flow rate is reduced in the outdoor heat exchanger, then pressure loss decreases, but heat exchange efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The separating device is strategically positioned within each unit channel to create local variations in refrigerant flow characteristics. By separating the vapor component locally at multiple points throughout the heat exchanger rather than at a single location, the system maintains adequate refrigerant flow rate and heat exchange efficiency in each local section while collectively reducing overall pressure loss through cumulative extraction of vapor phases.
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 configuration enhances heating performance in cold regions by minimizing refrigerant pressure loss and flow rate within the outdoor heat exchanger, particularly at its rear end, thereby improving overall heating efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a separating device installed in each of the plurality of unit channels and configured to separate a liquid refrigerant component and a vapor refrigerant component in each of the plurality of unit channels in a heating operation
Implementation Method 2
a bypass pipe connecting the separating device and the compressor suction channel to bypass the vapor refrigerant component separated by the separating device in the heating operation to the compressor suction channel
Implementation Method 3
an outdoor heat exchanger... In the case of heating the indoor air, the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an air conditioner capable of improving heating performance in a cold region by reducing a refrigerant pressure loss in an outdoor heat exchanger in a heating operation. The air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger may include a plurality of unit channels into which a refrigerant channel is partitioned, and a separating device installed in each of the plurality of unit channels and configured to separate a liquid refrigerant component and a vapor refrigerant component in each of the plurality of unit channels in a heating operation. The air conditioner may further include a compressor suction channel connecting a heating-operation outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger and an inlet of the compressor, and a bypass pipe connecting the separating device and the compressor suction channel.