Liquid storage drying tank with multi-channel pile-up valve

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank comprises an aluminum cover, a tank body, a central pipe, a drying bag, a filter screen, a stop screen, a support and one or more electronic expansion valves. The aluminum cover is hermetically welded and connected with the tank body to form an internal closed cavity; a refrigerant inlet connector and one or more independent refrigerant outlet connectors arranged around the refrigerant inlet connector are integrally formed in the aluminum cover. And an electronic expansion valve mounting interface is integrated on each refrigerant outlet interface and is used for mounting an electronic expansion valve so as to independently regulate and control the refrigerant flow of the corresponding outlet channel. By means of the design of the specially-made aluminum cover, one-in and multiple-out refrigerant can be achieved, a plurality of refrigerant channels are formed, different refrigeration objects are guided, electronic expansion valves of different specifications can be integrated on each refrigerant channel, different refrigerant flow adjustment is achieved, and different cooling targets of different refrigeration objects are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobile refrigeration, and in particular to a multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage drying tank. Background Art

[0002] The receiver-dryer tank is an essential component in automotive refrigeration systems. Its core function is to store the liquid refrigerant in the refrigeration system while also filtering and drying it. Traditional receiver-dryers come in two main forms: one built into the condenser, and the other a separate, separate receiver-dryer tank. The condenser's built-in receiver-dryer tank is limited by the condenser's own layout space and cannot achieve a large capacity. In contrast, a separate receiver-dryer tank offers greater flexibility and can be customized to meet specific needs.

[0003] However, when there are multiple cooling objects in the refrigeration system (such as different components in new energy vehicles), traditional liquid storage desiccant tanks expose a significant flaw: they cannot adjust the refrigerant flow, and therefore cannot effectively match the refrigerant distribution requirements between various objects under different refrigeration modes.

[0004] At the same time, with the continuous development of new energy vehicles, market requirements for battery pack endurance and energy efficiency are increasing. Against this backdrop, refrigerant-direct-cooled (direct-cooled) battery packs, due to their high efficiency and energy-saving advantages, have gained favor among major automakers and have become the mainstream development trend in battery pack cooling. Vehicles using this technology constitute a system with multiple cooling targets.

[0005] The cooling system of these new energy vehicles equipped with refrigerant-directly cooled battery packs typically needs to serve both the passenger compartment air conditioning system and the battery pack. This change directly leads to a significant increase in the refrigerant required for the entire system compared to traditional air conditioning systems that only serve the passenger compartment. Consequently, the amount of liquid refrigerant required to be stored also increases dramatically, necessitating the system to be equipped with a large-capacity liquid storage desiccant.

[0006] Furthermore, the cooling modes of such systems are more complex, potentially including three basic modes: passenger compartment cooling alone, battery pack cooling alone, and simultaneous cooling of the passenger compartment and battery pack. If the passenger compartment air conditioning system is further divided into front and rear air conditioning, even more operating mode combinations will be generated. The crux of the matter is that the system's demand for refrigerant flow is not consistent in each specific operating mode. In particular, in operating modes where multiple cooling objects are cooled simultaneously, different cooling objects (such as different areas of the passenger compartment and the battery pack) often have different cooling targets, resulting in differences in the refrigerant flow rates they each require. Therefore, the refrigerant needs to be effectively distributed among the different objects, which usually requires the use of different valves.

[0007] The existing solution to the aforementioned refrigerant regulation and distribution issues involves adding independent electronic expansion valves at the inlet and outlet of different cooling units. However, this approach presents a new challenge: each independently located electronic expansion valve requires its own bracket for securing. This not only increases the complexity of system layout but also inevitably increases the cost of multiple brackets. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In response to the defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage drying tank. Through the special aluminum cover design, it can realize one inlet and multiple outlets of refrigerant, forming multiple refrigerant channels to guide different refrigeration objects. Each refrigerant channel can be integrated with electronic expansion valves of different specifications to achieve different refrigerant flow adjustments to meet the different cooling targets of different refrigeration objects.

[0009] In order to achieve the above technical effects, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0010] A multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank, comprising: an aluminum cover, a tank body, a central tube, a drying bag, a filter screen, a retaining screen, a bracket, and one or more electronic expansion valves;

[0011] The aluminum cover is sealed and welded to the tank body to form a closed cavity for accommodating the drying bag and the filter screen;

[0012] The aluminum cover is integrated with a refrigerant inlet interface and one or more independent refrigerant outlet interfaces arranged around the refrigerant inlet interface; each refrigerant outlet interface is integrated with an electronic expansion valve installation interface for installing an electronic expansion valve to independently control the refrigerant flow of the corresponding outlet channel;

[0013] The upper end of the central tube is sealed with the lower end of the refrigerant inlet interface of the aluminum cover to form a channel for introducing the refrigerant into the closed cavity;

[0014] The drying bag and the filter are fixed in the closed cavity formed by the aluminum cover and the tank body, and are used to dry and filter the liquid refrigerant in the closed cavity. The retaining net is pressed on the top of the drying bag and the filter to fix them in place.

[0015] The bracket is fixed to the outside of the tank body by fasteners, and a vehicle installation buffer structure is provided between the bracket and the tank body.

[0016] Optionally, the electronic expansion valve installation interface is connected to the corresponding electronic expansion valve through a threaded connection, a flange connection or a quick-connect connector.

[0017] Optionally, an O-ring is provided between the central tube and the refrigerant inlet interface to achieve radial sealing.

[0018] Optionally, the retaining net is fixed to the inner wall of the tank by a snap-fit ​​structure, welding or interference fit.

[0019] Optionally, a rubber pad and a shock-absorbing pad assembly are integrated and installed on the bracket to form the vehicle installation buffer structure.

[0020] Optionally, the number of the plurality of refrigerant outlet interfaces matches the number of refrigeration objects. Optionally, the number of the plurality of refrigerant outlet interfaces matches the number of refrigeration objects.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] 1. Unlike traditional liquid storage and drying tanks, the multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage and drying tank provided by the present invention has one refrigerant inlet and multiple refrigerant outlets, and an electronic expansion valve can be integrated in each refrigerant outlet, which can realize one inlet and multiple outlets of refrigerant, forming multiple refrigerant channels to guide different refrigeration objects. Each refrigerant channel can be integrated with electronic expansion valves of different specifications to achieve different refrigerant flow adjustments to meet the different cooling targets of different refrigeration objects.

[0023] 2. The liquid storage drying tank provided by the present invention only requires one bracket for fixing, which saves the layout space of the electronic expansion valve, reduces the need for a separate electronic expansion valve fixing bracket, simplifies the direction of the refrigerant pipeline, helps reduce the cost and weight of the vehicle, and facilitates assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 An exploded view of the multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank described in the embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the aluminum cover described in the embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 Shows the flow direction of the refrigerant through the electronic expansion valve.

[0028] The figure shows:

[0029] 1-Aluminum cover 2-O-ring 3-Center tube 4-Block 5-Drying bag 6-Filter 8-Tank 9-Fixing screw 10-Shock-absorbing pad assembly 11-Stand 15-Refrigerant inlet interface 16-First refrigerant outlet interface 17-Second refrigerant outlet interface 18-First electronic expansion valve 19-Second electronic expansion valve DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0031] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0032] It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent figures. In addition, all directional indications in this application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, bottom...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a specific posture (as shown in the figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. Furthermore, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the application are for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank with a refrigerant inlet and multiple refrigerant outlets. Each refrigerant outlet can be integrated with an electronic expansion valve. Requiring only a single bracket for mounting, this tank offers advantages over existing solutions, such as simplicity, low cost, and light weight. Specifically, it includes the following components: an aluminum cap 1, an O-ring 2, a center tube 3, a screen 4, a desiccant bag 5, a filter 6, a tank body 8, a bracket 11, and one or more electronic expansion valves.

[0034] The aluminum cover 1 and the tank body 8 are sealed and connected along the edge through a welding process, forming a closed cavity with an internal volume for accommodating a drying bag and a filter screen, which constitutes the core container of the liquid storage tank. The aluminum cover 1 is provided with a refrigerant inlet interface and a plurality of refrigerant outlet interfaces arranged around the refrigerant inlet interface. Each refrigerant outlet interface is integrated with an electronic expansion valve installation interface for installing an electronic expansion valve to independently regulate the refrigerant flow rate of the corresponding outlet channel. The upper end of the central tube 3 is inserted into and connected to the lower end of the refrigerant inlet interface on the aluminum cover 1, forming a channel for introducing the refrigerant into the closed cavity, and the central tube 3 and the refrigerant inlet interface of the aluminum cover 1 are radially sealed by the O-ring 2 to ensure the airtightness of the refrigerant introduction channel. The refrigerant is introduced into the closed cavity through the channel of the central tube 3.

[0035] A drying bag 5 and a filter screen 6 are fixedly installed inside the sealed cavity formed by the aluminum cover 1 and the tank body 8 to dry and filter the liquid refrigerant. A retaining screen 4 is placed above the drying bag 5 and filter screen 6 and fixed to the inner wall of the tank body 8 (for example, by snapping, welding, or interference fit). It is pressed on top of the drying bag 5 and filter screen 6 to compress and fix the drying bag 5 and filter screen 6, effectively preventing them from moving within the tank body 8. The liquid refrigerant is stored in the sealed cavity and flows through the drying bag 5 and filter screen 6, being dried and filtered in the process. The treated refrigerant flows through the central tube 3 and finally flows out of the refrigerant outlet on the aluminum cover 1.

[0036] To facilitate vehicle installation and provide vibration reduction, an annular bracket 11 is secured to a specific location (e.g., a flange or threaded hole) on the outer wall of tank body 8 via fixing screws 9. Furthermore, a vehicle-mounted cushioning structure, comprised of a rubber pad and a shock-absorbing pad assembly 10, is integrated onto bracket 11 to provide cushioning and anti-slip properties. When bracket 11 is connected to the outer wall of tank body 8, the cushioning structure between them ensures the fluid reservoir is securely mounted and dampens vibrations.

[0037] The key to the design of the multi-channel integrated valve tank is its aluminum cover 1 component (see the detailed structure for details). Figure 2 The aluminum cover 1 is provided with a plurality of refrigerant pipe interfaces, including a central (or main) refrigerant inlet interface 15 and one or more refrigerant outlet interfaces arranged around it. The number of the plurality of refrigerant outlet interfaces matches the number of refrigeration objects. Each refrigerant outlet interface forms an independent refrigerant channel; for example, two refrigerant outlet interfaces (such as Figure 2 The first refrigerant outlet interface 16 and the second refrigerant outlet interface 17 shown in the figure can form two channels, which is directly applicable to systems with two refrigeration objects (such as passenger compartment air conditioning and battery pack cooling). What is particularly important is that the aluminum cover 1 has a reserved or integrated installation interface for the electronic expansion valve on the flow path (pipeline) of each refrigerant outlet channel. This interface is designed for direct series installation (for example, through threaded connection, flange connection or quick plug connector) of electronic expansion valve bodies of corresponding specifications (calibers) (such as Figure 2 The first electronic expansion valve 18 and the second electronic expansion valve 19 in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, these electronic expansion valves, directly integrated into the aluminum cover 1 of the liquid storage tank, precisely regulate the refrigerant flow and direction through their corresponding channels, thereby meeting the differentiated refrigerant distribution requirements for different cooling targets under different operating modes. This design also facilitates the expansion of the liquid storage desiccant into complex refrigeration systems with three or more cooling targets (such as passenger compartment cooling, battery pack cooling, or simultaneous passenger compartment and battery pack cooling), simply by adding outlet channels and corresponding electronic expansion valves as needed.

[0038] The above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention. Based on the above description, relevant personnel can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the technical concept of this invention.

Claims

1. A multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank, characterized in that: include: Aluminum cover, tank body, central tube, drying bag, filter, baffle, bracket and one or more electronic expansion valves; The aluminum cover is sealed and welded to the tank body to form a closed cavity for accommodating the drying bag and the filter screen; The aluminum cover is integrated with a refrigerant inlet interface and one or more independent refrigerant outlet interfaces arranged around the refrigerant inlet interface; each refrigerant outlet interface is integrated with an electronic expansion valve installation interface for installing an electronic expansion valve to independently control the refrigerant flow of the corresponding outlet channel; The upper end of the central tube is sealed with the lower end of the refrigerant inlet interface of the aluminum cover to form a channel for introducing the refrigerant into the closed cavity; The drying bag and the filter are fixed in the closed cavity formed by the aluminum cover and the tank body, and are used to dry and filter the liquid refrigerant in the closed cavity. The baffle is pressed on the top of the drying bag and the filter to press and fix them; The bracket is fixed to the outside of the tank body by fasteners, and a vehicle installation buffer structure is provided between the bracket and the tank body.

2. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic expansion valve installation interface is connected to the corresponding electronic expansion valve through a threaded connection, a flange connection or a quick-connect connector.

3. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: An O-ring is provided between the central tube and the refrigerant inlet interface to achieve radial sealing.

4. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The retaining net is fixed on the inner wall of the tank by means of a snap-fit ​​structure, welding or interference fit.

5. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket is integrally mounted with a rubber pad and a shock-absorbing pad assembly to form a complete vehicle installation buffer structure between the bracket and the outer wall of the tank.

6. The multi-channel integrated valve liquid storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of multiple refrigerant outlet interfaces matches the number of cooling objects.

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