Microchannel heat exchanger, heat pump system and air energy water heater

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a microchannel heat exchanger, a heat pump system and an air-energy water heater. The microchannel heat exchanger comprises: a first header (1), a second header (2) and a plurality of flat tubes (3). One end of each flat tube (3) is connected to the first header (1) and the other end is connected to the second header (2). The flat tube (3) has a plurality of micropores communicating with the first header (1) and the second header (2). The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the sum of the volumes of the flat tubes (3) is less than 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of heat exchange technology, and in particular to a microchannel heat exchanger, a heat pump system, and an air-energy water heater. Background Art

[0002] Given a fixed refrigerant charge, the more refrigerant stored in the pipelines, the less "effective" refrigerant is available for the heat pump cycle, resulting in lower refrigerant utilization and poorer system performance. Generally speaking, increasing the refrigerant charge in a heat pump system improves nominal operating conditions and high-temperature heating capacity, but it can also result in excessive refrigerant at low temperatures, leading to poor reliability. For heat pump systems with limited refrigerant charge, reducing the amount of refrigerant stored in the system pipelines and improving system refrigerant utilization are particularly important.

[0003] In related technologies, reducing the inner diameter of the manifold is one of the solutions to reduce the refrigerant storage capacity of the water tank heat exchanger. However, reducing the inner volume of the manifold of the water tank microchannel heat exchanger may lead to uneven liquid separation and increased refrigerant resistance, resulting in negative effects such as reduced system performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a microchannel heat exchanger, a heat pump system and an air-to-water heater, which help to balance refrigerant utilization and system performance.

[0005] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a microchannel heat exchanger comprising:

[0006] A first header, a second header, and a plurality of flat tubes, one end of each flat tube being connected to the first header and the other end being connected to the second header, and the flat tubes having a plurality of micropores communicating with the first header and the second header;

[0007] The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes is less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06.

[0008] In some embodiments, a ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes is less than or equal to 0.21 and greater than or equal to 0.15.

[0009] In some embodiments, a ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes is 0.17.

[0010] In some embodiments, a ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.19 and greater than or equal to 0.05.

[0011] In some embodiments, a ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.17 and greater than or equal to 0.13.

[0012] In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header and the second header to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is 0.145.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first header and the second header are both less than or equal to 9.2 mm and greater than or equal to 4.6 mm.

[0014] In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first header and the second header are both less than or equal to 8.6 mm and greater than or equal to 7.2 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first header and the second header are both 8 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, a ratio of a wall thickness of the first header to an outer diameter of the first header and a ratio of a wall thickness of the second header to an outer diameter of the second header are both less than or equal to 0.23.

[0017] In some embodiments, a ratio of a wall thickness of the first header to an outer diameter of the first header and a ratio of a wall thickness of the second header to an outer diameter of the second header are both 0.2.

[0018] In some embodiments, the number of the flat tubes is less than or equal to 12 and greater than or equal to 8.

[0019] In some embodiments, partitions for dividing the flow paths are provided in both the first manifold and the second manifold.

[0020] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a heat pump system is provided, comprising:

[0021] The compressor, the throttling device, the evaporator and any of the above-mentioned microchannel heat exchangers are connected through a refrigerant pipeline to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0022] In another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an air-energy water heater is provided, comprising:

[0023] Such as the heat pump system mentioned above.

[0024] Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, by setting the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first manifold and the second manifold to the sum of the volumes of the flat tubes to be less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06, the internal volume of the microchannel heat exchanger can be effectively reduced to reduce the refrigerant storage capacity in the microchannel heat exchanger. While improving the refrigerant utilization rate, it can also minimize the risk of uneven liquid distribution in the manifold and increased refrigerant resistance leading to reduced system performance, so that the microchannel heat exchanger maintains a high heat exchange performance, thereby achieving a balance between reducing the refrigerant filling volume and maintaining the system heating system. The microchannel heat exchanger in this embodiment also does not need to set a core separately in the manifold to reduce the internal volume, which saves costs and avoids the occurrence of refrigerant diversion caused by inserting the core. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0026] The present disclosure can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of some embodiments of the microchannel heat exchanger according to the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 is a curve showing the relationship between the system refrigeration coefficient and the inner diameter of the manifold under nominal operating conditions according to some embodiments of the microchannel heat exchanger disclosed herein;

[0029] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the heat pump system according to the present disclosure.

[0030] It should be understood that the size of each part shown in the drawings is not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.In addition, the same or similar reference numerals represent the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or use. The present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of parts and steps, the composition of materials, numerical expressions, and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0032] The terms "first", "second" and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different parts. The terms "include" or "comprises" and similar terms mean that the elements before the term include the elements listed after the term, and do not exclude the possibility of also including other elements. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0033] In the present disclosure, when a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intervening device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first device or the second device. When a specific device is described as being connected to another device, the specific device may be directly connected to the other device without an intervening device, or may be not directly connected to the other device but with an intervening device.

[0034] All terms (including technical or scientific terms) used in this disclosure have the same meaning as those understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in, for example, general dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or highly formal sense, unless explicitly defined herein.

[0035] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0036] Refrigerant is the "blood" of the heat pump system. The heat pump system is a closed system. The system pipes and components need to be filled with liquid and gaseous refrigerants to maintain a normal circulation state, that is, the heat pump system pipes and components will "store" refrigerant.

[0037] When the refrigerant injection volume is constant, the more refrigerant stored in the pipeline, the less "effective" refrigerant participating in the heat pump cycle, the lower the refrigerant utilization rate, and the worse the system performance. Generally speaking, increasing the refrigerant injection volume of the heat pump system can improve the nominal operating conditions and high-temperature heating capacity, but it will also cause excessive refrigerant at low temperatures, resulting in poor reliability. In addition, for heat pump systems with limited refrigerant injection volume, such as vertical water tank air-to-water water heaters using R290 as the refrigerant, the refrigerant injection volume must be less than or equal to 152g. It is particularly important to reduce the refrigerant storage volume in the system pipeline and improve the system refrigerant utilization rate.

[0038] For pipes or components of the same volume, the density of liquid refrigerant is much greater than that of gaseous or gas-liquid mixed refrigerant at the same refrigerant temperature and pressure. Therefore, the amount of liquid refrigerant stored in the pipes or components is greater than that of gaseous or gaseous mixed refrigerant. Therefore, the key to improving the refrigerant utilization rate of air-energy water heater systems lies in reducing the amount of refrigerant stored in the water tank heat exchanger, that is, reducing the internal volume of the water tank heat exchanger, while ensuring the heat exchange capacity or heat exchange area of ​​the water tank heat exchanger.

[0039] In related art, the diameter of the manifold is generally 16mm, and the total volume of the manifold accounts for approximately 30% of the total volume of the microchannel heat exchanger, excluding the refrigerant inlet and outlet pipes. Therefore, reducing the inner diameter of the manifold is one solution to reduce the refrigerant storage capacity of the water tank heat exchanger. However, reducing the internal volume of the manifold of the water tank microchannel heat exchanger may lead to uneven liquid distribution, increased refrigerant resistance, and negatively affect system performance.

[0040] In view of this, in one aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a microchannel heat exchanger is provided. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the microchannel heat exchanger disclosed in the present invention, with reference to Figure 1 The microchannel heat exchanger includes a first header 1, a second header 2 and a plurality of flat tubes 3. One end of each flat tube 3 is connected to the first header 1, and the other end is connected to the second header 2. The flat tube 3 has a plurality of micropores connecting the first header 1 and the second header 2.

[0041] The inlet and outlet of the microchannel heat exchanger can be located on the same manifold or separately on two manifolds. For example, the inlet and outlet can be located on the first manifold 1, or the inlet can be located on the first manifold 1 and the outlet on the second manifold 2. Multiple flat tubes 3, the second manifold 2, the first manifold 1, the inlet, and the outlet are connected to form a heat exchange channel. The microchannel heat exchanger forms a closed loop. The pipelines of the first and second manifolds 1 and 2 are filled with refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor from the compressor enters the microchannel heat exchanger through a four-way valve, where it condenses into a high-pressure, subcooled liquid.

[0042] The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1, 2 to the sum of the volumes of the multiple flat tubes 3 is less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06. This minimizes the system's refrigerant charge and fully utilizes the limited refrigerant. This allows the microchannel heat exchanger to provide a larger heat exchange area, resulting in more efficient heat exchange. This means greater heat transfer can be achieved within a relatively small volume, improving heat exchange efficiency. The internal volume of the flat tubes 3 refers to the total volume of the fluid contained within the flat tubes. The volume of the multiple flat tubes 3 refers to the sum of the volumes of all flat tubes 3 included in the microchannel heat exchanger. The internal volume of the first and second headers 1, 2 refers to the spatial volume within the first and second headers 1, 2. Compared to related art, the refrigerant tube charge in this embodiment can be reduced to approximately 150g.

[0043] Since the reduction in the internal volume of the manifold will lead to excessive flow resistance when the refrigerant passes through the manifold, the fluid flow efficiency of the entire system is reduced, and energy consumption is increased. In addition, the small internal volume of the manifold may restrict the flow of the fluid, thereby affecting the heat exchange between the heat exchange surface and the fluid, resulting in a decrease in the heating performance of the system. Therefore, the internal volume of the manifold cannot be reduced indefinitely.

[0044] The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3 is selected to be less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06, for example, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.1, 0.12, 0.15, 0.17, 0.18, 0.21, 0.24, so as to achieve a balance between reducing the refrigerant storage capacity and system performance.

[0045] In this embodiment, by setting the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 to the sum of the volumes of the multiple flat tubes 3 to be less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.06, the internal volume of the microchannel heat exchanger can be effectively reduced to reduce the refrigerant storage capacity in the microchannel heat exchanger. While improving the refrigerant utilization rate, it can also minimize the risk of uneven liquid distribution in the collecting pipe and increased refrigerant resistance leading to reduced system performance, thereby achieving a balance between reducing the refrigerant infusion volume and maintaining the system heating system, so that the microchannel heat exchanger maintains a higher heat exchange performance.

[0046] The microchannel heat exchanger in this embodiment does not need to separately arrange a core in the manifold to reduce the internal volume, thereby saving costs and avoiding the refrigerant diversion caused by the insertion of the core.

[0047] refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3 is less than or equal to 0.21 and greater than or equal to 0.15. In this embodiment, to further reduce the amount of refrigerant injected into the system, minimize refrigerant storage within the pipelines, and maintain system heating performance, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3 can be set to less than or equal to 0.21 and greater than or equal to 0.15. This increases the refrigerant circulation rate and maintains the heating capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger within a relatively suitable range, thereby improving refrigerant utilization and the reliability of the microchannel heat exchanger.

[0048] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1, 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3 is 0.17. In this embodiment, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1, 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3 can be further selected to 0.17, which is obtained based on experimental test data. In this case, an optimal balance is achieved between the refrigerant storage capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger and the system heating performance, effectively reducing the refrigerant storage capacity within the pipelines while maintaining the system's heating performance and low-temperature reliability at a good level.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.19 and greater than or equal to 0.05.

[0050] In this embodiment, in order to facilitate the measurement of the volume of the microchannel heat exchanger and the adjustment of the size of the components in the microchannel heat exchanger, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger can be selected to be less than or equal to 0.19 and greater than or equal to 0.05. The refrigerant filling amount can be adjusted by simply adjusting the volumes of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 so that they satisfy the ratio relationship with the total volume of the microchannel heat exchanger. On the premise of ensuring the heat exchange capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger, the refrigerant storage capacity is reduced, the system refrigerant utilization rate is improved, the reliability of the microchannel heat exchanger is made higher, and more efficient and stable heat exchange can be achieved.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.17 and greater than or equal to 0.13, for example, 0.13, 0.14, 0.145, 0.15, 0.16, or 0.17.

[0052] In this embodiment, in order to further achieve a better balance between the refrigerant storage capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger and the heating performance of the system, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger can be selected to be less than or equal to 0.17 and greater than or equal to 0.13, thereby fully utilizing the refrigerant amount in the microchannel heat exchanger pipeline and improving the low-temperature reliability of the microchannel heat exchanger while maintaining the heating performance.

[0053] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1 and 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is 0.145. In this embodiment, the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1 and 2 to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger can be further selected to be 0.145. In this case, a better balance is achieved between the refrigerant storage capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger and the heating performance of the system, which can effectively reduce the refrigerant storage capacity in the pipeline and maintain the heating performance and low-temperature reliability of the system at a good state.

[0054] Figure 2 is a curve showing the relationship between the system refrigeration coefficient and the inner diameter of the manifold under nominal working conditions of some embodiments of the microchannel heat exchanger disclosed herein, with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 are both less than or equal to 9.2 mm and greater than or equal to 4.6 mm, for example, 5 mm, 6 mm, 6.4 mm, 7 mm, 7.2 mm, 8 mm, 8.6 mm, 9 mm, 9.2 mm, etc.

[0055] If a flat tube 3 with a width of 25.4 mm, a height of 1.3 mm, and 26 holes is used, and the inner diameters of the first and second headers 1 and 2 are both less than or equal to 9.2 mm and greater than or equal to 4.6 mm, the refrigerant charge in the headers is approximately 150 g, and the system cooling coefficient is less than or equal to 3.66 and greater than or equal to 3.43. The nominal operating condition is an ambient temperature of 20°C, heating the water temperature from 15°C to 55°C, and the heating moisture absorption is the ratio of heating capacity to input power.

[0056] In this embodiment, in order to conveniently reduce the refrigerant perfusion amount, the inner volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 can be reduced accordingly by adjusting the inner diameters of the first header 1 and the second header 2 .

[0057] By selecting the inner diameters of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 to be less than or equal to 9.2 mm and greater than or equal to 4.6 mm, the percentage of along-the-line resistance of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 can be maintained in a low range, and the system refrigeration coefficient can be maintained at a high level, so that the heating capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger and the utilization rate of the refrigerant can reach high values, while avoiding the increase of harmful superheat of the suction air caused by too little refrigerant, avoiding the reduction of the suction specific volume and the increase of the exhaust temperature, and reducing the risk of increased power consumption of the compressor.

[0058] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 are both less than or equal to 8.6 mm and greater than or equal to 7.2 mm. If a flat tube 3 with a width of 25.4 mm, a height of 1.3 mm, and 26 holes is used, when the inner diameters of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 are both less than or equal to 8.6 mm and greater than or equal to 7.2 mm, the refrigerant filling amount of the manifold is approximately 150 g, and the system refrigeration coefficient is less than or equal to 3.56 and greater than or equal to 3.54. The nominal operating condition is that the ambient temperature is 20 degrees Celsius and the water temperature is heated from 15 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius.

[0059] In this embodiment, in order to further maintain the heating performance at a high level and reduce the resistance along the manifold, the outer diameters of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 can be set to be less than or equal to 11 mm and greater than or equal to 9 mm. At this time, the internal volume of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 can allow less refrigerant to be stored in the pipeline, which helps to improve the refrigerant utilization efficiency and maintain system performance.

[0060] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the inner diameters of the first and second headers 1, 2 are both 8 mm. If a flat tube 3 with a width of 25.4 mm, a height of 1.3 mm, and 26 holes is used, and the inner diameters of the first and second headers 1, 2 are 8 mm, the refrigerant charge per header can be approximately 150 g, achieving an optimal system cooling coefficient of 3.66. The nominal operating condition is an ambient temperature of 20°C, heating the water temperature from 15°C to 55°C.

[0061] In this embodiment, in order to further maintain the heating performance of the microchannel heat exchanger at a high level, the inner diameters of the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2 can be set to 8 mm. At this time, the resistance of the manifold is small, the system reliability is high, and the heating performance is good. The manifold with an inner diameter of 8 mm can allow for the storage of a smaller amount of refrigerant, effectively improving the refrigerant utilization rate and the low-temperature reliability of the microchannel heat exchanger.

[0062] Figure 1 D1 is the outer diameter of the first manifold 1, Figure 1 D2 is the outer diameter of the second manifold 2, refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the wall thickness of the first header 1 to the outer diameter of the first header 1 and the ratio of the wall thickness of the second header 2 to the outer diameter of the second header 2 are both less than or equal to 0.23.

[0063] For example, when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 12 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 9.2 mm; when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 11 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 8.6 mm; when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 10 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 8 mm; when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 9 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 7.2 mm; when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 8 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 6.4 mm; when the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the second collecting pipe 2 is set to 6 mm, the inner diameter can be adjusted to 4.6 mm.

[0064] In this embodiment, by giving the ratio of the wall thickness to the outer diameter of the collecting tube, the internal volume of the collecting tube can be adjusted more conveniently by adjusting the outer diameter and wall thickness of the collecting tube. When adjusting the outer diameters of the first collecting tube 1 and the second collecting tube 2, the inner diameters of the first collecting tube 1 and the second collecting tube 2 are also adjusted accordingly, so as to reduce the pressure on the first collecting tube 1 and the second collecting tube 2 as much as possible, reduce the negative impact on the heat exchange performance of the microchannel heat exchanger, and improve the reliability of the heating performance.

[0065] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the ratio of the wall thickness of the first header 1 to the outer diameter of the first header 1 and the ratio of the wall thickness of the second header 2 to the outer diameter of the second header 2 are both 0.2.

[0066] In this embodiment, in order to further maintain the heating performance of the microchannel heat exchanger, increase the circulation volume of the refrigerant, and reduce the occurrence of fluorine deficiency in the system, the ratio of the wall thickness of the first collecting pipe 1 to the outer diameter of the first collecting pipe 1 and the ratio of the wall thickness of the second collecting pipe 2 to the outer diameter of the second collecting pipe 2 can be set to 0.1.

[0067] With reference to the previous embodiment, the following table shows the corresponding relationship between the system coefficient of performance (COP) and the refrigerant injection amount of the microchannel heat exchanger under different ratios of the sum of the volumes of the first header 1 and the second header 2 to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes 3.

[0068]

[0069] Ignoring test errors due to precision, the table above shows that when the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1 and 2 to the sum of the volumes of the multiple flat tubes 3 is between 0.06 and 0.24, the system COP reaches an optimal value of 3.4 or higher. At this point, the refrigerant injection volume can be reduced to an optimal value of 150g, achieving a better system COP and improving overall operating performance. Furthermore, when the ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first and second headers 1 and 2 to the sum of the volumes of the multiple flat tubes 3 is 0.17, the system COP reaches an optimal value of 3.66, maintaining high system performance for the microchannel heat exchanger.

[0070] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the number of flat tubes 3 is less than or equal to 12 and greater than or equal to 8, for example, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12. In this embodiment, the number of flat tubes 3 can be adjusted based on actual application conditions to reduce the refrigerant storage capacity while improving the heat exchange capacity of the microchannel heat exchanger.

[0071] The microchannel heat exchangers of the above-mentioned embodiments are applicable to various equipment or business scenarios requiring heat exchange, such as heat pump water heaters or air conditioners.

[0072] refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, a spacer 9 for dividing the flow paths is provided in both the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2. The number of spacers 9 can be multiple, and the number can be adjusted according to actual application requirements.

[0073] In this embodiment, spacers 9 are provided to separate the flow paths within the first manifold 1 and the second manifold 2, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency. The position of spacers 9 can be adjusted according to actual application conditions to achieve better heat transfer efficiency, fluid separation, and flow uniformity. Spacers 9 include, but are not limited to, metal spacers, such as aluminum or stainless steel, to isolate the fluid channels and enable heat transfer between the fluids.

[0074] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of some embodiments of the heat pump system according to the present disclosure, with reference to Figure 3 In another aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a heat pump system is provided, which includes: a compressor 4, a throttling device 5, an evaporator 6 and any of the microchannel heat exchangers described above.

[0075] The heat pump system may further include a four-way valve 7 and a gas-liquid separator 8. The compressor 4, the throttling device 5, the evaporator 6, the four-way valve 7, the gas-liquid separator 8 and the microchannel heat exchanger are connected through a refrigerant pipeline. Figure 3 The solid arrows in the figure represent the refrigerant circulation loop in the hot water mode. Figure 3 The dotted arrows in the figure represent the refrigerant circulation loop in the defrost mode.

[0076] Taking the hot water production mode as an example, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant vapor from compressor 4 passes through a four-way valve into the microchannel heat exchanger, where it condenses into a high-pressure, subcooled liquid. It is then throttled by a throttling device 5 to a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant. It then enters the main unit's evaporator 6, where it evaporates and absorbs heat, becoming refrigerant vapor. This reciprocating cycle forms a refrigerant circulation loop. Because the microchannel heat exchanger can achieve efficient heat exchange in a relatively small space, it can reduce the size and weight of the equipment, thereby reducing the space occupied by the heat pump system and the transportation cost.

[0077] In this embodiment, by adjusting parameters such as the internal volume of the flat tubes 3, the first header 1, and the second header 2 of the microchannel heat exchanger, the refrigerant storage amount in the microchannel heat exchanger can be reduced while determining the heat exchange amount in the microchannel tubes, thereby improving the low-temperature reliability of the heat pump system and maintaining the heating capacity of the heat pump system.

[0078] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an air-energy water heater is provided, comprising the heat pump system described above. The air-energy heat exchanger in this embodiment enables the heat pump system's pipelines to store less refrigerant, helping to reduce refrigerant injection volume while maintaining good heating capacity. This allows for efficient heat exchange and reduces energy consumption, saving energy for equipment such as air-energy water heaters that require extensive heat exchange. Furthermore, the air-energy water heater in this embodiment allows for a reduced amount of refrigerant while maintaining the same heat exchange performance, helping to reduce environmental impact, particularly greenhouse gas emissions.

[0079] Thus far, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. To avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art have not been described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein.

[0080] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail through examples, those skilled in the art will understand that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments may be modified or some technical features may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A microchannel heat exchanger, characterized in that: include: A first current collecting pipe (1), a second current collecting pipe (2), and a plurality of flat tubes (3), one end of each flat tube (3) being connected to the first current collecting pipe (1), and the other end being connected to the second current collecting pipe (2), and the flat tube (3) having a plurality of micropores communicating with the first current collecting pipe (1) and the second current collecting pipe (2); The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes (3) is less than or equal to 0.24 and greater than or equal to 0.

06.

2. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes (3) is less than or equal to 0.21 and greater than or equal to 0.

15.

3. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the sum of the volumes of the plurality of flat tubes (3) is 0.

17.

4. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.19 and greater than or equal to 0.

05.

5. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that: The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is less than or equal to 0.17 and greater than or equal to 0.

13.

6. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 3, characterized in that: The ratio of the sum of the volumes of the first header (1) and the second header (2) to the total volume of the entire microchannel heat exchanger is 0.

145.

7. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The inner diameters of the first header (1) and the second header (2) are both less than or equal to 9.2 mm and greater than or equal to 4.6 mm.

8. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner diameters of the first header (1) and the second header (2) are both less than or equal to 8.6 mm and greater than or equal to 7.2 mm.

9. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 8, characterized in that: The inner diameters of the first header (1) and the second header (2) are both 8 mm.

10. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ratio of the wall thickness of the first header (1) to the outer diameter of the first header (1) and the ratio of the wall thickness of the second header (2) to the outer diameter of the second header (2) are both less than or equal to 0.

23.

11. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 10, characterized in that: The ratio of the wall thickness of the first header (1) to the outer diameter of the first header (1) and the ratio of the wall thickness of the second header (2) to the outer diameter of the second header (2) are both 0.

2.

12. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the flat tubes (3) is less than or equal to 12 and greater than or equal to 8.

13. The microchannel heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein: Both the first header (1) and the second header (2) are provided with partitions (9) for dividing the flow paths.

14. A heat pump system, characterized in that: include: A compressor (4), a throttling device (5), an evaporator (6) and a microchannel heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1 to 13 above, wherein the compressor (4), the throttling device (5), the evaporator (6) and the microchannel heat exchanger are connected through a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

15. An air energy water heater, characterized in that: include: A heat pump system as claimed in claim 14.

Images