Heat exchange structure, outdoor unit and air conditioning system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a heat exchange structure, an outdoor unit and an air conditioning system. The heat exchange structure includes at least two heat exchangers, which are configured to be able to switch between being connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, being connected in parallel to form a second heat exchange branch, or selectively selecting one of the heat exchangers to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch. When the heat exchange structure, the outdoor unit and the air conditioning system are in use, different heat exchange branches can be switched according to user needs, so that when the compressor is running in a single cylinder, energy consumption can be reduced and frosting is not easy to occur while ensuring the refrigeration cycle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to a heat exchange structure, an outdoor unit and an air conditioning system. Background Art

[0002] As the living standards of users improve, users prefer simple, convenient and beautiful household appliances. Heating, cooling and water heaters provide heat exchange through integrated outdoor equipment. In order to ensure the system circulation of the entire equipment, the heat exchange device of the integrated outdoor unit generally uses a variable frequency and variable capacity dual compressor to ensure the refrigerant circulation under maximum load. However, when the compressor is operated at a low frequency with only a single cylinder, the pressure at the exhaust port is relatively low, which is not enough to complete the circulation of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger during heating. If the compressor operating frequency is increased at this time, it will lead to energy waste. If a microchannel structure with higher heat exchange efficiency is used at this time, although the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger can be improved, for northern regions with lower temperatures, frost is easy to block the air duct during heating mode, making the heating effect worse. Summary of the invention

[0003] When the compressor in a traditional outdoor unit is running at a low frequency and single cylinder, the exhaust pressure port pressure is too low to complete the circulation of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger during heating. When the operating frequency of the compressor is increased to solve the above problem, it will bring about a high energy consumption problem; or when a microchannel structure with higher thermal efficiency is used to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, it will cause frost problems; based on this, the present application proposes a heat exchange structure, an outdoor unit and an air-conditioning system. When the heat exchange structure, the outdoor unit and the air-conditioning system are in use, different heat exchange branches can be switched according to user needs. When the compressor is running in a single cylinder, the refrigeration cycle can be realized with low energy consumption, and when the heat exchange structure is in cooling or heating mode, the refrigeration cycle can be guaranteed with low energy consumption, and it is not easy to frost when used in areas with lower temperatures.

[0004] The specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0005] On the one hand, the present application relates to a heat exchange structure, comprising at least two heat exchangers, wherein the at least two heat exchangers are configured to be able to switch between being connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, being connected in parallel to form a second heat exchange branch, or selectively selecting one of the heat exchangers to be turned on to form a third heat exchange branch.

[0006] The technical solution is further described below:

[0007] In one of the embodiments, at least two control valves are further included, wherein two of the control valves correspond to two adjacent heat exchangers, the heat exchanger includes a first opening end and a second opening end, the first opening end of one of the two adjacent heat exchangers is connected to the first opening end of the other heat exchanger through one of the control valves, and the second opening end of the one of the heat exchangers is connected to the second opening end of the other heat exchanger through another control valve, and the formation of the first heat exchange branch, the second heat exchange branch, or the third heat exchange branch is controlled by controlling the opening and closing of each of the control valves.

[0008] In one of the embodiments, two tee pieces are further included, namely a first tee piece and a second tee piece, one end of the first heat exchange branch and one end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port end of the first tee piece, and the second valve port end of the first tee piece is connected to the first throttling element; the other end of the first heat exchange branch and the other end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port end of the second tee piece, and the second valve port end of the second tee piece is connected to the compressor, the third valve port end of the first tee piece is connected to one end of the third heat exchange branch, and the third valve port end of the second tee piece is connected to the other end of the third heat exchange branch.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first three-way piece and / or the second three-way piece is a three-way valve; or

[0010] The first three-way component and / or the second three-way component include two first solenoid valves and a first three-way tube, wherein the first pipe end of the first three-way tube is the third valve port end, one of the first solenoid valves is connected to the second pipe end of the first three-way tube to form the first valve port end, and the other first solenoid valve is connected to the third pipe end of the first three-way tube to form the second valve port end.

[0011] In one embodiment, the control valve is a three-way piece, and two adjacent heat exchangers correspond to two three-way pieces, and the two three-way pieces are respectively a third three-way piece and a fourth three-way piece, and the first valve port end and the second valve port end of the third three-way piece are respectively connected to the first opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers, and the first valve port end and the second valve port end of the fourth three-way piece are respectively connected to the second opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers;

[0012] The third valve port end of one of the third three-way piece or the fourth three-way piece is arranged so that the flow resistance of the channel formed with the first valve port end of one of them or the second valve port end of one of them is greater than the flow resistance of the channel formed by connecting the first valve port end of one of them and the second valve port end of one of them, and the third valve port end of the other is connected with the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or with the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

[0013] In one embodiment, one of the third valve port end of the third three-way piece or the third valve port end of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the second throttling element, and the other is connected to the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

[0014] In one embodiment, one of the third valve port end of the third three-way piece or the third valve port end of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the gas-liquid separator through a second throttling element, and the other is connected to the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or to the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

[0015] In one embodiment, the number of the heat exchangers is three, namely the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and the number of the control valves is four, namely two third three-way pieces and two fourth three-way pieces;

[0016] The first open end of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the first valve port end of the first third three-way piece through the first pipeline, the second valve port end of the first third three-way piece is communicated with the first open end of the second heat exchanger through the second pipeline, the second open end of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the first valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece through the third pipeline, and the second valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece is communicated with the second open end of the second heat exchanger through the fourth pipeline;

[0017] The first open end of the third heat exchanger is connected to the second valve port end of the second third three-way piece through a fifth pipe, the first valve port end of the second third three-way piece is connected to the second pipe through a sixth pipe, the second open end of the third heat exchanger is connected to the second valve port end of the second fourth three-way piece through a seventh pipe, and the first open end of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the fourth pipe through an eighth pipe.

[0018] In one embodiment, the control valve is a three-way valve.

[0019] On the other hand, the present application also relates to an outdoor unit, comprising the heat exchange structure in any of the above embodiments.

[0020] On the other hand, the present application also relates to an air-conditioning system, including the heat exchange structure in any of the above embodiments; or also including the outdoor unit in the above embodiments.

[0021] The heat exchange structure, outdoor unit and air conditioning system can switch the heat exchange branch as needed when in use. For example, when the cooling demand is large, the heat exchangers can be connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch. At this time, the heat exchange medium releases heat in stages in each heat exchanger, thereby avoiding excessively high local temperatures in the heat exchange structure. Therefore, when the compressor is running at a high power, the fan can be operated at a low speed to dissipate heat, thereby reducing energy consumption. When the cooling demand is low, the heat exchangers can be connected in parallel. At this time, the heat exchange medium has less pressure loss along the way when circulating, so the cooling demand can be met when the compressor is running at a lower frequency, saving energy. When the indoor unit is partially running, only the compressor needs to run at a low frequency and single cylinder. Since the exhaust pressure is low at this time, it is necessary to reduce the pressure loss of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange structure. In order to ensure the cooling cycle and demand, one of the heat exchangers can be selectively selected to connect to form a third heat exchange branch, thereby ensuring normal operation through a single heat exchanger. Similarly, when the temperature of the heat exchange structure is higher than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, the second heat exchange branch is formed by setting each heat exchanger in parallel, which reduces energy loss at this time; when the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger is lower than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, each heat exchanger is set to be connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, so that each heat exchanger releases heat in stages, thereby suppressing frosting throughout the process. When the heating demand is low, one of the heat exchangers can be selectively selected to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch, thereby making the heat exchange of the heat exchanger in the third branch lower, and thus not easy to frost. It can be seen that when the heat exchange structure, outdoor unit and air-conditioning system are in use, different heat exchange branches can be switched according to user needs, so that when the compressor is running on a single cylinder, energy consumption can be reduced and frosting is not easy while ensuring the refrigeration cycle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The drawings constituting a part of this application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and the description thereof are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention.

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings used in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0024] In addition, the drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative sizes of various elements are drawn only as examples in the drawings and are not necessarily drawn according to the true scale.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange structure in one embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange structure in another embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a heat exchange structure in another embodiment.

[0028] Description of reference numerals:

[0029] 10. Heat exchange structure;

[0030] 102, one of the heat exchangers; 104, another heat exchanger; 110, the first heat exchanger; 120, the second heat exchanger; 130, the third heat exchanger;

[0031] 210, first three-way piece; 212, first valve port end of the first three-way piece; 214, second valve port end of the first three-way piece; 216, third valve port end of the first three-way piece;

[0032] 220, a second three-way piece; 222, a first valve port end of the second three-way piece; 224, a second valve port end of the second three-way piece; 226, a third valve port end of the second three-way piece;

[0033] 310a, a third three-way piece; 3102, a first valve port end of the third three-way piece; 3104, a second valve port end of the third three-way piece; 3106, a third valve port end of the third three-way piece;

[0034] 310, the first third three-way piece; 312, the first valve port end of the first third three-way piece; 314, the second valve port end of the first third three-way piece; 316, the third valve port end of the first third three-way piece;

[0035] 320, the second third three-way piece; 322, the first valve port end of the second third three-way piece; 324, the second valve port end of the second third three-way piece; 326, the third valve port end of the second third three-way piece;

[0036] 330a, a fourth three-way piece; 3302, a first valve port end of the fourth three-way piece; 3304, a second valve port end of the fourth three-way piece; 3306, a third valve port end of the fourth three-way piece;

[0037] 330, the first fourth three-way piece; 332, the first valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece; 334, the second valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece; 336, the third valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece;

[0038] 340, the second fourth three-way piece; 342, the first valve port end of the second fourth three-way piece; 344, the second valve port end of the second fourth three-way piece; 346, the third valve port end of the second fourth three-way piece;

[0039] 410, a first solenoid valve; 420, a first three-way pipe;

[0040] 510, second solenoid valve; 520, second three-way pipe;

[0041] 610, first pipeline; 620, second pipeline; 630, third pipeline; 640, fourth pipeline; 650, fifth pipeline; 660, sixth pipeline; 670, seventh pipeline; 680, eighth pipeline; 690, ninth pipeline; 710, tenth pipeline; 720, eleventh pipeline; 730, twelfth pipeline;

[0042] 810. Second throttling element.

[0043] 900. Gas-liquid separator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0046] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0047] When the compressor in a traditional outdoor unit is running at a low frequency and single cylinder, the exhaust pressure port pressure is too low to complete the circulation of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger during heating; when the operating frequency of the compressor is increased to solve the above problems, it will lead to high energy consumption or the use of a microchannel structure with higher thermal efficiency to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger will cause frost; based on this, the present application proposes a heat exchange structure 10, an outdoor unit and an air-conditioning system. When in use, the heat exchange structure 10, the outdoor unit and the air-conditioning system can switch different heat exchange branches according to user needs, so that when the compressor is running in a single cylinder, energy consumption can be reduced and frost is not easy to form while ensuring the refrigeration cycle.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the air conditioning system includes an outdoor unit (not shown) and an indoor unit (not shown), the outdoor unit includes a heat exchange structure 10 (condenser structure), the air conditioning system also includes a first throttling element (not shown), a compressor (not shown) and an evaporator (not shown), the first throttling element, the compressor, the evaporator and the heat exchange structure 10 are interconnected for refrigerant circulation to achieve cooling or heating. Among them, the first throttling element can be a common throttling component in air conditioning, such as a capillary tube.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1 The heat exchange structure 10 in one embodiment includes at least two heat exchangers, which are configured to be able to switch between being connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, being connected in parallel to form a second heat exchange branch, or selectively selecting one of the heat exchangers to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch. The switching of the first heat exchange branch, the second heat exchange branch, and the third heat exchange branch can be achieved by controlling the opening and closing of the valve.

[0050] When the heat exchange structure 10, the outdoor unit including the heat exchange structure 10, and the air conditioning system including the outdoor unit or the aforementioned outdoor unit are used, the heat exchange branch can be switched as needed. For example, when the cooling demand is large, the heat exchangers can be set in series to form a first heat exchange branch. At this time, the heat exchange medium (such as refrigerant) releases heat in stages in each heat exchanger, thereby avoiding the local temperature of the heat exchange structure 10 from being too high. Therefore, when the compressor is running at a high power, the fan can be operated at a low speed to dissipate heat, thereby reducing energy consumption. When the cooling demand is low, by setting each heat exchanger in parallel, the pressure loss along the heat exchange medium during circulation is small, so the cooling demand can be met when the compressor is running at a low frequency, saving energy. When the indoor unit is partially running, only the compressor needs to run at a low frequency single cylinder. Since the exhaust pressure is low at this time, it is necessary to reduce the pressure loss of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange structure 10. In order to ensure the cooling cycle and demand, one of the heat exchangers can be selectively selected to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch, thereby ensuring normal operation through a single heat exchanger. Similarly, when the temperature of the heat exchange structure 10 is higher than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, the second heat exchange branch is formed by setting each heat exchanger in parallel, thereby reducing energy loss; when the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger is lower than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, each heat exchanger is set to be connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, so that each heat exchanger releases heat in stages, thereby suppressing frosting throughout the process. When the heating demand is low, one of the heat exchangers can be selectively selected to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch, thereby making the heat exchange of the heat exchanger in the third branch lower, and thus less prone to frosting. It can be seen that when the heat exchange structure 10, the outdoor unit and the air-conditioning system are in use, different heat exchange branches can be switched according to user needs, so that when the compressor is running on a single cylinder, energy consumption can be reduced and frosting is not easy while ensuring the refrigeration cycle.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 Specifically, in one embodiment, the heat exchange structure 10 further includes at least two control valves, wherein the two control valves correspond to two adjacent heat exchangers, the heat exchanger includes a first opening end and a second opening end, the first opening end of one of the two adjacent heat exchangers 102 is connected to the first opening end of the other heat exchanger 104 through one of the control valves, and the second opening end of the one of the heat exchangers 102 is connected to the second opening end of the other heat exchanger 104 through another control valve. When in use, the first heat exchange branch or the second heat exchange branch or the third heat exchange branch is controlled by controlling the opening and closing of each control valve. Specifically, the control valve and the heat exchanger are connected by setting corresponding pipelines to form corresponding heat exchange branches.

[0052] When the various branches formed as needed are to form a circulation system for refrigerant circulation to achieve refrigeration or cooling, the first heat exchange branch, the second heat exchange branch and the third heat exchange branch need to be connected to other components in the air-conditioning system, such as the compressor, the evaporator and the corresponding throttling elements.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1 Specifically, in one of the embodiments, the heat exchange structure 10 also includes two tee pieces, namely a first tee piece 210 and a second tee piece 220. The first valve port 212 of the first tee piece is connected to one end of the first heat exchange branch and one end of the second heat exchange branch. In other words, one end of the first heat exchange branch and one end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port 212 of the first tee piece, or the first heat exchange branch and the second heat exchange branch share the first valve port 212 of the first tee piece. Of course, a pipeline is needed to achieve the connection process.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1 The second valve port 214 of the first three-way component is connected to the first throttling element; the first valve port 222 of the second three-way component is connected to the other end of the first heat exchange branch and the other end of the second heat exchange branch. In other words, the other end of the second heat exchange branch and the other end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port 212 of the first three-way component, or the first heat exchange branch and the second heat exchange branch share the first valve port 212 of the first three-way component. Please refer to Figure 1 The second valve port end 224 of the second three-way piece is communicated with the compressor. Of course, a pipeline is needed to be used during the communication process.

[0055] Please refer to Figure 1 The third valve port 216 of the first three-way component is connected to one end of the third heat exchange branch, and the third valve port of the second three-way component 220 is connected to the other end of the third heat exchange branch. In this way, when the heat exchange structure 10 switches to the third heat exchange branch, it can still be connected to the entire heat exchange system for heat exchange.

[0056] In order to realize the switching of the first heat exchange branch, the second heat exchange branch and the third heat exchange branch, the control valve can also be set as a three-way piece. Figure 2 Specifically, in one of the embodiments, two adjacent heat exchangers correspond to two tees, which are respectively a third tee 310a and a fourth tee 330a. The first valve port end 3102 of the third tee and the second valve port end 3104 of the third tee are respectively connected to the first opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers. In other words, the first valve port end 3102 of the third tee is connected to the first opening end of one of the heat exchangers 102, and the second valve port end 3104 of the third tee is connected to the first opening end of the other heat exchanger 104.

[0057] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 The first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way piece and the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way piece are respectively connected to the second opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers; in other words, the first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the second opening end of one of the heat exchangers 102, and the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the second opening end of the other heat exchanger 104.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 2 The third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way member is configured to have a flow resistance greater than the flow resistance of the channel formed by the first valve port end 3102 of the third three-way member or the second valve port end 3104 of the third three-way member, and the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way member is communicated with the third valve port end 216 of the first three-way member or with the third valve port of the second three-way member 220. In this way, the heat exchange medium flows preferentially along the channel formed by the first valve port end 3102 of the third three-way member and the second valve port end 3104 of the third three-way member.

[0059] For details, please refer to Figure 2 , the third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way piece is connected to the second throttling element 810, so that a large amount of heat exchange medium can be blocked from flowing along the channel formed by the third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way piece and the first valve port end 3102 of the third three-way piece or the channel formed by the second valve port end 3104 of the third three-way piece; in addition, a small amount of heat exchange medium can be recovered through the second throttling element 810; for example, in one embodiment, the third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way piece is connected to the gas-liquid separator 900 through the second throttling element 810, and the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 216 of the first three-way piece or the third valve port end 226 of the second three-way piece. In this way, a small amount of heat exchange medium can be recovered to the gas-liquid separator 900, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0060] In other embodiments, the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way member is configured to form a channel resistance with the first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way member or the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way member greater than the flow resistance of the channel formed by the first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way member and the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way member, and the third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way member is communicated with the third valve port end 216 of the first three-way member or with the third valve port of the second three-way member 220. In this way, the heat exchange medium is preferentially communicated along the channel formed by the first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way member and the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way member.

[0061] Similarly, the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way piece can be connected to the second throttling element 810, so that a large amount of heat exchange medium can be blocked from flowing along the channel formed by the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way piece and the first valve port end 3302 of the fourth three-way piece or the channel formed by the second valve port end 3304 of the fourth three-way piece; in addition, a small amount of heat exchange medium can be recovered through the second throttling element 810; for example, in one embodiment, the third valve port end 3306 of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the gas-liquid separator 900 through the second throttling element 810, and the third valve port end 3106 of the third three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 216 of the first three-way piece or to the third valve port end 226 of the second three-way piece. Furthermore, a small amount of heat exchange medium can be recovered to the gas-liquid separator 900, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the heat exchange medium.

[0062] Optionally, in one of the embodiments, the control valve is a three-way valve.

[0063] Optionally, in one embodiment, the second throttling element 810 is a capillary tube.

[0064] For details, please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the first three-way piece 210 and / or the second three-way piece 220 is a three-way valve.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 In other embodiments, the first three-way piece 210 or the second three-way piece 220 or the first three-way piece 210 and the second three-way piece 220 both include two first solenoid valves 410 and a first three-way pipe 420, wherein the first pipe end of the first three-way pipe 420 is the third valve end, one of the first solenoid valves 410 is connected to the second pipe end of the first three-way pipe 420 to form the first valve end, and the other first solenoid valve 410 is connected to the third pipe end of the first three-way pipe 420 to form the second valve end.

[0066] Specifically, when the control valve is configured as a three-way piece, the three-way piece may be a three-way valve.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 3 In other embodiments, the three-way piece includes two second solenoid valves 510 and a second three-way tube 520, and three channels are formed by interconnecting the two first solenoid valves 410 and the second three-way tube 520. The three-way piece formed by the two first battery valves and the third three-way tube replaces the three-way valve and belongs to the prior art, which will not be described in detail here.

[0068] The following takes “three heat exchangers, namely the first heat exchanger 110, the second heat exchanger 120 and the third heat exchanger 130, the number of control valves is four, namely two third three-way pieces and two fourth three-way pieces, the first three-way piece 210 and the second three-way piece 220 are both three-way valves, and there are two second throttling elements” as an example to explain in detail the connection method and the use principle of the entire heat exchange structure 10;

[0069] Please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the number of heat exchangers is three, namely the first heat exchanger 110, the second heat exchanger 120 and the third heat exchanger 130, and the number of control valves is four, namely two third three-way pieces and two fourth three-way pieces; the two third three-way pieces are defined as the first third three-way piece 3103 and the second third three-way piece 320, and the two fourth three-way pieces are defined as the first fourth three-way piece 330 and the second fourth three-way piece 340.

[0070] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 The first open end of the first heat exchanger 110 is communicated with the first valve port end 312 of the first third tee through the first pipe 610, the second valve port end 314 of the first third tee is communicated with the first open end of the second heat exchanger 120 through the second pipe 620, the second open end of the first heat exchanger 110 is communicated with the first valve port end 332 of the first fourth tee through the third pipe 630, the second valve port end 334 of the first fourth tee is communicated with the second open end of the second heat exchanger 120 through the fourth pipe 640; the first open end of the third heat exchanger 130 is communicated with the second valve port end 324 of the second third tee through the fifth pipe 650, the first valve port end 322 of the second third tee is communicated with the second pipe 620 through the sixth pipe 660, the second open end of the third heat exchanger 130 is communicated with the second valve port end 344 of the second fourth tee through the seventh pipe 670, and the first open end of the second fourth tee 340 is communicated with the fourth pipe 640 through the eighth pipe 680.

[0071] Please refer to Figure 1 The third valve port end 316 of the first third three-way piece is connected to one of the second throttling elements 810 , and the third valve port end 346 of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the other second throttling element 810 .

[0072] Please refer to Figure 1 The second valve port end 214 of the first three-way piece is connected to the first throttling element, the first valve port end 212 of the first three-way piece is connected to the first pipeline 610 through the ninth pipeline 690, and the third valve port end 216 of the first three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 326 of the second third three-way piece through the tenth pipeline 710.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 1 The second valve port end 224 of the second three-way piece is connected to the compressor, the first valve port end 222 of the second three-way piece is connected to the seventh pipeline 670 through the eleventh pipeline 720, and the third valve port end 226 of the second three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 336 of the first fourth three-way piece through the twelfth pipeline 730.

[0074] When in use, since cooling and heating are symmetrical structures, the following uses the cooling mode as an example to illustrate the use principle of the heat exchange structure 10:

[0075] Please refer to Figure 1 When the cooling demand is large, the three heat exchangers are connected in series, forming the following pattern:

[0076] The second valve port end 224 of the second three-way piece is connected to the first valve port end 222 of the second three-way piece, and the second valve port end 344 of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 346 of the second fourth three-way piece. Since the third valve port end 346 of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the slender capillary tube, at this time, due to the large communication resistance, it is equivalent to being closed, so the heat exchange medium is transported from the seventh pipeline 670 with smaller resistance to the third heat exchanger 130, and the second valve port end 324 of the second third three-way piece is connected to the first valve port end 322 of the second third three-way piece, and the first third three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 346 of the first third three-way piece. The second valve port end 314 is connected to the third valve port end 316 of the first third three-way piece. Since the third valve port end 316 of the first third three-way piece is connected to a slender capillary tube, the large connection resistance is equivalent to a closed state. Therefore, the heat exchange medium is transported to the second heat exchanger 120 through the sixth pipeline 660, and then transported to the first heat exchanger 110 through the second valve port end 334 of the first fourth three-way piece and the first valve port end 332 of the first fourth three-way piece, and then flows out of the first heat exchanger 110 through the first valve port end 212 of the first three-way piece and the second valve port end 214 of the first three-way piece. At this time, the heat exchange medium releases heat in each heat exchanger in sections, thereby avoiding excessively high local temperatures of the heat exchange structure 10. Therefore, when the compressor is running at a high power, the fan can be operated at a low speed to dissipate heat, thereby reducing energy consumption;

[0077] Please refer to Figure 1 , the three heat exchangers are connected in parallel, forming the following pattern:

[0078] The second valve port end 224 of the second three-way member is connected to the first valve port end 222 of the second three-way member, and the second valve port end 344 of the second fourth three-way valve is connected to the first valve port end 342 of the second fourth three-way member, the first valve port end 332 of the first fourth three-way member is connected to the second valve port end 334 of the first fourth three-way member, the first valve port end 322 of the second third three-way member is connected to the second valve port end 324 of the second third three-way member, and the first valve port end 312 of the first third three-way valve is connected to the second valve port end 314 of the first third three-way valve, and the heat exchange medium is finally transported to the first three-way member 210 through the ninth pipeline 690, and is then transported to the first throttling element through the first valve port end 212 of the first three-way member and the second valve port end 214 of the first three-way member. When the refrigeration demand is low, by setting each heat exchanger in parallel, the pressure loss along the heat exchange medium when circulating is small, so the refrigeration demand can be met when the compressor runs at a lower frequency, saving energy.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 1 When a heat exchanger needs to be connected separately, the connection method is described by taking the connection of the third heat exchanger 130 as an example:

[0080] The second valve port end 224 of the second three-way piece is connected to the first valve port end 222 of the second three-way piece, the second valve port end 344 of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 346 of the second fourth three-way piece, the second valve port end 324 of the second third three-way piece is connected to the third valve port end 326 of the second third three-way piece, and then the third valve port of the first three-way piece 210 is connected to the second valve port of the first three-way piece 210. When the indoor unit is partially running, only the compressor needs to run at a low frequency and a single cylinder. Since the exhaust port pressure is relatively small at this time, it is necessary to reduce the pressure loss of the heat exchange medium in the heat exchange structure 10. In order to ensure the refrigeration cycle and demand, one of the heat exchangers can be selectively selected to be connected to form a third heat exchange branch, so as to ensure normal operation through a single heat exchanger.

[0081] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0082] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0083] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.

[0084] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0085] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A heat exchange structure, characterized in that: The at least two heat exchangers are configured to be switchable between being connected in series to form a first heat exchange branch, being connected in parallel to form a second heat exchange branch, or selectively selecting one of the heat exchangers to be turned on to form a third heat exchange branch; When the temperature of the heat exchange structure is higher than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, the heat exchangers are connected in parallel to form the second heat exchange branch; when the temperature of the heat exchange structure is lower than the frosting temperature and the heating demand is high, the heat exchangers are connected in series to form the first heat exchange branch; when the heating demand is low, one of the heat exchangers is selectively selected to be connected to form the third heat exchange branch.

2. The heat exchange structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes at least two control valves, wherein two of the control valves correspond to two adjacent heat exchangers, the heat exchanger includes a first opening end and a second opening end, the first opening end of one of the two adjacent heat exchangers is connected to the first opening end of the other heat exchanger through one of the control valves, and the second opening end of the one of the heat exchangers is connected to the second opening end of the other heat exchanger through another control valve, and the formation of the first heat exchange branch, the second heat exchange branch, or the third heat exchange branch is controlled by controlling the opening and closing of each of the control valves.

3. The heat exchange structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes two tee pieces, namely a first tee piece and a second tee piece, one end of the first heat exchange branch and one end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port end of the first tee piece, and the second valve port end of the first tee piece is connected to the first throttling element; the other end of the first heat exchange branch and the other end of the second heat exchange branch are both connected to the first valve port end of the second tee piece, and the second valve port end of the second tee piece is connected to the compressor, the third valve port end of the first tee piece is connected to one end of the third heat exchange branch, and the third valve port end of the second tee piece is connected to the other end of the third heat exchange branch.

4. The heat exchange structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first three-way piece and / or the second three-way piece is a three-way valve; or The first three-way component and / or the second three-way component include two first solenoid valves and a first three-way tube, wherein the first pipe end of the first three-way tube is the third valve port end, one of the first solenoid valves is connected to the second pipe end of the first three-way tube to form the first valve port end, and the other first solenoid valve is connected to the third pipe end of the first three-way tube to form the second valve port end.

5. The heat exchange structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control valve is a three-way piece, and two adjacent heat exchangers correspond to two three-way pieces, and the two three-way pieces are respectively a third three-way piece and a fourth three-way piece, and the first valve port end and the second valve port end of the third three-way piece are respectively connected to the first opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers, and the first valve port end and the second valve port end of the fourth three-way piece are respectively connected to the second opening ends of the two adjacent heat exchangers; The third valve port end of one of the third three-way piece or the fourth three-way piece is arranged so that the flow resistance of the channel formed with the first valve port end of one of them or the second valve port end of one of them is greater than the flow resistance of the channel formed by connecting the first valve port end of one of them and the second valve port end of one of them, and the third valve port end of the other is connected with the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or with the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

6. The heat exchange structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: One of the third valve port end of the third three-way piece or the third valve port end of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the second throttling element, and the other is connected to the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

7. The heat exchange structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: One of the third valve port end of the third three-way piece or the third valve port end of the fourth three-way piece is connected to the gas-liquid separator through the second throttling element, and the other is connected to the third valve port end of the first three-way piece or the third valve port end of the second three-way piece.

8. The heat exchange structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The number of the heat exchangers is three, namely a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a third heat exchanger, and the number of the control valves is four, namely two third three-way pieces and two fourth three-way pieces; The first open end of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the first valve port end of the first third three-way piece through the first pipeline, the second valve port end of the first third three-way piece is communicated with the first open end of the second heat exchanger through the second pipeline, the second open end of the first heat exchanger is communicated with the first valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece through the third pipeline, and the second valve port end of the first fourth three-way piece is communicated with the second open end of the second heat exchanger through the fourth pipeline; The first open end of the third heat exchanger is connected to the second valve port end of the second third three-way piece through a fifth pipe, the first valve port end of the second third three-way piece is connected to the second pipe through a sixth pipe, the second open end of the third heat exchanger is connected to the second valve port end of the second fourth three-way piece through a seventh pipe, and the first open end of the second fourth three-way piece is connected to the fourth pipe through an eighth pipe.

9. The heat exchange structure according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The control valve is a three-way valve.

10. An outdoor unit, characterized in that: The heat exchange structure comprises the heat exchange structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An air conditioning system, characterized in that: It comprises the heat exchange structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9; or it also comprises the outdoor unit according to claim 10.

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