Refrigerant vaporizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigeration systems face inefficiencies in separating refrigerant from lubricant oil mixtures, particularly in reclaiming high viscosity oil for compressor lubrication, as existing vaporizers do not effectively manage heat transfer and oil separation, leading to suboptimal oil return and potential losses in chiller efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vaporizer system with a two-stage heating element, a housing enclosing a vaporizer chamber and sump, and a gas flowpath for heat exchange, where a gas flowpath extends from the hot gas inlet to the cooled gas outlet, allowing for controlled heat transfer and separation of refrigerant and oil flows, with operational modes adjusting based on temperature thresholds to optimize oil and refrigerant separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vaporizer is used to separate refrigerant from refrigerant/lubricant mixture, then refrigerant can be removed from the mixture, but the oil separation efficiency and viscosity maintenance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The vaporizer is divided into multiple chambers including a first chamber for initial separation and a second chamber for further separation. Oil and refrigerant are separated in stages through different zones, with the first chamber handling bulk separation and the second chamber providing refined separation, thereby improving overall separation efficiency without requiring a completely complex new design
Solution Approach 2:
A baffle plate is introduced as an intermediary element between the first and second chambers. This baffle plate facilitates the transition of the refrigerant/oil mixture between chambers and enhances the separation process by directing flow patterns, improving separation efficiency without significantly increasing overall device complexity
2Temperature
If hot gas bypass flow is used for heat exchange, then refrigerant vaporization is achieved, but heat transfer efficiency and oil temperature control are suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the vaporizer are designed with different thermal characteristics. The first chamber and second chamber have different heat exchange configurations, with the hot gas bypass flow distributed to different locations to provide localized heating where needed. This allows precise temperature control of the oil while optimizing heat transfer efficiency in each zone
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchange process is extended from a single-plane contact to a three-dimensional heat transfer path. The hot gas bypass flow moves through multiple chambers and the baffle plate creates additional heat exchange surfaces, increasing the effective heat transfer area and improving overall heat transfer efficiency without requiring higher energy input
3Reliability
If refrigerant/lubricant mixture is drained from evaporator, then oil can be reclaimed, but separation effectiveness and oil quality are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The separation process is segmented into multiple stages across different chambers. The first chamber performs initial separation of refrigerant and oil, then the mixture proceeds to the second chamber for further separation. This staged approach improves oil reclamation quality by ensuring thorough separation while maintaining reasonable separation speed through parallel processing in multiple zones
Solution Approach 2:
The vaporizer is designed to maintain continuous operation with the hot gas bypass flow continuously passing through the chambers and the refrigerant/oil mixture continuously being processed. The baffle plate and chamber design ensure uninterrupted flow and separation, maintaining both high separation effectiveness and productivity without idle periods
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
The system efficiently separates refrigerant and oil, ensuring high-quality oil reclamation with minimal efficiency loss, providing adequate lubrication to compressors and maintaining chiller performance across varying operational conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A gas flowpath extends from the hot gas inlet to the cooled gas outlet... in heat exchange relation with the primary flowpath
Implementation Method 2
Heat is transferred from the gas flow to the refrigerant and oil flow
Implementation Method 3
Vaporized refrigerant is passed to compressor suction and oil is drained to an oil sump... efficiently boils the liquid refrigerant out of the mixture
Implementation Method 4
The refrigerant and oil flow is separated so that a refrigerant-rich portion exit the vents and an oil-rich portion exits the oil outlet
Implementation Method 5
The vaporizer may comprise a two-stage heating element... Running with both stages off may be when either condenser refrigerant temperature is greater than a first threshold condenser refrigerant temperature or oil temperature is greater than a first oil temperature threshold
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A vaporizer has: an inlet (72); an oil outlet (90; 94); a vent (120); a hot gas inlet (132); and a cooled gas outlet (134). A gas flowpath (130) extends from the hot gas inlet to the cooled gas outlet. A vaporizer chamber (192) is downstream of the inlet along a primary flowpath. A gas conduit (220) is along the gas flowpath in heat exchange relation with the primary flowpath. A sump (194) is below the vaporizer chamber. A housing (180) encloses the sump and the vaporizer chamber. A passageway extends from the vaporizer chamber to the sump.