Multiport Evaporator With Angled Surfaces for Complex-Shape Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing evaporators are inefficient in providing adequate cooling for objects with complex outer shapes lacking a single large flat surface area, as they fail to establish an effective thermal connection and sufficient cooling capacity.
Innovation Solution
An evaporator design featuring a multiport tube with angled heat receiving surfaces that can be bent to conform to the object's shape, providing a flow path between a lower and upper manifold, allowing efficient heat transfer from multiple surfaces to a fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single flat surface evaporator is used, then the structure is simple, but the cooling capacity is insufficient for objects with complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is divided into multiple evaporator sections (first evaporator section, second evaporator section, etc.), each with its own heat receiving surface oriented at different angles. This segmentation allows each section to contact different surfaces of the object to be cooled, thereby increasing the overall cooling capacity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator transitions from a single-plane flat surface to a multi-dimensional structure by bending the multiport tube to form evaporator sections at different angles. This dimensional change enables the evaporator to conform to complex object surfaces, significantly expanding the effective heat transfer area and cooling capacity
2Productivity
If the evaporator follows the shape of the object beyond flat surface sections, then the cooling capacity increases, but the thermal connection efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Each evaporator section is designed with specific local quality characteristics - the first evaporator section has a heat receiving surface oriented at a first angle for contacting one surface of the object, while the second evaporator section has a heat receiving surface oriented at a second angle for contacting another surface. This local optimization ensures optimal thermal contact at each location while maintaining overall system effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator incorporates flexible mounting capabilities that allow the evaporator sections to be dynamically adjusted and positioned to achieve optimal thermal contact with the object surfaces. The bent multiport tube structure provides inherent flexibility while maintaining rigid thermal pathways for efficient heat transfer
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple evaporator sections at different angles are used, then the adaptability to object shapes improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple evaporator sections are merged into a single integrated evaporator assembly by connecting them through the bent multiport tube. This merging approach achieves high adaptability to complex object shapes while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate evaporator components, as the entire assembly functions as one unified device with coordinated heat transfer surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator is designed as a universal cooling device that can adapt to various object shapes through its multi-section bent structure. The same evaporator assembly can be configured to cool different surface geometries by adjusting the orientation of its evaporator sections, providing multi-functionality without requiring multiple specialized components
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 design enables efficient cooling of objects with complex shapes by ensuring effective thermal contact across multiple surfaces, enhancing cooling capacity and flexibility in aligning with the object's surface, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional evaporators.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second evaporator sections passing a heat load received via the respective first and second heat receiving surfaces to a fluid in said multiport tube
Implementation Method 2
One of the outer side walls of the multiport tube is provided with a first evaporator section with a first heat receiving surface and a second evaporator section with a second heat receiving surface
Data Source
AI summary
An evaporator includes an inlet in a lower manifold, an outlet in an upper manifold, and a multiport tube extending between the lower manifold and the upper manifold. The multiport tube provides a flow path between the lower manifold and the upper manifold. One of the outer side walls of the multiport tube is provided with a first evaporator section with a first heat receiving surface and a second evaporator section with a second heat receiving surface, the first and second evaporator sections passing a heat load received via the respective first and second heat receiving surfaces to a fluid in said multiport tube. The first and second heat receiving surfaces form an angle with each other to align with and contact different surfaces of an object to be cooled.