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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerant circuits, particularly in motor vehicle systems, the existing collectors fail to effectively separate gaseous and liquid phases, leading to reduced subcooling effectiveness and optimal evaporator performance due to the presence of gaseous refrigerant entering the subcooling zone, which limits temperature drop and overall efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A collector design with a fluid collection space, an inlet channel that directs fluid in a circular or spiral path, and a dryer arrangement to enhance phase separation, ensuring minimal gaseous refrigerant is carried out, featuring a cylindrical housing with a round cross-section, a pipe bend outlet, and a fluid deflection element to promote gas-liquid separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If refrigerant flows directly from the condenser into the subcooling zone, then the subcooling effectiveness is reduced because gaseous refrigerant must first condense instead of being subcooled, but this direct flow path is simpler in structure
Solution Approach 1:
The collector is divided into distinct functional zones: a separation zone with spiral flow path for gas-liquid separation, and a subcooling zone for temperature reduction. This segmentation allows the system to first separate phases effectively, then subcool the liquid refrigerant without energy loss to gas condensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral inlet channel performs preliminary gas-liquid separation before the refrigerant enters the subcooling zone. By removing gaseous refrigerant in advance, the subcooling zone can focus entirely on cooling the liquid phase, maximizing subcooling effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a traditional straight inlet channel is used, then the structure is simpler, but gaseous and liquid phases are not effectively separated leading to reduced evaporator performance
Solution Approach 1:
The inlet channel features a spiral curved path instead of a straight configuration. This curvature generates centrifugal forces that enhance gas-liquid separation, with gas rising to the outer wall and liquid flowing along the inner wall to the outlet, significantly improving phase separation effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the collector operates at varying fill levels, then it adapts to different operating conditions, but the gaseous proportion in exiting liquid refrigerant increases reducing subcooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The spiral flow path creates dynamic centrifugal separation that adapts to varying flow rates and fill levels. At any operating condition, the spiral motion maintains effective gas-liquid separation, ensuring that liquid exiting the collector has minimal gaseous proportion regardless of the collector's fill level.
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 significantly reduces the gaseous proportion in the liquid refrigerant exiting the collector, improving subcooling efficiency and enhancing the performance of subsequent evaporator stages by ensuring effective phase separation and optimal refrigerant utilization across varying operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the inlet channel is shaped such that the fluid flowing out of the channel outlet flows out in a lateral direction at a distance from the central axis of the collector. This ensures that the fluid flows in a circular or spiral path in the collector and thus good separation of gaseous and liquid refrigerant is achieved
Implementation Method 2
a desiccant is often also provided in the collector in order to dry the refrigerant and to filter out moisture from the refrigerant
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a receiver (20), comprising a receiver housing (21). The receiver housing has a fluid-receiving chamber (25), a fluid inlet (26), and a fluid outlet (27). A drier (36) is provided in the fluid-receiving chamber (25). The receiver is characterized in that an inlet channel (28) protrudes into the fluid-receiving chamber (25), which inlet channel has a channel outlet (30) in the fluid-receiving chamber (25) and conducts fluid into the fluid-receiving chamber (25) from the fluid inlet (26) as a channel inlet (31), the inlet channel (28) being shaped in such a way that the fluid flowing out of the channel outlet (30) flows out in a lateral direction. The invention further relates to a condenser having a receiver.