Heat Transfer Pipe Spiral Insert for Eco-Refrigerant Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat transfer pipes experience reduced efficiency when using eco-friendly refrigerants like R1233zd, as the fluid flow does not contact the inner surface evenly, leading to incomplete heat transfer and reduced performance, especially when compared to R-134a.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a core with a reduced pipe diameter and a spiral resistor within the heat transfer pipe to generate turbulence and vortex, enhancing heat exchange efficiency while maintaining a simple and manufacturable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional smooth heat transfer pipe is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the heat exchange efficiency is reduced when using eco-friendly refrigerants like R1233zd
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spiral resistor structure that creates turbulence and vortex flow patterns within the heat transfer pipe. This structure increases the contact between the refrigerant and pipe inner surface, effectively improving heat exchange efficiency without complicating the manufacturing process significantly
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral resistor introduces curved flow paths within the pipe, creating rotational and turbulent flow patterns. This curvature effect enhances the refrigerant's contact with the heat transfer surface, solving the efficiency problem with eco-friendly refrigerants while maintaining a relatively simple cylindrical pipe structure
2Ease of operation
If the fluid flows at constant speed without obstacles, then the flow is smooth and easy to maintain, but the heat transfer is incomplete and efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral resistor structure creates mechanical turbulence and vortex flow patterns within the pipe. This controlled disturbance enhances heat transfer by preventing stagnant zones and ensuring complete contact between the refrigerant and heat transfer surface, while the overall flow remains directed and manageable
3Reliability
If a spiral resistor is added to generate turbulence, then the heat exchange efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral resistor is designed as a relatively simple helical element that can be manufactured using conventional techniques. The structure creates the necessary turbulence and vortex flow patterns without requiring complex geometries, maintaining ease of manufacturing while achieving improved heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral resistor uses a simple curved helical geometry to generate turbulence and vortex flow. This curved structure is straightforward to manufacture and install, providing enhanced heat transfer performance without significantly increasing device complexity
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 solution improves heat exchange efficiency by ensuring complete contact between the refrigerant and the pipe surface, maintaining efficiency even with eco-friendly refrigerants, and simplifies the manufacturing process.
Implementation Method 1
a resistor for generating turbulence and vortex
Implementation Method 2
a resistor for generating turbulence and vortex
Implementation Method 3
heat exchange is performed between a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration system and cold water circulating between the cold-water demander and the refrigeration system
Data Source
AI summary
A heat transfer pipe includes an outer pipe having a space therein and extending a first direction, a core disposed in the space inside the outer pipe, defining a refrigerant flow space through which a refrigerant flows between an inner surface of the outer pipe and the core, and extending in the first direction, and a resistor disposed in the refrigerant flow space and having a spiral shape with a central axis disposed to be parallel to the first direction.