Gas-liquid separator and air conditioning unit

Abstract

The utility model discloses a gas-liquid separator and an air conditioning unit, the gas-liquid separator comprises a shell, a gas inlet pipe and a gas outlet pipe, the gas inlet pipe and the gas outlet pipe are arranged on the shell, a heat exchange pipe is arranged in the gas outlet pipe, a liquid inlet of the heat exchange pipe is communicated with a liquid outlet end of a condenser of the unit, and a liquid outlet of the heat exchange pipe is communicated with a liquid inlet end of an evaporator of the unit. The heat exchange pipe is arranged in the gas outlet pipe of the gas-liquid separator, so that direct heat exchange between a liquid refrigerant and a gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is realized, liquid in the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is further filtered, the suction superheat degree is effectively improved, the risk that the compressor sucks the liquid refrigerant is avoided, and the service life of the compressor is prolonged. And the overall reliability and the operation efficiency of the system are obviously enhanced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of gas-liquid separators, in particular to a gas-liquid separator and an air-conditioning unit. Background Art

[0002] With the continued growth of global energy demand and increasing awareness of environmental protection, energy conservation and emission reduction have become key development priorities across all industries. In the field of refrigeration and heat pump technology, improving system energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and increasing cooling capacity while maintaining or reducing production costs have become the goals pursued by major manufacturers. In this context, the optimization and innovation of refrigeration systems are particularly important.

[0003] In traditional refrigeration systems, gas-liquid separators are indispensable components. The gas-liquid separator is installed at the suction port of the compressor to separate the gas and liquid refrigerant and transport the gaseous refrigerant to the suction port of the compressor. Its main function is to effectively separate the gas and liquid components in the refrigerant, prevent the compressor from lubricating oil dilution caused by excessive liquid return, and thus protect the compressor from liquid hammer damage and ensure stable operation of the system. However, the design of traditional gas-liquid separators is relatively simple, usually with an L-shaped inlet pipe and a U-shaped outlet pipe. Although this structure can meet basic separation requirements, it has limitations in improving the overall energy efficiency and refrigeration capacity of the system, and the gas-liquid separation effect is poor, and there is usually a lot of liquid when the liquid is returned. If the gas-liquid separator is not effective, liquid refrigerant will enter the suction line of the compressor, which will destroy the superheat balance of the system and have an adverse effect on the compressor and system stability. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem that the gas-liquid separator in the prior art carries a lot of liquid when returning gas, the utility model proposes a.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is:

[0006] The utility model provides a gas-liquid separator, comprising a shell, an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe arranged on the shell, wherein a heat exchange pipe for increasing the superheat of the suction air is arranged in the air outlet pipe.

[0007] Furthermore, the heat exchange portion of the heat exchange tube is spiral.

[0008] Furthermore, the heat exchange tube includes: a first heat exchange tube portion and a second heat exchange tube portion;

[0009] The first heat exchange tube portion is spiral, and one end of it is a liquid inlet. The second heat exchange tube portion is vertically arranged in the middle of the first heat exchange tube. One end of the second heat exchange tube is connected to the other end of the first heat exchange tube, and the other end of the second heat exchange tube is a liquid outlet.

[0010] Furthermore, the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe are L-shaped tubes, are vertically arranged on the top of the shell, and partially extend into the shell.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottoms of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe are sealed, and the parts extending into the shell are provided with a plurality of openings at intervals.

[0012] Furthermore, the length of the portion of the air outlet pipe located inside the shell is greater than the length of the portion of the air inlet pipe located inside the shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the shell includes a base, a middle cylinder and an upper cover, the base is in the shape of a circular plate, the middle cylinder is in the shape of a circular ring, the base is installed at the bottom opening of the middle cylinder, and the upper cover is arranged at the top opening of the middle cylinder.

[0014] Furthermore, a first reserved hole and a second reserved hole are provided on the upper cover body, and outwardly bent edges are provided at the first reserved hole and the second reserved hole for connection with the air inlet pipe or the air outlet pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, the edge of the base exceeds the bottom opening of the middle cylinder, and a fixing hole is provided at the edge exceeding the middle cylinder.

[0016] Furthermore, the air inlet and the air outlet of the heat exchange tube pass through the portion of the air outlet tube located at the top of the shell.

[0017] The utility model also provides an air-conditioning unit, comprising any one of the gas-liquid separators.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the utility model proposes a gas-liquid separator, comprising a shell and an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe arranged on the shell, a heat exchange pipe is arranged in the air outlet pipe, the liquid inlet of the heat exchange pipe is connected to the liquid outlet end of the unit condenser, and the liquid outlet of the heat exchange pipe is connected to the liquid inlet end of the evaporator of the unit. By arranging the heat exchange pipe in the air outlet pipe of the gas-liquid separator, direct heat exchange between the liquid refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant is realized, and the liquid in the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is further filtered, which effectively improves the suction superheat, thereby avoiding the risk of the compressor inhaling liquid refrigerant, and significantly enhancing the overall reliability and operation efficiency of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or descriptions of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 An exploded view of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of the heat exchange tube according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] 11. Upper cover;

[0025] 111. First reserved hole;

[0026] 112. Second reserved hole;

[0027] 12. Base;

[0028] 13. Middle cylinder;

[0029] 21. Exhaust pipe;

[0030] 22. Intake pipe;

[0031] 31. Heat exchange tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0033] The principle and structure of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] With the continued growth of global energy demand and increasing awareness of environmental protection, energy conservation and emission reduction have become key development priorities across all industries. In the field of refrigeration and heat pump technology, improving system energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption, and increasing cooling capacity while maintaining or reducing production costs have become the goals pursued by major manufacturers. In this context, the optimization and innovation of refrigeration systems are particularly important.

[0035] In traditional refrigeration systems, gas-liquid separators are indispensable components. The gas-liquid separator is installed at the suction port of the compressor to separate the gas and liquid refrigerant and transport the gaseous refrigerant to the suction port of the compressor. Its main function is to effectively separate the gas and liquid components in the refrigerant, prevent the compressor from lubricating oil dilution caused by excessive liquid return, and thus protect the compressor from liquid hammer damage and ensure stable operation of the system. However, the design of traditional gas-liquid separators is relatively simple, usually with an L-shaped inlet pipe and a U-shaped outlet pipe. Although this structure can meet basic separation requirements, it has limitations in improving the overall energy efficiency and refrigeration capacity of the system, and the gas-liquid separation effect is poor, and there is usually a lot of liquid when the liquid is returned. If the gas-liquid separator is not effective, liquid refrigerant will enter the suction line of the compressor, which will destroy the superheat balance of the system and have an adverse effect on the compressor and system stability.

[0036] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the utility model proposes a gas-liquid separator, including a shell, an air inlet pipe 22 and an air outlet pipe 21 arranged on the shell, a heat exchange pipe 31 for increasing the suction superheat is provided in the air outlet pipe 21, the liquid inlet of the heat exchange pipe 31 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the unit condenser, and the liquid outlet of the heat exchange pipe 31 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the unit evaporator.

[0037] After flowing out of the evaporator, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant enters the gas-liquid separator, where it is filtered and then enters the compressor. The high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor enters the condenser through the high-pressure exhaust pipe, where it is condensed into high-temperature liquid refrigerant, removing the released heat. The liquid refrigerant then enters the heat exchange tube 31 of the gas-liquid separator, where it exchanges heat with the gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator. The refrigerant then enters the unit's evaporator through heat exchange tube 31, where it exchanges heat with the low-temperature liquid refrigerant at the evaporator outlet. This lowers the temperature of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant (increasing the degree of subcooling) while simultaneously raising the temperature of the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant (increasing the degree of superheat). The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant exiting the evaporator then enters the gas-liquid separator for gas-liquid separation, completing the heat exchange process for the entire unit.

[0038] By installing a heat exchange tube 31 within the gas-liquid separator's outlet pipe 21, direct heat exchange between the liquid refrigerant and the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is achieved. This design allows the high-temperature liquid refrigerant to be cooled (i.e., its subcooling degree is increased) before entering the evaporator, while the low-temperature gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is heated after leaving the evaporator, further separating the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant. This effectively increases the suction superheat, thereby avoiding the risk of liquid refrigerant being drawn into the compressor and significantly enhancing the overall reliability and operational efficiency of the system.

[0039] In a further embodiment, the heat exchange tube is spiral-shaped, and the heat exchange tube 31 includes: a first heat exchange tube portion and a second heat exchange tube portion 31;

[0040] The first heat exchange tube portion is spiral, and one end of it is the liquid inlet. The second heat exchange tube portion is vertically arranged in the middle of the first heat exchange tube 31. One end of the second heat exchange tube portion is connected to the other end of the first heat exchange tube 31, and the other end of the second heat exchange tube portion is the liquid outlet.

[0041] The shape setting of the heat exchange tube 31 not only greatly increases the heat exchange surface area, but also disrupts the gas flow through its unique shape, enhances the heat exchange effect, realizes the preheating of the liquid refrigerant, and effectively increases the suction superheat, thereby avoiding the risk of the compressor inhaling liquid refrigerant, and significantly enhancing the overall reliability and operating efficiency of the system.

[0042] The inlet and outlet pipes 22 and 21 are L-shaped tubes, each vertically mounted on the top of the housing. The bottoms of the inlet and outlet pipes 22 and 21 are sealed and extend into the housing. Multiple openings are spaced apart where the inlet and outlet pipes 22 and 21 extend into the housing. These openings are elongated, rectangular shapes. These openings ensure smooth gas flow while effectively blocking any large droplets that might be carried over, further improving separation efficiency and the purity of the outlet gas.

[0043] The inlet and outlet of the heat exchange tube 31 are designed at the top of the outlet pipe 21, making the layout of the entire heat exchange system more compact. This compact layout helps save installation space, which is particularly important in space-constrained applications such as small refrigeration equipment or compact industrial equipment.

[0044] The portions of the inlet pipe 22 and outlet pipe 21 within the housing are each equipped with multiple rectangular openings. This design allows the gas to be more evenly dispersed within the housing as it passes through the pipes, increasing the contact area between the gas and any media (such as liquids or solid particles) present within the housing, thereby improving the efficiency of gas-liquid or gas-solid separation. The rectangular openings help reduce resistance to gas flow, ensuring smooth gas flow. They also effectively block any larger droplets or particles that may be carried along, preventing them from directly entering the outlet pipe 21, further enhancing the separation effect.

[0045] The unique I-shaped structure and densely distributed rectangular openings of the inlet pipe 22 ensure that the vapor-liquid refrigerant mixture is fully dispersed upon entering the cavity, accelerating the initial separation of liquid droplets from gas. Once the vapor-liquid mixture passes through the inlet and into the shell through the vertical slits, impacting the inner shell wall, the liquid velocity drops sharply, clinging to the cavity wall and flowing to the bottom. The gaseous refrigerant, however, reverses direction due to the pressure difference after entering the cavity, ultimately separating the gas and liquid.

[0046] The length of the portion of the air outlet pipe 21 located inside the housing is greater than the length of the portion of the air inlet pipe 22 located inside the housing.

[0047] The longer portion of the outlet pipe 21 within the housing means the gas resides longer inside the housing. This increases the chances of the gas-liquid refrigerant mixture coming into contact with the outlet pipe 21, giving the liquid component of the mixture more time to settle or be trapped, thereby improving the efficiency of gas-liquid separation. This extended residence time also allows small droplets in the gas to further separate through gravity or inertial forces, reducing the risk of droplets being carried by the gas and improving the purity of the outlet gas.

[0048] The shell includes a base 12, a middle cylinder 13 and an upper cover 11. The base 12 is a circular plate, the middle cylinder 13 is a circular tube, the base 12 is installed at the bottom opening of the middle cylinder 13, and the upper cover 11 is arranged at the top opening of the middle cylinder 13.

[0049] The base 12 is in the shape of a circular plate, which not only provides a stable supporting area, but also helps to disperse the weight and pressure from the middle cylinder 13 and the upper cover 11, thereby enhancing the structural stability of the entire shell.

[0050] The middle cylinder 13 is annular and is installed at the top opening of the base 12. This design forms a tight connection between the middle cylinder 13 and the base 12, further enhancing the overall stability of the shell and reducing the risk of deformation or damage due to vibration or external impact.

[0051] The upper cover 11, the middle cylinder 13 and the base 12 are seamlessly connected by a precision welding process, and together form a sealed gas-liquid separator shell to ensure that the entire shell is both strong and sealed, effectively preventing the refrigerant in the shell from leaking.

[0052] The upper cover 11 is provided with a first pre-set hole 111 and a second pre-set hole 112. Outwardly bent edges are provided at the first and second pre-set holes 111 and 112 for connection to the inlet pipe 22 and outlet pipe 21. The inlet pipe 22 and outlet pipe 21 are welded to the edges at the pre-set holes. This design further ensures a tight seal within the housing.

[0053] The edge of the base 12 extends beyond the bottom opening of the middle cylinder 13, and a fixing hole is provided at the edge beyond the middle cylinder 13. This provides users with flexible and convenient installation options, ensuring stable installation and efficient operation of the device in different application scenarios.

[0054] The air inlet and outlet of the heat exchange tube 31 pass through the portion of the outlet pipe 21 located at the top of the shell, which increases the residence time of the liquid refrigerant in the heat exchange tube 31 and enables it to more fully exchange heat with the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant in the shell.

[0055] The present utility model also proposes an air-conditioning unit, including the gas-liquid separator of the present application, and the gas-liquid separator is arranged between the evaporator and the compressor of the air-conditioning unit, and its air inlet pipe 22 and the air outlet pipe 21 are respectively connected to the outlet of the evaporator and the inlet of the compressor, the liquid inlet of the heat exchange pipe 31 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the condenser of the air-conditioning unit, and the liquid outlet of the heat exchange pipe 31 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the evaporator of the air-conditioning unit.

[0056] Compared with the prior art, the present invention proposes a gas-liquid separator, comprising a shell and an air inlet pipe 22 and an air outlet pipe 21 arranged on the shell, a heat exchange tube 31 is arranged in the air outlet pipe 21, the liquid inlet of the heat exchange tube 31 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the unit condenser, and the liquid outlet of the heat exchange tube 31 is connected to the liquid inlet end of the evaporator of the unit. By arranging the heat exchange tube 31 in the air outlet pipe 21 of the gas-liquid separator, direct heat exchange between the liquid refrigerant and the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is realized, the liquid in the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant is further filtered, the suction superheat is effectively improved, thereby avoiding the risk of the compressor inhaling liquid refrigerant, and significantly enhancing the overall reliability and operation efficiency of the system.

[0057] It should be noted that the terms used above are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0058] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, the numerical expressions and the numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The techniques, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0059] In the description of the present invention, it needs to be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0060] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0061] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0062] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is susceptible to various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas-liquid separator, comprising: A shell, an air inlet pipe and an air outlet pipe arranged on the shell, characterized in that a heat exchange pipe for increasing the superheat of the suction air is provided in the air outlet pipe, and the heat exchange pipe includes: a first heat exchange pipe portion and a second heat exchange pipe portion; The first heat exchange tube portion is spiral, and one end of it is a liquid inlet. The second heat exchange tube portion is vertically arranged in the middle of the first heat exchange tube. One end of the second heat exchange tube is connected to the other end of the first heat exchange tube, and the other end of the second heat exchange tube is a liquid outlet.

2. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe are respectively vertically arranged on the top of the shell and partially extend into the shell.

3. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottoms of the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe are sealed, and the parts extending into the shell are provided with a plurality of openings at intervals.

4. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The length of the portion of the air outlet pipe located inside the shell is greater than the length of the portion of the air inlet pipe located inside the shell.

5. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes a base, a middle cylinder and an upper cover. The base is in the shape of a circular plate, the middle cylinder is in the shape of a circular tube, the base is installed at the bottom opening of the middle cylinder, and the upper cover is arranged at the top opening of the middle cylinder.

6. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper cover body is provided with a first reserved hole and a second reserved hole, and the first reserved hole and the second reserved hole are provided with outwardly bent edges for connecting with the air inlet pipe or the air outlet pipe.

7. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The edge of the base exceeds the bottom opening of the middle cylinder, and a fixing hole is provided at the edge exceeding the middle cylinder.

8. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air inlet and the air outlet of the heat exchange tube pass through the portion of the air outlet tube located at the top of the shell.

9. An air conditioning unit, characterized in that: The invention comprises the gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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