Heat pump laundry appliance with multi-pass heat exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-pass heat exchangers in closed loop airflow circuit laundry appliances face inefficiencies due to varying refrigerant quality across multiple inlets, leading to increased cost and complexity from complex separator valves.
Innovation Solution
A laundry appliance with a multi-pass heat exchanger and a refrigerant splitter oriented vertically to direct refrigerant flow against gravity, ensuring equal refrigerant quality across inlets, and a system of tubes with varying lengths and diameters to optimize refrigerant quality distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If complex separator valves are used to equalize refrigerant quality across inlets, then refrigerant quality distribution improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex separator valve component entirely and replaces it with a simplified tube system of varying lengths that directly distributes refrigerant to multiple inlets. This extraction of the unnecessary component resolves the contradiction by achieving refrigerant quality equalization through geometric design rather than mechanical valves.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the distribution tubes (lengths and diameters) to optimize refrigerant flow characteristics. By varying tube lengths, the system compensates for pressure drops and ensures equal refrigerant quality across all inlets without requiring complex active control mechanisms.
2Quantity of substance
If multi-pass heat exchanger is used to maximize heat exchanger capacity, then refrigerant mass flow rate increases, but system pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different tube lengths and diameters to different distribution paths based on their specific requirements. Each tube is locally optimized to compensate for its position in the system, ensuring that all inlets receive refrigerant with equal quality despite the multi-pass configuration that would otherwise create varying pressure drops.
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 configuration enhances refrigerant mass flow rate while maintaining low system pressure drop, reducing the size, cost, and complexity of the closed loop airflow circuit system.
Implementation Method 1
The refrigerant splitter is oriented generally along the vertical direction... The refrigerant splitter is configured to direct a flow of refrigerant against the force of gravity
Implementation Method 2
a multi-pass heat exchanger having a plurality of inlets... configured to heat and remove moisture from process air flowing therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry appliance includes a cabinet with a drum rotatably mounted within the cabinet. The drum includes a chamber for receipt of articles for drying. The laundry appliance also includes a sealed system configured to heat and remove moisture from process air flowing therethrough. The sealed system includes a multi-pass heat exchanger and a refrigerant splitter upstream of the multi-pass heat exchanger. The refrigerant splitter is configured to direct a flow of refrigerant generally along a vertical direction and/or against the force of gravity.