Distributor, heat exchanger and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a distributor, a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle device. The distributor includes: an inflow plate on which a first flow path is provided; a uniform mixing cavity communicated with the first flow path is formed in the uniform mixing plate; the splitter plate is provided with a plurality of second flow paths communicating with the uniform mixing cavity, and the second flow paths communicate with the heat exchange pipes; the inner top surface of the uniform mixing plate is an arc-shaped flow guide surface; the rectifying flow path extends in the first direction, the inflow end of the rectifying flow path communicates with the first flow path, and the outflow end of the rectifying flow path faces the flow guide face and is spaced from the flow guide face; the circulation areas are located on the two sides of the rectification flow path; the distributors enable refrigerants to be jetted to the flow guide faces along the rectification flow paths, then flow to the circulation areas on the two sides, and flow to the second flow paths after circulating in the circulation areas. The air conditioner can avoid uneven distribution of refrigerants.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a distributor, a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle device. Background Art

[0002] The heat exchanger is a crucial component of an air conditioner. Some heat exchangers have multiple heat exchange tubes at both ends, serving as the refrigerant inlet. In the air conditioner's circulation system, the even distribution of refrigerant within these tubes is a key factor affecting heat exchanger performance. This is because, when the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant must first be throttled by a throttling device to form a gas-liquid two-phase fluid with a certain dryness before entering the heat exchange tubes. Before this two-phase fluid is distributed from the capillaries of the circulation system to the heat exchange tubes, it experiences a slowdown in flow, causing gas-liquid phase separation. This results in the refrigerant flowing into the middle and lower heat exchange tubes being pure liquid, while the refrigerant flowing into the upper tubes is gas. This uneven distribution can lead to a sharp decline in heat exchanger performance. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present application provides a distributor that can avoid uneven distribution caused by gas-liquid separation of refrigerant.

[0004] In one aspect of the present application, a distributor is provided, comprising: an inlet plate having a first flow path formed thereon for allowing refrigerant to flow in; a mixing plate having a mixing cavity formed thereon and communicating with the first flow path for uniformly mixing the refrigerant; and a diverter plate having a plurality of second flow paths formed thereon and communicating with the mixing cavity, the second flow paths being communicated with heat exchange tubes;

[0005] The inner top surface of the mixing plate is an arc-shaped flow-guiding surface;

[0006] The mixing chamber is provided with: a rectifying flow path extending along a first direction, an inflow end of the rectifying flow path being connected to the first flow path, an outflow end of the rectifying flow path facing the flow guide surface and having a gap therebetween; and a circulation zone located on both sides of the rectifying flow path;

[0007] The distributor allows the refrigerant to be sprayed onto the guide surface along the rectifying flow path, and then flow to the circulation areas on both sides, circulate in the circulation areas, and then flow to the second flow path.

[0008] In the present application, by setting up a mixing chamber, the refrigerant can be sprayed onto the arc-shaped guide surface of the mixing chamber along the rectifying flow path in the mixing chamber, and after being changed in direction by the arc-shaped guide surface, it flows to the circulation areas on both sides respectively. After the refrigerant undergoes multiple circulations with the cooperation of the side walls of the circulation area, it is diverted to multiple heat exchange tubes through multiple second flow paths. In this way, the two-phase separation of the refrigerant under the action of gravity can be avoided, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the refrigerant.

[0009] In some embodiments, the distributor also includes: an outflow plate, on which a plurality of third flow paths are provided, the third flow paths connect the second flow path and the heat exchange tube, are projected on the plate surface of the outflow plate, and the heat exchange tube is located in the third flow path; a plug-in plate, on which a plurality of heat exchange tube insertion parts are provided for the heat exchange tube to be plugged in.

[0010] In the present application, the heat exchange tube is located in the third flow path on the projection of the outflow plate. Since the flow path cross-section of the third flow path completely covers the heat exchange tube, the refrigerant passing through the third flow path can flow into all the holes of the heat exchange tube, avoiding the problem that the refrigerant can only flow to some holes of the heat exchange tube when the refrigerant flows directly to the heat exchange tube through the second flow path due to the smaller second flow path.

[0011] In some embodiments, the mixing plate is provided with two isolation parts located in the mixing cavity, and the space between the isolation parts forms a rectifying flow path.

[0012] In the present application, by setting up two isolating parts, a rectifying flow path is formed between the two isolating parts, and a circulation area is formed outside the two isolating parts. The structure is relatively simple and easy to process and form.

[0013] In some embodiments, the bottom end of the isolation portion is closed, and the inflow end of the rectifying flow path is located at the bottom end of the rectifying flow path.

[0014] In the present application, the inflow end of the rectifying flow path is located at the bottom end, which can ensure that all the refrigerant rises in the rectifying flow path.

[0015] In some embodiments, any two heat exchange tubes constitute a group of research objects; in at least one group of research objects, the areas of the second flow paths corresponding to the two heat exchange tubes are different.

[0016] In the present application, the area of the second flow path may be different, and the flow rate entering the heat exchange tube may be changed by setting the area of the second flow path.

[0017] In some embodiments, the circulation area includes a first circulation area and a second circulation area located on both sides of the rectifier flow path; a conductive portion is provided on the diverter plate, a part of the conductive portion is connected to the first circulation area, and the other part of the conductive portion is connected to the second circulation area.

[0018] In the present application, the conduction portion connects the first circulation area and the second circulation area, and the refrigerants in the two circulation areas can flow through the conduction portion to ensure that the flow rates of the two circulation areas are balanced.

[0019] In some embodiments, the conductive portion includes: a first conductive portion connecting the rectifying flow path and the first circulation region; and a second conductive portion separated from the first conductive portion and connecting the rectifying flow path and the second circulation region.

[0020] In some embodiments, the conductive portion has multiple groups, wherein two groups correspond to the upstream side and the downstream side of the rectified flow path, respectively.

[0021] In the present application, multiple groups of conducting parts are provided to ensure that the flow in each part of the circulation area is balanced.

[0022] In the present application, the refrigerants in the two circulation zones flow to the same heat exchange tube through at least one second flow path respectively, which can ensure that the refrigerants in the two circulation zones can flow to the heat exchange tube.

[0023] In a second aspect of the present application, a heat exchanger is provided, including a heat exchanger used as an evaporator or a condenser; the heat exchanger includes: a plurality of heat exchange tubes arranged along a first direction for heat exchange and circulation of refrigerant; and a distributor for distributing the refrigerant to the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

[0024] The distributor has a mixing chamber with an arc-shaped guide surface at the top. The mixing chamber includes: a rectifying flow path extending in a first direction, the inflow end of the rectifying flow path communicating with the first flow path, the outflow end of the rectifying flow path facing the guide surface and located in the middle of the mixing chamber; and a circulation zone located on both sides of the rectifying flow path.

[0025] The distributor allows the refrigerant to be sprayed onto the guide surface along the rectifying flow path, and then flow to the circulation areas on both sides, circulate in the circulation areas, and then flow to the refrigerant outflow part.

[0026] In some embodiments, the second flow paths connected to the same heat exchange tube are grouped together; each group includes at least two second flow paths, and the two second flow paths correspond to circulation areas on both sides of the rectifying flow path, respectively.

[0027] In the present application, by setting up a mixing chamber, the refrigerant can be sprayed onto the arc-shaped guide surface of the mixing chamber along the rectifying flow path in the mixing chamber, and after being changed in direction by the arc-shaped guide surface, it flows to the circulation areas on both sides respectively. After the refrigerant undergoes multiple circulations with the cooperation of the side walls of the circulation area, it is diverted to multiple heat exchange tubes through multiple second flow paths. In this way, the two-phase separation of the refrigerant under the action of gravity can be avoided, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the refrigerant.

[0028] In a third aspect of the present application, a refrigeration cycle device is provided, comprising the above-mentioned heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger serves as at least one of an evaporator and a condenser. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A diagram showing an appearance of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating a refrigerant system in an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 3shows a cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a heat exchanger in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown;

[0033] Figure 5 shows a side view of a heat exchanger in an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 6 A partial schematic diagram of a microchannel heat exchanger in an air conditioner according to some embodiments is shown;

[0035] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a gas header in a heat exchanger according to some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a dispenser in an exploded state according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 9 shows a diagram of a dispenser in an exploded, flattened state according to some embodiments;

[0038] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a mixing plate in a dispenser according to some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 11 A schematic diagram showing a refrigerant flow path of a mixing plate in a distributor according to some embodiments is shown;

[0040] Figure 12 shows a flow field simulation diagram of a mixing plate in a distributor according to some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a diverter plate in a distributor according to some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 14 A top view of a dispenser according to further embodiments is shown.

[0043] In the above figures, 100, outdoor unit; 111, compressor; 112, outdoor heat exchanger; 113, four-way valve; 114, outdoor throttling device; 115, liquid storage device; 116, outdoor fan; 200, indoor unit; 211, indoor heat exchanger; 212, indoor throttling device; 213, indoor fan; 300, heat exchanger; 310, heat exchange tube; 320, fin; 330, gas header; 331, confluent flow path; 400, distributor; 410, inflow plate; 410A, first Flow path; 420, mixing plate; 421, isolation part; 421, mixing chamber; 4211, guide surface; 422, isolation part; 423, rectifying flow path; 425, circulation area; 426, first circulation area; 427, second circulation area; 430, diverter plate; 430A, second flow path; 431, conducting part; 432, first conducting part; 433, second conducting part; 440, outflow plate; 440A, third flow path; 450, plug-in plate; 451, heat exchange tube insertion part; 510, fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose and implementation of this application clearer, the exemplary implementation of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the exemplary embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described exemplary embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments.

[0045] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0046] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0047] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0048] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0049] <Structure of air conditioner>

[0050] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present application, the air conditioner includes: an outdoor unit 100, located in an outdoor space, for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and outdoor air; and an indoor unit 200, located in an indoor space, for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air.

[0051] Figure 1 The multi-split air conditioner is used as an example for demonstration. In this embodiment, there are multiple indoor units 200. However, the air conditioner of the present application is also applicable to the case of a single indoor unit 200.

[0052] Reference Figure 2 The outdoor unit 100 includes: a compressor 111 for compressing the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger 112 for performing heat exchange between the outdoor air and the refrigerant; a four-way valve 113 for selectively guiding the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 111 to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 or the indoor unit 200 according to the heating mode or the cooling mode; an outdoor throttling device 114 for decompressing the refrigerant guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 in the heating mode; and a liquid accumulator 115 for preventing the unevaporated liquid refrigerant from flowing to the compressor 111.

[0053] The compressor 111 compresses low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to high pressure using the rotational force of a compressor motor (not shown) when energized.

[0054] The four-way valve 113 guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 111 to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 in the cooling mode, and guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 111 to the indoor unit 200 in the heating mode.

[0055] The outdoor heat exchanger 112 condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 111 in a cooling mode, and evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the indoor unit 200 in a heating mode.

[0056] The outdoor fan 116 blows outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 .

[0057] The outdoor throttling device 114 reduces the refrigerant pressure by throttling the refrigerant. As the refrigerant passes through a narrow passage, the refrigerant pressure decreases without exchanging heat with the outside. Specifically, the outdoor throttling device 114 may be an expansion valve or a capillary tube.

[0058] The indoor unit 200 includes an indoor heat exchanger 211 for performing heat exchange between a refrigerant and indoor air, and an indoor throttle device 212 for decompressing the refrigerant supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 211 in a cooling mode.

[0059] The indoor heat exchanger 211 evaporates gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in a cooling mode, and condenses high-pressure gas refrigerant in a heating mode.

[0060] Hereinafter, the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner in a cooling mode or a heating mode will be described.

[0061] When the air conditioner operates in a cooling mode, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 111 of the outdoor unit 100. As the refrigerant is compressed, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant increase.

[0062] The compressed refrigerant is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 112 through the four-way valve 113. The refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 112, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant and the outdoor air while the refrigerant is condensed. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes from gas to liquid.

[0063] After passing through the outdoor throttle device 124 , the condensed refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit 200 .

[0064] The refrigerant supplied to the indoor unit 200 is decompressed by the indoor throttling device 212, and the refrigerant is converted into a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase refrigerant.

[0065] The decompressed refrigerant is evaporated by the indoor heat exchanger 222, and heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor air is performed while the refrigerant is evaporated. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes to a gaseous state.

[0066] After passing through the indoor heat exchanger 222, the evaporated gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the outdoor unit 100 and is supplied to the accumulator 115 via the four-way valve 113. In the accumulator 115, the refrigerant is separated into non-evaporated liquid refrigerant and evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is again supplied to the compressor 111, completing one refrigerant cycle.

[0067] As described above, in the cooling mode, the air conditioner may cool the indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant generated in the indoor heat exchanger 211 and the indoor air.

[0068] When the air conditioner operates in a heating mode, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 111 of the outdoor unit 100, and the temperature of the refrigerant increases with the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0069] After passing through the four-way valve 113 , the compressed refrigerant is guided to the indoor unit 200 .

[0070] The refrigerant is condensed by the indoor heat exchanger 211, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the indoor air while the refrigerant is condensed. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

[0071] After passing through the indoor heat exchanger 211 , the condensed refrigerant is supplied to the outdoor unit 100 again.

[0072] The refrigerant supplied to the outdoor unit 100 is decompressed by the outdoor throttle device 114 and simultaneously becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase refrigerant.

[0073] The decompressed refrigerant is evaporated by the outdoor heat exchanger 112, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant and the outdoor air while the refrigerant is evaporated. Specifically, the state of the refrigerant changes to a gaseous state.

[0074] The gaseous refrigerant evaporated by the outdoor heat exchanger 112 is supplied to the accumulator 115 via the four-way valve 113. In the accumulator 115, the refrigerant is separated into non-evaporated liquid refrigerant and evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 111 again, completing one refrigerant cycle.

[0075] As described above, in the heating mode, the air conditioner may heat the indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant generated in the indoor heat exchanger 211 and the indoor air.

[0076] In this application, the outdoor heat exchanger 112 and the indoor heat exchanger 211 are collectively referred to as the heat exchanger 300. The outdoor fan 116 and the indoor fan 213 are collectively referred to as the fan 510. The outdoor throttling device 114 and the indoor throttling device 212 are collectively referred to as the throttling device.

[0077] Figure 3 The demonstration is conducted by taking a top-outlet outdoor unit as an example, that is, the fan 510 is located above the heat exchanger 300 . Figure 3 The middle arrow indicates the direction of air flow. When the fan 510 is running, air enters the outdoor unit from the lower side, exchanges heat with the heat exchanger 300, and then flows out from the top of the outdoor unit.

[0078] Extending from the end of the heat exchanger 300 are a plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 (to be described later) arranged from top to bottom, serving as a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet.

[0079] When the heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, the refrigerant entering the evaporator is two-phase refrigerant throttled by the throttling device. When the two-phase refrigerant is in a large space or the flow rate is reduced, phase separation will occur, which will lead to uneven distribution. Figure 3 The outdoor unit shown, Figure 3 The middle heat exchanger 300 is large and high, and the number of heat exchange tubes 310 in the vertical direction is very large. Therefore, this type of air conditioner is more prone to uneven distribution problems.

[0080] Hereinafter, the present application will be described in detail in conjunction with the structure of the heat exchanger 300 .

[0081] <Structure of Heat Exchanger 300>

[0082] Reference Figures 4 to 7 The heat exchanger 300 includes a heat exchanger body 340 . The heat exchanger body 340 has a plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 and fins 320 .

[0083] The heat exchange tube 310 has the refrigerant flowing thereon, and the fin 320 is connected to the heat exchange tube 310 to increase the surface area of the heat exchange tube 310 to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the air.

[0084] The heat exchange tube 310 may be a flat tube or a round tube.

[0085] When the heat exchange tube 310 is a circular tube, the heat exchanger 300 is a through-fin heat exchanger. When viewed from the side of the heat exchanger 300 , the heat exchange tube 300 extends in an "S" shape from top to bottom. The heat exchange tube 310 is passed through the fin 320 .

[0086] When the heat exchange tubes 310 are flat tubes, the heat exchanger 300 is a microchannel heat exchanger. The plurality of flat tubes are arranged at intervals in the first direction (the vertical direction Z). Fins 320 are connected between the flat tubes.

[0087] The following description will be made using a microchannel heat exchanger as an example: the heat exchange tubes 310 may be made of aluminum, and the fins 320 may be made of aluminum. The heat exchange tubes 310 and the fins 320 are connected by welding.

[0088] Heat exchange tube 310 is a porous tube having a plurality of holes 310a that form a refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant exchanges heat with the air as it flows through each hole 310a of heat exchange tube 310. The holes 310a are arranged within heat exchange tube 310 along the direction of air flow relative to heat exchanger body 340.

[0089] At both transverse ends of the heat exchanger body 340 , a plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 extend relative to the fins 320 for connection to a refrigerant system.

[0090] The heat exchanger 300 includes a pair of headers connected to both ends of the heat exchanger body 340 , and the headers are respectively connected to the extended heat exchange tubes 310 .

[0091] One header is a distributor 400 through which gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows. The other header is a gas header 330 through which gas refrigerant flows. A flow splitter 600 having a plurality of capillary tubes 610 is connected to the distributor 400.

[0092] The refrigerant needs to be divided and flowed into the plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 of the heat exchanger 300. If the refrigerant entering the heat exchange tubes 310 is unevenly distributed, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 300 will be affected.

[0093] The distributor 400 is connected to the heat exchange tubes 310 to ensure that the refrigerant distributed to each heat exchange tube 310 of the heat exchanger 300 is substantially consistent, so as to maximize the effectiveness of the heat exchanger 300.

[0094] When heat exchanger 300 functions as a condenser, because the refrigerant entering the condenser is superheated gas compressed by compressor 111, it is generally evenly distributed at the condenser inlet. Specifically, when the end of heat exchanger 300 connected to four-way valve 113 serves as the inlet, uneven distribution generally does not occur. Therefore, a conventional gas manifold 330 can be installed at this end of heat exchanger 300, with distributor 400 located only at the end of heat exchanger 300 connected to the throttling device. In other embodiments, gas manifold 330 can also adopt a distributor structure.

[0095] The distributor 400 is provided with a refrigerant inlet as a refrigerant inflow portion and a plurality of refrigerant outflow portions as refrigerant outflow portions.

[0096] Refer to the figure Figure 7 The gas manifold 330 can be in the shape of a closed cylinder or a rectangular cylinder. The cavity within the gas manifold 330 forms a converging flow path 331. Multiple heat exchange tubes 310 are connected to the inflow side of the converging flow path 331. A refrigerant pipe is connected to the outflow side of the converging flow path 331.

[0097] The gas manifold 330 is provided with multiple refrigerant inlets and one or more refrigerant outlets. The refrigerant inlets of the distributor 400 are connected to the capillary tube 610, while the refrigerant outlets of the gas manifold 330 are connected to the refrigerant piping of the refrigerant system. The refrigerant outlets of the distributor 400 and the refrigerant inlet of the gas manifold 330 are connected to the heat exchange tube 310.

[0098] When the heat exchanger 300 functions as an evaporator, the refrigerant flows into the distributor 400 through the refrigerant inlet, where it is divided and then flows out through the multiple refrigerant outlets to the multiple heat exchange tubes 310. The refrigerant exchanges heat with the air driven by the fan 510 in the multiple heat exchange tubes 310. The refrigerant flowing through the multiple heat exchange tubes 310 flows into the gas header 330 through the multiple refrigerant inlets, where it merges and then flows out through the refrigerant outlets to the refrigerant piping.

[0099] When the heat exchanger 300 functions as a condenser, the refrigerant flows in a direction opposite to this flow.

[0100] <Structure of Distributor 400>

[0101] Hereinafter, the structure of the dispenser 400 will be described in detail.

[0102] First, the dispenser 400 is taken as a laminated dispenser as an example for description.

[0103] Figure 8 A perspective view of a dispenser in an exploded state is shown, according to some embodiments. Figure 9 A diagram illustrating a dispenser in an exploded, tiled state is shown, according to some embodiments. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a mixing plate in a dispenser according to some embodiments.

[0104] Reference Figures 8 to 10 The distributor 400 is formed by stacking multiple layers of plates. In the present application, the longitudinal direction of the plates is defined as the first direction Z, the direction of the plate stacking perpendicular to the first direction (which is also the direction in which the refrigerant flows into the heat exchange tube 310) is defined as the second direction X, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction Z and the second direction X is defined as the third direction Y. The distributor 400 of this embodiment is configured in the up-down direction of the first direction Z, in the front-to-back direction of the second direction X, and in the left-to-right direction of the third direction Y. Therefore, in the following description, the first direction Z can be converted to the up-down direction, the second direction X can be converted to the front-to-back direction, and the third direction Y can be converted to the left-to-right direction.

[0105] The following description will be made by taking the flow direction of the refrigerant at the distributor 400 when the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator as an example.

[0106] The multi-layer plate body includes an inlet plate 410 . A through hole is provided at the center of the inlet plate 410 in the left-right direction Y and extends through the inlet plate 410 in the front-back direction X to form a first flow path 410A. The first flow path 410A corresponds to the refrigerant inlet portion of the distributor 400 .

[0107] The inflow plate 410 may include one or a plurality of inflow plates 410 arranged in a stacked manner.

[0108] The first flow path 410A has a circular cross-section and can be connected to a capillary tube (or refrigerant piping). The first flow path 410A can be directly connected to the capillary tube (or refrigerant piping) by welding. Alternatively, a pipe joint can be connected to the first flow path 410A to connect to the capillary tube (or refrigerant piping) through the pipe joint.

[0109] The flow path cross section refers to a cross section obtained by cutting the flow path at right angles to the flow direction of the refrigerant. The flow direction of the refrigerant refers to the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the first flow path 410A.

[0110] The multi-layer plate body includes a mixing plate 420. The mixing plate 420 is provided with a mixing cavity 421 penetrating along the front-to-back direction X. The mixing cavity 421 functions as a mixing channel for the refrigerant.

[0111] The two inner side surfaces of the mixing plate 420 opposite to each other in the vertical direction Z are the inlet inner wall surface and the guide surface 4211 , and the two inner wall surfaces opposite to each other in the horizontal direction Y are the third inner wall surface and the fourth inner wall surface.

[0112] The mixing plate 420 is provided with two spaced-apart partitions 422. The partitions 422 are formed by extending the inner wall surface of the inlet side toward the flow guide surface 4211. The space between the two partitions 422 forms a rectifying flow path 423.

[0113] The end of the rectifying flow path 423 close to the inner wall surface on the inflow side is the rectifying inflow end 423A, which is formed at a position facing the first flow path 410A of the inflow plate 410. That is, the rectifying flow path end 423A of the rectifying flow path 423 is connected to the outflow side of the first flow path 410A.

[0114] After the refrigerant flows into the rectifying flow path end 423A of the rectifying flow path 423 , it flows along the rectifying flow path 423 toward the guide surface 4211 .

[0115] The areas on the left and right sides of the rectifying flow path 423 in the mixing chamber 421 are circulation areas 425. The circulation areas 425 are in communication with the second flow path 430A of the outflow plate 440 described later.

[0116] The guide surface 4211 of the mixing plate 420 is arc-shaped, and the center of the arc is located in the mixing cavity 421. The guide surface 4211 is used to guide the refrigerant to flow to both sides and rotate.

[0117] The inner wall of the rectifying flow path 423 away from the guide surface 4211 is arc-shaped, which is the same shape as the lower portion of the first flow path 410A.

[0118] When the distributor 300 is actually installed, the first flow path 410A is located near the bottom of the inlet plate 410. The rectifying inlet end 423A of the rectifying flow path 423 is located at the bottom of the rectifying flow path 423. After the refrigerant flows from the first flow path 410 into the rectifying flow path 423, it flows upward along the rectifying flow path 423. The rectifying flow path 423 can be used to reduce the speed of the refrigerant.

[0119] According to an embodiment of the present application, a space is provided between the end of the isolation portion 421 away from the inner wall surface on the inflow side and the guide surface 4211 .

[0120] The end of the partition 421, away from the inner wall surface on the inlet side, is approximately located in the middle of the mixing chamber 421. On the one hand, the height of the partition 422 is not too short, that is, the rectifying flow path 423 has sufficient length to guide the refrigerant to spray upward. On the other hand, the height of the partition 422 is not too high, so that there is sufficient space between the partition 422 and the guide surface 4211, allowing the refrigerant to be sprayed onto a larger area of the guide surface 4211, which is conducive to the continued flow of the refrigerant to both sides.

[0121] Figure 11 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a refrigerant flow path of a mixing plate in a distributor according to some embodiments. Figure 11 The arrows in the middle illustrate the refrigerant flow path. Figure 12 A flow field simulation diagram of a mixing plate in a distributor according to some embodiments is shown.

[0122] Reference Figure 11 and Figure 12 , and combined Figure 10 The refrigerant flows along the rectifying flow path 423, and then is sprayed to the middle of the guide surface 4211. After the flow direction is changed, it flows to the circulation areas 425 on both sides and rotates. With the obstruction and cooperation of other walls of the circulation area 425, multiple cycles are formed. The refrigerant achieves sufficient mixing of gas and liquid phases in the mixing chamber 421, thereby avoiding the phenomenon of gas-liquid separation caused by the influence of gravity on the refrigerant.

[0123] Continue to refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 The multi-layer plate body includes a manifold plate 430. A plurality of through-holes are provided in the manifold plate 430 to form a plurality of second flow paths 430A. The plurality of second flow paths 430A are in communication with the circulation area 425. The second flow paths 430A are in communication with the third flow paths 440A of the outflow plate 440, which will be described later. The second flow paths 430A connect the circulation area 425 with the third flow paths 440A.

[0124] The second flow path 430A may have a circular cross-section. Multiple second flow paths 430A may be arranged in groups. Each group includes two second flow paths 430A. The two second flow paths 430A in each group are located adjacent to the left and right ends of the diverter plate 430, respectively. The two second flow paths 430A correspond to the circulation areas 425 on either side of the rectifying flow path 423, respectively, so that refrigerant can be diverted from the circulation areas 425 and flow into each second flow path 430A.

[0125] The multi-layer plate body includes an outflow plate 440. The outflow plate 440 is provided with a plurality of through grooves to form a plurality of third flow paths 440A.

[0126] The cross-section of the third flow path 440A can be oblate or rectangular. When projected onto the surface of the outlet plate 440, the heat exchange tube 310 is located within the third flow path 440A. Without the third flow path 440A, directly connecting the second flow path 430A to the heat exchange tube 310 would prevent the second flow path 430A from completely covering the heat exchange tube 310 in projection, resulting in the refrigerant in the second flow path 430A only flowing into a portion of the holes in the heat exchange tube 310. By providing the third flow path 440A between the second flow path 430A and the heat exchange tube 310, the third flow path 440A completely covers the heat exchange tube 310 in projection, ensuring that the refrigerant in the third flow path 440A can flow into all holes in the heat exchange tube 310.

[0127] Both ends of the third flow path 440A communicate with each set of the second flow paths 430A in opposite directions.

[0128] The multi-layer plate body may include a plug-in plate 450 , which is provided with a plurality of through grooves to form heat exchange tube insertion portions 451 . The heat exchange tube insertion portions 451 are provided corresponding to the third flow path 440A of the outflow plate 440 .

[0129] The heat exchange tube 310 may be inserted into the plug plate 450 from the heat exchange tube insertion portion 451 and then communicate with the third flow path 440A.

[0130] The heat exchange tube 310 can be connected to the plug-in board 450 by welding.

[0131] In the distributor 400 , the inflow plate 410 , the mixing plate 420 , the diverter plate 430 , the outflow plate 440 , and the plug plate 450 are stacked. The first flow path 410A, the mixing chamber 421 , the second flow path 430A, and the third flow path 440A form a refrigerant distribution flow path in the distributor 400 .

[0132] When heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into distributor 400 through first flow path 410A of inlet plate 410. The refrigerant flowing into distributor 400 is rectified and mixed by mixing chamber 421 of mixing plate 420 before flowing into multiple second flow paths 430A of manifold plate 430 and then divided. The divided refrigerant flows into heat exchange tube 310 through third flow path 440A.

[0133] As described above, in the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present application, the distributor 400 has an inlet plate 410, which has a first flow path 410A; a mixing plate 420, which has a mixing chamber 421, the mixing chamber 421 has a rectifying flow path 423 connected to the first flow path 410A, a guide surface 4211 and a circulation area 425; a diverter plate 430, on which are provided a plurality of second flow paths 430A connected to the mixing chamber 421, and the second flow paths 430A are connected to the heat exchange tube 310. In this way, through the mixing cavity 421 formed in the mixing plate 420, the refrigerant can be sprayed along the rectifying flow path 423 to the guide surface 4211 of the mixing cavity 421, and after being changed in direction by the guide surface 4211, it flows to the circulation areas 425 on both sides respectively. After the refrigerant undergoes multiple circulations with the cooperation of the side walls of the circulation area 425, it is diverted to multiple heat exchange tubes 310 through multiple second flow paths 430A. In this way, the two-phase separation of the refrigerant under the action of gravity can be avoided, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the refrigerant.

[0134] Furthermore, compared to the related art, which requires multiple plates for flow diversion, the present invention utilizes only mixing plate 420 for flow rectification and diversion, and diverter plate 430 for flow diversion. This reduces the number of plates and enables a thinner thickness of distributor 400. Consequently, distributor 400 can be miniaturized. In air conditioners of the same size, miniaturizing distributor 400 increases the area of heat exchanger 300, thereby improving heat exchanger 300 performance.

[0135] In addition, since the number of the second flow paths 430A can be flexibly set, the number of branch paths of the distributor can be an even number or an odd number, which increases the flexibility of use of the distributor.

[0136] In some embodiments, reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 The circulation area 425 includes a first circulation area 426 and a second circulation area 427 respectively located on both sides of the rectifying flow path 423.

[0137] The diverter plate 430 is provided with a through groove for forming a conducting portion 431. The conducting portion 431 corresponds to the middle position of the isolation portion 422 in the up-down direction Z. The conducting portion 431 connects the first circulation area 426 and the second circulation area 427 respectively.

[0138] The refrigerant in the first circulation area 426 and the second circulation area 427 can flow through the conducting portion 431 , so that the refrigerant flow rates in the first circulation area 426 and the second circulation area 427 are relatively balanced.

[0139] The conductive portion 431 may include a first conductive portion 432 and a second conductive portion 433. The first conductive portion 432 is provided adjacent to the isolation portion 422 of the first circulation region 426. The first circulation region 426 and the rectifying flow path 423 are connected via the first conductive portion 432. The second conductive portion 433 is provided adjacent to the isolation portion 422 of the second circulation region 427. The second circulation region 427 and the rectifying flow path 423 are connected via the second conductive portion 433.

[0140] In the projection of the manifold plate surface, the middle portion of the first conductive portion 432 overlaps with the isolation portion 422 near the first circulation region 426, and the two ends of the first conductive portion 432 are respectively located within the first circulation region 426 and the rectifying flow path 423. In the projection of the manifold plate surface, the middle portion of the second conductive portion 433 overlaps with the isolation portion 422 near the second circulation region 427, and the two ends of the second conductive portion 433 are respectively located within the second circulation region 427 and the rectifying flow path 423.

[0141] The first conductive portion 432 and the second conductive portion 433 are separated from each other on the diverter plate 430 .

[0142] In the projection of the manifold plate surface, with the left-right direction as a reference, the distance that the first conductive portion 432 extends into the rectifier flow path 423 is less than half the width of the rectifier flow path 423. The distance that the second conductive portion 433 extends into the rectifier flow path 423 is less than half the width of the rectifier flow path 423. Thus, the area of the rectifier flow path 423 that is connected by the first conductive portion 432 and the second conductive portion 433 is relatively small, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant in the rectifier flow path 423 that flows directly into the circulation area 425 through the conductive portion 431.

[0143] When the distributor 400 is connected to a large number of heat exchange tubes 310, the height of the distributor 400 is relatively large, and accordingly, the mixing chamber 421 and the rectifying flow path 423 are relatively high. The conducting portions 431 of the diverter plate 430 can have multiple groups of spaced apart portions to ensure uniform flow on both sides of the mixing chamber 421.

[0144] See also Figure 13 As shown, for the distributor 400 with eight outlets, the conductive part 431 has two groups arranged upper and lower. On the projection of the diverter plate surface, one group of conductive parts 431 is close to the upper part (downstream side) of the rectifying flow path 423, and the other group of conductive parts 431 is close to the lower part (upstream side) of the rectifying flow path 423.

[0145] In some embodiments, the area of the corresponding second flow path 430A is adjusted according to the refrigerant flow data in different heat exchange tubes 310 so that the refrigerant is evenly distributed in the heat exchange tubes 310 .

[0146] Therefore, in the present application, the areas of the second flow paths 430A corresponding to different heat exchange tubes 310 may be different.

[0147] When heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into distributor 400 through first flow path 410A of inlet plate 410. The refrigerant flowing into distributor 400 is rectified and mixed by mixing chamber 421 of mixing plate 420 before flowing into multiple second flow paths 430A of different sizes in manifold plate 430, where it is evenly distributed. The evenly distributed refrigerant flows through third flow paths 440A into heat exchange tubes 310.

[0148] In some embodiments, reference Figure 13 The second flow paths 430A are grouped according to the corresponding heat exchange tubes 310, with the second flow paths 430A corresponding to the same heat exchange tubes 310 forming a group. For any two groups, the first group of second flow paths 430A_1 and the second group of second flow paths 430A_2 are considered. Therefore, the area of the first group of second flow paths 430A_1 is different from that of the second group of second flow paths 430A_2. Thus, the refrigerant flow rate entering the corresponding heat exchange tubes 310 can be controlled by adjusting the area of the second flow paths 430A.

[0149] For example, for a top-outlet air conditioner, since the upper portion of the heat exchanger 300 is closer to the fan 510 than the lower portion, the wind speed at the upper portion of the heat exchanger 300 is higher. Matching the refrigerant flow rate with the wind speed distribution can optimize the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 300.

[0150] By setting the area of the upper first group of second flow paths 430A_1 to be larger than the area of the lower second group of second flow paths 430A_2 , the refrigerant flow rate above the heat exchanger 300 can be greater than the refrigerant flow rate below the heat exchanger 300 .

[0151] In some embodiments, the second flow paths 430A are grouped according to the corresponding heat exchange tubes 310, with the second flow paths 430A corresponding to the same heat exchange tube 310 forming a group. Within each group, there are at least two second flow paths 430A, each having different areas. Thus, the refrigerant can be directed to a wider range of locations within the heat exchange tubes 310 by varying the areas of the second flow paths 430A within the same group.

[0152] For example, for the heat exchanger 300 in which the heat exchange tubes 310 are flat tubes, the width of the flat tubes is larger than that of round tubes, and the temperature of the air gradually decreases when flowing along the width direction of the flat tubes.

[0153] In the present application, the area of the second flow path 430A close to the windward side in the same group can be set to be larger. In this way, the refrigerant flow in the heat exchanger 310 can be more biased toward the windward side, and the refrigerant flow in the flat tube can better adapt to the energy of the air in the windward direction. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 300 can be improved.

[0154] In the above embodiment, the dispenser 400 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. However, in other embodiments, referring to Figure 14 The outer shape of the distributor 400 can also be made into a cylindrical shape. The outer side surface of each plate in the plate body is a cylindrical arc surface.

[0155] Therefore, the present application does not limit the appearance of the dispenser.

[0156] Next, the dispenser 400 is taken as an example of an integrated structure.

[0157] In this embodiment, the distributor 400 is made using a mold. A first mold with the same shape as the distribution flow path is placed into a second mold with the same shape as the distributor 400. Molten aluminum is then poured into the second mold. After the aluminum solidifies, the first mold is melted and discharged.

[0158] In this embodiment, the distributor 400 is an integrated structure, which is the same as the above embodiment except that the distributor 400 is formed by stacking a plurality of plates.

[0159] When heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows from first flow path 410A into distributor 400. The refrigerant flowing into distributor 400 is rectified and mixed in mixing chamber 421 before flowing into multiple second flow paths 430A for splitting. The split refrigerant then flows into heat exchange tube 310 through third flow path 440A.

[0160] As described above, in the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present application, the distributor 400 has a first flow path 410A; a mixing chamber 421, the mixing chamber 421 having a rectifying flow path 423 connected to the first flow path 410A, a guide surface 4211, and a circulation area 425; a plurality of second flow paths 430A connected to the mixing chamber 421, and the plurality of second flow paths 430A connected to the plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 in a one-to-one correspondence. In this way, through the mixing chamber 421, the refrigerant can be sprayed along the rectifying flow path 423 to the guide surface 4211 of the mixing chamber 421, and after being redirected by the guide surface 4211, it flows to the circulation areas 425 on both sides. With the cooperation of the side walls of the circulation area 425, the refrigerant undergoes multiple cycles and is then diverted to the plurality of heat exchange tubes 310 through the plurality of second flow paths 430A. This prevents the refrigerant from separating into two phases under the action of gravity, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the refrigerant.

[0161] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

[0162] For ease of explanation, the above description has been presented in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, the above exemplary discussion is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the specific forms disclosed above. Based on the above teachings, various modifications and variations are possible. The above embodiments have been selected and described to better explain the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better utilize the embodiments and various different variations of the embodiments suitable for specific use considerations.

Claims

1. A dispenser, characterized in that: The dispenser comprises: an inflow plate, on which a first flow path is provided for the refrigerant to flow in; a mixing plate, on which a mixing cavity is provided, which is in communication with the first flow path and is used to mix the refrigerant evenly; A diverter plate is provided with a plurality of second flow paths communicating with the mixing chamber, wherein the second flow paths are communicated with the heat exchange tube; Wherein, the inner top surface of the mixing plate is an arc-shaped flow guide surface; The mixing chamber is provided with: a rectifying flow path extending in a first direction, an inflow end of the rectifying flow path communicating with the first flow path, an outflow end of the rectifying flow path facing the guide surface and spaced apart from the guide surface; and a circulation zone, located on both sides of the rectifying flow path; The distributor allows the refrigerant to be sprayed onto the guide surface along the rectifying flow path, and then flow to the circulation areas on both sides, circulate in the circulation areas, and then flow to the second flow path.

2. The dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that The dispenser further comprises: an outflow plate, on which a plurality of third flow paths are provided, wherein the third flow paths connect the second flow paths and the heat exchange tubes, are projected onto the plate surface of the outflow plate, and the heat exchange tubes are located within the third flow paths; A plug-in plate is provided with a plurality of heat exchange tube insertion portions communicating with the third flow path in opposite directions so as to allow the heat exchange tubes to be plugged in.

3. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The mixing plate is provided with two isolating parts located in the mixing cavity, and the space between the isolating parts forms the rectifying flow path.

4. The dispenser according to claim 3, characterized in that The bottom end of the isolation portion is closed, and the inflow end of the rectifying flow path is located at the bottom end of the rectifying flow path.

5. The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The circulation area includes a first circulation area and a second circulation area located on both sides of the rectifying flow path; A conducting portion is provided on the diverter plate, a portion of the conducting portion is communicated with the first circulation area, and another portion of the conducting portion is communicated with the second circulation area.

6. The dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that The conductive portion includes: a first conductive portion connecting the rectifying flow path and the first circulation area; The second conductive portion is separated from the first conductive portion, and the second conductive portion connects the rectifying flow path and the second circulation area.

7. The dispenser according to claim 5, characterized in that The conductive portions include a plurality of groups, two of which correspond to the upstream side and the downstream side of the rectifying flow path, respectively.

8. A heat exchanger, wherein: The dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the heat exchanger is used as an evaporator or a condenser; The heat exchanger comprises: A plurality of heat exchange tubes are arranged along a first direction and used for heat exchange and circulation of refrigerant; The distributor is used to distribute the refrigerant to the plurality of heat exchange tubes.

9. The heat exchanger according to claim 8, characterized in that Any two of the heat exchange tubes constitute a group of research objects; in at least one group of research objects, the areas of the second flow paths connected by the two heat exchange tubes are different.

10. A refrigeration cycle device, characterized in that: The heat exchanger comprises the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein the heat exchanger serves as at least one of an evaporator and a condenser.

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