Oil separator and air conditioning unit

Abstract

The application provides an oil separator and an air conditioning unit. The oil separator comprises a shell, which is provided with an exhaust port; and a first liquid guide fan, which is rotatably arranged in the shell and has an airflow direction pointing away from the exhaust port. The oil separator and the air conditioning unit provided by the application can drive the gas in the shell to flow by rotating the first liquid guide fan, and the flow direction points away from the exhaust port. The first liquid guide fan can sufficiently disturb and separate the oil-gas mixture entering the shell, thereby effectively improving the oil-gas separation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In refrigeration and air conditioning systems, refrigerant oil is crucial for the safe and stable operation of the compressor, primarily serving functions such as cooling, lubrication, and sealing. During refrigeration unit operation, some refrigerant oil mixes with the refrigerant vapor discharged from the compressor in the form of oil droplets, thus participating in the system circulation. This participation of refrigerant oil in the system circulation negatively impacts heat exchanger performance, system efficiency, and the safe operation of the compressor. Studies show that when the circulating refrigerant oil content is 5%, the evaporator heat exchange decreases by 10%. When the oil content in the system increases by 1%, the system COP decreases by 2.5%. Furthermore, because the refrigerant oil remaining in the system after circulation can easily cause compressor oil shortage and malfunction. To solve this problem, an oil separator is typically installed between the compressor and the condenser. As one of the four key components of a screw compressor refrigeration unit, the oil separator's 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. Through the separation action of the oil separator, the refrigerant oil is separated from the refrigerant vapor, preventing refrigerant oil from participating in the system circulation. Simultaneously, the separated refrigerant oil is promptly delivered to the compressor to avoid compressor damage due to oil shortage.

[0003] In conventional vertical oil separator structures, the oil-laden gaseous refrigerant enters the oil separator space through the top inlet and disperses. Some large oil droplets initially flow downwards under gravity to the bottom and enter the return oil zone. Most are carried away by the airflow, impacting the cylinder and separating some droplets. The remaining small droplets are carried by the airflow around the cylinder and continue into the oil separator space. During the flow, under the influence of gravity and inertia, the lighter gaseous refrigerant flows towards the oil separator filter, while the smaller droplets gradually decrease in velocity and eventually settle to the bottom oil level zone. High gas velocity or an improperly designed flow field can cause the gaseous refrigerant to impact the refrigeration oil collected at the bottom of the container, leading to liquid level fluctuations, reduced oil return efficiency of the unit's return oil pipe, and affecting the stable operation of the level gauge or oil level mirror. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problem of poor separation performance in oil separators, an oil separator and air conditioning unit are provided that utilize a first liquid guide fan for turbulence and liquid separation to improve the separation effect.

[0005] An oil separator, comprising:

[0006] A housing, on which an exhaust port is provided;

[0007] A first liquid guiding fan is rotatably disposed within the housing, and the airflow generated when the first liquid guiding fan rotates is directed away from the exhaust port.

[0008] The oil separator further includes a drive mechanism, which is disposed inside and / or on the housing, and the drive mechanism is capable of driving the first liquid guide fan to rotate.

[0009] An air inlet is provided on the housing, and the driving mechanism includes an active impeller disposed inside the housing. The first liquid guide fan is driven or coaxially disposed with the active impeller, and the airflow from the air inlet can drive the active impeller to rotate.

[0010] The air inlet is located on one side of the active impeller, and the airflow direction of the air inlet is tangent to the rotating body formed by the active impeller.

[0011] The oil separator further includes a partition plate disposed inside the housing, which divides the interior of the housing into an exhaust chamber and a separation chamber that are interconnected. The exhaust port is connected to the exhaust chamber, and the air inlet is connected to the separation chamber. The first liquid guide fan is disposed inside the exhaust chamber, and the active impeller is disposed inside the separation chamber.

[0012] The partition plate is provided with a connecting hole, the active impeller is provided with a fluid channel, and the separation chamber and the exhaust chamber are connected through the fluid channel and the connecting hole.

[0013] The active impeller is sealed to the partition plate.

[0014] An oil storage area is formed at the bottom of the separation chamber. The oil separator also includes a second liquid guide fan, which is located between the active impeller and the oil storage area, and the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan is towards the oil storage area.

[0015] The diameter of the second liquid guide fan is greater than the distance between the fluid channel and the rotation axis of the active impeller; and / or, the diameter of the second liquid guide fan is smaller than the diameter of the active impeller.

[0016] The oil separator also includes a guide plate, which is disposed between the inner wall of the housing and the active impeller.

[0017] The guide plate is a spiral guide plate, which surrounds the outer periphery of the active impeller, and the air inlet is connected to the upper half of the spiral guide plate.

[0018] An oil storage area is formed at the bottom of the separation chamber. The oil separator also includes a second liquid guide fan, which is located between the active impeller and the oil storage area. The airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan is towards the oil storage area. The spiral guide plate has an annular projection on the liquid surface in the oil storage area. The diameter of the second liquid guide fan is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular ring.

[0019] The active impeller includes a rotating shaft and at least two rotating plates, all of which are evenly distributed in a ring on the rotating shaft.

[0020] The rotating plate has a windward side and a leeward side. The windward side is a plane, and the leeward side is a plane or a curved surface.

[0021] The oil separator further includes a second liquid guide fan, an oil storage area is formed at the bottom of the housing, the second liquid guide fan is disposed inside the housing and below the first liquid guide fan, and the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan is towards the oil storage area; and / or, the airflow direction of the first liquid guide fan is towards the oil storage area.

[0022] A clearance gap is formed between the rotating body formed by the first liquid guide fan and the inner wall of the housing.

[0023] The oil separator also includes an air baffle grille, which is disposed between the first liquid guide fan and the exhaust port.

[0024] The air deflector grille has a closed area and a connected area, the exhaust port is provided corresponding to the closed area, and the connected area is provided with a connecting opening.

[0025] The central axis of the exhaust port, the rotation axis of the first liquid guide fan, and the central axis of the housing are collinear.

[0026] An air conditioning unit includes the oil separator described above.

[0027] The oil separator and air conditioning unit provided by this invention utilize the rotation of the first liquid guide fan to drive the gas flow inside the housing, with the flow direction away from the exhaust port. This forces the oil-gas mixture entering the housing to flow away from the exhaust port. As the oil-gas mixture flows towards the exhaust port, the airflow from the first liquid guide fan collides with the oil-gas mixture, resulting in a first separation. Simultaneously, the airflow from the first liquid guide fan acts as a turbulence inside the housing, reducing the flow velocity of the oil-gas mixture towards the exhaust port. Larger oil droplets separate under their own gravity, achieving a second separation. Meanwhile, the oil-gas mixture flows through the first liquid guide fan, which collides with the oil-gas mixture during its rotation. Some oil droplets adhere to the first liquid guide fan and are thrown onto the inner wall of the housing by the centrifugal force generated by the first liquid guide fan, then flow downwards along the inner wall of the housing, achieving a third separation. This allows the first liquid guide fan to effectively turbulent and separate the oil-gas mixture entering the housing, thereby effectively improving the oil-gas separation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an oil separator provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an oil separator provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first liquid guiding fan provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the active impeller provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 A top view of the active impeller provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the spiral guide plate and support frame provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spiral guide plate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the support frame provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 9 A top view of the partition provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air deflector grille provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] In the picture:

[0039] 1. Shell; 11. Exhaust port; 2. First liquid guide fan; 12. Air inlet; 3. Active impeller; 4. Baffle plate; 41. Connecting hole; 31. Fluid passage; 13. Oil storage area; 14. Exhaust chamber; 15. Separation chamber; 5. Second liquid guide fan; 6. Spiral guide plate; 7. Support frame; 32. Rotating shaft; 33. Rotating plate; 34. Windward side; 35. Leeward side; 8. Air baffle; 81. Enclosed area; 82. Connecting area. Detailed Implementation

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] In actual operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor carries some compressor oil particles into the oil separator. If this oil is carried by the airflow into 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 lubrication, ultimately leading to the system's inability to operate safely and continuously. Therefore, to solve the problem of refrigerant oil separation and ensure the continuous safe operation of the system, an oil separator is used to separate the oil and gas in the fluid discharged from the compressor. The separated high-purity gaseous refrigerant enters the condenser, while the liquid refrigerant oil returns to the compressor using the pressure difference effect. However, the separation effect of existing oil separators is poor. Therefore, this application provides a method... Figures 1 to 10 The oil separator shown includes: a housing 1, on which an exhaust port 11 is provided; and a first liquid guide fan 2, which is rotatably disposed inside the housing 1, and the airflow generated when the first liquid guide fan 2 rotates is directed away from the exhaust port 11. The rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2 drives the gas inside the housing 1 to flow away from the exhaust port 11, thereby forcing the oil-gas mixture entering the housing 1 to flow away from the exhaust port 11. As the oil-gas mixture enters the housing 1 and flows towards the exhaust port 11, the airflow from the first liquid guide fan 2 collides with the oil-gas mixture, resulting in a first separation. At the same time, the airflow from the first liquid guide fan 2 acts as a turbulence inside the housing 1, reducing the flow velocity of the oil-gas mixture towards the exhaust port 11. Larger oil droplets will separate under their own gravity, achieving a second separation. Meanwhile, the oil-gas mixture flows through the first liquid guide fan 2. During the rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2, it collides with the oil-gas mixture, and some oil droplets will stick to the first liquid guide fan 2. Under the centrifugal force generated by the first liquid guide fan 2, they are thrown onto the inner wall of the housing 1 and then flow downward along the inner wall of the housing 1, achieving a third separation. This allows the first liquid guide fan 2 to effectively turbulent and separate the oil-gas mixture entering the housing 1, thereby effectively improving the oil-gas separation efficiency.

[0046] In one embodiment, the oil separator further includes a drive mechanism disposed within the housing 1, which is capable of driving the first liquid guide fan 2 to rotate. Without affecting the separation efficiency of the oil separator, the drive mechanism is directly disposed inside the housing 1. In this case, there is no need to machine mounting holes on the housing 1 for connecting the drive mechanism and the first liquid guide fan 2, effectively improving the sealing effect of the housing 1 and ensuring the reliability of the oil separator.

[0047] Specifically, the housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 12, and the driving mechanism includes an active impeller 3, which is disposed inside the housing 1. The first liquid guide fan 2 is driven by the active impeller 3, and the airflow from the air inlet 12 can drive the active impeller 3 to rotate. The high-speed oil-gas mixture entering at the air inlet is blown toward the active impeller 3, thereby driving the active impeller 3 to rotate. The rotating active impeller 3 has the ability to drive the first liquid guide fan 2 to rotate, thus realizing the rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2. Moreover, the kinetic energy of the oil-gas mixture is consumed during the impact of the oil-gas mixture on the active impeller 3, which slows down the flow velocity of the oil-gas mixture and alleviates flow field fluctuations. During the collision between the oil-gas mixture and the active impeller 3, the oil will adhere to the active impeller 3 and then be thrown onto the inner wall of the housing 1 under the rotation of the active impeller 3. The gaseous refrigerant is subjected to a smaller centrifugal force and continues to flow within the range between the active impeller 3 and the inner wall of the housing 1, further increasing the separation effect of the oil-gas mixture.

[0048] Preferably, the first liquid guide fan 2 and the active impeller 3 are coaxially arranged, which reduces the need for a transmission structure between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the active impeller 3, thus reducing the space occupied inside the housing 1. It also avoids the problems of transmission loss and poor reliability in the transmission structure, ensuring the reliable rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2.

[0049] To ensure the effective driving of the oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 on the active impeller 3, the air inlet 12 is located on one side of the active impeller 3, and the airflow direction of the air inlet 12 is tangential to the rotating body formed by the active impeller 3. The oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 flows spirally along the inner wall of the housing 1. Simultaneously, because the oil-gas mixture is tangential to the active impeller 3, it can drive the active impeller 3 to rotate to its maximum extent, thereby increasing the kinetic energy consumption of the oil-gas mixture, increasing the rotational speed of the active impeller 3, and improving the volume and separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0050] The oil separator also includes a partition 4, which is disposed within the housing 1 and divides the interior of the housing 1 into an interconnected exhaust chamber 14 and a separation chamber 15. The exhaust port 11 communicates with the exhaust chamber 14, and the air inlet 12 communicates with the separation chamber 15. The first liquid guide fan 2 is disposed within the exhaust chamber 14, and the active impeller 3 is disposed within the separation chamber 15. The partition 4 further prevents the oil-gas mixture from flowing directly to the exhaust port 11, ensuring that the oil-gas mixture can only flow through the connection between the exhaust chamber 14 and the separation chamber 15. This guarantees that the oil-gas mixture fully interacts with the active impeller 3, allowing it to effectively drive the active impeller 3 to rotate and consume kinetic energy. Simultaneously, it effectively increases the rotational speed of the active impeller 3, thereby fully driving the rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2 and suppressing the flow of the oil-gas mixture to the exhaust port 11, thus improving the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0051] To allow the gaseous refrigerant to flow from the separation chamber 15 to the exhaust chamber 14, the partition 4 is provided with a connecting hole 41, and the active impeller 3 is provided with a fluid channel 31. The separation chamber 15 and the exhaust chamber 14 are connected through the fluid channel 31 and the connecting hole 41. The oil-gas mixture entering through the inlet 12 drives the active impeller 3 to rotate. At this time, the oil-gas mixture flows within the space between the active impeller 3 and the housing 1, undergoing centrifugal separation. Due to the restriction of the partition 4, the oil-gas mixture can only flow towards the bottom of the housing 1. The separated gaseous refrigerant, influenced by the pressure generated by the subsequent oil-gas mixture, tends to flow towards the exhaust port 11. Since the fluid channel 31 and the connecting hole 41 connect the separation chamber 15 and the exhaust chamber 14, the separated oil-gas mixture flows from below the active impeller 3 into the fluid channel 41. The oil-gas mixture flows into the exhaust chamber 14 through the connecting hole 41 at the upper end of the fluid channel 31. The first liquid guide fan 2 rotates in the exhaust chamber 14, increasing the difficulty for the oil-gas mixture to flow upward in the fluid channel 31, thereby increasing the effect of gravity separation of the oil-gas mixture in the fluid channel 31. Moreover, since the active impeller 3 is rotating, the fluid channel 31 will also rotate with the rotation of the active impeller 3. The oil-gas mixture will collide with the inner wall of the fluid channel 31 under the action of inertia, thus achieving the separation of the oil-gas mixture and further increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0052] Since the fluid channel 31 rotates with the active impeller 3, the fluid channel 31 cannot be fixedly set with the partition 4. At this time, an annular connecting hole 41 is set on the partition 4 at the position corresponding to the rotating body formed when the fluid channel 31 rotates, so as to ensure that the fluid channel 31 and the connecting hole 41 remain connected.

[0053] Because the partition plate 4 has a connecting hole 41, some oil-gas mixture may flow directly into the exhaust chamber 14 through the connecting hole 41, affecting the separation effect of the oil separator. The active impeller 3 is sealed to the partition plate 4, thereby ensuring that all oil-gas mixture can only flow into the exhaust chamber 14 through the fluid channel 31 and the connecting hole 41, thus ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator. A labyrinth seal structure is provided between the active impeller 3 and the partition plate 4, ensuring the sealing effect between the active impeller 3 and the partition plate 4 while they rotate relative to each other.

[0054] An oil storage area 13 is formed at the bottom of the separation chamber 15. When the oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 flows within the separation chamber 15, it affects the liquid level in the oil storage area 13, causing fluctuations in the liquid level. This severely affects the reliability of oil return from the oil separator. Furthermore, during these fluctuations, splashing oil droplets are generated and re-mixed into the oil-gas mixture, further impacting the separation efficiency. Therefore, the oil separator also includes a second liquid guide fan 5, located between the active impeller 3 and the oil storage area 13, with the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan 5 directed towards the oil storage area 13. The second liquid guide fan 5 generates airflow towards the liquid surface of the oil storage area 13, reducing surface fluctuations and also blowing splashing oil droplets generated during the fluctuations back into the oil storage area 13, where they are absorbed and contained by the liquid surface, thus preventing oil droplets from re-mixing into the oil-gas mixture and improving the separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0055] The diameter of the second liquid guide fan 5 is larger than the distance between the fluid channel 31 and the rotation axis of the active impeller 3. The second liquid guide fan 5 needs to be able to shield the fluid channel 31 to further prevent oil droplets from entering the fluid channel 31 with the airflow of the oil-gas mixture, thus ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0056] During the spiral flow of the oil-gas mixture within the housing 1, it adheres to the inner wall of the housing 1. To avoid the influence of the second liquid guide fan 5 on the flow of the oil-gas mixture, the diameter of the second liquid guide fan 5 is smaller than the diameter of the active impeller 3. Simultaneously, due to the restriction of the active impeller 3, the oil-gas mixture can only flow between the active impeller 3 and the inner wall of the housing 1. When the oil-gas mixture flows out of the range of the active impeller 3, it flows towards the middle of the housing 1 and enters the fluid channel 31. During this process, when the oil-gas mixture flows to the oil storage area 13, it affects the liquid surface of the portion of the oil storage area 13 near the inner wall of the housing 1. The turbulence on the liquid surface is basically located at the edge of the rotating body formed by the active impeller 3, and the second liquid guide fan 5 can blow air at this edge position, thereby smoothing the turbulence on the liquid surface, effectively reducing the liquid surface fluctuation and splashing oil droplets in the oil storage area 13, and further increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0057] The oil separator also includes a guide plate, which is disposed between the inner wall of the housing 1 and the active impeller 3. The guide plate guides the oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12, thereby increasing the driving effect of the oil-gas mixture on the active impeller 3. Preferably, the guide plate is a spiral guide plate 6, which surrounds the outer periphery of the active impeller 3, and the air inlet 12 is connected to the upper half of the spiral guide plate 6 (the part near the partition 4). When the oil-gas mixture flows on the spiral guide plate 6, its spiral flow ensures the driving effect on the active impeller 3. At the same time, during the flow of the oil-gas mixture on the spiral guide plate 6, the refrigerant oil will be separated under the action of centrifugal force and the adhesion between the refrigerant oil and the spiral guide plate 6. The separated gaseous refrigerant continues to flow along the spiral guide plate 6 and can drive the rotation of the active impeller 3. The liquid refrigerant oil will flow along the position where the spiral guide plate 6 contacts the inner wall of the shell 1, and finally drip down along the lowest point of the spiral guide plate 6 into the oil storage area 13, thus achieving preliminary oil-gas separation and improving the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0058] To ensure the fixation of the spiral guide plate 6, the oil separator is also equipped with a support frame 7 with a circular cross-section. The support frame 7 is wrapped around the active impeller 3, and the spiral guide plate 6 is fixedly installed with the support frame 7 at the edge facing the active impeller 3, so as to ensure the reliable fixation of the spiral guide plate 6 and the reliable flow of the oil-gas mixture.

[0059] The bottom of the separation chamber 15 forms an oil storage area 13. The oil separator also includes a second liquid guide fan 5, which is located between the active impeller 3 and the oil storage area 13. The airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan 5 is towards the oil storage area 13. During the flow of the oil-gas mixture on the spiral guide plate 6, it will occupy the entire flow section of the spiral guide plate 6. In order to avoid the influence of the second liquid guide fan 5 on the flow of the oil-gas mixture, the spiral guide plate 6 is annular in projection on the liquid surface of the oil storage area 13. The diameter of the second liquid guide fan 5 is smaller than the inner diameter of the annulus. At this time, after the oil-gas mixture is discharged on the spiral guide plate 6, the second liquid guide fan 5 will not affect its flow. At the same time, due to the joint restriction of the spiral guide plate 6 and the active impeller 3, when the oil-gas mixture flows to the oil storage area 13, the turbulence on the liquid surface is basically at the outer edge of the annular shape. The second liquid guide fan 5 can blow air at this outer edge, thereby smoothing the turbulence on the liquid surface, effectively reducing the liquid surface fluctuation and splashing oil droplets in the oil storage area 13, and further increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0060] The active impeller 3 includes a rotating shaft 32 and at least two rotating plates 33, all of which are evenly distributed in a ring on the rotating shaft 32. The oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 is blown onto the rotating plates 33, causing them to drive the rotating shaft 32 to rotate, thus realizing the rotation of the active impeller 3. Simultaneously, the rotating plates 33 have a certain thickness, which allows for the provision of fluid channels 31 to ensure reliable communication between the exhaust chamber 14 and the separation chamber 15. Figure 4 and 5 As shown in the figure, there are 6 rotating plates 33, and the central angle formed by two adjacent rotating plates 33 at the central axis of the rotating shaft 32 is 60°.

[0061] Since the rotation direction of the active impeller 3 is fixed, the rotating plate 33 has a windward surface 34 and a leeward surface 35. The windward surface 34 is a plane, and the oil-gas mixture can maximize the work done on the rotating plate 33 when it impacts the windward surface 34, thereby ensuring the active and reliable operation of the active impeller 3 and effectively consuming the kinetic energy of the oil-gas mixture. The leeward surface 35 can also be a plane, which reduces the structural processing of the rotating plate 33 and lowers production costs. However, the leeward surface 35 will have a certain obstruction effect on the rotation of the active impeller 3. Alternatively, the leeward surface 35 can be a curved surface, which causes the thickness of the rotating plate 33 to gradually increase along the direction close to the rotating shaft 32. In this case, the airflow will flow towards the end of the rotating plate 33 under the action of the curved surface, thereby reducing the obstruction effect of the leeward surface 35 on the rotation of the active impeller 3. Preferably, the curved surface of the leeward surface 35 can be obtained by rounding the corners of the rotating plate 33 away from the rotating shaft 32.

[0062] A clearance gap is formed between the rotating body formed by the first liquid guide fan 2 and the inner wall of the housing 1. That is, the first liquid guide fan 2 basically completely covers the flow channel of the fluid inside the housing 1 to the exhaust port 11. The clearance gap is only set to avoid collision between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the inner wall of the housing 1, which would increase the influence of the first liquid guide fan 2 on the oil-gas mixture. It also avoids the problem that the oil-gas mixture will flow out directly through the exhaust port 11 without achieving the separation purpose, thus ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0063] To further improve the separation effect of the oil separator, the oil separator also includes a baffle grille 8, which is disposed between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the exhaust port 11. The baffle grille 8 obstructs the flow of gaseous refrigerant towards the exhaust port 11 to a certain extent, increasing the residence time of the gaseous refrigerant in the exhaust chamber 14, thereby further separating oil droplets in the gaseous refrigerant and ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0064] The air deflector 8 has a closed area 81 and a connecting area 82. The exhaust port 11 is correspondingly arranged with the closed area 81, and the connecting area 82 has a connecting opening. The closed area 81 shields the exhaust port 11, preventing airflow from flowing directly to the exhaust port 11 and causing some oil droplets to be carried out of the exhaust port 11. The airflow can only bypass the closed area 81 and flow through the connecting area 82 with the connecting opening to the exhaust port 11, preventing airflow short-circuiting and increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0065] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, the exhaust port 11 is located above the rotating shaft 32 of the first liquid guide fan 2. At this time, the airflow velocity near the rotating shaft 32 of the first liquid guide fan 2 is low. The airflow in the exhaust chamber 14 will flow directly to the exhaust port 11 through the vicinity of the rotating shaft 32 of the first liquid guide fan 2. Therefore, the closed area 81 of the baffle grille 8 is set at the rotating shaft 32 of the first liquid guide fan 2. The closed area 81 is used to block the short-circuit airflow that may be generated at the rotating shaft 32 of the first liquid guide fan 2, thereby forcing all airflow to flow to the exhaust port 11 through the position of the first liquid guide fan 2 with a higher rotation speed, ensuring the separation and turbulence effect of the first liquid guide fan 2, and improving the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0066] Preferably, the central axis of the exhaust port 11, the rotation axis of the first liquid guide fan 2, and the central axis of the housing 1 are collinear. In this case, the housing 1 has a cylindrical structure, with the exhaust port 11 located on the top surface of the cylindrical structure. The first liquid guide fan 2 is positioned below the exhaust port 11 and inside the housing 1, near the exhaust port 11. The oil storage area 13 is located at the bottom of the housing 1. This allows the first liquid guide fan 2 to function effectively while minimizing disturbance to the liquid surface in the oil storage area 13 caused by the airflow from the first liquid guide fan 2, thus ensuring the oil return effect of the oil separator.

[0067] Furthermore, the axis of rotation of the second liquid guide fan 5, the axis of rotation of the active impeller 3, and the axis of rotation of the first liquid guide fan 2 are collinear. The air inlet 12 is located on the side wall of the housing 1 corresponding to the active impeller 3. The distance between any position of the edge of the rotating body of the active impeller 3 and the corresponding inner wall of the housing 1 is equal. The oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 can flow along the inner wall of the housing 1 and maintain the driving effect on the active impeller 3, thereby improving the driving effect of the active impeller 3 and the obstruction effect of the active impeller 3 on the oil-gas mixture, and enhancing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0068] Preferably, the first liquid guide fan 2, the active impeller 3, and the second liquid guide fan 5 are coaxially arranged. This reduces the transmission mechanism used when the active impeller 3 drives the first liquid guide fan 2 and the second liquid guide fan 5, thereby reducing the structural complexity and processing difficulty of the oil separator, ensuring the volume utilization rate inside the housing 1, and improving the separation efficiency of the oil separator. Figure 2As shown in the figure, the arrows indicate the flow direction of the oil-gas mixture.

[0069] In another embodiment, the difference from the previous embodiment is that no active impeller 3 is provided in the housing 1. Instead, a drive mechanism is used to drive the first liquid guide fan 2. The oil separator also includes a second liquid guide fan 5. An oil storage area 13 is formed at the bottom of the housing 1. The second liquid guide fan 5 is located in the housing 1, below the first liquid guide fan 2, and the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan 5 is towards the oil storage area 13. The air inlet 12 is located between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the second liquid guide fan 5. The oil-gas mixture entering through the air inlet 12 will directly spiral flow in the housing 1. At the same time, due to the blowing action of the first liquid guide fan 2, the oil-gas mixture will flow towards the bottom of the housing 1, reducing its ability to flow towards the exhaust port 11. This increases the separation effect of centrifugal separation and gravity separation on the oil-gas mixture. The second liquid guide fan 5 can turbulentize the oil-gas mixture in the housing 1, increase the turbulence of the oil-gas mixture, and increase the separation effect of gaseous refrigerant and refrigeration oil.

[0070] Furthermore, the airflow direction of the first liquid guide fan 2 is directed towards the oil storage area 13. When the oil-gas mixture flows to the oil storage area 13, it will affect the liquid surface of the portion of the oil storage area 13 near the inner wall of the housing 1. The turbulence on the liquid surface is basically located at the edge of the rotating body formed by the active impeller 3, and the second liquid guide fan 5 can blow air at this edge position, thereby smoothing out the turbulence on the liquid surface, effectively reducing the liquid surface fluctuation and splashing oil droplets in the oil storage area 13, and further increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0071] A clearance gap is formed between the rotating body formed by the first liquid guide fan 2 and the inner wall of the housing 1. That is, the first liquid guide fan 2 basically completely covers the flow channel of the fluid inside the housing 1 to the exhaust port 11. The clearance gap is only set to avoid collision between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the inner wall of the housing 1, which would increase the influence of the first liquid guide fan 2 on the oil-gas mixture. It also avoids the problem that the oil-gas mixture will flow out directly through the exhaust port 11 without achieving the separation purpose, thus ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0072] To further improve the separation effect of the oil separator, the oil separator also includes a baffle grille 8, which is disposed between the first liquid guide fan 2 and the exhaust port 11. The baffle grille 8 obstructs the flow of gaseous refrigerant towards the exhaust port 11 to a certain extent, increasing the residence time of the gaseous refrigerant in the exhaust chamber 14, thereby further separating oil droplets in the gaseous refrigerant and ensuring the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0073] The air deflector 8 has a closed area 81 and a connecting area 82. The exhaust port 11 is correspondingly arranged with the closed area 81, and the connecting area 82 has a connecting opening. The closed area 81 shields the exhaust port 11, preventing airflow from flowing directly to the exhaust port 11 and causing some oil droplets to be carried out of the exhaust port 11. The airflow can only bypass the closed area 81 and flow through the connecting area 82 with the connecting opening to the exhaust port 11, preventing airflow short-circuiting and increasing the separation effect of the oil separator.

[0074] The central axis of the exhaust port 11, the rotation axis of the first liquid guide fan 2, and the central axis of the housing 1 are collinear. At this time, the housing 1 has a cylindrical structure, with the exhaust port 11 located on the top surface of the cylindrical structure. The first liquid guide fan 2 is positioned below the exhaust port 11 and inside the housing 1, near the exhaust port 11. The oil storage area 13 is located at the bottom of the housing 1, allowing the first liquid guide fan 2 to function effectively while reducing the disturbance of the liquid surface in the oil storage area 13 caused by the airflow of the first liquid guide fan 2, thus ensuring the oil return effect of the oil separator.

[0075] As another implementation, the drive mechanism can also be set on the housing 1 and directly drive the first liquid guide fan 2 to rotate through the transmission mechanism or drive shaft. In this embodiment, it is necessary to set the installation hole on the housing 1 for the transmission mechanism to connect or the drive shaft to pass through. Although this will reduce the sealing reliability of the housing 1, it can avoid the drive mechanism from occupying the internal space of the housing 1 and improve the volume and separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0076] It should be noted that the oil separator in this application uses a first liquid guide fan 2, a second liquid guide fan 5, an active impeller 3, and a fluid channel 31 on the active impeller 3, which can fully ensure oil-gas separation without the need for a filter screen structure. This overcomes the problems of high airflow resistance and frequent cleaning and maintenance of the filter screen caused by the need to set up a filter screen structure in the prior art, and improves the reliability of the oil separator.

[0077] The first liquid guide fan includes multiple fan blades, which are arranged on the central rotating shaft 32 with twisted curved surfaces. When the first liquid guide fan rotates, the fan blades can drive the airflow inside the housing 1 to move, thereby disturbing the oil-gas mixture inside the housing 1.

[0078] Similarly, the second liquid guide fan 5 also includes multiple fan blades. The fan blades are arranged on the central rotating shaft 32 with a twisted curved surface. When the second liquid guide fan 5 rotates, the fan blades can drive the airflow inside the housing 1 to move. The airflow can blow onto the liquid surface of the oil storage area 13, thereby reducing the fluctuation of the liquid surface of the oil storage area 13, improving the oil return efficiency of the oil separator, and also preventing oil droplets splashed in the oil storage area 13 from affecting the separation efficiency of the oil separator.

[0079] An air conditioning unit includes the oil separator described above.

[0080] 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: The housing (1) is provided with an exhaust port (11). The first liquid guiding fan (2) is rotatably disposed inside the housing (1), and the airflow generated when the first liquid guiding fan (2) rotates is directed away from the exhaust port (11); The oil separator also includes a drive mechanism, which is disposed inside and / or on the housing (1), and the drive mechanism can drive the first liquid guide fan (2) to rotate; the housing (1) is provided with an air inlet (12), the drive mechanism includes an active impeller (3), the active impeller (3) is disposed inside the housing (1), the first liquid guide fan (2) and the active impeller (3) are driven together or coaxially disposed, and the airflow of the air inlet (12) can drive the active impeller (3) to rotate; A partition (4) is disposed inside the housing (1) and the partition (4) divides the interior of the housing (1) into an exhaust chamber (14) and a separation chamber (15) that are interconnected. The exhaust port (11) is connected to the exhaust chamber (14), and the air inlet (12) is connected to the separation chamber (15). The first liquid guide fan (2) is disposed inside the exhaust chamber (14), and the active impeller (3) is disposed inside the separation chamber (15). A connecting hole (41) is provided on the partition (4), and a fluid channel (31) is provided on the active impeller (3). The separation chamber (15) and the exhaust chamber (14) are connected through the fluid channel (31) and the connecting hole (41). The active impeller (3) is sealed to the partition (4). An oil storage area (13) is formed at the bottom of the separation chamber (15). The second liquid guide fan (5) is located between the active impeller (3) and the oil storage area (13), and the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan (5) is towards the oil storage area (13); the diameter of the second liquid guide fan (5) is greater than the distance between the fluid channel (31) and the rotation axis of the active impeller (3); and / or, the diameter of the second liquid guide fan (5) is smaller than the diameter of the active impeller (3); An air baffle (8) is disposed between the first liquid guide fan (2) and the exhaust port (11); a closed area (81) and a connecting area (82) are formed on the air baffle (8), the exhaust port (11) is disposed corresponding to the closed area (81), and a connecting port is disposed on the connecting area (82); the central axis of the exhaust port (11), the rotation axis of the first liquid guide fan (2) and the central axis of the housing (1) are collinear.

2. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet (12) is located on one side of the active impeller (3), and the airflow direction of the air inlet (12) is tangent to the rotating body formed by the active impeller (3).

3. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil separator also includes a guide plate, which is disposed between the inner wall of the housing (1) and the active impeller (3).

4. The oil separator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide plate is a spiral guide plate (6), which surrounds the outer periphery of the active impeller (3), and the air inlet (12) is connected to the upper half of the spiral guide plate (6).

5. The oil separator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The spiral guide plate (6) is annular in projection on the liquid surface of the oil storage area (13), and the diameter of the second liquid guide fan (5) is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular ring.

6. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active impeller (3) includes a rotating shaft (32) and at least two rotating plates (33), all of which are evenly distributed in a ring on the rotating shaft (32).

7. The oil separator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotating plate (33) has a windward side (34) and a leeward side (35), wherein the windward side (34) is a plane and the leeward side (35) is a plane or a curved surface.

8. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil separator further includes a second liquid guide fan (5), an oil storage area (13) is formed at the bottom of the housing (1), the second liquid guide fan (5) is disposed inside the housing (1) and below the first liquid guide fan (2), and the airflow direction of the second liquid guide fan (5) is toward the oil storage area (13); and / or, the airflow direction of the first liquid guide fan (2) is toward the oil storage area (13).

9. The oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A clearance gap is formed between the rotating body formed by the first liquid guide fan (2) and the inner wall of the housing (1).

10. An air conditioning unit, characterized in that: The oil separator includes any one of claims 1 to 9.

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