Gas-liquid separator and thermal management assembly

Abstract

A gas-liquid separator comprises a body, an inner cylinder and an inlet pipe, the body has a first cavity, the inner cylinder has a second cavity, and the inner cylinder is located in the first cavity; the gas-liquid separator has a first outlet and a second outlet, both of which communicate with the first cavity; the inner cylinder has an opening, which communicates the first cavity and the second cavity, and the opening is located between the first outlet and the second outlet; the inlet pipe penetrates the wall of the first cavity, and the inlet pipe is connected with the inner cylinder, the inlet pipe comprises a first inlet and an inlet pipe channel, and the first inlet communicates the inlet pipe channel with the second cavity; the inlet pipe is connected with the inner cylinder tangentially, and the refrigerant entering the inner cylinder will generate a rotational flow, the liquid of the rotational flow generates a centrifugal force in the second cavity, and the liquid rises along the inner wall of the inner cylinder under the action of the centrifugal force and is thrown out of the inner cylinder, the liquid flows to the second outlet under the action of gravity, and the gas rises from the inner cylinder into the first outlet, so that the refrigerant is separated into gas and liquid, the refrigerant rotates at high speed in the inner cylinder, the centrifugal force is improved, and the refrigerant gas-liquid separation effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of thermal management technology, and more particularly to a gas-liquid separator and a thermal management component. Background Technology

[0002] During the operation of a thermal management system, the refrigerant within the heat exchanger may undergo gas-liquid two-phase stratification, resulting in uneven refrigerant flow distribution and affecting the heat exchanger's efficiency. Therefore, related technologies perform gas-liquid separation of the refrigerant before it enters the heat exchanger to improve its efficiency. Improving the gas-liquid separation effect of the gas-liquid separator is one of the research directions for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a gas-liquid separator that can improve the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0004] The gas-liquid separator provided in this application includes a body, an inner cylinder, and an inlet pipe. The body has a first cavity, and the inner cylinder has a second cavity, with the inner cylinder located within the first cavity. The gas-liquid separator has a first outlet and a second outlet, both of which communicate with the first cavity. The inner cylinder has an opening that connects the first cavity and the second cavity, and along the height direction of the body, the opening is located between the first outlet and the second outlet. The inlet pipe penetrates the wall of the first cavity and is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder. The inlet pipe includes a first inlet and an inlet pipe, with the first inlet communicating with the inlet pipe and the second cavity.

[0005] In the gas-liquid separator of this application, the inlet pipe includes a first inlet and an inlet pipe. The first inlet connects the inlet pipe to the second cavity, and the inlet pipe is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder. This facilitates the refrigerant entering the inner cylinder to generate swirling flow, increases the centrifugal force of the refrigerant in the second cavity, and thus improves the gas-liquid separation effect.

[0006] The thermal management component provided in this application includes a first heat exchanger and a gas-liquid separator. The gas-liquid separator includes a body, an inner cylinder, and an inlet pipe. The body has a first cavity, and the inner cylinder has a second cavity, with the inner cylinder located within the first cavity. The gas-liquid separator has a first outlet and a second outlet, both of which communicate with the first cavity. The inner cylinder has an opening that communicates with both the first and second cavities, and along the height direction of the body, the opening is located between the first outlet and the second outlet. The inlet pipe penetrates the wall of the first cavity and is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder. The inlet pipe includes a first inlet and an inlet pipe, with the first inlet communicating with the inlet pipe and the second cavity. The first outlet communicates with the inlet of the first heat exchanger, and the second outlet communicates with the outlet of the first heat exchanger.

[0007] In the thermal management component of this application, the inlet pipe of the gas-liquid separator includes a first inlet and an inlet pipe. The first inlet connects the inlet pipe to the second cavity, and the inlet pipe is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder. This facilitates the refrigerant entering the inner cylinder to generate swirling flow, increases the centrifugal force of the refrigerant in the second cavity, and thus improves the gas-liquid separation effect. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 A perspective view of a gas-liquid separator provided in one embodiment of this application;

[0009] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the provided gas-liquid separator;

[0010] Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram of the dashed section of the gas-liquid separator provided;

[0011] Figure 4 This is a system schematic diagram of a thermal management component provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To better understand the technical solution of this application, the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] It should be clearly stated that the described technical solutions are only a part of the technical solutions of this application, not all of them. Based on the technical solutions in this application, all other technical solutions obtained by a person skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0014] A gas-liquid separator 100 is typically installed before a heat exchanger to improve the gas-liquid separation effect of the refrigerant. The gas-liquid separation effect of the gas-liquid separator 100 is one of the research directions for those skilled in the art. The gas-liquid separator 100 provided in this application, such as... Figure 1As shown, the device includes a body 2, an inner cylinder 3, and an inlet pipe 4. The body 2 has a first cavity 21, and the inner cylinder 3 has a second cavity 31, with the inner cylinder 3 located in the first cavity 21. The gas-liquid separator 100 has a first outlet 510 and a second outlet 520, both of which communicate with the first cavity. The inner cylinder 3 has an opening 32, which connects the first cavity 21 and the second cavity 31. Along the height direction H of the body 2, the opening 32 is located between the first outlet 510 and the second outlet 520. Specifically, the body 2 includes a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 23, located at opposite ends of the body 2 along the height direction H. The inner cylinder 3 includes a closed end 33 and an open end 34, located at opposite ends of the inner cylinder 3 along the height direction H. In one embodiment, the opening 32 is located at the open end 34. Figure 2 As shown, the closed end 33 is connected to the bottom wall 23, that is, part of the bottom wall 23 is the wall of the inner cylinder 3 and the bottom wall 23 is the wall of the body 2. This shared bottom wall 23 reduces the overall volume of the gas-liquid separator 100 and makes it easier to manufacture.

[0015] In the gas-liquid separator 100 of this application, the inlet pipe 4 penetrates the wall of the first cavity 21. The inlet pipe 4 includes a first inlet 41 and an inlet pipe 42. The first inlet 41 connects the inlet pipe 42 to the second cavity 31; that is, the refrigerant directly enters the second cavity 31 through the first inlet 41. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the inlet pipe 4 is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder 3. The tangential connection causes the refrigerant to swirl as it enters the inner cylinder 3. The swirling refrigerant generates centrifugal force in the second chamber 31. Under the action of centrifugal force, it rises along the inner wall of the inner cylinder 3 and is thrown out of the inner cylinder 3. The liquid flows to the second outlet 520 under the action of gravity, and the gas rises from the inner cylinder 2 into the first outlet 510, which separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid. The refrigerant rotates at high speed in the inner cylinder, which increases the centrifugal force and thus improves the gas-liquid separation effect of the refrigerant.

[0016] In other words, such as Figure 3 As shown, tangential connection refers to tangencing the axis L1 of the inlet pipe 4 with the circumferential direction of the inner cylinder 2, allowing the fluid or gas to enter the inner cylinder 2 tangentially, thereby creating a rotating flow within the inner cylinder 2. This connection method reduces the fluid directly impacting the inner cylinder wall, and the fluid is driven to rotate by tangential momentum, generating a centrifugal effect.

[0017] In one implementation, such as Figure 3As shown, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes at least two inlet pipes 4, both of which are tangentially connected to the inner cylinder 3. The tangential connection of multiple inlet pipes 4 to the inner cylinder 3 increases the amount of refrigerant entering the inner cylinder, thereby improving the refrigerant gas-liquid separation efficiency. Specifically, the at least two inlet pipes 4 include a first inlet pipe 43 and a second inlet pipe. Along the height direction H of the body 2, the first inlet pipe 43 is closer to the first outlet 510 than the second inlet pipe.

[0018] In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes a first outlet pipe 51 and a second outlet pipe 52, both of which are connected to the main body 2. The first outlet pipe 51 has a first outlet 510, and the second outlet pipe 52 has a second outlet 520. Specifically, in order to increase the inlet flow rate and thus increase the gas-liquid separation rate, the flow area of ​​the inlet pipe 4 is larger than that of the first outlet pipe 51, and the flow area of ​​the inlet pipe 4 is larger than that of the second outlet pipe 52.

[0019] In one embodiment, both the inner cylinder 3 and the body 2 are cylindrical. Along the direction H perpendicular to the height of the body 2, the distance between the inner cylinder 3 and the body 2 is 10mm to 20mm. Furthermore, the body 2 has a first height H1, and the inner cylinder 3 has a second height H2, where 0.75 ≤ H2 / H1 ≤ 0.8. This limitation on the height of the inner cylinder 3 and the body 2, as well as the distance between them, ensures that the refrigerant can rise through a swirling motion within the inner cylinder 2 to the opening 32, and that gas-liquid separation occurs within the distance.

[0020] In order to allow the liquid in the refrigerant to flow more effectively from the opening 32 to the inner wall of the body 3, in one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the inner diameter of the body 2 is 20mm to 50mm, and the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 3 is 10mm to 30mm. Along the direction H perpendicular to the height of the body 2, the inner cylinder 3 and the body 2 maintain a certain distance, which is conducive to better outflow of liquid in the refrigerant from the first outlet 510.

[0021] To achieve more thorough refrigerant gas-liquid separation, in one embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes a partition 6 located in the first cavity 21. Along the height direction H of the body 2, the partition 6 is located between the first outlet 510 and the inner cylinder 3, with a gap between the partition 6 and the inner cylinder 3. The partition 6 has a through-hole 61 communicating with both the first cavity 21 and the first outlet 510. Gas in the refrigerant continues to rise through the through-hole 61 until it enters the first outlet 510. Upon encountering the partition 6, the refrigerant flows downwards due to gravity and then enters the second outlet 520. In other words, the partition 6 acts as a filter. Further, in one embodiment, the plane perpendicular to the height direction of the body 2 is defined as the projection plane. The orthographic projection of the wall corresponding to the through-hole 61 onto the projection plane is at least partially located within the orthographic projection of the wall corresponding to the inner cylinder 3 onto the projection plane, which facilitates the passage of gas in the refrigerant through the through-hole 61. In some embodiments, the inner cylinder 3 and the through-hole 61 are coaxially arranged.

[0022] Furthermore, along the height direction H of the body 2, the distance from the partition 6 to the first outlet 510 is less than the distance from the partition 6 to the opening 32. In this way, the liquid in the refrigerant can be blocked by the partition 6 to prevent it from entering the first outlet 510, making the gas-liquid separation more thorough.

[0023] In one embodiment, the partition 6 is connected to the inner wall of the body 2, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the main body 2 and the partition 6 are a single piece. For ease of manufacturing, the partition 6, the main body 2, and the inner cylinder 3 are all integral pieces.

[0024] In one embodiment, the body 2 includes a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 23. The walls of the first cavity 21 include the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 23. Along the height direction H of the body 2, the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 are located at both ends of the first cavity 21. At least part of the bottom wall 23 is the wall of the second cavity 31. Specifically, in one embodiment, the distance between the top wall 22 and the partition 6 is 5mm to 20mm.

[0025] In one embodiment, the first outlet pipe 51 is connected to the top wall 22. In another embodiment, both the first outlet pipe 51 and the second outlet pipe 52 are connected to the side wall of the body 2, and the inlet pipe 4 is connected to the side wall of the body 2.

[0026] In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 100 is integrally formed and includes an inlet pipe 4, a body 2, an inner cylinder 3, a partition 6, a first outlet pipe 51, and a second outlet pipe 52.

[0027] A thermal management assembly includes a first heat exchanger 7 and a gas-liquid separator 100. The gas-liquid separator 100 includes a body 2, an inner cylinder 3, and an inlet pipe 4. The body 2 has a first cavity 21, and the inner cylinder 3 has a second cavity 31, with the inner cylinder 3 located within the first cavity 21. The gas-liquid separator 100 has a first outlet 510 and a second outlet 520, both of which communicate with the first cavity 21. The inner cylinder 3 has an opening 32, which communicates with both the first cavity 21 and the second cavity 31. Along the height direction H of the body 2, the opening 32 is located between the first outlet 510 and the second outlet 520. The inlet pipe 4 penetrates the wall of the first cavity 21 and is connected to the inner cylinder 3. The inlet pipe 4 includes a first inlet 4 and an inlet pipe 42, with the first inlet 41 communicating with the inlet pipe 42 and the second cavity 31. The inlet pipe 4 is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder 3. The first outlet 510 communicates with the inlet of the first heat exchanger 7, and the second outlet 520 communicates with the outlet of the first heat exchanger 7. The inlet pipe 43 of the gas-liquid separator 100 in the thermal management assembly is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder. When the refrigerant enters the inner cylinder 3, it creates a swirling flow. The swirling liquid generates centrifugal force in the second chamber 31, rising along the inner wall of the inner cylinder 3 and being thrown out. Under gravity, the liquid flows to the second outlet 520, while the gas rises from the inner cylinder 3 into the first outlet 510, thus separating the refrigerant into gas and liquid components. The high-speed rotation of the refrigerant in the inner cylinder 3 increases the centrifugal force, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation effect. In this way, most of the liquid in the refrigerant enters the first heat exchanger 7, improving its heat exchange efficiency and thus the overall efficiency of the thermal management assembly. In other words, the refrigerant undergoes gas-liquid separation before entering the first heat exchanger 7 for heat exchange, improving heat exchange efficiency. In one embodiment, the first heat exchanger 7 can be an evaporator.

[0028] In one implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the thermal management assembly also includes a compressor 80, a second heat exchanger 81, and a throttling device 82. The outlet of the first heat exchanger 7 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 80, the outlet of the compressor 80 is connected to the inlet of the second heat exchanger 81, the outlet of the second heat exchanger 81 is connected to the inlet of the throttling device 82, and the outlet of the throttling device 82 is connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger 7.

Claims

1. A gas-liquid separator, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator (100) includes a body (2), an inner cylinder (3) and an inlet pipe (4). The body (2) has a first cavity (21), and the inner cylinder (3) has a second cavity (31). The inner cylinder (3) is located in the first cavity (21). The gas-liquid separator (100) has a first outlet (510) and a second outlet (520), both of which are connected to the first cavity (21); the inner cylinder (3) has an opening (32) that connects the first cavity (21) and the second cavity (31), and the opening (32) is located between the first outlet (510) and the second outlet (520) along the height direction of the body (2); The inlet pipe (4) penetrates the wall of the first cavity (21) and is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder (3). The inlet pipe (4) includes a first inlet (41) and an inlet pipe (42). The first inlet (41) connects the inlet pipe (42) to the second cavity (31).

2. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator (100) includes at least two inlet pipes (4), both of which are tangentially connected to the inner cylinder (3); the at least two inlet pipes (4) include a first inlet pipe (43) and a second inlet pipe (44), and along the height direction of the body (2), the first inlet pipe (43) is closer to the first outlet (510) relative to the second inlet pipe (44).

3. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator (100) includes a first outlet pipe (51) and a second outlet pipe (52), both of which are connected to the main body (2). The first outlet pipe (51) has a first outlet (510), and the second outlet pipe (52) has a second outlet (520). The flow area of ​​the inlet pipe (4) is greater than that of the first outlet pipe (51), and the flow area of ​​the inlet pipe (4) is greater than that of the second outlet pipe (52).

4. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the inner cylinder (3) and the body (2) are cylindrical. The distance between the inner cylinder (3) and the body (2) is 10mm to 20mm along the direction perpendicular to the height of the body (2).

5. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the main body (2) is 20mm to 50mm, and the outer diameter of the inner cylinder (3) is 10mm to 30mm; The body (2) has a first height (H1), and the inner cylinder (3) has a second height (H2), where 0.75 ≤ H2 / H1 ≤ 0.

8.

6. The gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The gas-liquid separator (100) includes a partition (6) located in the first chamber (21); Along the height direction of the body (2), the partition (6) is located between the first outlet (510) and the inner cylinder (3), and there is a gap between the partition (6) and the inner cylinder (3). The partition (6) has a through hole (61) that is connected to the first cavity (21) and the first outlet (510).

7. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The body (2) includes a top wall (22) and a bottom wall (23). The wall of the first cavity (21) includes the top wall (22) and the bottom wall (23). Along the height direction of the body (2), the top wall (22) and the bottom wall (23) are located at the two ends of the first cavity (21). At least part of the bottom wall (23) is the wall of the second cavity (31). The distance between the top wall (22) and the partition (6) is 5mm to 20mm.

8. The gas-liquid separator as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The plane perpendicular to the height direction of the body (2) is defined as the projection plane, and the orthographic projection of the wall corresponding to the through hole (61) on the projection plane is at least partially located within the orthographic projection of the wall corresponding to the inner cylinder (3) on the projection plane. The first outlet pipe (51) is connected to the top wall (22); The gas-liquid separator (100) is integrally formed.

9. A thermal management component, characterized in that, It includes a first heat exchanger (7) and a gas-liquid separator (100); The gas-liquid separator (100) includes a body (2), an inner cylinder (3) and an inlet pipe (4). The body (2) has a first cavity (21), and the inner cylinder (3) has a second cavity (31). The inner cylinder (3) is located in the first cavity (21). The gas-liquid separator (100) has a first outlet (510) and a second outlet (520), both of which are connected to the first cavity; the inner cylinder (3) has an opening (32), which connects the first cavity (21) and the second cavity (31), and along the height direction of the body (2), the opening (32) is located between the first outlet (510) and the second outlet (520); The inlet pipe (4) penetrates the wall of the first cavity (21) and is tangentially connected to the inner cylinder (3). The inlet pipe (4) includes a first inlet (41) and an inlet pipe (42). The first inlet (41) connects the inlet pipe (42) to the second cavity (31). The first outlet (510) is connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger (7), and the second outlet (520) is connected to the outlet of the first heat exchanger (7).

10. The thermal management component as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The thermal management assembly also includes a compressor (80), a second heat exchanger (81), and a throttling device (82). The outlet of the first heat exchanger (7) is connected to the inlet of the compressor (80), the outlet of the compressor (80) is connected to the inlet of the second heat exchanger (81), the outlet of the second heat exchanger (81) is connected to the inlet of the throttling device (82), and the outlet of the throttling device (82) is connected to the inlet of the first heat exchanger (7).

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