Tube with a container for phase change material for a heat exchanger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchanger designs with phase change material reservoirs suffer from reduced heat transfer efficiency due to protrusions and recessions on the tubes, which increase the surface area and material thickness, hindering effective heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid and the phase change material.
Innovation Solution
A phase change material reservoir tube is designed with two circulation plates and a reservoir plate, forming a sealed duct for the refrigerant fluid, where the filling channel is integrated within the reservoir tube's dimensions, eliminating protrusions and using a metal or elastomeric plug for sealing, and recesses on the plates enhance heat exchange and mechanical strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If protrusions and recessions are added to the tube surface to increase surface area, then the heat exchange surface area is increased, but the heat transfer efficiency is reduced due to increased material thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a conventional tubular structure to a plate-based structure with ducts formed between plates. This dimensional change allows the heat transfer surface to be distributed across multiple plate surfaces rather than requiring protrusions that increase material thickness, thereby maintaining heat transfer efficiency while providing adequate exchange area.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is segmented into multiple plates with ducts formed between them. Each plate serves as a separate heat transfer surface, allowing the system to achieve the required heat exchange area through the cumulative surface of multiple thin plates rather than through thickened or protruding sections of a single tube.
2Ease of manufacture
If the filling channel protrudes from the reservoir tube, then the filling operation is simplified, but the tube cannot be properly integrated within the heat exchange bundle
Solution Approach 1:
The filling channel is nested within the boundaries of the reservoir tube, with its width and height both less than or equal to the tube dimensions. This allows the filling channel to be contained within the overall envelope of the component, enabling proper integration into the heat exchange bundle while still providing access for filling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling channel is positioned to open onto the edge of the reservoir tube rather than protruding from the main body. This edge-opening configuration allows filling access without compromising the compact integration of the reservoir tube within the heat exchange bundle structure.
3Quantity of substance
If the phase change material reservoir is attached to tubes with protrusions and recessions, then the cold storage capacity is increased, but the heat transfer path becomes longer through multiple material layers
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir is segmented into multiple housings formed on the plate structure, with phase change material contained in each housing. The ducts are positioned to allow direct thermal contact between the refrigerant fluid and the phase change material in each housing, creating multiple short heat transfer paths rather than one long path through thick material layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a plate-based structure where the phase change material housings are formed directly on the heat transfer plates. This allows the refrigerant ducts to be in direct or near-direct contact with the phase change material, significantly reducing the heat transfer path length compared to conventional tube-based attachments.
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 design improves heat transfer efficiency by minimizing interference within the heat exchange bundle, allowing direct contact between the phase change material and the circulation plate, increasing heat exchange duration and mechanical strength, while simplifying assembly and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
the phase change material captures heat energy from the air passing through the evaporator so as to cool it
Implementation Method 2
the phase change material captures heat energy from the air passing through the evaporator
Implementation Method 3
the heat transfer between the tubes in which the refrigerant fluid circulates and the phase change material reservoirs
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tube with a reservoir of phase-change material (1) comprising: two flow plates (3) configured to be assembled with one another, at least one reservoir plate (5) being configured to be assembled onto an external face of one of the two flow plates (3) so as to form housings, said tube with a reservoir of phase-change material (1) further comprising a filling duct (200), said filling duct (200) being formed on the one hand by a filling spout (201) of the reservoir plate (5) towards the outside and, on the other hand, by the external face of one of the two flow plates (3), said filling duct (200) further comprising a plug (210), said filling duct (200) and said plug (210) being contained within a volume of width smaller than or equal to the width of the tube having a reservoir of phase-change material (1) and of height less than or equal to the height of the housings.