Convergent-Divergent Nozzle Cooling for Compressor-Free Air Conditioning

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing air-conditioning methods are inefficient due to the compressing stage, which heats the refrigerant and requires excessive energy to dissipate the heat, with the compressor consuming about 75% of the power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A method and system using a convergent-divergent nozzle to accelerate the gas, converting its internal energy into kinetic energy, creating a cold zone, and utilizing a heat exchanger to exploit this coldness for cooling, along with an axial turbine to further decrease the flow temperature and generate power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stress or pressure

If a compressor is used to compress the refrigerant gas, then the refrigerant pressure is increased to enable liquefaction, but the refrigerant temperature increases significantly (to about 80°C) requiring additional energy and heat exchange equipment to remove the heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefrigerant pressureVSAvoidcompressor energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the harmful heating effect from the compression process by separating the pressure increase function from the temperature increase function. The refrigerant is pressurized without significant heating, and the compression heat is completely eliminated, requiring no heat rejection equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the traditional mechanical compressor with an acoustic field-based pressure generation system. High-power sound waves create acoustic pressure that pressurizes the refrigerant without the mechanical compression heating effect, fundamentally changing the compression mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Stress or pressure

If a compressor is used to compress the refrigerant gas, then the refrigerant pressure is increased to enable liquefaction, but additional heat exchange equipment is required to dissipate the compression heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefrigerant pressureVSAvoidheat exchange equipment

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the harmful heating effect from the compression process by separating the pressure increase function from the temperature increase function. The refrigerant is pressurized without significant heating, and the compression heat is completely eliminated, requiring no heat rejection equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat exchanger serves dual functions: it pre-cools the incoming refrigerant gas and simultaneously serves as the evaporation chamber where the refrigerant absorbs heat from the cooled space. This eliminates the need for separate heat rejection equipment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If the refrigerant is compressed to high pressure, then it can be liquefied and subsequently evaporated to provide cooling, but the compression process consumes about 75% of the total power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefrigerant temperatureVSAvoidtotal power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the traditional mechanical compressor with an acoustic field-based pressure generation system. High-power sound waves create acoustic pressure that pressurizes the refrigerant without the mechanical compression heating effect, fundamentally changing the compression mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes the phase transition of the refrigerant from gas to liquid and back to gas as the core cooling mechanism. The refrigerant is pressurized into liquid state, absorbs heat from the cooled space during evaporation, and releases heat in the heat exchanger, creating an efficient refrigeration cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

4Stress or pressure

If the refrigerant is compressed to high pressure, then it can be liquefied for the refrigeration cycle, but the compression process generates undesirable heat that reduces system efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverefrigerant pressureVSAvoidcompression heat

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the traditional mechanical compressor with an acoustic field-based pressure generation system. High-power sound waves create acoustic pressure that pressurizes the refrigerant without the mechanical compression heating effect, fundamentally changing the compression mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the high-power sound waves, which would otherwise be wasted energy, into useful acoustic pressure for refrigerant compression. The acoustic field that would normally represent energy loss becomes the driving force for the refrigeration cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 approach reduces energy consumption for cooling, achieves lower temperatures for effective air-conditioning, and allows for the generation of electrical power or mechanical energy, while providing a more efficient cooling process.

Implementation Method 1

While the gas advances toward smaller cross section areas it accelerates. The kinetic energy added to the gas is on the expense of the gas own internal energy, thus the gas become colder as it accelerates.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConversion of internal energy to kinetic energy: Adiabatic Cooling

Implementation Method 2

A major aspect of the invention is the use of heat exchanger in the cold zone to make use of this 'coldness' to be a cooling unit of an air-condition and air conditioning method.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 3

the installation of an axial turbine within a convergent-divergent nozzle, where the gas speed is high, close to the nozzle throat, so that the turbine extracts energy from the gas flow, to further decrease the flow temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTurbine energy extraction: Turbine

Data Source

PatentUS8978381B2Method for cooling air and devices

Publication Date: 2015.03.17 HIRSHBERG ISRAEL

AI summary

A method of constructing self-powered air-conditioner comprises a convergent divergent nozzle where powered fan pushes air into said nozzle. While the pushed air accelerates toward the nozzle throat it becomes colder as air internal energy transformed into kinetic energy. An axial turbine installed within the nozzle throat extracts energy from the air in the nozzle and drives an electrical generator that provides electricity to the fan electric motor. Alternatively the turbine and fan are installed on common shaft, which could be the electric generator shaft. The cold air within the nozzle throat cools the nozzle throat skin, which serves as air-conditioner core. The cold nozzle skin is wrapped with coiled pipes in which liquid flows, becomes colder and this cold liquid flows away to heat exchanger where air is flowing through it and becomes colder. This cold air is then flows into spaces needed to be air-conditioned.