refrigerator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing refrigerator designs with multiple injection circuits and throttle valves result in complex pipeline configurations and high manufacturing costs, with low operational efficiency and limited production lot sizes, especially for large-capacity models.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator with a simplified refrigerant circuit that includes a compressor, condenser, liquid container, supercooling heat exchange portion, and evaporator connected by piping, featuring a return circuit branching from the supercooling heat exchange portion to the compressor's intermediate-pressure chamber, and a supercooling throttle valve with variable opening-degree, which calculates and controls the refrigerant dryness-degree to improve COP.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple injection circuits and throttle valves are used to control refrigerant flow and temperature, then the refrigeration control precision is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the intermediate-pressure injection circuit and suction injection circuit into a single common injection circuit. The injection valve is positioned to allow refrigerant to be injected into either the intermediate-pressure chamber or suction side of the compressor through the same circuit, eliminating the need for separate circuits and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining control precision
Solution Approach 2:
The common injection circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it can inject refrigerant to the intermediate-pressure chamber for discharge temperature control, inject to the suction side for suction temperature control, and provide supercooling by injecting to the liquid refrigerant path. This multi-functional design replaces multiple specialized circuits with one versatile system
2Productivity
If multiple throttle valves with variable opening-degrees are installed to control intermediate-pressure and supercooling, then the operational efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the intermediate-pressure throttle valve and supercooling throttle valve into a single throttle valve within the common injection circuit. This single valve controls refrigerant flow to multiple destinations (intermediate-pressure chamber, suction side, and liquid refrigerant path), reducing the number of components and simplifying manufacturing while maintaining operational efficiency through centralized control
Solution Approach 2:
The injection valve is designed with variable opening-degree capability that can be dynamically adjusted based on operating conditions. The control system varies the valve opening to optimize refrigerant injection rates for different modes (intermediate-pressure injection, suction injection, supercooling), maintaining high operational efficiency with a single dynamic component rather than multiple fixed or variable valves
3Ease of operation
If a complex pipeline configuration with separate injection circuits is used, then the refrigerant flow control is improved, but the ease of manufacture and production scalability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate injection circuits into a common injection circuit with a single injection valve, significantly reducing the number of pipes, connections, and components. This simplified configuration is easier to manufacture and assemble, enabling larger production lots and better scalability while maintaining effective refrigerant flow control through the unified circuit design
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 simplifies the pipeline and component setup, reduces manufacturing costs, and enhances operational efficiency by improving the coefficient of performance (COP) and allowing for larger production lots and cost-effective manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a supercooling heat exchange portion for supercooling the liquid refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a compressor, a condenser, a liquid container, a supercooling heat exchange portion
Implementation Method 3
a compressor, a condenser, a liquid container
Implementation Method 4
a throttle valve, and an evaporator connected in this order by piping
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A refrigerator provided with a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor 3, a condenser 6, a liquid container 10, a supercooling heat exchange portion 28, a throttle valve 20, and an evaporator 21 connected in this order by piping, a return circuit 29 that branches from a downstream position in a refrigerant flowing direction of the supercooling heat exchange portion 28 in the refrigerant circuit and leads to an intermediate-pressure chamber 3A of the compressor 3 via the supercooling heat exchange portion 28, a supercooling throttle valve 49 with a variable valve opening-degree that is disposed on a refrigerant inlet side of the supercooling heat exchange portion 28 in the return circuit 29, and operation state detecting means 61 that detects operation state data in the refrigerant circuit, in which dryness-degree calculating means 62 that calculates a dryness-degree of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the supercooling heat exchange portion 28 in the return circuit 29 on the basis of the detected operation state data and supercooling throttle valve control means 64 that controls the valve opening-degree of the supercoolling throttle valve 49 so that the calculated dryness-degree gets close to the value of 1.