Oil separator with laminated corrugated plate structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of oil separators, in particular to an oil separator with a laminated corrugated plate structure, which comprises a tank body, a shroud ring is fixedly assembled in the tank body, a plurality of corrugated plates with different widths are fixedly mounted in the shroud ring, and the plurality of corrugated plates are laminated forwards and backwards, form a cylinder structure and are fixed on the inner wall of the shroud ring; the wave crests of any two adjacent corrugated plates are opposite to each other, and the wave troughs of any two adjacent corrugated plates correspond to each other; a plurality of separation channels are formed among the plurality of corrugated plates; micro-wrinkle groups are designed on the surface of the corrugated plate in an array manner and are positioned in the separation channel; the inner top and the inner bottom of the tank body communicate with a gas inlet pipe and an oil outlet pipe correspondingly, a gas outlet pipe communicating with the outside is installed on the inner wall, located below the corrugated plates, of the tank body, and the gas outlet pipe is high in outside and low in inside. And the oil separation effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of oil separators, specifically an oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure. Background Technology

[0002] In refrigeration systems, the gas discharged from the compressor contains a large amount of lubricating oil. If this grease cannot be effectively separated and replenished to the compressor, it will cause the compressor to run out of oil and be damaged. The lubricating oil in the refrigerant can also cause blockages and malfunctions in system filters, valves and other devices. The lubricating oil entering the evaporator will also condense at low temperatures and adhere to the inner wall of the evaporator, greatly reducing the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator, resulting in low refrigeration efficiency and increased energy consumption. Therefore, a high-efficiency oil separator is essential in refrigeration systems.

[0003] In existing technologies, traditional oil separation technologies mainly rely on filter interception or centrifugal sedimentation. Filter-type separation is prone to clogging, has rapid pressure loss growth, and requires frequent maintenance; while centrifugal separation is not efficient enough for separating tiny oil droplets and the equipment is relatively bulky. There is an urgent need for a highly efficient oil separator for oil-gas separation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an oil separator with a stacked corrugated plate structure. The combination of the positive and negative stacked corrugated plate structure achieves efficient oil separation of oil and gas. It is more compact in volume than ordinary oil separators and has a better oil separation effect.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An oil separator with a stacked corrugated plate structure includes: The tank body has a fixed hoop inside, and multiple corrugated plates of different widths are fixedly installed inside the hoop. The corrugated plates are stacked in opposite directions to form a column structure and are fixed to the inner wall of the hoop. The peaks of any two adjacent corrugated plates are opposite each other, and the troughs are opposite each other. Multiple separation channels are formed between the multiple corrugated plates. The surface of the corrugated plates is designed with a micro-fold array, which is located in the separation channels. The inner top and inner bottom of the tank body are respectively connected to an air inlet pipe and an oil outlet pipe. An air outlet pipe connected to the outside is installed on the inner wall of the tank body below the corrugated plates. The air outlet pipe is higher on the outside and lower on the inside.

[0006] Optionally, a positioning seat is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the tank above the corrugated plate, and an assembly cover is fixedly installed at the bottom of the positioning seat. A flexible sleeve is fixedly laid on the conical annular inner wall of the assembly cover. The flexible sleeve is filled with polymer. The polymer can expand or contract at equal intervals under the control of an external driver to change the flare area of ​​the flexible sleeve. The air inlet pipe is connected to the bottom of the positioning seat and can deliver gas to the flare of the flexible sleeve.

[0007] Optionally, a blade cover is rotatably mounted on the top of the positioning seat via a bearing. The interior of the blade cover is a cylindrical space. A passive axial flow fan blade is fixedly installed inside the blade cover. The axis of the passive axial flow fan blade is designed to be collinear with the axis of the cylindrical space of the blade cover. The bottom end of the air intake pipe is connected to the top of the cylindrical space, and the bottom of the cylindrical space is connected to the interior of the positioning seat.

[0008] Optionally, multiple suction pipes are installed on the outer wall of the air inlet pipe inside the tank, and the suction pipes are inclined with the inner side lower than the outer side.

[0009] Optionally, the annular outer wall of the blade cover is fixedly equipped with multiple active axial flow fan blades, which can generate an upward airflow when they rotate with the blade cover.

[0010] Optionally, a flow stabilizing baffle is fixedly installed inside the tank between the corrugated plate and the vent pipe. The flow stabilizing baffle is inclined and has capillary grooves on its surface to guide oil droplets downward.

[0011] Optionally, the corrugations on the corrugated plate may be inclined or curved.

[0012] Optionally, both sides of the corrugated plate are designed as functional surfaces, the functional surfaces are oleophilic coatings, the oleophilic coatings are fluoropolymer coatings or silicone-based polymer coatings, and the contact angle between the oleophilic coating and the lubricating oil is less than ten degrees.

[0013] Optionally, the corrugated plate has an ultra-slippery surface structure, which includes a porous microstructure layer formed on the surface of the corrugated plate; and a lubricating liquid impregnated in the porous microstructure layer, wherein the lubricating liquid is immiscible with the lubricating oil to be separated and forms a continuous smooth liquid film on the porous microstructure layer.

[0014] This invention provides an oil separator with a stacked corrugated plate structure, which has the following advantages compared to the prior art: 1. The combination of the stacked corrugated plate column structure and the micro-fold group creates a column structure inside the hoop, which is formed by multiple corrugated plates of different widths stacked and fixed in a "crest to crest, trough to trough" manner. The stacked structure itself forms multiple separation channels in a compact space, increasing the contact area and collision probability with oil droplets. At the same time, the array of micro-fold groups in the channels further disturbs the airflow and generates local vortices, making it easier for tiny oil droplets to collide with the plate wall and be captured under the inertial effect.

[0015] 2. The coordination between the flexible sleeve flare adjustment and the separation channel: When the compressor is under low load and the discharge volume is small, the external driver controls the polymer to contract, causing the inner wall of the flexible sleeve's conical ring to shrink inward, actively reducing the effective intake flare area. This allows the limited intake air to be concentrated and guided to part of the separation channel, avoiding the decrease in collision efficiency and oil film stagnation caused by excessively low flow velocity, ensuring efficient separation and oil return under low load. Conversely, under high load, the polymer expands, increasing the flare area and guiding the airflow to be evenly distributed to more or even all channels, preventing the surge in pressure loss and secondary entrainment caused by excessively high flow velocity in a single channel. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 The right view; Figure 3 For the present invention along Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure viewed in section AA; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the tank body of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the laminated corrugated plate in this invention; Figure 6 For the present invention along Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of the cross-section at point BB; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure at point C; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the active axial flow fan blade and the passive axial flow fan blade in this invention.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Tank body; 2. Inlet pipe; 3. Oil outlet pipe; 4. Outlet pipe; 5. Hoop ring; 6. Corrugated plate; 7. Assembly cover; 8. Flexible sleeve; 9. Positioning seat; 11. Blade cover; 12. Active axial flow fan blade; 13. Passive axial flow fan blade; 16. Suction pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Please see Figures 1 to 8 The present invention provides a technical solution: an oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure, comprising: Tank 1 has a fixed hoop 5 inside, and multiple corrugated plates 6 of different widths are fixedly installed inside the hoop 5. The multiple corrugated plates 6 are stacked in opposite directions and form a column structure, which is fixed to the inner wall of the hoop 5. The peaks of any two adjacent corrugated plates 6 are opposite each other, and the troughs are opposite each other. Multiple separation channels are formed between the multiple corrugated plates 6. The surface of the corrugated plates 6 is designed with micro-folds, which are located in the separation channels. The inner top and inner bottom of the tank 1 are respectively connected to the air inlet pipe 2 and the oil outlet pipe 3. The inner wall of the tank 1 below the corrugated plates 6 is equipped with an air outlet pipe 4 that communicates with the outside. The air outlet pipe 4 is higher on the outside and lower on the inside.

[0020] Compared to traditional oil separators, this design uses multiple corrugated plates 6 of varying widths stacked in opposite directions to form a columnar structure. This creates a peak-to-peak and trough-to-trough correspondence between any two adjacent plates. This structure creates a dense and three-dimensionally tortuous separation channel within a limited space, increasing the contact area and collision probability with oil droplets. At the same time, the array of micro-folds within the channel further disrupts the airflow, generating local vortices. This makes it easier for fine oil droplets to impact the plate wall and be captured under inertial effects, thus achieving separation accuracy and efficiency far exceeding that of traditional filters or centrifugal separators. Furthermore, the robust columnar structure composed of the stacked corrugated plates 6 is directly fixed to the inner wall of the hoop ring 5, which improves the stability of the stacked corrugated plates 6, extends their service life under long-term compressor vibration, and reduces the volume of the oil separator.

[0021] The outlet pipe 4 located below the corrugated plate 6 adopts an inclined design with the outside higher and the inside lower, which can make the clean gas after separation turn smoothly, avoid the generation of local eddies or sudden acceleration at the outlet, and also provide a settling path for a small number of escaped oil droplets or mist droplets that may be carried by the airflow, thus avoiding secondary entrainment and escape of lubricating oil.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, a positioning seat 9 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the tank 1 above the corrugated plate 6. An assembly cover 7 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the positioning seat 9. A flexible sleeve 8 is fixedly laid on the conical annular inner wall of the assembly cover 7. The flexible sleeve 8 is filled with polymer. The polymer can expand or contract at equal intervals under the control of an external actuator to change the flaring area of ​​the flexible sleeve 8. The air inlet pipe 2 is connected to the bottom of the positioning seat 9 and can deliver gas to the flaring area of ​​the flexible sleeve 8. In the prior art, inertial collision is simple and efficient, but problems are prone to occur when the working conditions change. For example, when the compressor displacement is small, many separation channels work at the same time. At this time, the accumulation efficiency of lubricating oil in each separation channel will decrease, resulting in the lubricating oil in each separation channel being in a state of accumulation, which easily leads to insufficient oil return and low oil return efficiency. For another example, when the compressor displacement is too large, the constant separation channel has insufficient flow area, resulting in a decrease in the oil separation quality, causing the lubricating oil to be discharged with the airflow. In this embodiment, please refer to Figure 7Under the control of an external actuator, the polymer can expand or contract at equal intervals to change the flare size of the flexible sleeve 8. The assembly cover 7 surrounds the top of the hoop 5 and can enclose all the separation channels. Therefore, when the compressor's discharge volume changes, the number of connections between the intake pipe 2 and the separation channels can be controlled by controlling the equal expansion and contraction of the conical annular inner wall of the flexible sleeve 8. This ensures that the internal airflow velocity is always close to the design optimum value throughout the compressor's entire operating range, thereby guaranteeing separation and oil return efficiency at low loads and maintaining low flow resistance at high loads, achieving optimal energy efficiency and reliability across the entire range.

[0023] Based on the embodiment of adjusting the number of working separation channels, a vane shroud 11 is rotatably mounted on the top of the positioning seat 9 via a bearing. The interior of the vane shroud 11 is a cylindrical space, and a passive axial flow fan blade 13 is fixedly mounted inside the vane shroud 11. The axis of the passive axial flow fan blade 13 is designed to be collinear with the axis of the cylindrical space of the vane shroud 11. The bottom end of the intake pipe 2 is connected to the top of the cylindrical space, and the bottom of the cylindrical space is connected to the interior of the positioning seat 9. In the prior art, the oil and gas discharged by the compressor is a highly mixed "aerosol". In the high-speed airflow, the gravity of the oil droplets is completely overwhelmed by the drag force of the airflow and cannot settle. However, in this embodiment, please refer to... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 8 The airflow is guided into the cylindrical space, causing the passive axial flow fan blades 13 and shroud 11 to rotate, thereby consuming the initial kinetic energy of the airflow and converting the harmful axial kinetic energy of the airflow into rotational mechanical energy. This conversion not only achieves controllable dissipation of kinetic energy, but also actively generates a stable forced swirling flow field in the cylindrical space. This swirling flow field achieves efficient pre-separation of oil droplets through centrifugal force on the one hand, and organizes the airflow into a uniform spiral flow on the other hand, thus providing ideal air intake conditions for the subsequent separation channel of the stacked corrugated plate 6.

[0024] Furthermore, multiple suction pipes 16 are installed on the outer wall of the air inlet pipe 2 inside the tank 1. The suction pipes 16 are inclined with the inner side lower than the outer side. According to Bernoulli's principle, when the airflow speed in the air inlet pipe 2 is relatively fast, the pressure near the airflow path will decrease. Since the air inlet pipe 2 is open, the residual gas inside the tank 1 can be attracted and then the oil separation process can be repeated.

[0025] Furthermore, multiple active axial flow fan blades 12 are fixedly mounted on the annular outer wall of the blade cover 11. When the active axial flow fan blades 12 rotate with the blade cover 11, they can generate an upward airflow. In the prior art, the active axial flow fan blades 12 can increase the rotational load of the blade cover 11, thereby effectively consuming the initial kinetic energy of the gas. Secondly, the active axial flow fan blades 12 generate an upward airflow during rotation, which can transport the escaped gas that has not entered the separation channel upward and re-enter the intake pipe 2 through the suction pipe 16.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, a flow-stabilizing baffle is fixedly installed inside the tank 1 between the corrugated plate 6 and the outlet pipe 4. The flow-stabilizing baffle is inclined and has capillary grooves on its surface to guide the downward transport of oil droplets. In this embodiment, the gas separated by the core of the stacked corrugated plate 6 enters the purification zone formed by the inclined flow-stabilizing baffle. The flow-stabilizing baffle forces the airflow to turn smoothly to suppress secondary entrainment and uses the active guiding effect of the surface capillary grooves to achieve zero retention and recovery of the captured oil droplets, thereby ensuring the final cleanliness of the gas at the outlet.

[0027] Furthermore, the corrugations on the corrugated plate 6 are designed to be inclined or curved. The inclined or curved corrugations force the straight-moving airflow to rotate, forming a spiral flow field. On the basis of inertial collision, centrifugal force is added, making it easier for oil droplets to be thrown towards the plate wall. This forms a dual synergistic separation mechanism of inertia and centrifugal force, which greatly improves the capture efficiency of oil droplets of different sizes. Secondly, it prolongs the contact time between oil droplets and the separation surface, and also provides multiple collision opportunities for oil droplets, especially improving the separation effect of small oil droplets that are difficult to capture.

[0028] Furthermore, two surface treatment techniques are provided to improve the flow of oil droplets. Example 1:

[0029] Both sides of the corrugated plate 6 are designed as functional surfaces, which are coated with an oleophilic coating. The oleophilic coating is either a fluoropolymer coating or a silicone-based polymer coating, and the contact angle between the oleophilic coating and the lubricating oil is less than ten degrees. The extremely low contact angle allows the oil droplets to overcome the surface tension and quickly spread into an ultra-thin liquid film at the moment of impact with the plate surface, increasing the effective wetting area and creating an ideal interface for subsequent collision and coagulation of oil droplets. Furthermore, the low surface energy characteristics of the coating can be utilized to allow the formed oil film to flow downward along the plate surface with extremely low resistance under the action of gravity and airflow shear force. The rapid spread of the oil droplets also prevents them from forming thick droplets in some areas, effectively suppressing secondary entrainment. Example 2:

[0030] The corrugated plate 6 has an ultra-slippery surface structure, which includes a porous microstructure layer formed on the surface of the corrugated plate 6; and a lubricating liquid impregnated in the porous microstructure layer. The lubricating liquid and the lubricating oil to be separated are immiscible and form a continuous smooth liquid film on the porous microstructure layer. The captured oil droplets come into contact with the smooth, continuous liquid film rather than the solid surface. Under the action of the extremely low interfacial tension between the two immiscible liquids, the sliding angle of the oil droplets approaches zero, and they can slide down with almost no resistance under a small external force, achieving faster oil droplet detachment and flow rate, and minimizing any retention of oil droplets on the separation surface.

[0031] By utilizing the combination of the above structures, the corrugated plate stacked structure achieves highly efficient oil separation for oil-gas separation. It is more compact in volume than ordinary oil separators and has a better oil separation effect.

[0032] The standard parts used in this embodiment can be purchased directly from the market, and the non-standard structural parts described in the specification and drawings can also be processed without any doubt based on existing technical common sense. At the same time, the connection methods of each component adopt mature conventional methods in the existing technology, and the machinery, parts and equipment all adopt conventional models in the existing technology, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0033] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure, characterized in that: include: The tank body (1) is fixedly equipped with a hoop (5). Multiple corrugated plates (6) of different widths are fixedly installed inside the hoop (5). The multiple corrugated plates (6) are stacked in opposite directions and form a column structure and are fixed to the inner wall of the hoop (5). The peaks of any two adjacent corrugated plates (6) are opposite to each other, and the troughs are opposite to each other. Multiple corrugated plates (6) form multiple separation channels; The surface array of the corrugated plate (6) is designed with micro-folds, which are located within the separation channel; The inner top and inner bottom of the tank (1) are respectively connected to an air inlet pipe (2) and an oil outlet pipe (3). The inner wall of the tank (1) located below the corrugated plate (6) is equipped with an air outlet pipe (4) that communicates with the outside. The air outlet pipe (4) is higher on the outside and lower on the inside.

2. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning seat (9) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the tank (1) located above the corrugated plate (6). An assembly cover (7) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the positioning seat (9). A flexible sleeve (8) is fixedly laid on the conical annular inner wall of the assembly cover (7). The flexible sleeve (8) is filled with polymer. The polymer can expand or contract at equal intervals under the control of an external driver to change the flare area of ​​the flexible sleeve (8). The air inlet pipe (2) is connected to the bottom of the positioning seat (9) and can deliver gas to the flare of the flexible sleeve (8).

3. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the positioning seat (9) is rotatably mounted with a blade cover (11) via a bearing. The interior of the blade cover (11) is a cylindrical space. A passive axial flow fan blade (13) is fixedly installed inside the blade cover (11). The axis of the passive axial flow fan blade (13) is designed to be collinear with the axis of the cylindrical space of the blade cover (11). The bottom end of the air intake pipe (2) is connected to the top of the cylindrical space, and the bottom of the cylindrical space is connected to the interior of the positioning seat (9).

4. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: Multiple suction pipes (16) are installed on the outer wall of the air inlet pipe (2) located inside the tank (1). The suction pipes (16) are inclined with the inner side lower than the outer side.

5. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The annular outer wall of the blade cover (11) is fixedly equipped with multiple active axial flow fan blades (12), which can generate an upward airflow when they rotate with the blade cover (11).

6. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flow stabilizing baffle is fixedly installed inside the tank (1) between the corrugated plate (6) and the vent pipe (4). The flow stabilizing baffle is in an inclined state and has capillary grooves on its surface to guide oil droplets downward.

7. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that: The corrugations on the corrugated plate (6) are designed to be inclined or curved.

8. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The corrugated plate (6) is designed as a functional surface on both sides. The functional surface is an oleophilic coating, which is a fluoropolymer coating or a silicon-based polymer coating. The contact angle between the oleophilic coating and the lubricating oil is less than ten degrees.

9. The oil separator with a layered corrugated plate structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The corrugated plate (6) has an ultra-slippery surface structure, which includes a porous microstructure layer formed on the surface of the corrugated plate (6). And a lubricating liquid that is immersed in the porous microstructure layer, the lubricating liquid being immiscible with the lubricating oil to be separated, and forming a continuous smooth liquid film on the porous microstructure layer.

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