Air conditioner

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of air conditioning equipment, in particular to an air conditioner. Specifically, the air conditioner comprises a refrigerant circulation system, an electric control board and a cooling pipeline, the refrigerant circulation system comprises a compressor, a reversing valve, an outdoor unit heat exchanger, a gas-liquid separator, a throttling valve and an indoor unit heat exchanger which are sequentially connected through a refrigeration circulation pipeline, and the two ends of the cooling pipeline are communicated with the gas-liquid separator. A heat dissipation plate is arranged on the high-temperature area of the electric control board, the cooling pipeline is arranged on the heat dissipation plate, and heat dissipated by the high-temperature area is taken away by introducing refrigerants of the refrigerant circulation system. The cooling pipeline is arranged on the heat dissipation plate of the electric control board so that the electric control board can be cooled, the two ends of the cooling pipeline can communicate with the gas-liquid separator, in the heating mode, the cooling pipeline can be filled with gaseous refrigerants, and therefore the situation that the temperature of the electric control board is too low is avoided, and the service life of the electric control board is prolonged. And the risk of dew formation of the electric control plate is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of air conditioning equipment, in particular to an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] The high-voltage area of an air conditioner's electrical control panel is equipped with high-power electronic control components, which results in high heat generation and difficulty in dissipating heat. These high-power electronic control components primarily include IPMs (Intelligent Power Modules), IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), diodes, and bridge rectifiers. IPMs generate approximately 60% of the total heat and have the highest heat flux density.

[0003] In the prior art, air cooling is generally used to dissipate heat from the electric control board. However, air cooling requires additional heat dissipation components to be added to the air conditioner, which takes up a large space and has poor cooling effect.

[0004] Therefore, this field needs a new technical solution to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to solve the above technical problem, that is, to solve the problem that the existing cooling solution for the electric control panel of the air conditioner is not good.

[0006] In a first aspect, the utility model provides an air conditioner, which includes a refrigerant circulation system, an electric control board and a cooling pipeline. The refrigerant circulation system includes a compressor, a reversing valve, an outdoor unit heat exchanger, a gas-liquid separator, a throttle valve and an indoor unit heat exchanger connected in sequence by the refrigeration circulation pipeline. The reversing valve is used to change the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system, so that the air conditioner operates in a cooling mode or a heating mode. Both ends of the cooling pipeline are connected to the gas-liquid separator. A heat sink is provided on the high-temperature area of the electric control board. The cooling pipeline is arranged on the heat sink, and the heat dissipated from the high-temperature area is taken away by introducing the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation system.

[0007] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner, the top of the gas-liquid separator is provided with an interface connected to the interior of the gas-liquid separator, one end of the cooling pipe is connected to the interface, and the other end of the cooling pipe extends from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator into the inside of the gas-liquid separator.

[0008] In a preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, the ratio of the length of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline extending into the gas-liquid separator to the height of the gas-liquid separator is greater than 0.5.

[0009] In a preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, the ratio of the length of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline extending into the gas-liquid separator to the height of the gas-liquid separator is greater than 0.7.

[0010] In a preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, the heat sink includes a first plate and a second plate that are fixedly connected, the first plate and the second plate are arranged opposite to each other, and the cooling pipeline is located between the first plate and the second plate.

[0011] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner, a first groove is provided on the side of the first plate body opposite to the second plate body, and a second groove is provided on the side of the second plate body opposite to the first plate body. The first groove and the second groove together define a pipe groove, and the cooling pipe is located in the pipe groove.

[0012] In the preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, the cooling pipeline is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe groove.

[0013] In a preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, the first plate body and the second plate body are detachably fixedly connected.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the above air conditioner, a heat-conducting medium is provided between the cooling pipeline and the heat sink.

[0015] In the preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner, the electric control board is installed on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner; and / or the reversing valve is a four-way reversing valve; and / or the installation position of the gas-liquid separator is equal to or higher than the installation position of the electric control board.

[0016] When adopting the above technical solution, the air conditioner of the present invention arranges a cooling pipeline on the heat dissipation plate of the electric control board. The cooling pipeline can introduce the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system and take away the heat emitted from the high-temperature area on the electric control board. In addition, by arranging a gas-liquid separator between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the throttle valve, and connecting the two ends of the cooling pipeline with the gas-liquid separator, when the air conditioner operates in heating mode, it is beneficial to fill the cooling pipeline with gaseous refrigerant and avoid low-temperature liquid refrigerant from entering the cooling pipeline, thereby preventing the temperature of the electric control board from being too low, and further reducing the risk of condensation on the electric control board.

[0017] Furthermore, the utility model connects one end of the cooling pipe with the top of the gas-liquid separator and extends the other end of the cooling pipe from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator into the inside of the gas-liquid separator. When the air conditioner operates in heating mode, it is more conducive to filling the cooling pipe with gaseous refrigerant and preventing liquid refrigerant from entering the cooling pipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant circulation system of the air conditioner of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the electric control box and cooling pipeline of the air conditioner of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the electric control panel and cooling pipeline of the air conditioner of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the heat sink and cooling pipe of the air conditioner of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 It is an exploded view of the heat sink and cooling pipeline of the air conditioner of the present invention.

[0024] List of reference numerals:

[0025] 110. Compressor; 120. Reversing valve; 130. Outdoor unit heat exchanger; 140. Throttle valve; 150. Indoor unit heat exchanger; 160. Cooling pipeline; 170. Gas-liquid separator; 210. Heat sink; 211. First plate body; 212. Second plate body; 213. First groove; 214. Second groove; 220. Electric control box; 230. Electric control board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that in the description of this utility model, terms such as "upper," "lower," "top," and "bottom" indicating directions or positional relationships are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. These are merely for ease of description and do not indicate or imply that the device or component described must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "connected," and "installed" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, to refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] Specifically, the present invention provides an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, and an electronic control panel 230. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected via a refrigeration cycle and electrical wiring. The refrigeration cycle connects the refrigeration components in the indoor unit with those in the outdoor unit to form a refrigerant circulation loop, which circulates the refrigerant to achieve heat exchange between the indoor and outdoor areas.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger 150 and an indoor fan (not shown in the figure), etc. It can be set to various structures such as wall-mounted, vertical or ceiling-mounted. The indoor fan is used to promote the formation of airflow flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 150 to adjust the temperature of the indoor environment.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the outdoor unit includes components such as a compressor 110, an outdoor heat exchanger 130, an outdoor fan (not shown), and a throttle valve 140. The compressor 110 is preferably a variable frequency compressor driven by a variable frequency motor. Its rotational speed is adjusted according to cooling demand, and the cooling capacity of the air conditioner is increased by increasing the rotational speed of the compressor 110. The compressor 110 is driven by an electrical control board 230 to provide power for the refrigerant circulation. The rotational speed is adjusted by adjusting the power supply frequency through the electrical control board 230. The outdoor fan generates a cooling airflow for dissipating heat from the outdoor heat exchanger 130.

[0032] The electronic control board 230 is preferably located in the outdoor unit and is also referred to as the outdoor unit electronic control board. The electronic control board 230 controls the outdoor unit's operating status, including a frequency converter (VFD) that drives the compressor 110, such as an IPM (Intelligent Power Module). When the electronic control board 230 drives the compressor 110, its power components generate heat. This heat generation increases with increasing cooling load and the frequency of state changes. The IPM generates the most heat and is generally the component with the highest temperature.

[0033] The speed of compressor 110 is adjusted based on cooling demand. This increases the cooling capacity of the air conditioner. Inverter air conditioners utilize frequency conversion technology to improve power efficiency and reduce temperature fluctuations. Frequency conversion technology involves subjecting AC power from the grid to a series of processes, including rectification, filtering, and inversion, to change the power supply frequency of compressor 110. This function is typically implemented through the electronic control board 230. Frequency conversion technology itself is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be discussed in detail here.

[0034] Preferably, if Figure 1As shown, the air conditioner of the present invention also includes a gas-liquid separator 170, which is located between the outdoor heat exchanger 130 and the throttle valve 140. The refrigeration cycle pipeline connects the compressor 110, the outdoor heat exchanger 130, the gas-liquid separator 170, the throttle valve 140, and the indoor heat exchanger 150 in sequence, forming a refrigerant circulation system. The compressor 110, which is driven by an electric motor and rotates continuously, provides power for the refrigerant circulation. The throttle valve 140 is preferably configured as an electronic expansion valve.

[0035] The installation position of the gas-liquid separator 170 can be flush with the installation position of the electric control board 230, or the installation position of the gas-liquid separator 170 can be higher than the installation position of the electric control board 230. Of course, it is preferred that the installation position of the gas-liquid separator 170 be higher than the installation position of the electric control board 230.

[0036] Preferably, if Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerant circulation system of the present invention further includes a reversing valve 120, which is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 110 and is used to change the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system, thereby allowing the air conditioner to operate in cooling mode or heating mode.

[0037] Figure 1 The solid arrow in the middle represents the refrigerant flow direction when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode. In cooling mode, the refrigerant, driven by compressor 110, flows through reversing valve 120 to outdoor heat exchanger 130, then passes through gas-liquid separator 170, throttle valve 140, and indoor heat exchanger 150 before returning to compressor 110.

[0038] Figure 1 The dashed arrow in the figure indicates the refrigerant flow direction when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode. In heating mode, the refrigerant, driven by compressor 110, flows through reversing valve 120 to indoor heat exchanger 150, then passes through throttle valve 140, gas-liquid separator 170, and outdoor heat exchanger 130 before returning to compressor 110.

[0039] In some preferred embodiments, the reversing valve 120 is preferably a four-way reversing valve.

[0040] The electric control box 220 of the air conditioner is generally located on the outdoor unit. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the electric control board 230 is arranged in the electric control box 220. A heat sink 210 is provided on the electric control board 230. The heat sink 210 is arranged in the high-temperature area of the electric control board 230. By absorbing the heat dissipated during the operation of the electric control board 230, the heat dissipation of the electric control board 230 is accelerated.

[0041] Among them, the heat sink 210 is generally made of aluminum or other heat-conducting materials. The shape of the heat sink 210 is generally adapted to the structure of the electric control board 230, and can at least cover the high-temperature area of the electric control board 230 (that is, cover the power devices of the electric control board 230). The heat sink 210 is generally fixed to the electric control board 230 by screws or bonding. A positioning structure can be provided on the side of the heat sink 210 that is adjacent to the electric control board 230, and can be covered with thermal conductive silicone, etc., so as to reduce thermal resistance. In some preferred embodiments, the heat sink 210 can be a rectangular plate body, and one side is arranged adjacent to the electric control board 230.

[0042] Preferably, if Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the air conditioner of the present invention further includes a cooling pipe 160, both ends of which are connected to the gas-liquid separator 170. The cooling pipe 160 is arranged on the heat dissipation plate 210, and the heat emitted from the high-temperature area is taken away by the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant circulation system.

[0043] Specifically, the gas-liquid separator 170 is provided with four interfaces a, b, c, and d, among which interface a and interface c are located at the bottom of the gas-liquid separator 170, and interface b and interface d are located at the top of the gas-liquid separator 170. Interface a and interface b are connected to the refrigerant circulation pipeline, one end of the cooling pipeline 160 is connected to interface d, and the other end of the cooling pipeline 160 extends into the inside of the gas-liquid separator 170 through interface c.

[0044] When the air conditioner is running in cooling mode:

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown by the solid arrow in the middle, the liquid refrigerant from the outdoor unit heat exchanger 130 fills the gas-liquid separator 170 through the interface a, enters the cooling pipe 160, and then flows back to the gas-liquid separator 170 through the interface d. When the liquid refrigerant flows through the cooling pipe 160, it takes away the heat dissipated by the heat sink 210 and cools the electronic control board 230.

[0046] When the air conditioner is operating in heating mode:

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown by the dotted arrow, the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant from the indoor unit heat exchanger 150 is throttled by the throttle valve 140 and enters the gas-liquid separator 170 through the b interface. The liquid refrigerant flows out through the a interface and flows along the refrigerant circulation pipeline toward the outdoor unit heat exchanger 130. The gaseous refrigerant enters the cooling pipeline 160 through the d interface. The cooling pipeline 160 is filled with gaseous refrigerant and there is no low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The low-temperature gaseous refrigerant can cool the electric control board 230. In addition, compared with the liquid refrigerant, the gaseous refrigerant has a lower heat absorption capacity, which is beneficial to avoid causing the temperature of the electric control board 230 to be too low, and thus helps to reduce the risk of condensation on the electric control board 230.

[0048] Preferably, if Figure 1 As shown, the ratio of the length L of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline 160 extending into the gas-liquid separator 170 to the height H of the gas-liquid separator 170 is greater than 0.5.

[0049] For example, the ratio of the length L to the height H may be 0.55, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7, 0.75 or 0.8, etc.

[0050] Further preferably, the ratio of the length L of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline 160 extending into the gas-liquid separator 170 to the height H of the gas-liquid separator 170 is greater than 0.7.

[0051] Preferably, a heat conducting medium is provided between the cooling pipe 160 and the heat dissipation plate 210 .

[0052] The heat conducting medium may be heat conducting silica gel or the like.

[0053] Preferably, if Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the heat sink 210 of the present invention includes a first plate 211 and a second plate 212 that are fixedly connected. The first plate 211 and the second plate 212 are arranged opposite to each other, and the cooling pipe 160 is located between the first plate 211 and the second plate 212 .

[0054] For example, one side of the first plate 211 is used to cover the high-temperature area on the electronic control board 230. The first plate 211 is generally fixed to the high-temperature area of the electronic control board 230 by providing fasteners or using adhesives. The first plate 211 and the second plate 212 can generally be connected by fasteners or adhesives.

[0055] Preferably, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first plate body 211 and the second plate body 212 are detachably fixedly connected.

[0056] Preferably, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a first groove 213 is provided on the side of the first plate 211 opposite to the second plate 212, and a second groove 214 is provided on the side of the second plate 212 opposite to the first plate 211. The first groove 213 and the second groove 214 together define a pipe groove, and the cooling pipe 160 is located in the pipe groove.

[0057] Exemplarily, the first plate 211 is positioned above the second plate 212. The top surface of the first plate 211 covers the high-temperature area on the electronic control board 230. A first groove 213 is provided on the bottom surface of the first plate 211, and a second groove 214 is provided on the top surface of the second plate 212, corresponding to the first groove 213. When the first and second plates 211, 212 are fastened together, the first and second grooves 213, 214 together define a pipe groove for routing the cooling pipe 160. The heat sink 210 uses a combination of plates to form a pipe groove, which not only facilitates preparation and maintenance, but also facilitates connection between the heat sink 210 itself and the electronic control board 230.

[0058] Preferably, the cooling pipe 160 is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe groove.

[0059] The cross-sectional shape of the pipe groove is adapted to the shape of the cooling pipe 160, and can be, for example, circular, elliptical, square, or rectangular. In this embodiment, a circular cooling pipe 160 and a pipe groove with a circular cross-section are preferably used, and a heat-conducting medium such as thermally conductive silicone is coated between the cooling pipe 160 and the inner wall of the pipe groove.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, combinations of features from different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this application and to form different embodiments. For example, in the claims of this application, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

[0061] Thus far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: The air conditioner includes a refrigerant circulation system, an electric control panel and a cooling pipeline. The refrigerant circulation system includes a compressor, a reversing valve, an outdoor unit heat exchanger, a gas-liquid separator, a throttle valve, and an indoor unit heat exchanger connected in sequence by a refrigeration circulation pipeline. The reversing valve is used to change the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation system so that the air conditioner operates in cooling mode or heating mode. Both ends of the cooling pipeline are connected to the gas-liquid separator. A heat sink is provided on the high temperature area of the electric control board, and the cooling pipeline is arranged on the heat sink. The refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant circulation system takes away the heat emitted from the high temperature area.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The top of the gas-liquid separator is provided with an interface connected to the interior of the gas-liquid separator, one end of the cooling pipeline is connected to the interface, and the other end of the cooling pipeline extends from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator into the inside of the gas-liquid separator.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that The ratio of the length of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline extending into the gas-liquid separator to the height of the gas-liquid separator is greater than 0.

5.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that The ratio of the length of the pipe section of the cooling pipeline extending into the gas-liquid separator to the height of the gas-liquid separator is greater than 0.

7.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The heat dissipation plate includes a first plate body and a second plate body that are fixedly connected. The first plate body and the second plate body are arranged opposite to each other, and the cooling pipeline is located between the first plate body and the second plate body.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that A first groove is provided on a side of the first plate body opposite to the second plate body, and a second groove is provided on a side of the second plate body opposite to the first plate body. The first groove and the second groove together define a pipe groove, and the cooling pipeline is located in the pipe groove.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that The cooling pipeline is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe groove.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that The first plate body and the second plate body are detachably fixedly connected.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: A heat conducting medium is provided between the cooling pipe and the heat dissipation plate.

10. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The electric control panel is installed in the outdoor unit of the air conditioner; and / or The reversing valve is a four-way reversing valve; and / or The installation position of the gas-liquid separator is equal to or higher than the installation position of the electric control board.

Images