Integrated Liquid-Gas Phase Separator for Compact Refrigerant Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerant circuits for vehicles suffer from inefficiency due to the presence of a significant gas phase at the evaporator inlet, leading to a 30% loss in efficiency, as conventional liquid-gas phase separators have limited capacity and are not easily integratable into compact systems.
Innovation Solution
A heat exchanger with a liquid-gas phase separator that uses a permeable gas phase and impermeable liquid phase design, featuring a phase separating element with pores or fibers, transfer passages, and a flow disruptor to separate and direct the gas phase efficiently, reducing overall dimensions while ensuring high separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional liquid-gas phase separator is used, then the refrigerant phases can be separated, but the separator has limited capacity and is not easily integratable into compact systems with reduced overall dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the phase separator with the evaporator into a single integrated heat exchanger assembly. The separator channels and evaporator channels are merged into one compact structure, allowing the phase separation function and heat exchange function to coexist in a reduced volume, directly addressing the contradiction between separation efficiency and compact dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested channel structure where first channels (for two-phase refrigerant flow) and second channels (for single-phase refrigerant flow) are positioned adjacent to each other within the same heat exchanger body. The separating element is positioned between these nested channels, enabling efficient phase separation in a compact footprint by nesting functional zones within each other
2Productivity
If the gas phase is present at the evaporator inlet, then the refrigerant circuit operation is maintained, but the evaporator efficiency decreases by about 30%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas phase from the two-phase refrigerant mixture using a separating element positioned in the first channel. The separating element allows gas molecules to pass through its wall into a second channel while retaining the liquid phase, effectively removing the gas phase that would otherwise reduce evaporator efficiency and cause energy losses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the refrigerant flow path into distinct first channels and second channels separated by a separating element. This segmentation allows the two-phase mixture to be divided into its gas and liquid components, directing the gas phase through the separating element wall into the second channel while the liquid phase continues in the first channel, thereby preventing gas-phase efficiency losses in the evaporator
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 effectively separates the liquid and gas phases, increasing evaporator efficiency and reducing overall dimensions, thereby enhancing the performance and compactness of refrigerant circuits for vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
the phase separating element is configured to be permeable to a gas phase of the refrigerant. During flow of the two-phase mixture in the phase separating element, the gas phase crosses the wall of the latter, notably by passing through the pores and/or the entangled fibres. The phase separating element is configured to be impermeable to a liquid phase of the refrigerant.
Implementation Method 2
the pores and/or the fibres are dimensioned to block the passage of the liquid phase through the wall of the separating element
Implementation Method 3
The phase separating element comprises a flow disruptor, in a hollow portion thereof. This flow disruptor makes it possible to form an obstacle to the flow of the two-phase mixture of refrigerant in the phase separating element, while increasing the contact area on which the liquid phase can accumulate.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4B
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a liquid-gas phase separator (5) for a refrigerant, comprising: - at least two channels (50, 51), with a first channel (50) extending longitudinally along a first axis (500) and a second channel (51) extending longitudinally along a second axis (510), the channels being located side by side, - a phase separating element (52) comprising pores and/or fibres, said phase separating element (52) being located in the first channel (50), and - at least one transfer passage (53) joining the channels (50, 51) together.