Heat Pump Refrigerant Separation Sinker Shut-off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pump systems face challenges in preventing refrigerant leaks from the primary circuit from flowing into the secondary circuit, which can cause damage and pose safety risks, as current separation devices may not effectively restrict the flow of refrigerant in all scenarios, especially when the leak exceeds the breather's capacity or if the automatic vent is defective.
Innovation Solution
A separation device with a shut-off mechanism featuring a sinker and an elastic element, such as a spring, that maintains the sinker in a raised state when surrounded by a fluid with higher density, ensuring the shut-off of the opening and preventing further flow of refrigerant into the secondary circuit, even when the gravity or buoyancy forces are variable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a float is used to close the flow outlet when the heating circuit medium level drops, then the flow prevention is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the float mechanism may fail to close completely or may not respond quickly enough to large leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operating parameter from buoyancy-based (float) to gravity-based (sinker). The sinker has a mass-per-displacement-volume ratio greater than the density of the second fluid, ensuring it sinks when the fluid level drops due to a leak. This gravity-based mechanism is more reliable than buoyancy-based mechanisms because it responds deterministically to level changes without depending on fluid density variations or float mechanical failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of level detection and shut-off from the complex float mechanism and implements it through a simpler sinker-based system. The sinker directly closes the opening when it sinks, eliminating the need for complex float linkages and improving reliability while reducing mechanical complexity.
2Reliability
If a sinker with mass-per-displacement-volume ratio greater than the second fluid density is used, then the shut-off reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional elastic element and sinker mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses an elastic element (spring) as a counterweight force to balance the gravitational force on the sinker during normal operation. The spring maintains the sinker in a raised position when the second fluid is present, preventing unnecessary shut-off. When the fluid level drops, the gravitational force on the sinker exceeds the spring force, causing the sinker to sink and close the opening. This counterweight mechanism improves reliability by ensuring the shut-off only occurs when truly needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The sinker-based shut-off mechanism is self-acting and does not require external power sources, control systems, or manual intervention. The sinker automatically responds to fluid level changes by sinking or rising based on the balance between gravitational force and spring force, providing reliable automatic shut-off functionality while keeping the device structure relatively simple.
3Reliability
If the sinker is designed to close the opening when sunk, then the flow restriction is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper sealing and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a seal as an intermediary element between the sinker and the opening to ensure proper sealing. The seal compensates for manufacturing tolerances and irregularities in the sinker or opening surfaces, allowing the shut-off mechanism to function reliably without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision. The seal acts as a mediator that creates an effective barrier even when the mating surfaces are not perfectly precise.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of refrigerant flow into the secondary circuit, minimizing damage and ensuring safety by maintaining a reliable shut-off mechanism independent of gravity or buoyancy forces, thus enhancing operational reliability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The sinker can have a mass-per-displacement-volume ratio that is greater than a density of the first fluid and/or greater than a density of the second fluid
Implementation Method 2
the at least one elastic element, in particular a spring, which is preferably arranged such that it counteracts a sinking of the sinker
Implementation Method 3
at least one elastic element, in particular a spring, which is preferably arranged such that it counteracts a sinking of the sinker
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Separation device (1), preferably a refrigerant and/or air separation device, particularly for a heat pump system, for separating a first fluid, in particular a gas, from a combination, in particular a mixture, comprising the first fluid and a second fluid, in particular a liquid, preferably water, and/or a fluid with a higher density than the density of the first fluid, wherein the separation device (1) comprises: - at least one fluid outlet (6, 7), - at least one fluid inlet (5) and - a shut-off device, wherein the shut-off device comprises: - at least one sinker (9), - at least one elastic element (13), in particular a spring, which is arranged such that it counteracts a sinking of the sinker (9) and - at least one opening (7), wherein the sinker (9) can be in a raised or a lowered state, in particular depending on a level of the second fluid in the separation device (1),wherein the at least one opening (7) is closed by the at least one sinker (9) when the at least one sinker (9) is in the sunken state.