An air conditioner

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides an air conditioner, which comprises a heat exchange circulation flow path and a bubble generator. The heat exchange circulation flow path is provided with an indoor terminal and an outdoor heat exchanger. Heat exchange medium flows in the heat exchange circulation flow path, so that the heat exchange medium can flow between the indoor terminal and the outdoor heat exchanger for heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger further forms a heat exchange flow channel for refrigerant flow, so that the refrigerant and the heat exchange medium can exchange heat at the outdoor heat exchanger. The bubble generator is arranged in the heat exchange circulation flow path and located between the indoor terminal and the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger, so as to inject gas into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger, so as to generate bubbles in the heat exchange medium. In the technical scheme of the present application, the disturbance effect and interface effect of the bubbles are utilized to significantly improve the turbulence degree and heat exchange coefficient of the heat exchange medium, so that the bubbles disturb the fluid in the outdoor heat exchanger, destroy the boundary layer, and improve the heat exchange coefficient and the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of air conditioners, specifically to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] In existing air conditioning heat exchange systems, especially in the application of water-side heat exchangers in heat pump air conditioners, there is a common technical bottleneck of insufficient heat exchange efficiency. This problem mainly stems from the limitations of traditional heat exchanger designs in terms of fluid distribution, heat transfer area utilization, and optimization of heat exchange paths. Specifically, under winter heating conditions, due to significant variations in system operating parameters, traditional water-side heat exchangers are prone to uneven fluid distribution and localized decreases in heat transfer performance, leading to a reduction in overall heat exchange efficiency. This, in turn, results in increased system energy consumption and unstable heating performance. This problem is particularly pronounced in low-temperature environments, severely impacting the performance of heat pump air conditioners and user comfort. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides an air conditioner designed to improve the heat exchange efficiency of existing air conditioners.

[0004] This application provides an air conditioner, including:

[0005] A heat exchange circulation path is provided, comprising an indoor terminal and an outdoor heat exchanger. A heat exchange medium flows through the heat exchange circulation path, allowing the heat exchange medium to flow between the indoor terminal and the outdoor heat exchanger for heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger also forms a heat exchange channel for refrigerant flow, allowing the refrigerant and the heat exchange medium to exchange heat at the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0006] A bubble generator is disposed in the heat exchange circulation path and located between the indoor terminal and the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger to inject gas into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger to generate bubbles in the heat exchange medium.

[0007] In some embodiments, a gas-liquid separation device is further provided in the heat exchange circulation path. The gas-liquid separation device is located between the outlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor terminal to perform gas-liquid separation on the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0008] In some embodiments, the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the inlet of the bubble generator.

[0009] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separation device includes a first buffer tank.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separation device includes a gas-liquid separator, and a second buffer tank is further provided in the heat exchange circulation path, the second buffer tank being located between the indoor terminal and the bubble generator.

[0011] In some embodiments, the indoor terminal includes one or more of fan coil units, radiators, and underfloor heating.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger includes:

[0013] Medium flow channel pipe, said medium flow channel pipe for supplying the heat exchange medium for circulation; and,

[0014] A sleeve is fitted over the outside of the medium flow channel tube and is at least partially spaced from the medium flow channel tube to define the heat exchange channel between the sleeve and the medium flow channel tube.

[0015] In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the medium flow channel is provided with a plurality of heat exchange protrusions.

[0016] In some embodiments, the heat exchange protrusion extends to abut against the inner wall of the sleeve to divide the gap between the sleeve and the medium flow channel into a plurality of heat exchange channels.

[0017] In some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger includes:

[0018] A housing, wherein the heat exchange channel is formed within the housing; and,

[0019] A medium flow channel is provided for the flow of the heat exchange medium. The medium flow channel is located at least partially inside the shell to exchange heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchange channel. The portion of the medium flow channel located inside the shell is arranged in a back-and-forth bending configuration.

[0020] In the technical solution of this application, by setting the bubble generator, bubbles can be injected into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger. By utilizing the disturbance effect and interface effect of the bubbles, the turbulence of the heat exchange medium and the heat transfer coefficient are significantly improved. Thus, by disturbing the fluid in the outdoor heat exchanger through the bubbles, the boundary layer is destroyed, the heat transfer coefficient is improved, and the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger is significantly improved. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a flow path structure diagram of an air conditioner provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flow path structure diagram of an air conditioner provided in some other embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first embodiment of the outdoor heat exchanger provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the outdoor heat exchanger in the diagram;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the second embodiment of the outdoor heat exchanger provided in this application.

[0027] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0028] 100 air conditioner 10 Indoor Terminal 20 Outdoor heat exchanger 21 Medium inlet end 22 Medium outlet end 23 Refrigerant inlet port 24 Refrigerant outlet end 30 bubble generator 40 Circulating pump 50 First buffer tank 60 Second buffer tank 51 gas-liquid separator 29 heat exchanger tube 25 heat exchange channel 26 Medium flow channel pipe 261 Heat exchange protrusion 27 casing 28 case Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0032] The use of "applies to" or "configured to" in this application implies open and inclusive language, which does not exclude the applicability to or configuration to devices performing additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" implies openness and inclusivity, because processes, steps, calculations, or other actions "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values ​​may in practice be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0033] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be made without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0034] In existing air conditioning heat exchange systems, especially in the application of water-side heat exchangers in heat pump air conditioners, there is a common technical bottleneck of insufficient heat exchange efficiency. This problem mainly stems from the limitations of traditional heat exchanger designs in terms of fluid distribution, heat transfer area utilization, and optimization of heat exchange paths. Specifically, under winter heating conditions, due to significant variations in system operating parameters, traditional water-side heat exchangers are prone to uneven fluid distribution and localized decreases in heat transfer performance, leading to a reduction in overall heat exchange efficiency. This, in turn, results in increased system energy consumption and unstable heating performance. This problem is particularly pronounced in low-temperature environments, severely impacting the performance of heat pump air conditioners and user comfort.

[0035] For this, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 Some embodiments of this application provide an air conditioner 100, which includes a heat exchange circulation path and a bubble generator 30. An indoor terminal 10 and an outdoor heat exchanger 20 are provided in the heat exchange circulation path. A heat exchange medium flows in the heat exchange circulation path so that the heat exchange medium can flow between the indoor terminal 10 and the outdoor heat exchanger 20 for heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger 20 also forms a heat exchange channel 25 for refrigerant to flow so that the refrigerant and the heat exchange medium can exchange heat at the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The bubble generator 30 is provided in the heat exchange circulation path and is located between the indoor terminal 10 and the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to inject gas into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to generate bubbles in the heat exchange medium.

[0036] It should be noted that the specific implementation form of the indoor terminal 10 is not limited. It can be one or more of the following: fan coil unit, radiator, underfloor heating, etc., or other forms such as indoor wall-mounted unit or floor-standing unit of air conditioner 100. The specific implementation form of the air conditioner 100 is not limited; it can be a split-type air conditioner 100 or an integrated air conditioner 100. The specific form of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is not limited; it can be a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, a heat pump shell-and-tube heat exchanger, etc. The specific implementation form of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is not limited.

[0037] The specific form of the heat exchange medium is not limited. It can be in the form of coolant, cooling water, etc., and is not limited here. The heat exchange medium can flow between the indoor terminal 10 and the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to exchange heat. Specifically, it can absorb heat at the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and then release heat at the indoor terminal 10, or it can release heat at the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and then absorb heat at the indoor terminal 10, etc., and is not limited here.

[0038] It should be emphasized that in this application, a bubble generator 30 is used to inject gas into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 to generate bubbles in the heat exchange medium. Compared with the schemes of steam generators or gas-liquid mixers that make the heat exchange medium into a mist-like, foam-like or other gas-liquid mixture, the liquid volume ratio of the gas-liquid mixture in this application is much larger than the gas volume. Therefore, it does not change the form of the heat exchange medium, and its heat exchange effect is better.

[0039] In the technical solution of this application, by setting the bubble generator 30, bubbles can be injected into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20. By utilizing the disturbance effect and interface effect of the bubbles, the turbulence of the heat exchange medium and the heat transfer coefficient are significantly improved. Thus, by disturbing the fluid in the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and destroying the boundary layer, the heat transfer coefficient is improved, and the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is significantly improved.

[0040] It should be noted that since air bubbles are injected into the heat exchange medium, the oxygen concentration in the heat exchange medium will increase. At this time, if the heat exchange medium containing air bubbles discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is directly directed to the indoor terminal 10, the high oxygen concentration of the heat exchange medium will easily cause corrosion to the indoor terminal 10.

[0041] Therefore, in some embodiments, a gas-liquid separation device is also provided in the heat exchange circulation path. The gas-liquid separation device is located between the outlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor terminal 10 to perform gas-liquid separation 51 on the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 20.

[0042] Specifically, the specific implementation of the gas-liquid separation device is not limited. It can be a gas-liquid separator 51 directly, or a buffer tank can be used for gas-liquid separation, etc., and is not limited here.

[0043] In this embodiment, by setting up the gas-liquid separation device, the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 can be separated by the gas-liquid separator 51, thereby reducing the oxygen concentration of the heat exchange medium and preventing the high oxygen concentration heat exchange medium from corroding the indoor terminal 10.

[0044] It should be emphasized that the gas produced by the gas-liquid separation device can be directly discharged into the air or stored in other places, etc., without limitation.

[0045] In some embodiments, the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the inlet of the bubble generator 30. With this configuration, the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator can be directly guided to the bubble generator 30 and reinjected into the heat exchange medium by the bubble generator 30, thereby realizing the recycling of the gas.

[0046] Furthermore, since the gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the inlet of the bubble generator 30, the bubble generator 30 can also reverse the suction of the gas-liquid separator when it is working, thereby accelerating the gas-liquid separation effect of the gas-liquid separator.

[0047] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separation device includes a first buffer tank 50.

[0048] It should be noted that heat pump air conditioners 100 are generally equipped with a buffer tank, which can play multiple roles such as stabilizing the flow, reducing the start-up and shutdown of the main unit, and improving comfort.

[0049] In this embodiment, by setting the gas-liquid separation device as a first buffer tank 50, the first buffer tank 50 can play the role of gas-liquid separation. In addition, the first buffer tank 50 can also play multiple roles such as stabilizing the flow rate, reducing the start-up and shutdown of the host, and improving comfort.

[0050] Specifically, it should be emphasized that the first buffer tank 50 in this application can be the original buffer tank in the heat pump air conditioner 100 or an additional one. There is no limitation here. In some embodiments, the first buffer tank 50 is the original buffer tank in the heat pump air conditioner 100. With this setting, the system structure is simple and no additional gas-liquid separator 51 is required.

[0051] It should be noted that the first buffer tank 50 serves as a gas-liquid separator. When the air conditioner 100 needs to heat or cool, the water in the first buffer tank 50 needs to be heated or cooled as a whole. The large amount of water in the buffer tank results in a slow system response.

[0052] In some embodiments, the gas-liquid separation device includes a gas-liquid separator 51, and a second buffer tank 60 is also provided in the heat exchange circulation path, the second buffer tank 60 being located between the indoor terminal 10 and the bubble generator 30.

[0053] In the scheme of this embodiment, by additionally setting the gas-liquid separator 51, the second buffer tank 60 can be placed between the indoor terminal 10 and the bubble generator 30, so that the second buffer tank 60 no longer plays the role of gas-liquid separation. Furthermore, the amount of water in the gas-liquid separator 51 is much smaller than the amount of water in the buffer tank. The heat exchange medium flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is directly separated into gas and liquid by the gas-liquid separator 51, and then can quickly flow to the indoor terminal 10 to exchange heat with the indoor air. The response speed of the entire system is fast.

[0054] In some embodiments, a circulation pump 40 is also provided in the heat exchange circulation path. By providing the circulation pump 40, the flow rate of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange circulation path can be increased, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0055] In some embodiments, the indoor terminal 10 includes one or more of fan coil units, radiators, and underfloor heating systems.

[0056] Please refer to this carefully. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 includes a medium flow channel 26 and a sleeve 27. The medium flow channel 26 is used for the flow of the heat exchange medium. The sleeve 27 is sleeved on the outside of the medium flow channel 26 and is at least partially spaced from the medium flow channel 26 to define the heat exchange channel 25 between the sleeve 27 and the medium flow channel 26.

[0057] In this embodiment, the medium flow channel 26 forms part of the heat exchange circulation path. During the operation of the outdoor heat exchanger 20, the heat exchange medium flows inside the medium flow pipe, while the refrigerant flows in the gap between the sleeve 27 and the medium flow channel 26. Therefore, the refrigerant and the heat exchange medium can exchange heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 20, changing the temperature of the heat exchange medium. Since there are bubbles in the heat exchange medium, the boundary layer is destroyed, and the heat transfer coefficient is improved. Its performance evaluation coefficient PEC can reach 1.53 when gas is injected.

[0058] It should be noted that the specific shape of the medium flow channel 26 is not limited; it can be elongated, cylindrical, etc., and is not limited here.

[0059] Specifically, the heat exchange medium flows into the medium flow channel pipe 26 from the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and then flows out of the medium flow channel pipe 26 from the medium outlet end 22 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The refrigerant flows into the heat exchange channel 25 from the refrigerant inlet end 23 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20, exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium, and then flows out from the refrigerant outlet end 24 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20.

[0060] In some embodiments, the outer periphery of the medium flow channel 26 is provided with a plurality of heat exchange protrusions 261. This arrangement can, on the one hand, increase the heat exchange area between the heat exchange medium and the refrigerant, and on the other hand, allow the refrigerant to have a longer flow path between the sleeve 27 and the medium flow channel 26, thereby effectively improving the heat exchange effect.

[0061] Furthermore, in order to extend the flow path of the refrigerant, in some embodiments, the heat exchange protrusion 261 extends to abut against the inner wall of the sleeve 27, so as to divide the gap between the sleeve 27 and the medium flow channel 26 into a plurality of heat exchange channels 25.

[0062] It should be noted that the heat exchange channels 25 can be interconnected or independent of each other. In some embodiments, the heat exchange channels 25 are interconnected so that the refrigerant entering the outdoor heat exchanger 20 for heat exchange can pass through the heat exchange channels 25 in sequence.

[0063] In this embodiment, by dividing the gap between the sleeve 27 and the medium flow channel 26 into several heat exchange channels 25, the path of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is effectively increased, resulting in better heat exchange performance.

[0064] Please see Figure 5In addition, in some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 includes a housing 28 and a heat exchange tube 29. The heat exchange channel 25 is formed inside the housing 28. The heat exchange tube 29 is used to supply the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange tube 29 is at least partially located inside the housing 28 to exchange heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchange channel 25. The portion of the heat exchange tube 29 located inside the housing 28 is arranged in a back-and-forth bending configuration.

[0065] It should be noted that the heat exchange channel 25 is formed inside the shell 28. Alternatively, a receiving cavity may be provided inside the shell 28, and a baffle or deflector may be provided inside the receiving cavity. The heat exchange tube 29 is disposed inside the shell 28, which may be disposed inside the receiving cavity, thereby defining the heat exchange channel 25 together with the baffle or deflector.

[0066] The heat exchange tube 29 is arranged in a back-and-forth bending configuration. It can be that the tube itself is bent, or it can be formed by combining multiple straight tubes and multiple bent tubes. There is no limitation here.

[0067] In the scheme of this embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 includes a shell 28 and a heat exchange tube 29, that is, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 is a heat pump shell and tube heat exchanger. Since there are bubbles in the heat exchange medium, the boundary layer is destroyed and the heat transfer coefficient is improved. Its performance evaluation coefficient PEC can reach 1.43 when gas is injected. The heat exchange tube 29 is arranged in a back-and-forth bend, which can also effectively improve the heat exchange path.

[0068] Specifically, the heat exchange medium flows into the heat exchange tube 29 from the medium inlet end 21 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and then flows out of the heat exchange tube 29 from the medium outlet end 22 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20. The refrigerant flows into the heat exchange channel 25 from the refrigerant inlet end 23 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20, exchanges heat with the heat exchange medium, and then flows out from the refrigerant outlet end 24 of the outdoor heat exchanger 20.

[0069] The air conditioner provided in the embodiments of this application has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: A heat exchange circulation path is provided, comprising an indoor terminal and an outdoor heat exchanger. A heat exchange medium flows through the heat exchange circulation path, allowing the heat exchange medium to flow between the indoor terminal and the outdoor heat exchanger for heat exchange. The outdoor heat exchanger also forms a heat exchange channel for refrigerant flow, allowing the refrigerant and the heat exchange medium to exchange heat at the outdoor heat exchanger. A bubble generator is disposed in the heat exchange circulation path and located between the indoor terminal and the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger to inject gas into the heat exchange medium flowing to the medium inlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger to generate bubbles in the heat exchange medium.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein A gas-liquid separation device is also provided in the heat exchange circulation path. The gas-liquid separation device is located between the outlet end of the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor terminal to perform gas-liquid separation on the heat exchange medium flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas outlet of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the inlet of the bubble generator.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separation device includes a first buffer tank.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separation device includes a gas-liquid separator, and a second buffer tank is also provided in the heat exchange circulation path. The second buffer tank is located between the indoor terminal and the bubble generator.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The indoor terminal includes one or more of the following: fan coil units, radiators, and underfloor heating.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outdoor heat exchanger includes: Medium flow channel pipe, said medium flow channel pipe for supplying the heat exchange medium for circulation; and, A sleeve is fitted over the outside of the medium flow channel tube and is at least partially spaced from the medium flow channel tube to define the heat exchange channel between the sleeve and the medium flow channel tube.

8. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein The outer periphery of the medium flow channel is provided with multiple heat exchange protrusions.

9. The air conditioner of claim 8, wherein The heat exchange protrusion extends to abut against the inner wall of the sleeve, thereby dividing the gap between the sleeve and the medium flow channel into several heat exchange channels.

10. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein The outdoor heat exchanger includes: A housing, wherein the heat exchange channel is formed within the housing; and, A heat exchange tube is provided for the flow of the heat exchange medium. The heat exchange tube is located at least partially inside the shell to exchange heat with the refrigerant in the heat exchange channel. The portion of the heat exchange tube located inside the shell is arranged in a back-and-forth bending configuration.

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