Compressor assembly and air conditioning unit

Abstract

The application provides a compressor assembly and an air conditioning unit. The compressor assembly comprises at least two compressors, a gas-liquid separator, a suction main pipe, an oil separator, and a communication position between the oil return pipe and the second end of the suction main pipe is provided with a turbulence structure. The compressor assembly and the air conditioning unit provided by the application are characterized in that the turbulence structure is arranged on the suction main pipe, and the refrigeration oil entering the suction main pipe is forced to disperse under the turbulence effect of the turbulence structure. The dispersed refrigeration oil can be uniformly distributed in the suction main pipe and then uniformly distributed into all the compressors through the distribution of the distribution member, thereby avoiding the problem that the refrigeration oil is accumulated at the side wall of the suction main pipe in the prior art, ensuring that all the compressors can reliably return oil, and especially avoiding the problem that some compressors are short of oil when starting the compressor under low-temperature conditions, ensuring the reliable starting of all the compressors and improving the working reliability of the compressor and the air conditioning unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a compressor assembly and an air conditioning unit. Background Technology

[0002] Existing variable frequency modular air conditioning units use a dual-compressor parallel air conditioning system. They are equipped with an oil separator to solve the problem of compressor oil return during most unit operations. After the two compressors are connected in parallel, they share a common suction main pipe that is connected to the gas-liquid separator. The oil return pipe of the oil separator is connected to the suction main pipe. The negative pressure in the suction main pipe is used to pump the refrigerant oil into the suction main pipe, and finally the oil flows to the two compressors respectively.

[0003] However, in the existing technology, the oil return pipe is connected to the side wall of the suction main pipe, which causes the refrigerant oil entering the suction main pipe to be sprayed onto the side wall of the suction main pipe. When the compressor is started in a low-temperature environment and after a long period of shutdown, the temperature of the entire machine's piping, refrigerant oil, and refrigerant is very low and cannot be quickly built up. At this time, the viscosity of the refrigerant oil is too high, and the refrigerant oil will accumulate on the side wall of the suction main pipe and flow along the side wall. Moreover, because the initial frequency of the compressor is low during startup, the refrigerant flow rate is also low, which causes most of the refrigerant oil to be distributed to one compressor, while the other compressor has less refrigerant oil and suffers from oil shortage, which seriously affects the working reliability of the compressor and the air conditioning unit. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problem of uneven oil return in existing compressors affecting the operational reliability of compressors and air conditioning units, a compressor assembly and air conditioning unit are provided that utilize a turbulence structure to turbulentize the refrigerant oil, thereby achieving uniform distribution of the refrigerant oil and ensuring reliable oil return for all compressors.

[0005] A compressor assembly, comprising:

[0006] At least two compressors;

[0007] A gas-liquid separator, wherein a gas return port is provided on the gas-liquid separator;

[0008] The intake manifold has a first end connected to the return port and a second end connected to the intake ports of all the compressors via a distributor.

[0009] An oil separator is provided, which is connected to the exhaust ports of all the compressors and has an oil return pipe connected to the intake manifold.

[0010] A turbulence-inducing structure is provided between the connection point of the return oil pipe and the intake manifold and the second end of the intake manifold.

[0011] The intake manifold includes a corrugated section, which constitutes the turbulence structure.

[0012] The inner wall of the corrugated section has threaded protrusions, which constitute the turbulence structure.

[0013] A constriction structure is also provided between the main intake pipe and the branching component, and the flow area of ​​the constriction structure is smaller than the flow area of ​​the main intake pipe.

[0014] The distance from the second end of the intake manifold to the intake port of all the compressors is equal.

[0015] The intake manifold is a metal tube.

[0016] The compressor assembly further includes a heating mechanism disposed on the gas-liquid separator, and the heating mechanism is capable of heating the gas-liquid separator.

[0017] The compressors are of two types, and the flow divider is a three-way structure with one inlet and two outlets. The inlet is connected to the second end of the intake manifold, and the two outlets are respectively connected to the intake ports of the two compressors.

[0018] The diverter is Y-shaped, with the bottom port of the Y-shape forming the inlet of the diverter and the two top ports of the Y-shape forming the two outlets of the diverter.

[0019] An air conditioning unit includes the compressor assembly described above.

[0020] The compressor assembly and air conditioning unit provided by this invention have a turbulence structure on the intake manifold. After the refrigerant oil enters the intake manifold, it is forced to disperse under the turbulence of the turbulence structure. The dispersed refrigerant oil can be evenly distributed in the intake manifold and then evenly distributed to all compressors through the diversion component. This avoids the problem of refrigerant oil accumulating on the side wall of the intake manifold in the prior art, ensuring that all compressors can reliably return oil. In particular, it can avoid the problem of oil shortage in some compressors when starting the compressor under low temperature conditions, ensuring the reliable start-up of all compressors and improving the working reliability of the compressor and air conditioning unit. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the compressor assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the intake manifold, oil separator, and oil return pipe provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] In the picture:

[0024] 1. Compressor; 2. Gas-liquid separator; 21. Gas return port; 3. Suction main pipe; 4. Oil separator; 41. Oil return pipe; 5. Flow divider; 31. Corrugated section; 6. Narrowing structure. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate for the embodiments of the invention described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0028] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," and "outer," indicating directional or positional relationships, are based on the directional or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "setting," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] In existing technology, the oil return pipe is connected to the side wall of the suction main pipe, causing the refrigerant oil entering the suction main pipe to be sprayed onto its side wall. When starting the compressor in a low-temperature environment after a long period of shutdown, the temperature of the entire piping system, refrigerant oil, and refrigerant is very low, making it impossible to quickly build up temperature. At this time, the viscosity of the refrigerant oil is too high, causing it to accumulate on the side wall of the suction main pipe and flow along it. Furthermore, due to the low initial frequency and low refrigerant flow rate during compressor startup, most of the refrigerant oil is distributed to one compressor, leaving the other compressor with insufficient oil, resulting in an oil shortage problem. This severely affects the reliability of the compressor and the air conditioning unit. In the experiment of power-off placement of the ultra-low temperature unit: the unit needs to be power-off placed at the claimed lowest ambient temperature for 12 hours, and then immediately powered on. Experimental requirement: the compressor must not be without oil for more than 2 minutes. During testing, it was found that the oil shortage time of the compressors was inconsistent. Taking two compressors as an example, after startup, one compressor had no oil shortage or only a shortage of oil for about one minute (within the standard requirements), while the other compressor experienced an oil shortage problem. This oil shortage problem even persisted until the first defrosting process of the unit, and could only be resolved by heating the refrigerant oil during low-temperature heating, severely affecting the normal operation of this compressor. In existing technology, the following two methods are generally used to solve the above-mentioned flow equalization problem: Method 1: Setting the oil return point at the top center of the suction pipe. However, due to the limitations of the overall casing and structural vibration, this solution is unacceptable. Method 2: Setting the oil return point at the bottom center of the suction pipe. However, during mass production, the welding of the oil return pipe may result in reverse welding, which is detrimental to production efficiency. Long-term operation also makes the weld prone to breakage, so this solution is also unacceptable.

[0031] Therefore, this application provides a method such as Figure 1 and Figure 2The compressor assembly shown includes: at least two compressors 1; a gas-liquid separator 2, which is provided with a return port 21; a suction main pipe 3, the first end of which is connected to the return port 21, and the second end of which is connected to the suction port of all the compressors 1 through a flow divider 5; an oil separator 4, which is connected to the exhaust port of all the compressors 1, and is provided with an oil return pipe 41, which is connected to the suction main pipe 3; a turbulence structure is provided between the connection point of the oil return pipe 41 and the suction main pipe 3 and the second end of the suction main pipe 3. A turbulence structure is installed on the intake manifold 3. After the refrigerant oil enters the intake manifold 3, it will be forced to disperse under the turbulence of the turbulence structure. The dispersed refrigerant oil can be evenly distributed in the intake manifold 3, and then evenly distributed to all compressors 1 through the diverter 5. This avoids the problem of refrigerant oil accumulating on the side wall of the intake manifold 3 in the prior art, and ensures that all compressors 1 can reliably return oil. In particular, it can avoid the problem of oil shortage in a certain compressor 1 when starting the compressor 1 under low temperature conditions, ensure the reliable start-up of all compressors 1, and improve the working reliability of compressors 1 and air conditioning units.

[0032] In one embodiment, the intake manifold 3 includes a corrugated section 31, which constitutes the turbulence structure. By utilizing the corrugated shape of the corrugated section 31, the smooth surface of the intake manifold 3 in the prior art is transformed into a non-smooth surface. After the refrigeration oil reaches the corrugated section 31, the non-smooth surface alters the oil's accumulation capacity, overcoming the problem of excessively high viscosity and accumulation of refrigeration oil under low-temperature conditions. This allows the refrigeration oil to be evenly distributed during its flow through the corrugated section 31, thereby ensuring reliable oil return from all compressors 1.

[0033] Specifically, a spiral protrusion is formed on the inner wall of the corrugated section 31, which constitutes the turbulence structure. The spiral protrusion forms a spiral flow channel on the inner surface of the corrugated section 31, and the flow direction of the refrigeration oil supplied by the oil return pipe 41 is different from the flow direction of the fluid in the spiral flow channel, thus achieving the effect of turbulence.

[0034] A constriction structure 6 is also provided between the intake manifold 3 and the flow divider 5. The flow area of ​​the constriction structure 6 is smaller than that of the intake manifold 3. When the refrigerant in the intake manifold 3 and the refrigerant oil adhering to the inner wall of the intake manifold 3 flow to the constriction structure 6, the refrigerant can continue to flow from the middle of the intake manifold 3. Under the suction negative pressure of the compressor, the refrigerant will push the refrigerant oil adhering to the inner wall of the intake manifold 3 from the intake manifold 3 into the constriction structure 6. Due to the change in flow area, the refrigerant oil can no longer adhere to the inner wall of the intake manifold 3 and can be mixed into the refrigerant again under the thrust of the refrigerant. Thus, all the refrigerant oil is mixed in the refrigerant and finally flows back to the compressor. That is, the constriction structure 6 further turbulently turbulently flows the refrigerant oil adhering to the side wall of the intake manifold 3, forcing the refrigerant oil to detach from the side wall and be evenly distributed, thereby ensuring that all compressors 1 can reliably return oil.

[0035] Specifically, the constriction structure 6 includes a connecting pipe, one end of which is connected to the second end of the main suction pipe 3, and the other end is connected to the diverter. The inner diameter of the connecting pipe is smaller than the inner diameter of the main suction pipe 3, thereby reducing the flow area.

[0036] The distance from the second end of the intake manifold 3 to the intake ports of all the compressors 1 is equal. By limiting the distance between the second end and the intake port of the compressor 1, it is ensured that the flow resistance encountered by the mixture of refrigerant and refrigeration oil after turbulence when reaching the intake port of any compressor 1 is equal, thereby further increasing the amount of refrigeration oil obtained at the intake ports of all compressors 1 and ensuring that all compressors 1 can reliably return oil.

[0037] The intake manifold 3 is a metal pipe. That is, when the refrigerant and refrigeration oil impact the intake manifold 3 at the corrugated section 31, the intake manifold 3 will not generate vibration or other noise due to the impact, thus preventing damage to the intake manifold 3 due to vibration and ensuring the structural reliability of the compressor assembly. Preferably, the intake manifold 3 is a copper pipe, and the corrugated section 31 is also made of copper.

[0038] The compressor assembly also includes a heating mechanism disposed on the gas-liquid separator 2, which heats the gas-liquid separator 2. The heating mechanism heats the refrigerant within the gas-liquid separator 2, increasing the refrigerant temperature at the return port 21 of the gas-liquid separator 2. This, in turn, increases the temperature of the refrigerant and refrigeration oil in the suction manifold 3. Increasing the temperature of the refrigeration oil reduces its viscosity, improving the effect of turbulence and uniform distribution of the refrigeration oil.

[0039] like Figure 1As shown, there are two compressors 1. The flow divider 5 is a three-way structure with one inlet and two outlets. The inlet is connected to the second end of the intake manifold 3, and the two outlets are respectively connected to the intake ports of the two compressors 1. The three-way structure enables the parallel connection of the intake ports of the two compressors 1, thereby meeting the requirements of an air conditioning system with two compressors 1 operating in parallel.

[0040] Preferably, the flow divider 5 is Y-shaped, with the bottom port of the Y-shape forming the inlet of the flow divider 5 and the two top ports of the Y-shape forming the two outlets of the flow divider 5. The Y-shape ensures that the distance from the second end of the intake manifold 3 to the intake ports of the two compressors 1 is equal, thus ensuring the oil return effect of the two compressors 1.

[0041] An air conditioning unit includes the compressor assembly described above.

[0042] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A compressor assembly, characterized in that: include: At least two compressors (1); Gas-liquid separator (2), wherein a return gas port (21) is provided on the gas-liquid separator (2); The intake manifold (3) has a first end connected to the return port (21) and a second end connected to the intake ports of all the compressors (1) via a splitter (5). An oil separator (4) is connected to the exhaust ports of all the compressors (1), and an oil return pipe (41) is provided on the oil separator (4), which is connected to the main suction pipe (3). A turbulence structure is provided between the connection point of the return oil pipe (41) and the intake manifold (3) and the second end of the intake manifold (3); The intake manifold (3) includes a corrugated section (31), which constitutes the turbulence structure; The inner wall of the corrugated section (31) has a threaded protrusion, which constitutes the turbulence structure.

2. The compressor assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A constriction structure (6) is also provided between the main intake pipe (3) and the diverter (5), and the flow area of ​​the constriction structure (6) is smaller than the flow area of ​​the main intake pipe (3).

3. The compressor assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance from the second end of the intake manifold (3) to the intake port of all the compressors (1) is equal.

4. The compressor assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intake manifold (3) is a metal pipe.

5. The compressor assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The compressor assembly also includes a heating mechanism disposed on the gas-liquid separator (2) and the heating mechanism is capable of heating the gas-liquid separator (2).

6. The compressor assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of compressors (1) is two, and the flow divider (5) is a three-way structure with one inlet and two outlets. The inlet is connected to the second end of the intake manifold (3), and the two outlets are respectively connected to the intake ports of the two compressors (1).

7. The compressor assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The diverter (5) is Y-shaped, and the bottom port of the Y-shape constitutes the inlet of the diverter (5), and the two top ports of the Y-shape constitute the two outlets of the diverter (5).

8. An air conditioning unit, characterized in that: The compressor assembly includes any one of claims 1 to 7.

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