Pipe diameter determination method, pipe diameter determination apparatus, and refrigerating apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigeration apparatuses face challenges in optimizing pipe diameters of connection pipes, leading to inefficient refrigerant usage and pressure loss, as they are typically designed uniformly regardless of cooling and heating capacities, which can result in excessive refrigerant charging and increased pressure loss during heating operations.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine the pipe diameter of the liquid-side connection pipe based on the cooling and heating capacities of the refrigeration apparatus, using a cooling-heating ratio to adjust the pipe diameter dynamically, allowing for reduced refrigerant charging while maintaining acceptable pressure loss, especially during heating operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the pipe diameter of the liquid-side connection pipe is determined uniformly regardless of cooling and heating capacities, then the design is simple and easy to implement, but the refrigerant charging amount increases and pressure loss occurs during heating operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by determining pipe diameter based on the cooling-heating ratio parameter. Instead of using a fixed uniform diameter, the liquid-side connection pipe diameter is selected according to the specific cooling and heating capacity parameters of the system, allowing optimization of refrigerant flow characteristics for different operational modes while reducing overall refrigerant charging requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pipe diameter of the liquid-side connection pipe is determined uniformly regardless of cooling and heating capacities, then the installation process is simplified, but pressure loss increases during heating operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the design parameter from fixed uniform diameter to variable diameter based on cooling-heating ratio. This allows the liquid-side connection pipe to have optimized dimensions that reduce pressure loss during heating operations while maintaining ease of installation through standardized pipe size selections from a defined set of options.
3Loss of energy
If a larger pipe diameter is used for the liquid-side connection pipe, then pressure loss during heating operations is reduced, but the refrigerant charging amount increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the balance between pressure loss and refrigerant quantity by using the cooling-heating ratio as a determining parameter. This allows selection of the minimum necessary pipe diameter that achieves acceptable pressure loss during heating while avoiding excessive refrigerant charging, thereby resolving the trade-off between these two parameters.
4Quantity of substance
If the pipe diameter is reduced based on cooling and heating capacities, then refrigerant charging amount is reduced, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent manages design complexity by introducing a clear parameter-based methodology using cooling-heating ratio. While the determination method becomes more sophisticated than uniform sizing, it provides a systematic approach with defined calculation steps and standardized pipe size selections, making the increased complexity manageable and beneficial for optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining a pipe diameter of a liquid-side connection pipe in a refrigeration apparatus includes causing a computer to obtain a heating capacity, maximum heating load, and maximum cooling load; causing the computer to determine a pipe diameter of the liquid-side connection pipe by reducing a reference pipe diameter based on either a value obtained by dividing the maximum heating load by the maximum cooling load or a value obtained by subtracting the maximum heating load from the heating capacity; and installing the refrigeration apparatus using the liquid-side connection pipe having the determined pipe diameter.