Evaporator

Abstract

The present application provides an evaporator, which includes a heat exchange tube group and a distribution device. The heat exchange tube group includes several heat exchange tubes, and the distribution device is arranged at one end in the length direction of the heat exchange tube group, so that the distribution device can distribute the refrigerant through the heat exchange tube inlets at the ends of the several heat exchange tubes. The distribution device includes a distribution device housing, at least one receiving port and at least one distribution member. The receiving port is arranged on the distribution device housing, and the distribution member is arranged inside the distribution device housing. The distribution device housing is arranged around the heat exchange tube inlets at the end of the heat exchange tube group and closes the heat exchange tube inlets. The distribution member can receive the refrigerant through the receiving port. Several distribution ports are provided on the distribution member, so that the refrigerant in the distribution member can be sprayed towards the heat exchange tube inlets of the heat exchange tube group through the several distribution ports. The evaporator of the present application can evenly distribute the refrigerant to several heat exchange tubes of the heat exchange tube group with a simple structure, effectively ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of evaporators, and particularly to a refrigerant distribution device in a dry evaporator. Background Art

[0002] An evaporator is a key component in a refrigeration system, and a dry evaporator is a commonly used type of evaporator. A plurality of heat exchange tubes are arranged in the dry evaporator, where refrigerant flows inside the heat exchange tubes and water flows outside the heat exchange tubes. Thus, the refrigerant inside the heat exchange tubes and the water outside the heat exchange tubes can conduct heat exchange within the evaporator housing. During the heat exchange process, the refrigerant inside the heat exchange tubes absorbs the heat of the water outside the heat exchange tubes and completely evaporates, thereby realizing the heat exchange function of the evaporator. It can be seen that the uniform distribution of the refrigerant inside the heat exchange tubes can effectively ensure the heat exchange efficiency of the dry evaporator. However, due to the large number of heat exchange tubes in the dry evaporator, it is difficult to evenly distribute the refrigerant to each heat exchange tube. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an evaporator that can achieve the uniform distribution of the refrigerant among multiple heat exchange tubes in the evaporator. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide an evaporator that can evenly spray the refrigerant into multiple heat exchange tubes in the evaporator with a simple structure.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, this application provides an evaporator on the one hand. The evaporator includes an evaporator housing, a tube sheet, a heat exchange tube group, and a distribution device. The evaporator housing has a length direction. The tube sheet is connected to one end in the length direction of the evaporator housing. The heat exchange tube group includes several heat exchange tubes. The heat exchange tube group is arranged inside the evaporator housing, and each heat exchange tube extends along the length direction of the evaporator housing and has a heat exchange tube inlet passing through the tube sheet. The distribution device is connected to the tube sheet and is configured to distribute the refrigerant to the heat exchange tube inlet. The distribution device includes a distribution device housing, at least one receiving port, and at least one distribution member. An accommodation space is provided inside the distribution device housing. The distribution device housing is arranged around the heat exchange tube inlet and closes the heat exchange tube inlet. The at least one receiving port is configured to receive the refrigerant. Each distribution member is arranged inside the accommodation space and includes a distribution cavity and several distribution ports communicating with the distribution cavity. Moreover, the distribution cavity of each distribution member communicates with a corresponding receiving port. The several distribution ports are arranged facing the heat exchange tube inlet and are spaced apart from the heat exchange tube inlet by a certain distance.

[0005] For the evaporator as described above, the evaporator housing has a height direction and a width direction. The distribution member is a distribution pipe, and the distribution pipe extends along the height direction of the evaporator housing. The several distribution ports are arranged at intervals in the extending direction of the distribution pipe.

[0006] The evaporator as described above, wherein the plurality of distribution ports are formed by a plurality of cuts on the distribution pipe, and each of the cuts extends circumferentially along the distribution pipe.

[0007] The evaporator as described above, wherein the plurality of distribution ports are formed by a plurality of nozzles provided on the distribution pipe, and each of the distribution ports extends in the width direction of the distribution pipe.

[0008] The evaporator as described above, wherein the openings of the distribution ports are arranged obliquely upward, so that the refrigerant in the distribution cavity can be sprayed out of the distribution ports at an obliquely upward angle.

[0009] The evaporator as described above, in the height direction of the evaporator housing, the distribution port at a higher position is closer to the inlet of the heat exchange tube than the distribution port at a lower position.

[0010] The evaporator as described above, in the height direction of the evaporator housing, the opening size of the distribution port at a higher position is larger than the opening size of the distribution port at a lower position.

[0011] The evaporator as described above, in the extending direction of the distribution pipe, the distance between two adjacent distribution ports at a higher position is smaller than the distance between two adjacent distribution ports at a lower position.

[0012] The evaporator as described above, the distribution device housing includes an end plate and an annular baffle. The at least one distribution member is arranged on the inner wall of the end plate, and the at least one receiving port penetrates through the end plate. The annular baffle is connected between the tube plate and the end plate, and the annular baffle and the end plate together form the accommodation space.

[0013] The evaporator as described above, the distribution device further includes a plurality of flow guiding vanes, the plurality of flow guiding vanes are arranged between the tube plate and the at least one distribution member, the plurality of flow guiding vanes are arranged at intervals in the height direction of the evaporator housing, wherein each flow guiding vane extends obliquely upward from the tube plate, and the angle between each flow guiding vane and the horizontal direction is less than or equal to 15°.

[0014] In the present application, at least one distribution member is provided in the distribution device, and the refrigerant from the expansion valve can pre-distribute the refrigerant in the length direction of the distribution member and evenly distribute the refrigerant to the heat exchange tubes by spraying. The distribution device of the present application has a simple structure and is relatively easy to install and manufacture. In addition, the distribution device of the present application reduces the requirement for refrigerant pressure drop through pre-distribution, ensuring that uniform distribution of the refrigerant can be achieved even under low-pressure conditions. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 The structure of the evaporator 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0016] Figure 2A It is Figure 1 an enlarged view of the evaporator 100 in the present application at the position of the dispensing device 104;

[0017] Figure 2B It shows Figure 2A the structure after the dispensing device 104 and the tube sheet 103 in the present application are installed;

[0018] Figure 3 It is Figure 2A an exploded view of the dispensing device 104 in the present application;

[0019] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2A the structure of the dispensing device 104 in the present application;

[0020] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 an exploded view of the dispensing member 301 in the present application;

[0021] Figure 6 It shows the structure of the dispensing member 301 of another embodiment;

[0022] Figure 7 It shows the structure of several flow guiding vanes 701 and the annular baffle 311 adapted thereto. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] The following will describe various specific implementation manners of the present application with reference to the drawings forming a part of this specification. It should be understood that although directional terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are used in the present application to describe various example structural parts and elements of the present application, these terms are used here only for the convenience of description and are determined based on the example orientations shown in the drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present application can be arranged in different directions, these directional terms are only for illustration and should not be regarded as limitations.

[0024] Figure 1 The structure of the evaporator 100 according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. As Figure 1 shown, the evaporator 100 includes an evaporator housing 101, a heat exchange tube group 102, a tube sheet 103, an additional tube sheet 109, and a dispensing device 104. The evaporator housing 101 is in a long cylindrical shape and extends in the horizontal direction. An accommodation space is formed inside the evaporator housing 101, and openings are formed at both ends of the evaporator housing 101 in the length direction. Both the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 are in a plate shape and are respectively arranged at both ends of the evaporator housing 101 in the length direction. As Figure 1As shown, the tube sheet 103 is connected to one end 108 in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101, and the additional tube sheet 109 is connected to the other end 110 in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101. The tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 have the same shape and are parallel to each other, and are respectively arranged perpendicular to the length direction of the evaporator housing 101. The sizes of the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 are respectively larger than the opening sizes of the corresponding ends of the evaporator housing 101, so that the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 can respectively close the openings at both ends in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101.

[0025] The heat exchange tube group 102 is arranged in the accommodation space inside the evaporator housing 101, and the length direction of the heat exchange tube group 102 is consistent with the length direction of the evaporator housing 101. The distribution device 104 is located at one end 108 in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101 and is connected to the outside of the tube sheet 103. As Figure 1 shown, the distribution device 104 includes a receiving port 105, and the receiving port 105 is used to receive the refrigerant from the expansion valve, so that the distribution device 104 can distribute the refrigerant into the heat exchange tube group 102. The distribution device 104 in this embodiment includes two receiving ports 105. In other embodiments, other numbers of receiving ports 105 may also be included, such as one, three, etc. In this embodiment, the distribution device 104 further includes a fastener 208 (see Figure 2B and Figure 3 ), so that the distribution device 104 can be fixedly connected to the tube sheet 103 through the fastener 208. In other embodiments, the distribution device 104 can also be fixedly connected to the tube sheet 103 by other connection methods such as welding. In order to show the structure on the side of the tube sheet 103 facing the distribution device 104, Figure 1 the structure after the distribution device 104 is separated from the main body of the evaporator 100 is shown, and the fastener 208 for fixing the distribution device 104 is omitted.

[0026] An output end 107 is provided on the outside of the additional tube sheet 109, and the output end 107 can be communicated with the heat exchange tube group 102 inside the evaporator housing 101, so that the refrigerant in the heat exchange tube group 102 can be discharged from the evaporator 100 through the output end 107. Water inlets 111 and water outlets 112 are provided on the side surface of the evaporator housing 101, and the water inlets 111 and the water outlets 112 are respectively communicated with the accommodation space inside the evaporator housing 101, so that water can flow into the inside of the evaporator housing 101 from the water inlets 111 and flow out from the water outlets 112. The evaporator 100 in this embodiment includes two water inlets 111 and one water outlet. As Figure 1As shown, two water inlets 111 are respectively arranged at opposite ends in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101, and the water outlet 112 is arranged at the middle position in the length direction of the evaporator housing 101. In other embodiments, the evaporator 100 may also include one water inlet 111 and one water outlet 112.

[0027] Two support frames 113 are provided at the bottom of the evaporator housing 101, and the two support frames 113 are arranged side by side to support the evaporator 100 to be horizontally arranged on a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, both the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 are rectangular plates, and the bottom edges of their respective rectangular plates are flush with the horizontal plane, so that the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 can play an auxiliary supporting role for the evaporator 100 installed on the horizontal plane. In other embodiments, the tube sheet 103 and the additional tube sheet 109 may also be arranged in other shapes as long as they can close the openings of the evaporator housing 101 on their corresponding sides.

[0028] Figure 2A is Figure 1 an enlarged view of the evaporator 100 in the position of the distribution device 104. Figure 2B shows Figure 2A the structure after the distribution device 104 and the tube sheet 103 in Figure 2A are installed. As Figure 2B shown, the distribution device 104 includes a distribution device housing 206, and the cross-section of the distribution device housing 206 is generally circular. Both receiving ports 105 are tubular, arranged on the distribution device housing 206 and communicated with the inner side of the distribution device housing 206, so that the refrigerant from the outside of the distribution device housing 206 can enter the inner side of the distribution device housing 206 through the two receiving ports 105 respectively. A plurality of fasteners 208 are arranged around the outer periphery of the distribution device housing 206, and the distribution device housing 206 is fixedly connected to the tube sheet 103 through the fasteners 208.

[0029] As Figure 2A shown, the heat exchange tube group 102 includes several heat exchange tubes 201, and each heat exchange tube 201 extends along the length direction of the evaporator housing 101. The several heat exchange tubes 201 penetrate through the tube sheet 103 in their respective extending directions and form several heat exchange tube inlets 205 on the tube sheet 103. In this embodiment, the several heat exchange tube inlets 205 are flush with the outer surface of the tube sheet 103. The several heat exchange tube inlets 205 face the distribution device 104, so that the distribution device 104 can distribute the refrigerant to the several heat exchange tubes 201.

[0030] In addition, referring to Figure 1It can be known that since the water inlet 111 and the water outlet 112 for the water supply flowing into and out of the evaporator 100 are respectively arranged on the evaporator housing 101, the tube sheet 103, the additional tube sheet 109, the evaporator housing 101 and the tube walls of several heat exchange tubes 201 jointly define the flow space of water, and the water flows between the inner side of the evaporator housing 101 and the outer sides of several heat exchange tubes 201. Since the water flowing into the evaporator housing 101 flows on the outer sides of the heat exchange tube group 102 and the refrigerant flows inside several heat exchange tubes 201, the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchange tube group 102 can exchange heat with the water flowing on the outer sides.

[0031] In this embodiment, several heat exchange tubes 201 form two heat exchange tube sub-groups 202, namely the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207. The first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the evaporator housing 101, and there is an interval 204 between the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207, and the interval 204 extends in the vertical direction. When the evaporator 100 is in the working state, the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207 can operate simultaneously or independently. That is to say, the evaporator 100 can have three working states. The first working state is that only the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 is operating, the second working state is that only the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207 is operating, and the third working state is that the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207 operate simultaneously. The specific working states of the first heat exchange tube sub-group 203 and the second heat exchange tube sub-group 207 can be selected according to the user's needs. In some embodiments, the heat exchange tube group 102 can also be integrated and not grouped for work; in other embodiments, the heat exchange tube group 102 can also be divided into other numbers of heat exchange tube sub-groups 202, such as three, four, etc., so that each heat exchange tube sub-group 202 can operate independently.

[0032] Figure 3 For Figure 2A the exploded view of the distribution device 104. The distribution device 104 includes a distribution device housing 206, a receiving port 105, a fastener 208, a distribution member 301 and a sealing ring 303. As Figure 3As shown, the distribution device housing 206 includes an end plate 307 and an annular baffle 311. The end plate 307 is in the shape of a circular plate, and a plurality of fastener mounting holes 317 are provided at its edge position. The plurality of fastener mounting holes 317 form an annular shape around the inner edge of the end plate 307 to cooperate with the installation of the fasteners 208. In this embodiment, the fasteners 208 include bolts 318, and the fastener mounting holes 317 are circular holes matching the bolts. Two receiving ports 105 are provided on the outer surface of the end plate 307, and the two receiving ports 105 penetrate through the thickness direction of the end plate 307 respectively. In this embodiment, the two receiving ports 105 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical axis of the end plate 307, and both of the two receiving ports 105 are located at the lower part of the end plate 307.

[0033] The annular baffle 311 is in the shape of a circular ring and has a certain thickness, and openings are formed at both ends in the thickness direction. In order to meet the requirements of the independent operation of the two heat exchange tube groups 202 in this embodiment, a partition plate 304 is provided inside the annular baffle 311. The partition plate 304 extends in the vertical direction and is located at the center of symmetry of the annular baffle 311. Both ends in the length direction of the partition plate 304 are connected to the inner wall of the annular baffle 311, so that the internal space of the annular baffle 311 is divided into two symmetric sub-regions. Since the two heat exchange tube groups 202 in this embodiment have a partition plate 304 that is symmetric left and right to match the structural settings of the two groups of the heat exchange tube group 102. In other embodiments, corresponding to other numbers of heat exchange tube groups 202, the partition plate 304 can also be set into other structures to divide the internal space of the annular baffle 311 into several sub-regions matching the several heat exchange tube groups 202. For embodiments that do not divide the heat exchange tube group 102 into several groups, the distribution device 104 may not be provided with a partition plate 304 in the annular baffle 311.

[0034] The sealing ring 303 is integrally annular and is made of an elastic material, and is used to play a role in sealing connection between the annular baffle 311 and the tube sheet 103. The size and shape of the sealing ring 303 match the cross-section of the end of the annular baffle 311 close to the tube sheet 103. In this embodiment, in order to adapt to the partition plate 304 provided inside the annular baffle 311, a sealing strip 313 is provided inside the sealing ring 303. The sealing strip 313 can achieve the sealing connection between the partition plate 304 and the tube sheet 103.

[0035] The distribution device 104 of this embodiment includes two distribution members 301. In other embodiments, it may also include other numbers of distribution members 301, such as one, three, four, etc. As Figure 3As shown, the distribution member 301 is formed by a distribution pipe 306. In this embodiment, the distribution pipe 306 includes a distribution pipe body 309 and a plurality of nozzles 315. The distribution pipe body 309 is tubular, and distribution pipe end plates are respectively provided at both ends of the distribution pipe body 309 in the length direction to form a distribution cavity 305 capable of storing refrigerant inside the distribution pipe body 309. A refrigerant inlet 302 is provided on the distribution pipe body 309, and the refrigerant inlet 302 communicates with the distribution cavity 305, so that the refrigerant can enter the distribution cavity 305 through the refrigerant inlet 302. The plurality of nozzles 315 are arranged on the pipe wall of the distribution pipe body 309 on the side opposite to the refrigerant inlet 302. Each nozzle 315 can form a distribution port 316, and the plurality of distribution ports 316 communicate with the distribution cavity 305, so that the refrigerant stored in the distribution cavity 305 can be sprayed out through the plurality of distribution ports 316.

[0036] The distribution device 104 further includes a plurality of support members 308, and the plurality of distribution pipes 306 can be installed on the end plate 307 through the plurality of support members 308. As Figure 3 shown, corresponding to the two distribution pipes 306 in this embodiment, four support members 308 are provided in the distribution device 104. The plurality of support members 308 are tubular and are connected between the distribution pipe 306 and the end plate 307. As Figure 3 shown, each distribution pipe 306 is provided with two support members 308, and the two support members 308 are respectively located at the two ends of the distribution pipe 306 in the length direction, so that each distribution pipe 306 is installed on the end plate 307 through the two support members 308. One of the two support members 308 is arranged between the refrigerant inlet 302 of the corresponding distribution pipe 306 and the corresponding receiving port 105, so that the distribution pipe 306 can obtain refrigerant from the receiving port 105 through the support member 308 connecting the refrigerant inlet 302. The four support members 308 in the distribution device 104 have the same thickness, so that the two distribution pipes 306 are respectively parallel to the end plate 307, and the two distribution pipes 306 are both arranged in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the plurality of support members 308 are fixedly connected between the distribution pipe 306 and the end plate 307 by a welding process. In other embodiments, other connection processes can also be used. In some other embodiments, the support members 308 may not be provided in the distribution device 104, and the distribution member 301 can be directly connected to the end plate 307.

[0037] Figure 4 shows Figure 2A the structure of the distribution device 104 in Figure 4As shown, the end plate 307 is connected to one end of the annular baffle 311 in the thickness direction, and the dispensing device housing 206 is jointly formed by the annular baffle 311 and the end plate 307. Since the size of the end plate 307 is larger than the opening size of the annular baffle 311, the end plate 307 can close an opening of the annular baffle 311 from one end in the thickness direction of the annular baffle 311. The annular baffle 311 is fixed on the inner surface of the end plate 307, and the annular baffle 311 and the end plate 307 jointly form the accommodation space 402 of the dispensing device 104.

[0038] The partition plate 304 inside the annular baffle 311 divides the accommodation space 402 of the dispensing device housing 206 into two sub-accommodation spaces 404, namely the first sub-accommodation space 405 and the second sub-accommodation space 406. Two dispensing pipes 306 are respectively arranged in the first sub-accommodation space 405 and the second sub-accommodation space 406. As Figure 4 shown, both of the two dispensing pipes 306 extend in a substantially vertical direction, and both ends in the length direction of each dispensing pipe 306 are connected to the inner wall of the annular baffle 311. In this embodiment, the dispensing pipe 306 itself is provided with a dispensing pipe plate at its end to form a sealing structure. In other embodiments, the sealing structure at both ends of the dispensing pipe 306 is jointly formed by the inner wall of the annular baffle 311 and the dispensing pipe 306. Thus, when the dispensing pipe 306 is installed in the accommodation space 402 of the dispensing device 104, there is a sealing structure at both ends in its length direction that can store the refrigerant. The refrigerant inlet 302 of each dispensing pipe 306 is arranged facing the end plate 307 for receiving the refrigerant from the receiving port 105. A plurality of dispensing ports 316 of each dispensing pipe 306 are arranged side by side along the length direction of the dispensing pipe 306, and there is an interval between the plurality of dispensing ports 316.

[0039] Combined with Figure 2B 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4As can be seen, when the distribution device housing 206 is mounted on the tube sheet 103 by bolts 318, the distribution device housing 206 is disposed around the heat exchange tube inlet 205. One end of the bolt 318 penetrates through the fastener mounting hole 317 on the end plate 307, and the other end is connected to the tube sheet 103. The annular baffle 311 is located between the tube sheet 103 and the end plate 307, and a plurality of bolts 318 are arranged around the outside of the annular baffle 311. Under the fastening action of the bolts 318, the annular baffle 311 is pressed by the end plate 307 and abuts against the outer surface of the tube sheet 103. The annular baffle 311 and the tube sheet 103 jointly enclose the heat exchange tube inlet 205 on the outer periphery of the heat exchange tube inlet 205. At this time, the first sub-accommodation space 405 faces the first heat exchange tube group 203, the second sub-accommodation space 406 faces the second heat exchange tube group 207, and the partition plate 304 is aligned with the interval 204 between the first heat exchange tube group 203 and the second heat exchange tube group 207. A plurality of distribution ports 316 on each distribution pipe 306 all face the heat exchange tube inlet 205 of the heat exchange tube group 102, and there is a certain distance between the plurality of distribution ports 316 and the plurality of heat exchange tube inlets 205, so that the distribution pipe 306 located in the first sub-accommodation space 405 can spray refrigerant to the first heat exchange tube group 203, and the distribution pipe 306 located in the second sub-accommodation space 406 can spray refrigerant to the second heat exchange tube group 207. Since both ends of the distribution pipe 306 are connected to the inner wall of the distribution device housing 206 and the distribution pipe 306 extends in the entire height direction within the distribution device housing 206, the spraying direction of the distribution pipe 306 can cover the entire height of the plurality of heat exchange tube inlets 205, so that the heat exchange tubes 201 at different heights installed in the evaporator 100 can all receive the spraying of the refrigerant from the distribution device 104.

[0040] Figure 5 shows Figure 4 the exploded view of the distributor 301 in. As Figure 5 shown, the distribution pipe 306 forming the distributor 301 is strip-shaped, and any cross-section of the strip-shaped distribution pipe 306 is substantially arch-shaped. The distribution pipe body 309 includes a distribution surface 501 disposed facing the tube sheet 103, wherein the distribution surface 501 extends along the length direction of the distribution pipe body 309. The distribution surface 501 is a curved arc surface, and its bending direction is consistent with the extending direction of the distribution pipe body 309. A plurality of nozzle mounting holes 502 are provided on the distribution surface 501, and the plurality of nozzle mounting holes 502 are arranged side by side in the length direction of the distribution surface 501. A plurality of nozzles 315 are disposed on the distribution pipe body 309 through the nozzle mounting holes 502. In this embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 315 are connected to the distribution pipe body 309 by threads. In other embodiments, the nozzles 315 can also be fixed to the distribution pipe body 309 by other means.

[0041] As Figure 5As shown, the distribution port 316 formed by the nozzle 315 is elongated. When a plurality of nozzles 315 are installed in the corresponding nozzle mounting holes 502, each distribution port 316 extends along the width direction of the distribution pipe 306. The arrangement of the distribution port 316 extending along the width direction of the distribution pipe 306 enables the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution port 316 to diffuse in the width direction of the distribution pipe 306. In this embodiment, by arranging one distribution pipe 306 in each sub-accommodation space 404 of the distribution device accommodation space 402, the refrigerant spraying within the width range of its corresponding heat exchange tube group 202 can be covered. In other embodiments, if the refrigerant sprayed out from one distribution pipe 306 cannot meet the spraying requirements within the entire width range of its corresponding heat exchange tube group 202, a plurality of distribution pipes 306 can be arranged side by side in the width direction of the corresponding sub-accommodation space 404 in the distribution device 104. That is to say, the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution device 104 of the embodiment of the present application can cover the multiple refrigerant inlets 302 distributed on the tube sheet 103.

[0042] Figure 6 The structure of the distribution member 301 of another embodiment is shown. Similar to Figures 3 to 5 the structure where the distribution member 301 is formed by the distribution pipe 306 in Figure 6 the shown distribution member 301 is also formed by the distribution pipe 306. Figure 6 The distribution pipe 306 in Figures 3 to 5 is also a long tubular shape with an arch-shaped cross-section. An internal distribution cavity 305 is formed inside the distribution pipe 306. Oppositely arranged on the tube wall of the distribution pipe 306 are a refrigerant inlet 302 and a plurality of distribution ports 316, and the refrigerant inlet 302 and the plurality of distribution ports 316 are respectively communicated with the distribution cavity 305. Different from Figure 6 the distribution pipe 306 in Figure 6 which includes several nozzles 315 and a distribution pipe body 309, and several distribution ports 316 are formed by additionally installing several nozzles 315 on the distribution pipe body 309, Figure 6 the distribution pipe 306 in Figure 4It is consistent with the installation method of the distribution pipe 306 in the middle distribution device 104. When the distribution pipe 306 is installed in the distribution device housing 206, the length direction of the distribution pipe 306 is consistent with the height direction of the evaporator housing 101, so that a plurality of distribution ports 316 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and each distribution port 316 extends substantially along the width direction of the evaporator housing 101. The above settings enable a plurality of distribution ports 316 to spray from different heights, and the refrigerant sprayed out of each distribution port 316 can diffuse in the width direction of the evaporator housing 101. Thus, it can be seen that, like the distribution member 301 shown in Figures 3 to 5 the distribution member 301 in Figure 6 can simultaneously meet the spraying requirements of the heat exchange tubes 201 in different heights and different width directions.

[0043] Combined with Figure 5 and Figure 6 it can be seen that the distribution port 316 and the refrigerant inlet 302 are respectively located on two adjacent sides of the distribution pipe 306. When the refrigerant enters the distribution cavity 305 in the distribution pipe 306 from the refrigerant inlet 302 on the right side of the distribution pipe 306, the refrigerant will be sprayed out from the distribution port 316 on the left side of the distribution pipe 306. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 , the sizes and shapes of a plurality of distribution ports 316 on the distribution pipe 306 are exactly the same. If there is a distribution port 316 arranged opposite to the refrigerant inlet 302, then the refrigerant sprayed out from this distribution port 316 has a greater spraying speed than the refrigerant sprayed out from other distribution ports 316. This is because the distribution port 316 arranged opposite to the refrigerant inlet 302 is the closest to the refrigerant inlet 302, and the energy loss of the refrigerant when moving from the refrigerant inlet 302 to this distribution port 316 is the smallest. In order to relatively balance the refrigerant spraying speeds between the respective distribution ports 316 so that the heat exchange tubes 201 at different heights can obtain a relatively uniform refrigerant spraying amount, the present application does not provide a distribution port 316 on the side of the distribution pipe 306 opposite to the refrigerant inlet 302.

[0044] Figure 7 shows the structure of several guide vanes 701 and their adapted annular baffles 311. Under the influence of gravity, the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution port 316 at a higher position of the distribution pipe 306 will scatter obliquely downward. In order to prevent too much refrigerant from being sprayed onto the heat exchange tubes 201 located at the bottom of the evaporator housing 101, in some embodiments, the distribution device 104 may further include several guide vanes 701. The several guide vanes 701 are arranged in the accommodation space 402 formed by the distribution device housing 206, between the tube sheet 103 and the plurality of distribution members 301. In order to adapt to the two distribution pipes 306 in the embodiments of the present application, Figure 7There are two rows of flow guiding vanes 701 provided. The two rows of flow guiding vanes 701 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the evaporator housing 101. Each row of flow guiding vanes 701 is arranged outside the distribution surface 501 of a corresponding distribution pipe 306 and is spaced along the length direction of the distribution surface 501. As Figure 7 shown, several flow guiding vanes 701 in the same row are arranged parallel to each other, and the intervals between two adjacent flow guiding vanes 701 in the vertical direction are equal. The multiple flow guiding vanes 701 spaced in the vertical direction divide the spraying area of the distribution pipe 306 into multiple sub-areas, and the multiple spraying sub-areas cannot be directly communicated in the vertical direction, avoiding the refrigerant from gathering at the lower part of the evaporator housing 101 due to scattering from a higher spraying sub-area to a lower spraying sub-area, ensuring that each heat exchange tube 201 at different heights can obtain a substantially equal refrigerant inflow from its corresponding heat exchange tube inlet 205.

[0045] As Figure 7 shown, each flow guiding vane 701 extends obliquely upward from the outer surface of the tube sheet 103. Among them, the included angle between each flow guiding vane 701 and the horizontal direction is less than or equal to 15°. In some embodiments, the included angle can also be less than or equal to 10°. In other embodiments, each flow guiding vane 701 can be set perpendicular to the tube sheet 103. The structure of the flow guiding vane 701 perpendicular to the tube sheet 103 or inclined upward from the tube sheet 103 can ensure the normal spraying of the refrigerant while dividing the spraying area of the distribution pipe 306, avoiding the refrigerant sprayed from the distribution pipe 306 from flowing back to the position of the distribution port 316 under the guidance of the flow guiding vane 701.

[0046] In order to install the two rows of flow guiding vanes 701 in the distribution device 104, two mounting plates 702 and four plug-in connectors 703 are additionally provided in the annular baffle 311 in this embodiment. The two mounting plates 702 are in strip shape and are respectively located on the left and right sides of the partition plate 304. The two mounting plates 702 are arranged parallel to the partition plate 304, and the two distribution pipes 306 can be respectively arranged between the partition plate 304 and a corresponding mounting plate 702. In this embodiment, the two mounting plates 702 are respectively located at the edge positions of the annular baffle 311. The interval between the mounting plate 702 and the partition plate 304 is approximately the same as the length of the flow guiding vane 701, so that each row of flow guiding vanes 701 can be installed between the partition plate 304 and a corresponding mounting plate 702. The four plug-in connectors 703 are in pairs and are respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the mounting plate 702 and the partition plate 304 for installing the two rows of flow guiding vanes 701 between the partition plate 304 and a corresponding mounting plate 702 respectively. In Figure 7 the shown embodiment of this embodiment, the four plug-in connectors 703 are fixed in their corresponding partition plates 304 and mounting plates 702 by welding. Figure 7Only two of the plug connectors 703 are shown in the annular baffle 311, namely the plug connector 703 provided on one side of the partition plate 304 and the plug connector 703 provided on one of the two mounting plates 702.

[0047] The structures of the four plug connectors 703 are substantially the same, and they are all provided on one side of the annular baffle 311 close to the tube sheet 103. Each plug connector 703 extends along the length direction of the corresponding partition plate 304 or mounting plate 702. The outer edge 705 of each plug connector 703 is flush with the outer edge of the corresponding partition plate 304 or mounting plate 702 facing the tube sheet 103. A plurality of insertion openings 704 are provided at the position of the outer edge 705 of each plug connector 703, and the plurality of insertion openings 704 are arranged at intervals in the length direction of the plug connector 703. Each insertion opening 704 extends obliquely upward from the outer edge 705 of the plug connector 703 to form a groove. The inclination angle of the insertion opening 704 is the same as the inclination angle of the flow guide vane 701 after installation, and the opening thickness of the insertion opening 704 is the same as the thickness of the flow guide vane 701, so that the flow guide vane 701 can be inserted into the insertion opening 704 and installed on the annular baffle 311 by connecting with the plug connector 703. The extending length of the insertion opening 704 is consistent with the length of the flow guide vane 701, so that when the flow guide vane 701 is inserted to the bottom end of the insertion opening 704, the outer edge of the flow guide vane 701 is flush with the plane where the corresponding end of the annular baffle 311 is located. It can be seen from this that the arrangement of the plurality of flow guide vanes 701 in the distribution device 104 makes the outer edges of the plurality of flow guide vanes 701 abut against the outer surface of the tube sheet 103, and the inner edges of the plurality of flow guide vanes 701 abut against the distribution surface 501 of the distribution pipe 306. The plurality of flow guide vanes 701 extending in the horizontal direction can divide the space between the distribution pipe 306 and the tube sheet 103 into a plurality of sub-regions arranged side by side in the vertical direction. In Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of flow guide vanes 701 are fixed in the corresponding plug connectors 703 by spot welding. In other embodiments, other fixed connection methods can also be used.

[0048] Combined with Figures 1 to 7It can be seen that the distribution device 104 distributes the refrigerant to several heat exchange tubes 201 by spraying. During the operation of the evaporator 100, the refrigerant from the expansion valve enters the distribution cavity 305 of the distribution pipe 306 through the receiving port 105, and the refrigerant entering the distribution cavity 305 sprays towards the tube sheet 103 through a plurality of distribution ports 316. Part of the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution ports 316 just enters the heat exchange tube inlet 205 and directly enters the corresponding heat exchange tube 201 through the heat exchange tube inlet 205. In addition, part of the refrigerant from the distribution ports 316 is sprayed onto the tube sheet 103 between the inlets 205 of multiple heat exchange tubes. The refrigerant sprayed onto the tube sheet 103 will flow downward along the wall of the tube sheet 103 until it flows into the inlet 205 of an adjacent lower heat exchange tube and enters the corresponding heat exchange tube 201 along with the heat exchange tube inlet 205. Thus, through the spraying method, almost all of the refrigerant from the distribution device 104 can enter several heat exchange tubes 201 of the heat exchange tube group 102.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present application, the distribution pipe 306 is vertically arranged, and a plurality of distribution ports 316 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. Only when the entire distribution cavity 305 of the distribution pipe 306 is filled with the refrigerant, can the refrigerant spray out from the distribution ports 316 located at the top of the distribution pipe 306. Under the influence of the refrigerant pressure, the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution ports 316 at the lower part of the distribution pipe 306 has a greater spraying speed than the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution ports 316 at the upper part of the distribution pipe 306. Therefore, the heat exchange tubes 201 located at the lower part of the evaporator housing 101 can obtain a greater refrigerant flow rate than the heat exchange tubes 201 located at the upper part of the evaporator housing 101. In addition, under the action of gravity, the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution ports 316 scatters downward. Therefore, the refrigerant tends to gather downward during the spraying process. That is to say, under the same spraying conditions, the heat exchange tubes 201 located at the lower part of the evaporator housing 101 can usually obtain a greater refrigerant spraying amount.

[0050] In order to enable the heat exchange tubes 201 at different heights in the evaporator housing 101 to obtain relatively uniform refrigerant spray amounts, in some embodiments, the distribution device 104 sets the thickness of the support member 308 at a higher position of the distribution pipe 306 to be greater than the thickness of the support member 308 at a lower position of the distribution pipe 306, so that the distribution port 316 at a higher position of the distribution pipe 306 is closer to the tube sheet 103 than the distribution port 316 at a lower position of the distribution pipe 306. With this structural arrangement, the heat exchange tube inlet 205 of the heat exchange tube 201 at a higher position in the evaporator housing 101 is closer to the distribution port 316, and thus it is easier to obtain refrigerant from the distribution port 316. In some embodiments, the distribution device 104 sets the openings of the plurality of distribution ports 316 to extend obliquely upward from the inner wall of the distribution pipe 306, so that the refrigerant in the distribution cavity 305 can be sprayed out from the distribution ports 316 at an obliquely upward angle. The above arrangement can also enable the heat exchange tubes 201 at higher positions to more easily obtain refrigerant. In some embodiments, the opening area of the distribution port 316 at a higher position of the distribution pipe 306 is larger than the opening area of the distribution port 316 at a lower position. The above structural arrangement of the openings of the distribution ports 316 increases the flow rate of the refrigerant sprayed out from the distribution port 316 at a higher position, so that more refrigerant can flow into the heat exchange tubes 201 at a higher position. In some other embodiments, the distribution device 104 sets the distance between two adjacent distribution ports 316 at a higher position to be less than the distance between two adjacent distribution ports 316 at a lower position. That is to say, in this embodiment, the plurality of distribution ports 316 are more densely distributed at the upper part of the distribution pipe 306. The densely distributed plurality of distribution ports 316 increases the spray amount of the refrigerant in the upper region of the distribution device 104, and can also increase the amount of refrigerant obtained by the heat exchange tubes 201 at a higher position. It can be seen that the above-mentioned various embodiments can all promote more refrigerant to be sprayed onto the heat exchange tubes 201 at a higher position, thereby effectively balancing the refrigerant flow rates in the heat exchange tubes 201 at different positions. In some embodiments, the structural features of the distribution device 104 in the above-mentioned various embodiments can also be simultaneously present to achieve uniform distribution of the refrigerant by the distribution device 104.

[0051] If the distribution device 104 of the present application structure is not adopted, and multiple connecting pipes are arranged in the distribution device 104, and the refrigerant is transferred by plugging the multiple connecting pipes into multiple heat exchange pipes 201 one by one, then for this embodiment, the structure of the distribution device 104 is complex and the assembly is troublesome. It should be known that the number of heat exchange pipes 201 is generally more than one hundred. When multiple connecting pipes are plugged into the heat exchange pipes 201 one by one to transfer the refrigerant, the number of connecting pipes required in the distribution device 104 will also be correspondingly large, thus greatly increasing the structural complexity of the distribution device 104. On the other hand, the installation process of plugging multiple connecting pipes into the heat exchange pipes 201 one by one requires special fixtures and has high technical requirements for workers, so the installation process of the distribution device 104 is complex. In addition, since the connecting pipes need to be plugged into the heat exchange pipes 201 one by one, and the diameter of the heat exchange pipes 201 is very small, the connecting pipes are required to have a very small diameter. When flowing in the connecting pipes with a small diameter, the pressure loss of the refrigerant is very large. Therefore, in order to uniformly transfer the refrigerant into each heat exchange pipe 201, the refrigerant needs to have a large pressure at the inlet position of the connecting pipe to achieve a large pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the connecting pipe. However, in order to achieve a large pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the connecting pipe to meet the uniform distribution of the refrigerant under different working conditions, the expansion valve needs to have a wide adjustable range. That is to say, the embodiment of the distribution device 104 that uses multiple connecting pipes to be plugged into multiple heat exchange pipes 201 one by one has high working condition requirements for the refrigeration system.

[0052] The distribution device 104 of the present application includes at least one built-in distribution member 301. The distribution member 301 evenly distributes the refrigerant into multiple heat exchange pipes 201 by spraying the refrigerant, effectively ensuring the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator. Compared with the distribution device 104 that uses multiple connecting pipes to be plugged into multiple heat exchange pipes 201 one by one to distribute the refrigerant, the distribution device 104 adopting the structure of the present application has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture and convenient to install. In addition, the distribution device 104 of the present application can pre-distribute the refrigerant in the length direction of the distribution member 301, greatly reducing the pressure requirement of the distribution device 104 for the pressure at the receiving port 105, and the uniform distribution of the refrigerant can be completed without the refrigerant having a large pressure at the receiving port 105. Therefore, the distribution device 104 of the present application provides a wider range of working condition selections for the design of the refrigerant unit, and can ensure that the refrigerant can be evenly distributed under low-pressure working conditions.

[0053] Although only some features of the present application are illustrated and described herein, various improvements and changes can be made to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such improvements and changes that fall within the spirit of the present application.

Claims

1. An evaporator, characterized in that, The evaporator (100) includes: An evaporator housing (101), the evaporator housing (101) having a length direction; A tube sheet (103), the tube sheet (103) being connected to one end (108) in the length direction of the evaporator housing (101), A heat exchange tube group (102), the heat exchange tube group (102) including a plurality of heat exchange tubes (201), the heat exchange tube group (102) being disposed within the evaporator housing (101), each heat exchange tube (201) extending along the length direction of the evaporator housing (101) and having a heat exchange tube inlet (205) passing through the tube sheet (103); and A distribution device (104), the distribution device (104) being connected to the tube sheet (103) and configured to distribute refrigerant to the heat exchange tube inlets (205), the distribution device (104) including: A distribution device housing (206), the distribution device housing (206) having an accommodation space (402) therein, the distribution device housing (206) being disposed around the heat exchange tube inlets (205) and enclosing the heat exchange tube inlets (205); At least one receiving port (105), the at least one receiving port (105) being configured to receive refrigerant; and At least one distribution member (301), each distribution member (301) being disposed within the accommodation space (402) and including a distribution cavity (305) and a plurality of distribution ports (316) communicating with the distribution cavity (305), and the distribution cavity (305) of each distribution member (301) communicating with a corresponding receiving port (105), the plurality of distribution ports (316) being disposed facing the heat exchange tube inlets (205) and spaced apart from the heat exchange tube inlets (205) by a certain distance.

2. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein: The evaporator housing (101) has a height direction and a width direction; The distribution member (301) is a distribution pipe (306), the distribution pipe (306) extending along the height direction of the evaporator housing (101), and the plurality of distribution ports (316) being spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the distribution pipe (306).

3. The evaporator according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of distribution ports (316) are formed by a plurality of cutouts (601) on the distribution pipe (306), and each cutout (601) extends along the circumferential direction of the distribution pipe (306).

4. The evaporator according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of distribution ports (316) are formed by a plurality of nozzles (315) provided on the distribution pipe (306), and each distribution port (316) extends along the width direction of the distribution pipe (306).

5. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein: The openings of the distribution ports (316) are arranged obliquely upward, so that the refrigerant in the distribution cavity (305) can be sprayed out from the distribution ports (316) at an obliquely upward angle.

6. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein, In the height direction of the evaporator housing (101), the distribution port (316) at a higher position is closer to the heat exchange tube inlet (205) than the distribution port (316) at a lower position.

7. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein: In the height direction of the evaporator housing (101), the opening size of the distribution port (316) at a higher position is larger than the opening size of the distribution port (316) at a lower position.

8. The evaporator according to claim 2, wherein: In the extending direction of the distribution pipe (306), the distance between two adjacent distribution ports (316) at a higher position is smaller than the distance between two adjacent distribution ports (316) at a lower position.

9. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein: The distribution device housing (206) includes: An end plate (307), on the inner wall of which the at least one distribution member (301) is arranged, and the at least one receiving port (105) penetrates through the end plate (307); and An annular baffle (311), the annular baffle (311) is connected between the tube sheet (103) and the end plate (307), and the annular baffle (311) and the end plate (307) together form the accommodation space (402).

10. The evaporator according to claim 1, wherein The distribution device (104) further includes a plurality of flow guiding vanes (701), the plurality of flow guiding vanes (701) are arranged between the tube sheet (103) and the at least one distribution member (301), the plurality of flow guiding vanes (701) are arranged at intervals in the height direction of the evaporator housing (101), wherein each flow guiding vane (701) extends obliquely upward from the tube sheet (103), and the angle between each flow guiding vane (701) and the horizontal direction is less than or equal to 15°.

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