Nested Evaporator Pipe Layout for Uniform Refrigerator Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerating apparatuses with nonazeotropic refrigerant mixtures face challenges in achieving sufficient evaporation of refrigerants with lower evaporation temperatures and uniform temperature distribution within storage units, due to inefficient cooling and increased manufacturing costs associated with complex evaporation pipe configurations.
Innovation Solution
The refrigerating apparatus features a nested comb-shaped configuration for the evaporation pipes on the inner box's side plates, with straight and corner portions arranged in a vertical order, allowing for improved thermal contact and reduced manufacturing complexity, while maintaining equal distances between pipe sections to enhance cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If air-cooling is used in the heat exchanger, then the structure is simple, but the evaporation temperatures of refrigerants with lower boiling points cannot be sufficiently decreased
Solution Approach 1:
A heat exchanger using refrigerant from the first refrigerant circuit as an intermediary cooling medium is introduced. This refrigerant-based heat exchanger cools the second and third refrigerants more effectively than air-cooling, achieving the required low evaporation temperatures without increasing structural complexity excessively.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple circuits: the first refrigerant circuit serves as a cooling source for the second and third refrigerants through the heat exchanger. This segmentation allows each circuit to be optimized independently, with the first circuit providing controlled cooling to achieve the low temperatures needed for the lower-boiling-point refrigerants.
2Temperature
If meandering evaporation pipe configuration is used, then temperature distribution uniformity is improved, but manufacturing complexity and attachment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporation pipe is extended into the vertical dimension by attaching it to the side plates of the inner box. The pipe meanders vertically along the side plates, utilizing the height dimension to achieve comprehensive thermal contact with the storage space while maintaining a systematic and manufacturable configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporation pipe is pre-formed with a specific meandering shape that is designed to attach to the side plates. This preliminary shaping allows for standardized manufacturing and simplifies the attachment process, as the pipe configuration is prepared in advance rather than requiring complex on-site installation.
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 the cooling efficiency and evenness of temperature distribution inside the storage unit, while simplifying the attachment process and reducing manufacturing costs by ensuring effective thermal contact and uniform cooling across the storage area.
Implementation Method 1
the first and second evaporation pipes are disposed on the side plates of the inner box... ensuring effective thermal contact
Implementation Method 2
evaporated by the evaporator... brought to a low-temperature and low-pressure state by being gasified at the evaporator
Implementation Method 3
cooled and condensed (liquefied) by the condenser... the refrigerant is liquefied when cooled by the condenser
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerating apparatus includes an insulation housing including an inner box. The inner box has side plates and first and second refrigerating circuits including a first evaporation pipe and a second evaporation pipe, respectively. The first and second evaporation pipes are disposed on the side plates. The first and second evaporation pipes are bent so as to form a first comb shape and a second comb shape, respectively. The first and the second comb shapes form a nested structure. The first and second evaporation pipes include a first straight portion and a second straight portion extending the horizontal direction, respectively. A first distance between the first straight portion of the first evaporation pipe and the first straight portion of the second evaporation pipe and a second distance between the first straight portion of the second evaporation pipe and the second straight portion of the second evaporation pipe are substantially equal.