Jet pump unit and refrigerant circuit

Abstract

The invention relates to a jet pump unit (300) having at least two jet pumps (100) which are connected in parallel to each other and which are used for conveying a suction fluid (242) in a refrigerant circuit (200) of a temperature control system by means of the Bernoulli effect using a drive fluid (231), wherein each of the at least two jet pumps has a main nozzle (103) for accelerating a drive fluid, a secondary connection interface (102) for conveying a suction fluid, a mixing tube (104) located downstream of the main nozzle (103) and downstream of the secondary connection interface (102), and a diffuser (105) located downstream of the mixing tube (104), wherein the jet pump unit has a common pressure line (310) for conveying a drive fluid to jet pumps (100) connected in parallel, and wherein at least two jet pumps are arranged geometrically parallel to each other on a bending line, for example a circumferential line. The invention further relates to a refrigerant circuit (200) having such a jet pump unit (300).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ejector pump for delivering suction fluid in a refrigerant circuit of a temperature control system, and a refrigerant circuit having such an ejector pump. Background Technology

[0002] An injector pump (also called an injector) can be used, for example, in the refrigeration circuit of a temperature control system (for example, for regulating the temperature of one or more components of a vehicle). An injector has a main stream and a secondary stream, which mix within the injector. The main stream (driving fluid) is directed through the nozzle at high pressure and exits from the nozzle at high speed and thus at low pressure. The secondary stream (draw-in fluid) begins at a pressure significantly lower than the main stream but is also accelerated within the nozzle. These two streams mix, and the secondary stream portion is thus accelerated as the main stream exits the nozzle at a very high speed, entraining the secondary stream (where the impulse is transferred from the main stream to the secondary stream). In the case of a supersonic injector, a compressive shock is generated at the end of the mixing tube, further increasing the pressure. In the subsequent diffuser, kinetic energy can be additionally converted into pressure. In summary, the expansion of the high-pressure stream (main stream) in the injector draws in the secondary stream at a lower pressure. When properly designed, there is a higher pressure after exiting the injector than at the secondary inlet. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides an ejector pump unit and refrigerant circuit having the features of the independent claims. Advantageous designs are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

[0004] This invention employs the following measure: multiple injection pumps (also called injectors or syringes depending on their operating point (preferring exhaust or compression)) are connected in parallel to form an injection pump unit. This measure is particularly useful for ensuring that the injection pumps operate at their respective optimal operating points. Especially in vehicle temperature control systems, the performance requirements for injection pumps can fluctuate significantly. However, due to the rigid geometry of injection pumps, they typically operate efficiently only within a relatively narrow ratio range between the primary and secondary pressures. That is, injection pumps with rigid geometry can only operate at defined operating points (fixed mass flow rate, pressure ratio). Therefore, the injection pumps in the injection pump unit according to the invention are designed for individual activation and deactivation, thereby selectively activating one or more injection pumps simultaneously and compressing the intake fluid. Correspondingly, the parallel connection of multiple injection pumps allows for a wider operating range to be covered than that achievable using individual injection pumps. This, for example, prevents compression shocks in injection pumps operating at supersonic speeds from further traveling downstream of the mixing tube into the diffuser and thus reducing the efficiency of the injection pumps. The diffuser is used to convert the kinetic energy of the mixed fluid into pressure (i.e., potential energy). A diffuser can only perform this task efficiently when the fluid flowing through it is moving at subsonic speeds, because the diffuser's splitting wall acts as a nozzle on the supersonic flow. This is achieved by activating a number of jet pumps, matching the current performance requirements, to ensure that compressive shocks (and thus the flow is slowed to subsonic speeds) occur within the mixing tube (ideally in the end region of the mixing tube), and therefore, a subsonic input flow enters the diffuser.

[0005] The jet pump usable within the scope of this invention has a main nozzle for accelerating the drive fluid, a secondary connection interface for delivering the intake fluid, a mixing tube located downstream of both the main nozzle and the secondary connection interface, and a diffuser located downstream of the mixing tube. The jet pump can, in principle, operate in a transonic or subsonic manner. In a transonic jet pump, the drive fluid exceeds the speed of sound in its path through the main nozzle. This influences the nozzle design, as convergent flow guidance accelerates subsonic flows while divergent flow guidance accelerates supersonic flows. Therefore, at least the design of the main nozzle is related to the desired flow velocity. In the case of a jet pump operating at subsonic speeds, the speed of sound is not exceeded at any point.

[0006] As previously stated, in the jet pump unit according to the invention, at least two jet pumps are connected in parallel to each other. Here, the jet pumps connected in parallel are arranged geometrically parallel to each other on a curved line, particularly on a line forming an oval periphery, such as a circumferential line or an ellipse. Within the scope of the invention, these jet pumps are said to be geometrically parallel if the overall flow direction of the parallel jet pumps (the connecting straight line from the center of the main nozzle to the center of the outlet port or diffuser) deviates from each other by a maximum of 10°, and / or if the maximum dimension of the shape of the main side connection port deviates from the maximum dimension of the shape of the diffuser outlet by a maximum of 10%. As previously stated, the shape of the main side connection port can be circular, where the maximum dimension is the diameter.

[0007] The jet pump unit according to the invention has a common pressure line for supplying drive fluid to the jet pumps connected in parallel. For example, at least two jet pumps can be provided as tubular jets, which can be mechanically connected to each other, for example, by welding or by brazing to a common connecting block, which also houses the common pressure line. While tubular jets are generally understood to be jet pumps in which the fluid-forming components (also called "cores") are each mounted in their own (separate for each jet pump) tubular fittings that serve as housings or casings, within the scope of the invention, such jet pumps are also referred to as tubular jets in which the cores of the jet pumps are mounted in a common tubular fitting that serves as a casing. Here, the core can in particular have fluid-forming components of multiple jet pumps, thereby reducing the overall number of components required. For example, the fluid-forming components can be made at least partially from plastic and / or metal that melts at relatively low temperatures, for example, by injection molding and pressed into the tubular fitting. Thus, the jet pumps can be mass-produced at low cost.

[0008] According to at least one design scheme, all jet pumps connected in parallel in the jet pump unit can be designed identically to each other, which has a favorable impact on manufacturing complexity. Alternatively, however, at least one of the at least two jet pumps can be designed differently from the other jet pumps in the at least two jet pumps. For example, one of the jet pumps can be smaller in size to allow for finer grading of operating intervals.

[0009] According to at least one design scheme, a common regulating mechanism, such as an actuator, is provided for selectively opening and closing a common pressure line for one or all of the injection pumps in a parallel connection. The common regulating mechanism (e.g., a rotating disc that sequentially releases or closes multiple openings, each connected to a connection interface of the parallel injection pumps) enables control with particularly low mechanical and regulating costs. Conventionally, each injection pump in a parallel connection can be operated, for example, with a separate (e.g., electromechanical) valve. In contrast, within the scope of this design scheme, common operation can be achieved with only a single regulating mechanism. Here, for this regulating mechanism, in addition to active operation (e.g., electromechanical actuators), passive operation can also be used, for example, when using thermomechanical components (such as hot wax, bimetallic materials, etc.), thereby completely eliminating regulating costs.

[0010] For example, a rotating disk that can be used for a common regulating mechanism can be housed in a housing having a substantially circular internal geometry and configured to either not release housing outlets, release one housing outlet, or release multiple housing outlets depending on the rotational position of the rotating disk, such that the jet pump connected to these outlets (hereinafter also referred to as "openings") is selectively supplied with or deprived of the driving fluid supply. For this purpose, the rotating disk can, for example, be equipped with a partition wall that extends radially on the rotating disk and, together with a similarly radially extending, inwardly projecting, fixed wall of the housing that contacts the rotating disk, defines an angular range through which the driving fluid can flow. The outlets can be distributed circumferentially across the base and / or lateral surfaces of the housing. Alternatively, the rotating disk can have holes that overlap with housing openings for establishing a fluid connection with the jet pump to be activated.

[0011] According to at least one design, a common suction line is provided for supplying suction fluid to the parallel-connected jet pumps, and optionally a common regulating mechanism, such as an actuator, is provided for selectively opening and closing the common suction line for one or all of the parallel-connected jet pumps. Alternatively or additionally, a common output line can be provided for discharging the drive fluid and suction fluid (i.e., the mixed fluid) from the parallel-connected jet pumps, and optionally a common regulating mechanism, such as an actuator, is provided for selectively opening and closing the common output line for one or all of the parallel-connected jet pumps. Selectively activating or deactivating secondary connection interfaces or outlets provides the additional advantage of preventing the mixed fluid from flowing back into the common suction line through jet pumps that are not currently receiving drive fluid. The secondary-side regulating mechanism (i.e., the regulating mechanism for opening and closing the common suction line or output line) can be particularly connected to the primary-side common regulating mechanism, allowing a single control element (e.g., an actuator) to perform all regulating tasks. Especially in the case of adjustment mechanisms used to open and close output lines, a flat blocking element (e.g., a movable wall) can be used instead of the rotary disc already described. However, depending on the specific common pressure line or suction line used, this design using a flat blocking element can also be used to open and close the common pressure line or suction line.

[0012] Alternatively, a separate check valve can be installed at the end of each diffuser to prevent backflow. This variant embodiment proposes using individual check valves to prevent backflow, which are installed at the outlet of the jet pump unit (in the intermediate pressure channel) and can thus be mounted on a common plate outside the housing of the respective jet pump or to a corresponding connection port in the common output line. This simplifies the installation of the check valves, reduces production costs, and improves accessibility for repair or maintenance.

[0013] As an alternative to the aforementioned rotating disk design, the rotating disk can also have a cavity, with at least one gap disposed in the base and / or top and / or side surfaces of the rotating disk leading into the cavity. This gap is configured to at least partially overlap with an opening in the base, top, or side surface of the housing receiving the rotating disk, depending on the position of the rotating disk. Here, according to at least one design, the gap is configured to simultaneously release one or more openings in the housing wall. For example, the gap can have an extension along the circumferential direction of the rotating disk exceeding the distance between two adjacent openings in the housing, such that one and the same gap can simultaneously not release an opening or simultaneously release one or more openings depending on the relative rotational position of the rotating disk relative to the housing. The introduction of suction fluid or driving fluid, or the export of mixed fluid, can be achieved through a cavity inside the rotating disk (e.g., through an axial opening in one of the end faces of the rotating disk).

[0014] Alternatively, the rotating disk can also comprise a (flat) solid cylinder with at least one recess in its base and / or top and / or side surfaces, the recess corresponding in design to at least one void described herein. In this case, the at least one recess can particularly include a channel for conveying intake or drive fluid or for discharging a mixed fluid.

[0015] For example, a circular borehole can be used as at least one gap or at least one recess, which can overlap with (e.g., equally circular) openings through discontinuous movement of the rotating disk. Other options are gaps or recesses extending along the circumferential direction of the rotating disk, which can simultaneously overlap with multiple openings in the opening or remain overlapping with corresponding openings over a large range of movement, thereby enabling continuous movement of the rotating disk (e.g., for slowly starting a jet pump to be turned on rather than suddenly supplying or drawing in drive fluid).

[0016] According to at least one design, the liquid phase separator is arranged within a region enclosed by a curved line or within a curved line (e.g., a circumferential line), with the ejector pump positioned along this curved line. This optimizes the use of structural space, and the liquid phase separator is thermally insulated from the surrounding environment by the ejector pump, which positively impacts the efficiency of the entire refrigerant circuit.

[0017] The refrigerant circuit according to the invention for a temperature control system includes at least one ejector pump unit according to the invention, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a refrigerant condenser for at least partially condensing the refrigerant downstream of the compressor, and a refrigerant evaporator for at least partially evaporating the refrigerant, wherein the ejector pump is arranged such that at least partially condensed refrigerant downstream of the refrigerant condenser is delivered to the ejector pump as a drive fluid and at least partially evaporated refrigerant downstream of the refrigerant evaporator is delivered as a suction fluid, wherein a gaseous portion is delivered to the compressor on the suction side and a liquid portion is delivered to the refrigerant evaporator.

[0018] According to at least one design, the outlet of the jet pump leads to a liquid phase separator, which is configured to separate the liquid and gaseous portions of the refrigerant.

[0019] In particular, the jet pump unit according to the invention or the refrigerant circuit according to the invention can be used in the temperature control system of vehicles, such as vehicles that are at least partially electrically driven. This temperature control system is particularly suitable for regulating the temperature of the vehicle's interior space and / or drive battery and / or drive motor and / or other components of the vehicle. However, it should be clearly noted that the design of the jet pump unit according to the invention or the refrigerant circuit according to the invention can also be used in other mobile and / or stationary applications, such as for cooling and / or heating and / or dehumidification of buildings (e.g., air conditioning, heat pumps, etc.). In particular, heating and / or cooling and / or dehumidification of buildings is preferably accomplished by equipment having the jet pump unit according to the invention or the refrigerant circuit according to the invention, especially HVAC systems (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems), preferably air conditioners or heat pumps. It is also conceivable that the jet pump unit according to the invention or the refrigerant circuit according to the invention can be used to heat drinking water, especially in hot water heat pumps.

[0020] Independent of other designs for jet pumps, one is to have a housing and a core disposed within the housing, wherein the core defines the internal geometry of the jet pump, and wherein the housing defines the external geometry of the jet pump and is provided for mechanically supporting the core. Here, multiple jet pumps (cores) can be housed, for example, in a common housing, or one core can define multiple jet pumps within a common housing. Specifically, the core can have a first material, while the housing can have a second material different from the first material, wherein the second material has higher mechanical strength and / or higher hardness than the first material, and / or wherein the first material has higher deformability than the second material at a predetermined temperature. Due to the higher deformability of the first material, the inner contour of the jet pump can be manufactured with particularly high precision (e.g., using injection molding processes). The inner contour is crucial for the design because it controls the flow of the drive fluid and the intake fluid. Therefore, the precision of the inner contour is also crucial, for example, for the efficiency of the jet pump. Because the core is supported by a housing comprising a mechanically more stable second material, the high pressure resistance of the entire jet pump is still ensured, and the core can be processed with significantly less of the first material. This is particularly evident in parallel patent application DE 102025145870.7. Figure 1 The accompanying description details a feasible design for such a jet pump that uses different materials in the casing and core. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Other advantages and designs of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

[0022] The invention is schematically illustrated in the accompanying drawings with reference to embodiments, and will now be described with reference to the drawings. Wherein: Figure 1 A jet pump as described in at least one design according to the invention is shown; Figure 2 The refrigerant circuit according to the design scheme of the present invention is shown; Figure 3 The design of the jet pump unit according to the present invention is shown; Figure 4A A first design of an adjustment mechanism, as shown in the top view, is an adjustment mechanism for activating, for example, according to... Figure 3 A single or multiple jet pumps in a jet pump unit; Figure 4B Shown in side view Figure 4A The regulating mechanism in the middle; Figure 5AA second design of the adjustment mechanism, as can be used in the design of the present invention, is shown in top view. Figure 5B Shown in a side sectional view Figure 5A The regulating mechanism in the middle; Figure 6A A third design of the adjustment mechanism, as can be used in the design scheme of the present invention, is shown in top view; Figure 6B Shown in three-dimensional perspective Figure 6A The regulating mechanism in the middle; Figure 7 A side sectional view shows an alternative design of the jet pump unit according to the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Figure 1 The jet pump, which can be used as described in at least one design according to the invention, is schematically shown in a longitudinal sectional view and is generally indicated by 100.

[0024] The jet pump includes a first connection port 101 for supplying drive fluid to a main nozzle 103 of the jet pump 100 and a second connection port 102 for supplying intake fluid to a mixing tube 104 of the jet pump 100 connected downstream of the main nozzle 103. In the example shown here, the main nozzle 103 is configured as a supersonic nozzle, which accelerates the drive fluid to speeds exceeding the relevant speed of sound when the input pressure of the drive fluid is appropriate and the pressure drop across the jet pump 100 is appropriate. The region within the main nozzle where supersonic speeds are achieved is indicated by a dashed ellipse. This acceleration significantly reduces the drive fluid pressure along the path through the main nozzle 103 up to the mixing tube 104 (e.g., from approximately 30 bar to 2 bar).

[0025] If a suitable input pressure of the suction fluid acts at the second connection port 102, which is typically significantly lower than the input pressure of the drive fluid (e.g., 2 bar), the suction fluid is accelerated by impulse transfer from the drive fluid in the mixing tube 104 downstream of the main nozzle 103 to the suction fluid. The drive fluid decelerates accordingly. Thus, under optimal operating conditions, the drive fluid is again below the speed of sound in the end section 140 of the mixing tube 104 away from the main nozzle.

[0026] A diffuser 105 is connected downstream of the mixing pipe 104. The diffuser is shaped as an expanded region in its cross-section and is used to further decelerate and increase the pressure in the mixed fluid (also known as the mixed fluid). For example, under the operating conditions described above, an outlet pressure of 3 to 4 bar can be achieved at the outlet of the diffuser.

[0027] In particular, the jet pump 100 can be designed such that its fluid forming component 120 (also referred to as core 120) is installed, for example, as an injection molded part into a pipe that serves as a housing or cover 110. As explained in more detail below, the core 120 herein includes, in particular, multiple fluid forming components of the jet pump, or multiple cores 120 are received in a common cover 110.

[0028] Figure 2 The refrigerant circuit according to the design scheme of the present invention is illustrated schematically with the aid of a functional diagram, and is generally represented by 200.

[0029] The refrigerant circuit 200 includes: a compressor 210 for compressing a refrigerant, such as propane, carbon dioxide, or other suitable gas capable of at least partial condensation under selected operating conditions; a refrigerant condenser 220; and an ejector pump unit 300 comprising a plurality of ejector pumps 100 connected in parallel, the ejector pumps being particularly capable of, as referred to Figure 1 The system is designed as described; a liquid phase separator 250; and a refrigerant evaporator 240 for transferring heat to the refrigerant. An expansion valve 245 is arranged upstream of the refrigerant evaporator 240 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0030] The jet pump unit 300 is especially capable of... Figure 3 or Figure 7 The design is as shown. Figure 7 As can be seen, the liquid phase separator 250 can be integrated into the ejector pump unit 300 and arranged in the middle between the ejector pumps 100. This reduces the required installation space and provides the advantage that the liquid phase separator 250 is thermally insulated from its surroundings by the ejector pumps 100, which improves the overall efficiency of the refrigerant circuit 200.

[0031] like Figure 2As can be seen, the ejector pump unit 300 in the refrigerant circuit 200 is used to pre-compress the depressurized refrigerant 242 discharged from the refrigerant evaporator 240. The liquid phase of the compressed refrigerant 231, after being discharged from the refrigerant condenser 220 (and, in this example, an additional heat exchanger 230, configured to transfer heat between the compressed refrigerant on the compressor pressure side and the refrigerant 253 delivered on the compressor suction side), is under high pressure and is directed as a drive fluid to the main nozzle 103 of the ejector pump 100 for acceleration and expansion. On the secondary side (connection interface 102), the depressurized refrigerant 242 is drawn in as suction fluid at the evaporator pressure level. The mixture 251, pre-compressed by the ejector pump unit 300, consisting of the drive fluid and the suction fluid, is directed to the liquid phase separator 250, where the separated liquid phase 252 is then directed to the refrigerant evaporator 240 via the expansion valve 245. The vapor portion 253 of the refrigerant separated in the liquid phase separator 250 is guided back to the compressor 210 via the heat exchanger 230. Pre-compression, achieved by means of the ejector pump unit 300, reduces the amount of compression work to be completed in the compressor 210.

[0032] Figure 3 The three-dimensional top view, with the aid of a partial sectional view, schematically illustrates the design of the jet pump unit according to the invention, without an adjustment mechanism, and is generally indicated by 300. Here, reference can be made in particular to... Figure 1 The first jet pump 100 described is connected in parallel with another jet pump 100, which can be designed in the same way as the first jet pump 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the first connection port 101 of the jet pump 100 is arranged on a circumference, which is a curved line. In this design, the central axes of the jet pump 100 itself or the mixing tube are also arranged on the circumference in a geometrically parallel manner. However, it should be noted that this does not necessarily mean an ideally precise circumference, but rather allows for deviations within acceptable tolerances.

[0033] In this example, the jet pump 100 is provided as one or more injection-molded parts (“cores” 120) housed within a common housing 110, which is, for example, composed of tubing. Fluid forming components of the jet pump (main nozzle 103, secondary connection interface 102, mixing tube 104, and diffuser 105) are formed within the core 120. The housing 110 mechanically supports the core 120 and has a common suction line 330 connection connector, which in this example includes a groove extending peripherally around the core 120 along with branch channels extending axially for directing the suction fluid to the secondary connection interfaces 102 of each jet pump. A cavity is provided between the jet pumps 100 (within the core 120), (e.g.) Figure 7Other components of the refrigerant circuit (as shown) can be installed into the cavity. For example, they can be installed through the refrigerant circuit located at the bottom of the cavity (such as...). Figure 3 The opening (shown eccentrically in the center) reaches the cavity.

[0034] Figures 4 to 6 illustrate different variations of the adjusting mechanisms 320, 320A, and 420 for controlling the injection pump unit 300 or other injection pump units. Here, exemplary positions of the corresponding adjusting mechanisms are shown for each design to illustrate the operating principles of the different variations of the adjusting mechanisms. Such adjusting mechanisms are arranged in... Figure 3 Below the jet pump unit 300 shown, and supplying drive fluid to each jet pump 100.

[0035] The regulating mechanism has a common pressure line 310 for delivering drive fluid to a first connection port 101 of the parallel-connected jet pumps 100, and the regulating mechanism is configured to selectively open and close the common pressure line 310 for each or all of the parallel-connected jet pumps 100.

[0036] Adjustment mechanism 320 Figure 4A The diagram is shown in a schematic top view and in Figure 4B The diagram is shown in a side view. The adjustment mechanism 320 includes a rotating disk 340 with gaps 324 of different sizes through which drive fluid can be guided to the main nozzle 103 of the jet pump 100 via openings 312 in the housing 350 of the adjustment mechanism 320. The rotating disk 340 is solidly constructed between the gaps 324 and is adapted to close the openings 312. In the example, the gaps 324 extend in a fan shape within segments of different sizes along the periphery of the rotating disk 340, so that depending on the rotational position of the rotating disk 340 relative to the openings 312, the openings 312 may be empty, one opening, or multiple openings may overlap with the gaps 324, thereby activating (supplying drive fluid) the jet pump connected to the corresponding opening and deactivating the jet pump whose opening 312 does not overlap with any gap 324. Advantageously, the adjustment mechanism 320 can be directly mounted on the housing 110 of the injection pump unit 300, for example, by welding the housing 350 of the adjustment mechanism 320 to the side where the main nozzle 103 of the injection pump is located. Thus, the opening 312 can directly lead to the first connection interface 101.

[0037] The driving fluid is directed from the common pressure line 310 to the gap 324, which can be achieved, for example, from the side of the housing 350 of the regulating mechanism 320 opposite to the opening 312.

[0038] For clarity, the adjustment mechanisms shown here are illustrated with only four openings 312. However, it is generally possible to provide corresponding adjustment mechanisms with the same number of openings 312 for any number of injection pumps, thereby enabling individual activation and / or deactivation of each of the injection pumps. Alternatively, it is possible to specify that multiple injection pumps are connected at a common opening 312 so that the multiple injection pumps are activated and deactivated together accordingly.

[0039] The common regulating mechanism 320 can be operated, for example, by means of an electromechanical actuator (not shown separately) or can also be passively controlled (e.g., in the case of using hot wax whose spatial extensibility changes with temperature or using bimetal). The common regulating mechanism 320 selectively activates the corresponding jet pump 100, and the jet pump delivers suction fluid from the second connection port 102, which in this example continuously supplies suction fluid from the common suction line 330, for example, from… Figure 2 The refrigerant evaporator 240 is shown. Subsequently, the pre-compressed mixed stream at the outlet of the ejector pump 100 is mixed by all the ejector pumps.

[0040] As mentioned, the number of correspondingly activated jet pumps 100 is determined here by the rotational position of the rotating disk 340 of the adjusting mechanism 320.

[0041] The second design scheme for the adjusting mechanism of the jet pump unit is in Figure 5A Shown in top view and in Figure 5B It is shown in a side sectional view and designated 320A. In this design scheme, as Figure 4A An alternative to the rotating disk 340 shown with mutually separated gaps 324, the adjusting mechanism 320A includes a rotating disk 340A with complexly or irregularly shaped gaps 324A, which functionally correspond to the gaps 324 in the first design 320. However, in this alternative, there are connections within the rotating disk 340A between the various "arms" or end segments of the gaps 324A, allowing driving fluid from a common pressure line 310 to be injected into each end segment of the gaps 324A or, as shown here, into the connections between the end segments of the gaps 324A, thereby reaching all end segments of the gaps 324A. Here, the direction of the driving fluid delivery to the rotating disk 340A is, in principle, irrelevant. As an alternative to the gaps 324, 324A shown in Figures 4 and 5, which extend over a large angular range, multiple individual gaps can also be provided at angular intervals relative to each other. These gaps correspond substantially precisely to the extension of the opening 312 in terms of their extension, such that discrete positions of the rotating disks 340, 340A activate the jet pump 100, while the intermediate position can be used to deactivate all jet pumps.

[0042] Figure 6A The top view shows a third design of the regulating mechanism for the jet pump unit according to the invention, and is generally indicated by 420. Figure 6B The perspective view shows the adjustment mechanism 420.

[0043] The difference between this third design of the regulating mechanism 420 and the two designs 320 and 320A described above is that the regulating mechanism 420 has a variable cavity geometry through which the driving fluid in the regulating mechanism is guided.

[0044] Therefore, as an alternative to a rotating disk with a defined gap 324, a rotating disk 340B is provided, on which a cylindrical pin is centrally arranged, and an isolation wall 440 extends radially outward from the cylindrical pin. The position or angular position of the isolation wall 440 within the housing (which is significantly thicker in this embodiment than previously constructed) is changed by rotating the rotating disk 340B.

[0045] Furthermore, a fixed wall 450 of the housing 350 is arranged within the housing 350. This fixed wall also extends radially and protrudes inward into the housing 350. Internally, the fixed wall seals with the rotating disk 340B in the illustrated plane ("downward") by means of a cylindrical pin of the rotating disk 340B and exits from the illustrated plane ("upward") to seal with the housing cover, especially (as far as possible) an airtight seal, so as to limit the angular range through which the driven fluid can flow to the cavity within the housing 350. In order to provide the largest possible angular range for different positions of the regulating mechanism 420, a common pressure line 310 is arranged in the example adjacent to the fixed wall 450 and extends "above" into the housing 350 of the regulating mechanism 420 in Figure 6. The outlets or openings 312 for supplying drive fluid to the various jet pumps are arranged peripherally along the lateral surface of the housing 350 and are always supplied with drive fluid when they are located within the cavity enclosed by the fixed wall 450 and the movable isolation wall 440 together with the interface of the common pressure line 310. If the opening 312 is located outside the cavity, then the opening is not supplied with drive fluid and the jet pump 100 connected to the opening is deactivated.

[0046] Regardless of the specific design of the adjusting mechanisms 320, 320A, and 420, the rotating disks 340, 340A, and 340B and the housing 350 can be made of the same or different materials. In particular, pressure-resistant materials, such as metals like aluminum, aluminum alloys, or steel, are used as much as possible for the housing. For the rotating disks 340, 340A, and 340B, materials with low frictional resistance when in contact with the material of the housing 350, such as plastics like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or similar materials, can be used. If necessary, combinations of multiple materials can also be used, such as a housing body and rotating disk core made of metal, with plastic coatings applied thereon, to improve the friction and sealing characteristics of the system.

[0047] Figure 7 A side sectional view schematically illustrates another design of the ejector pump unit 300 according to the invention. This view particularly shows the connection between the ejector pump unit 300 and other components of the refrigerant circuit. Here, the ejector pump unit 300 is exemplarily equipped with the regulating mechanism 320A shown in FIG. 5. In this example, a liquid phase separator 250 is arranged radially inward in the middle of the ejector pump unit 300, i.e., between the ejector pumps 100. This liquid phase separator 250 is housed together with the ejector pumps in a common housing, which is essentially formed by the casing 110 of the ejector pumps 100. In this example, the casing 110 has an outer tube (113) and an inner tube (114), wherein the inner tube 114 is bent at its upper end such that the outlet of the diffuser 105 of the ejector pump 100 occupies a defined position in the axial direction. In this example, the core 120 is pressed into the casing 110 and fixed in position by means of a ferrule 112. Furthermore, a check valve 360 ​​is provided in this example to prevent compressed fluid from flowing back from the liquid phase separator 250 into the currently inactive jet pump. As an alternative to the check valve 360 ​​shown here, the outlet of the active jet pump 100 can be released using a mechanism substantially the same as the regulating mechanism 320A on the inlet side, while the outlet of the inactive jet pump 100 is closed by a corresponding mechanism. In particular, this mechanism for selectively closing or releasing the outlet of the jet pump 100 can be mechanically coupled to the regulating mechanism 320 or activated by the same drive mechanism.

[0048] Gaseous refrigerant can be extracted from the gas phase 253 and liquid refrigerant from the liquid phase 252 via a central branch line from the liquid phase separator 250. The central arrangement of the liquid phase separator 250 between the ejector pumps achieves insulation between the liquid phase separator 250 and the surrounding environment of the ejector pump unit 300, thereby improving the overall system efficiency.

[0049] The remaining features correspond to the design of the jet pump unit 300 described above, so please refer to the relevant description.

[0050] It should be understood that the features described individually herein can be combined with each other arbitrarily without any problems, and therefore the design schemes described in the accompanying drawings should only be understood as examples of the concept on which the present invention is based.

Claims

1. A jet pump unit (300) having at least two jet pumps (100) connected in parallel to each other, the jet pumps being used to deliver suction fluid (242) in a refrigerant circuit (200) of a temperature control system using the Bernoulli effect when a drive fluid (231) is used, wherein, Each of the at least two jet pumps has a main nozzle (103) for accelerating the drive fluid, a secondary connection interface (102) for delivering the intake fluid, a mixing tube (104) located downstream of the main nozzle (103) and downstream of the secondary connection interface (102), and a diffuser (105) located downstream of the mixing tube (104). The jet pump unit has a common pressure line (310) for delivering driving fluid to the parallel-connected jet pumps (100). At least two jet pumps are arranged geometrically parallel to each other on the curved line.

2. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 1, wherein the jet pump unit has a common adjustment mechanism (320, 320A, 420) for selectively opening and closing a common pressure line (310) for a single jet pump, multiple jet pumps, or all jet pumps in the parallel-connected jet pumps (100).

3. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 2, wherein, The adjustment mechanism (320, 320A, 420) includes a rotating disk (340, 340A, 340B) rotatable within the housing (350), the rotating disk being configured to selectively release and / or selectively close an opening (312) in the housing (350), wherein each main nozzle (103) of the jet pump is connected to at least one opening in the opening (312) of the housing (350).

4. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 3, wherein, The rotating disks (340, 340A) have at least one gap (324, 324A), wherein the at least one gap is provided to at least partially overlap with the opening (312) of the housing (350) according to the rotational position of the rotating disks (340, 340A) within the housing (350).

5. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one gap (324, 324A) provides one or more openings in the opening (312) for simultaneous release of the housing (350).

6. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 3, wherein, The rotating disk (340B) is equipped with an isolation wall (440), which, together with the fixed wall (450) of the housing (350) extending inward into the housing (350) and contacting the rotating disk (340B), defines an angular range through which a driven fluid can flow. The opening (312) is distributed along the periphery on the housing (350) and is located within or outside the angular range through which a driven fluid can flow, depending on the rotational position of the isolation wall (440).

7. The jet pump unit (300) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least two injection pumps (100) are provided as tubular injectors, each having a housing (110) in the form of a pipe and a core (120) disposed within the housing. The core (120) defines the internal geometry of the jet pump (100). The housing (110) defines the external geometry of the jet pump unit (300) and is provided for mechanically supporting the core (120).

8. The jet pump unit (300) according to claim 7. in, The core (120) has a first material, and the casing (110) has a second material different from the first material. Wherein, the second material has higher mechanical strength and / or higher hardness than the first material, and / or At a predetermined temperature, the first material has higher deformability than the second material.

9. The jet pump unit (300) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The liquid phase separator (250) is arranged in the area surrounded by the curved line.

10. A refrigerant circuit (200) for a temperature control system, the refrigerant circuit comprising: an ejector pump unit (300) according to any one of the preceding claims; a compressor (210) for compressing a refrigerant (253); a refrigerant condenser (220) for at least partially condensing the refrigerant downstream of the compressor (210); and a refrigerant evaporator (240) for at least partially evaporating the refrigerant. in, The ejector pump unit is arranged such that at least partially condensed refrigerant (231) downstream of the refrigerant condenser (220) is supplied to the ejector pump unit as a drive fluid via a common pressure line, and at least partially evaporated refrigerant (242) downstream of the refrigerant evaporator (240) is supplied as a suction fluid. Downstream of the outlet of the jet pump unit, the gaseous portion (253) of the refrigerant is delivered to the compressor (210) on the suction side, and the liquid portion (252) of the refrigerant is delivered to the refrigerant evaporator (240).

Images