A heat exchanger with horizontally positioned receiver drier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat exchangers with horizontally positioned receiver driers face packaging issues due to limited space and suffer reduced performance when vehicles are subjected to angular displacement, leading to insufficient refrigerant supply and vapor contamination in the sub-cooling section.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger configuration with a horizontally positioned receiver drier featuring a tubular casing, strategically positioned inlet and outlet ports, and a suction tube that maintains fluid communication below the central axis, preventing vapor from reaching the sub-cooling section and ensuring consistent refrigerant supply regardless of vehicle orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the receiver drier is horizontally positioned between the condenser and expansion valve, then the packaging space is reduced and compact configuration is achieved, but the refrigerant supply to sub-cooling section becomes insufficient when the vehicle is subjected to angular displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube is positioned at an inclined angle relative to the horizontal axis of the receiver drier, introducing a vertical dimension to the fluid communication path. This angular configuration allows the tube to extend from the lower portion of the receiver drier towards the sub-cooling section, ensuring that gravity assists refrigerant flow while maintaining compact horizontal packaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction tube is pre-positioned during manufacturing to extend below the central axis of the receiver drier and connect to the sub-cooling section. This preliminary configuration ensures that regardless of vehicle angular displacement during operation, the tube maintains proper fluid communication without requiring adjustment or additional components.
2Device complexity
If the receiver drier is horizontally positioned, then the device complexity is reduced, but refrigerant vapour reaches the sub-cooling section along with condensed refrigerant, adversely affecting condenser efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet port is specifically positioned at the lower end of the receiver drier, creating a localized fluid communication path that preferentially draws liquid refrigerant. This local quality differentiation ensures that the suction tube receives primarily liquid refrigerant from the lower portion while vapour, being lighter, remains separated in the upper portion of the horizontal receiver drier.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction tube is configured to connect at equipotential levels with the liquid refrigerant in the receiver drier, ensuring that liquid refrigerant flows to the sub-cooling section without creating conditions that would allow vapour to follow. This equipotential configuration maintains simple horizontal positioning while preventing vapour contamination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the suction tube receives fluid from the lower portion below the central axis, then sufficient liquid refrigerant is supplied to the sub-cooling section regardless of vehicle orientation, but the tube configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube is configured with sufficient length and appropriate routing to accommodate dynamic vehicle orientations. The tube extends from the lower portion of the receiver drier and connects to the sub-cooling section with enough slack and proper routing to maintain fluid communication whether the vehicle is level or angularly displaced, ensuring adaptability without rigid constraints.
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 allows for compact packaging and maintains high efficiency by ensuring sufficient refrigerant supply to the sub-cooling section, preventing vapor contamination, and mitigating the impact of angular displacement on performance.
Implementation Method 1
The suction tube is configured to enable receiving of the liquid from a lower portion of the tubular casing defined below a central axis O of the tubular casing
Implementation Method 2
The desiccant section is configured between the lateral ends and receives desiccant material therein
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The condenser includes a first and a second core and a receiver drier, the first and the second cores include a first and a second pair of collectors respectively for heat exchange fluid, wherein at least the first pair of collectors are arranged substantially vertically. The receiver drier includes a tubular casing, an inlet and an outlet port, a desiccant section and a suction tube. The inlet and outlet ports are configured at opposite lateral ends of the tubular casing. The desiccant section is configured between the lateral ends of the tubular casing. The suction tube configures fluid communication between the desiccant section and the outlet port. The receiver drier is disposed horizontally, wherein the suction tube is configured to enable receiving of the fluid from a lower portion of the tubular casing along the vertical direction and upstream of the suction tube in direction of fluid flow in the receiver drier.