Actuator for heat pump valve assembly, valve assembly for heat pump, and heat pump having valve assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator for a heat pump valve assembly. The actuator includes a motor, a metal housing, and a thermal management assembly having a metal bottom flange portion, a metal upper flange portion, and a thermal barrier disposed between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion, where the motor and the metal housing are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion, and where the motor and the metal housing are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion. The thermal barrier is composed of one or more components made of a material having a thermal conductivity of less than 1 W / (mK). The invention also relates to a valve assembly for a heat pump comprising an actuator and a valve portion for controlling fluid flow wherein the valve assembly is connected to the actuator via a thermal management assembly of the actuator. The invention further relates to a heat pump having a valve assembly according to the claims.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuator for a heat pump valve assembly. The actuator includes a motor, a metal housing, and a thermal management assembly having a metal bottom flange portion, a metal upper flange portion, and a thermal insulation barrier disposed between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion, wherein the motor and the metal housing are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion, and wherein the thermal insulation barrier is constituted by one or more components made of a material having a thermal conductivity less than 1 W / (mK).

[0002] The present invention further relates to a valve assembly for a heat pump, the valve assembly including an actuator and a valve portion for controlling fluid flow, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the actuator via the thermal management assembly of the actuator. The present invention further relates to a heat pump having a valve assembly according to claim 15.

[0003] The actuator and the valve assembly are used to control the refrigerant medium of the heat pump. The term heat pump as currently used may refer to a more general vapor compression system, such as a refrigeration system, a heat pump system, and an air conditioning system. During the operation of the heat pump, the refrigerant medium is compressed and expanded, thereby causing significant temperature increases and decreases, especially at the valve assembly.

[0004] The influence of the compressed and expanded refrigerant medium on temperature can typically be greater than the influence of the ambient temperature on temperature. The problem caused by quite large temperature fluctuations is that high temperatures and low temperatures may limit the performance of, for example, the electronic components of the actuator that actuates the valve assembly.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome this problem. This object is achieved by the improved actuator according to claim 1, the improved valve assembly having an actuator according to claim 14, and the improved heat pump having a valve assembly according to claim 15. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to claim 1, there is provided an actuator for a heat pump valve assembly. The actuator includes a motor, a metal housing, and a thermal management assembly having a metal bottom flange portion, a metal upper flange portion, and a thermal insulation barrier disposed between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion, wherein the motor and the metal housing are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion, and wherein the thermal insulation barrier is constituted by one or more components made of a material having a thermal conductivity less than 1 W / (mK).

[0007] The term metal housing may refer to a part including at least some metal components. The metal housing may be made of metal, or may be made substantially or at least partially of metal. Preferably, at least the radially outer portion of the metal housing and / or the portion of the metal housing facing the thermal management assembly may be made of metal (such as aluminum). The metal components facilitate the transfer of heat from the motor.

[0008] According to the prior art, the motor can be arranged in a completely non-metallic housing. One advantage of the currently described metallic housing is that the metallic housing can be used to increase the thermal coupling between the housed motor and the outside of the motor via the metallic housing. To achieve this effect, the metallic housing and the motor can be directly connected to the metallic upper flange part via a relatively large metallic surface area.

[0009] Some components of the metallic housing can be made of non-metallic components (such as plastic parts) without significantly reducing the heat transfer capacity of the metallic housing.

[0010] The thermal insulation barrier can be the entire volume or a partial volume between the bottom flange part and the upper flange part. The thermal insulation barrier can include all or some structures between the bottom flange part and the upper flange part. The thermal insulation barrier can include air gaps, which provide significant thermal decoupling between the upper flange part and the lower flange part. The thermal insulation barrier prevents low temperatures at the location of the electronic components of the actuator. Otherwise, very low temperatures at the electronic components caused by fluid expansion at the valve connected to the actuator may lead to electronic device failures.

[0011] A magnetic coupling can be arranged at least partially between the bottom flange part and the upper flange part. The magnetic coupling can be arranged to couple the actuator to a component of the valve assembly such that the valve of the valve assembly can be opened and closed. The magnetic coupling can be regarded as part of the thermal insulation barrier, or it can be regarded as a separate part from the thermal insulation barrier. The magnetic coupling can be made of a component with a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulation barrier, in particular a metallic part.

[0012] The motor and the metallic housing are in direct contact with the metallic upper flange part. This direct contact corresponds to metal-to-metal contact, where there are no intermediate components (such as polymer seals) between the metallic housing, the motor and the metallic upper flange part. This direct contact maximizes the heat transfer between the metallic housing and the metallic upper flange part. By providing, for example, some thermal paste between the corresponding components, the heat transfer between the motor, the metallic housing and the metallic upper flange part can be additionally increased.

[0013] The thermal insulation barrier is arranged between the bottom flange area and the motor (such as a stepper motor and its electronic components). This configuration enables a significant reduction in the maximum temperature limit, the minimum temperature limit and / or the temperature fluctuations at the actuator.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermal barrier includes a radial inner sleeve, a radial outer thermal insulator, and / or an O-ring disposed between the inner sleeve and the outer thermal insulator. Preferably, some or all of the components of the thermal barrier are non-metallic, and / or the metal housing, at least a part of the motor, and / or the metal upper flange part are at least partially made of aluminum. Obviously, a certain aluminum alloy can typically be used. The thermal barrier can be disposed in the volume between the bottom flange part and the upper flange part. The volume occupied by the thermal barrier can leave or exclude a radial central space for, for example, a magnetic coupling. The volume occupied by the thermal barrier can preferably be defined by the flat surfaces of the bottom flange part and the upper flange part and / or the radial outer surface of the actuator.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, at least one of the components of the thermal barrier is made of a material whose thermal conductivity differs from that of the material of at least one of the flange parts by at least one order of magnitude. Preferably, the thermal conductivity of at least one component of the thermal barrier (15) is in the range between 0.15 W / (mK) and 0.28 W / (mK), more preferably in the range between 0.19 W / (mK) and 0.24 W / (mK). Since the thermal barrier can include an air gap, the air gap can also be regarded as a component of the thermal barrier. The air gap can be disposed around or beside the solid components of the thermal barrier. Including the air gap effectively reduces the thermal conductivity between the flange parts.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment, the thermal insulator has a radial outer surface and / or a radial inner surface, which preferably has a circular shape. Preferably, the distance between the radial inner surface and the radial outer surface varies along the circumference of the thermal insulator. In another preferred embodiment, the thermal insulator includes a through hole extending in the axial direction. In another preferred embodiment, the thermal insulator includes at least one concave and / or recessed part, and / or the thermal insulator contacts the flange part via at least two circumferential support parts, and / or the thermal insulator has an H-shaped cross section. The thermal insulator can be shaped to provide cavities, accommodate features such as screws or bolts, provide a contact surface for contacting the flange part, and for any other suitable functions.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment, the O-ring and the thermal insulator have the same extension in the axial direction of the valve assembly. The O-ring and the thermal insulator can be disposed between two parallel and equally spaced surfaces of the flange part.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment, the sleeve extends further than the thermal insulator and / or the O-ring in the axial direction of the valve assembly. The sleeve can facilitate the centering of the two flange parts relative to each other.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, the radial inner side and / or the radial outer side of the bushing is in direct contact with air over at least a part of its entire surface area. The bushing can be supported against its adjacent components such that an air cavity can be maintained between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion, thereby improving the thermal decoupling of the two components.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment, the radial inner surface and the radial outer surface and / or the axial upper surface and the axial bottom surface of the heat insulator are in direct contact with air over at least a part of its entire surface area. The components of the heat insulator can be shaped such that they allow a significant volume of air to be provided between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion. Accordingly, the volume of the gap between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion can include an air volume between 10% and 50%.

[0021] In another preferred embodiment, the electronic control components of the actuator are arranged in a synthetic housing that is connected to the metal housing in a manner opposite to the heat insulation barrier. Dividing the housing into two separate sub-housings (metal housing and synthetic housing) helps to reduce the heat transfer from the metal housing to the electronic components of the actuator.

[0022] In another preferred embodiment, the metal housing is in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion via a circumferential contact surface. The circumferential contact surface can have a cylindrical shape and can correspond to the radial inner surface of the metal housing and the radial outer surface of the upper flange portion.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment, the heat transfer capacity of the heat insulation barrier is equivalent to that of a plastic material heat insulator having a thickness between 1 mm and 8 mm and a horizontal cross-sectional surface area equal to or less than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier, wherein, preferably, the horizontal cross-sectional surface area of the plastic material heat insulator is between 25% and 100%, preferably between 50% and 75%, of the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier, and / or the thickness of the plastic material heat insulator is between 4 mm and 7 mm, preferably 5.5 mm ± 0.5 mm. The horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier can be defined as the area between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion, bounded on its radial outer side by the outer side of the heat insulator and on its radial inner side by the inner side of the bushing.

[0024] The present invention also relates to a valve assembly for a heat pump, the valve assembly including an actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and a valve portion for controlling fluid flow, wherein the valve assembly is connected to the actuator via a thermal management assembly of the actuator.

[0025] The present invention further relates to a heat pump having the valve assembly according to claim 14.

[0026] Further details and advantages of the present invention are described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:

[0027] Figure 1a 、 Figure 1b : Cross-sectional views of the actuator and the valve portion;

[0028] Figure 2 : Detailed cross-sectional view of the thermal management component; and

[0029] Figure 3a 、 Figure 3b : Detailed views of the thermal insulation barrier and the thermal insulator.

[0030] Figure 1a and Figure 1b are cross-sectional views of embodiments of the present invention, in which the actuator 1 and the valve portion 2 are attached to each other. The actuator 1 includes a motor 11, a metal housing 19a, and a thermal management component 12 having a metal bottom flange portion 13, a metal upper flange portion 14, and a thermal insulation barrier 15 disposed between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The actuator 1 may include any components required to actuate the valve of the valve portion 2. The actuator 1 may include the motor 11, the metal housing 19a, and / or electronic control components 20 for controlling the motor 11.

[0031] The valve portion 2, the thermal insulation barrier 15, the motor 11, and its electronic control components 20 may be aligned with each other in the axial direction. The axial direction may correspond to Figure 1a and Figure 1b the vertical direction in

[0032] and correspond to the rotation axis of the motor 11. The term metal housing 19a may refer to a part including at least some metal components located near the thermal insulation barrier 15. Other components (such as the synthetic housing 19b) that accommodate the motor 11 may be made of non-metal components (such as plastic parts). The non-metal components may be located at an end opposite to the thermal insulation barrier 15.

[0033] The electronic control components 20 of the actuator 1 are disposed in the synthetic housing 19b. Dividing the housing into two separate sub-housings (the metal housing 19a and the synthetic housing 19b) helps reduce the heat transfer from the metal housing 19a to the electronic components 20 located in the synthetic housing 19b.

[0034] Figure 1a and Figure 1b show the entire valve assembly for a heat pump. The valve assembly includes an actuator 1 and a valve portion 2 for controlling the fluid flow. The valve portion 2 is connected to the actuator 1 via the thermal management component 12 of the actuator 1. The connection between the actuator 1 and the valve portion 2 may include additional components other than the thermal management component 12, such as a magnetic coupling 21.

[0035] Figure 2is a detailed cross-sectional view of the thermal management component 12 and an adjacent structure.

[0036] The actuator 1, its motor 11, and the metal housing 19a contact the valve portion 2 via the thermal management component 12 of the actuator 1. The thermal management component 12 includes two flange portions 13, 14 and a heat insulation barrier 15 located between the two flange portions 13, 14.

[0037] The motor 11 and the metal housing 19a are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion 14. The motor 11 and the upper flange portion 14 are in contact with each other via their respective axial end portions. The axial end portions of the motor and the upper flange portion can be flat surfaces, preferably flat surfaces extending in the radial direction. The metal housing 19a and the upper flange portion 14 are in contact with each other via their circumferential contact surfaces 14' and / or via their respective axial end portions.

[0038] The upper flange portion 14 can have two different axial end portions, one of which contacts the motor 11 and the other contacts the metal housing 19a. The two different axial end portions can be parallel to each other and / or can be offset from each other in the axial direction. The axial end portion for contacting the metal housing 19a can be closer to the bottom flange portion 13 than the axial end portion for contacting the motor 11. The axial end portion for contacting the metal housing 19a can be radially more outward than the end portion for contacting the motor 11.

[0039] The metal housing 19a is in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion 14 via the circumferential contact surface 14'. The circumferential contact surface 14' can have a cylindrical shape and can correspond to the radially inner surface of the metal housing 19a and the radially outer surface of the upper flange portion 14.

[0040] The circumferential contact surface 14' can extend over the entire circumference of the upper flange portion 14 and the metal housing 19a. The upper portion of the metal upper flange portion 14 can be partially or completely inserted into the metal housing 19a. The entire upper portion of the upper flange portion 14 can be disposed radially inside the bottom portion of the metal housing 19a.

[0041] Referring to the upper portion means closer to the actuator 1, and referring to the bottom portion means closer to the valve 2. The upper flange portion 14 can extend from the approximate outer radius of the metal housing 19a to a central through-hole that houses parts of a coupling for coupling the motor 11 to the valve portion 2, such as a shaft. The diameter of the central through-hole of the upper flange portion 14 can be less than 20% of the outer diameter of the upper flange portion 14, preferably less than 15% of the outer diameter, and more preferably between 8% and 12% of the outer diameter.

[0042] The upper flange portion 14 can be arranged concentrically with the motor 11 and / or the metal housing 19a. The upper flange portion 14 can be a component separate from the component accommodating the valve 2.

[0043] The upper flange portion 14 can include a radially outer annular surface portion for contacting the axial end portion of the metal housing 19a. The radially outer annular surface portion can be the lowest portion of the upper flange portion 14, i.e., it can be positioned closest to the valve 2. The upper flange portion 14 can include an upper recessed portion for contacting the motor 11 and centering the motor relative to the upper flange portion 14. The upper flange portion 14 can include a bottom recessed portion for contacting the bushing 16.

[0044] The heat transfer capacity of the heat insulation barrier 15 can be equivalent to that of a plastic material heat insulator with a thickness between 1 mm and 8 mm and a horizontal cross-sectional surface area equal to or less than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier 15, where preferably, the horizontal cross-sectional surface area of the plastic material heat insulator is between 25% and 100%, preferably between 50% and 75%, of the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier 15, and / or the thickness of the plastic material heat insulator is between 4 mm and 7 mm, preferably 5.5 mm ± 0.5 mm.

[0045] The horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier 15 can be defined as the area between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14, bounded by the radially outer side of the heat insulator 17 and the radially inner side of the bushing 16. The shape of the horizontal cross-sectional area can correspond to a rectangular shape with or without a circular and / or coaxial hole at its center.

[0046] The heat insulation barrier 15 can be the entire volume or a partial volume between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The heat insulation barrier 15 can include all or some of the structures and components between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. At least one or more components of the heat insulation barrier 15 are made of a material with a thermal conductivity less than 1 W / (mK).

[0047] A magnetic coupling 21 can be provided at least partially between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The magnetic coupling 21 can include various sub-components that are arranged to couple the motor 11 to the components of the valve assembly 2 such that the valve of the valve assembly 2 can be opened and closed by the motor 11. All components of the magnetic coupling 21 can be provided below the upper flange portion 14 and / or above the housing and / or the valve cover of the valve 2. The radially inner components of the magnetic coupling 21 can be provided in a sealed compartment that preferably contains bearing components and / or mechanical transmission components for coupling the motor 11 to the movable components of the valve assembly 2. The sealed compartment can project from the structure of the housing of the valve 2. The radially outer components of the magnetic coupling 21 can be provided radially outside the inner components of the magnetic coupling 21 to provide corresponding magnetic interactions. All magnetic parts of the magnetic coupling 21 can be provided above the contact surface of the valve 2 contacting the actuator 1.

[0048] The magnetic coupling 21 can be regarded as part of the thermal insulation barrier 15 or it can be regarded as a separate part from the thermal insulation barrier 15. The magnetic coupling 21 can be made of components with a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal insulation barrier 15, especially metal components.

[0049] The motor 11 and the metal housing 19a are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion 14. This direct contact corresponds to metal-to-metal contact where there is no intermediate component (such as a polymer seal) between the metal housing 19a, the motor 11 and the metal upper flange portion 14. This direct contact maximizes the heat transfer between the metal housing 19a and the metal upper flange portion 14. By providing, for example, some thermal paste between two adjacent components, the heat transfer between the metal housing 19a and the metal upper flange portion 14 can be additionally increased. Through the direct contact between the metal housing 19a and the upper flange portion 14, the metal housing 19a acts as a heat sink for the actuator 1.

[0050] The thermal insulation barrier 15 can include various components for ensuring the thermal decoupling of the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 13 while providing sufficient mechanical support between the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 13.

[0051] The thermal insulation barrier 15 includes a radial inner bushing 16, a radial outer thermal insulator 17 and / or an O-ring 18 provided between the inner bushing 16 and the outer thermal insulator 17. The cross-section of the O-ring 18 is only shown on the left side of the thermal insulation barrier 15, but it is obvious that the O-ring 18 can extend along the entire circumference of the thermal insulation barrier 15. Some or all components of the thermal insulation barrier 15 can be non-metallic to reduce the heat transfer through the thermal insulation barrier 15.

[0052] The metal housing 19a, at least a portion of the motor 11, and / or the metal upper flange portion 14 may be at least partially made of aluminum. A thermal barrier 15 may be provided in the cubic volume between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The volume occupied by the thermal barrier 15 may leave or exclude a radial center or an annular space for, for example, the magnetic coupling 21.

[0053] The components of the thermal barrier 15 may not fill the entire volume between the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 13. Instead, the components of the thermal barrier may be shaped to provide air gaps that can provide significant thermal decoupling between the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 13.

[0054] Since the thermal barrier 15 may include air gaps, the air gaps may also be regarded as components of the thermal barrier 15. The air gaps may be provided around or beside the solid components of the thermal barrier 15. Including the air gaps effectively reduces the thermal conductivity between the flange portions 13, 14.

[0055] The O-ring 18 and the thermal insulator 17 have the same extension in the axial direction of the valve assembly 2. The O-ring 18 and the thermal insulator 17 may be provided between two parallel and equidistant surfaces of the flange portions 13, 14. The O-ring 18 and the thermal insulator 17 may be made of some elastic material such that they can be compressed in Figure 2 their assembled state as shown. The materials of the O-ring 18 and the thermal insulator 17 may have higher elasticity than the material of the bushing 16.

[0056] The bushing 16 may extend further than the thermal insulator 17 and / or the O-ring 18 in the axial direction of the valve portion 2 and / or the motor 11. The bushing 17 may define the distance between the flange portions 13, 14. The bushing 17 may center the two flange portions 13, 14 relative to each other.

[0057] The radial inner side and / or the radial outer side of the bushing 16 is in direct contact with air on at least a portion of its entire surface area. The bushing 16 may be supported against its adjacent components such that air cavities can be maintained between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14, thereby improving the thermal decoupling of the two components. The radial outer side of the bushing 16 and the circular axial end portion of the bushing 16 may be at least partially in contact with the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The radial outer side of the bushing 16 and the circular axial end portion of the bushing 16 may be the only portions of the bushing 16 that contact the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. The bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14 may each include a recess for at least partially receiving the axial ends of the bushing 16.

[0058] The radial inner surface and the radial outer surface and / or the axial upper surface and the axial bottom surface of the heat insulator 17 are in direct contact with air on at least a part of their entire surface area. The components of the heat insulator 17 can be shaped such that they allow a significant volume of air to be provided between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14. Thus, the volume of the gap between the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14 can include air between 10% and 50%. The heat insulator 17 and / or the O-ring 18 can seal the air cavity against the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14 such that the air is retained within the air cavity.

[0059] Figure 3a and Figure 3b A detailed view of the heat insulation barrier 15 and its components and the heat insulator 17 which is one of the components of the heat insulation barrier 15 is shown. The heat insulator 17 has a radial outer surface and / or a radial inner surface which preferably has a circular and / or rectangular shape. In Figure 3a and Figure 3b the embodiment, only the radial inner surface has a circular shape. The radial inner surface and the radial outer surface extend in the axial direction. The distance between the radial inner surface and the radial outer surface varies along the circumference of the heat insulator 17. Thus, the heat insulator 17 can be arranged to accommodate, for example, Figure 2 the circular magnetic coupling 21 and / or the circular bushing 16 and / or the circular O-ring 18 shown on the radial inner side of the heat insulator. At the same time, the rectangular metal housing 19a can contact the radial outer side of the heat insulator via the upper flange portion 14, also as Figure 2 shown.

[0060] The heat insulator 17 includes a through hole 173 extending in the axial direction. The heat insulator 17 further includes at least one concave and / or recessed portion 171. The recessed portion 171 can be provided on each side of the heat insulator 17 facing the bottom flange portion 13 and the upper flange portion 14.

[0061] The recessed portion 171 can be defined by a support portion 172 protruding axially from the recessed portion 171. The support portion 172 can be the radially innermost portion and / or the radially outermost portion of the heat insulator 17.

[0062] The heat insulator 17 contacts the flange portions 13, 14 via at least two circumferential support portions 172. The heat insulator 17 has a cross-section that is at least partially H-shaped. The H-shaped cross-section means that the horizontal recessed portion 171 is defined by a radially inner support portion and a radially outer support portion 172, thus forming an H-shaped structure as shown on the left and right sides of the heat insulator 17 in Figure 2 the figure.

[0063] The heat insulator 17 can be shaped to provide cavities, accommodate features such as screws or bolts, provide contact surfaces for contacting the flange portions 13, 14, and for any other suitable function.

[0064] The cavity can be defined by a horizontal plane of the recessed portion 171 and a vertical plane of the support portion 172. The cavity can be arranged adjacent to the O-ring 18, particularly between the O-ring 18 and the heat insulator 17 on one side of the O-ring 18 (preferably, on one side in the radial direction), and between the O-ring 18 and the bushing 16 on its opposite side (preferably, on the opposite side in the radial direction). The cavity can be arranged between the bushing 16 and the magnetic coupling 21.

Claims

1. An actuator (1) for a heat pump valve assembly, the actuator comprising a motor (11), a metal housing (19a) and a thermal management assembly (12), the thermal management assembly having a metal bottom flange portion (13), a metal upper flange portion (14), and a thermal insulation barrier (15) disposed between the bottom flange portion and the upper flange portion (13, 14), wherein, The motor (11) and the metal housing (19a) are in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion (14), and wherein the heat insulation barrier (15) is composed of one or more components made of a material with a thermal conductivity less than 1 W / (mK).

2. The actuator (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat insulation barrier (15) includes a radial inner sleeve (16), a radial outer heat insulator (17) and / or an O-ring (18) disposed between the inner sleeve (16) and the outer heat insulator (17), wherein preferably some or all of the components of the heat insulation barrier (15) are non-metallic, and / or the metal housing (19a), at least a part of the motor (11) and / or the metal upper flange portion (14) are at least partially made of aluminum.

3. The actuator (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least one of the components of the heat insulation barrier (15) is made of a material whose thermal conductivity differs from that of the material of at least one of the flange portions (13, 14) by at least one order of magnitude, wherein preferably the thermal conductivity of at least one component of the heat insulation barrier (15) is in the range between 0.15 W / (mK) and 0.28 W / (mK), more preferably in the range between 0.19 W / (mK) and 0.24 W / (mK).

4. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The heat insulator (17) has a radial outer surface and / or a radial inner surface, and the radial outer surface and / or the radial inner surface preferably have a circular shape, wherein preferably the distance between the radial inner surface and the radial outer surface varies along the circumference of the heat insulator.

5. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The heat insulator (17) includes a through hole extending in the axial direction.

6. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The heat insulator (17) includes at least one concave and / or recessed portion (171), and / or the heat insulator (17) contacts the flange portions (13, 14) via at least two circumferential support portions (172), and / or the heat insulator (17) has an H-shaped cross section.

7. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The O-ring (18) and the heat insulator (17) have the same extension in the axial direction of the valve assembly.

8. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The sleeve (16) extends further in the axial direction of the valve assembly than the heat insulator (17) and / or the O-ring (18).

9. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The radial inner side and / or the radial outer side of the sleeve (16) are in direct contact with air on at least a part of the entire surface area of the radial inner side and / or the radial outer side.

10. The actuator (1) according to at least claim 2, characterized in that, The radial inner surface and the radial outer surface and / or the axial upper surface and the axial bottom surface of the heat insulator (17) are in direct contact with air on at least a part of the entire surface area of the radial inner surface and the radial outer surface and / or the axial upper surface and the axial bottom surface.

11. The actuator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electronic control component (20) of the actuator (1) is disposed in a synthetic housing (19b) that is connected to the metal housing (19a) opposite to the heat insulation barrier (15).

12. The actuator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The metal housing (19a) is in direct contact with the metal upper flange portion (14) via a circumferential contact surface (14').

13. The actuator (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The heat transfer capacity of the heat insulation barrier (15) is equivalent to that of a plastic material heat insulation body with a thickness between 1 mm and 8 mm and a horizontal cross-sectional surface area equal to or less than the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier (15), wherein, preferably, the horizontal cross-sectional surface area of the plastic material heat insulation body is between 25% and 100%, preferably between 50% and 75%, of the horizontal cross-sectional area of the heat insulation barrier (15), and / or the thickness of the plastic material heat insulation body is between 4 mm and 7 mm, preferably 5.5 mm ± 0.5 mm.

14. A valve assembly for a heat pump, the valve assembly comprising the actuator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and a valve portion (2) for controlling fluid flow, wherein, The valve portion (2) is connected to the actuator (1) via the thermal management component (12) of the actuator (1).

15. A heat pump having the valve assembly according to claim 14.

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