Heat Exchanger Header Loop Structure for Uniform Refrigerant Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers face challenges in maintaining efficient refrigerant flow and preventing eccentric flow at varying circulation rates, as throttles either fail to ensure adequate flow at low rates or cause excessive accumulation at high rates, leading to inefficiencies in heat exchange.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger incorporates a loop structure with partition members and communicating passages to manage refrigerant flow, allowing it to ascend and descend within the header collecting tube, ensuring consistent flow even at varying circulation rates by guiding refrigerant through specific passages and ports, thereby preventing eccentric flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a throttle is formed in the header collecting tube to raise flow velocity and suppress eccentric flow at low circulation rates, then refrigerant can reach the top ends effectively, but at high circulation rates the flow velocity becomes too high causing excessive refrigerant accumulation at the top and eccentric flow
Solution Approach 1:
The header collecting tube is divided into multiple segments by partition members, creating separate flow regions (first space for ascent, second space for descent). This segmentation allows different flow control mechanisms to operate in different regions, enabling the system to handle both low and high circulation rates effectively without a single throttle causing problems at both extremes.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow control mechanism is made dynamic through the loop structure with communicating passages that allow refrigerant to circulate in different patterns. At low circulation rates, the throttle raises velocity; at high circulation rates, the loop structure provides alternative flow paths that prevent excessive velocity and accumulation, adapting to varying operating conditions.
2Productivity
If the refrigerant circulation rate is low, then a throttle can raise flow velocity to reach top ends, but if the circulation rate is high, the throttle causes excessive flow velocity and refrigerant accumulation at the top
Solution Approach 1:
The loop structure creates a feedback mechanism where refrigerant that accumulates at the top can be redirected back through the communicating passages to lower regions. This feedback loop prevents excessive accumulation by automatically redirecting surplus refrigerant, maintaining uniform flow distribution across different circulation rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes flow parameters dynamically through the loop structure. At low circulation rates, the throttle increases velocity; at high circulation rates, the loop structure modifies the flow path and velocity distribution, effectively changing the operational parameters to maintain reliability across varying conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If partition members are added to create ascending and descending flow spaces, then refrigerant flow can be controlled at varying circulation rates, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The partition members and communicating passages serve multiple functions: they create flow separation for velocity control, establish loop structures for circulation management, and provide adaptive flow paths for different circulation rates. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, offsetting the added structural complexity with functional consolidation.
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 ensures efficient refrigerant flow to the flat tubes at both low and high circulation rates, minimizing eccentric flow and maintaining effective heat exchange performance across different operational conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The first partition member partitions internal space of the header collecting tube into upper internal space and lower internal space. The second partition member partitions the upper internal space into first space, which is space for making the refrigerant ascend, and second space, which is space for making the refrigerant descend
Implementation Method 2
The upper communicating passage is located in upper part of the first space and the second space, and provide communication between the upper part of the first space and the second space. The lower communicating passage, which is located in lower part of the first space and the second space, provide communication between the lower part of the first space and the second space
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a heat exchanger and an air conditioning device, with which it is possible to form an ascending flow of refrigerant even in a structure in which refrigerant is not directly supplied to the part of lower space in a header collecting tube where a refrigerant ascending flow is created. A plurality of flat multi-perforated tubes (21b) are connected at different heightwise locations to a first internal space (23a) of a doubled-back header collecting tube (23) of an outdoor heat exchanger (20). For the first internal space (23a), a loop structure is adopted including a first partition plate (51), first inflow port (41x) for causing refrigerant to ascend within a first outflow space (51a), and a first lower communicating passage (51y) for causing the refrigerant from a first upper communicating passage (51x) to descend in a first loop space (51b) and guiding the refrigerant back to the first outflow space (51 a). The flat multi-perforated tubes (21b) are connected at one end to either the first outflow space (51a) or the first loop space (51b). An interconnecting pipeline (24) is connected to a space that, within a first flow regulation plate (41), is underneath the first loop space (51b).