Outdoor Heat Exchanger Refrigerant Routing for Partial Defrosting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor heat exchangers face challenges in efficiently varying refrigerant passage during air cooling and heating operations, and in effectively performing defrosting operations to remove frost generated during low outdoor temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor heat exchanger design includes a first and second header pipe, heat exchange units, distribution pipes, bypass pipes, and control valves to manage refrigerant flow, allowing for efficient thermal exchange and defrosting by varying the refrigerant passage and using specific valves to control the flow during air cooling, heating, and defrosting operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single heat exchange unit is used in the outdoor heat exchanger, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to perform both cooling and heating operations efficiently is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor heat exchanger is divided into two separate heat exchange units (first heat exchange unit and second heat exchange unit) with independent refrigerant passages. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized for specific operations, enabling the system to perform both cooling and heating operations efficiently while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
2Productivity
If the refrigerant passage is fixed in the outdoor heat exchanger, then the device complexity is reduced, but the efficiency in defrosting operations is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant passage configuration is made dynamic through the use of control valves (first control valve and second control valve) that can switch the refrigerant flow paths based on operational requirements. During defrosting operations, the valves redirect hot refrigerant gas to the heat exchange units, enabling efficient frost removal without requiring complex additional heating mechanisms
3Object-affected harmful factors
If hot gas is not directed to the outdoor heat exchanger during defrosting, then the energy consumption is reduced, but the frost removal capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful effect of accumulated frost into a beneficial defrosting process by redirecting hot refrigerant gas from the compressor through the control valves to the heat exchange units. The same refrigerant that causes cooling (and subsequent frost formation) is later utilized as a heat source to melt the frost, eliminating the need for separate external heating systems and reducing overall energy consumption
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 enables efficient refrigerant passage variation during air cooling and heating, allows for partial defrosting of the heat exchange unit, and facilitates effective defrosting operations, improving overall system performance and frost removal efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchange unit coupled to the first header pipe and configured to thermally exchange the refrigerant with air
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant, compressed by a compressor
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an outdoor heat exchanger and air conditioner in which the passage of a refrigerant is varied in an air cooling operation and an air heating operation. An outdoor heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first header pipe configured to have a refrigerant, compressed by a compressor, to flow therein in the air cooling operation, a first heat exchange unit coupled to the first header pipe and configured to thermally exchange the refrigerant with air, a bypass pipe configured to have the refrigerant, thermally exchanged in the first heat exchange unit, to flow therein in the air cooling operation, a first distribution pipe coupled to the bypass pipe, a second header pipe configured to have the refrigerant, passing through the bypass pipe, to flow therein in the air cooling operation, a second heat exchange unit coupled to the second header pipe and configured to thermally exchange the refrigerant with air, a second distribution pipe configured to have the refrigerant, thermally exchanged in the second heat exchange unit, to flow therein in the air cooling operation, a second hot gas pipe configured to couple the compressor and the second distribution pipe, and a second hot gas control valve disposed in the second hot gas pipe to control a flow of the refrigerant.