Oil separator and heat exchange device

Abstract

The application provides an oil separator and heat exchange equipment. The oil separator comprises a shell, a fluid passage is arranged on the shell, an oil-gas separation component is arranged in the fluid passage, and a filter separation component is arranged in the oil-gas separation component, wherein filter particles are arranged in the filter separation component, and gaps between two adjacent filter particles constitute part of the fluid passage. The oil separator and heat exchange equipment provided by the application utilize the irregular shape and irregular arrangement of the filter particles, so that the fluid passage (the gap between the filter particles) on the filter separation component is also in an irregular state, gas flows out of the irregular gaps, and oil droplets are completely separated, thereby effectively increasing the filtering and separating effect of the filter separation component and improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of separation equipment technology, and in particular to an oil separator and heat exchange equipment. Background Technology

[0002] During actual operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor carries refrigerant oil particles. If the refrigerant oil entrained by the gaseous refrigerant enters the condenser or accumulates in the evaporator with the circulating medium, it not only reduces the heat exchange capacity of both units but also causes the compressor to be damaged due to lack of refrigerant oil lubrication, ultimately leading to the system's inability to operate continuously. Therefore, the oil separator is one of the key components of the refrigeration unit. Its function is to separate and filter the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant and refrigerant oil mixture discharged from the compressor during the refrigeration cycle. The separated high-purity gaseous refrigerant enters the condenser, while the liquid refrigerant oil returns to the compressor under the action of pressure difference.

[0003] In existing technologies, the air inlet of an oil separator is usually connected to the compressor outlet. It mainly separates the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-liquid mixture discharged from the compressor through impact and filtration. The filtration process uses a filter screen to filter the oil-gas mixture flowing through it, which requires the unit to replace the filter screen regularly to ensure the flow effect of the oil separator structure. This process requires a lot of manpower, material resources and time costs, which seriously affects the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problem that existing oil separators require regular filter replacements, which negatively impacts user experience, an oil separator and heat exchange device are provided that utilizes oil-filtering particles to block and filter the oil-vapor mixture flowing through it, and leverages the collision and friction between these particles to ensure both flow and separation efficiency.

[0005] An oil separator, comprising:

[0006] A housing, on which fluid channels are provided;

[0007] An oil-vapor separation component is disposed within the fluid channel;

[0008] The filter separation component contains oil filter particles, and the gap between two adjacent oil filter particles constitutes part of the fluid channel.

[0009] The filtration and separation component includes a housing, which is sealed to the inner wall of the fluid channel, and the oil filter particles are disposed inside the housing.

[0010] The outer casing includes a lower sealing plate for carrying the oil filter particles, and the lower sealing plate is provided with air distribution holes.

[0011] The lower sealing plate is curved, and an oil return port is provided at the lowest point of the curved surface.

[0012] The filtration and separation component also includes a protective mesh, which is disposed between the oil filter particles and the lower sealing plate or at the air equalization hole, and the pore size of the protective mesh is smaller than the minimum size of the oil filter particles.

[0013] The filtration and separation component also includes an upper sealing plate, which is located on the side of the oil filter particles away from the lower sealing plate, and the upper sealing plate is provided with an exhaust hole.

[0014] The filtration and separation component also includes a protective mesh, which is disposed between the oil filter particles and the upper sealing plate or at the vent hole, and the pore size of the protective mesh is smaller than the minimum size of the oil filter particles.

[0015] The filter particles include one or a combination of several of the following: iron particles, copper particles, steel particles, iron filings, weld beads, copper filings, or steel filings.

[0016] The oil-vapor separation component includes an inner cylinder disposed inside the shell, and an annular flow channel is formed between the inner cylinder and the inner wall of the shell, the annular flow channel constituting part of the fluid channel.

[0017] The housing is provided with an air inlet, which is connected to the annular flow channel, and the air intake direction of the air inlet is tangent to the corresponding position of the annular flow channel.

[0018] The top surface of the housing is provided with an air outlet, which is connected to the fluid channel, and the filter separation component is disposed between the oil-vapor separation component and the air outlet.

[0019] A heat exchange device, comprising the oil separator described above.

[0020] The oil separator and heat exchange equipment provided by this invention utilize the irregular shape and arrangement of the filter particles to create an irregular fluid channel (the gaps between the filter particles) on the filtration and separation component. Gas flows out from these irregular gaps, and oil droplets are completely separated, achieving a separation efficiency of 99.99%. Compared to the 95% filtration efficiency of a filter screen, this effectively increases the filtration and separation effect of the component. Furthermore, during the fluid flow through the filter particles, the particles move, causing the oil droplets accumulated between them to detach, achieving self-cleaning of the filtration and separation component. This eliminates the need for periodic replacement of the component, ensuring long-term stable operation without after-sales maintenance, reducing costs associated with manpower, materials, and time, and improving user experience. The filter particles can utilize iron particles, copper particles, steel particles, iron filings, steel filings, iron filings, copper filings, and other production waste or weld beads generated during welding, achieving the reuse of production waste. It also eliminates the need for developing or purchasing filter screens separately, saving on filter screen development and transportation cycles, as well as expensive mold development costs, thus reducing production costs and maximizing economic efficiency. Furthermore, the oil-vapor separation component performs a primary separation of the oil-vapor mixture. Most oil droplets flow downwards to the bottom of the shell and enter the oil storage area during this primary separation due to centrifugal gravity. A small portion is carried into the filter separation component for secondary separation, ensuring both reliable operation of the filter separation component and high separation efficiency of the oil separator. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an oil separator provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the filter separation component provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower sealing plate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the protective net provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oil filter particles provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the inner cylinder provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] In the picture:

[0028] 1. Shell; 2. Oil-vapor separation component; 3. Filter separation component; 31. Filter oil particles; 32. Lower sealing plate; 33. Gas equalization hole; 34. Upper sealing plate; 35. Exhaust hole; 4. Protective net; 21. Inner cylinder; 22. Annular flow channel; 11. Air inlet. Detailed Implementation

[0029] 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.

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate for the embodiments of the invention described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0032] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," indicating directional or positional relationships, are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0033] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In existing technologies, the inlet of an oil separator is typically connected to the compressor outlet. It primarily separates the high-temperature, high-pressure gas-liquid mixture discharged from the compressor through impact and filtration. The filtration process uses a filter screen to filter the oil-vapor mixture flowing through it, requiring regular screen replacement to maintain the flow efficiency of the oil separator. This process consumes significant manpower, resources, and time, severely impacting user experience. Furthermore, the filter screen requires development and transportation time, along with expensive mold development costs, significantly increasing production costs and time, resulting in poor economic efficiency. Moreover, the separation efficiency of existing filter screens is limited to only 95% due to structural limitations (such as pore size and mesh count), which is relatively low.

[0035] Therefore, this application provides a method such as Figures 1 to 6 The oil separator shown includes: a housing 1 with a fluid channel; an oil-vapor separation component 2 disposed within the fluid channel; and a filtration separation component 3 containing oil-filtering particles 31. The gaps between adjacent oil-filtering particles 31 partially constitute the fluid channel. Utilizing the irregular shape and arrangement of the oil-filtering particles 31, the fluid channel (the gaps between the oil-filtering particles 31) on the filtration separation component 3 is also irregular. Gas flows out from these irregular gaps, and oil droplets are completely separated, achieving a separation efficiency of 99.99%. Compared to the 95% filtration efficiency of a filter screen, this effectively increases the filtration separation effect of the filtration separation component 3. During the flow of oil filter particles 31, the particles move, causing the oil droplets accumulated between them to detach. This achieves self-cleaning of the filter separation component 3, eliminating the need for periodic replacement and ensuring long-term stable operation without after-sales maintenance. This reduces costs associated with manpower, materials, and time, improving the user experience. Furthermore, the oil filter particles 31 can utilize iron particles, copper particles, steel particles, iron filings, steel filings, iron filings, copper filings, and other production waste or weld beads generated during welding, enabling the reuse of production waste. It also eliminates the need to develop or purchase filter screens separately, saving on filter screen development and transportation costs, as well as expensive mold development expenses, thereby reducing production costs and maximizing economic efficiency.

[0036] The filtration and separation component 3 includes a housing, which is sealed to the inner wall of the fluid channel. The oil particles 31 are disposed within the housing. The housing confines the oil particles 31, ensuring that they remain stably within the fluid channel and preventing them from moving due to fluid flow or gravity, thus ensuring the reliable operation of the oil separator.

[0037] Specifically, the outer casing includes a lower sealing plate 32 for supporting the oil filter particles 31, and the lower sealing plate 32 is provided with equalizing holes. The lower sealing plate 32 supports the oil filter particles 31, preventing them from moving due to gravity and ensuring their reliability within the fluid channel. Furthermore, the equalizing holes 33 on the lower sealing plate 32 allow the fluid to flow evenly into the casing as it passes through, improving the fluid separation effect. The equalizing holes 33 on the lower sealing plate 32 also allow the fluid to enter the filter separation component 3 from below. After vapor-liquid separation is completed in the filter separation component 3, the separated oil droplets fall off under gravity and detach from the filter separation component 3, preventing oil droplets from accumulating and clogging the filter separation component 3. This ensures the separation effect of the oil separator and reduces the resistance to the fluid, thus ensuring the reliable operation of the oil separator.

[0038] Preferably, the lower sealing plate 32 is curved, and an oil return port is provided at the lowest point of the curved surface. After the gas-liquid separation is completed in the filter separation component 3, the separated oil droplets can flow along the curved surface under the action of gravity and collect at the lowest point of the curved surface, and finally drip off from the oil return port. This effectively improves the oil discharge efficiency of the filter separation component 3, further avoids the accumulation of oil droplets in the filter separation component 3 and the blockage of the filter separation component 3, ensures the separation effect of the oil separator, and also reduces the resistance of the oil separator to the fluid, thus ensuring the reliable operation of the oil separator.

[0039] To ensure that the fluid can flow smoothly into the filter separation component 3 and that the oil droplets can detach smoothly from the filter separation component 3, the flow area of ​​the equalizing hole 33 needs to be able to overcome the adhesion force and fluid tension between the fluid and the edge of the equalizing hole 33. However, increasing the flow area of ​​the equalizing hole 33 will cause the oil filter particles 31 to fall through the equalizing hole 33. Therefore, the filter separation component 3 also includes a protective net 4, which is disposed between the oil filter particles 31 and the lower sealing plate 32 or at the equalizing hole 33, and the pore size of the protective net 4 is smaller than the minimum size of the oil filter particles 31. Since the thickness of the protective net 4 is much smaller than that of the lower sealing plate 32, the adhesion force and fluid tension generated by the fluid at the protective net 4 greatly reduce the resistance to the fluid. Therefore, the protective net 4 is used to restrict the oil filter particles 31, preventing the oil filter particles 31 from leaving the filter separation component 3 through the air equalization hole 33. At the same time, it can achieve the purpose of smooth fluid flow through the air equalization hole 33, ensuring the reliable operation of the oil separator.

[0040] The lower sealing plate 32 has multiple air distribution holes 33, which are arranged in an array or in a circle on the lower sealing plate 32. This ensures that the oil particles 31 in each position of the filter separation component 3 have fluid passing through, thus ensuring the separation effect of the filter separation component 3 on the fluid and thereby ensuring the separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0041] To further restrict the oil particles 31 and prevent them from being carried by the fluid, the filtration and separation component 3 also includes an upper sealing plate 34. The upper sealing plate 34 is located on the side where the oil particles 31 are away from the lower sealing plate 32, and an exhaust port 35 is provided on the upper sealing plate 34. The upper sealing plate 34 restricts the direction of movement of the oil particles 31 with the fluid, ensuring that the oil particles 31 are reliably contained within the outer shell. At the same time, the fluid can be discharged through the exhaust port 35 after passing through the gaps in the oil particles 31. The separated gas can flow into the subsequent fluid channel through the exhaust port 35 and finally flow out of the oil separator smoothly, ensuring the oil-gas separation effect of the oil separator.

[0042] Similarly, to ensure that the separated gas can quickly leave the filter separation component 3, the flow area of ​​the exhaust port 35 also needs to be increased. This could cause the oil particles 31 to be carried by the fluid and detach from the filter separation component 3 through the exhaust port 35. Therefore, the filter separation component 3 also includes a protective net 4, which is disposed between the oil particles 31 and the upper sealing plate 34 or at the exhaust port 35, and the pore size of the protective net 4 is smaller than the minimum size of the oil particles 31. The protective net 4 restricts the oil particles 31, preventing them from detaching from the filter separation component 3 through the exhaust port 35, while also allowing the fluid to flow smoothly through the exhaust port 35, ensuring the reliable operation of the oil separator.

[0043] Optionally, the vent 35 can be set in the middle part of the upper sealing plate 34, while the air distribution holes 33 are evenly distributed on the lower sealing plate 32, thereby forming different paths, different formations, and different angles in the filter separation component 3, so that the filter separation component 3 can separate oil droplets of different liquid phase particle sizes, effectively achieving the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0044] Alternatively, there can be multiple vent holes 35, which are arranged in an array on the upper sealing plate 34. This can also form different paths, different formations, and different angles within the filter separation component 3, enabling the filter separation component 3 to separate oil droplets of different liquid phase sizes, thus achieving an effective oil separator separation effect.

[0045] In the embodiment not shown in the figure, both the exhaust hole 35 and the air equalization hole 33 are circular holes, and the axis of any exhaust hole 35 is not collinear with the axis of any air equalization hole 33, thus ensuring the separation effect of the oil filter particles 31.

[0046] In one implementation, the filter particles 31 include one or a combination of several of the following: iron particles, copper particles, steel particles, iron filings, weld beads, copper filings, or steel filings. This enables the reuse of production waste and eliminates the need to develop or purchase filter screens separately according to requirements, saving on filter screen development and transportation cycles, as well as expensive mold development costs, thereby reducing production costs and maximizing economic efficiency.

[0047] To prevent the high-temperature, high-pressure oil-vapor mixture discharged from the compressor from directly impacting the filter separation component 3, an oil-vapor separator 2 is installed to perform a primary separation of the oil-vapor mixture. Most oil droplets will flow downwards to the bottom of the housing 1 and enter the oil storage area during this primary separation process due to gravity. A small portion will be carried by the fluid into the filter separation component 3 for secondary separation. This ensures both the reliable operation of the filter separation component 3 and the separation efficiency of the oil separator. For this purpose, an air outlet is provided on the top surface of the housing 1, which is connected to the fluid channel. The filter separation component 3 is positioned between the oil-vapor separator 2 and the air outlet.

[0048] Specifically, the oil-vapor separation component 2 includes an inner cylinder 21, which is disposed inside the shell 1. An annular flow channel 22 is formed between the inner cylinder 21 and the inner wall of the shell 1, and the annular flow channel 22 constitutes part of the fluid channel. The oil-vapor mixture entering the shell 1 first flows within the annular flow channel 22. The inner cylinder 21 changes the flow direction of the oil-vapor mixture, causing most oil droplets to flow downwards under gravity to the bottom of the shell 1 and enter the oil storage area. This ensures the reliable operation of the filtration and separation component 3 and also guarantees the separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0049] In one embodiment, the housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 11, which communicates with the annular flow channel 22, and the air intake direction of the air inlet 11 is tangent to the corresponding position of the annular flow channel 22. That is, after the oil-vapor mixture enters the housing 1 through the air inlet 11, it will rotate and flow in annularity along the annular flow channel 22. The centrifugal force generated during the rotation will throw most of the oil droplets onto the inner wall of the housing 1, while the gas will experience less centrifugal force, thereby achieving the purpose of oil-vapor separation.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the oil separator is a vertical oil separator. The filter separation component 3 is located above the inner cylinder 21. The interior of the inner cylinder 21 forms part of the fluid channel. An upper baffle is also provided in the annular flow channel 22. The upper baffle can restrict the upward flow of the oil-vapor mixture in the annular flow channel 22, forcing the oil-vapor mixture to separate in the annular flow channel 22 before flowing through the interior of the inner cylinder 21 to the filter separation component 3, thus achieving secondary separation of the oil-vapor mixture and ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator. A lower baffle is also provided in the annular flow channel 22. The lower baffle has through holes. The lower baffle can inhibit the direct downward flow into the annular flow channel 22, allowing it to flow downward only through the through holes, increasing the centrifugal separation effect of the annular flow channel 22.

[0051] A heat exchange device, comprising the oil separator described above.

[0052] 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. An oil separator, characterized in that: include: A housing (1) having a fluid channel provided thereon; An oil-vapor separation component (2) is disposed within the fluid channel; The filter separation component (3) is provided with oil filter particles (31), and the gap between two adjacent oil filter particles (31) constitutes part of the fluid channel. The filtration and separation component (3) includes a housing, which is sealed to the inner wall of the fluid channel, and the oil filter particles (31) are disposed inside the housing. The housing includes a lower sealing plate (32) for carrying the oil filter particles (31) and an upper sealing plate (34) located on the side of the oil filter particles (31) away from the lower sealing plate (32). The lower sealing plate (32) is provided with a plurality of air equalization holes (33), and the upper sealing plate (34) is provided with an exhaust hole (35). The exhaust hole (35) is disposed in the middle part of the upper sealing plate (34), and the plurality of air equalization holes (33) are evenly distributed on the lower sealing plate (32). The top surface of the housing (1) is provided with an air outlet, which is connected to the fluid channel. The filter separation component (3) is disposed between the oil-gas separation component (2) and the air outlet. The oil-vapor separation component (2) is used to first separate the oil-vapor mixture. After the first separation, a small portion of the oil droplets enter the filter separation component (3) with the fluid for secondary separation. The fluid enters the filter separation component (3) from below through the equalization hole (33), flows through the oil filter particles (31), and is discharged through the exhaust hole (35). During the secondary separation process as the fluid flows through the filter particles (31), the filter particles (31) move, which causes the oil droplets accumulated between the filter particles (31) to detach, thereby achieving self-cleaning of the filter separation component (3).

2. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface shape of the lower sealing plate (32) is curved, and an oil return port is provided at the lowest point of the curved surface.

3. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter separation component (3) also includes a protective net (4), which is disposed between the oil filter particles (31) and the lower sealing plate (32) or at the air equalization hole (33), and the aperture of the protective net (4) is smaller than the minimum size of the oil filter particles (31).

4. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The filter separation component (3) also includes a protective net (4), which is disposed between the oil filter particles (31) and the upper sealing plate (34) or at the exhaust hole (35), and the aperture of the protective net (4) is smaller than the minimum size of the oil filter particles (31).

5. The oil separator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The filter particles (31) include one or a combination of iron particles, copper particles, steel particles, iron filings, weld beads, copper filings, or steel filings.

6. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil-gas separation component (2) includes an inner cylinder (21), which is disposed inside the housing (1), and an annular flow channel (22) is formed between the inner cylinder (21) and the inner wall of the housing (1), which constitutes part of the fluid channel.

7. The oil separator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with an air inlet (11), which is connected to the annular flow channel (22), and the air inlet direction of the air inlet (11) is tangent to the corresponding position of the annular flow channel (22).

8. A heat exchange device, characterized in that: The oil separator includes any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images