Stacked-Plate Condenser With Integrated Receiver and Subcooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional condensers in stacked disk designs for air conditioning systems are complex and costly, making them unattractive due to increased production costs and complexity in integrating condensers, collectors, and supercoolers.
Innovation Solution
A condenser with a stacked-plate construction that uses a simple and compact design, integrating a collector within the refrigerant circuit, with a tube connecting the collector to the first flow channel, allowing for efficient refrigerant storage, condensation, and supercooling using predominantly identical disk elements, and incorporating an internal heat exchanger for enhanced cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional fin-tube condensers or stacked disk condensers are used with separate collectors and supercoolers, then refrigerant processing functions are achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the condenser, collector, and supercooler into a single integrated stacked disk assembly. The housing contains both the condenser disk stack and collector disk stack, with refrigerant flow channels connecting them directly. This merging eliminates separate components and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining all necessary refrigerant processing functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The stacked disk structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: the condenser disks perform heat exchange and condensation, the collector disks store refrigerant and filter/dry it, and the integrated flow channels enable supercooling. This multi-functionality within a single assembly reduces the number of separate components needed.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate collector and supercooler components are integrated into the condenser, then complete refrigerant processing is achieved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant processing system is segmented into distinct functional zones within the stacked disk assembly: condensation zones, collection zones, and supercooling zones. This segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently while using identical or similar disk elements throughout, simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in the refrigerant flow path, including flow direction reversals and pressure variations, to achieve complete condensation, collection, and supercooling within the integrated assembly. This enables efficient refrigerant processing without requiring additional separate components.
3Ease of manufacture
If identical disk elements are used throughout the stack, then manufacturing cost decreases, but functional differentiation becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent differentiates functions not by using different disk element designs, but by arranging identical disks in specific three-dimensional stacks and configurations. The functional differentiation is achieved through spatial arrangement and flow channel design rather than component variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses identical or similar disk elements repeated throughout the stack for all functional zones. This copying approach simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need for different component designs, while functional differentiation is achieved through their arrangement and connection in the refrigerant flow path.
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 results in a cost-effective, compact condenser with efficient refrigerant processing, maintaining constant refrigerant volume, and integrating drying and filtering functions, while achieving higher heat transfer performance and refrigerant subcooling.
Implementation Method 1
a first flow channel for a refrigerant and with a second flow channel for a coolant, a plurality of plate elements being provided which, when stacked on top of one another, form mutually adjacent channels between the plate elements
Implementation Method 2
the division of the flow channel, which carries the refrigerant into a first area, which is used to heat and condense the refrigerant in its vapor phase
Implementation Method 3
incorporating an internal heat exchanger for enhanced cooling
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a condenser (1, 60, 70) in stacked-plate design. The condenser comprises a first flow channel (25, 64, 73, 79) for a refrigerant and a second flow channel (26, 31, 42, 52, 67) for a coolant. A plurality of plate elements is provided, which form channels adjacent to each other between the plate elements when the plate elements are stacked on top of each other. A first subset of the channels is associated with the first flow channel (25, 64, 73, 79) and a second subset of the channels is associated with the second flow channel (26, 31, 42, 52, 67). The first flow channel (25, 64, 73, 79) has a first region (3, 80) for desuperheating and condensing the vaporous refrigerant and a second region (4, 81, 62) for subcooling the condensed refrigerant. The condenser also comprises a receiver (2) for storing a refrigerant. A refrigerant transfer from the first region (3, 80) to the second region (4, 81, 62) leads through the receiver (2). The condenser is characterized in that the receiver (2) is in fluid communication with the first region (3, 80) by means of a first connection element, which forms the fluid inlet (12) of the receiver (2), a second connection element being in fluid communication with the second region (4, 81, 62) as a fluid outlet (6) of the receiver (2).