Outdoor Unit Heat Pipe Cooling with Protected Electric Component Box
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Solution Overview
Problem
Outdoor units for refrigeration apparatuses face reliability issues due to the degradation of heat pipes from exposure to air flows and contact with other devices, leading to decreased cooling performance and weather resistance.
Innovation Solution
The heat pipe is housed within an electric component box, shielded from direct air flow and contact, with a main body thermally connecting the heat pipe to heat radiating fins, ensuring effective heat exchange while protecting the heat pipe from damage and corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the heat pipe is disposed in the blowing space to cool the heat generating component, then the cooling performance is improved, but the heat pipe undergoes deformation, damage, and electrolytic corrosion due to contact with other devices and direct exposure to air flow, leading to decreased reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the outdoor unit into separate functional spaces: the electric component box houses the heat pipe and power device, while the blowing space contains the fan and heat radiating fins. This spatial segmentation protects the heat pipe from direct exposure to air flow and contact with other devices, preventing deformation, damage, and corrosion while maintaining cooling functionality through thermal connection between the separated components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary structure (the electric component box) that thermally connects the heat pipe to the heat radiating fins while physically isolating the heat pipe from the blowing space. This intermediary allows heat transfer without direct exposure, resolving the contradiction between cooling performance and weather resistance
2Power
If the heat pipe is exposed to direct air flow for heat exchange, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but the heat pipe undergoes deterioration, corrosion, and alteration, hindering satisfactory cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The heat radiating fins act as an intermediary heat exchange surface that is exposed to air flow, while the heat pipe remains protected inside the electric component box. Thermal energy is transferred from the power device through the heat pipe to the heat radiating fins, which then dissipate heat to the air flow, achieving efficient heat dissipation without direct exposure of the heat pipe to harmful environmental factors
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 reliability and weather resistance of the heat pipe, maintaining effective cooling performance and reducing the risk of deformation, damage, and corrosion, thus ensuring reliable operation of the refrigeration apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pipe (83), a plurality of first heat radiating fins (81), and a main body (82). A coolant is sealed in the heat pipe (83). The coolant is used for heat exchange with the first heat generating component (65)
Implementation Method 2
The first heat radiating fins (81) are located on a flow path of the air flow (AF). The first heat radiating fins (81) are configured to exchange heat with the air flow (AF)
Implementation Method 3
A coolant is sealed in the heat pipe (83). The coolant is used for heat exchange with the first heat generating component (65)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is an outdoor unit for a refrigeration apparatus, the outdoor unit being capable of suppressing decrease in reliability in cooling a first heat generating component using a heat pipe. An outdoor unit (10) includes: an outdoor fan (18) configured to provide outdoor air flow (AF); an outdoor unit casing (40); a high-heat generating electric component (65); a compressor control board (76) on which the high-heat generating electric component (65) is mounted; an electric component box (50) housing therein the compressor control board (76); and a first cooling unit (80) configured to cool the high-heat generating electric component (65). The first cooling unit (80) includes: a heat pipe (83); a plurality of first cooling unit fins (81) located on a flow path of the outdoor air flow (AF); and a first cooling unit main body (82) interposed between the heat pipe (83) and the first cooling unit fins (81) to thermally connect the heat pipe (83) to the first cooling unit fins (81). The heat pipe (83) is located in the electric component box (50), and is adjacent to the high-heat generating electric component (65).