Refrigerant Coupling Unit With Expansion Valve for Even Flow Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant circuits in vehicles face challenges in connecting and disconnecting refrigerant lines, especially when installed in vehicles where acceleration forces and spatial changes affect the even distribution of the refrigerant gas-liquid mix, making it difficult to maintain refrigerating capacity and simplify component replacement.
Innovation Solution
A coupling unit with an expansion valve and a common fastening device that allows easy connection and disconnection of refrigerant lines, featuring a seal between the wall and the expansion valve to compensate for tolerances and thermal expansions, and a refrigerant distributor that ensures even distribution of the refrigerant to sub-lines, maintaining the hydraulic cross-section and minimizing phase segregation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the refrigerant circuit is installed in a vehicle subject to acceleration forces and spatial position changes, then the system adapts to vehicle operation conditions, but the even distribution of refrigerant gas-liquid mix to sub-lines becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies equipotentiality by positioning the throttle point and refrigerant distributor at the same elevation level within the coupling unit. This equalizes the gravitational potential for refrigerant flow to all sub-lines, ensuring that the gas-liquid mix distributes evenly to all evaporators regardless of the vehicle's spatial orientation or acceleration forces. The horizontal arrangement creates equivalent flow paths that are insensitive to external forces.
2Ease of manufacture
If the coupling connections are detachably connected to the expansion valve via common fastening device, then the assembly is simplified and replacement is easier, but the seal location at the wall penetration requires additional sealing measures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a seal as an intermediary element between the wall and the coupling connections at the penetration location. This seal mediates the connection, providing a reliable barrier against refrigerant leakage where the coupling connections pass through the wall. The seal acts as a dedicated sealing component that simplifies the overall design by concentrating the sealing function at this critical interface.
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
Facilitates simple assembly and disassembly of refrigerant circuits, ensures even refrigerant distribution independent of spatial position or external forces, and allows for easy replacement of components without opening the battery housing, maintaining refrigerating capacity and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a seal between the wall and the expansion valve to compensate for tolerances and thermal expansions
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a coupling unit (16) for connecting refrigerant lines (11) of a refrigerant circuit (10), in particular for cooling a vehicle drive module, said coupling unit including an expansion valve (20) accommodated in the coupling unit (16), said expansion valve (20) separating the refrigerant circuit (10) into a first and a second sub-areas (30, 32), said coupling unit (16) being connected directly to a refrigerant feed and a refrigerant return for an evaporator (26), said coupling unit (16) respectively comprising a coupling connection (36, 38) of the refrigerant feed and the refrigerant return, which are detachably connected to the expansion valve (20) via a common fastening device (44), and with the common fastening device (44) having at least one fastening element (48) that is accessible for connecting and disconnecting from a side of the expansion valve (20) that faces away from the coupling connections (36, 38).