A heat pipe system and its control method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a heat pipe system and a control method thereof. The system includes an evaporation coil, a condensation coil, a connecting pipeline, and an auxiliary pipeline; the evaporation coil and the condensation coil are arranged opposite to each other, and the evaporation coil includes an upper evaporation coil and a lower evaporation coil; the condensation coil includes an upper condensation coil and a lower condensation coil; the lower evaporation coil is communicated with the upper condensation coil through the connecting pipeline; the auxiliary pipeline includes a first pipeline and a second pipeline; a driving device is provided on the first pipeline, one end of the first pipeline is communicated with the lower condensation coil, the other end of the first pipeline is communicated with the upper evaporation coil, and the driving device is used to bring the working medium in the lower condensation coil to the upper evaporation coil; one end of the second pipeline is communicated with the upper evaporation coil, and the other end of the second pipeline is communicated with the lower condensation coil. By setting a power cycle heat pipe on the basis of a gravity circulation heat pipe, the overall performance of the heat pipe can be improved, and the energy utilization efficiency of the heat pipe is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and particularly relates to a heat pipe system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] During the air conditioning process, it is necessary to cool and dehumidify the incoming air. Since the temperature of the dehumidified air is relatively low, it often cannot meet the process or comfort requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to heat it by means of electricity, steam, etc. to reach the required supply air temperature.

[0003] This process of first over-cooling and then reheating causes a large amount of energy waste. For most constant temperature and humidity air conditioners, the energy consumed by reheating can reach nearly 50% of the total energy consumption of the air conditioner.

[0004] In order to reduce energy consumption, a feasible means is to use a U-shaped heat pipe to transfer the energy of the incoming air to the low-temperature area for reheating. The U-shaped heat pipe is divided into an evaporation coil and a condensation coil. The two coils are connected by a pipeline. The liquid working medium in the evaporation coil absorbs heat and evaporates, and flows along the gas channel to the condensation coil; the working medium releases heat and condenses into a liquid in the condensation coil. In the existing design, a liquid pump is used to drive the circulation of the working medium. This design completely relies on the refrigerant pump to send the working medium from the heat pipe condenser to the heat pipe evaporator. Once the refrigerant pump fails, the entire heat pipe will completely fail. At the same time, the U-shaped heat pipe has a wide range of applications, and the total circulation volume of the required refrigerant can reach several cubic meters per hour. In this case, the circulation pump is bound to be relatively large in size and can only be installed outside the U-shaped heat pipe. Moreover, most of them need to be welded on site, which increases the complexity of on-site construction. In addition, the pump with a large circulation volume also has a high power consumption, which reduces the energy-saving rate of using the heat pipe and increases the cost at the same time.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new technical solution to solve the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Aiming at the above problems of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a heat pipe system and a control method thereof, which can improve the overall performance of the heat pipe while maintaining a passive heat pipe, and can actively adjust the reheating capacity of the heat pipe within a certain range.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the specific technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0008] On the one hand, the present invention provides a heat pipe system, which includes an evaporation coil, a condensation coil, a connecting pipeline and an auxiliary pipeline;

[0009] The evaporation coil and the condensation coil are arranged opposite to each other. The evaporation coil includes an upper evaporation coil and a lower evaporation coil; the condensation coil includes an upper condensation coil and a lower condensation coil;

[0010] The evaporation lower coil pipe communicates with the condensation upper coil pipe through the connecting pipeline;

[0011] The auxiliary pipeline includes a first pipeline and a second pipeline; a driving device is provided on the first pipeline, one end of the first pipeline communicates with the condensation lower coil pipe, the other end of the first pipeline communicates with the evaporation upper coil pipe, and the driving device is used to bring the working medium in the condensation lower coil pipe to the evaporation upper coil pipe; one end of the second pipeline communicates with the evaporation upper coil pipe, and the other end of the second pipeline communicates with the condensation lower coil pipe.

[0012] Further, the evaporation lower coil pipe includes a plurality of evaporation sub-coil pipes, the condensation upper coil pipe includes condensation sub-coil pipes corresponding to the evaporation sub-coil pipes, and the plurality of evaporation sub-coil pipes and the plurality of condensation sub-coil pipes are communicated in sequence from top to bottom to form a plurality of circulating coil pipes.

[0013] Further, the first pipeline includes at least two first branch pipelines arranged in parallel, and the driving device is provided on each first branch pipeline.

[0014] Further, a liquid storage device, a filter and a check valve are further provided on the first pipeline;

[0015] The liquid storage device is arranged at the inlet end of the driving device and is used to store the working medium generated from the condensation lower coil pipe, and the outlet position of the liquid storage device is lower than the outlet pipe at the lowest part of the condensation lower coil pipe;

[0016] The filter is used to filter the working medium entering the driving device;

[0017] The check valve is arranged at the outlet end of the driving device.

[0018] Further, a flow switch is further provided on the first pipeline, and the flow switch is used to detect the flow rate of the working medium in the first pipeline.

[0019] Further, the system further includes a plurality of connectors, and the plurality of connectors are arranged at the ports of the evaporation upper coil pipe and the condensation lower coil pipe, and the connectors are used to collect or distribute the working medium at the ports.

[0020] Optionally, the connector includes a main pipe and a distributor.

[0021] Optionally, the system further includes a control device, a temperature sensor and an alarm device;

[0022] The temperature sensor is used to obtain the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil pipe;

[0023] The control device is used to obtain the data of the temperature sensor and control the operation of the driving device;

[0024] The alarm device is used to send an alarm message when the driving device is in an abnormal state.

[0025] On the other hand, the present invention provides a control method for a heat pipe system, and the method includes the following steps:

[0026] The control device obtains the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil detected by the temperature sensor;

[0027] Based on the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil, it is judged whether the air temperature exceeds a preset value;

[0028] If the air temperature exceeds the preset value, the control device controls the driving device to operate at a reduced speed;

[0029] If the air temperature is lower than the preset value, the control device controls the driving device to operate at an increased speed.

[0030] Furthermore, the method further includes:

[0031] The flow switch obtains the working medium flow information flowing through the first pipeline, and judges whether the flow value corresponding to the flow information reaches a preset flow value;

[0032] When the flow information is lower than the flow value, the flow switch sends a warning message to the control device;

[0033] Based on the warning message, the control device starts the alarm device to send an alarm message. By adopting the above technical solutions, the heat pipe system and its control method of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. For the heat pipe system and its control method of the present invention, by setting a power circulation heat pipe on the basis of a non-powered circulation heat pipe, the overall performance of the heat pipe can be improved, and the energy utilization efficiency of the heat pipe is increased.

[0035] 2. For the heat pipe system and its control method of the present invention, by setting an auxiliary circulation pump, the working efficiency of the condensation coil is improved, and the active regulation of heat energy is ensured.

[0036] 3. For the heat pipe system and its control method of the present invention, by setting an auxiliary circulation pump, the height difference of the non-powered heat pipe can be effectively increased, and the driving ability of the non-powered circulation is improved.

[0037] 4. For the heat pipe system and its control method of the present invention, by setting the corresponding control logic of the auxiliary circulation pump, the working ability of the liquid pump and the working safety are improved. Description of the Drawings

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of a gravity heat pipe in the embodiments of this specification;

[0041] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in other embodiments of this specification;

[0042] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in other embodiments of this specification;

[0043] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of a driving device in the embodiments of this specification;

[0044] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of a driving device in other embodiments of this specification;

[0045] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in other embodiments of this specification;

[0046] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in other embodiments of this specification;

[0047] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in some embodiments of this specification;

[0048] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pipe system in some embodiments of this specification;

[0049] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the control of the heat pipe system in this specification;

[0050] Figure 12 Flowchart of the control method of the heat pipe system in the embodiments of this specification;

[0051] Figure 13 Flowchart of other control methods of the heat pipe system in the embodiments of this specification.

[0052] In the figure: 1 - evaporation coil, 2 - condensation coil, 3 - connecting pipeline, 4 - auxiliary pipeline, 5 - connector, 6 - control device, 7 - temperature sensor, 8 - alarm device, 11 - upper evaporation coil, 12 - lower evaporation coil, 21 - upper condensation coil, 22 - lower condensation coil, 41 - first pipeline, 42 - second pipeline, 43 - driving device, 44 - liquid reservoir, 45 - filter, 46 - check valve, 51 - distributor, 52 - main pipe, 411 - first branch pipeline;

[0053] 10 - housing, 20 - working medium inlet, 30 - working medium outlet, 40 - interface for cable access. Specific embodiments

[0054] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0055] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, device, product or equipment comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

[0056] Embodiment 1

[0057] During the air conditioning process, it is first necessary to cool and dehumidify the fresh air, and then heat it to reach the required supply air temperature, which will inevitably cause a large amount of energy waste. In order to improve the energy utilization efficiency, an embodiment of this specification provides a heat pipe system, as Figure 1 shown, a schematic structural diagram of a heat pipe system provided by an embodiment of this specification, which may include different forms in actual implementation.

[0058] Specifically, as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the system includes an evaporation coil 1, a condensation coil 2, a connecting pipeline 3, and an auxiliary pipeline 4. The evaporation coil 1 and the condensation coil 2 are arranged opposite to each other. The evaporation coil 1 includes an upper evaporation coil 11 and a lower evaporation coil 12. The condensation coil 2 includes an upper condensation coil 21 and a lower condensation coil 22. The lower evaporation coil 12 is communicated with the upper condensation coil 21 through the connecting pipeline 3. The auxiliary pipeline 4 includes a first pipeline 41 and a second pipeline 42. A driving device 43 is provided on the first pipeline 41. One end of the first pipeline 41 is communicated with the lower condensation coil 22, and the other end of the first pipeline 41 is communicated with the upper evaporation coil 11. The driving device 43 is used to bring the working medium in the lower condensation coil 22 into the upper evaporation coil 11. One end of the second pipeline 42 is communicated with the upper evaporation coil 11, and the other end of the second pipeline 42 is communicated with the lower condensation coil 22.

[0059] It can be understood that the lower evaporation coil 12 and the upper condensation coil 21 form a circulating non-powered pipeline, constituting a U-shaped heat pipe. In particular, there is a liquid level difference or height difference between the upper condensation coil 21 and the lower evaporation coil 12. During the air conditioning process, the incoming air needs to be cooled and dehumidified. The liquid working medium in the evaporation coil 1 absorbs heat and evaporates. The gas in the lower evaporation coil 12 will flow along the connecting pipeline 3 to the upper condensation coil 21. The gaseous working medium releases heat and condenses into a liquid in the upper condensation coil 21, and then returns to the lower evaporation coil 12 by using the liquid level difference or height difference to form a cycle.

[0060] There is a height difference between the upper condensation coil 21 and the lower evaporation coil 12. In this way, when the connecting pipeline 3 is connected, it is inclined, which is convenient for the gas generated by the evaporation of the lower evaporation coil 12 to rise into the upper condensation coil 21. At the same time, the liquid formed by the liquefaction of the upper condensation coil 21 enters the lower evaporation coil 12 due to the action of gravity, thus realizing a non-powered heat energy cycle exchange.

[0061] As Figure 2 shown, it is a schematic diagram of a single non-powered circulating pipeline, which realizes a non-powered heat energy cycle exchange through the way of height difference or liquid level difference, saves energy consumption, and improves the utilization efficiency of heat energy.

[0062] In the embodiments of this specification, the lower evaporation coil 12 includes a plurality of evaporation sub-coils, and the upper condensation coil 21 includes condensation sub-coils corresponding to the evaporation sub-coils. The plurality of evaporation sub-coils and the plurality of condensation sub-coils are communicated with each other from top to bottom in sequence to form a plurality of circulating coils. It can be understood that a plurality of the connecting pipelines 3 are arranged in parallel and are respectively connected to evaporation sub-coils at different heights, thereby improving the heat energy exchange efficiency of the entire heat pipe system.

[0063] Since the adjustable capacity of the non-powered cycle is relatively poor and a certain height difference is required to ensure the efficiency of the cycle, in order to further improve the efficiency and controllability of the heat energy cycle. In the embodiments of this specification, a power cycle pipeline is formed between the evaporation upper coil 11 and the condensation lower coil 22. Specifically, by setting a driving device 43, the working fluid liquid in the condensation lower coil 22 is transmitted to the evaporation upper coil 11 through a first pipeline 41, so that the evaporation upper coil 11 receives the liquid for evaporation and cooling. Due to the action of the driving device 43, there will be hydraulic pressure or air pressure in the communication pipeline between the condensation lower coil 22 and the evaporation upper coil 11. Therefore, the gas generated by the evaporation of the evaporation upper coil 11 will be transmitted to the condensation lower coil 22 through a second pipeline 42, thus forming a power heat energy cycle. It is equivalent that the first pipeline 41 is a liquid pipeline and the second pipeline 42 is a gas pipeline.

[0064] By setting up the power cycle, the height difference of the non-powered cycle can be increased, that is, more condensation lower coils 22 can be set, so that the height difference between the evaporation lower coil 12 and the condensation upper coil 21 becomes larger, realizing a greater driving ability of the non-powered cycle, and the performance of the non-powered heat pipe can be greatly improved.

[0065] In the embodiments of this specification, the driving device 43 can be a liquid pump. The liquid pump can have a fixed speed or a variable speed, and different speeds are selected according to the actual working environment. The specific control method will be elaborated in detail later. In actual work, such as Figure 5 shown, to achieve good sealing and ensure that the working fluid does not leak during transmission, the pump head and the main body part of the pump such as the motor should be installed in a complete pressure-bearing housing 10. The housing is provided with an inlet 30 and an outlet 40 for the working fluid, an interface 20 for cable access, etc. In addition, the liquid pump has self-priming ability and can suck the heat exchange working fluid in the gas-liquid two-phase state. Preferably, the driving device 43 adopts a rotor pump.

[0066] To ensure the stability and controllability of the entire heat pipe system during operation, a combination of multiple liquid pumps can be used, that is, at least two first branch pipelines 411 connected in parallel are set in the first pipeline 41, and the driving device 43 is set on each first branch pipeline 411. In this way, the operation of different driving devices 43 can be controlled according to needs. At the same time, when some of the driving devices 43 fail, other driving devices 43 can work in time to ensure the normal and stable operation of the entire heat pipe system.

[0067] In actual work, such as Figure 3As shown, two parallel first branch pipelines 411 can be set, and a liquid pump is provided on each first branch pipeline 411. By controlling the working capacity of the liquid pumps on different second branch pipelines 411, the adjustment ability of the power cycle driving ability is improved. Specifically, the parallel liquid pumps can work alternately, avoiding excessive wear caused by a single liquid pump working for too long, thereby increasing the service life of the liquid pump and the stability of the entire heat pipe system. As Figure 4 shown, it is another manifestation of the multiple driving devices. Different parallel connection methods are set according to different situations, which will not be elaborated here one by one.

[0068] In some other embodiments, multiple second branch pipelines can also be set on the second pipeline 42, which can provide multiple pipelines for transporting gaseous working medium and improve the transportation efficiency of the gaseous working medium.

[0069] Based on the power cycle pipeline provided above, in order to improve the effective operation of the power cycle, the first pipeline 41 can also be provided with a liquid reservoir 44, a filter 45 and a check valve 46; the liquid reservoir 44 is arranged at the inlet end of the driving device 43 for storing the working medium generated from the lower condensation coil, and the outlet position of the liquid reservoir 44 is lower than the outlet pipe at the lowest part of the lower condensation coil 22. In practice, the specific design form of the liquid reservoir can be diverse, which can be an independent liquid storage tank, or the bottom space of the liquid return main pipe can be used as the liquid reservoir, or it can be integrated on the pump body; the filter 45 is used to filter the working medium entering the driving device 43; the check valve 46 is arranged at the outlet end of the driving device 43.

[0070] It should be noted that the check valve 46 can be used in a multi-pump pipeline with parallel connection. When there is a non-working liquid pump, the check valve 46 closes, which can prevent the working medium from flowing back through the pipeline where the non-working liquid pump is located and improve the transportation efficiency of the working medium.

[0071] When there are multiple first branch pipelines 411 in the first pipeline 41, a liquid reservoir 44, a filter 45 and a check valve 46 can be arranged on each first branch pipeline 411, which is convenient for adjusting the liquid pumps on each first branch pipeline 411. In some other embodiments, a liquid reservoir 44, a filter 45 and a check valve 46 can also be arranged on the main pipeline, that is, on the confluence pipeline of multiple first branch pipelines 411, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, which are all schematic diagrams of the positions of the liquid reservoir 44, the filter 45 and the check valve 46 during actual operation, but are not limited thereto.

[0072] In order to prevent the liquid pump from inhaling gas or gas-liquid two-phase working medium during operation, the liquid pump can be arranged in the liquid storage tank 44, as Figure 6As shown, it is a positional relationship between a liquid pump and the liquid storage tank. Two liquid pumps can be provided: a first liquid pump 431 and a second liquid pump 432. The first liquid pump 431 and the second liquid pump 432 are arranged in the liquid storage tank and can work together to absorb the liquid working medium in the liquid storage tank into the pipeline and transport it to the upper evaporation coil 11. This can ensure that all the transported working medium is liquid, improving the working efficiency of the liquid pump and the efficiency of the heat energy cycle.

[0073] Since both the upper evaporation coil 11 and the lower condensation coil 22 can include multiple sub-coils, during the process of liquid working medium transmission, the issue of flow distribution needs to be considered. Therefore, a connector 5 can also be provided. The connector 5 is arranged at the ports of the upper evaporation coil and the lower condensation coil, and the connector 5 is used to collect or distribute the working medium at the ports. Optionally, the connector 5 includes a main pipe 52 and a distributor 51.

[0074] It can be understood that the distributor 51 is arranged at the port where flow distribution is required, and the main pipe 52 is arranged at the port where flow collection is required. For example, as Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, the distributor 51 is arranged at the inlet end of the upper evaporation coil 11, which can reasonably distribute the liquid transported by the liquid pump to each sub-coil, and the main pipe 52 is arranged at other ports to collect the working medium for easy transportation. Through the setting of the above distributor, the evaporation performance of the upper evaporation coil 11 is improved, and the efficiency of the entire power cycle is increased.

[0075] It should be noted that the above-provided power cycle pipeline can be arranged inside the housing of the original U-shaped heat pipe, as long as it can provide the layout of the pipeline, which can reduce the increase in equipment size and facilitate transportation and installation.

[0076] As Figure 7 shown, for an extreme case of power cycle in some other embodiments, the evaporation coil and the condensation coil are both composed of the same sub-coils, and there is a non-powered cycle pipeline without a height difference. The circulation of all pipelines can be realized by setting a liquid pump, which can effectively improve the circulation efficiency of each pipeline and thus improve the heat energy utilization efficiency of the entire pipeline.

[0077] As Figure 7 shown, for a case of power cycle in some other embodiments, a U-shaped heat pipe is formed by connecting the lower evaporation coil and the lower condensation coil. Therefore, there is no height difference between the lower evaporation coil and the lower condensation coil in this U-shaped heat pipe. The liquid level difference and the gas-liquid interaction inside the two coils can be used to drive the circulation of the working medium. The upper evaporation coil and the upper condensation coil can achieve the circulation of part of the pipeline through the drive of a liquid pump to achieve the purpose of adjusting the heat exchange capacity.

[0078] Based on the above-provided heat pipe system, in addition to being applicable to U-shaped heat pipes, flat heat pipes for heat recovery can also adopt the above-mentioned power cycle method to achieve active regulation of the heat transfer quantity. For example, Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of a flat heat pipe system. For its specific working method, refer to the working method of the above U-shaped heat pipe, and details will not be elaborated one by one.

[0079] In the embodiments of this specification, in order to improve the effective control of the power cycle, a control system is also provided. Specifically, this heat pipe system further includes a control device 6, a temperature sensor 7, and an alarm device 8. The temperature sensor is used to obtain the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil; the control device is used to obtain the data of the temperature sensor and control the driving device to work; the alarm device is used to send an alarm message when the driving device is in an abnormal state.

[0080] In order to improve the precise control of the liquid pump, a flow switch can also be set, which is used to detect the working medium flow rate passing through the liquid pump in real time. Optionally, a flow switch must be set in each pipeline where the liquid pump is located.

[0081] In actual work, there can be multiple temperature sensors 7, which can detect the supply air temperature, the air temperature after the evaporation coil, the air temperature after the surface cooler or evaporator, and the air temperature after the condensation coil. In this way, the control device can accurately obtain the temperature information of each process of the heat pipe system and can control and adjust in a timely manner.

[0082] Such as Figure 11 As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of the control system of the heat pipe system. The control box is used to receive the operation instructions of the upper controller and send working instructions to the liquid pump.

[0083] Specifically, based on the above-provided control system, the embodiments of this specification also provide a control method for a heat pipe system. In order to better implement the control process, the following introduces the specific embodiments of the control method for the heat pipe system of the present invention. Figure 12 It is a schematic flowchart of a control method for a heat pipe system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. This specification provides the method operation steps as described in the embodiments or flowcharts, but based on routine or non-creative labor, there can be more or fewer operation steps. The step sequence listed in the embodiments is only one way among the execution sequences of numerous steps and does not represent the only execution sequence. When the actual system or server product executes, it can be executed in the order of the embodiments or as shown in the drawings, or executed in parallel (for example, in an environment of parallel processors or multi-threaded processing). Specifically, as Figure 12 As shown, the method may include:

[0084] S101: The control device obtains the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil detected by the temperature sensor;

[0085] S103: Based on the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil, determine whether the air temperature exceeds a preset value;

[0086] S105: If the air temperature exceeds the preset value, the control device controls the drive device to operate at a reduced speed;

[0087] S107: If the air temperature does not exceed the preset value, the control device controls the drive device to operate at an increased speed.

[0088] It can be understood that the temperature sensor can obtain the temperature after the condensation coil in real time and send the temperature to the control device. The control device can be a control box or an upper controller, and adjust the operation of the liquid pump in a timely manner according to the temperature, so as to realize controlling the performance of the power cycle by controlling the output power of the liquid pump, thereby ensuring that the air temperature after the condensation coil reaches the standard.

[0089] In some other embodiments, the heat pipe system can be in a multi-pump parallel connection mode. In order to avoid excessive working time of a single pump, the control device can record and save the working time and sequence of each liquid pump, and allocate the operation of the liquid pumps by itself, so as to ensure that each liquid pump can maintain good working efficiency.

[0090] Of course, in order to ensure the state of the liquid pump during operation, the heat pipe system control method provided by the embodiments of this specification further includes:

[0091] S201: The flow switch obtains the working medium flow information flowing through the first pipeline and determines whether the flow value corresponding to the flow information reaches a preset flow value;

[0092] S203: When the flow information is lower than the flow value, the flow switch sends a warning message to the control device;

[0093] S205: Based on the warning message, the control device activates the alarm device to send out an alarm message.

[0094] It can be understood that the flow switch can be a switch quantity monitoring device. The switch quantity can represent only two states, namely "on" and "off". When the flow rate in the pipeline is greater than or equal to the preset value of the flow switch, the switch is in the on state; when it is lower than the preset value, it is in the off state. In this way, as long as an open circuit is detected, a flow rate failure can be judged, that is, the pump has a problem. Specifically, when there is more working medium passing through the pipeline and exceeding the preset value, the flow switch is in the open state; when there is less working medium passing through the pipeline and lower than the preset value, the flow switch is in the off state. Therefore, the switch quantity of the flow switch also shows the working ability of the liquid pump. The size of the working medium flow rate passing through can be judged through the switch quantity, and then compared with the preset flow rate to judge whether the air pump is in the normal working state. In this way, it can be checked and replaced in time. Through the setting of the alarm device, the operator can understand it in the first time and avoid certain risks.

[0095] In some other embodiments, the flow switch can also be a flow sensor, which can obtain real-time data of the flow rate passing through the pipeline, so as to improve the accurate judgment of the working ability of the liquid pump and ensure the accuracy of its adjustment.

[0096] Based on the heat pipe system and its control method provided above, the embodiments of this specification further provide an air conditioner. The air conditioner can be a central air conditioner, and the central air conditioner includes the heat pipe system described above.

[0097] The central air conditioner generally includes an air duct composed of an air conditioner box body. Among them, the evaporation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe, the evaporator or surface cooler of the air conditioning system, and the condensation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe are connected in series in the air duct in sequence, and the external air flows through in sequence. Optionally, a fan is provided at one end of the air conditioner box. The air is first cooled by the evaporation coil, then further cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator or surface cooler of the air conditioning system, and finally reheated by the condensation coil.

[0098] In actual work, a U-shaped heat pipe is adopted in an air conditioner. The air conditioner casing forms a cross-flow air duct, and a fan is provided in the air duct. The air duct is successively provided with an evaporation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe, an evaporator or a surface cooler of the air conditioning system, and a condensation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe from the inlet to the outlet. There is a pipeline connection between the evaporation coil and the condensation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe, and the pipeline is the connection pipeline and the auxiliary pipeline provided above. The evaporation coil absorbs the heat of the flowing air, and the liquid working medium inside is heated and evaporated to generate a gaseous working medium. Part of the gaseous working medium enters the condensation coil through the connection pipeline, and the other part of the gaseous working medium enters the condensation coil through the second pipeline; at the same time, the air flowing through the heat pipe evaporation coil is cooled and cooled down, and this part of the air continues to flow through the evaporator or the surface cooler of the air conditioning system, and is cooled and dehumidified to reach a lower temperature. The low-temperature air continues to flow backward through the condensation coil of the U-shaped heat pipe. Since the temperature of the gaseous working medium in the condensation coil is higher than that of the flowing air, it is condensed into a liquid by the low-temperature air; at this time, the air absorbs the condensation heat of the working medium to realize heating and temperature rise. Part of the liquid in the condensation coil returns to the evaporation coil due to the height difference or the liquid level difference, and part of it returns to the evaporation coil under the drive of the liquid pump, so as to realize the transfer of heat energy from the evaporation coil to the condensation coil and the circulation of the working medium.

[0099] The following beneficial effects can be obtained through the above-mentioned heat pipe system and its control method:

[0100] 1) For a heat pipe system and its control method according to the present invention, by setting a power heat pipe on the basis of a gravity heat pipe, the overall performance of the heat pipe can be improved, and the energy utilization efficiency of the heat pipe is increased.

[0101] 2) For a heat pipe system and its control method according to the present invention, by setting an auxiliary circulation pump, the working efficiency of the condensation coil is improved, and the active regulation of heat energy is also ensured.

[0102] 3) For a heat pipe system and its control method according to the present invention, by setting an auxiliary circulation pump, the height difference of the gravity heat pipe can be effectively increased, and the driving ability of the gravity circulation is improved.

[0103] 4) For a heat pipe system and its control method according to the present invention, by setting a corresponding control logic for the auxiliary circulation pump, the working ability of the liquid pump and the working safety are improved.

[0104] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above-described exemplary embodiments, and without departing from the spirit or basic characteristics of the present invention, the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description. Therefore, all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are intended to be embraced by the present invention. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims involved.

[0105] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative manner of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A heat pipe system, characterized in that, it includes an evaporation coil (1), a condensation coil (2), a connecting pipeline (3) and an auxiliary pipeline (4); the evaporation coil (1) and the condensation coil (2) are arranged oppositely, the evaporation coil (1) includes an upper evaporation coil (11) and a lower evaporation coil (12); the condensation coil (2) includes an upper condensation coil (21) and a lower condensation coil (22); the lower evaporation coil (12) is communicated with the upper condensation coil (21) through the connecting pipeline (3); the auxiliary pipeline (4) includes a first pipeline (41) and a second pipeline (42); a driving device (43) is arranged on the first pipeline (41), one end of the first pipeline (41) is communicated with the lower condensation coil (22), the other end of the first pipeline (41) is communicated with the upper evaporation coil (11), and the driving device (43) is used for bringing the working medium in the lower condensation coil (22) to the upper evaporation coil (11); one end of the second pipeline (42) is communicated with the upper evaporation coil (11), and the other end of the second pipeline (42) is communicated with the lower condensation coil (22).

2. The heat pipe system according to claim 1, characterized in that, the lower evaporation coil (12) includes a plurality of evaporation sub-coils, the upper condensation coil (21) includes condensation sub-coils corresponding to the evaporation sub-coils, and the plurality of evaporation sub-coils and the plurality of condensation sub-coils are communicated with each other from top to bottom in sequence to form a plurality of circulating coils.

3. The heat pipe system according to claim 1, characterized in that, the first pipeline (41) includes at least two first branch pipelines (411) arranged in parallel, and the driving device (43) is arranged on each first branch pipeline (411).

4. The heat pipe system according to claim 3, characterized in that, a check valve (46) is arranged on each first branch pipeline (411), and the check valve (46) is arranged at the outlet end of the driving device (43).

5. The heat pipe system according to claim 1, characterized in that, a liquid storage device (44) and a filter (45) are further arranged on the first pipeline (41); the liquid storage device (44) is arranged at the inlet end of the driving device (43) and is used for storing the working medium generated from the lower condensation coil (22), and the outlet position of the liquid storage device (44) is lower than the outlet pipe at the lowermost part of the lower condensation coil (22); the filter (45) is used for filtering the working medium entering the driving device (43).

6. The heat pipe system according to claim 1, characterized in that, the system further includes a plurality of connectors (5), the plurality of connectors (5) are arranged at the ports of the upper evaporation coil (11) and the lower condensation coil (22), and the connectors (5) are used for collecting or distributing the working medium at the ports.

7. The heat pipe system according to claim 6, characterized in that, the connector (5) includes a main pipe (52) and a distributor (51).

8. The heat pipe system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A flow switch is also provided on the first pipeline (41). The system further includes a control device (6), a temperature sensor (7) and an alarm device (8). The flow switch is used to obtain the working medium flow information in the first pipeline (41). The temperature sensor (7) is used to obtain the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil (2). The control device (6) is used to obtain the data of the temperature sensor (7) and control the driving device (43) to work. The alarm device (8) is used to send an alarm message when the driving device (43) is in an abnormal state.

9. A control method for a heat pipe system, the method being based on the heat pipe system according to any one of claims 1-8 characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: The control device obtains the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil detected by the temperature sensor. Based on the air temperature after passing through the condensation coil, it is judged whether the air temperature exceeds a preset value. If the air temperature exceeds the preset value, the control device controls the driving device to operate at a reduced speed. If the air temperature does not exceed the preset value, the control device controls the driving device to operate at an increased speed.

10. The control method for a heat pipe system according to claim 9 characterized in that the method further comprises: The flow switch obtains the working medium flow information flowing through the first pipeline and judges whether the flow value corresponding to the flow information reaches a preset flow value. When the flow information is lower than the flow value, the flow switch sends a warning message to the control device Based on the warning message, the control device activates the alarm device to send an alarm message.

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