Oil-gas separator and air conditioning system

Abstract

This application relates to an oil-gas separator and an air conditioning system. The oil-gas separator includes a cylindrical body with a hollow interior forming an inner cavity. One end of the cylindrical body has a first connecting hole, and the other end has a second connecting hole. A third connecting hole is provided on the side wall of the cylindrical body. One end of an outlet pipe extends into the inner cavity through the first connecting hole, and the portion of the outlet pipe located in the inner cavity is defined as a first pipe segment. One end of an oil outlet pipe is installed at the second connecting hole and communicates with the inner cavity. One end of an inlet pipe extends into the inner cavity through the third connecting hole, and the portion of the inlet pipe located in the inner cavity is defined as a second pipe segment. The outlet end of the second pipe segment faces the outer wall of the first pipe segment, and a gap is left between the second and the outer wall of the first pipe segment for fluid to flow out. The axis of the second pipe segment is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of the first pipe segment. The fluid flowing out through the outlet end directly and perpendicularly impacts the outer wall of the first pipe segment, resulting in separation. This ensures that the fluid has sufficient impact force on the outer wall of the first pipe segment, thus improving the separation capacity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of oil separation technology, and in particular to an oil-gas separator and an air conditioning system. Background Technology

[0002] When an air conditioner compressor is running, it needs lubricating oil for lubrication. However, when the compressor discharges refrigerant, the lubricating oil will be discharged along with the refrigerant. This will increase the thermal resistance of the air conditioning system piping, reduce the heat transfer effect, and thus reduce the cooling or heating efficiency of the air conditioning system.

[0003] Therefore, an oil separator is installed between the compressor and condenser in the air conditioning system. The oil separator separates the lubricating oil and refrigerant discharged from the compressor outlet and returns the separated lubricating oil to the compressor through the oil return pipe to ensure the compressor's operation. To improve separation efficiency, the oil separator's volume is usually increased while adopting an eccentric arrangement between the inlet pipe and the cylinder. This is achieved by extending the fluid flow path during centrifugal motion to improve the effect of oil-gas centrifugal separation. This increases the volume of the oil separator and complicates its assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an oil-gas separator that can improve separation capacity without considering the volume of the cylinder.

[0005] This application provides an oil-gas separator, including a cylindrical body with a hollow interior forming an inner cavity. One end of the cylindrical body has a first connecting hole, the other end has a second connecting hole, and the side wall of the cylindrical body has a third connecting hole. An outlet pipe extends into the inner cavity through the first connecting hole, and the portion of the outlet pipe located within the inner cavity is defined as a first pipe segment. An oil outlet pipe has one end installed at the second connecting hole and communicating with the inner cavity. An inlet pipe extends into the inner cavity through the third connecting hole, and the portion of the inlet pipe located within the inner cavity is defined as a second pipe segment. The outlet end of the second pipe segment faces the outer wall of the first pipe segment, and a gap is left between the second and the outer wall of the first pipe segment for fluid to flow into the inner cavity. The axis of the second pipe segment is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of the first pipe segment.

[0006] Understandably, with the axis of the second pipe section perpendicular to and intersecting the axis of the first pipe section, the fluid flowing out through the inlet pipe (a gaseous refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) directly and perpendicularly impacts the outer wall of the first pipe section, resulting in oil-gas separation. At this time, the fluid flowing out through the inlet pipe experiences a significant impact force, enhancing the separation capacity. In this process, the fluid flowing out through the inlet pipe primarily relies on the impact with the outer wall of the first pipe section for separation, unaffected by the cylinder volume, thus achieving high separation capacity in a small-volume oil separator.

[0007] In one embodiment, the axis of the second pipe segment is defined as the first axis, and the projection of the inner periphery of the outlet end along the first axis is located on the outer wall of the first pipe segment. It is understood that all the fluid flowing out through the inlet pipe (gas-phase refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) directly collides with and separates from the outer wall of the first pipe segment, preventing fluid from overflowing outside the first pipe segment without colliding with its outer wall, thus improving the overall fluid separation capability.

[0008] In one embodiment, both the first pipe segment and the second pipe segment have circular cross-sections, and the intersection of the axis of the first pipe segment and the axis of the second pipe segment is the center of the cross-section at the corresponding position of the first pipe segment.

[0009] In one embodiment, the length of the cylinder is H along its axial direction, and the distance between the axis of the second pipe segment and the bottom surface of the first pipe segment is H1. The distances H1 and H satisfy: 0.1H ≤ H1 < H.

[0010] In one embodiment, along the axial direction of the cylinder, the length of the first pipe segment is h, and the length of the cylinder is H, where h and H satisfy: 0.2H ≤ h < H.

[0011] In one embodiment, the shortest distance between the end face of the outlet end and the outer wall of the outlet pipe is L1, and the distance between the outer wall of the first pipe section and the inner wall of the cylinder along the radial direction of the cylinder is L. The distances L1 and L satisfy: 0≤L1≤0.8L.

[0012] In one embodiment, the spacing L1 satisfies: 0 ≤ L1 ≤ 0.4L.

[0013] In one embodiment, the end face of the outlet end is an inclined surface that gradually slopes towards or away from the first pipe segment along the circumference of the first pipe segment.

[0014] In one embodiment, the surface perpendicular to the second pipe segment is defined as the first surface, and the angle β between the inclined surface and the first surface satisfies: 0 < β < 90°.

[0015] This application also provides an air conditioning system, including an oil-gas separator, wherein the oil-gas separator is the oil-gas separator described in any of the above embodiments.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the oil-gas separator provided in this application has its outer pipe wall of the first pipe section located on the fluid flow path leading out of the outlet. Therefore, the fluid (a gaseous refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) flowing out through the inlet pipe directly and perpendicularly impacts the outer pipe wall of the first pipe section, resulting in oil-gas separation. This avoids tangential fluid flow, ensuring sufficient impact force from the outer pipe wall of the first pipe section on the fluid, thus improving separation capacity. In this process, it mainly relies on the impact between the fluid and the outer pipe wall of the first pipe section, unaffected by the cylinder volume, achieving high separation capacity in a small-volume oil separator. During separation, due to the wall-adhering effect of the lubricating oil, it flows along the outer pipe wall of the first pipe section and deposits into the inner cavity, eventually being discharged through the oil outlet pipe. The separated gas flows out through the gas outlet pipe, avoiding the insufficient separation capacity caused by centrifugal separation and achieving better separation results. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an oil-gas separator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view from another angle;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of an oil-gas separator according to an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a graph showing the change in separation rate with distance L1 in an oil-gas separator according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Reference numerals: 1. Cylinder; 10. Inner cavity; 101. First connecting hole; 102. Second connecting hole; 11. Straight cylinder section; 111. Third connecting hole; 12. Conical section; 2. Air outlet pipe; 21. First pipe section; 3. Oil outlet pipe; 4. Air inlet pipe; 41. Second pipe section; 410. Outlet end; 4101. Inclined surface. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0025] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," "bottom," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are merely for describing various exemplary structural parts and elements of this application. However, their use herein is for illustrative purposes only and is determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings, and does not represent the only possible implementation. Since the embodiments disclosed in this application can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating orientation are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] It should be noted that "axial arrangement" means that the overall arrangement direction is along the axial direction, including but not limited to axial extension, and may be at an angle to the axial direction.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] See Figures 1-5 This application provides an oil separator. The oil separator includes a cylinder 1, an outlet pipe 2, an oil outlet pipe 3, and an inlet pipe 4. The cylinder 1 is hollow, forming an inner cavity 10. One end of the cylinder 1 has a first connecting hole 101, and the other end has a second connecting hole 102. A third connecting hole 111 is provided on the side wall of the cylinder 1. One end of the outlet pipe 2 extends into the inner cavity 10 through the first connecting hole 101, and the portion of the outlet pipe 2 located in the inner cavity 10 is defined as a first pipe section 21. One end of the oil outlet pipe 3 is installed at the second connecting hole 102 and communicates with the inner cavity 10. One end of the intake pipe 4 extends into the inner cavity 10 through the third connecting hole 111. The portion of the intake pipe 4 located in the inner cavity 10 is defined as the second pipe section 41. The outlet end 410 of the second pipe section 41 faces the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, and a gap is left between the outlet end 410 of the second pipe section 41 and the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 for fluid to flow into the inner cavity 10. The axis of the second pipe section 41 is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of the first pipe section 21.

[0031] It should be noted that the fluid refers to "a gaseous refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil".

[0032] It is understandable that the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 is located on the fluid flow path flowing out through the outlet end 410. Therefore, the fluid (gas-phase refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) flowing out through the inlet pipe 4 directly and vertically impacts the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, resulting in oil-gas separation. This avoids centrifugal motion caused by tangential fluid flow, ensuring sufficient impact force on the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and improving separation capacity. During the separation process, due to the wall-adhering effect of the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil flows along the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and deposits into the inner cavity 10, eventually being discharged through the oil outlet pipe 3. The separated gas flows out through the gas outlet pipe 2. This avoids the need to increase the cylinder volume due to centrifugal separation. It is not affected by the cylinder volume, and good separation effect can be achieved simply by the fluid (gas-phase refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) directly and vertically impacting the outer wall of the first pipe section 21.

[0033] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, it is clear that both the first pipe segment 21 and the second pipe segment 41 are straight pipe segments. The axis of the second pipe segment 41 is defined as the first axis Y1, and the axis of the first pipe segment 21 is defined as the second axis Y2. That is to say, the first axis Y1 and the second axis Y2 are perpendicular to and intersect each other, that is, the second pipe segment 41 and the first pipe segment 21 are arranged in the center.

[0034] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the cross-sections of the first pipe segment 21 and the second pipe segment 41 are both circular. The intersection of the axis of the first pipe segment 21 (i.e., the second axis Y2) and the axis of the second pipe segment 41 (i.e., the first axis Y1) is the center of the cross-section at the corresponding position of the first pipe segment 21.

[0035] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the cylinder 1 is arranged vertically, with the first connecting hole 101 located above the second connecting hole 102, and the third connecting hole 111 located between the first connecting hole 101 and the second connecting hole 102. Thus, when the fluid (a gaseous refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) flowing out through the inlet pipe 4 directly collides with the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and separates, the lubricating oil flows downwards along the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and deposits at the bottom of the inner cavity 10. The separated gas flows out through the outlet pipe 2.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the cylinder 1 includes a straight section 11 and tapered sections 12 connected to both axial ends of the straight section 11. A third connecting hole 111 is located on the side wall of the straight section 11. The cross-sectional areas of the two tapered sections 12 gradually decrease in the direction away from each other along the axial direction of the straight section 11. The first connecting hole 101 is provided on one end of the tapered section 12, and the second connecting hole 102 is provided on the other end of the tapered section 12. In this embodiment, the tapered section with the first connecting hole 101 is located above the straight section 11, and the tapered section 12 with the second connecting hole 102 is located below the straight section 11. It can be understood that the constriction formed by the tapered section 12 facilitates connection with the corresponding external pipeline, and the inner wall of the tapered section 12 guides the flow of lubricating oil or gas.

[0037] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, the projection of the inner periphery of the outlet end 410 along the first axis Y1 is located on the outer wall of the first pipe section 21. It can be understood that all the fluid (gas-phase refrigerant mixed with lubricating oil) flowing out through the intake pipe 4 directly collides with the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and is separated, avoiding the situation where the fluid overflows outside the first pipe section 21 without colliding with the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, thus improving the separation capability of all the fluid flowing out through the intake pipe 4.

[0038] In this embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the shortest distance between the end face of the outlet end 410 and the outer wall of the outlet pipe 2 is L1. Along the radial direction of the cylinder 1, the distance between the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and the inner wall of the cylinder 1 is L. The distances L1 and L satisfy: 0 ≤ L1 ≤ 0.8L. It should be noted that the shortest distance L1 refers to the distance between the first line X1, the line on which the outlet end 410 of the second pipe section 41 is projected along the axial direction of the cylinder 1, the tangent to the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, the first line X1 and the second line X2 being parallel, and the distance between the first line X1 and the second line X2 being L1.

[0039] By using the aforementioned spacing range of 0 ≤ L1 ≤ 0.8 L, the fluid, after flowing out of the outlet end 410, can directly impact the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, resulting in effective collision separation. This avoids the situation where the fluid falls directly without collision due to a spacing that is too large, such as greater than 0.8 L, thus ensuring the separation effect. See also Figure 4 It can be seen that as the spacing L1 increases, the separation efficiency gradually decreases, and after the spacing reaches a certain level, the degree of decrease in separation efficiency is not obvious.

[0040] In this embodiment, the spacing L1 satisfies: 0 ≤ L1 ≤ 0.4L. It can be understood that when the spacing L1 is less than or equal to 0.4L, the separation rate can be greater than 50%, and the separation rate gradually decreases as the spacing L1 increases. When the spacing L1 is less than or equal to 0.4L, the separation rate can reach over 70%. When the spacing L1 exceeds 0.4L, or even larger, the separation rate will significantly decrease to below 50%. When L is 10mm, L1 is 4mm.

[0041] In one embodiment, the end face of the outlet end 410 is a flat surface. In this embodiment, the end face of the outlet end 410 is an inclined surface 4101 that gradually slopes towards or away from the first pipe section 21 along its circumference. It is understood that the presence of the inclined surface 4101 guides and converges the fluid flowing out of the outlet end 410, and increases the amount of mixed gas output from the inlet of the inlet pipe 4 per unit time, intensifying the collision intensity between the mixed gas and the outer wall of the outlet pipe 2, causing the fluid to concentrate and rapidly impact the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, resulting in collision separation, and further improving the separation capability.

[0042] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the surface perpendicular to the second pipe section 41 is defined as the first surface, and the angle β between the inclined surface 4101 and the first surface satisfies: 0 < β < 90°. It can be understood that the presence of the inclined surface 4101 can guide and converge the fluid flowing out of the outlet end 410, intensifying the collision between the mixed gas and the outer wall of the outlet pipe 2, causing the fluid to concentrate and rapidly impact the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, resulting in collision separation and further improving the separation capability. It should be noted that the straight line on which the inclined surface 4101 is projected along the axial direction of the cylinder 1 is the aforementioned first straight line X1, the straight line on which the first surface is projected along the axial direction of the cylinder 1 is the third straight line X3, and the aforementioned angle β is the angle between the first straight line X1 and the third straight line X3.

[0043] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, along the axial direction of the cylinder 1, the length of the cylinder 1 is H, and the distance between the first axis Y1 of the second pipe section 41 and the bottom surface of the first pipe section 21 is H1. The distances H1 and H satisfy: 0.1H ≤ H1 < H. It can be understood that after the fluid flowing out of the outlet end 410 directly collides with the outer wall of the first pipe section 21 and causes oil-gas separation, when a sufficient distance is maintained between the bottom of the second pipe section 41 and the bottom surface of the first pipe section 21, the separated gas and / or oil-gas mixture will flow downward along the first pipe section and enter the first pipe section through the lower end opening. At this time, the flow path and flow time of the separated gas and / or oil-gas mixture are extended, increasing the probability of the gas and / or oil-gas colliding and separating again, reducing the probability of lubricating oil mixed in the gas, and improving the separation capacity.

[0044] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, along the axial direction of the cylinder 1, the length of the first pipe section 21 is h, and the length of the cylinder 1 is H, where h and H satisfy: 0.2H ≤ h < H. It can be understood that the first pipe section 21 extends sufficiently into the inner cavity 10. After the fluid flowing out through the outlet end 410 collides and separates with the outer wall of the first pipe section 21, the separated gas and / or oil-gas mixture flows downward along the first pipe section 21 and enters the first pipe section 21 through the lower end opening. As the insertion depth of the first pipe section 21 increases, the flow path and flow time of the separated gas are prolonged, increasing the probability of further collision and separation, reducing the probability of lubricating oil mixed in the gas, and further improving the separation capacity.

[0045] This application also provides an air conditioning system including the aforementioned oil separator. The air conditioning system includes a compressor and a condenser. The oil separator is disposed between the compressor and the condenser to separate the oil from the gaseous refrigerant (containing lubricating oil from the compressor) at the compressor outlet. The gaseous refrigerant flows from the upper outlet pipe 2 to the subsequent system, while the oil settles at the bottom of the cylinder 1 and is returned to the compressor via the lower oil return pipe, ensuring compressor operation.

[0046] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An oil-gas separator, characterized in that, include: The cylinder (1) has a hollow interior forming an inner cavity (10). One end of the cylinder (1) is provided with a first connecting hole (101), the other end is provided with a second connecting hole (102), and the side wall of the cylinder (1) is provided with a third connecting hole (111). An exhaust pipe (2) is provided, one end of which extends into the inner cavity (10) through the first connecting hole (101). The portion of the exhaust pipe (2) located in the inner cavity (10) is defined as the first pipe segment (21). Oil outlet pipe (3), one end of which is installed at the second connecting hole (102) and connected to the inner cavity (10); An air intake pipe (4) is provided, one end of which extends into the inner cavity (10) through the third connecting hole (111). The portion of the air intake pipe (4) located in the inner cavity (10) is defined as the second pipe segment (41). The outlet end (410) of the second pipe segment (41) faces the outer wall of the first pipe segment (21), and a gap is left between the second pipe segment (41) and the outer wall of the first pipe segment (21) for fluid to flow into the inner cavity (10). The axis of the second pipe segment (41) is perpendicular to and intersects the axis of the first pipe segment (21).

2. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axis of the second pipe segment (41) is defined as the first axis (Y1), and the projection of the inner periphery of the outlet end (410) along the first axis (Y1) is located on the outer wall of the first pipe segment (21).

3. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sections of the first pipe segment (21) and the second pipe segment (41) are both circular, and the intersection of the axis of the first pipe segment (21) and the axis of the second pipe segment (41) is the center of the cross-section at the corresponding position of the first pipe segment (21).

4. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the axial direction of the cylinder (1), the length of the cylinder (1) is H, and the distance between the axis of the second pipe section (41) and the bottom surface of the first pipe section (21) is H1. The distances H1 and H satisfy: 0.1H≤H1<H.

5. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the axial direction of the cylinder (1), the length of the first pipe section (21) is h, and the length of the cylinder (1) is H, where h and H satisfy: 0.2H≤h<H.

6. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shortest distance between the end face of the outlet end (410) and the outer wall of the air outlet pipe (2) is L1. Along the radial direction of the cylinder (1), the distance between the outer wall of the first pipe section (21) and the inner wall of the cylinder (1) is L. The distances L1 and L satisfy: 0≤L1≤0.8L.

7. The oil-gas separator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The spacing L1 satisfies: 0 ≤ L1 ≤ 0.4L.

8. The oil-gas separator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The end face of the outlet end (410) is an inclined surface (4101) that gradually slopes toward or away from the first pipe section (21) along the circumference of the first pipe section (21).

9. The oil-gas separator according to claim 8, characterized in that, The surface perpendicular to the second pipe segment (41) is defined as the first surface, and the angle β between the inclined surface (4101) and the first surface satisfies: 0 < β < 90°.

10. An air conditioning system, comprising an oil-gas separator, characterized in that, The oil-gas separator is the oil-gas separator according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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