Self-cleaning heat exchanger and air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses a self-cleaning heat exchanger and an air conditioner, which belong to the technical field of air conditioning. The self-cleaning heat exchanger also includes: a limiting component, which limits two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes and the air flow channels therebetween into a clean space, and the limiting component allows the airflow flowing through the clean space to pass through; a cleaning piece, one or more cleaning pieces are limited in the clean space, and the cleaning piece can be driven by the airflow to move in the limited space. When the airflow flows through the clean space of the self-cleaning heat exchanger provided by the present invention, the cleaning piece can be driven by the wind force of the airflow to move irregularly in the clean space, and when the cleaning piece is in contact with the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger, the cleaning piece can rub the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger to rub off the dirt adhering to the outer surface, and can play a role similar to a "rag". In this way, while the air conditioner is supplying air normally, the cleaning piece can be used to realize the self-cleaning operation of the self-cleaning heat exchanger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to a self-cleaning heat exchanger and an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] When the indoor unit of the air conditioner is running in cooling or heating mode, the air in the indoor environment enters the interior of the indoor unit along the air inlet of the indoor unit, and is blown back into the indoor environment through the air outlet after heat exchange at the heat exchanger. In this process, impurities such as dust and large particles mixed in the indoor air will also enter the interior of the indoor unit with the incoming air flow. Although the dust filter installed at the air inlet of the indoor unit can filter most of the dust and particles, there will still be a small amount of tiny dust that cannot be completely blocked and filtered. With the long-term use of the air conditioner, these dusts will gradually deposit and adhere to the surface of the heat exchanger. Since the dust covering the outer surface of the heat exchanger has poor thermal conductivity, it will directly affect the heat exchange between the heat exchanger and the indoor air. Therefore, in order to ensure the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor unit, the indoor unit needs to be cleaned regularly.

[0003] Generally, the cleaning methods of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in the prior art mainly include two methods: manual cleaning and air conditioner self-cleaning. Among them, the manual cleaning method is mainly completed by the user or maintenance personnel manually removing the filter of the indoor unit and manually dusting the heat exchanger. The process is complicated, time-consuming and labor-intensive; and the self-cleaning method of the air conditioner is mainly through the frost-defrosting operation of the air conditioner, so as to use the condensed frost to remove the dust on the heat exchanger. However, the frost-defrosting operation involves the switching of the air conditioner's own operating mode, so the user's normal use of the air conditioner is often affected during the self-cleaning process. Therefore, the existing air conditioner products still need a simple and convenient cleaning method to realize the cleaning operation of the heat exchanger. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a self-cleaning heat exchanger and an air conditioner, which is intended to solve the problem of cleaning and dust removal of the self-cleaning heat exchanger of the air conditioner. In order to have a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a simple summary is given below. This summary is not a general review, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments. Its only purpose is to present some concepts in a simple form as a preface to the detailed description that follows.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a self-cleaning heat exchanger is provided, the self-cleaning heat exchanger comprising a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged at intervals, an air flow channel being formed between adjacent heat exchange tubes, and the self-cleaning heat exchanger further comprising:

[0006] At least one group of limiting components, each group of limiting components defines two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes and the air flow passage therebetween into a clean space, and the limiting components allow the air flow passing through the clean space to pass through;

[0007] Cleaning member: one or more cleaning members are confined in the cleaning space, and the cleaning member can be driven by the airflow to move in the confined space.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the limiting component includes filters arranged at both ends of the extension direction of the airflow channel and fixed to the heat exchange tubes on both sides of the airflow channel at each end. The filters at both ends and the heat exchange tubes on both sides enclose a clean space.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the limiting member includes an independent cover shell, which is arranged on the outside of two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes and the air flow channel therebetween to form a clean space;

[0010] The cleaning member is arranged in an independent cover shell, and a plurality of through holes for air flow to pass through are opened on the shell wall of the independent cover shell, and the opening area of ​​the through holes is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the cleaning element is a hollow structure made of a lightweight material.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the sizes of the plurality of cleaning elements are the same or different.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an air conditioner, the air conditioner being provided with any one of the self-cleaning heat exchangers disclosed in the first aspect.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, a ball storage box connected to the clean space is provided at the bottom of the clean space.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, a plurality of air holes connected to the air duct of the air conditioner are formed on the wall of the ball storage box, and the opening area of ​​the air holes is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the air conditioner is further provided with a ball storage channel, which is arranged inside the air conditioner and extends to a maintenance port of the air conditioner casing. The ball storage box is arranged in the ball storage channel and can be moved into or out of the casing through the ball storage channel and the maintenance port.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the air conditioner further includes a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and a refrigerant pipeline;

[0018] The refrigerant pipeline is respectively connected to the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and the heat exchanger to form a circulation loop.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention using the above technical solution are:

[0020] The self-cleaning heat exchanger provided by the present invention limits the heat exchange tubes and the air flow channels therebetween into a clean space in which the cleaning parts can move freely. When the air flow flows through the clean space, the cleaning parts can be driven by the wind force of the air flow to move irregularly in the clean space. When the cleaning parts are in contact with the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger, the cleaning parts can rub the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger to rub off the dirt adhered to the outer surface, and can play a role similar to that of a "rag". In this way, the cleaning parts can be used to realize the self-cleaning operation of the self-cleaning heat exchanger while the air conditioner is supplying air normally.

[0021] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 The front structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 (The front side is the extension direction toward the airflow channel);

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the self-cleaning heat exchanger of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 3 The front structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 (The front side is the extension direction toward the airflow channel);

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the self-cleaning heat exchanger of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment Figure 2 ;

[0026] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the side structure of an air conditioner of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 A top view of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 It is an internal structure diagram of an embodiment of a magnetic working medium bed of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention;

[0030] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention;

[0031] Among them, 1. self-cleaning heat exchanger; 11. heat exchange tube; 12. air flow channel; 13. cleaning space; 2. cleaning parts; 3. air conditioner; 31. shell; 32. air duct; 33. fan; 34. air outlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention so that those skilled in the art can practice them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, process and other changes. The examples represent possible changes only. Unless explicitly required, separate components and functions are optional, and the order of operations may vary. The parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace the parts and features of other embodiments. The scope of the embodiments of the present invention includes the entire scope of the claims, and all available equivalents of the claims. In this article, each embodiment may be represented individually or generally by the term "invention", which is only for convenience, and if more than one invention is disclosed in fact, it is not intended to automatically limit the scope of the application to any single invention or inventive concept. In this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, without requiring or implying any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "includes" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises one..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method or device including the elements. The various embodiments herein are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the methods, products, etc. disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the method part disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method part description.

[0033] Figure 1 The front structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 (the front side is the extension direction toward the air flow channel 12); Figure 2 The side structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 The front structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 (the front side is the extension direction toward the air flow channel 12); Figure 4 The side structure diagram of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 of the present invention is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 .

[0034] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the present invention provides a self-cleaning heat exchanger 1, which includes a plurality of heat exchange tubes 11 arranged at intervals. In an embodiment, the plurality of heat exchange tubes 11 are arranged in parallel at the same intervals. Adjacent heat exchange tubes 11 are connected via U-shaped tubes or bends at the ends. Except for the U-shaped tubes or bends at the ends of each heat exchange tube 11, other tube sections can be regarded as straight tube sections. In this embodiment, the space between the straight tube sections of two adjacent heat exchange tubes 11 is mainly defined as an airflow channel 12, and air flow can flow freely along the airflow channel 12.

[0035] It should be understood that the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 used in the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned tubular self-cleaning heat exchanger 1, and other types such as plate-type self-cleaning heat exchangers 1 can also adopt similar technical solutions.

[0036] The self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 further includes at least one set of limiting components and cleaning components 2. Each set of limiting components defines two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes 11 and the airflow channel 12 therebetween into a cleaning space 13, and the limiting components allow the airflow flowing through the cleaning space 13 to pass through; one or more cleaning components 2 are defined in the cleaning space 13, and the cleaning components 2 can be driven by the airflow to move in the defined space.

[0037] Therefore, when the air flow passes through the cleaning space 13, the cleaning element 2 can be driven by the wind force of the air flow to move irregularly in the cleaning space 13. When the cleaning element 2 is in contact with the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1, the cleaning element 2 can rub the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 to rub off the dirt adhering to the outer surface, and can play a role similar to that of a "rag". In this way, while the air conditioner 3 is supplying air normally, the cleaning element 2 can be used to achieve the self-cleaning operation of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1.

[0038] In an optional embodiment, taking two adjacent heat exchange tubes 11 as an example, the limiting component includes filter screens which are arranged at both ends of the extension direction of the air flow channel 12 and fixed to the heat exchange tubes 11 on both sides of the air flow channel 12 at each end. The filter screens at both ends and the heat exchange tubes 11 on both sides enclose a clean space 13.

[0039] Here, the filter is not limited to the heat exchange tubes 11 on both sides of the air flow channel 12. If there are other gaps between the heat exchange tubes 11 on both sides that may cause the cleaning part 2 to detach, a filter can also be installed to block them to ensure that the movement range of the cleaning part 2 is always within the cleaning space 13.

[0040] In another optional implementation, the limiting member includes an independent cover shell, which is arranged on the outside of two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes 11 and the air flow channels 12 therebetween to form a clean space 13; for example, for a self-cleaning heat exchanger 1, the independent cover shell can be designed as an independent cover shell with an outer contour slightly larger than the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1, and the independent cover shell is mounted on the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1. In this way, the cover shell uses the space formed by all the heat exchange tubes 11 of the entire self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 and the air flow channels 12 therebetween as the clean space 13.

[0041] The cleaning member 2 is arranged in an independent housing, and a plurality of through holes for air flow are provided on the housing wall of the independent housing to ensure that the air flow can flow in and out of the independent housing.

[0042] Here, the opening area of ​​the through hole is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member 2 to prevent the cleaning member 2 from detaching from the independent cover through the through hole, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the air conditioner 3 and avoiding interference of the cleaning member 2 on other components of the air conditioner 3.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, the cleaning member 2 is a hollow structure made of a lightweight material, including but not limited to rubber or other lightweight materials. The hollow structure can reduce the individual weight of the cleaning member 2 so that it can be more easily driven by the airflow to perform irregular movements.

[0044] Here, the shape of the cleaning element 2 is not limited to a spherical shape, and may also be designed to be a square, an elliptical shape, or the like.

[0045] Preferably, in order to improve the friction dust removal effect, the outer surface of the cleaning member 2 can be formed into an irregular protrusion structure or designed with fluff, bristles, etc.

[0046] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the structure of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 shown, the cleaning space 13 is provided with cleaning elements 2 of the same size; Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the structure of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 shown, cleaning members 2 of different sizes may also be arranged in the cleaning space 13. Here, since the cleaning members 2 have different sizes and volumes, the contact positions and contact areas of the cleaning members 2 of different sizes when in contact with the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 will also be different. The cleaning members 2 with smaller volumes can rub away dust in some small gaps and small spaces of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 to ensure the overall cleaning effect of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1.

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner 3 of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, the present invention also provides an air conditioner 3, which includes a shell 31, an air duct 32 formed inside the shell 31, a fan 33 and an air outlet 34 arranged in the air duct 32. The air conditioner 3 is also provided with any one of the self-cleaning heat exchangers 1 disclosed in the aforementioned embodiments, and the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 is arranged in the air duct 32.

[0049] In an optional embodiment, a ball storage box connected to the cleaning space 13 is provided at the bottom of the cleaning space 13. The ball storage box can be used as a storage space for multiple cleaning parts 2 when the air conditioner is stopped, and as a collection box for dust removed by the cleaning parts 2.

[0050] Specifically, one cleaning space 13 defined by the limiting component shown in the aforementioned embodiment is approximately a rectangular space, and a ball storage box with a top opening is provided at the bottom of the rectangular space; when the air conditioner is running, air flows through the cleaning space 13, and the wind force drives the cleaning element 2 to move from the ball storage box to the cleaning space 13, and during the movement, the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger 1 is frictionally dusted; when the air conditioner is stopped, the cleaning element 2 moves back to the ball storage box below under the action of gravity.

[0051] Preferably, the wall of the ball storage box is provided with a plurality of air holes connected to the air duct 32 of the air conditioner 3, so that when the air flows through the air duct 32, a part of the air flow can enter the box wall through the air holes, so that the cleaning element 2 can move more easily from the ball storage box to the cleaning space 13.

[0052] Here, the opening area of ​​the air hole is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member 2 to prevent the cleaning member 2 from escaping from the ball storage box through the air hole, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the air conditioner 3 and avoiding interference of the cleaning member 2 on other components of the air conditioner 3.

[0053] In an optional embodiment, the air conditioner 3 is also provided with a ball storage channel, which is arranged inside the air conditioner 3 and extends to a maintenance port of the casing of the air conditioner 3. The ball storage box is arranged in the ball storage channel and can be moved into or out of the casing through the ball storage channel and the maintenance port.

[0054] Specifically, a maintenance port is provided on the casing of the air conditioner 3, and the ball storage channel is extended along the maintenance port toward the interior of the air conditioner 3. A slide rail is provided in the ball storage channel, and the ball storage box moves on the slide rail. In this way, the ball storage box can be moved in and out in a structure similar to a "drawer", thereby facilitating the user to replace the cleaning part 2 and clean the collected dust.

[0055] In an optional embodiment, the air conditioner 3 also includes: a controllable shielding member for opening or blocking the communication path between the ball storage box and the cleaning air conditioner 3; in this embodiment, the shielding member is a shielding plate arranged at the top opening of the ball storage box, and the shielding plate is controlled by a driving device to move between a first position that does not block the top opening and a second position that blocks the top opening, so as to realize the opening or blocking operation of the communication path.

[0056] The air conditioner further comprises a controller for controlling the shielding member to perform an operation of conducting or blocking. In this embodiment, the controller mainly controls the operation of the shielding member by controlling the operation of the driving device.

[0057] For example, the shielding plate is provided with a rack extending along the line connecting the first position and the second position, the driving device is a motor, and the end of the motor shaft is provided with a gear meshing with the rack. When the motor runs in the forward direction, the motor drives the shielding plate to move from the first position to the second position through the meshing of the gear and the rack; and when the motor runs in the reverse direction, the shielding plate moves from the second position to the first position. In this way, the controller can realize the operation control of the shielding member by controlling the running direction of the motor.

[0058] In this embodiment, the specific operation of the controller can be operated according to the instructions input by the user. For example, when the air conditioner is stopped, all the cleaning parts are in the ball storage box. At this time, the shielding part blocks the communication path; during the operation of the air conditioner, if the first instruction to start self-cleaning is not received, the shielding part still blocks the communication path. At this time, although there is airflow flowing through the cleaning space, since the cleaning parts are confined in the ball storage box, the cleaning parts will not clean the self-cleaning heat exchanger at this time; and when the first instruction to start self-cleaning is received, the shielding part opens the communication path. At this time, the airflow can drive the cleaning parts to move into the cleaning space, so as to use the irregular movement of the cleaning parts to remove dust and other impurities on the self-cleaning heat exchanger.

[0059] When the second instruction to exit self-cleaning is received, the air conditioner can recover the cleaning parts in the cleaning space in two ways: one is to control the air conditioner's fan to stop running. At this time, since there is no airflow driven by the fan, the cleaning parts will gradually sink back into the ball storage box under the action of gravity. After the cleaning parts are recovered, the shielding part blocks the communication path and controls the restart of the fan; the other is not to respond to the second instruction temporarily, and the air conditioner still maintains normal operation. After the air conditioner is turned off and the fan stops running, the second instruction is responded to. At this time, the cleaning parts have settled back into the ball storage box, and the shielding part blocks the communication path.

[0060] Here, the specific operation of the controller can also be adjusted according to the operating state of the air conditioner itself. For example, the above-mentioned self-cleaning operation can be controlled to be executed only in the cooling mode of the air conditioner at a set cycle. The reason for this is that in the hot summer weather when the cooling mode is running, the self-cleaning heat exchanger has a lot of dust adhered to it. Therefore, the air conditioner generates a first instruction to clean the self-cleaning heat exchanger by setting a cycle, which can effectively ensure the cleanliness of the self-cleaning heat exchanger and improve the user experience. At the same time, the low temperature environment on the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger also has less damage to the cleaning parts.

[0061] In addition, the above-mentioned self-cleaning operation is controlled not to be performed when the air conditioner is in the heating mode. The reason is that when the air conditioner is in the heating mode, the temperature of the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger is relatively high. For cleaning parts made of materials such as rubber, high temperature can easily cause problems such as melting and deformation of the cleaning parts. Therefore, the self-cleaning operation is not performed when the air conditioner is in the heating mode to ensure the service life of the cleaning parts and to avoid the problem of melted cleaning parts adhering to the outer surface of the self-cleaning heat exchanger.

[0062] In an optional embodiment, the air conditioner further includes a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and a refrigerant pipeline; the refrigerant pipeline is respectively connected to the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and the heat exchanger to form a circulation loop.

[0063] A magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device comprises: a magnetic working medium bed, a magnet, a heat exchange cavity, a refrigerant pipe and a driver. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention. Figure 6As shown, the magnetic fluid bed 101 is a circular hollow cylinder, and the magnetic fluid is filled in the cylinder. The magnet (not shown) is fixed in a sector area of ​​the axis of the magnetic fluid bed, and can be arranged along the radial direction of the magnetic fluid bed 101, such as fixed on the inner or outer side of the ring of the magnetic fluid bed 101, or a magnet can be arranged on the inner and outer sides to strengthen the strength of the magnetic field and improve the efficiency of excitation; it can also be arranged along the ring surface of the magnetic fluid bed 101 in the axial direction of the ring, that is, when the magnetic fluid bed 101 is placed horizontally, the magnet is fixed on the upper or lower side of the magnetic fluid bed 101, or a magnet can be fixed on the upper and lower sides respectively. The heat exchange chamber 102 is a hollow cavity surrounding a part of the magnetic fluid bed 101, and the magnetic fluid bed 101 and the heat exchange chamber 102 are close to each other but not in contact. The refrigerant pipe 103 is connected to the heat exchange chamber 102, and the driver is connected to the magnetic working medium bed 101, and drives the magnetic working medium bed 101 to rotate with its annular central axis as the axis. Therefore, when the magnetic working medium body 101 rotates with the center of the annular ring as the axis driven by the driver (not shown), the heat exchange chamber 102 remains stationary, and the fixed position of the heat exchange chamber 102 can be the excitation zone. At this time, the refrigerant in the heat exchange chamber 102 will continuously absorb the cold released by the magnetic working medium that is continuously excited due to the rotation of the magnetic working medium bed 101, thereby transporting the low-temperature refrigerant through the refrigerant pipe 103; the heat exchange chamber 102 can also be fixed in the demagnetization zone. At this time, the refrigerant in the heat exchange chamber 102 will continuously absorb the heat released by the magnetic working medium that is continuously demagnetized due to the rotation of the magnetic working medium bed 101, thereby transporting the high-temperature refrigerant through the refrigerant pipe 103. A controllable bracket can also be provided, which is fixedly connected to the heat exchange chamber 102. When a low-temperature refrigerant is needed, the heat exchange chamber 102 is positioned in the excitation zone, and when a high-temperature refrigerant is needed, the bracket is controlled to position the heat exchange chamber 102 in the demagnetization zone. In this scheme, the magnet is fixed and stationary, and the magnetic working fluid rotates relative to the magnet. The area of ​​the magnetic working fluid bed 101 close to the magnet is the excitation zone, and the area of ​​the magnetic working fluid bed away from the magnet is the demagnetization zone. A pipeline is provided, and there is a refrigerant in the pipeline. The refrigerant may continuously flow through the pipeline circulation into the heat exchange chamber and exchange heat with the magnetic working fluid in the excitation zone, and take away the cold released by it, thereby achieving a cooling effect; the heat exchange chamber 102 can also be set in the demagnetization zone, and the heat released by the magnetic working fluid in the demagnetization zone is taken away, thereby achieving a heating effect. In this way, there is no need to control the flow of the refrigerant by setting a valve body, and the cold or heat released by the magnetic working fluid can be continuously taken away by the refrigerant, thereby solving the shortcomings of pauses and alternations in the existing magnetic refrigeration system, improving the heat exchange efficiency, and reducing energy consumption.

[0064] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention, wherein the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device comprises a magnetic medium bed 201, a heat exchange chamber 202, a refrigerant pipe 203, a first magnet 204, a second magnet 205, a driver 206 and a connecting rod 207. Figure 7 As shown, the magnetic working medium bed 201 is a circular hollow cylinder, and the magnetic working medium is filled in the cylinder. The first magnet 204 and the second magnet 205 are fixed in a sector area of ​​the magnetic working medium bed, as shown in FIG. Figure 7As shown, a magnet is arranged on the inner side and the outer side respectively to strengthen the strength of the magnetic field and improve the efficiency of the excitation; it can also be arranged along the annular surface of the magnetic working fluid bed 201 and in the axial direction of the annular ring, that is, when the magnetic working fluid bed 201 is placed horizontally, the magnet is fixed on the upper side or the lower side of the magnetic working fluid bed 201, or a magnet can be fixed on the upper side and the lower side respectively. The heat exchange cavity 202 is a hollow cavity surrounding a part of the magnetic working fluid bed 201, and the magnetic working fluid bed 201 and the heat exchange cavity 202 are close to each other but not in contact. The refrigerant pipe 203 is connected to the heat exchange chamber 202, and the driver 206 is connected to the magnetic working fluid bed 201 through the connecting rod 207, and drives the magnetic working fluid bed 201 to rotate with its circular central axis as the axis. The driver 206 is set at the axis of the magnetic working fluid bed 201, and the connecting rod 207 extends radially from the driver 206 to the magnetic working fluid bed 201. The connection point between the connecting rod 207 and the magnetic working fluid bed 201 can be on the inner ring side wall of the magnetic working fluid bed 201, or on the top or bottom surface of the circular surface of the magnetic working fluid bed 207, or even connected to the outer ring side wall of the magnetic working fluid bed 207. However, no matter how the connecting rod 207 is connected to the magnetic working fluid bed 201, a corresponding passage must be opened in the heat exchange chamber 202 so that when the magnetic working bed 201 rotates, the synchronously rotating connecting rod 207 will not be hindered. When the magnetic working medium 201 rotates with the center of the ring as the axis under the drive of the driver 206, the heat exchange chamber 202 remains stationary. Although the fixed position of the heat exchange chamber 202 is the excitation zone, the refrigerant in the heat exchange chamber 202 will continuously absorb the cold released by the magnetic working medium that is continuously excited by the rotation of the magnetic working medium bed 201, thereby transporting the low-temperature refrigerant through the refrigerant pipe 203; however, it should be understood that the heat exchange chamber 202 can also be fixed in the demagnetization zone. At this time, the refrigerant in the heat exchange chamber 202 will continuously absorb the heat released by the magnetic working medium that is continuously demagnetized by the rotation of the magnetic working medium bed 201, thereby transporting the high-temperature refrigerant through the refrigerant pipe 203. A controllable bracket can also be provided, which is fixedly connected to the heat exchange chamber 202. When a low-temperature refrigerant is needed, the heat exchange chamber 202 is positioned in the excitation zone, and when a high-temperature refrigerant is needed, the bracket is controlled to position the heat exchange chamber 202 in the demagnetization zone. This solution is to fix the magnets and allow the magnetic fluid to rotate relative to the magnets. The area of ​​the magnetic fluid bed 201 close to the magnets is the excitation area, and the area of ​​the magnetic fluid bed far from the magnets is the demagnetization area. A pipeline is set up, and there is a refrigerant in the pipeline. The refrigerant may continuously flow through the pipeline cycle into the heat exchange chamber to exchange heat with the magnetic fluid in the excitation area, and take away the cold released by it, thereby achieving a cooling effect; the heat exchange chamber 202 may also be set in the demagnetization area to take away the heat released by the magnetic fluid in the demagnetization area, thereby achieving a heating effect. In this way, there is no need to control the flow of the refrigerant by setting a valve body, and the cold or heat released by the magnetic fluid can be continuously taken away by the refrigerant, thereby solving the shortcomings of pauses and alternations in the existing magnetic refrigeration system, improving the heat exchange efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

[0065] Figure 8 The internal structure diagram of an embodiment of the magnetic working medium bed of the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention. The magnetic working medium bed is a circular hollow cylinder 301, and the hollow cylinder 301 is filled with magnetic working medium, such as nano-Gd3Ga5O 12 Nano alloys, GdSiGe alloys, Gd binary alloys and perovskite oxides, etc. Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, a plurality of partitions 302 are evenly distributed in the hollow cylinder 301, dividing the hollow cylinder into a plurality of radially evenly arranged chambers 303, and the magnetic working medium is filled in the chambers 303. Since the chambers 303 isolate the magnetic working medium in a regional manner, the heat loss between the magnetic working medium can be reduced on the one hand, and the utilization rate of heat can be improved and the energy consumption can be reduced on the other hand.

[0066] Fig. 9 FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device according to the present invention, wherein the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device comprises a magnetic working medium bed 401, a driver (not shown), a first heat exchange cavity 402, a first refrigerant pipe 403, a second heat exchange cavity 404, a second refrigerant pipe 405 and a magnet (not shown). Figure 7As shown, the magnetic fluid bed 401 is a circular hollow cylinder, and the magnetic fluid is filled in the cylinder. The magnet (not shown) is fixed in a sector area of ​​the axis of the magnetic fluid bed, and can be arranged along the radial direction of the magnetic fluid bed 401, such as fixed on the inner or outer side of the ring of the magnetic fluid bed 401, or a magnet can be arranged on the inner and outer sides to strengthen the strength of the magnetic field and improve the efficiency of excitation; it can also be arranged along the annular surface of the magnetic fluid bed 401 in the axial direction of the ring, that is, when the magnetic fluid bed 401 is placed horizontally, the magnet is fixed on the upper or lower side of the magnetic fluid bed 401, or a magnet can be fixed on the upper and lower sides respectively. The first heat exchange chamber 402 and the second heat exchange chamber 404 are hollow chambers that surround two opposite areas of the magnetic fluid bed 401, respectively, and the magnetic fluid bed 401 and the heat exchange chamber 402, and the magnetic fluid bed 401 and the second heat exchange chamber 404 are close to each other but not in contact. The first heat exchange chamber 403 is fixed in the magnetizing area, and the first refrigerant pipe 403 is connected to the refrigeration pipeline, while the second heat exchange chamber 404 is fixed in the demagnetization area, and the second refrigerant pipe 405 is connected to the heating pipeline. The driver drives the magnetic working medium bed 401 to rotate, so that the magnetic working medium in the magnetic working medium bed 401 continuously enters the excitation area to release cold, so that the refrigerant in the first heat exchange chamber 402 can continuously perform heat exchange, thereby outputting low-temperature refrigerant; at the same time, the magnetic working medium after excitation continuously leaves the magnetic field and enters the demagnetization area as the magnetic working medium body 401 rotates, so that the refrigerant in the second heat exchange chamber 404 can be drawn from the first refrigerant pipe 403 for continuous heat exchange, thereby outputting high-temperature refrigerant to the second refrigerant pipe 405. Therefore, whether in the refrigeration pipeline or the heating pipeline, the refrigerant therein can perform continuous heat exchange in the corresponding heat exchange chamber, respectively, which improves the efficiency of heat exchange and effectively reduces the energy consumption of the system. Furthermore, the surface of the magnetic working fluid bed is provided with arc-shaped grooves and bumps along the circular ring, and the surface of the corresponding heat exchange cavity facing the magnetic working fluid bed is provided with bumps and grooves, so that the specific surface area can be increased and the efficiency of heat exchange can be improved.

[0067] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the processes and structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising a self-cleaning heat exchanger, wherein the self-cleaning heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged at intervals, and an air flow channel is formed between adjacent heat exchange tubes, characterized in that: The self-cleaning heat exchanger also includes: At least one group of limiting components, each group of the limiting components defines two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes and the air flow passage therebetween into a clean space, and the limiting components allow air flow passing through the clean space to pass through; A cleaning member, one or more cleaning members are confined in the cleaning space, and the cleaning member can be driven by the airflow to move in the cleaning space to frictionally remove dirt on the outer surface of the heat exchange tube; A ball storage box connected to the cleaning space is provided at the bottom of the cleaning space; a wall of the ball storage box is provided with a plurality of air holes connected to the air duct of the air conditioner, and an opening area of ​​the air holes is smaller than a minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member; the air conditioner also includes a fan arranged in the air duct.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting component includes filters arranged at both ends of the airflow channel in the extension direction and fixed to the heat exchange tubes on both sides of the airflow channel at each end. The filters at both ends and the heat exchange tubes on both sides enclose the clean space.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting member comprises an independent cover shell, and the independent cover shell is arranged on the outer side of the two or more adjacent heat exchange tubes and the air flow channel therebetween to form the clean space; The cleaning member is arranged in the independent cover shell, and a plurality of through holes for the airflow to pass through are opened on the shell wall of the independent cover shell, and the opening area of ​​the through holes is smaller than the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the cleaning member.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning element is a hollow structure made of light material.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The sizes of the plurality of cleaning members are the same or different.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air conditioner is also provided with a ball storage channel, which is arranged inside the air conditioner and extends to a maintenance port of the air conditioner casing. The ball storage box is arranged in the ball storage channel and can be moved into or out of the casing via the ball storage channel and the maintenance port.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air conditioner also includes a magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and a refrigerant pipeline; The refrigerant pipeline is respectively connected to the magnetic refrigeration heat exchange device and the heat exchanger to form a circulation loop.

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