Condenser assembly, refrigeration device for an aircraft

Abstract

The application provides a condenser assembly and a refrigerating device for an airplane, wherein the condenser assembly is applied to the airplane and comprises a condenser body having a first air port at a top end thereof and a second air port at a bottom end thereof, a heat exchange airflow flowing into the condenser body through one of the first air port and the second air port and flowing out through the other one of the first air port and the second air port, and a water collecting tray comprising a shell having a water collecting area at a bottom thereof and a ventilation area at an upper area of the water collecting area, wherein the ventilation area is arranged at least partially around a bottom end area of the condenser body, a water collecting depth of the water collecting area decreases from a middle to side edges, and a drain pipe is arranged in the water collecting area. The defrosting water collected in the water collecting area is not easy to overflow through the ventilation area at a higher position, so that the water collecting effect of the water collecting tray on the defrosting water is ensured, and the defrosting water on the condenser body can be reliably collected in the water collecting area of the shell under an inclined working condition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically relating to a condenser assembly and an aircraft refrigeration device. Background Technology

[0002] The cooling system of an aircraft galley is a crucial component of the aircraft's auxiliary cooling system. However, the condensation that forms on its heat exchangers (condensers) during operation has always been a key design concern. Current defrosting designs for aircraft galley cooling systems primarily focus on two aspects: first, maximizing the collection of defrost water and minimizing moisture ingress into the air ducts; and second, reducing the impact of aircraft tilt on defrost water collection, such as during ascent, descent, or turns when the fuselage tilts, making defrost water collection more difficult. Current aircraft galley cooling systems primarily rely on installing strip-shaped water collection troughs at the air inlet. Defrost water drips from the heat exchanger into the troughs and, under the influence of falling film flow, collects along gravity into a drain pipe. However, the effectiveness of this method is affected by the aircraft's tilt angle. When the aircraft's tilt angle is significant and opposite to the direction of the trough's inclination, the defrost water collection is very poor. This invention addresses this issue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the present invention provides a condenser assembly and an aircraft refrigeration device that can solve the technical problem in the prior art where the defrost water collection structure of the condenser is poorly collected when the condenser is tilted as a whole, or even the collected defrost water flows out from the water collection structure.

[0004] To address the above problems, the present invention provides a condenser assembly for use in aircraft, comprising:

[0005] The condenser body has a first air inlet at its top and a second air inlet at its bottom. The heat exchange airflow flows into the condenser body through one of the first air inlet and the second air inlet, and flows out through the other of the first air inlet and the second air inlet.

[0006] A water collection tray includes a housing having a water collection area at its bottom and a ventilation area in the upper part of the water collection area, wherein the ventilation area is arranged at least partially around the bottom area of ​​the condenser body, the water collection depth of the water collection area decreases from the middle to the two side edges, and a drain pipe is provided in the water collection area.

[0007] In some implementations...

[0008] The shape of one longitudinal section of the water catchment area is an arc that is concave downwards in the vertical direction.

[0009] In some implementations...

[0010] The arc is symmetrical about the vertical direction; and / or, the housing is symmetrical about the vertical direction.

[0011] In some implementations...

[0012] The housing corresponding to the ventilation area is provided with a plurality of ventilation slots, each ventilation slot penetrating the inner and outer sides of the housing, and a water baffle is provided on the side of each ventilation slot away from the water collection area and the water baffle is located on the inner side of the housing.

[0013] In some implementations...

[0014] The height of the end of each water baffle connected to the housing is higher than the height of the free end of the water baffle; and / or, the water baffles on the same side of the housing are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the projections of two adjacent water baffles in the vertical direction overlap on the horizontal plane.

[0015] In some implementations...

[0016] Each of the aforementioned baffles and corresponding ventilation slots is formed by integrally stamping the housing.

[0017] In some embodiments, the condenser assembly further includes:

[0018] An air multiplier includes a turbofan and an air multiplier duct. The air multiplier duct has an air inlet communicating with the air outlet of the turbofan and an air jet communicating with the inner side of the housing. The airflow in the air jet flows outward toward the condenser body.

[0019] In some implementations...

[0020] The ventilation zone has an opening fitted onto the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body, the opening is connected to the air multiplier duct, the air multiplier duct is arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body, and the injection port is a slit arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body; and / or, the air multiplier duct is formed by 3D printing.

[0021] In some implementations...

[0022] The top of the condenser body is provided with a drive fan, which can be controlled to rotate forward or in reverse; and / or, it also includes an electric heating element.

[0023] The present invention also provides a refrigeration device for aircraft, including the condenser assembly described above, wherein the first air outlet is connected to an air supply duct of the aircraft, and the ventilation zone is connected to an air intake duct of the aircraft.

[0024] The condenser assembly and aircraft refrigeration device provided by this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The water collection tray has been improved from the traditional one-sided flow-guiding structure to the structure of the water collection area in this invention, where the water collection depth is greatest in the middle and gradually decreases towards the two sides. This allows defrost water to be concentrated in the lowest middle area of ​​the shell as much as possible. At the same time, a ventilation area is set in the area above the water collection area of ​​the shell. The ventilation area at least partially surrounds the bottom area of ​​the condenser body. This allows the shell to meet the ventilation requirements while surrounding the bottom area of ​​the condenser body. When the condenser assembly is tilted left and right, due to the large height difference between the water collection area and the ventilation area, the defrost water collected in the water collection area is not likely to overflow through the higher ventilation area, ensuring the collection effect of the water collection tray on defrost water. At the same time, since the ventilation area surrounds the bottom area of ​​the condenser body, it can also ensure that the defrost water on the condenser body can be reliably confined and collected in the water collection area inside the shell under tilted conditions.

[0026] On the one hand, constructing ventilation slots on the side wall of the shell can separate the air intake direction from the falling and collecting direction of defrosting water in the condenser body to a certain extent, effectively preventing the adverse effects on the falling and collecting of defrosting water when the ventilation slot is used as the air intake side, which is conducive to improving the collection effect of defrosting water. At the same time, setting a baffle plate in the area above the ventilation slot can effectively prevent the defrosting water dripping from the condenser body above from escaping from the ventilation slot into the internal space of the shell.

[0027] The vertical overlap, meaning that two adjacent baffles intersect, can overlap and shield the corresponding ventilation slots, thereby further preventing defrosting water from escaping from inside or outside the ventilation slots.

[0028] The ventilation slots and water baffles are directly punched into the shell, eliminating the need to assemble the water baffles. This improves production efficiency and reduces water leakage caused by assembly gaps that may exist during assembly.

[0029] By using an air multiplier, a small-flow-rate, high-velocity airflow is used to guide the airflow in the ventilation slots, thereby increasing the airflow entering the condenser body from each ventilation slot. This maximizes the compensation for the reduction in airflow volume caused by the installation of baffles and the change in the direction of the airflow in the ventilation slots. In other words, this technical solution uses an air multiplier and a turbofan to increase the velocity of the airflow entering the air multiplier duct. The high-speed airflow from the nozzle guides the airflow in the ventilation slots, thereby significantly increasing the airflow entering the condenser body and effectively ensuring heat exchange efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0031] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the condenser assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the condenser assembly as seen from the front view;

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the airflow direction when the condenser assembly has air inlet at the bottom and air outlet at the top. The arrows in the diagram indicate the direction of airflow.

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the air multiplier device in the diagram;

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Cross-sectional view of the air multiplier device (turbofan shaft section);

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection status of the condenser assembly and the air supply and intake channels of the aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:

[0039] 1. Condenser body;

[0040] 21. Shell; 211. Ventilation slot; 212. Water baffle; 22. Drain pipe;

[0041] 31. Turbofan; 32. Air multiplier duct; 321. Air inlet; 322. Inlet;

[0042] 4. Drive the fan;

[0043] 101. Air supply duct; 102. Air intake duct;

[0044] 201. Water collection area; 202. Ventilation area. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0047] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0048] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0049] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0050] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0051] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0052] See also Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a condenser assembly is provided for use in an aircraft, comprising:

[0053] The condenser body 1 has multiple heat exchange channels for refrigerant flow. It has a first air inlet (not labeled in the figure) at its top and a second air inlet (not labeled in the figure) at its bottom. The heat exchange airflow enters the condenser body 1 through one of the first air inlet and the second air inlet, and exits through the other of the first air inlet and the second air inlet. That is, when the heat exchange airflow enters the condenser body 1 through the first air inlet, the heat exchange airflow exits through the second air inlet after exchanging heat with the condenser body 1, and vice versa. This will not be elaborated further.

[0054] The water collection tray includes a housing 21, which has a water collection area 201 at its bottom and a ventilation area 202 in the upper part of the water collection area 201. The ventilation area 202 is arranged to at least partially surround the bottom area of ​​the condenser body 1. The water collection depth of the water collection area 201 decreases from the middle to the two edges. A drain pipe 22 is provided in the water collection area 201. The aforementioned middle and edges are specifically as follows: Figure 3 As shown in the usage orientation, the water collection depth is greatest in the central position, and gradually decreases towards the left and right edges. In one specific embodiment, Figure 3 In the orientation shown, the water collection area is a symmetrical structure. After being actually assembled in the aircraft, the left and right axes of symmetry of the aforementioned water collection area are parallel to the left and right axes of symmetry of the wind turbine.

[0055] In this technical solution, the water collection tray is improved from the traditional one-sided flow guiding structure to the structure of the water collection area 201 in this invention, where the water collection depth is greatest in the middle and gradually decreases towards the two sides. This allows the defrost water to be concentrated in the lowest middle area of ​​the shell 21 as much as possible. At the same time, a ventilation area 202 is set in the area above the water collection area 201 of the shell 21. The ventilation area 202 is set around the bottom area of ​​the condenser body 1 at least partially, so that the shell 21 can meet the ventilation requirements while surrounding the bottom area of ​​the condenser body 1. When the condenser assembly is tilted left and right, due to the large height difference between the water collection area 201 and the ventilation area 202, the defrost water collected in the water collection area 201 is not likely to overflow through the higher ventilation area 202, ensuring the collection effect of the water collection tray on the defrost water. At the same time, since the ventilation area 202 surrounds the bottom area of ​​the condenser body 1, it can also ensure that the defrost water on the condenser body 1 can be reliably confined and collected in the water collection area 201 inside the shell 21 under tilted conditions.

[0056] See details Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the shape of a longitudinal section of the water collection area 201 is an arc that is concave in the vertical direction.

[0057] In this technical solution, by designing the cross-section of the water collection area 201 as a concave arc, the inner wall of the shell 21 can be made smoother, and the defrost water collection process can be smoother.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the arc is symmetrical about the vertical direction; in a more preferred embodiment, the housing 21 is symmetrical about the vertical direction, that is, the water collection area 201 and the ventilation area 202 in this invention are both symmetrical about the aforementioned vertical direction.

[0059] See also Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of ventilation slots 211 are constructed on the housing 21 corresponding to the ventilation area 202. Each ventilation slot 211 penetrates the inner and outer sides of the housing 21. A baffle plate 212 is provided on the side of each ventilation slot 211 away from the water collection area 201 and the baffle plate 212 is located on the inner side of the housing 21.

[0060] In this technical solution, on the one hand, the ventilation groove 211 constructed on the side wall of the housing 21 can separate the air intake direction from the falling and collecting direction of the defrosting water of the condenser body 1 to a certain extent, effectively preventing the adverse effects on the falling and collecting of defrosting water when the ventilation groove 211 is used as the air intake side, which is conducive to improving the collection effect of defrosting water. At the same time, the baffle plate 212 set in the upper area of ​​the ventilation groove 211 can effectively prevent the defrosting water dripping from the upper condenser body 1 from escaping from the ventilation groove 211 into the internal space of the housing 21.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the height of the end of each water baffle 212 connected to the housing 21 is higher than the height of the free end of the water baffle 212, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the free ends of each baffle plate 212 are tilted downwards towards the position with the greatest water collection depth in the water collection area 201, which is the middle position of the shell 21. This allows the defrosting water dripping from the condenser body 1 onto the shell 21 corresponding to the ventilation area 202 to flow smoothly downwards, preventing the defrosting water from escaping through each ventilation slot 211 while ensuring the smooth falling and collection of the defrosting water.

[0062] In one specific embodiment, the water baffles 212 on the same side of the housing 21 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and the projections of two adjacent water baffles 212 in the vertical direction overlap on the horizontal plane.

[0063] The vertical overlap, that is, the intersection between two adjacent water baffles 212, can form an overlapping shield for the corresponding ventilation slots 211, thereby further preventing defrosting water from escaping from inside or outside the ventilation slots 211.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, each of the water baffles 212 and the corresponding ventilation slots 211 are integrally formed by punching the housing 21. That is, the aforementioned ventilation slots 211 and water baffles 212 are directly punched on the housing 21, which eliminates the need to assemble the water baffles 212, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing water leakage caused by assembly gaps that may exist during assembly.

[0065] In some embodiments, the condenser assembly further includes an air multiplier device, including a turbofan 31 and an air multiplier duct 32, the air multiplier duct 32 having an air inlet 321 communicating with the air outlet of the turbofan 31 and an injection port 322 communicating with the inner side of the housing 21, the airflow in the injection port 322 flowing out toward the condenser body 1.

[0066] In this technical solution, by setting up an air multiplier, a small-flow-rate, high-velocity airflow is used to entrain the airflow at the ventilation slots 211, thereby increasing the airflow entering the condenser body 1 from each ventilation slot 211. This effectively compensates for the reduction in airflow volume caused by the installation of baffles 212 and the change in the airflow direction of the ventilation slots 211. In other words, by setting up an air multiplier and using a turbofan 31 to increase the velocity entering the air multiplier duct 32, the high-speed airflow exiting from the nozzle 322 entrains the airflow at the ventilation slots 211, thus significantly increasing the airflow entering the condenser body 1 and effectively ensuring heat exchange efficiency.

[0067] As is well known in the industry, the end face of the aforementioned air multiplier duct 32 has a coiled structure. This coiled structure guides the airflow entering the duct, and the curved surface design of the coiled structure ultimately achieves high-speed jetting of the airflow. See details. Figure 5 As shown in the figure, airflow a is the airflow driven by the turbofan 31 that is about to enter the air multiplier duct, and airflow b is a schematic diagram of the air multiplier duct's winding structure guiding and accelerating the airflow entering it. It is finally injected at high speed into the housing 21 through the injection port 322, thereby driving airflow c (that is, the airflow entering the housing 21 through the ventilation slot 211) to be sprayed towards the condenser body 1.

[0068] See details Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the ventilation zone 202 has an opening fitted onto the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body 1, the opening is connected to the air multiplier duct 32, the air multiplier duct 32 is arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body 1, and the injection port 322 is a slit arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body 1.

[0069] In this technical solution, the injection port 322 is arranged around the condenser body 1, which makes the airflow to the condenser body 1 more uniform. This is conducive to the uniform heat exchange of the condenser body 1, that is, the heat exchange of the condenser body 1 is more balanced and the heat exchange efficiency is higher.

[0070] Because the curved surface of the air multiplication duct 32 is quite unique, it is manufactured using 3D printing to facilitate its processing.

[0071] See details Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a drive fan 4 is provided at the top of the condenser body 1. The drive fan 4 can be controlled to rotate forward or backward. Specifically, forward rotation of the fan means that the airflow enters the condenser body 1 through the second air inlet and flows out through the first air inlet. Reverse rotation of the fan means that the airflow enters the condenser body 1 through the first air inlet and flows out through the second air inlet. Specifically, when the drive fan 4 rotates forward, the airflow volume can be guaranteed, which drives the airflow in the air inlet channel 102 into the condenser body 1 for heat exchange. The purpose of the turbine fan 31 in driving the airflow is the same as that of the drive fan 4 at this time. When the drive fan 4 rotates backward, an electric heating element (such as a resistance wire) is also provided between the drive fan 4 and the top of the condenser body 1, so that the defrosting heat can be provided by controlling the operation of the electric heating element to ensure rapid defrosting.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an aircraft refrigeration device is also provided, including the condenser assembly described above, wherein the first air outlet is connected to the air supply duct 101 of the aircraft, and the ventilation zone 202 is connected to the air intake duct 102 of the aircraft.

[0073] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A condenser assembly for use in an aircraft, characterized in that, include: The condenser body (1) has a first air inlet at its top and a second air inlet at its bottom. The heat exchange airflow flows into the condenser body (1) through one of the first air inlet and the second air inlet, and flows out through the other of the first air inlet and the second air inlet. The water collection tray includes a housing (21) having a water collection area (201) at its bottom and a ventilation area (202) in the upper part of the water collection area (201), wherein the ventilation area (202) is provided at least partially around the bottom area of ​​the condenser body (1), the water collection depth of the water collection area (201) decreases from the middle to the two side edges, and a drain pipe (22) is provided in the water collection area (201). It also includes: an air multiplier device, including a turbofan (31) and an air multiplier duct (32), the air multiplier duct (32) having an air inlet (321) communicating with the air outlet of the turbofan (31) and an injection port (322) communicating with the inner side of the housing (21), the airflow in the injection port (322) flowing outward toward the condenser body (1); the ventilation area (202) has an opening fitted on the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body (1), the opening is connected to the air multiplier duct (32), the air multiplier duct (32) is arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body (1), and the injection port (322) is a slit arranged around the outer side of the bottom end of the condenser body (1).

2. The condenser assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of one longitudinal section of the water collection area (201) is an arc that is concave in the vertical direction.

3. The condenser assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The arc is symmetrical about the vertical direction; and / or the housing (21) is symmetrical about the vertical direction.

4. The condenser assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (21) corresponding to the ventilation area (202) is provided with a plurality of ventilation slots (211), each ventilation slot (211) penetrating the inner and outer sides of the housing (21), and each ventilation slot (211) is provided with a baffle plate (212) on the side away from the water collection area (201) and the baffle plate (212) is located on the inner side of the housing (21).

5. The condenser assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The height of the end of each of the water baffles (212) connected to the housing (21) is higher than the height of the free end of the water baffle (212); and / or, the water baffles (212) on the same side of the housing (21) are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the projections of two adjacent water baffles (212) in the vertical direction overlap on the horizontal plane.

6. The condenser assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, Each of the water baffles (212) and the corresponding ventilation slots (211) are integrally formed by punching the housing (21).

7. The condenser assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air multiplication duct (32) is formed by 3D printing.

8. The condenser assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The condenser body (1) is provided with a drive fan (4) at the top, which can be controlled to rotate forward or in reverse; and / or, it also includes an electric heating element.

9. A refrigeration device for aircraft, characterized in that, The condenser assembly includes any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first air outlet is connected to an air supply duct (101) of the aircraft, and the ventilation zone (202) is connected to an air intake duct (102) of the aircraft.

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