Vapor Injection Expansion Valve Split for Low-Temperature Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems experience a significant reduction in heating effect at low outdoor temperatures, leading to decreased comfort and efficiency, particularly when heating or providing hot water, due to inadequate refrigerant management and flow distribution.
Innovation Solution
An enhanced vapor injection air conditioning system is designed with a specific ratio of main to auxiliary electronic expansion valve calibers or sectional areas, optimizing refrigerant flow and heat exchange between heat-exchange flow passages to enhance heating effect and energy efficiency, while preventing excessive refrigerant use and liquid impact risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional air-conditioning systems operate at low outdoor temperatures, then the heating effect is significantly reduced, but increasing refrigerant quantity to improve heating effect causes liquid impact risk to the system
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the electronic expansion valve into main and auxiliary parts with different calibers, creating segmented refrigerant flow paths. The auxiliary electronic expansion valve with smaller caliber controls the injection refrigerant quantity, preventing excessive refrigerant from causing liquid impact while the main valve ensures sufficient refrigerant for heating effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the caliber parameter of the auxiliary electronic expansion valve relative to the main electronic expansion valve, establishing a specific ratio relationship. This parameter change enables precise control of injection refrigerant quantity, resolving the contradiction between improving heating effect and preventing liquid impact risk.
2Use of energy by moving object
If large amount of refrigerant is used for injection to improve heating effect, then energy efficiency is improved, but system flow distribution becomes unbalanced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the refrigerant flow control into two independent paths: one through the main electronic expansion valve and another through the auxiliary electronic expansion valve. This segmentation allows balanced distribution of refrigerant flow, ensuring proper flow proportions while maintaining high energy efficiency through optimized injection quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
By establishing a specific caliber ratio between the auxiliary and main electronic expansion valves, the system optimizes the refrigerant flow distribution parameter. This parameter change ensures that the injection refrigerant quantity is precisely controlled, achieving balanced flow distribution while maximizing energy efficiency.
3Device complexity
If single electronic expansion valve is used to simplify system structure, then device complexity is reduced, but heating effect at low temperature is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the expansion valve function into main and auxiliary electronic expansion valves with different calibers. The auxiliary valve specifically controls the injection refrigerant flow, enhancing heating effect at low temperatures while maintaining relatively simple system structure through integrated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary electronic expansion valve, though smaller in caliber, provides multi-functionality by specifically managing the injection refrigerant path. This allows the system to achieve enhanced heating performance at low temperatures while maintaining overall structural simplicity through coordinated operation of the two valves.
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 system achieves improved heating performance and energy efficiency by optimizing refrigerant flow distribution, ensuring effective heat exchange and reducing the risk of liquid impact, thereby enhancing user comfort and system reliability across various capacity ranges.
Implementation Method 1
a second outdoor heat exchanger (4) including a first heat-exchange flow passage (41) and a second heat-exchange flow passage (42) which exchange heat with each other
Implementation Method 2
a main electronic expansion valve assembly (5) connected in series between a first end (411) of the first heat-exchange flow passage (41) and a second end (32) of the first outdoor heat exchanger (3)
Implementation Method 3
a vapor injection compressor (1) having an air discharge port (13), an air return port (12) and an injection port (11)
Data Source
AI summary
An enhanced vapor injection air conditioning system is provided and includes: a vapor injection compressor, a direction switching assembly, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger including first and second heat-exchange flow passages, and an auxiliary electronic expansion valve assembly. A main electronic expansion valve assembly is connected between a first end of the first heat-exchange flow passage and a second end of the first outdoor heat exchanger. The auxiliary electronic expansion valve assembly has a first end connected with an inlet of the second heat-exchange flow passage, and a second end connected to a second end of the first heat-exchange flow passage or between the main electronic expansion valve assembly and the first heat-exchange flow passage. A ratio DB of a sum of a caliber of the main electronic expansion valve assembly to that of the auxiliary electronic expansion valve assembly has a range of 1≤DB≤7.