Storage tank with condenser
10302319 ยท 2019-05-28
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
Y02E60/14
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
F24F5/0017
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25B2339/046
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D17/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D20/0034
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F24F5/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25B2339/047
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D2020/0078
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D1/035
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D2021/007
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28F9/0253
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28F1/22
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25B13/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D1/0213
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D20/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D1/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
International classification
F24F5/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25D17/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D1/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D20/00
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28D1/03
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28F9/02
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F25B39/04
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
F28F1/22
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
Abstract
A storage tank includes a condenser, a tank body having a storage space for storing a liquid phase working fluid, and a condenser core disposed in an interior of the tank body, wherein the tank body includes an upper body and a lower body, wherein a support plate is horizontally arranged within the upper body, wherein the condenser core includes a plurality of core elements, wherein each of the plurality of core elements includes upper end coupled to the upper body, lower end coupled to the support plate, and rear end coupled to a support member, wherein the support member extends to cross the upper body in a widthwise direction of the upper body.
Claims
1. A storage tank including a condenser, comprising: a tank body having a storage space for storing a liquid phase working fluid; and a condenser core disposed in an interior of the tank body, wherein the tank body includes an upper body and a lower body, wherein a support plate is horizontally arranged within the upper body, wherein the condenser core includes a plurality of core elements, wherein each of the plurality of core elements includes an upper end coupled to the upper body, a lower end coupled to the support plate, and a rear end coupled to a support member, and wherein the support member extends to cross the upper body in a transverse direction of the upper body.
2. The storage tank of claim 1, wherein the condenser core is installed in an upper area of the storage space of the tank body.
3. The storage tank of claim 2, wherein the support plate for supporting the condenser core is disposed in the storage space of the tank body.
4. The storage tank of claim 1, wherein a water level sensor for detecting a water level is disposed in the tank body.
5. A storage tank including a condenser, comprising: a tank body having a storage space for storing a liquid working fluid; a header disposed in the tank body; and a condenser core connected to the header and disposed in an interior of the tank body, wherein the tank body includes an upper body and a lower body, wherein a support plate is horizontally arranged within the upper body, wherein the condenser core includes a plurality of core elements, wherein each of the core elements includes an upper end coupled to the upper body, a lower end coupled to the support plate, and a rear end coupled to a support member, and wherein the support member extends to cross the upper body in a transverse direction of the upper body.
6. The storage tank of claim 5, wherein each of the core elements has a coolant passage through which a coolant circulates, wherein the core elements are spaced apart from each other at a specific interval such that working fluid passages are formed between adjacent, or sequential, core elements.
7. The storage tank of claim 6, wherein the header includes: a coolant inlet manifold connected to inlets of the coolant passages of the core elements for communicating with the coolant passages of the core elements; a coolant outlet manifold connected to outlets of the coolant passages of the core elements for communicating with the coolant passages of the core elements; and a working fluid inlet manifold connected to the working fluid passages for communicating with the working fluid passages.
8. The storage tank of claim 6, wherein each of the core elements includes a pair of opposing half shells, and wherein each of the half shells has a groove forming one of the corresponding coolant passages.
9. The storage tank of claim 5, wherein the tank body includes an opening through which the condenser core is inserted into the tank body.
10. The storage tank of claim 9, wherein the header closes the opening of the tank body to effectively seal the opening.
11. The storage tank of claim 7, wherein a working fluid distribution chamber is formed in the interior of the working fluid inlet manifold, and the working fluid distribution chamber communicates with the working fluid passages.
12. The storage tank of claim 11, wherein the header includes a plurality of communication apertures for communicating with the working fluid distribution chamber, and the communication apertures individually communicate with the working fluid passages.
13. The storage tank of claim 7, wherein a coolant inlet chamber is formed in the interior of the coolant inlet manifold, and the coolant inlet chamber communicates with inlets of the core elements.
14. The storage tank of claim 7, wherein a coolant outlet chamber is formed in the interior of the coolant outlet manifold, and the coolant outlet chamber communicates with outlets of the core elements.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(17) Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, the sizes of the components and the thickness of the lines of the drawings may be exaggerated for convenience of understanding. Further, the terms used in the description of the present disclosure may be different according to the users, the intentions of the operators, or the customs in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure. Therefore, definition of the teens should be made according to the overall disclosure set forth herein.
(18) Referring to
(19) The tank body 11 may have a storage space 12 in which a liquid phase working fluid is stored, an inlet port 13, through which the working fluid is introduced, and an outlet port 14, through which the working fluid is discharged.
(20) A check valve 15 may be installed on an upstream side of the inlet port 13 of the tank body 11, and a reverse flow of the working fluid may be prevented by the check valve 15.
(21) A pump 16 may be installed on a downstream side of the outlet port 14 of the tank body 11, and the liquid phase working fluid in the storage tank 11 may be pumped by the pump 16.
(22) A water level sensor 18 for detecting a water level may be installed inside or outside the tank body 11. The water level of the liquid phase working fluid measured by the water level sensor 18 based on an operation state of the working fluid cycle may be monitored as a whole.
(23) The condenser core 30 may be installed in the interior of the tank body 11, and the condenser core 30 may be installed in an upper area of the storage space 12. The condenser core 30 may have a coolant passage 35, through which a coolant for condensing a working fluid circulates.
(24) A support plate 17 for supporting the condenser core 30 may be provided in the storage space 12 of the tank body 11. The support plate 17 may have a length that is smaller than a length of the tank body 11.
(25) Through the configuration, if a vapor phase working fluid is introduced into the tank body 11 through the inlet port 13, the vapor phase fluid may be cooled by the condenser core 30 and be condensed to a liquid phase working fluid, and the condensed liquid phase working fluid may be stored in the storage space 12 in the tank body 11. The liquid phase working fluid stored in the storage space 12 may be discharged from the outlet port 14 through an operation of the pump 16.
(26) According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the inlet port 13 may be disposed at an upper end of the tank body 11, and the outlet port 14 may be disposed at a lower end of the tank body 11. Accordingly, if the vapor phase working fluid introduced through the inlet port 13 is condensed to a liquid phase working fluid by the condenser core 30, the liquid phase working fluid may naturally flow to a lower side of the tank body 11 due to the weight thereof.
(27) As illustrated in
(28) Further, as illustrated in
(29) Meanwhile, although a large installation space is required as the condenser and the storage tank are disposed independently according to the related art, the installation space of the condenser core 30 may become compact and the weight of the condenser core 30 may decrease as the condenser core 30 is disposed in the tank body 11 of the storage tank 10 according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
(30) Further, according to the related art, the vapor phase working fluid that has not been sufficiently cooled in the condenser may be introduced into the storage tank, and accordingly, the vapor phase working fluid may be introduced into the pump, damaging the pump due to cavitation.
(31) In contrast, because the vapor phase working fluid cannot be directly discharged through the outlet port 14 due to a difference between the vapor phase working fluid and the liquid phase working fluid as the condenser core 30 is disposed in an upper space of the storage tank 10, the inlet port 13 is disposed at an upper end of the tank body 11, and the outlet port 14 is disposed at a lower end of the tank body 11, the vapor phase working fluid may be prevented from being directly introduced.
(32) Referring to
(33) The tank body 11 may include an upper body 11a and a lower body 11b assembled with each other by using a coupling piece or through welding.
(34) The support plate 17 may be horizontally arranged within the upper body 11a, and the condenser 30 may be supported by the support plate 17.
(35) As illustrated in
(36) As illustrated in
(37) As illustrated in
(38) The working fluid inlet manifold 22, the coolant inlet manifold 22, and the coolant outlet manifold 23 may be formed at a front portion of the header 20, a back end wall 25 may be formed at a back portion of the header 20, and the back end wall 25 may close the opening 19 of the tank body 11 such that the opening 19 of the tank body 11 may be sealed.
(39) An inlet port 13, through which a fluid is introduced, may be formed at an end of the working fluid inlet manifold 22, and a working fluid distribution chamber 41 communicating with the inlet port 13 may be formed in the interior of the working fluid inlet manifold 21. Because the vapor phase working fluid may be preliminarily cooled by the coolant introduced into the coolant inlet manifold 22 of the header 20 as the working fluid distribution chamber 41 is provided in the header 20 together with the coolant inlet manifold 22 and the coolant outlet manifold 23, the condensation efficiency of the vapor phase working fluid may be improved.
(40) A recovery port 46 may be formed on one side of the working fluid inlet manifold 21, and the recovery port 46 may communicate with the working fluid distribution chamber 41. For various reasons, possibly including safety, the recovery port 46 may be used when the working fluid is to be recovered from another component (an evaporator or a boiler) of the working fluid cycle to the storage tank 10. For example, for various reasons, possibly including safety, a high-temperature working fluid of the boiler (Rankine cycle) or a high-temperature refrigerant of the evaporator (refrigeration cycle) may have to be recovered. Meanwhile, according to the related art, because the temperature of the interior of the storage tank may increase due to the high-temperature working fluid if the high-temperature working fluid is recovered to the storage tank, and accordingly, as the internal pressure of the storage tank may increase, there is a high possibility of damaging the storage tank.
(41) Meanwhile, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, because the high-temperature working fluid may be preliminarily cooled by the coolant introduced into the coolant inlet manifold 22 of the condenser core 30 when the high-temperature working fluid is recovered to the storage tank 10 as the recovery port 46 is formed on one side of the working fluid inlet manifold 21, the temperature and the pressure of the interior of the storage tank may remain constant.
(42) As illustrated in
(43) As illustrated in
(44) As illustrated in
(45) As illustrated in
(46) Accordingly, the coolant discharged from the outlets 37 of the core elements 31, which will be described below, may be discharged through the outlet port 23a after being merged in the coolant outlet chamber 43.
(47) The condenser core 30 may be connected to the header 20, and accordingly, the coolant may circulate in the interior of the condenser core 30.
(48) The condenser core 30 may include a plurality of core elements 31 connected to the header 20.
(49) Referring to
(50) As illustrated in
(51) As the plurality of core elements 31 are spaced apart from each other by a specific interval, working fluid passages 55, through which the working fluid passes, may be faulted between the adjacent core elements 31, and the working fluid introduced through the inlet port 13 may be cooled by the coolant passing through the coolant passages 35 when the working fluid passes through the working fluid passages 55. Accordingly, the working fluid may be converted from a vapor phase to a liquid phase.
(52) As illustrated in
(53) Referring to
(54) According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the coolant passage 35 may have a circular section, and accordingly, the pressure-resistant performance of the coolant passage 35 may be improved.
(55) According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the coolant passage 35a of a portion of the coolant passage 35 may have a flat rectangular cross-section and the rectangular cross-section may have rounded corners.
(56) According to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in
(57) An insertion portion 38 may be formed at a front end of each of the core elements 31, and the insertion portions 38 of the core elements 31 may be inserted into and coupled to the insertion grooves 48 of the header 20. Through this, as the plurality of core elements 31 are spaced apart from each other at a specific interval horizontally, the fluid passages 55 between the core elements 31 may remain constant.
(58) As illustrated in
(59) As illustrated in
(60) In this way, as front ends of the core elements 31 may be coupled to the header 20, upper ends of the core elements 31 are coupled to the upper body 11a, and lower ends of the core elements 31 are coupled to the support plate 17, the core elements 31 may be installed in the tank body 11 very stably.
(61) Further, the rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 may be supported by a support member 58. The support member 58 may extend to cross the tank body 11 in a transverse direction of the upper body 11a, and the support member 58 may connect rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 in a transverse direction of the upper body 11a.
(62) The support member 58 may have a plurality of grooves 58c spaced apart from each other by a specific interval, and the interval between the grooves 58c of the support member 58 may be the same as the interval between the core elements 31.
(63) As the rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 are inserted into and coupled to the grooves 58c of the support member 58, the rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 may be connected to each other by the support member 58.
(64) Opposite ends of the support member 58 may be detachably coupled to opposite inner surfaces of the upper body 11a, and the rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 may be stably supported to the upper body 11a through the support member 58.
(65) In more detail, as illustrated in
(66) Because the upper ends and the lower ends of the core elements 31 are coupled to the upper body 11a of the tank body 11 and the support plate 17, front ends of the core elements 31 are coupled to the header 20, and rear ends 31c of the core elements 31 are supported by the support member 58, the upper ends, the lower ends, and the front ends, the rear ends of the core elements 31 may be firmly supported to the tank body 11. Accordingly, the core elements 31 may be stably supported against vibration, pressure, and thermal deformation and thus the durability of the core elements 31 may be improved.
(67) Further, because the upper ends 31a of the core elements 31, and the support member 58 are detachably coupled to the tank body 11, the core elements 31 may be easily separated from and assembled in the tank body 11. Accordingly, the interior space 11a of the tank body 11 and the core elements 31 of the condenser core 30 may be washed very easily.
(68) Further, the core elements 31 may be elastically supported by two or more elastic members 65. As illustrated in
(69)
(70) According to the exemplary embodiment of
(71) Referring to
(72) Through such an exemplary configuration, the liquid phase working fluid condensed by the condenser core 30 may be stored in the storage tank 10, and the liquid phase working fluid may be supplied to the boiler 53 through a pumping operation of the pump 16.
(73)
(74) According to the exemplary embodiment of
(75) Referring to
(76) Through such a configuration, the liquid phase refrigerant condensed by the condenser core 100 may be stored in the storage tank 10, and the liquid phase refrigerant may be supplied to the evaporator 67 through a pumping operation of the pump 5.
(77) According to the present disclosure, the capacity and the weight of the storage tank may be reduced by disposing the condenser in the interior of the storage tank, and through this, the required installation space of the condenser may be reduced.
(78) Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed in the specification and the accompanying drawings, and the present disclosure may be variously modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.