Heat Exchanger Tube Path Layout for Reversed Airflow Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat exchanger units with vertical arrangements of heat exchanger and blower positions reversed face challenges in maintaining consistent heat exchange performance due to changes in air flow direction, leading to variations in local wind speed and heat exchange efficiency between top-blow and bottom-blow arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger unit design featuring heat transfer fins and tubes arranged in L levels intersecting air flow, with M rows and N paths, where at least one path passes through all rows, reducing performance variation when air flow direction is reversed, and allowing for a compact size with an outside diameter of 9 mm or less, and specific inlet and outlet positioning to maintain performance across both top-blow and bottom-blow configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the vertical arrangement of the heat exchanger unit and blower is reversed to provide both top-blow and bottom-blow arrangements, then the adaptability of the air conditioner is improved, but the heat exchange performance varies between the two arrangements due to reversed air flow direction
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanging section is divided into multiple rows (M rows) arranged in the air flow direction, with each row containing heat transfer tubes forming multiple paths (N paths). This segmentation allows the air flow to interact with multiple tube rows sequentially, ensuring that even when air flow direction is reversed, all tube rows can effectively participate in heat exchange, thereby maintaining consistent performance across top-blow and bottom-blow arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multi-dimensional path configuration where refrigerant flows through N paths that wind through M rows of heat transfer tubes. The paths are designed to pass through rows at different positions (upstream, downstream, and intermediate rows) in a complex three-dimensional pattern rather than simple linear progression. This dimensional complexity ensures that air flow from either direction can effectively contact all tube rows, resolving the performance inconsistency issue.
2Productivity
If the number of heat transfer tubes is increased to improve heat exchange performance, then the heat exchange efficiency is improved, but the size of the heat exchanging section increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested path configuration where N paths are wound through M rows of heat transfer tubes in a compact arrangement. Each path meanders through multiple rows, creating a nested pattern that maximizes the heat transfer surface area within a limited spatial envelope. This nested structure allows a large number of heat transfer tubes to be packed efficiently without proportionally increasing the overall volume of the heat exchanging section.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic path routing where the refrigerant flow paths are designed to adaptively wind through different rows based on the air flow direction. The paths are configured to utilize both upstream and downstream rows effectively regardless of whether air flows from top to bottom or bottom to top, maximizing heat exchange efficiency within the fixed geometric constraints of the heat exchanging section.
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 design ensures consistent heat exchange performance across reversed air flow directions, reduces size, and minimizes refrigerant drift, enabling the same performance in both top-blow and bottom-blow arrangements by optimizing path configurations and tube positioning.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanging section 21 that includes a plurality of heat transfer fins 11 and a plurality of heat transfer tubes 10 passing through a corresponding one of the heat transfer fins 11
Implementation Method 2
groups of the plurality of heat transfer tubes 10 that are arranged in L or more levels in a direction that intersects an air flow
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger unit includes: a heat exchanging section that includes: a plurality of heat transfer fins; and a plurality of heat transfer tubes that each passes through a corresponding one of the plurality of heat transfer fins, in which, in the heat exchanging section, the plurality of heat transfer tubes that are arranged in L or more levels in a direction that intersects an air flow and in M rows in a direction of the air flow, each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes belongs to one of N paths, an inlet of each of the N paths is disposed at a first end of the heat exchanging section in a level direction, an outlet of each of the N paths is disposed at a second end of the heat exchanging section in the level direction, and M<N.