Heat Exchanger Plate With Homothetic Distribution Means
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing heat exchangers in automotive systems face issues with poor distribution and high circulation speed of refrigerant and heat transfer liquids, leading to inefficient heat transfer, with gravitational effects causing uneven liquid flow and reduced temperature modification in certain zones.
Innovation Solution
The proposed heat exchanger plate features a distribution means with a homothetic opening profile and protuberances to disrupt fluid flow, optimizing liquid distribution and reducing circulation speed, ensuring homogeneous flow across all channels and improving heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the heat exchanger uses a simple plate structure with openings, then the device complexity is low, but the distribution of refrigerant and heat transfer fluid becomes poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a distribution means with protuberances at specific locations within the circulation channel. These protuberances create localized flow disruption and redistribution effects, ensuring that fluid is evenly distributed across all channels including peripheral ones, without requiring complete redesign of the entire plate structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The distribution means acts as an intermediary element between the openings and the circulation channels. It mediates the fluid flow by using protuberances to disrupt and redirect the flow, thereby improving distribution without directly modifying the opening geometry or the channel structure.
2Productivity
If the circulation channel has a large passage section, then the heat exchanger processes fluid more quickly, but the circulation speed becomes too high reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high circulation speed into a beneficial one by using protuberances to create controlled turbulence and flow disruption. This increases the residence time of fluid in the circulation channel and enhances heat transfer efficiency, while maintaining the large passage section for high productivity.
3Device complexity
If the heat exchanger operates in a vertical position with collectors aligned vertically, then the structure is simple, but gravitational attraction causes uneven fluid distribution to lower channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses protuberances in the distribution means to counteract the gravitational effect. These protuberances create flow disruption and pressure distribution that compensates for the gravitational pull, ensuring that upper and lower circulation channels receive equal fluid distribution despite the vertical orientation.
4Loss of energy
If protuberances are added to disrupt fluid flow, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a distribution means with protuberances at specific locations within the circulation channel. These protuberances create localized flow disruption and redistribution effects, ensuring that fluid is evenly distributed across all channels including peripheral ones, without requiring complete redesign of the entire plate structure.
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 optimized plate design enhances the distribution and circulation of refrigerant and heat transfer liquids, leading to improved heat transfer efficiency and temperature modification across the heat exchanger, particularly in peripheral zones, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the heat exchanger.
Implementation Method 1
The plate (105) is provided with a distribution means (300, 400) intended to disrupt a flow of the refrigerant (4) and/or the heat transfer liquid (6) inside the channels (111a, 111b) that the refrigerant (4) and the heat transfer liquid (6) occupy respectively
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant at constant pressure, an expansion member for allowing expansion of the refrigerant and a heat exchanger which is arranged to allow heat transfer between the refrigerant and the heat transfer liquid
Implementation Method 3
the refrigerant and/or heat transfer fluid flows into the collectors in such a way as to supply more refrigerant and/or heat transfer fluid to the lower circulation channels than to the upper circulation channels, due to the gravitational attraction of the refrigerant and/or heat transfer fluid
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a constituent plate (105) of a heat exchanger, intended to delimit at least one fluid circulation channel (111a, 111b). The plate (105) comprises a bottom (106) and at least one raised edge (107) which surrounds the bottom (106). The plate (105) comprises at least one opening (110) that is configured to supply the duct (111a, 111b) with fluid. The opening (110) is formed with an opening profile (X1). The plate (105) is equipped with a fluid distribution means (300) formed with a distribution means profile (X2) which is homothetic with the opening profile (X1) of the opening (110).