Gas storage device, compressor system, refrigeration system and control method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an air storage device, a compressor system, a refrigeration system and a control method, wherein the air storage device comprises: a shell, which is provided with a first opening, a second opening and a third opening, the first opening being located in an area close to the bottom surface of the shell, for introducing a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature; the second opening being located in a bottom area of the shell, for allowing a liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; the third opening being located in a top area of the shell, for allowing a gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; and a heat exchanger being located in the shell and mounted on a side wall of the shell, the heat exchanger having a first flow channel and a fourth opening and a fifth opening connected to the first flow channel, the fourth opening being used to introduce a second refrigerant at a second temperature into the first flow channel for heat exchange with the first refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger, the fifth opening being used to allow the second refrigerant after heat exchange to flow out, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to an air storage device, a compressor system, a refrigeration system, and a control method. Background Art

[0002] The best state for the air suspension bearings in air suspension compressors is to use gas refrigerant for air suspension. Theoretically, if the air suspension bearings are all suspended by gas refrigerant, the suspension pressure at all locations can be kept consistent, the bearings can run stably and with high precision, and no shaft vibration will occur.

[0003] In the existing technology known to the inventor, the air supply device often cannot effectively separate the gaseous and liquid refrigerants. There are many small refrigerant droplets mixed in the air supply of the suspension bearing. Because the air supply is impure, when the small refrigerant droplets enter the bearing cavity, the temperature of the bearing cavity is high and reaches the phase change point of the refrigerant, the small refrigerant droplets will vaporize into gaseous refrigerant. The vaporization of each small droplet is like the effect of setting off firecrackers, which will cause local air pressure explosions. Multiple local air pressure explosions will cause unstable air pressure in the bearing cavity, which will lead to unstable and low-precision vibration of the bearing. This will not only shorten the life of the bearing itself, but also may cause interference, wear and damage between the shaft and parts such as the comb teeth due to unstable operation of the shaft. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gas storage device, a compressor system, a refrigeration system, and a control method, which can reduce the liquid content of a gaseous refrigerant separated from a gas-liquid mixed refrigerant.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a gas storage device is provided, comprising:

[0006] a shell having a first opening, a second opening, and a third opening, wherein the first opening is located in an area near the bottom surface of the shell and is used to allow a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature to flow in; the second opening is located in the bottom area of the shell and is used to allow a liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; and the third opening is located in the top area of the shell and is used to allow a gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; and

[0007] The heat exchanger is located inside the shell and installed on the side wall of the shell. The heat exchanger has a first flow channel and a fourth opening and a fifth opening connected to the first flow channel. The fourth opening is used to introduce a second refrigerant at a second temperature into the first flow channel for heat exchange with the first refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger. The fifth opening is used for the second refrigerant after heat exchange to flow out. The second temperature is higher than the first temperature.

[0008] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is located in a region of the housing near the top.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first opening is located on the side wall of the shell and is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the shell, the second opening is located on the bottom surface of the shell, and the third opening is located on the top surface of the shell.

[0010] In some embodiments, the gas storage device further comprises:

[0011] The liquid separation baffle is located in the shell and between the heat exchanger and the first opening in the height direction of the gas storage device, and is configured to separate the liquid refrigerant in the first refrigerant.

[0012] In some embodiments, a plurality of liquid separation baffles are provided, the plurality of liquid separation baffles are spaced apart in the height direction, and two adjacent liquid separation baffles are staggered in the horizontal plane.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger is a plate structure and is provided with a second flow channel that passes through the heat exchanger in the height direction of the gas storage device, and the second flow channel is used for the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state to pass through.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the second flow channel is provided with ribs.

[0015] In some embodiments, the gas storage device further comprises:

[0016] The electric heater is provided in the bottom area outside the shell and is configured to selectively heat the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant at the bottom of the shell.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a compressor system is provided, comprising:

[0018] Compressors, including air bearings; and

[0019] The gas storage device of the above embodiment;

[0020] The third opening is connected to the air inlet of the air suspension bearing and is configured to provide gaseous refrigerant to the air suspension bearing.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigeration system is provided, comprising:

[0022] The compressor system of the above embodiment;

[0023] an evaporator configured to receive the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the second opening; and

[0024] The condenser is configured to provide a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature into the shell through the first opening.

[0025] In some embodiments, the condenser is further configured to provide a second refrigerant at a second temperature to the heat exchanger through the fourth opening.

[0026] In some embodiments, the condenser is further configured to provide a second refrigerant at a second temperature to the heat exchanger through the fourth opening.

[0027] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a flasher configured to receive the second refrigerant flowing out of the fifth opening.

[0028] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an air-conditioning unit is provided, comprising the gas storage device of the above embodiment, or the compressor system of the above embodiment, or the refrigeration system of the above embodiment.

[0029] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a control method based on the above embodiment is proposed, including:

[0030] Before starting the compressor, turn on the electric heater to heat the liquid refrigerant to increase the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant;

[0031] When the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant reaches a first preset pressure, starting the compressor;

[0032] When the pressure of the condenser increases to a second preset pressure, turning off the electric heater;

[0033] The second preset pressure is greater than the first preset pressure.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the gas storage device of the embodiment of the present disclosure can separate pure gaseous refrigerant from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant through a combination of gravity separation and superheated gasification, effectively separate and eliminate small refrigerant droplets in the gas supply, reduce the liquid content of the separated gaseous refrigerant, and provide pure refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment to improve the stability of subsequent equipment and system operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and constitute a part of this application. The illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain the present disclosure and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of the structures of some embodiments of the gas storage device disclosed herein;

[0037] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the refrigeration system disclosed herein.

[0038] Description of Reference Numerals

[0039] 1. Shell; 2. Heat exchanger; 3. Liquid separation baffle; 4. Compressor; 5. Evaporator; 6. Condenser; 7. Flasher; 8. Throttling element;

[0040] 11. First opening; 12. Second opening; 13. Third opening; 21. First flow channel; 22. Second flow channel; 24. Fourth opening; 25. Fifth opening; 41. Air suspension bearing; 81. First throttle orifice; 82. Second throttle orifice; A. First region; B. Second region; C. Third region; D. Fourth region; E. Fifth region; P1. Air supply passage; P2. Return air passage; P3. Air replenishment passage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present disclosure is described in detail below. In the following paragraphs, various aspects of the embodiments are defined in more detail. Each aspect defined in this manner may be combined with any other aspect or aspects unless expressly stated not to be combinable. In particular, any feature considered to be preferred or advantageous may be combined with one or more other features considered to be preferred or advantageous.

[0042] The terms "first" and "second" appearing in this disclosure are only for the convenience of description to distinguish different components with the same name, and do not indicate a priority or primary and secondary relationship.

[0043] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "inside", "outside", "upper" and "lower" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships that are defined based on a shell or flow channel, etc., and are only used to facilitate the description of the present disclosure, and do not indicate or imply that the device referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0044] The present disclosure provides a gas storage device, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a shell 1 and a heat exchanger 2. The shell 1 is provided with a first opening 11, a second opening 12 and a third opening 13. The first opening 11 is located in an area near the bottom surface of the shell 1 and is used to allow a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature to flow in; the second opening 12 is located in the bottom area of the shell 1 and is used to allow the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; the third opening 13 is located in the top area of the shell 1 and is used to allow the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out.

[0045] The heat exchanger 2 is located inside the shell 1 and is mounted on the side wall of the shell 1. The heat exchanger 2 has a first flow channel 21 and a fourth opening 24 and a fifth opening 25 connected to the first flow channel 21. The fourth opening 24 is used to introduce a second refrigerant of a second temperature into the first flow channel 21 for heat exchange with the first refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger 2. The fifth opening 25 is used for the outflow of the second refrigerant after heat exchange, and the second temperature is higher than the first temperature.

[0046] The housing 1 may be a cylindrical structure, such as a cylindrical or prismatic structure. The top of the housing 1 may be a structure that tapers from bottom to top, with the third opening 13 located at the top center. For example, if the housing 1 is cylindrical, the top of the housing 1 may be an arched structure, which facilitates guiding the gaseous refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger 2 to converge toward the middle region so that it can flow out more smoothly from the third opening 13.

[0047] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, the first area A of the liquid storage device is located above the liquid refrigerant and below the heat exchanger 2, and the working fluid in the first area A is the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at the first temperature; the second area B is located in the bottom area of the shell 1, and the working fluid in the second area B is the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant, and the second area B can be called the liquid refrigerant area; the third area C is located between the above the heat exchanger 2 and the top of the shell 1, and the working fluid in the third area C is a pure gaseous refrigerant and the liquid content of the working fluid in the third area C is lower than the liquid content of the working fluid in the first area A, and the third area C can be called the gaseous refrigerant area; the fourth area D is the first flow channel 21 of the heat exchanger 2, and the working fluid in the fourth area D is the second refrigerant at the second temperature. Optionally, the second refrigerant can be in any phase, such as liquid.

[0048] Specifically, the moment the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state enters the shell 1 through the first opening 11, a part of it will absorb heat and become gaseous, and the other part will release heat and become liquid. Under the action of gravity, the liquid refrigerant sinks to the liquid refrigerant area B at the bottom of the shell 1, and the gaseous refrigerant floats up. In the process of the gaseous refrigerant floating to the gaseous refrigerant area C, the heat exchanger 2 heats the gaseous refrigerant, and the floating small liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant absorb heat to reach an overheated state and are all vaporized into gaseous refrigerant, thereby reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant.

[0049] Specifically, the function of the heat exchanger 2 is to superheat the gaseous refrigerant directly separated from the first refrigerant by using a second refrigerant of higher temperature, so that the floating small liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant are heated to a superheated vaporized state, thereby outputting pure refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment through the third opening 13 to improve the stability of the operation of the subsequent equipment. Optionally, the heat exchanger 2 can be any structural form such as a tubular heat exchanger or a plate heat exchanger. Optionally, the heat exchanger 2 can be set along the horizontal plane or at a certain angle to the horizontal plane. In order to ensure that all gases entering the shell 1 can pass through the heat exchanger 2 for heat exchange, the heat exchanger 2 covers the entire cross-section of the shell 1 perpendicular to the height direction.

[0050] The gas storage device of this embodiment can separate pure gaseous refrigerant from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant through a combination of gravity separation and superheated gasification, effectively separate and eliminate small refrigerant droplets in the gas supply, reduce the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, and provide pure refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment to improve the stability of subsequent equipment and system operation.

[0051] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the heat exchanger 2 is arranged in an area near the top of the shell 1.

[0052] This embodiment arranges the heat exchanger 2 in the area near the top of the shell 1, and can fully utilize the space below the heat exchanger 2 in the shell 1 to perform gas-liquid separation under the action of gravity, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation effect and further reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant. Moreover, when reaching the top area of the shell 1, the gaseous refrigerant contains fewer liquid droplets, which can reduce the requirement for the temperature of the second refrigerant.

[0053] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the first opening 11 is located on the side wall of the housing 1 and spaced apart from the bottom surface of the housing 1 , the second opening 12 is located on the bottom surface of the housing 1 , and the third opening 13 is located on the top surface of the gas tank.

[0054] Specifically, the first opening 11 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the shell 1, which can prevent the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant from flowing back through the first opening 11, thereby avoiding a larger area of contact between the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant, which is beneficial to improving the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant and optimizing the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0055] Specifically, the second opening 12 is provided on the bottom surface of the shell 1, and can allow the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out through the second opening 12 in a timely manner, and can flow out smoothly even when the amount of separated liquid refrigerant is small, thereby avoiding excessive accumulation of liquid refrigerant and reducing the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant.

[0056] Similarly, the third opening 13 is provided on the top surface of the shell 1, which can allow the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out through the third opening 13 in time, thereby avoiding excessive accumulation of the gaseous refrigerant and reducing the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant.

[0057] This embodiment can improve the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, reduce the liquid content of the separated gaseous refrigerant, and improve the purity of the separated gaseous refrigerant by optimizing the positions of the first opening 11, the second opening 12 and the third opening 13 relative to the shell 1.

[0058] In some embodiments, as Figure 1As shown, the gas storage device further includes: a liquid separation baffle 3, located in the shell 1 and between the heat exchanger 2 and the first opening 11 in the height direction of the gas storage device, and configured to separate the liquid refrigerant in the first refrigerant.

[0059] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, the first area A of the liquid storage device is located above the liquid refrigerant and below the liquid separation baffle 3, and the working medium in the first area A is the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature; the second area B is located in the bottom area of the shell 1, and the working medium in the second area B is the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant. The second area B can also be called the liquid refrigerant area; the fifth area E is located above the liquid separation baffle 3 and below the heat exchanger 2. The fifth area E can also be called the first gaseous refrigerant area. The working medium in the fifth area E is the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant; the third area C is located between the top of the heat exchanger 2 and the top of the shell 1. The third area C can also be called the second gaseous refrigerant area. The working medium in the third area C is a pure gaseous refrigerant. The liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant in the third area C is lower than that in the gaseous refrigerant in the fifth area E; the fourth area D is the first flow channel 21 of the heat exchanger 2. The working medium in the fourth area D is the second refrigerant at the second temperature. Optionally, the second refrigerant can be in any phase, such as liquid.

[0060] Specifically, the gaseous refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant will inevitably be mixed with some floating refrigerant droplets during the floating process. In the process of the gaseous refrigerant with a high liquid content rising through the liquid separation baffle 3, most of the larger floating refrigerant droplets will be adsorbed on the liquid separation baffle 3 and separated from the gaseous refrigerant.

[0061] Specifically, the liquid separation baffle 3 is located between the heat exchanger 2 and the first opening 11 in the height direction. A part of the first refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixed state absorbs heat and becomes gaseous. The gaseous refrigerant first passes through the liquid separation baffle 3 during the rising process. The larger floating refrigerant droplets will be adsorbed on the liquid separation baffle 3, reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant; then the gaseous refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger 2 again, and the heat exchanger 2 heats the gaseous refrigerant. The floating small liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant can absorb heat to reach a superheated state and are completely vaporized into gaseous refrigerant, thereby further reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant.

[0062] Optionally, the liquid separation baffle 3 can be arranged along the horizontal plane, or at a certain angle to the horizontal plane, for example, arranged to be inclined downward at a certain angle to the horizontal plane to promote the small liquid droplets on the liquid separation baffle to fall into the liquid refrigerant area B. Optionally, a flow-disturbing structure such as a fin can also be provided on the liquid separation baffle 3 to further promote the separation of the floating refrigerant small liquid droplets.

[0063] The liquid separation baffle 3 of this embodiment can separate a portion of floating small liquid droplets during the floating process of the gaseous refrigerant, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation effect of the gas storage device and reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant.

[0064] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, a plurality of liquid separation baffles 3 are provided, and the plurality of liquid separation baffles 3 are spaced apart in the height direction, and two adjacent liquid separation baffles 3 are staggered in the horizontal plane.

[0065] Optionally, the plurality of liquid separation baffles 3 may be arranged horizontally, or may be arranged at a certain angle to the horizontal plane. For example, the plurality of liquid separation baffles 3 may be arranged tilted downward at a certain angle to the horizontal plane.

[0066] The multiple liquid separation baffles 3 of this embodiment are spaced apart in the height direction, and two adjacent liquid separation baffles 3 are staggered in the horizontal plane, which can extend the flow of the gaseous refrigerant in the flow channel of the liquid separation baffle 3, increase the probability of floating small liquid droplets being adsorbed on the liquid separation baffle 3, improve the gas-liquid separation effect of the gas storage device, and reduce the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant.

[0067] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the heat exchanger 2 is a plate structure and is provided with a second flow channel 22 that passes through the heat exchanger 2 in the height direction of the gas storage device. The second flow channel 22 is for the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to pass through.

[0068] Optionally, a plurality of second flow channels 22 are distributed on the heat exchanger 2, and the plurality of second flow channels 22 can be evenly arranged. The second flow channels 22 can be arranged vertically to reduce the resistance of the gas to the upward flow, or can be arranged obliquely.

[0069] Specifically, the cavity between the outer wall of heat exchanger 2 and the sidewall of second flow channel 22 forms first flow channel 21. This creates a larger first flow channel 21, which increases the throughput of the second refrigerant and improves heat exchange efficiency. Moreover, the first flow channel 21 can surround each second flow channel 22 along its entire circumference, thereby improving heat exchange uniformity and accelerating the vaporization of liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant. Specifically, second flow channel 22 is used to connect region E and region C, allowing the gaseous refrigerant to pass through and perform heat exchange, so that the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant in region C is lower than the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant in region E.

[0070] The second flow channel 22 of this embodiment allows the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger 2 for heat exchange, so that the floating small liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant are heated to a superheated vaporized state, thereby allowing the gas storage device to output purer refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment to improve the stability of the operation of subsequent equipment.

[0071] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the second flow channel 22 is provided with ribs.

[0072] The fins of this embodiment can increase the heat exchange efficiency between the gaseous refrigerant in the second flow channel 22 and the second refrigerant in the first flow channel 21, further reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant to provide purer refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment.

[0073] In some embodiments, the gas storage device further comprises:

[0074] The electric heater is provided in the bottom area outside the shell 1 and is configured to selectively heat the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant at the bottom of the shell 1 .

[0075] Specifically, the electric heater can be used to heat the liquid refrigerant at the bottom of the housing 1, causing it to evaporate and gasify into gas, thereby increasing the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant within the housing 1 so that the gas supply pressure meets the requirements of subsequent equipment. Optionally, the electric heater can be used during the initial startup of the equipment or system.

[0076] The electric heater of this embodiment can increase the air pressure in the housing 1 at the initial start-up of the device or system, thereby increasing the smoothness and stability of subsequent device activation.

[0077] Secondly, if Figure 2 As shown, the present disclosure provides a compressor system, comprising:

[0078] The compressor 4 includes an air bearing 41; and

[0079] The gas storage device of the above embodiment;

[0080] The third opening 13 is communicated with the air inlet of the air bearing 41 and is configured to provide gaseous refrigerant to the air bearing 41 .

[0081] Specifically, compressor 4 is an air-suspended compressor. Specifically, the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant flowing out of the third opening 13 is supplied to the air-suspended bearing of compressor 4. More specifically, the heat exchanger 2 of the gas storage device superheats the gaseous refrigerant directly separated from the first refrigerant with the higher-temperature second refrigerant, heating the floating droplets in the gaseous refrigerant to a superheated vaporized state. This allows pure refrigerant gas to be delivered to the air-suspended bearing 41 through the connection between the third opening 13 and the air inlet path, thereby improving the operational stability of compressor 4.

[0082] Optionally, the third opening 13 can be located at the highest position of the top surface of the shell 1, so that the pure gaseous refrigerant in the shell 1 can be supplied to the air suspension bearing 41 of the compressor 4 through the third opening 13 in time for suspension use, thereby avoiding excessive accumulation of gaseous refrigerant and reducing the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state.

[0083] The air storage device in the compressor system of this embodiment can separate pure gaseous refrigerant from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant through a combination of gravity separation and superheated gasification, effectively separate and eliminate small refrigerant droplets in the air supply, maintain the air pressure stability of the bearing cavity of the air suspension bearing 41, reduce bearing vibration and operational instability, improve the operating stability of the shaft, and improve the operating accuracy of the shaft, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the compressor 4 and the motor, and realizing efficient and stable operation of the compressor system.

[0084] Again, as Figure 2 As shown, the present disclosure provides a refrigeration system, comprising:

[0085] The compressor system of the above embodiment;

[0086] The evaporator 5 is configured to receive the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the second opening 12; and

[0087] The condenser 6 is configured to provide a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature into the shell 1 through the first opening 11 .

[0088] Specifically, the refrigerant inside the shell and tube of the condenser 6 is layered, and the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state can be taken out from a height position corresponding to the gas-liquid mixed state, such as the middle and lower part of the condenser 6.

[0089] Optionally, the first opening 11 can be located in the lower middle part of the shell 1, at a certain distance from the bottom surface of the shell 1, so as to introduce the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state from the condenser 6, which can prevent the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant from flowing back to the condenser 6 through the first opening 11, and can improve the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, thereby improving the stability and operation efficiency of the refrigeration system.

[0090] Optionally, the second opening 12 can be located at the lowest position of the bottom surface of the shell 1, so that the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant can be promptly introduced back to the evaporator 5 through the second opening 12 to continue to participate in the refrigeration cycle, thereby avoiding excessive accumulation of liquid refrigerant and reducing the gas-liquid separation efficiency of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, and further improving the stability of the refrigeration system.

[0091] Specifically, the condenser 6 provides a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature to the gas storage device. After the gas-liquid separation is completed by gravity in the gas storage device, the heat exchanger 2 superheats the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant, so that the floating small liquid droplets in the gaseous refrigerant are heated to an overheated vaporized state, thereby outputting pure refrigerant gas to the air suspension bearing 41 of the compressor 4 through the third opening 13; and the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant flows to the evaporator 5 through the second opening 12 and continues to participate in the refrigeration cycle.

[0092] The refrigeration system of this embodiment provides the first refrigerant to the gas storage device through the condenser 6, and receives the liquid refrigerant flowing out from the second opening 12 through the evaporator 5. It can fully utilize the refrigerant working medium in the refrigeration system without setting up an additional gas supply source, and can effectively improve the stability of the refrigeration system.

[0093] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the condenser 6 is further configured to provide the second refrigerant at a second temperature to the heat exchanger 2 through the fourth opening 24 .

[0094] Specifically, the refrigerant inside the shell and tube of the condenser 6 is layered, and the second refrigerant can be a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid second refrigerant can be taken out from the height position corresponding to the liquid refrigerant in the condenser 6, such as the middle and lower part of the condenser 6.

[0095] Specifically, the fourth opening belongs to the inlet end of the heat exchanger 2, and the second refrigerant in the condenser 6 can be introduced into the heat exchanger 2 for heat exchange with the gaseous refrigerant with a high liquid content. While meeting the heat exchange requirements, no additional electricity is consumed, which can save energy and improve economy.

[0096] The refrigeration system of this embodiment provides the second refrigerant of the second temperature to the heat exchanger 2 through the condenser 6, which can not only meet the requirement of superheating the gaseous refrigerant directly separated from the first refrigerant, but also save energy and improve economy.

[0097] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the refrigeration system further includes a flasher 7 configured to receive the second refrigerant flowing out of the fifth opening 25 .

[0098] Specifically, fifth opening 25 is the outlet of heat exchanger 2, directing the cooled second refrigerant to flash unit 7 for primary throttling and flashing, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the refrigeration system. More specifically, the liquid droplets within housing 1 absorb heat as they transition to a vaporous state. During this heat exchange process, they absorb heat from the second refrigerant in heat exchanger 2, effectively cooling the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid in heat exchanger 2.

[0099] The refrigeration system of this embodiment can save energy while superheating the gaseous refrigerant by directing the second refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger 2 to the flasher 7, and can also make full use of the gaseous refrigerant to cool the second refrigerant in the heat exchanger 2, thereby improving the energy efficiency and stability of the refrigeration system.

[0100] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 As shown, the flasher 7 is configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air bearing 41 .

[0101] In this embodiment, the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air suspension bearing 41 flows to the flasher 7 for throttling and flashing, which can improve the energy efficiency and stability of the refrigeration system.

[0102] In some specific embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the refrigeration system includes an air storage device, a compressor 4, an evaporator 5, a condenser 6, a flash evaporator 7 and a throttling element 8. The air storage device includes a shell 1, a heat exchanger 2 and a liquid separation baffle 3. The compressor 4 includes an air suspension bearing 41. A first throttling orifice plate 81 is provided on the inlet branch of the flash evaporator 7, and a second throttling orifice plate 82 is provided on the outlet branch.

[0103] Specifically, three first throttling orifice plates 81 are provided, one is located on the connection path between the condenser 6 and the flasher 7, one is located on the connection path between the fifth opening 25 and the flasher 7, and one is located on the connection path between the air suspension bearing 41 and the flasher 7; the second throttling orifice plates 82 are located on the connection path between the flasher 7 and the evaporator 5, and the refrigerant flowing out of the flasher 7 can flow into the evaporator 5 through secondary throttling to improve the system energy efficiency.

[0104] Specifically, the refrigeration system includes an air supply passage P1, an air return passage P2, and an air supply passage P3, wherein the air supply passage P1 is configured to provide pure gaseous refrigerant to the air suspension bearing 41 through the third opening 13; the air return passage P2 is configured to enable the flasher 7 to receive the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air suspension bearing 41; and the air supply passage P3 is configured to enable the flasher 7 to supply air between the first compressor and the second compressor of the compressor 4, thereby improving the compression efficiency of the second compressor, and further improving the overall compression efficiency of the compressor 4, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the refrigeration system.

[0105] More specifically, in this refrigeration system, the temperature of the first opening 11 is about 55°C; the temperature of the second opening 12 is about 45°C; the temperature of the third opening 13 is about 53-55°C; the temperature of the fourth opening 24 is about 65-68°C; and the temperature of the fifth opening 25 is about 62-65°C.

[0106] Specifically, part of the working process of the refrigeration system of this embodiment is as follows:

[0107] The first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state introduced by the condenser 6 enters the shell 1 from the first opening 11; the moment it enters the liquid storage device, a part of the first refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixed state will absorb heat and become gaseous, and the other part will release heat and become liquid. Under the action of gravity, the liquid refrigerant sinks to the liquid refrigerant area B at the bottom of the shell 1, and is led back to the evaporator 5 through the second opening 12 to continue participating in the refrigeration cycle; the gaseous refrigerant floats up, and the gaseous refrigerant is inevitably mixed with small floating refrigerant droplets in the floating process. When it rises and passes through the liquid separation baffle 3, most of the larger floating refrigerant droplets will be adsorbed onto the liquid separation baffle. , are separated; there may still be some smaller floating liquid droplets that rise with the gaseous refrigerant to the first gaseous refrigerant zone E. At this time, the floating liquid droplets continue to rise with the gaseous refrigerant through the second flow channel 22 of the heat exchanger 2. In the process of passing through the first flow channel 21, the heat exchanger 2 will superheat the floating liquid droplets and the gaseous refrigerant together, so that the floating liquid droplets absorb heat to reach the superheated state and phase change to be completely vaporized into gaseous refrigerant, thereby reducing the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant, so that the second gaseous refrigerant zone C is pure gaseous refrigerant, and finally the gaseous refrigerant supplies air to the air suspension bearing 41 of the compressor 4 from the third opening 13.

[0108] In this embodiment, the gaseous refrigerant separated by the gas storage device does not have the presence of various small refrigerant droplets. When the gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the air suspension bearing 41, it will not cause local air pressure explosion. The absence of local air pressure explosion will not cause unstable air pressure in the bearing cavity, thereby avoiding unstable operation and low precision caused by bearing vibration, effectively extending the life of the bearing itself and improving the operating accuracy and stability of the shaft, thereby improving the stability and working efficiency of the refrigeration system.

[0109] Specifically, the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid second refrigerant introduced by the condenser 6 enters the first flow channel 21 of the heat exchanger 2 through the fourth opening 24. As the gaseous refrigerant in the shell 1 is mixed with floating refrigerant droplets through the second flow channel 22 of the heat exchanger 2, heat exchange occurs between the two working fluids. The heat exchanger 2 superheats the floating droplets and the gaseous refrigerant together. The temperature of the second refrigerant in the first flow channel 21 decreases and flows to the flasher 7 through the fifth opening 25 for primary throttling and flashing, and then continues to participate in the refrigeration cycle. In the process of flowing to the flasher 7, the second refrigerant passes through the first throttling orifice 81. Specifically, the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air suspension bearing 41 also passes through the first throttling orifice 81 and flows to the flasher 7 for throttling and flashing to improve the energy efficiency of the system.

[0110] In this embodiment, the first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state is taken from the condenser 6, and there is no need to set up an additional gas supply source, which can save costs while improving the stability of the refrigeration system; the high-temperature and high-pressure second refrigerant in the heat exchanger 2 of this embodiment is taken from the condenser 6, which can save energy while meeting the heat exchange requirements.

[0111] In this embodiment, the second refrigerant after cooling flows to the flasher 7 through the fifth opening 25 for throttling and flashing, the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air suspension bearing 41 flows to the flasher 7 for flashing, and the liquid refrigerant in the shell 1 flows to the evaporator through the second opening 12. The three paths flowing out from the gas storage device can enable the refrigerant to continue to participate in the refrigeration cycle, thereby improving the energy efficiency and stability of the refrigeration system.

[0112] In addition, the present disclosure also provides an air-conditioning device, including the gas storage device of the above embodiment, or the compressor system of the above embodiment, or the refrigeration system of the above embodiment.

[0113] The air-conditioning device of this embodiment utilizes an air storage device to separate pure gaseous refrigerant from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant through a combination of gravity separation and superheated gasification, effectively separates and eliminates small refrigerant droplets in the supply air, reduces the liquid content of the gaseous refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, and provides pure refrigerant gas to subsequent equipment (such as air suspension bearings 41, etc.), which can improve the stability of the operation of subsequent equipment, thereby improving the operating stability and overall energy efficiency of the air-conditioning device.

[0114] In addition, the present disclosure also provides a control method for a refrigeration system based on the above embodiment, wherein the gas storage device further includes an electric heater provided on the outer bottom of the housing 1, and the control method includes:

[0115] Before the compressor 4 is started, the electric heater is turned on to heat the liquid refrigerant to increase the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant;

[0116] When the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant reaches a first preset pressure, starting the compressor 4;

[0117] When the pressure of the condenser 6 increases to a second preset pressure, the electric heater is turned off;

[0118] The second preset pressure is greater than the first preset pressure.

[0119] Specifically, the first preset pressure is a pressure that meets the working requirements of the air suspension bearing 41 , and the second preset pressure is a pressure that the condenser 6 should have when working normally.

[0120] Specifically, in the control method, the electric heater is only turned on when the unit is started. Because when the unit is not started, there is no high pressure in the condenser 6, and there is no high-pressure gaseous refrigerant in the gas storage device, and gas cannot be supplied to the air suspension bearing 41. The bearing cannot be suspended and the compressor 4 cannot start to rotate, resulting in the inability to establish a refrigeration cycle.

[0121] Specifically, by arranging an electric heater at the bottom of the gas storage device, it can be used to heat the liquid refrigerant in the second area B at the bottom of the shell 1 before the compressor 4 is started, so that the liquid refrigerant evaporates and vaporizes into gaseous refrigerant, and the air pressure in the third area C in the shell 1 is increased to the first preset pressure, so that the gas supply pressure meets the working requirements of the air suspension bearing 41. The compressor 4 starts to rotate, and waits for the condenser 6 to establish a normal working pressure, that is, the second preset pressure. The pressure of the pure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the third opening 13 of the gas storage device is sufficient to support the air suspension bearing 41. At this time, the electric heater is turned off, and there is no need to turn on the electric heater again during the subsequent operation of the whole machine.

[0122] The control method of this embodiment can use the liquid refrigerant at the bottom of the gas storage device to quickly increase the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant at the initial start-up of the refrigeration system, so that the gas supply pressure meets the working requirements of the air suspension bearing 41. No additional gas supply source or equipment is required, which can improve the smoothness and stability of the compressor system startup, thereby increasing the stability of the refrigeration system operation.

[0123] The above is a detailed introduction to the gas storage device, compressor system, refrigeration system and control method provided by the present disclosure. Specific embodiments are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present disclosure. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present disclosure. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present disclosure, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A gas storage device, characterized in that: include: A shell (1) is provided with a first opening (11), a second opening (12) and a third opening (13), wherein the first opening (11) is located in an area close to the bottom surface of the shell (1) and is used to allow a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at a first temperature to flow in; the second opening (12) is located in the bottom area of the shell (1) and is used to allow a liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; the third opening (13) is located in the top area of the shell (1) and is used to allow a gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to flow out; A heat exchanger (2) is located in the shell (1) and is mounted on the side wall of the shell (1), the heat exchanger (2) having a first flow channel (21) and a fourth opening (24) and a fifth opening (25) connected to the first flow channel (21), the fourth opening (24) being used to introduce a second refrigerant of a second temperature into the first flow channel (21) for heat exchange with the first refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger (2), and the fifth opening (25) being used to allow the second refrigerant to flow out after heat exchange, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; a liquid separation baffle (3) located in the shell (1) and between the heat exchanger (2) and the first opening (11) in the height direction of the gas storage device, and configured to separate the liquid refrigerant in the first refrigerant; and An electric heater is provided in the bottom area outside the shell (1) and is configured to selectively heat the liquid refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant at the bottom of the shell (1).

2. The gas storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that The heat exchanger (2) is arranged in an area close to the top of the shell (1).

3. The gas storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that The first opening (11) is located on the side wall of the shell (1) and is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the shell (1); the second opening (12) is provided on the bottom surface of the shell (1); and the third opening (13) is located on the top surface of the shell (1).

4. The gas storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that A plurality of the liquid separation baffles (3) are provided, and the plurality of the liquid separation baffles (3) are spaced apart in the height direction, and two adjacent liquid separation baffles (3) are staggered in the horizontal plane.

5. The gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (2) is of a plate-type structure and is provided with a second flow channel (22) that passes through the heat exchanger (2) in the height direction of the gas storage device, and the second flow channel (22) is for the gaseous refrigerant separated from the first refrigerant to pass through.

6. The gas storage device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner wall of the second flow channel (22) is provided with ribs.

7. A compressor system, characterized in that: include: A compressor (4) including an air bearing (41); and The gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; The third opening (13) is in communication with an air inlet of the air suspension bearing (41) and is configured to provide gaseous refrigerant to the air suspension bearing (41).

8. A refrigeration system, characterized in that: include: The compressor system of claim 7; an evaporator (5) configured to receive the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the second opening (12); and The condenser (6) is configured to provide a first refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixed state at the first temperature into the shell (1) through the first opening (11).

9. The refrigeration system according to claim 8, characterized in that The condenser (6) is further configured to provide the second refrigerant at the second temperature to the heat exchanger (2) through the fourth opening (24).

10. The refrigeration system according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The refrigeration system further includes a flasher (7) configured to receive the second refrigerant flowing out of the fifth opening (25).

11. The refrigeration system according to claim 10, wherein: The flasher (7) is configured to receive the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the air suspension bearing (41).

12. An air conditioning unit, characterized in that: The invention comprises the gas storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the compressor system according to claim 7, or the refrigeration system according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

13. A control method for a refrigeration system according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that: The gas storage device further comprises an electric heater provided on the outer bottom of the shell (1), and the control method comprises: Before the compressor (4) is started, the electric heater is turned on to heat the liquid refrigerant to increase the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant; When the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant reaches a first preset pressure, starting the compressor (4); When the pressure of the condenser (6) increases to a second preset pressure, turning off the electric heater; Wherein, the second preset pressure is greater than the first preset pressure.

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