Interleaved Evaporator-Condenser Heat Pump to Reduce System Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pump systems are inefficient and bulky due to the arrangement of evaporator and condenser components, which limits their compactness and efficiency, and often require additional heat exchangers that increase energy losses.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump design where the evaporator and condenser spaces are interwoven, with the condenser space extending up to the evaporator base, allowing for efficient operation and compact design, and eliminating the need for external heat exchangers by using water as the working medium, which has a higher enthalpy difference ratio than traditional refrigerants like R134a.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the evaporator and condenser are arranged separately in existing heat pump systems, then the components can be individually maintained and replaced, but the system becomes bulky and less efficient due to the need for additional heat exchangers and connection components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the evaporator and condenser into a single integrated heat exchanger assembly where the condenser is positioned directly on top of the evaporator, sharing common structural supports and connection points. This integration eliminates the need for separate mounting brackets, additional piping, and extra connection components, thereby reducing overall system volume while maintaining the functional independence of each component for maintenance purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The condenser is nested directly above the evaporator in a vertical arrangement, with the condenser base forming the upper boundary and the evaporator base forming the lower boundary of the heat exchanger assembly. This nested configuration allows both components to occupy overlapping vertical space without interfering with each other's operation, maximizing space utilization and reducing the horizontal footprint of the system.
2Power
If additional external heat exchangers are added to existing heat pump systems, then heat transfer capacity is increased, but energy losses increase and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated heat exchanger assembly allows the condenser and evaporator to share a common refrigerant circuit and structural framework, eliminating thermal losses that would occur at multiple connection points and reducing the number of heat transfer interfaces. The direct thermal coupling between the condenser base and evaporator base enables efficient heat rejection while minimizing parasitic heat losses to the surrounding environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous vertical arrangement of the condenser above the evaporator creates an uninterrupted heat transfer path through the refrigerant cycle. The refrigerant flows continuously from the evaporator through the compressor and into the condenser without requiring additional heat exchanger stages, maintaining continuous useful heat transfer action while minimizing energy losses associated with intermediate heat exchange steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If the condenser space does not extend to the evaporator base, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but space utilization is suboptimal and system compactness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser base is designed to extend down to directly contact the evaporator base, creating a unified heat exchanger assembly that maximizes vertical space utilization. This design integration allows both components to be manufactured as a single assembled unit with shared mounting interfaces, maintaining assembly simplicity while achieving optimal space utilization through the continuous vertical arrangement.
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 the efficiency and compactness of the heat pump, reduces maintenance needs, and eliminates energy losses associated with external heat exchangers, while maintaining environmental neutrality.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator (10) for evaporating water as a working liquid so as to generate water vapor
Implementation Method 2
a compressor/condenser system (14) comprising a fluid flow engine such as a radial compressor, for example in the form of a turbocompressor, which is designated by 16 in Fig. 8A. The fluid flow engine is configured to compress the working vapor to a vapor pressure at least larger than 25 hPa
Implementation Method 3
The fluid flow engine is coupled to a condenser (18) configured to condense the compressed working vapor. By means of the condensing process, the energy contained within the working vapor is fed to the condenser (18)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A heat pump includes an evaporator for evaporating working liquid within an evaporator space (102) bounded by an evaporator base (108), and a condenser for condensing evaporated working liquid within a condenser space (104) bounded by a condenser base (106), the evaporator space being at least partially surrounded by the condenser space, the evaporator space (102) being separated from the condenser space (104) by the condenser base (106), and the condenser base (106) being connected to the evaporator base (108).