Resilient-Blade Heat Exchanger Insert for Airflow Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers in vehicle air conditioning systems face challenges in efficiently conditioning air for separate compartments, such as the front and rear compartments, due to air leakage and crosstalk between different sections, which affects the independent temperature control of each compartment.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a comb-shaped insert with resiliently deformable blades that are inserted between tubes in a heat exchanger core, forming a partition between sections to restrict air leakage and allow independent conditioning of air for each compartment by creating a resilient aperture that can be squished to fit tightly between tubes, thereby maintaining separate air flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid partition is used to separate sections, then air leakage is restricted, but the insert cannot be easily installed or removed and may damage tubes during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The partition is designed with flexible blades that can dynamically change their configuration. During installation, the blades are bent to reduce width for easy insertion between tubes. Once in position, the blades resiliently return to their original wider configuration to effectively restrict air leakage. This dynamic transformation resolves the contradiction between easy installation and effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition uses flexible blade elements made of resilient material that can bend and deform. These flexible blades are inserted between tubes and then resiliently return to their original shape, creating an effective air seal without requiring rigid structures that would be difficult to install. The flexibility allows the partition to adapt to the space between tubes while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
2Reliability
If the insert width is made large to effectively partition sections, then air crosstalk is reduced, but the insert becomes difficult to insert between tubes
Solution Approach 1:
The insert blades are designed to dynamically change width. During insertion, the blades are bent to reduce their width to fit between tubes. After insertion, the blades resiliently return to their full width to effectively prevent air crosstalk. This dynamic size transformation resolves the contradiction between large size for effectiveness and small size for ease of insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of blade width is changed temporarily during installation. The blades are compressed to a smaller width for insertion, then return to their original larger width to provide effective partitioning. This parameter transformation allows the insert to satisfy both requirements: easy insertion and effective air crosstalk prevention.
3Reliability
If multiple separate inserts are used to partition different sections, then air flow separation is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple partition functions are merged into a single integrated insert structure. The insert includes a base with multiple blades extending from it, allowing one component to perform the partitioning function across multiple sections simultaneously. This merging reduces the total number of separate inserts needed while maintaining effective air flow separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The single insert structure is designed to perform multiple partitioning functions simultaneously. The base and blade configuration allows the insert to separate different air flows across multiple sections of the heat exchanger, making one component serve multiple partitioning purposes and reducing overall system complexity.
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 solution effectively restricts air crosstalk between compartments, allowing for independent temperature control and conditioning of air in the front and rear compartments, enhancing the efficiency of the air conditioning system by maintaining separate air flows and reducing leakage.
Implementation Method 1
At least one of the blades has a spring portion, which is resiliently deformable and configured to be resiliently inserted between two of the tubes
Implementation Method 2
The spring portion is resiliently deformable inward to squish the aperture when the spring portion is inserted between two of the tubes
Data Source
AI summary
An insert is configured to be inserted into a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes. The insert includes a base and a multiple blades. The blades are extended from the base. At least one of the blades has a spring portion. The spring portion is resiliently deformable and configured to be resiliently inserted between two of the tubes.