Cold storage device and air conditioning unit

Abstract

The application provides a cold storage device and an air conditioning unit. The cold storage device comprises a shell, at least two cold storage layers, all of which are distributed in parallel in the shell in a vertical direction, and at least one cold storage unit arranged in the cold storage layer. The cold storage device and the air conditioning unit provided by the application can form a fixed position bending flow channel in the shell by using the cold storage units arranged in a staggered manner, which can avoid the collision of the cold storage units in the shell caused by impact, and can also avoid the flow resistance of the refrigerant caused by the accumulation of the cold storage units, thereby effectively ensuring the reliability of the cold storage device and the air conditioning unit. The cold storage unit is arranged in a shape of large at the bottom and small at the top, so that the cold storage unit can be in contact with the shell for refrigeration during the continuous melting process of the ice storage agent, and the heat conduction core is arranged to further increase the heat exchange efficiency of the cold storage unit, thereby effectively ensuring the cold release rate of the cold storage unit and further improving the reliability of the cold storage device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air handling equipment technology, and in particular to a cold storage device and an air conditioning unit. Background Technology

[0002] Statistics show that air conditioning power consumption accounts for more than half of the city's peak electricity load. The characteristics of air conditioning load and electricity load are extremely well-matched, meaning that air conditioning power consumption is a major cause of the large peak-valley load difference in the power grid. Therefore, many time-of-use pricing policies have been introduced, especially preferential policies for promoting energy storage air conditioning technology, providing an opportunity for its development.

[0003] A cold storage air conditioning system stores the cooling capacity of its chillers during off-peak hours (when electricity is cheaper) when air conditioning load is low. During peak hours (when electricity is expensive), the stored cooling capacity is released to meet peak cooling demands for production and daily life. Most of the system's power consumption occurs during off-peak hours at night, thus achieving peak load shifting.

[0004] However, existing cold storage devices all use a structure of randomly placed ice balls or ice ball chains for cold storage. When the refrigerant enters the cold storage device, the ice balls or ice ball chains will collide due to the flow impact of the refrigerant, resulting in increased flow resistance of the refrigerant and unreliability of the cold storage device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problem that the collision of ice balls in the existing cold storage equipment causes the cold storage equipment to be unreliable, a cold storage device and air conditioning unit with reasonable arrangement of cold storage units to reduce flow resistance are provided.

[0006] A cold storage device, comprising:

[0007] case;

[0008] At least two cold storage layers, all of which are arranged side by side in the vertical direction within the shell;

[0009] The cold storage layer is provided with at least one cold storage unit, and the cold storage units in two adjacent cold storage layers are staggered.

[0010] The cold storage unit includes a shell and an ice storage agent disposed inside the shell. The cross-sectional area of ​​the shell gradually decreases from the lower end to the upper end of the cold storage unit.

[0011] The outer casing includes a conical portion, a deformable portion, and a bottom portion. The bottom portion forms the lower end of the cold storage unit. The bottom portion is connected to the conical portion through the deformable portion, and the bottom portion can move away from or towards the conical portion under the deformation of the deformable portion.

[0012] The cold storage unit also includes a heat-conducting core, which is disposed inside the outer shell, with a portion of the heat-conducting core protruding from the outer shell.

[0013] The upper and lower ends of the heat-conducting core protrude from the outer shell, and the upper end of the heat-conducting core is provided with a first connector, and the lower end of the heat-conducting core is provided with a second connector. The two cold storage units that are connected to each other are connected through the first connector and the second connector.

[0014] The number of cold storage layers is at least three, with the odd-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially and the even-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially.

[0015] The cold storage device also includes a liquid distribution plate, and the housing is provided with a communication port. The liquid distribution plate is located between the communication port and the cold storage layer adjacent to the communication port.

[0016] The upper end of the housing is provided with a first communication port, and the lower end of the housing is provided with a second communication port. A liquid distribution plate is provided between the first communication port and the uppermost cold storage layer, and a liquid distribution plate is provided between the second communication port and the lowermost cold storage layer.

[0017] The axis of the first connecting port is not collinear with the axis of the second connecting port.

[0018] The cold storage units in two adjacent ice storage layers together form a bent flow channel.

[0019] An air conditioning unit includes the aforementioned cold storage device.

[0020] The cold storage device and air conditioning unit provided by this invention utilize staggered cold storage units to form fixed-position bent flow channels inside the casing. This avoids collisions caused by impacts to the cold storage units inside the casing, and also prevents the stacked cold storage units from creating flow resistance to the refrigerant, thus effectively ensuring the reliability of the cold storage device and air conditioning unit. The cold storage units are designed with a shape that is larger at the bottom and smaller at the top, ensuring continuous contact with the outer casing for cooling as the ice-storing refrigerant melts. Furthermore, the inclusion of a heat-conducting core further increases the heat exchange efficiency of the cold storage units, effectively ensuring the cold release rate of the units and further improving the reliability of the cold storage device. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a cold storage device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cold storage unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is another structural schematic diagram of the cold storage unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the cold storage unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] In the picture:

[0026] 1. Shell; 2. Cold storage unit; 21. Outer shell; 22. Ice storage agent; 211. Conical part; 212. Deformation part; 213. Bottom part; 23. Heat-conducting core; 24. First connector; 25. Second connector; 3. Liquid distribution plate; 11. First connecting port; 12. Second connecting port. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 4 The cold storage device shown includes: a shell 1; at least two cold storage layers, all of which are arranged side-by-side vertically within the shell 1; each cold storage layer contains at least one cold storage unit 2, with adjacent cold storage units 2 staggered. The staggered arrangement of the cold storage units 2 forms a fixed-position bend in the flow channel within the shell 1, preventing collisions caused by impacts within the shell 1 and avoiding flow resistance to the refrigerant from the stacked cold storage units 2, thus effectively ensuring the reliability of the cold storage device and the air conditioning unit. Furthermore, it fully utilizes the space within the shell 1, improving the space utilization rate of the ice storage device and significantly increasing its energy density. The refrigerant flows in a serpentine pattern within the bend, uniformly and rapidly washing the surface of the cold storage units 2, allowing for more efficient transfer of cold energy to the units, further enhancing the heat exchange efficiency of the cold storage device.

[0029] like Figure 2As shown, the cold storage unit 2 includes a shell 21 and an ice storage agent 22 disposed within the shell 21. The cross-sectional area of ​​the shell 21 gradually decreases from the lower end to the upper end of the cold storage unit 2. The cold storage unit 2 is designed with a shape that is larger at the bottom and smaller at the top, so that the ice storage agent 22 can always be in contact with the shell 21 for cooling as it continuously melts. For example, if the ice storage agent 22 is water, when cold storage unit 2 needs to accumulate cold energy, the water gradually turns into ice. When the cold storage unit 2 is cooling, the ice gradually melts back into water. During the melting process, the ice always floats on the water surface. Because the cold storage unit 2 is shaped with a larger bottom and smaller top, the ice can always be in contact with the shell 21, effectively ensuring that the refrigerant can always be in contact with the ice through the shell 21, thereby ensuring the cooling effect of the ice on the refrigerant.

[0030] like Figure 3 As shown, the outer shell 21 includes a conical portion 211, a deformable portion 212, and a bottom portion 213. The bottom portion 213 forms the lower end of the cold storage unit 2. The bottom portion 213 is connected to the conical portion 211 through the deformable portion 212, and the bottom portion 213 can move away from or towards the conical portion 211 under the deformation of the deformable portion 212. Since the cold storage agent undergoes a volume change during the phase change process (such as the volume change during the phase change between water and ice), the deformable portion 212 can change with the volume change of the cold storage agent, avoiding damage to the outer shell 21 by the cold storage agent.

[0031] Specifically, taking water as the cold storage medium as an example, when water freezes into ice, its volume increases, and the deformation part 212 will gradually deform as the volume increases. When the ice gradually melts into water, since only the cold storage medium exists inside the outer shell 21, the inside of the outer shell 21 gradually becomes a vacuum state due to the decrease in the volume of the cold storage medium. This vacuum state will generate negative pressure inside the outer shell 21, and the deformation part 212 will gradually return to its original shape under the action of the internal negative pressure, thereby ensuring the structural reliability of the outer shell 21 and the reliability of the cold storage unit 2.

[0032] The cold storage unit 2 further includes a heat-conducting core 23, which is disposed inside the outer shell 21, with a portion of the heat-conducting core 23 protruding from the outer shell 21. The heat-conducting core 23 increases the heat transfer rate between the refrigerant and the cold storage refrigerant inside the outer shell 21, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the cold storage unit 2.

[0033] The upper and lower ends of the heat-conducting core 23 protrude from the outer shell 21. A first connector 24 is provided at the upper end of the heat-conducting core 23, and a second connector is provided at the lower end. The two interconnected cold storage units 2 are connected via the first connector 24 and the second connector. The first and second connectors further increase the heat-conducting area of ​​the heat-conducting core 23, thereby further increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the cold storage unit 2.

[0034] Specifically, the first connector 24 is a groove structure, and the second connector 25 is a suspension hook, which can be detachably connected to the groove structure.

[0035] The number of cold storage layers is at least three, with the odd-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially and the even-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially. The top layer (first layer) of the odd-numbered cold storage layers and the top layer (second layer) of the even-numbered cold storage layers are respectively suspended on the shell 1. However, the odd-numbered cold storage layers are suspended sequentially, such as in the order of 1-3-5-7-9, and the even-numbered cold storage layers are suspended sequentially, such as in the order of 2-4-6-8-10.

[0036] The cold storage device also includes a distributor plate 3. A communication port is provided on the housing 1, and the distributor plate 3 is located between the communication port and the cold storage layer adjacent to the communication port. The distributor plate 3 reduces the refrigerant flow rate and ensures a uniform flow field, thereby guaranteeing the amount of refrigerant allocated to each cold storage unit 2 and ensuring the reliability of the cold storage device.

[0037] The upper end of the housing 1 is provided with a first connecting port 11, and the lower end of the housing 1 is provided with a second connecting port 12. A liquid distribution plate 3 is provided between the first connecting port 11 and the uppermost cold storage layer, and the second connecting port 12 and the lowermost cold storage layer are also provided with the liquid distribution plate 3. The refrigerant entering the cold storage device enters through the first connecting port 11 and exits through the second connecting port 12, or vice versa. Specifically, based on the principle that the hot fluid is on top and the cold fluid is on the bottom in a static state, when the cold storage device is storing cold, the refrigerant enters through the second connecting port 12 and eventually exits through the first connecting port 11; when the cold storage device is releasing cold, the refrigerant enters through the first connecting port 11 and eventually exits through the second connecting port 12.

[0038] The axis of the first connecting port 11 is not collinear with the axis of the second connecting port 12. To achieve better heat transfer uniformity, it is preferable that the first connecting port 11 and the second connecting port 12 are arranged diagonally.

[0039] like Figure 4As shown, the cold storage units 2 in two adjacent ice storage layers together form a bent flow channel. That is, in the projections of adjacent cold storage layers onto the bottom surface of the shell 1, the projection of the cold storage unit 2 in one cold storage layer can partially overlap with the projection of the cold storage unit 2 in another cold storage layer. Taking the cold storage unit 2 as a cone as an example, the axes of all cones are parallel to each other, and the distance between the axes of two adjacent cold storage units 2 in the same cold storage layer is less than the diameter of the bottom surface of the cone.

[0040] An air conditioning unit includes the aforementioned cold storage device.

[0041] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cold storage device, characterized in that: include: Shell (1); At least two cold storage layers, all of which are arranged side by side in the vertical direction within the housing (1); At least one cold storage unit (2) is provided in the cold storage layer, and the cold storage units (2) in two adjacent cold storage layers are staggered. The cold storage unit (2) includes a shell (21) and an ice storage agent (22) disposed inside the shell (21). From the lower end of the cold storage unit (2) to the upper end of the cold storage unit (2), the cross-sectional area of ​​the shell (21) gradually decreases. The outer shell (21) includes a conical portion (211), a deformable portion (212), and a bottom portion (213). The bottom portion (213) forms the lower end of the cold storage unit (2). The bottom portion (213) is connected to the conical portion (211) through the deformable portion (212), and the bottom portion (213) can move away from or closer to the conical portion (211) under the deformation of the deformable portion (212).

2. The cold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cold storage unit (2) also includes a heat-conducting core (23), which is disposed inside the outer shell (21), and a portion of the heat-conducting core (23) protrudes from the outer shell (21).

3. The cold storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper and lower ends of the heat-conducting core (23) protrude from the outer shell (21), and the upper end of the heat-conducting core (23) is provided with a first connector (24), and the lower end of the heat-conducting core (23) is provided with a second connector. The two cold storage units (2) connected to each other are connected through the first connector (24) and the second connector.

4. The cold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of cold storage layers is at least three, with the odd-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially and the even-numbered cold storage layers connected sequentially.

5. The cold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cold storage device also includes a liquid distribution plate (3), and a communication port is provided on the shell (1). The liquid distribution plate (3) is located between the communication port and the cold storage layer adjacent to the communication port.

6. The cold storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper end of the housing (1) is provided with a first communication port (11), and the lower end of the housing (1) is provided with a second communication port (12). The liquid distribution plate (3) is provided between the first communication port (11) and the uppermost cold storage layer, and the liquid distribution plate (3) is provided between the second communication port (12) and the lowermost cold storage layer.

7. The cold storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The axis of the first connecting port (11) is not collinear with the axis of the second connecting port (12).

8. The cold storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cold storage units (2) in two adjacent cold storage layers together form a bent flow channel.

9. An air conditioning unit, characterized in that: The cold storage device includes any one of claims 1 to 8.

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