Vacuum adiabatic body and refrigerator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vacuum adiabatic refrigerator designs face challenges in achieving a sufficient adiabatic effect, maintaining a stable vacuum state, and preventing deformation due to sound pressure, which limits their application to general household refrigerating apparatuses.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum adiabatic body is designed with a supporting unit and conductive resistance sheets to maintain a vacuum state, reduce heat transfer, and prevent deformation, featuring a configuration that includes a first and second plate member with a vacuum space part in between, and a porous material to enhance adiabatic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If walls of the refrigerator are provided to be in a sufficient vacuum state, then heat transfer by convection and conduction is reduced, but it is difficult to prevent heat transfer at contact portions between external and internal cases, maintain stable vacuum state, and prevent deformation due to sound pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerator wall is divided into multiple independent vacuum chambers (first vacuum chamber between external case and intermediate case, second vacuum chamber between intermediate case and internal case). This segmentation allows each chamber to be independently vacuumized and sealed, preventing vacuum collapse and maintaining stable vacuum state while effectively reducing heat transfer through the wall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate case is introduced as a mediator between the external case and internal case. This intermediate structure serves as a support framework that maintains the vacuum state, prevents deformation due to sound pressure, and provides mounting positions for components. The intermediate case with its grid-pattern supporting ribs reinforces the vacuum chambers and prevents collapse.
2Loss of energy
If a foam urethane adiabatic wall with thickness of about 30 cm or more is provided, then adiabatic performance is achieved, but the internal volume of the refrigerator is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional foam urethane adiabatic material is extracted and replaced with a vacuum-based adiabatic structure. By removing the need for thick foam insulation, the refrigerator achieves superior adiabatic performance with significantly reduced wall thickness, thereby increasing the internal storage volume while maintaining or improving thermal insulation effectiveness.
3Loss of energy
If vacuum adiabatic panel is prepared and built in walls with separate molding as Styrofoam, then adiabatic performance is improved, but manufacturing cost is increased and manufacturing method is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The adiabatic wall structure is merged into a single integrated component where the external case, intermediate case, and internal case are formed as one piece with vacuum chambers built-in. This integration eliminates the need for separate vacuum adiabatic panels and Styrofoam moldings, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs while maintaining effective adiabatic performance.
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 achieves a sufficient adiabatic effect, improves space utilization, and allows for additional space for mounting parts without damaging the vacuum space, while reducing heat transfer through surface conduction, gas conduction, and radiation, outperforming traditional foaming polyurethane-based structures.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum space part (50) extending between the conductive resistance sheet and the other of the first and second plate members in a state in which air inside is exhausted
Implementation Method 2
reduce heat transfer by convection and conduction
Implementation Method 3
a porous material to enhance adiabatic performance
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
A vacuum adiabatic body includes: a first plate member defining at least one portion of a wall for a first space; a second plate member defining at least one portion of a wall for a second space having a different temperature from the first space; a sealing part sealing the first plate member and the second plate member to provide a third space that has a temperature between the temperature of the first space and the temperature of the second space and is in a vacuum state; a supporting unit maintaining the third space; a heat resistance unit for decreasing a heat transfer amount between the first plate member and the second plate member; and an exhaust port through which a gas in the third space is exhausted, wherein the third space includes a first vacuum space part and a second vacuum space part having a lower height than the first vacuum space part, and an addition mounting part having parts mounted therein is provided at an outside of the second vacuum space part.