Modular thermo-refrigeration unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modular thermo-refrigeration units face issues with mutual interference between refrigerant fluid circuits, inefficient defrost cycles, and uneven air distribution when dealing with odd numbers of finned batteries and circuits, leading to reduced performance and stability.
Innovation Solution
The modular thermo-refrigeration unit is designed with a combination of two types of condensing/evaporating modules, each with distinct configurations to eliminate circuit interference, allowing independent defrost cycles, improved air distribution, and optimized fan operation, while maintaining modularity and compactness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If multiple circuits are arranged in a modular thermo-refrigeration unit with fixed finned battery configurations, then the unit can handle higher power requirements, but mutual interference between circuits occurs at central modules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the modular unit into distinct types (first type with batteries on lateral faces, second type with battery on front face) to segment the refrigerant circuits spatially. This segmentation prevents mutual interference between circuits by ensuring that odd-numbered circuits use first type modules and even-numbered circuits use second type modules, eliminating the interference problem that occurs when multiple circuits share central modules.
2Ease of manufacture
If standard modular configurations are used with fixed finned battery lengths, then production and logistics are simplified, but units with odd numbers of batteries cannot efficiently utilize space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric module designs where the second type of condensing/evaporating module has a different configuration (battery on front face) compared to the first type (batteries on lateral faces). This asymmetric approach allows odd-numbered circuit configurations to use exclusively first type modules, achieving compact arrangements without the wasted space that occurs in traditional symmetric modular designs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple circuits operate simultaneously in shared modules, then the unit can serve multiple functions, but defrost cycles interfere with each other when conducted contemporarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the defrost operation from simultaneous multi-circuit operation by assigning dedicated module types to odd and even circuits. This separation allows independent defrost cycles for each circuit without mutual interference, as circuits operating in different module configurations can perform defrost operations independently without affecting each other's performance or water delivery stability.
4Device complexity
If finned batteries are arranged on lateral faces of modules, then modular combination is simplified, but air distribution becomes uneven when odd numbers of batteries are used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric module configurations to achieve uniform air distribution in odd-numbered circuit setups. By dedicating odd circuits to first type modules with lateral face batteries and even circuits to second type modules with front face batteries, the system ensures that each circuit has optimized air flow paths without the uneven distribution that occurs when multiple circuits share the same module configuration.
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 performance, stability, and efficiency, particularly at partial loads, and optimizes fan operation and unit compactness, resolving issues of mutual interference and uneven air distribution.
Implementation Method 1
prismatic shape having at least three main lateral faces (7, 8, 9). A first lateral face (7) of the module (2) has a first finned battery (13), a second lateral face (8) of the module (2) has a second finned battery (14)
Implementation Method 2
a third lateral face (9) of the module (2) has a plurality of fans (15), shared by the first and second finned batteries (13, 14)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The modular thermo-refrigeration unit (1) comprises at least a first module (2) of a first type and a second module (3) of a second type, disposed with their longitudinal axes (4, 5) transversally to the longitudinal axis (6) of the unit (1), the modules (2, 3) having a length substantially equal to the width of the unit (1) and a prismatic shape having at least three main lateral faces (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), the first module (2) comprising at least a first and a second finned battery (13, 14) present at its first and second lateral faces (7, 8) and fans (15) shared by the first and the second finned batteries (13, 14) and present at its third lateral face (9), the second module (3) comprising a finned battery (16) present at its first lateral face (10), a separator baffle part (18) present at its second lateral face (11) and a plurality of fans (17) dedicated to its finned battery (16) and present at its third lateral face (12).