Integrated Vehicle Condenser Layout for Compact Cooling Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-cooled vehicle condensers are bulky and difficult to install in small engine compartments, while water-cooled condensers have lower refrigerant condensing temperatures, leading to reduced cooling efficiency and increased cost and weight due to complex connections and larger radiators or cooling fans.
Innovation Solution
A stacked-plate type condenser with an integrally formed receiver-drier portion, using coolant for refrigerant cooling, which reduces component count, simplifies pipe connections, and enhances heat-radiating area, thereby improving cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If air-cooled condenser with pin-tube structures is used to improve cooling performance, then cooling efficiency is improved, but entire size of the condenser increases making it hard to install in small engine compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser is divided into multiple plate units stacked together, each plate containing flow channels for refrigerant and coolant. This segmentation allows the condenser to achieve high heat exchange efficiency through increased surface area while maintaining a compact overall size suitable for small engine compartments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional pin-tube three-dimensional structures to a planar plate configuration. By stacking multiple plates in layers, the condenser achieves high heat exchange area in a compressed z-direction, effectively converting volume-based heat exchange to surface-area-based heat exchange, thereby improving cooling efficiency without increasing horizontal footprint.
2Volume of moving object
If water-cooled condenser is used to reduce condenser size, then condenser size is reduced, but condensing temperature decreases by 5-15°C leading to deteriorated condensing efficiency and cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the condenser with the receiver-drier into an integrally formed unit. The receiver-drier is positioned at the lower portion of the condenser, and the two components are connected through internal passages without requiring external piping. This integration simplifies the overall system structure, reduces the number of connection points, and maintains effective heat exchange performance.
3Volume of moving object
If water-cooled condenser is used to reduce condenser size, then condenser size is reduced, but connections between receiver-drier and condenser become complex increasing cost and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser and receiver-drier are integrated into a single structural unit where the receiver-drier is positioned at the lower portion of the condenser. Refrigerant flows directly from the condenser into the receiver-drier through internally formed passages, eliminating the need for external connection pipes, flanges, and seals. This integration significantly reduces assembly complexity and the number of potential leakage points.
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 reduces the number of components, simplifies connections, lowers costs and weight, minimizes dead volume, and increases heat-radiating area, resulting in improved cooling efficiency without increasing the condenser size.
Implementation Method 1
condense the refrigerant supplied from the compressor through heat-exchange with the coolant and the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
condensing and liquefying the refrigerant compressed by the compressor
Implementation Method 3
perform gas-liquid separation and moisture removal of the condensed refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
perform gas-liquid separation and moisture removal of the condensed refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A condenser for a vehicle is used in an air conditioning having an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a compressor, is provided between the compressor and the expansion valve, and circulates coolant supplied from a radiator to condense refrigerant supplied from the compressor through heat-exchange with the coolant and the refrigerant.The condenser may include a first heat-radiating portion connected to the radiator to circulate coolant and adapted to circulate refrigerant to condense the refrigerant through heat-exchange, a second heat-radiating portion formed at a lower portion of the first heat-radiating portion, a receiver-drier portion disposed apart from the first and second heat-radiating portions to perform gas-liquid separation and moisture removal of the condensed refrigerant, and a lower cover to connect the second heat-radiating portion with the receiver-drier portion, wherein the connecting passage is adapted to flow the refrigerant from the receiver-drier portion into the second heat-radiating portion.