Refrigeration cycle apparatus and refrigeration apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerant shortage determination in refrigeration apparatuses using refrigerants with temperature gradients is challenging due to the inability to distinguish between temperature differences caused by refrigerant shortage and those caused by the gradient, leading to potential misjudgment of supercooling and refrigerant availability.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration cycle apparatus with a supercooler that sets a degree of supercooling greater than the temperature gradient, and a refrigerant amount determination unit comparing this with a threshold value to accurately assess refrigerant shortage, distinguishing between supercooling and temperature gradient-induced differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the temperature difference between refrigerant inlet and outlet of supercooler is used to determine refrigerant shortage, then the determination method is simple, but it cannot distinguish between temperature difference caused by refrigerant shortage and temperature difference caused by refrigerant temperature gradient
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature difference measurement is segmented into two distinct components: the temperature gradient component (measured at the refrigerant inlet) and the supercooling component (measured at the refrigerant outlet). By separately measuring and comparing these two temperature differences, the system can isolate the supercooling effect caused by refrigerant shortage from the inherent temperature gradient of the refrigerant, thereby resolving the contradiction between simple measurement and accurate determination.
2Ease of operation
If control is performed without consideration of the temperature gradient of the refrigerant, then the control process is simple, but it leads to misjudgment that refrigerant is supercooled when refrigerant shortage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant inlet temperature difference serves as an intermediary measurement that represents the inherent temperature gradient of the refrigerant. By introducing this intermediary measurement, the system can subtract the gradient effect from the outlet temperature difference, thereby isolating the true supercooling effect. This allows the control process to remain relatively simple while significantly improving determination reliability.
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
Enables precise determination of refrigerant shortage even with refrigerants having temperature gradients, ensuring accurate control and preventing misjudgment of refrigerant availability.
Implementation Method 1
a supercooler that sets a degree of supercooling of the refrigerant to be larger than a temperature gradient generated when there is refrigerant shortage between a refrigerant flow inlet and a refrigerant flow outlet of the supercooler
Implementation Method 2
a condenser, a supercooler, an expansion device, and an evaporator are connected by a refrigerant pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigeration cycle apparatus is a refrigeration cycle apparatus having a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, a supercooler, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected by a refrigerant pipe, and configured to circulate refrigerant containing refrigerant having a temperature gradient, wherein the supercooler sets a degree of supercooling of the refrigerant, which is a temperature difference between a temperature from the condenser to a refrigerant flow inlet of the supercooler and a temperature in a refrigerant flow outlet on a downstream side of the supercooler, to be larger than the temperature gradient generated at a time of refrigerant shortage of the refrigerant between the refrigerant flow inlet and the refrigerant flow outlet of the supercooler, the refrigeration cycle apparatus including a refrigerant amount determination unit configured to compare a determination threshold value set to a value larger than the temperature gradient of the refrigerant with the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant, and determine whether or not there is a shortage of a refrigerant amount filled in the refrigerant circuit.