Heat Exchanger Distributor Orifice Plate for Even Refrigerant Flow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In heat exchangers with vertically oriented distributors, the distribution of two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant becomes uneven due to gravity, leading to reduced performance as liquid refrigerant fails to reach upper heat-transfer tubes effectively, especially under low load conditions.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger design featuring a distributor with an orifice plate that divides the internal space into upper and lower sections, allowing refrigerant to flow through an orifice above the lowest heat-transfer tubes, ensuring even distribution of liquid refrigerant to all tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the distributor is vertically oriented with refrigerant flowing upward from the lower part, then the heat exchanger can be installed in vertical positions, but the liquid refrigerant becomes difficult to reach the upstream part due to gravity, causing uneven distribution among heat-transfer tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the anti-weight principle by introducing a pump that generates upward flow force to counteract the gravitational force acting on liquid refrigerant. The pump is configured to draw liquid refrigerant from the lower part of the distributor and forcibly deliver it to the upstream (upper) part, effectively compensating for the weight-induced flow resistance and enabling uniform distribution despite vertical orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an intermediary device (the pump) between the refrigerant source and the heat-transfer tubes to mediate the refrigerant distribution process. This intermediary component actively transports liquid refrigerant against gravity, ensuring that both lower and upper heat-transfer tubes receive adequate liquid refrigerant flow, thereby resolving the distribution unevenness caused by vertical installation.
2Manufacturing precision
If walls are provided inside the distributor to increase flow resistance and achieve even distribution, then refrigerant distribution improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by removing the complex internal wall structures from the distributor and replacing them with a simpler external pump system. Instead of modifying the distributor's internal geometry with multiple walls and flow resistance elements, the solution extracts the distribution control function to an external pump that actively manages refrigerant flow, thereby simplifying the distributor structure while maintaining distribution uniformity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the distributor is horizontally oriented, then refrigerant distribution is more uniform, but the installation flexibility and space utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by introducing an active pump system that dynamically adjusts refrigerant flow distribution based on operational conditions. The pump enables the system to maintain uniform distribution characteristics typically associated with horizontal orientation while allowing the physical distributor to be installed in vertical positions, thus providing dynamic adaptability to different installation scenarios.
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 orifice plate enhances the distribution of liquid refrigerant to upper tubes, preventing separation of gas and liquid phases and ensuring even distribution, thereby improving the overall performance of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
The refrigerant gathers the flow speed by passing through the orifice, so that liquid refrigerant reaches an upper part of the distributor
Implementation Method 2
heat exchanger and air-conditioning apparatus each configured to cause refrigerant flowing in heat-transfer tubes and air to exchange heat with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger includes a distributor; a plurality of heat-transfer tubes; and a refrigerant inflow pipe. The plurality of heat-transfer tubes connected to the distributor stick out into an internal space of the distributor such that when the plurality of heat-transfer tubes and a part defined as the internal space are projected on a plane perpendicular to an axial direction of the distributor, the plurality of heat-transfer tubes occupies one-half or greater of the part defined as the internal space. The distributor includes an orifice plate and dividing the internal space. The orifice plate is located above the lowest one of the plurality of heat-transfer tubes in the internal space. The orifice plate has an orifice through which the upper and lower spaces communicate with each other.