Multi-Injection Compressor Layout for Extreme-Temperature Air Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face challenges in achieving sufficient refrigerant circulation for desired cooling and heating performance, especially at extreme outside air temperatures, due to the limitations of existing refrigerant injection systems which often require large and costly compressors.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner employs a multi-stage compression system with multiple refrigerant injection flow paths and expansion units, allowing for sequential injection of refrigerant into the compressor at different pressures, optimizing refrigerant circulation and supercooling through a series of internal heat exchangers and expansion devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large capacity compressor is used to ensure sufficient refrigerant circulation at extreme temperatures, then cooling and heating performance is improved, but manufacturing cost and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single compression process into multiple stages by adding an intermediate compression chamber. Refrigerant is compressed in stages: first in the suction chamber, then injected into the intermediate chamber for further compression, and finally discharged after third compression. This segmentation allows a smaller overall compressor to achieve the same refrigeration effect that would otherwise require a large single-stage compressor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the intermediate compression chamber within the compressor structure, with the orbiting scroll containing multiple compression chambers (first, second, and third compression chambers). The intermediate chamber is positioned such that refrigerant flows through nested compression zones, allowing multi-stage compression within a compact footprint, thereby reducing the overall compressor size while maintaining performance.
2Reliability
If a large capacity compressor is used to ensure sufficient refrigerant circulation at extreme temperatures, then cooling and heating performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the orbiting scroll structure, which simultaneously serves as the housing for multiple compression chambers (suction, intermediate, and discharge chambers) and the mechanism for multi-stage compression. The fixed scroll and orbiting scroll work together to create all compression zones and refrigerant flow paths, eliminating the need for separate external components for each compression stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The orbiting scroll mechanism performs multiple functions: it creates the suction chamber for initial refrigerant intake, forms the intermediate compression chamber for mid-stage compression, generates the discharge chamber for final compression, and provides the injection ports for refrigerant transfer between stages. This multi-functionality reduces the number of dedicated components needed, simplifying the overall system despite the advanced multi-stage compression capability.
3Device complexity
If only two refrigerant injection ports are used, then device complexity is reduced, but sufficient refrigerant circulation at very high or low outside air temperatures cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refrigerant injection process into multiple discrete ports positioned at different locations and angles within the compression chamber. Instead of using a single injection point or two ports, the system employs four or more injection ports that introduce refrigerant at different stages and locations of the compression cycle, ensuring sufficient total refrigerant circulation even under extreme temperature conditions while maintaining a relatively simple injection mechanism.
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 refrigerant circulation and supercooling, improving both cooling and heating performance while reducing the need for large compressors, thus increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a first expansion unit (35) and a second expansion unit (55), which are provided between the condenser and the evaporator, to expand the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a first internal heat exchanger (50) to supercool the refrigerant that is passed through the condenser
Implementation Method 3
a compressor (10) to compress the refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
an inside heat exchanger which exchanges heat with the inside air
Implementation Method 5
an outside heat exchanger which exchanges heat with outside air
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes a compressor having a suction unit and a plurality of injection inlets, an inside heat exchanger into which refrigerant compressed in the compressor is introduced during a heating operation, an outside heat exchanger into which refrigerant compressed in the compressor is introduced during a cooling operation, a plurality of refrigerant separation devices through which refrigerant condensed in the inside heat exchanger or the outside heat exchanger pass, a plurality of injection flow paths which extends from the three refrigerant separation devices to the plurality of injection inlets, and a bypass flow path which extends from any one injection flow path among the plurality of injection flow paths to the suction unit of the compressor.