Gas-liquid separator and flow control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a gas-liquid separator and a flow control method of the gas-liquid separator, the gas-liquid separator comprises a shell and a heat exchange unit, the shell is provided with an inner cavity, the inner cavity comprises a first chamber and a second chamber, the heat exchange unit comprises a regulation and control module and a heat exchange module, and the regulation and control module is connected with the heat exchange module. The heat exchange module comprises a first heat exchange module body and a second heat exchange module body, at least part of the first heat exchange module body is located in the first cavity, at least part of the second heat exchange module body is located in the second cavity, and the regulation and control module comprises a first flow regulation module. The first flow adjusting module is connected with the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module. According to the gas-liquid separator, the supercooling degree of the system can be well guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchange system technology, and specifically to a gas-liquid separator and its flow control method. Background Technology

[0002] In actual driving, uphill or downhill road conditions are unavoidable. When driving uphill or downhill, the gas-liquid separator will tilt, and the liquid refrigerant inside the separator will flow, resulting in insufficient heat exchange with the heat exchange unit, which in turn will affect the control of the system's subcooling.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a solution to overcome or alleviate the above-mentioned defects remains a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a gas-liquid separator and a flow control method for the gas-liquid separator, wherein the gas-liquid separator can better ensure the subcooling of the system.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a gas-liquid separator, comprising a housing and a heat exchange unit. The housing has an inner cavity, which includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The heat exchange unit includes a control module and a heat exchange module. The heat exchange module includes a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module. At least a portion of the first heat exchange module is located in the first chamber, and at least a portion of the second heat exchange module is located in the second chamber. The control module includes a first flow regulation module, which connects the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module.

[0006] By adopting the above solution, this embodiment of the invention optimizes the structure and layout of the heat exchange module by setting the heat exchange module as a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module, and separately setting the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module in the first chamber and the second chamber. At the same time, the flow rate in the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module can be adjusted by the first flow rate adjustment module, so that the heat exchange module can exchange heat well with the first refrigerant when the car is running under different road conditions, so as to ensure the subcooling of the system. This can largely overcome the problems of system instability, insufficient cooling capacity, and noise caused by insufficient subcooling, which is beneficial to improving the user experience.

[0007] The present invention also provides a flow control method for a gas-liquid separator, the flow control method comprising: acquiring the real-time tilt angle φ of a vehicle; and adjusting the flow rates of a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module according to the real-time tilt angle φ. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of one implementation of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A structural diagram from another perspective;

[0010] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the heat exchange unit, where the shell is shown as an outline.

[0011] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view;

[0012] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A bottom view;

[0013] Figure 6 This is a connection structure diagram of the first flow regulation module, the first heat exchange module, the second flow regulation module, and the outlet pipe in the heat exchange unit. The shell has been cut out and is only used for outline display.

[0014] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The left view;

[0015] Figure 8 This is a top-down view of the connection structure of the first coil section, the third coil section, the second flow regulating module, the third flow regulating module, and the outlet pipe.

[0016] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second and fourth coil sections from a top-down view.

[0017] Figure 10 This is a simplified state diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating under horizontal road conditions.

[0018] Figure 11 This is a simplified state diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating under downhill road conditions;

[0019] Figure 12 This is a simplified state diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating under uphill road conditions;

[0020] Figure 13 This is a schematic flowchart of the flow control method for the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention.

[0021] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0022] 100 Shell, 110 Bottom cover, 120 Top cover, 130 Outer periphery, 140 Inner cavity, 141 First chamber, 142 Second chamber;

[0023] 200 Heat exchange unit, 210 Control module, 211 First flow regulation module, 212 Second flow regulation module, 213 Third flow regulation module, 220 Heat exchange module, 221 First heat exchange module, 221a First coil section, 221b Second coil section, 222 Second heat exchange module, 222a Third coil section, 222b Fourth coil section, 230 Inlet pipe, 240 Outlet pipe, 250 Transition pipe;

[0024] 300 refrigerant inlet pipe;

[0025] 400 refrigerant outlet pipe;

[0026] 500° angle measurement unit. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0029] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "linking" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the term "multiple" refers to two or more. Furthermore, the use of "multiple" to describe the quantity of different components does not indicate a quantitative relationship between these components.

[0031] In the description of embodiments of the present invention, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0032] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" are determined based on the direction of fluid flow. For example, if pipe A is upstream of pipe B, it means that fluid can flow from pipe A to pipe B. Correspondingly, pipe B can also be said to be downstream of pipe A.

[0033] Please refer to Figures 1-9 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of one implementation of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A structural diagram from another perspective; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the heat exchange unit, where the shell is shown as an outline. Figure 4 for Figure 3 Top view; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A bottom view; Figure 6 This is a connection structure diagram of the first flow regulation module, the first heat exchange module, the second flow regulation module, and the outlet pipe in the heat exchange unit. The shell has been cut out and is only used for outline display. Figure 7 for Figure 6 The left view; Figure 8 This is a top-down view of the connection structure of the first coil section, the third coil section, the second flow regulating module, the third flow regulating module, and the outlet pipe. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second and fourth coil sections from a top-down view.

[0034] This invention provides a gas-liquid separator applicable to vehicles, specifically to heat exchange systems within vehicles, such as air conditioning systems. These vehicles include, but are not limited to, land vehicles, water vehicles, and air vehicles. Taking land vehicles as an example, these vehicles may be railway vehicles, road vehicles, etc. For ease of description, the following implementations will use automobiles as an example of road vehicles for illustrative purposes.

[0035] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the gas-liquid separator in this embodiment of the invention includes a housing 100, a heat exchange unit 200, a refrigerant inlet pipe 300, and a refrigerant outlet pipe 400.

[0036] The housing 100 is the external structure of the gas-liquid separator, and it may include a bottom cover 110, a top cover 120, and an outer peripheral portion 130. The bottom cover 110 and the top cover 120 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the housing 100. The outer peripheral portion 130 is used to connect the bottom cover 110 and the top cover 120, and the connection method may be welding, for example. After the connection is completed, the bottom cover 110, the top cover 120, and the outer peripheral portion 130 can enclose and form an inner cavity 140.

[0037] The overall shape of the housing 100 largely determines the appearance of the gas-liquid separator, and the overall shape of the housing 100 is mainly related to the structural form of the outer periphery 130. In the implementation shown in the attached drawings, the outer periphery 130 can be a cylindrical structure, and correspondingly, both the housing 100 and the gas-liquid separator can be presented as a cylindrical structure. In other implementations, the outer periphery 130 can also be a triangular cylindrical structure, a rectangular cylindrical structure, etc., and correspondingly, the housing 100 and the gas-liquid separator can also be presented as a triangular prism structure, a quadrangular prism structure, etc.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, the direction of travel of the vehicle can be defined as the X-direction. The aforementioned cavity 140 can be divided into a first chamber 141 and a second chamber 142 in the X-direction, combined with... Figure 3 An interface Y may exist between the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142.

[0039] It should be understood that the aforementioned interface Y is a virtual surface drawn for ease of understanding the area of ​​the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142, and is not a surface of an actual component. The first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142 are not isolated at the interface Y; that is, the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142 are still connected. Of course, in some other implementations of this invention, a dividing plate can be provided in the inner cavity 140. In this case, the two surfaces of the dividing plate can serve as the aforementioned interface Y. However, it should be noted that the dividing plate in this implementation needs to be provided with connecting holes to ensure that the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142 are in a connectable state.

[0040] Here, the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the size of the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142. In practical applications, those skilled in the art can adjust them according to specific needs, as long as the requirements of use are met. In an exemplary solution, the volumes of the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142 may be equal.

[0041] Both the refrigerant inlet pipe 300 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 400 can be connected to the housing 100 and can communicate with the inner cavity 140.

[0042] In a specific automotive heat exchange system scenario, the heat exchange system may include an evaporator, a condenser, a gas-liquid separator, and a compressor. The gas-liquid separator may be located downstream of the evaporator. The refrigerant, after evaporation by the evaporator, enters the inner cavity 140 through the refrigerant inlet pipe 300, where gas-liquid separation occurs. The gaseous portion of the refrigerant then flows to the compressor through the refrigerant outlet pipe 400 for refrigeration cycling; the liquid portion remains in the inner cavity 140. In this embodiment, the liquid portion of the refrigerant remaining in the inner cavity 140 can be referred to as the first refrigerant. The heat exchange unit 200 includes an inlet pipe 230 and an outlet pipe 240. The inlet pipe 230 can be connected to the condenser to introduce refrigerant condensed by the condenser into the heat exchange unit 200. The refrigerant in the heat exchange unit 200 can be referred to as the second refrigerant. Through the heat exchange unit 200, heat exchange between the second and first refrigerants can be achieved, thereby improving the system's subcooling. After exchanging heat with the first refrigerant, the second refrigerant can be discharged through the outlet pipe 240. Specifically, a throttling device is installed between the outlet pipe 240 and the evaporator. The second refrigerant discharged through the outlet pipe 240 can enter the throttling device to regulate the flow rate and pressure of the second refrigerant.

[0043] A typical heat exchange unit is a coil located inside the cavity and laid flat on the upper side of the bottom cover. When the vehicle is operating on or near a level surface, the refrigerant and the coil can make good contact, thus ensuring a relatively good heat exchange effect and helping to maintain the system's subcooling. However, if the vehicle is operating on an uphill or downhill slope, the vehicle itself is tilted, and the refrigerant in the cavity will flow, causing at least part of the coil to not be in contact with the refrigerant. This affects the heat exchange effect between the heat exchange unit and the refrigerant, which in turn affects the control of the system's subcooling. It may also cause problems such as system instability, insufficient cooling capacity, and noise due to insufficient subcooling, seriously affecting the user experience.

[0044] To address this, in this embodiment of the invention, the heat exchange unit 200 may include a control module 210 and a heat exchange module 220. The heat exchange module 220 includes a first heat exchange module 221 and a second heat exchange module 222. The portion of the first heat exchange module 221 disposed within the housing 100 is located in the first chamber 141, and the portion of the second heat exchange module 222 disposed within the housing 100 is located in the second chamber 142. The control module 210 includes a first flow rate regulation module 211, which is connected to the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222, and is used to regulate the flow rates of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222.

[0045] By adopting this approach, this embodiment of the invention sets the heat exchange module 220 as a first heat exchange module 221 and a second heat exchange module 222, and sets the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 separately in the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142. This optimizes the structure and layout of the heat exchange module 220. At the same time, the flow rate in the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 can be adjusted by the first flow rate adjustment module 211. This ensures that the heat exchange module 220 can exchange heat well with the first refrigerant when the car is running under different road conditions, so as to ensure the subcooling of the system. This can largely overcome the problems of system instability, insufficient cooling capacity, and noise caused by insufficient subcooling, which is beneficial to improving the user experience.

[0046] For example, when the vehicle is operating on or near a level road surface, the first flow regulation module 211 can essentially achieve an equal distribution of the second refrigerant between the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222, ensuring good heat exchange between both modules. It should be understood that this equal distribution is based on the premise that the structures and dimensions of the first and second heat exchange modules 221 and 222 are essentially identical. If their structures and dimensions are significantly different, the flow rates of the first and second heat exchange modules 221 and 222 can be adjusted based on their specific structures and dimensions. In short, under the above operating conditions, the liquid surface of the first refrigerant within the inner cavity 140 is essentially parallel to the horizontal plane, or the angle between them is small. Both the first and second heat exchange modules 221 and 222 can maintain relatively good contact with the first refrigerant, and their heat exchange performance should be maximized.

[0047] For example, when the car is running on an uphill or downhill road, depending on the car's tilt direction, the first flow regulation module 211 can selectively increase or decrease the flow in the first heat exchange module 221 (second heat exchange module 222) to selectively enhance or weaken the heat exchange performance of the first heat exchange module 221 (second heat exchange module 222). Specifically, if the car tilts towards the first heat exchange module 221, the flow rate within the first heat exchange module 221 can be appropriately increased to enhance its heat exchange performance. Furthermore, under some relatively extreme conditions, if the car tilts at a large angle, the first refrigerant will essentially not come into contact with the second heat exchange module 222, in which case the second heat exchange module 222 can be completely shut down. Similarly, if the car tilts towards the second heat exchange module 222, the flow rate within the second heat exchange module 222 can be appropriately increased to enhance its heat exchange performance. Furthermore, under some relatively extreme conditions, if the car tilts at a large angle, the first refrigerant will essentially not come into contact with the first heat exchange module 221, in which case the first heat exchange module 221 can be completely shut down.

[0048] Combination Figure 2 Specifically, the second refrigerant can flow into the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 through the inlet pipe 230. The first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 can be connected in parallel. In this way, the correlation between the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 is not large, and the flow rate of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 can be easily adjusted separately. Furthermore, the second refrigerant in the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 is fresh refrigerant, which is of positive significance for ensuring the heat exchange performance of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222.

[0049] In some implementations, the first flow regulating module 211 can specifically be a first three-way valve. The first three-way valve can include a first inlet and two second outlets. The first inlet can be connected to the inlet pipe 230, and the two second outlets can be connected to the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222, respectively. In other implementations, the first flow regulating module 211 can also include two two-way regulating valves. The two two-way regulating valves can be respectively installed in the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222, thus also enabling flow regulation of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222.

[0050] The first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 can each include only one heat exchange component, thus the structure of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 can be relatively simple.

[0051] Alternatively, at least one of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 may include multiple heat exchange modules. In this embodiment of the invention, the heat exchange components of the first heat exchange module 221 may be referred to as first heat exchange components, and the heat exchange components of the second heat exchange module 222 may be referred to as second heat exchange components. The portions of each first heat exchange component of the first heat exchange module 221 located in the housing 100 may be distributed at intervals in the first chamber 141. Similarly, the portions of each second heat exchange component of the second heat exchange module 222 located in the housing 100 may also be distributed at intervals in the second chamber 142; thus, the internal space of the first chamber 141 and the second chamber 142 can be utilized relatively reasonably. The control module 210 may further include a second flow regulation module 212 and a third flow regulation module 213. The second flow regulation module 212 may be connected to the first heat exchange module 221 and used to regulate the flow rate of at least a portion of each first heat exchange component. The third flow regulation module 213 may be connected to the second heat exchange module 222 and used to regulate the flow rate of at least a portion of each second heat exchange component.

[0052] With this configuration, depending on the degree of inclination of the road surface where the car is located, the flow rates of each first heat exchange component in the first heat exchange module 221 and each second heat exchange component in the second heat exchange module 222 can be adjusted, which can further improve the adjustability of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention, so as to improve the heat exchange performance of the heat exchange unit 200 and the first refrigerant.

[0053] Taking the car tilting towards the first heat exchange module 221 as an example, as the tilt angle increases, the number of conductive first heat exchange components can be selectively increased, thereby enhancing the heat exchange performance of the first heat exchange module 221 and the first refrigerant. Conversely, as the tilt angle decreases, the number of conductive first heat exchange components can be selectively reduced, thereby weakening the heat exchange performance of the first heat exchange module 221 and the first refrigerant.

[0054] Here, the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the connection method of each first heat exchange component in the first heat exchange module 221 and the connection method of each second heat exchange component in the second heat exchange module 222. In specific practice, those skilled in the art can make the selection according to specific needs, as long as it can meet the actual use requirements.

[0055] In some optional implementations, the first heat exchange components can be connected in series; the second flow regulation module 212 may include a second three-way valve, which may include a second inlet and two second outlets; among two adjacent first heat exchange components, the upstream first heat exchange component may be connected to the second inlet of a second three-way valve, and of the two second outlets of the second three-way valve, the first second outlet may be connected to the downstream first heat exchange component, and the second second outlet may be connected to the outlet pipe 240. When the second inlet and the first second outlet are connected, the second refrigerant can flow from the upstream first heat exchange component into the downstream first heat exchange component; as for the most downstream first heat exchange component, it may be directly connected to the outlet pipe 240.

[0056] In this way, when all the first heat exchange components are turned on, the same part of the second refrigerant can repeatedly exchange heat with the first refrigerant through different first heat exchange components, which can more effectively improve the heat exchange effect of the first and second refrigerants, so that the temperature of the second refrigerant flowing out of the outlet pipe 240 can be lower, and the subcooling of the system can be improved to a greater extent.

[0057] Meanwhile, since each of the first heat exchange components can be connected to the outlet pipe 240, even if some of the first heat exchange components are not connected, the second refrigerant can flow in reverse through the outlet pipe 240 into the unconnected first heat exchange components and remain there. This arrangement allows for two advantages: firstly, pre-filling of each first heat exchange component, ensuring that the second refrigerant is already present when the corresponding component needs to be connected, enabling faster heat exchange and improved response speed; secondly, the retention of some second refrigerant in the first heat exchange components reduces the amount of refrigerant circulating in the system, allowing for refrigerant redistribution and significantly reducing the risk of liquid slugging in the compressor.

[0058] Similarly, the second heat exchange components of the second heat exchange module 222 can also be connected in series; the third flow regulating module 213 may include a third three-way valve, which may include a third inlet and two second outlets; among two adjacent second heat exchange components, the upstream second heat exchange component may be connected to the third inlet of a third three-way valve, and one of the two third outlets of the third three-way valve may be connected to the downstream second heat exchange component, and the other may be connected to the outlet pipe 240; as for the downstream second heat exchange component, it may also be directly connected to the outlet pipe 240.

[0059] To more clearly describe the above series scheme, the following embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated using the example that there are two first heat exchange components and two second heat exchange components.

[0060] When there are two first heat exchange components, there is one second three-way valve. The upstream first heat exchange component can be connected to the second inlet of the second three-way valve, and the downstream first heat exchange component can be connected to one of the second outlets of the second three-way valve. The other second outlet of the second three-way valve can be directly or indirectly connected to the outlet pipe 240 via a transition pipe 250. At the same time, the downstream second heat exchange component can also be directly connected to the outlet pipe 240. In this way, if only the upstream first heat exchange component is in use, the second three-way valve can be adjusted to disconnect the connection between the two first heat exchange components, and the second refrigerant will only circulate through the upstream first heat exchange component to the outlet pipe 240. However, since the outlet pipe 240 and the downstream first heat exchange component are still connected, the second refrigerant can also flow back from the outlet pipe 240 into the downstream first heat exchange component for storage without circulation, until the downstream first heat exchange component is also put into use and then participates in the circulation. In this way, there is no need to install a switching valve between the downstream first heat exchange component and the outlet pipe 240, and the structure and control logic of the heat exchange unit 200 can be relatively simple. At the same time, since the second refrigerant has been pre-filled in the downstream first heat exchange component, the second refrigerant in the first heat exchange component can circulate quickly once the downstream first heat exchange component needs to be put into use, which can improve the response speed. Furthermore, when the downstream first heat exchange component is not in use, this pre-filling can also reduce the amount of refrigerant circulating in the system, which helps to reduce the risk of liquid slugging in the compressor.

[0061] Similarly, when there are two second heat exchange components, there is also one third three-way valve. The upstream second heat exchange component can be connected to the third inlet of the third three-way valve, and the downstream second heat exchange component can be connected to one of the third outlets of the third three-way valve. The other third outlet of the third three-way valve can be directly or indirectly connected to the outlet pipe 240 via a transition pipe 250. Simultaneously, the downstream second heat exchange component can also be directly connected to the outlet pipe 240. Thus, if only the upstream second heat exchange component is in use, the third three-way valve can be adjusted to disconnect the connection between the two second heat exchange components, allowing the second refrigerant to circulate only through the upstream second heat exchange component to the outlet pipe 240. However, since the outlet pipe 240 and the downstream second heat exchange component remain connected, the second refrigerant can also flow in reverse from the outlet pipe 240 into the downstream second heat exchange component for storage without circulation, until the downstream second heat exchange component is also put into use and then participates in the circulation. The specific technical effects are as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0062] It should be understood that, in addition to the above-mentioned schemes of directly connecting the first heat exchange components in series and directly connecting the second heat exchange components in series, the schemes of connecting the first heat exchange components in parallel and connecting the second heat exchange components in parallel can also be adopted, or the first heat exchange components and the second heat exchange components can also adopt a combination of series and parallel connection schemes; in addition, for the above-mentioned schemes of direct series connection, except for the most upstream first heat exchange components and second heat exchange components, the remaining first heat exchange components and second heat exchange components and the outlet pipe 240 can also be equipped with individual switching valves. When the corresponding first heat exchange component and second heat exchange component are not connected, the switching valve can be closed. In this way, the second refrigerant can be prevented from flowing back into the unconnected first heat exchange components and second heat exchange components through the outlet pipe 240, which is conducive to ensuring the amount of refrigerant circulating in the system; as for the second three-way valve and the third three-way valve mentioned above, they can also be replaced by two-way regulating valves, as long as they can realize the start-stop regulation and flow regulation of the corresponding pipeline.

[0063] Here, the embodiments of the present invention do not limit the structural form of the first heat exchange component and the second heat exchange component. In specific practice, those skilled in the art can also make adjustments according to actual needs, as long as the requirements of use are met. For example, both the first heat exchange component and the second heat exchange component can adopt a coil structure to increase the residence time of the second refrigerant in the inner cavity 140, which is beneficial to enhancing the heat exchange effect between the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant.

[0064] For implementations where the number of first heat exchange components is two, such as... Figures 4-9 As shown, one of the first heat exchange components may include a first coil section 221a, and the other of the first heat exchange components may include a second coil section 221b. The plane containing the central axis of the first coil section 221a may form a first angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover portion 110. The plane containing the central axis of the second coil section 221b may form a second angle α with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover portion 110, and the second angle α may be greater than the first angle. Furthermore, at least a portion of the second coil section 221b may be located away from the bottom cover portion 110 relative to the first coil section 221a, as shown in Figure 110. Figure 5 The orientation and positional relationship in the middle, that is, at least a part of the second coil section 221b can be located on the upper side of the first coil section 221a.

[0065] In practical applications, the plane containing the central axis of the first coil section 221a can also be set to be parallel to the inner wall surface of the bottom cover 110. In this case, the aforementioned first included angle can be 0. It should be understood that parallelism here refers to basic parallelism, which allows for a certain degree of assembly error or a state of non-perfect parallelism caused by local deformation or misalignment of the first coil section 221a during use.

[0066] For implementations where there are two second heat exchange components, such as Figures 4-9 As shown, one of the second heat exchange components may include a third coil section 222a, and the other second heat exchange component may include a fourth coil section 222b. The plane containing the central axis of the third coil section 222a may form a third angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover portion 110. The plane containing the central axis of the fourth coil section 222b may form a fourth angle β with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover portion 110, and the fourth angle β may be greater than the third angle. Furthermore, at least a portion of the fourth coil section 222b may be located away from the bottom cover portion 110 relative to the third coil section 222a, as shown in Figure 110. Figure 5 The orientation and positional relationship, that is, at least a portion of the fourth coil section 222b can be located above the third coil section 222a. Similarly, the plane containing the central axis of the third coil section 222a can also be set to be parallel to the inner wall surface of the bottom cover portion 110 (the concept is the same as above), so that the aforementioned third included angle can be 0.

[0067] The second included angle α and the fourth included angle β mentioned above can both be less than or equal to the maximum tilt angle of the vehicle. For example, it could be equal to the maximum tilt angle. The maximum tilt angle It can be determined based on the actual situation, such as by combining driving experience, car configuration and other relevant information in advance.

[0068] It should be understood that the above description of setting both the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 as two heat exchange components is merely an exemplary illustration of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention. In fact, both the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222 may include a greater number of heat exchange components. Taking the first heat exchange module 221 as an example, in addition to the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b, there may be more coil sections arranged between the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b. For example, there may also be a third coil section. The angle α1 formed by the plane containing the central axis of this coil section and the horizontal plane may be greater than the first angle and less than the second angle α.

[0069] In some alternative implementations, the control module 210 can be located outside the housing 100. This avoids the influence of the refrigerant and temperature environment in the inner cavity 140 on the control module 210, which helps to ensure the service life of the control module 210; and it also facilitates the inspection and maintenance of the control module 210.

[0070] Of course, in some other implementations of the present invention, one or more adjustment modules of the control module 210 can be set in the inner cavity 140, which is also a possible solution.

[0071] In some alternative implementations, the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention may also include an angle measuring unit 500, which may be, for example, a tilt sensor, a gyroscope sensor, an optical encoder, a magnetic encoder, etc., for detecting the real-time tilt angle φ of the vehicle, so as to cooperate with the control module 210 to distribute the flow of the second refrigerant.

[0072] The angle measuring unit 500 can be mounted on the housing 100, thus allowing for a high degree of integration of the gas-liquid separator. Alternatively, the angle measuring unit 500 can also be located in other parts of the vehicle, without any specific limitation.

[0073] In fact, the gas-liquid separator provided by this invention may also omit the aforementioned angle measuring unit 500. In this case, the number of components in the gas-liquid separator can be relatively small, and the overall structure can be simpler. Furthermore, in practical applications, sensors located at other locations on the vehicle can be used to detect the vehicle's real-time tilt angle φ, which is also feasible.

[0074] Please refer to Figures 10-12 , Figure 10 This is a simplified state diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating under horizontal road conditions. Figure 11 This is a simplified state diagram showing the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating on a downhill road surface. Figure 12 This is a simplified state diagram of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention operating on an uphill road surface.

[0075] To facilitate a simple explanation of the control process of the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention, the following embodiments of the present invention will also be combined with... Figures 10-12 This section provides an exemplary description of how the gas-liquid separator is adjusted under different operating conditions of a vehicle. In the X direction, the second heat exchange module 222 is positioned relatively close to the front of the vehicle, and the first heat exchange module 221 is positioned relatively close to the rear of the vehicle.

[0076] like Figure 10 As shown, the real-time tilt angle of the vehicle when it is running on a level road surface. When the liquid level P of the first refrigerant is parallel to the horizontal plane, the second and third three-way valves can be adjusted so that only the first coil section 221a and the third coil section 222a are put into use, while the second coil section 221b and the fourth coil section 222b are not put into use.

[0077] It should be understood that in actual driving, it is relatively rare for a car to be completely on a level road surface. Therefore, this embodiment of the invention also introduces the concept of a near-level road surface condition, namely, the real-time tilt angle of the car. Not zero, but the real-time tilt angle The value is not very large; specifically, it can be combined with the above maximum tilt angle. Define it, for example, you can The operating condition is defined as being close to a level road surface, where the front of the car is tilted relatively upwards, and the real-time tilt angle is... When the value is positive, and the front of the car is tilted downwards, the real-time tilt angle is... It is a negative value.

[0078] like Figure 11 As shown, when the car is running downhill, the real-time tilt angle φ of the car is negative, and the angle between the first refrigerant P and the horizontal plane Q is...

[0079] exist When the tilt is not yet very large, the second and third three-way valves can be adjusted to put the first coil section 221a, the third coil section 222a, and the fourth coil section 222b into operation, and then the second coil section 221b can be shut down. Furthermore, as the tilt increases or decreases, the flow rate of the second refrigerant in the first coil section 221a can be gradually adjusted.

[0080] exist When the tilt is already very large, the second three-way valve and the third three-way valve can be adjusted to put the third coil section 222a and the fourth coil section 222b into use, and shut down the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b.

[0081] like Figure 12 As shown, the real-time tilt angle of the vehicle when it is running on an uphill road is displayed. The value is positive, and the angle between the first refrigerant P and the horizontal plane Q is...

[0082] exist When the tilt is not yet very large, the second and third three-way valves can be adjusted to put the first coil section 221a, the second coil section 221b, and the third coil section 222a into operation, and then the fourth coil section 222b can be shut off. Furthermore, as the tilt increases or decreases, the flow rate of the second refrigerant in the third coil section 222a can be gradually adjusted.

[0083] exist When the tilt is already very large, the second three-way valve and the third three-way valve can be adjusted to put the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b into use, and shut down the third coil section 222a and the fourth coil section 222b.

[0084] Please refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a schematic flowchart of the flow control method for the gas-liquid separator provided by the present invention.

[0085] like Figure 13 As shown, the present invention also provides a flow control method for a gas-liquid separator, applicable to controlling the gas-liquid separators involved in the aforementioned implementations. This flow control method may include: step S100, acquiring the real-time tilt angle of the vehicle. Step S200, based on the real-time tilt angle Adjust the flow rates of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222.

[0086] With this configuration, by adjusting the flow rates of the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222, the second refrigerant can be reasonably distributed within the first heat exchange module 221 and the second heat exchange module 222. This ensures that the heat exchange unit 200 can exchange heat well with the first refrigerant when the car is running under different road conditions, thereby guaranteeing the subcooling of the system. This can largely overcome problems such as system instability, insufficient cooling capacity, and noise caused by insufficient subcooling, and improve the user experience.

[0087] Taking the aforementioned first heat exchange module 221 as including a first coil section 221a and a second coil section 221b, the second heat exchange module 222 as including a third coil section 222a and a fourth coil section 222b, and the first heat exchange module 221 being farther away from the front of the vehicle than the second heat exchange module 222, the above-mentioned step S200 may specifically include the following steps S210 to S250.

[0088] Step S210: Determine the real-time tilt angle Does it meet the requirements? If so, then the third coil section 222a and the fourth coil section 222b are put into operation, while the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b are shut down. At this time, the vehicle is running on a downhill road with a relatively large degree of tilt.

[0089] Step S220: Determine the real-time tilt angle Does it meet the requirements? If so, control the first coil section 221a, the third coil section 222a, and the fourth coil section 222b to operate, and shut down the second coil section 221b. At this time, the vehicle is operating on a downhill road with a relatively small degree of inclination. It should be noted that as the degree of inclination increases, the flow rate in the first coil section 221a can be gradually reduced; correspondingly, as the degree of inclination decreases, the flow rate in the first coil section 221a can be gradually increased.

[0090] Step S230: Determine the real-time tilt angle Does it meet the requirements? If so, control the first coil section 221a and the third coil section 222a to start working, and shut down the second coil section 221b and the fourth coil section 222b. At this time, the vehicle is operating on or near a level road surface.

[0091] Step S240: Determine the real-time tilt angle Does it meet the requirements? If so, control the first coil section 221a, the second coil section 221b, and the third coil section 222a to operate, and shut down the fourth coil section 222b. At this time, the vehicle is operating on an uphill road with a relatively small degree of inclination. It should be noted that as the degree of inclination increases, the flow rate in the third coil section 222a can be gradually reduced; correspondingly, as the degree of inclination decreases, the flow rate in the third coil section 222a can be gradually increased.

[0092] Step S250: Determine the real-time tilt angle Does it meet the requirements? If so, the first coil section 221a and the second coil section 221b are put into operation, while the third coil section 222a and the fourth coil section 222b are shut down. At this time, the vehicle is operating on an uphill road with a relatively large degree of tilt.

[0093] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas-liquid separator, characterized in that, The device includes a housing and a heat exchange unit. The housing has an inner cavity, which includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The heat exchange unit includes a control module and a heat exchange module. The heat exchange module includes a first heat exchange module and a second heat exchange module. At least a portion of the first heat exchange module is located in the first chamber, and at least a portion of the second heat exchange module is located in the second chamber. The control module includes a first flow regulation module, which is connected to the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module.

2. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first heat exchange module includes a plurality of first heat exchange components located at least partially in the first chamber, and the first heat exchange components are spaced apart. The second heat exchange module includes a plurality of second heat exchange components located at least partially in the second chamber, with each second heat exchange component spaced apart. The control module further includes a second flow regulation module and a third flow regulation module. The second flow regulation module is connected to the first heat exchange module and can regulate at least a portion of the flow rate in each of the first heat exchange components. The third flow regulation module is connected to the second heat exchange module and can regulate at least a portion of the flow rate in each of the second heat exchange components.

3. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The heat exchange unit includes an outlet pipe; Each of the first heat exchange components is connected in series. The second flow regulation module includes a second three-way valve. Among two adjacent first heat exchange components, the upstream first heat exchange component is connected to the downstream first heat exchange component and the outlet pipe through the second three-way valve. The downstream first heat exchange component is directly connected to the outlet pipe. Each of the second heat exchange components is connected in series. The third flow regulating module includes a third three-way valve. Among two adjacent second heat exchange components, the upstream second heat exchange component is connected to the downstream second heat exchange component and the outlet pipe through the third three-way valve. The downstream second heat exchange component is directly connected to the outlet pipe.

4. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing includes a bottom cover; The number of the first heat exchange components is two, one of which includes a first coil section, and the other of which includes a second coil section. The plane containing the central axis of the first coil section forms a first angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover, and the plane containing the central axis of the second coil section forms a second angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover. The first angle is smaller than the second angle, and at least a portion of the second coil section is farther away from the bottom cover relative to the first coil section. The number of the second heat exchange components is two. One of the second heat exchange components includes a third coil section, and the other of the second heat exchange components includes a fourth coil section. The plane containing the central axis of the third coil section forms a third angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover, and the plane containing the central axis of the fourth coil section forms a fourth angle with the inner wall surface of the bottom cover. The third angle is smaller than the fourth angle, and at least a portion of the fourth coil section is far away from the bottom cover relative to the third coil section.

5. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the second included angle and the fourth included angle are less than or equal to the maximum tilt angle φ of the vehicle. max .

6. The gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The first flow regulation module includes a first three-way valve, and the heat exchange unit also includes an inlet pipe, which is connected to the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module through the first three-way valve.

7. The gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The control module is located on the outside of the housing.

8. The gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes an angle measuring unit, which is mounted on the housing.

9. A flow control method for a gas-liquid separator, characterized in that, The flow control method includes: Obtain the real-time tilt angle φ of the vehicle; The flow rates of the first and second heat exchange modules are adjusted according to the real-time tilt angle φ.

10. The flow control method for the gas-liquid separator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of adjusting the flow rates of the first heat exchange module and the second heat exchange module according to the real-time tilt angle φ includes: Determine whether the real-time tilt angle φ satisfies -φ max ≤φ≤-0.6φ max If so, control the third and fourth coil sections to start working, and shut down the first and second coil sections; Determine whether the real-time tilt angle φ satisfies -0.6φ. max <φ≤-0.2φ max If so, control the first coil section, the third coil section and the fourth coil section to start working, and shut down the second coil section; Determine whether the real-time tilt angle φ satisfies -0.2φ. max <φ<0.2φ max If so, control the first coil section and the third coil section to start working, and shut down the second coil section and the fourth coil section; Determine whether the real-time tilt angle φ satisfies 0.2φ. max ≤φ<0.6φ max If so, control the first coil section, the second coil section and the third coil section to start working, and shut down the fourth coil section; Determine whether the real-time tilt angle φ satisfies 0.6φ. max ≤φ≤φ max If so, control the first and second coil sections to start working, and shut down the third and fourth coil sections.

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