Multi-Orifice Refrigerant Return Structure for Stable Superheat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigerant dryer systems experience inefficiencies due to erratic refrigerant return, leading to poor dew point performance, energy waste, and equipment wear, as expansion valves struggle to maintain optimal operation across varying loads, resulting in constant hunting between over and underfeeding.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerant receiving apparatus with a flow metering structure that modulates refrigerant return through a series of orifices, allowing controlled, metered refrigerant flow to stabilize superheat and maintain a balanced evaporator level, preventing hunting and ensuring consistent dew point temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional expansion valves are used to control refrigerant flow, then the system can respond to load changes, but the valve hunts between overfeeding and underfeeding refrigerant, causing unstable superheat and poor dew point performance
Solution Approach 1:
A flow metering structure with multiple orifices is introduced as an intermediary device between the refrigerant source and the evaporator. This structure meters and stabilizes refrigerant flow by distributing it through multiple controlled openings, preventing the hunting behavior of conventional expansion valves while maintaining adaptability to load changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow control parameter from a single variable valve opening to a fixed multi-orifice configuration. This parameter change stabilizes the refrigerant flow characteristics, eliminating the oscillatory hunting behavior while maintaining adequate response to load variations through the combined effect of multiple orifices.
2Reliability
If refrigerant flow is increased to maintain low dew point, then moisture removal improves, but energy consumption increases and equipment wear accelerates
Solution Approach 1:
The flow metering structure with multiple orifices enables the system to self-regulate refrigerant flow distribution. The fixed orifice configuration provides inherent flow stabilization that maintains consistent evaporator performance and dew point control without requiring excessive refrigerant flow, thereby reducing energy consumption and equipment wear.
3Quantity of substance
If a single large orifice is used for refrigerant return, then flow capacity is sufficient, but flow control precision is poor, causing hunting behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The single large orifice is segmented into multiple smaller orifices. This segmentation maintains the total flow capacity equivalent to the original large orifice while providing superior flow control precision. The multiple small orifices distribute the refrigerant flow more evenly and reduce hunting behavior through improved flow characteristics.
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 system achieves stable, balanced refrigerant flow, reducing energy waste and extending equipment life by maintaining a consistent dew point temperature and preventing hunting, thus optimizing refrigerant dryer performance across varying loads.
Implementation Method 1
A flow metering structure with a series of orifices meters and stabilizes the return of refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a series of heat exchanger vessels and/or other heat transfer apparatus
Implementation Method 3
water in excess of the humidity capacity condenses as moisture on machine or product surfaces
Implementation Method 4
a refrigerant compressor (with appropriate accumulator and receiver apparatus)
Implementation Method 5
an expansion valve to feed or deliver compressed refrigerant into a heat exchange type vessel, where the expansion of refrigerant produces a coldest point for heat exchange purposes
Data Source
AI summary
A system for modulating refrigerant flow from an evaporator of an air or gas drying apparatus wherein the air or gas drying apparatus has an evaporator shell with at least one exit orifice for return of refrigerant to an accumulator or compressor. The system comprising a flow metering structure connected to the at least one exit orifice, the structure having an internal tube with a vertical rise from an evaporator shell end to an accumulator or compressor end, the internal tube having at least one return orifice (a) which allows passage of liquid refrigerant outside the internal tube into the internal tube, and at least one return orifice (b) which allows passage of gas outside the internal tube into the internal tube.