Refrigeration system, refrigeration apparatus, and control method for a refrigeration system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of refrigeration, and relates to a refrigeration system, a refrigeration device and a control method of the refrigeration system. The refrigeration system comprises a compression mechanism, a first vortex tube, a second vortex tube, an ejector and a pressure regulating mechanism. An exhaust port of the compression mechanism is used for being communicated with gas inlets of the first vortex tube and the second vortex tube. A cold end outlet of the first vortex tube is used for being communicated with an induced flow inlet of the ejector. Hot end outlets of the first vortex tube and the second vortex tube are used for being communicated with active flow inlets of the ejector. The pressure regulating mechanism is used for making the gas pressure of the active flow inlets of the ejector greater than the gas pressure of the induced flow inlets of the ejector. The refrigeration system is used for leading out the gas of an outflow port of the ejector and the gas of a cold end outlet of the second vortex tube to carry out refrigeration. According to the technical scheme of the present application, the refrigeration system can improve the refrigeration capacity by setting the ejector to recover the hot gas flow of the hot end outlets of the vortex tubes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to a refrigeration system, refrigeration equipment, and a control method for the refrigeration system. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional vapor compression refrigeration systems, due to the use of HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) and HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerants with high GWP and ODP values, are prone to causing serious environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion during operation. In contrast, next-generation air-cooling technology is an environmentally friendly refrigeration technology that will not cause environmental problems and has significant development potential under the dual-carbon development goals.

[0003] Vortex tubes are a type of heat-cooling separation device with no moving parts and reliable operation, making them a good choice for building air refrigeration systems. However, due to their small size and the fact that only a portion of the separated gas is cold air, their cooling capacity is low, which is a key challenge limiting their large-scale use.

[0004] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vortex tube 1 has a vortex chamber 12, an air inlet 11, a hot-end outlet 14, and a cold-end outlet 13. The air inlet 11, hot-end outlet 14, and cold-end outlet 13 are all connected to the vortex chamber 12. A hot-end regulating valve 15 is installed at the hot-end outlet 14. The working principle of the vortex tube 1 is as follows: Compressed air enters through the air inlet 11 and expands within the vortex chamber 12, undergoing high-speed circular motion. The angular velocity of the central fluid near the axis of the vortex tube 1 is greater than the angular velocity of the peripheral fluid on the inner wall of the vortex tube 1. Energy exchange occurs between the central and peripheral fluids; the peripheral fluid gains energy, its temperature increases, and it flows out from the hot-end outlet 14 on one side. The central fluid loses energy, its temperature decreases, and under the resistance of the hot-end regulating valve 15, its fluid direction reverses, flowing out from the cold-end outlet 13 on the other side, thus achieving gas-cold separation. The temperature and flow rate of the airflow at the cold-end outlet 13 can be controlled by adjusting the opening of the hot-end regulating valve 15.

[0005] A schematic diagram of the conventional refrigeration application of vortex tube 1 is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, atmospheric pressure air is pressurized by a compression mechanism, such as an air compressor 2, and then enters the inlet 11 of the vortex tube 1. Both the cold end outlet 13 and the hot end outlet 14 of the vortex tube 1 are located within the atmospheric pressure air. The separated cold gas flows out from the cold end outlet 13 of the vortex tube 1 to the area requiring cooling, while the separated hot gas is directly discharged from the hot end outlet 14 of the vortex tube 1. In conventional vortex tube 1 refrigeration applications, the cold gas flowing out from the cold end outlet 13 only accounts for a portion of the gas flowing into the inlet 11. The cold gas flow rate at the cold end outlet 13 is relatively small, resulting in a small cooling capacity of the refrigeration system. Furthermore, the hot gas flow at the hot end outlet 14 is also not conducive to cooling.

[0006] To improve the cooling capacity of vortex tubes, patent CN215002359U utilizes the waste heat generated at the hot end of the vortex tube and part of the cold airflow at the cold end to drive a Knudsen pump pressurizing mechanism to pressurize the gas entering the vortex tube. This pressurization increases the airflow velocity entering the vortex tube, thereby ensuring its cooling effect. While this patent increases the inlet pressure of the vortex tube, the use of part of the cold airflow at the cold end outlet weakens the cooling effect resulting from the increased inlet pressure.

[0007] Patent CN101858665A proposes a method for increasing the airflow of cold air by using vortex tubes in parallel, but the hot end air outlet is not utilized when using them in parallel.

[0008] Patent CN115751753A uses a loop heat pipe to enhance the cooling efficiency of the vortex tube. The hot end of the vortex tube is placed inside the evaporator to heat the liquid inside the evaporator, thereby realizing the transfer of heat inside the vortex tube and improving its cooling performance. Although this patent utilizes the heat at the hot end, it cannot increase the cold air flow at the cold end of the vortex tube.

[0009] In summary, when using vortex tubes for refrigeration in the existing technology, the cold air flow rate at the cold end of the vortex tube is relatively low, resulting in a low refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration system. Therefore, this problem needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of this, the present invention provides a refrigeration system, refrigeration equipment and a control method for the refrigeration system, the main technical problem to be solved is: how to increase the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system.

[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention mainly provides the following technical solutions:

[0012] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigeration system, which includes a compression mechanism, a first vortex tube, an ejector, and a pressure regulating mechanism;

[0013] The exhaust port of the compression mechanism is used to communicate with the air inlet of the first vortex tube, the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube is used to communicate with the ejector flow inlet of the ejector, the hot end outlet of the first vortex tube is used to communicate with the active flow inlet of the ejector, the pressure regulating mechanism is used to make the gas pressure at the active flow inlet of the ejector greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet of the ejector; the refrigeration system is used to draw out the gas from the outlet of the ejector for refrigeration.

[0014] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a second vortex tube;

[0015] The exhaust port of the compression mechanism is also used to connect with the inlet of the second vortex tube, and the hot end outlet of the second vortex tube is used to connect with the active flow inlet of the ejector; the refrigeration system is also used to draw out the gas from the cold end outlet of the second vortex tube for refrigeration.

[0016] In some embodiments, the pressure regulating mechanism is used to regulate the pressure on both the inlet pipe of the first vortex tube and the inlet pipe of the second vortex tube, so that the pressure on the inlet pipe of the first vortex tube is less than the pressure on the inlet pipe of the second vortex tube, and the gas pressure at the active flow inlet of the ejector is greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet of the ejector.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pressure regulating mechanism includes a first pressure reducing valve and a second pressure reducing valve, wherein the first pressure reducing valve is configured on the pipeline of the air inlet of the first vortex tube, and the second pressure reducing valve is configured on the pipeline of the air inlet of the second vortex tube.

[0018] The pressure regulating mechanism adjusts the pressure on the pipeline of the first vortex tube's air inlet via a first pressure reducing valve and adjusts the pressure on the pipeline of the second vortex tube's air inlet via a second pressure reducing valve, so that the pressure on the pipeline of the first vortex tube's air inlet is less than the pressure on the pipeline of the second vortex tube's air inlet.

[0019] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, a third pressure sensor, a fourth pressure sensor, and a first control mechanism;

[0020] The first pressure sensor is used to detect the air inlet pressure of the first vortex tube, the second pressure sensor is used to detect the air inlet pressure of the second vortex tube, the third pressure sensor is used to detect the air inlet pressure of the active flow inlet of the ejector, and the fourth pressure sensor is used to detect the air inlet pressure of the ejector flow inlet of the ejector.

[0021] The first control mechanism is used to control the pressure in the pipeline of the second vortex tube's inlet to increase when the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube's inlet is less than or equal to the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube's inlet and / or the inlet pressure of the ejector's active flow inlet is less than or equal to the pressure in the pipeline of the ejector's ejector flow inlet.

[0022] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes an exhaust pipe, one end of which is connected to both the cold end outlet of the second vortex tube and the outlet of the ejector. The refrigeration system uses the exhaust pipe to simultaneously draw out the gas from the outlet of the ejector and the gas from the cold end outlet of the second vortex tube for refrigeration.

[0023] The refrigeration system also includes a first temperature sensor and a second control mechanism;

[0024] The first temperature sensor is used to detect the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe;

[0025] The second control mechanism is used to increase the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube when the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe is greater than the first preset value, and / or to increase the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet of the second vortex tube.

[0026] In some embodiments, the refrigeration system further includes a second temperature sensor and a third control mechanism;

[0027] The second temperature sensor is used to detect the gas temperature at the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube;

[0028] The third control mechanism is used to increase the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube when the gas temperature at the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube is greater than the second preset value, and / or to increase the pressure on the pipeline at the air inlet of the first vortex tube.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigeration device, which may include any of the refrigeration systems described above.

[0030] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for a refrigeration system, which includes the following steps:

[0031] Step S1: Detect the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe;

[0032] Step S2: When the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe is greater than the first preset value, control the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube to increase, and / or control the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet of the second vortex tube to increase.

[0033] In some implementations, prior to step S1, the control method further includes the following steps:

[0034] Step S01: Detect the gas temperature at the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube;

[0035] Step S02: When the gas temperature at the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube is greater than the second preset value, the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube is increased, and / or the pressure on the pipeline at the air inlet of the first vortex tube is increased.

[0036] In some embodiments, when the gas temperature at the cold end outlet of the first vortex tube is less than or equal to a second preset value, the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube, the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube, the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet of the ejector, and the inlet pressure of the ejector flow inlet of the ejector are also detected.

[0037] If the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube is less than or equal to the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube and / or the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet of the ejector is less than or equal to the pressure on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet, the pressure on the pipeline of the second vortex tube inlet is increased.

[0038] If the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube is greater than the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube, and the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet of the ejector is greater than the pressure on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet, then proceed to step S1.

[0039] By employing the above technical solutions, the refrigeration system, refrigeration equipment, and control method of the refrigeration system of the present invention have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0040] 1. In the technical solution provided by this invention, the refrigeration system recovers the hot airflow from the hot end outlet of the vortex tube by setting an ejector, and expands the hot airflow into a cold airflow, which is then cooled together with the cold airflow from the cold end outlet of the vortex tube. Compared with the prior art, this invention increases the cold airflow while keeping the total airflow into the vortex tube constant by recovering and utilizing the hot airflow, thereby improving the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system.

[0041] 2. The refrigeration system of the present invention is an open system. The compression mechanism can be an air compressor or the like, which can directly introduce air for compression and directly use the cold airflow from the ejector outlet for refrigeration. It does not need to return to the compression mechanism for a closed refrigeration cycle, thereby simplifying the refrigeration structure and reducing costs.

[0042] 3. By using a second vortex tube in parallel with the first vortex tube, the cooling capacity can be increased;

[0043] 4. By installing pressure and temperature sensors at some key nodes of the system, the operating status of the system can be obtained and the system can be controlled so that the refrigeration system can output the required refrigeration temperature.

[0044] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0045] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0046] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vortex tube in the prior art;

[0047] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vortex tube from another perspective in the prior art;

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration application of vortex tubes in existing technology;

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ejector structure and typical internal pressure, temperature, and velocity distribution;

[0051] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a control method for a refrigeration system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Reference numerals: 2. Compression mechanism; 4. T-junction; 5. Second pressure reducing valve; 6. Second vortex tube; 7. First pressure reducing valve; 8. Check valve; 9. First vortex tube; 10. Ejector; 11. Exhaust pipe; 12. First temperature sensor; 13. Second temperature sensor; 14. First pressure sensor; 15. Second pressure sensor; 16. Third pressure sensor; 17. Fourth pressure sensor; 61. Inlet of the second vortex tube; 62. Hot end outlet of the second vortex tube; 63. Cold end outlet of the second vortex tube; 91. Inlet of the first vortex tube; 92. Hot end outlet of the first vortex tube; 93. Cold end outlet of the first vortex tube; 101. Ejector inlet; 102. Main flow inlet; 103. Outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0053] 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 a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0055] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0056] like Figure 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigeration system, which includes a compression mechanism 2, a first vortex tube 9, an ejector 10, and a pressure regulating mechanism. The compression mechanism 2 can be an air compressor, etc., and its specific structure is prior art and will not be described further here.

[0057] The ejector 10 described above has an active flow inlet 102, an ejector flow inlet 101, and an outlet 103. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the ejector 10 and a schematic diagram of typical internal pressure and velocity distribution are shown. Figure 5 The double-dotted line on the upper side of the central vertical axis represents the pressure / temperature of the active flow. Figure 5 The single-dotted line on the upper side of the central vertical axis represents the pressure / temperature of the ejector stream. Figure 5 The solid line connecting the upper side of the central axis to the intersection of the double-dotted line and the single-dotted line represents the pressure / temperature of the mixed flow. Figure 5 The double-dotted line below the central vertical axis represents the velocity of the active flow. Figure 5 The single-dot line below the central vertical axis represents the velocity of the ejector stream. Figure 5 The solid line connecting the lower side of the central vertical axis to the intersection of the double-dotted and single-dotted lines represents the velocity of the mixed flow. For example... Figure 5As shown, the ejector 10 includes main structures such as an active nozzle, a premixing section, a mixing section, and a diffuser section. The active nozzle has the aforementioned active flow inlet 102, the premixing section has the aforementioned ejector flow inlet 101, and the diffuser section has the aforementioned outlet 103. The working process of the ejector 10 is as follows: High-pressure fluid enters the active nozzle from the active flow inlet 102, undergoes approximately isentropic expansion and depressurization / cooling within the active nozzle, and becomes a high-speed, low-temperature active flow at the outlet of the active nozzle; in the premixing section, the high-speed, low-temperature active flow ejects a low-speed, low-pressure ejector flow through the ejector flow inlet 101; the two fluids are fully mixed in the mixing section through momentum exchange, and then enter the diffuser section where they are decelerated and pressurized before flowing out from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown, the exhaust port of the compression mechanism 2 is connected to the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 to introduce high-pressure gas into the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9. The cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is connected to the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10. The hot end outlet 92 of the first vortex tube 9 is connected to the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10. The pressure regulating mechanism is used to make the gas pressure at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, so that the ejector 10 cools the gas flowing in from the active flow inlet 102. The refrigeration system of the present invention is used to draw out the gas from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10 for refrigeration. Specifically, the refrigeration system can draw out the gas from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10 to the place where refrigeration is required for refrigeration.

[0059] In the above example, the first vortex tube 9 separates the incoming high-pressure gas into hot and cold streams. The cold stream flows from the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 into the ejector inlet 101 of the ejector 10, while the hot stream flows from the hot end outlet 92 of the first vortex tube 9 into the active stream inlet 102 of the ejector 10. Because the pressure regulating mechanism can make the gas pressure at the active stream inlet 102 of the ejector 10 greater than the gas pressure at the ejector inlet 101 of the ejector 10, the operating conditions of the ejector 10 can be met, allowing the ejector 10 to operate normally. When the ejector 10 is operating normally, it can expand the gas flowing into the active stream inlet 102 to form a cold stream. This expanded cold stream mixes with the cold stream at the cold end outlet and is ejected from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10. The mixed cold stream can be directed to the location requiring cooling for refrigeration.

[0060] The aforementioned refrigeration system recovers the hot airflow from the hot end outlet of the vortex tube by setting an ejector 10, and expands the hot airflow into a cold airflow, which is then used together with the cold airflow from the cold end outlet of the vortex tube for refrigeration. Compared with the prior art, the present invention increases the cold airflow while keeping the total air volume flowing into the vortex tube constant by recovering and utilizing the hot airflow, thereby improving the refrigeration capacity of the refrigeration system.

[0061] In addition, the refrigeration system of the present invention is an open system. The compression mechanism 2 can be an air compressor or the like, which can directly introduce air for compression and directly use the cold airflow from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10 for refrigeration. It does not need to return to the compression mechanism 2 for a closed refrigeration cycle, thereby simplifying the refrigeration structure and reducing costs.

[0062] It should be noted that the operating condition of ejector 10 is that the gas pressure at the main flow inlet 102 of ejector 10 is greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet 101 of ejector 10. Only when this condition is met can ejector 10 operate normally; otherwise, it may lead to failure in the recovery and cooling of hot gas flow.

[0063] Furthermore, the ejector coefficient is one of the commonly used indicators for evaluating the performance of the ejector 10, defined as the ratio of the ejector flow mass flow rate to the active flow mass flow rate. In this invention, to adapt to different operating conditions, the ejector coefficient of the ejector 10 should be as large as possible. To maintain a large ejector coefficient, preferably, the fluid at the active nozzle outlet of the ejector 10 should be in a sub-expansion state when designing the ejector 10, that is, the pressure at the active nozzle outlet of the ejector 10 should be slightly higher than the pressure at the ejector inlet 101.

[0064] The aforementioned refrigeration system also includes a second vortex tube 6. The exhaust port of the compression mechanism 2 is also used to connect with the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, and the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is used to connect with the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10. The refrigeration system is also used to draw out the gas from the cold end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 for refrigeration. Specifically, the refrigeration system can draw the gas from the cold end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 to the place where refrigeration is required for refrigeration.

[0065] In the example above, the cooling capacity can be increased by using a second vortex tube 6 in parallel with the first vortex tube 9, relative to a single vortex tube.

[0066] To achieve the functions of the aforementioned pressure regulating mechanism, such as Figure 4As shown, the pressure regulating mechanism is used to regulate the pressure on both the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 and the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, so that the pressure on the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 is less than the pressure on the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, and the gas pressure at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 is greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10.

[0067] In the above example, the pressure regulating mechanism makes the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 less than the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6. This makes the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 greater than the pressure at the hot end outlet 92 of the first vortex tube 9. Since the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is basically the same as the pressure at the hot end outlet 92 of the first vortex tube 9, the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is also greater than the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9. When the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is introduced into the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10, and the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is introduced into the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, the gas pressure at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 can be greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10. This satisfies the working conditions of the ejector 10, allowing the ejector 10 to work normally.

[0068] In a specific application example, the aforementioned pressure regulating mechanism may include a first pressure reducing valve 7 and a second pressure reducing valve 5. The first pressure reducing valve 7 is installed on the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9. The second pressure reducing valve 5 is installed on the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6. The pressure regulating mechanism regulates the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 through the first pressure reducing valve 7, and regulates the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 through the second pressure reducing valve 5, so that the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 is less than the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, and so that the gas pressure at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 is greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10.

[0069] In the above example, the first pressure reducing valve 7 and the second pressure reducing valve 5 work together to make the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 less than the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6.

[0070] The aforementioned refrigeration system also includes a first pressure sensor 14, a second pressure sensor 15, a third pressure sensor 16, a fourth pressure sensor 17, and a first control mechanism. The first pressure sensor 14 is used to detect the intake pressure of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9, the second pressure sensor 15 is used to detect the intake pressure of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, the third pressure sensor 16 is used to detect the intake pressure of the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10, and the fourth pressure sensor 17 is used to detect the intake pressure of the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10. The first control mechanism is used to increase the pressure in the pipeline of the second vortex tube 6's inlet 61 when the inlet pressure P1 of the second vortex tube 6 is less than or equal to the inlet pressure P2 of the first vortex tube 9's inlet 91 and / or the inlet pressure P3 of the ejector 10's active flow inlet 102 is less than or equal to the pressure P4 in the pipeline of the ejector 10's ejector flow inlet 101. For example, this can be achieved by increasing the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 to increase the pressure in the pipeline of the second vortex tube 6's inlet 61.

[0071] In the above example, when the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 increases, the inlet pressure P1 of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 can be increased, making the inlet pressure P1 of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 greater than the inlet pressure P2 of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9. Thus, the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is also greater than the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9. When the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is introduced into the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10, and the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is introduced into the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, the gas pressure P3 at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 can be greater than the gas pressure P4 at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, thereby satisfying the working conditions of the ejector 10 and enabling the ejector 10 to work normally.

[0072] The first pressure sensor 14, the second pressure sensor 15, the third pressure sensor 16 and the fourth pressure sensor 17 work together to detect the operating status of the refrigeration system, and control the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 through the first control mechanism, so that the ejector 10 can work normally and avoid failure of hot gas flow recovery due to the inability to meet the working conditions of the ejector 10.

[0073] like Figure 4 As shown, the aforementioned refrigeration system also includes an exhaust pipe 11, one end of which is connected to both the cold end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 and the outlet 103 of the ejector 10. The refrigeration system uses the exhaust pipe 11 to simultaneously draw out the gas from the outlet 103 of the ejector 10 and the gas from the cold end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 for refrigeration.

[0074] The aforementioned refrigeration system also includes a first temperature sensor 12 and a second control mechanism. The first temperature sensor 12 is used to detect the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11. The second control mechanism is used to control the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 to increase when the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 is greater than a first preset value, and / or to control the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 to increase, for example, by controlling the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 to increase the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6.

[0075] In the above example, by increasing the opening of the hot-end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6, the temperature of the cold-end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 can be reduced, thereby lowering the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 and bringing the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 to the first preset value. Alternatively, the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 can be increased to increase the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube 6, which can reduce the temperature of the cold-end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6, thereby lowering the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 and bringing the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 to the first preset value.

[0076] Specifically, by adjusting the opening degree of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 and the opening degree of the second pressure reducing valve 5, the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 can be adjusted to meet the required cooling temperature.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, the aforementioned refrigeration system may further include a second temperature sensor 13 and a third control mechanism. The second temperature sensor 13 is used to detect the gas temperature T1 at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9; the third control mechanism is used to control the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 to increase when the gas temperature T1 at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is greater than a second preset value, and / or to control the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 to increase, for example, by controlling the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 to increase the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9.

[0078] In the above example, by increasing the opening of the hot-end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9, the gas temperature T1 at the cold-end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 can be reduced to achieve the second preset value. Alternatively, the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 can be increased to increase the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube 9, thereby reducing the gas temperature T1 at the cold-end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 to achieve the second preset value.

[0079] Specifically, by adjusting the opening degree of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 and the opening degree of the first pressure reducing valve 7, the gas temperature T1 of the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 can be adjusted, thereby affecting the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11, making the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 adjustable to meet the required cooling temperature.

[0080] It should be noted that: the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 and the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 can be adjusted first to make the gas temperature T1 of the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 reach the second preset value; then the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 and the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 can be adjusted, so that the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 can more easily reach the required first preset value.

[0081] It should be noted that the first pressure reducing valve 7, the second pressure reducing valve 5, the hot-end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9, and the hot-end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 mentioned above can all be solenoid valves. The first control mechanism, the second control mechanism, and the third control mechanism can be different control mechanisms, such as microprocessors or PLCs. Alternatively, the first control mechanism, the second control mechanism, and the third control mechanism can be the same control mechanism, such as the same microprocessor or PLC.

[0082] For ease of understanding, the working process of the above-mentioned refrigeration system containing dual vortex tubes is described below: Ambient air is compressed into high-pressure gas by the compression mechanism 2, such as an air compressor. The compressed air is divided into two branches by the three-way valve 4. The compressed air in branch 1 enters the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 through the second pressure reducing valve 5, and the compressed air in branch 2 enters the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 through the first pressure reducing valve 7. The second vortex tube 6 and the first vortex tube 9 are used in parallel. The compressed air rotates at high speed in the second vortex tube 6 and the first vortex tube 9, generating a cold and hot separation effect. The second vortex tube 6 separates cold airflow 1 and hot airflow 1 at the cold end and hot end outlet, respectively. The first vortex tube 9 separates cold airflow 2 and hot airflow 2 at the cold end and hot end outlet, respectively.

[0083] The hot airflow 1 from the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 merges with the hot airflow 2 from the hot end outlet 92 of the first vortex tube 9 after passing through the one-way valve 8, and then enters the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 to become a medium-pressure active flow. The hot airflow undergoes approximately isentropic expansion in the active nozzle of the ejector 10, cooling and depressurizing to become a cold airflow. In addition, the cold airflow 2 from the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is attracted into the ejector 10 by the jet action of the active flow of the ejector 10 to become a low-pressure ejector flow. It begins to mix with the cold airflow from the active nozzle outlet in the premixing chamber, mixes evenly in the mixing chamber, and then decelerates in the diffuser chamber before flowing out through the outlet of the ejector 10. Then it mixes with the cold airflow 1 from the cold end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 for cooling.

[0084] The technical solution of this invention makes full use of the hot and cold separation effect of the vortex tube. The hot airflow can be recovered by the ejector 10 and expanded to form a cold airflow, which increases the cold air flow rate and thus improves the cooling effect.

[0085] Embodiments of the present invention also propose a refrigeration device, which may include any of the refrigeration systems described above. Because the refrigeration device employs the aforementioned refrigeration system, the system recovers the hot airflow from the hot end outlet of the vortex tube by providing an ejector 10, and expands the hot airflow into a cold airflow, which is then cooled together with the cold airflow from the cold end outlet of the vortex tube. Compared to the prior art, the present invention increases the cold air flow rate while maintaining the same total air volume flowing into the vortex tube, thus improving the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system, by recovering and utilizing the hot airflow.

[0086] like Figure 6 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also propose a control method using the above-described refrigeration system, which may include the following steps:

[0087] Step S1: Detect the exhaust temperature T2 of exhaust pipe 11.

[0088] Step S2: When the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 is greater than the first preset value, the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 is increased, and / or the pressure in the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 is increased. For example, the pressure in the pipeline of the air inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 can be increased by controlling the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5.

[0089] In the above example, by adjusting the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 and the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5, the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe 11 can be adjusted to meet the required cooling temperature.

[0090] Furthermore, before detecting the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe 11, the control method of the above-mentioned refrigeration system also includes the following steps:

[0091] Step S01: Detect the gas temperature T1 at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9.

[0092] Step S02: When the gas temperature T1 at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is greater than the second preset value, the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 is increased, and / or the pressure in the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 is increased. For example, the pressure in the pipeline of the air inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9 can be increased by controlling the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7.

[0093] In the above example, the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 and the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 can be adjusted first to make the gas temperature T1 of the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 reach the second preset value; then the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 and the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 can be adjusted, so that the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 can more easily reach the required first preset value.

[0094] In the above example, when the gas temperature T1 at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is less than or equal to the second preset value, the inlet pressure P2 of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9, the inlet pressure P1 of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, the inlet pressure P3 of the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10, and the inlet pressure P4 of the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10 are also detected.

[0095] If the inlet pressure P1 of the second vortex tube 6 inlet 61 is less than or equal to the inlet pressure P2 of the first vortex tube 9 inlet 91 and / or the inlet pressure P3 of the ejector 10 active flow inlet 102 is less than or equal to the pressure P4 on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, the pressure on the pipeline of the second vortex tube 6 inlet 61 is increased. For example, the pressure on the pipeline of the second vortex tube 6 inlet 61 can be increased by controlling the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5. When the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 increases, the inlet pressure P1 of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 can be increased, making the inlet pressure P1 of the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6 greater than the inlet pressure P2 of the inlet 91 of the first vortex tube 9. Thus, the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is also greater than the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9. When the pressure at the hot end outlet 62 of the second vortex tube 6 is introduced into the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10, and the pressure at the cold end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is introduced into the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, the gas pressure P3 at the active flow inlet 102 of the ejector 10 can be greater than the gas pressure P4 at the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10. This satisfies the working conditions of the ejector 10, allowing the ejector 10 to work normally.

[0096] If the inlet pressure P1 of the second vortex tube 6 inlet 61 is greater than the inlet pressure P2 of the first vortex tube 9 inlet 91, and the inlet pressure P3 of the ejector 10 active flow inlet 102 is greater than the pressure P4 on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet 101 of the ejector 10, then proceed to the aforementioned step S1.

[0097] In the example above, by setting pressure and temperature sensors at some key nodes of the system, the operating status of the system can be obtained and the system can be controlled so that the refrigeration system can output the required refrigeration temperature.

[0098] To facilitate understanding, the specific control process is explained in detail below. When the compression mechanism 2, such as the air compressor, is turned on, the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 and the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 are first adjusted to control the cold end outlet 93 temperature T1 of the first vortex tube 9. It is then determined whether T1 is less than or equal to the first preset temperature Ttarget required for refrigeration. If T1 > the first preset temperature Ttarget, the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 and the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 are further adjusted. Specifically, increasing the opening of the first pressure reducing valve 7 increases the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube 9, and increasing the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube 9 decreases the cold end outlet temperature T1 of the first vortex tube 9. Otherwise, the inlet pressure P2 and the cold end outlet pressure P4 of the first vortex tube 9 are recorded. The numerical values ​​are then adjusted. The opening of the hot-end regulating valve of the second pressure reducing valve 5 and the second vortex tube 6 is adjusted. The inlet pressure P1 of the second vortex tube 6 and the active flow pressure P3 of the ejector 10 are recorded. Simultaneously, the exhaust temperature T2 of the exhaust pipe 11 is recorded. The values ​​of P2 and P1, and P3 and P4 are compared. If P1 > P2 and P3 > P4, T2 is compared with the second preset temperature Ttarget. If T2 ≤ the second preset temperature Ttarget, the adjustment ends. Otherwise, the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 and the hot-end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 is adjusted. Specifically, increasing the opening of the second pressure reducing valve 5 increases the pressure P1 at the inlet 61 of the second vortex tube 6, and increasing the opening of the hot-end regulating valve of the second vortex tube 6 decreases the temperature at the cold-end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9.

[0099] Technical principle of the present invention: The present invention utilizes the hot and cold separation effect of the vortex tube and the jet and mixing characteristics of the ejector 10.

[0100] Specifically, this invention utilizes an ejector 10 to recover the hot airflow from the hot-end outlets of both the first vortex tube 9 and the second vortex tube 6. The hot airflow undergoes approximately isentropic expansion within the active nozzle of the ejector 10, resulting in cooling and depressurization, thus becoming a cold airflow. This invention adjusts the first pressure-reducing valve 7 and the second pressure-reducing valve 5 to ensure that the inlet pressure P1 of the second vortex tube 6 is greater than the inlet pressure P2 of the first vortex tube 9. This makes the first vortex tube 9 a low-pressure stage vortex tube and the second vortex tube 6 a high-pressure stage vortex tube. The cold airflow from the cold-end outlet 93 of the first vortex tube 9 is drawn into the ejector 10 under the jet action of the active nozzle outlet. The two cold airflows are thoroughly mixed in the mixing chamber of the ejector 10 and flow out from the outlet of the ejector 10. The cold airflow from the outlet of the ejector 10 and the cold airflow from the cold-end outlet 63 of the second vortex tube 6 mix to jointly provide cooling.

[0101] In this invention, the first vortex tube 9 and the second vortex tube 6 are used in parallel, and the ejector 10 is used to recover the hot gas from the vortex tube and use it for refrigeration, which helps to increase the flow rate of cold air during refrigeration, thereby improving the refrigeration capacity.

[0102] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigeration system, characterized in that, It includes a compression mechanism (2), a first vortex tube (9), an ejector (10), and a pressure regulating mechanism; The exhaust port of the compression mechanism (2) is used to communicate with the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9), the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9) is used to communicate with the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10), and the hot end outlet (92) of the first vortex tube (9) is used to communicate with the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10). The pressure regulating mechanism is used to make the gas pressure at the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10); the ejector (10) is used to expand the airflow flowing into the active flow inlet (102) to form a cold airflow, and the cold airflow formed after expansion is mixed with the cold airflow at the cold end outlet (93) and ejected from the outlet (103) of the ejector (10); the refrigeration system is used to draw out the gas from the outlet (103) of the ejector (10) for refrigeration.

2. The refrigeration system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second vortex tube (6); The exhaust port of the compression mechanism (2) is also used to communicate with the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6), and the hot end outlet (62) of the second vortex tube (6) is used to communicate with the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10); the refrigeration system is also used to draw out the gas from the cold end outlet (63) of the second vortex tube (6) for refrigeration.

3. The refrigeration system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure regulating mechanism is used to regulate the pressure on both the inlet (91) pipe of the first vortex tube (9) and the inlet (61) pipe of the second vortex tube (6), so that the pressure on the inlet (91) pipe of the first vortex tube (9) is less than the pressure on the inlet (61) pipe of the second vortex tube (6), and the gas pressure at the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) is greater than the gas pressure at the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10).

4. The refrigeration system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The pressure regulating mechanism includes a first pressure reducing valve (7) and a second pressure reducing valve (5). The first pressure reducing valve (7) is used to be installed on the pipeline of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9), and the second pressure reducing valve (5) is used to be installed on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6). The pressure regulating mechanism adjusts the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9) through the first pressure reducing valve (7), and adjusts the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) through the second pressure reducing valve (5), so that the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9) is less than the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6).

5. The refrigeration system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a first pressure sensor (14), a second pressure sensor (15), a third pressure sensor (16), a fourth pressure sensor (17), and a first control mechanism; The first pressure sensor (14) is used to detect the inlet pressure of the inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9), the second pressure sensor (15) is used to detect the inlet pressure of the inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6), the third pressure sensor (16) is used to detect the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10), and the fourth pressure sensor (17) is used to detect the inlet pressure of the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10). The first control mechanism is used to control the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) to increase when the air inlet pressure of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) is less than or equal to the air inlet pressure of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9) and / or the air inlet pressure of the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) is less than or equal to the pressure on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10).

6. The refrigeration system as described in any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The refrigeration system also includes an exhaust pipe (11), one end of which is connected to the cold end outlet (63) of the second vortex tube (6) and the outlet (103) of the ejector (10). The refrigeration system uses the exhaust pipe (11) to simultaneously draw out the gas from the outlet (103) of the ejector (10) and the gas from the cold end outlet (63) of the second vortex tube (6) for refrigeration. The refrigeration system also includes a first temperature sensor (12) and a second control mechanism; The first temperature sensor (12) is used to detect the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe (11); The second control mechanism is used to control the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube (6) to increase when the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe (11) is greater than the first preset value, and / or to control the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) to increase.

7. The refrigeration system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a second temperature sensor (13) and a third control mechanism; The second temperature sensor (13) is used to detect the gas temperature at the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9); The third control mechanism is used to control the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube (9) to increase when the gas temperature at the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9) is greater than the second preset value, and / or to control the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9) to increase.

8. A refrigeration device, characterized in that, The refrigeration system includes any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A control method for the refrigeration system as described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Detect the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe (11); Step S2: When the exhaust temperature of the exhaust pipe (11) is greater than the first preset value, the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the second vortex tube (6) is increased, and / or the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) is increased.

10. The control method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, Prior to step S1, the control method further includes the following steps: Step S01: Detect the gas temperature at the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9); Step S02: When the gas temperature at the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9) is greater than the second preset value, the opening of the hot end regulating valve of the first vortex tube (9) is increased, and / or the pressure on the pipeline of the air inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9) is increased.

11. The control method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, When the gas temperature at the cold end outlet (93) of the first vortex tube (9) is less than or equal to the second preset value, the inlet pressure of the inlet (91) of the first vortex tube (9), the inlet pressure of the inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6), the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) and the inlet pressure of the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10) are also detected. If the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube (6) is less than or equal to the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube (9) and / or the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) is less than or equal to the pressure on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10), the pressure on the pipeline of the inlet (61) of the second vortex tube (6) is increased. If the inlet pressure of the second vortex tube (6) is greater than the inlet pressure of the first vortex tube (9) and the inlet pressure of the active flow inlet (102) of the ejector (10) is greater than the pressure on the pipeline of the ejector flow inlet (101) of the ejector (10), then proceed to step S1.

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