Shell and tube heat exchanger and air conditioner with same

Abstract

The utility model provides a shell and tube heat exchanger and an air conditioner with the same. The shell and tube heat exchanger comprises a tube shell, a tube plate and a sealing piece. A tube cavity with an outward opening is defined by the tube shell; the tube plate is formed or connected to the tube cavity opening of the tube shell, first connecting holes which are connected with the tube cavity opening and used for being connected with heat exchange tubes are defined in the inner side of the tube plate, and a groove cavity which is provided with an outward opening and connected with the first connecting holes is defined in the outer side of the tube plate; and the sealing piece is embedded in the opening of the groove cavity in a sealing manner, so that the refrigerant is converged or shunted or baffled after the opening of the groove cavity is closed. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger can solve the problems that sealing between the tube plate and the end plate is high in cost and prone to failure when a sealing gasket is used, and the purpose of reducing the cost of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and in particular to a shell-and-tube heat exchanger and an air conditioner having the same. Background Technology

[0002] In some existing technologies, shell-and-tube heat exchangers include a tube shell, with a tube sheet, gasket, and end plate sequentially arranged at the ends of the tube shell. Fasteners sequentially secure the tube sheet, gasket, and end plate together. The gasket plays a sealing role between the tube sheet and the end plate. Due to the influence of the refrigerant, the material and performance of the gasket have high requirements, especially in terms of resistance to temperature differences, pressure differences, and corrosion, thus increasing the cost of the gasket. Simultaneously, to ensure the reliability of the seal between the tube sheet and the end plate, high precision is required on the machining of the connection surfaces of the tube sheet and the end plate, further increasing the manufacturing cost of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Therefore, existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers suffer from high cost and high selling price.

[0003] In addition, due to manufacturing errors, assembly errors and other factors, the tightening force applied by the fastening bolts to the gasket is prone to uneven force, which leads to the failure of the seal between the end plate and the tube sheet. As a result, the refrigerant will leak from between the end plate and the tube sheet, reducing the working efficiency of the shell and tube heat exchanger. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the above problems, this utility model is proposed to provide a shell-and-tube heat exchanger and an air conditioner having the same, which can solve the problems of high cost and easy failure of sealing between tube sheet and end plate using gaskets, thereby reducing the cost of shell-and-tube heat exchangers.

[0005] Specifically, this utility model provides a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, comprising: a tube shell defining an outwardly opening cavity; a tube sheet formed on or connected to the cavity opening of the tube shell, and defining a first connecting hole on its inner side that connects to the cavity opening and is used to connect a heat exchange tube, and defining an outwardly opening groove on its outer side that connects to a plurality of the first connecting holes; and a sealing member sealed and embedded in the opening of the groove to facilitate the convergence, diversion, or deflection of refrigerant after the opening of the groove is closed.

[0006] Optionally, the seal has an outer bevel on its edge, defining an outwardly opening bevel between the bevel and the groove wall of the cavity, and the bevel accounts for more than or equal to one-half of the edge of the seal in the inward and outward directions.

[0007] Optionally, the groove wall of the cavity has a straight section opposite to the beveled section, and the bevel is a single-sided V-shaped bevel defined between the straight section and the beveled section.

[0008] Optionally, when the refrigerant is collected or diverted after the opening of the cavity is closed by the sealing element, the sealing element includes: a sealing plate, which is integrally formed and fits into the opening of the cavity, and further defines a second connecting hole thereon; and a pipe joint, the inner end of which is sealed and inserted into or integrally formed on the second connecting hole of the sealing plate, and its outer end is used to connect to an inlet pipe or an outlet pipe, wherein the inlet pipe is used to guide the refrigerant into the cavity for diversion, and the outlet pipe is used to discharge the refrigerant collected in the cavity.

[0009] Optionally, the outer surface of the sealing plate is flush with the outer surface of the tube sheet, or the sealing plate is recessed into the groove cavity.

[0010] Optionally, when the sealing element causes the opening of the cavity to be closed and then the refrigerant flows in or out, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger further includes: a liquid equalization element, which is formed in or connected to the cavity and located inside the sealing element, and includes a liquid equalization plate defining a plurality of flow equalization holes on the liquid equalization plate, so as to cause the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the inside through the plurality of flow equalization holes to the heat exchange tube, or to guide the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchange tube from the inside to the outside through the plurality of flow equalization holes and then flow out.

[0011] Optionally, a first limiting step protrudes from the wall of the cavity, and a first limiting portion is provided on the outer side of the first limiting step to block the inner side of the liquid equalization component. The first limiting portion of the first limiting step and the outer end opening of the first connecting hole are spaced apart in the inward and outward directions. And / or, the first limiting step extends along the cavity wall of the cavity, and its two ends have smooth curved or oblique end faces that smoothly transition with the cavity wall surface of the cavity. And / or its outer side abuts against the inner side of the liquid equalization component, and / or its inner side is in contact with the bottom surface of the cavity.

[0012] Optionally, a second limiting step is also formed protruding on the wall of the groove cavity, and a second limiting part is provided on the outside of the second limiting step to block the inside of the seal; and the second limiting step continuously or intermittently defines the sub-cavity so that the liquid equalizing element is blocked by the first limiting part after passing through the sub-cavity.

[0013] Optionally, the liquid equalization component includes a manifold plate connected to the outside of the liquid equalization plate, the manifold plate defining a manifold orifice; the inner side of the sealing component is attached to the outer side of the manifold plate, and a second connecting hole is defined thereon, the inner end of which is opposite to the manifold orifice, the outer end of the second connecting hole being used to directly or indirectly connect to an inlet pipe or an outlet pipe via a pipe joint.

[0014] Optionally, a second limiting step protrudes from the groove wall of the cavity, and a second limiting part is provided on the outside of the second limiting step to block the inside of the seal. The second limiting part of the second limiting step and the outer end opening of the first connecting hole are spaced apart in the inward and outward directions.

[0015] Optionally, the thickness of the tube sheet is 38-58 mm in the inward and outward directions, and the length of the first connecting hole is 18-28 mm.

[0016] Optionally, the sealing element includes a sealing plate and a pipe joint sealed thereon, the sealing plate covering the opening of the groove cavity, and the pipe joint communicating with the groove cavity at least through a second connecting hole defined on the sealing plate; or, the sealing element is an integrally formed sealing plate that fits and covers the opening of the groove cavity; and, in the inward and outward directions, the depth of the groove cavity is 20-40 mm, the thickness of the sealing plate is 8-16 mm, the distance between the farthest two sides of the sealing plate is 80-120 mm, and the distance between the nearest two sides of the sealing plate is 30-80 mm.

[0017] Optionally, there are two sets of slots, and each set has at least two slots; among the at least two slots in the same set, one slot is a confluence slot for refrigerant confluence, and the other slot is a diversion slot for refrigerant diversion; and the sealing element is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the slots.

[0018] This utility model provides an air conditioner, including the shell and tube heat exchanger described in any of the above-mentioned claims.

[0019] This novel shell-and-tube heat exchanger directly integrates the sealing element into the groove of the tube sheet, forming a structure on the tube sheet for flow convergence, flow diversion, or flow deflection. Compared to existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers that require end plates and sealing elements to form a flow convergence, flow diversion, or flow deflection structure on the tube sheet, this invention directly replaces the end plate and gasket with the sealing element, thus eliminating the need for costly gaskets and the high precision requirements for the connection surface between the end plate and the tube sheet. This avoids the high cost and easy sealing failure problems caused by installing end plates and sealing elements on the tube sheet. Meanwhile, by directly embedding the sealing element into the opening of the groove, on the one hand, all the functions of flow convergence, flow diversion, flow deflection, and sealing undertaken by the end plate and sealing gasket of the existing shell-and-tube heat exchanger are integrated into the groove. This reduces the large sealing area between the existing end plate and tube sheet to the smaller sealing area between the sealing element and the groove, reducing the sealing difficulty of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this invention and thus reducing its manufacturing cost. On the other hand, by embedding the sealing element into the groove, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this invention replaces the existing tube sheet, which is equivalent to fusing the existing tube sheet and end plate together, thereby eliminating the thickness occupied by the sealing gasket and reducing the volume of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this invention.

[0020] Furthermore, in this shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the sealing plate does not protrude from the groove cavity, thus obtaining an open working space outside the tube sheet. This prevents interference from seals installed in other groove cavities when installing seals within the groove cavity, facilitating seal installation on the tube sheet and improving assembly efficiency and quality. Especially when the sealing plate and tube sheet are assembled by welding, interference from other seals on the welding torch is avoided, allowing the welding torch to be used at any angle to weld between the sealing plate and tube sheet, achieving both high welding efficiency and high welding quality.

[0021] The above and other objects, advantages and features of this utility model will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of this utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the present invention in a detailed manner by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or components. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the tube sheet and the sealing element according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic exploded view of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the tube sheet and the sealing element according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a tube sheet and a sealing element according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a tube sheet and a sealing element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic structural diagram of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 It is based on Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0031] Figure 9 It is based on Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle;

[0032] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a sealing element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid equalization component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid equalization component according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a sealing element according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0038] Figure label:

[0039] Tube shell 100; tube sheet 200; first connecting hole 210; outer end orifice 211; groove 220; sub-cavity 221; outer side plate surface 230; first limiting step 240; first limiting part 241; end face 242; second limiting step 250; second limiting part 251; sealing element 300; beveled part 310; bevel 320; sealing plate 330; outer side plate surface 331; second connecting hole 332; pipe joint 340; inner end 341; outer end 34 1; Liquid equalization component 400; manifold 410; flow equalization hole 411; flow manifold 421; inlet pipe 510; outlet pipe 520; heat exchange pipe 600; upstream pipe section 610; midstream pipe section 620; first branch pipe section 621; second branch pipe section 622; downstream pipe section 630; main unit 700; first main unit heat exchanger 710; main unit 720; compressor 721; second main unit heat exchanger 722; indoor air conditioning unit 800; indoor unit heat exchanger 810. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The following reference Figures 1 to 13 This invention describes a shell-and-tube heat exchanger and an air conditioner having the same, according to embodiments of the present invention. In this description, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature, that is, include one or more of that feature. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it encompasses, unless otherwise specifically described, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may be further included.

[0041] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," "link," "fix," and "couple" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or it can include contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," or "below" of the second feature can mean the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0043] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] The shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] like Figure 1-13 As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model embodiment includes a shell 100, a tube sheet 200, and a sealing element 300.

[0046] The shell 100 defines an outwardly opening cavity, within which at least one heat exchange tube 600 can be disposed to provide a flow path for the refrigerant.

[0047] The tube sheet 200 is formed on the opening of the lumen; or, the tube sheet 200 is connected to the opening of the lumen of the tube shell 100. A first connection hole 210 is defined on the inner side of the tube sheet 200, which is connected to the opening of the lumen and is used to connect the heat exchange tube 600. A groove 220 is defined on the outer side of the tube sheet 200, which opens outward and is connected to a plurality of first connection holes 210.

[0048] In other words, a cavity 220 and a first connecting hole 210 are formed on the tube sheet 200. The first connecting hole 210 is located inside the tube sheet 200 relative to the cavity 220 and communicates with the cavity 220. The outer side of the cavity 220 has an opening, and the inner side of the cavity 220 communicates with the outer opening of the first connecting hole 210. The inner opening of the first connecting hole 210 is connected to the opening of the tube sheet, so that the inner opening of the first connecting hole 210 communicates with the heat exchange tube 600. The refrigerant can enter the heat exchange tube 600 sequentially through the cavity 220 and the first connecting hole 210; or, the refrigerant flows out of the heat exchange tube 600 and enters the cavity 220 through the first connecting hole 210.

[0049] The seal 300 is fitted into the opening of the cavity 220 to facilitate the convergence, diversion, or deflection of refrigerant after the opening of the cavity 220 is closed. In other words, the seal 300 is fitted into the opening of the cavity 220, and the structure defined by the seal 300, the cavity 220, and the multiple first connecting holes 210 can serve to converge, divert, or deflect the refrigerant.

[0050] The structure defined by the seal 300, the cavity 220, and the plurality of first connecting holes 210 allows the refrigerant to be divided into multiple streams that enter the plurality of heat exchange tubes 600 respectively. For example Figure 5 As shown, a stream of refrigerant flows from the cavity 220 into multiple first connection holes 210. The stream of refrigerant is divided into multiple streams by the multiple first connection holes 210, and then flows into multiple heat exchangers through the multiple first connection holes 210 respectively, so as to divert the refrigerant.

[0051] The structure defined by the seal 300, the cavity 220, and the plurality of first connecting holes 210 can change the flow direction of the refrigerant. For example Figure 5 As shown, a portion of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 600 is connected to a portion of the plurality of first connecting holes 210, and another portion of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 600 is connected to another portion of the plurality of first connecting holes 210. The flow direction of the refrigerant in this portion of the heat exchange tubes 600 is different from that in this other portion. The refrigerant flows from this portion of the heat exchange tubes 600 into the cavity 220, and is restricted and guided by the cavity 220 and the seal 300, causing the refrigerant to change its flow direction. It is then diverted by the plurality of first connecting holes 210 and flows into the other portion of the heat exchanger, thus acting as a deflector for the refrigerant.

[0052] After the refrigerant in the multiple heat exchangers enters the cavity 220 through the multiple first connection holes 210, the multiple streams of refrigerant will converge to serve as a confluence of refrigerant.

[0053] Compared with existing shell-and-tube heat exchangers, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model directly integrates the sealing element 300 into the groove 220 of the tube sheet 200, directly forming a structure on the tube sheet 200 for flow convergence, flow diversion, or flow deflection. The sealing element 300 directly replaces the end plate and the sealing gasket, thereby eliminating the need for the costly sealing gasket and the high technical requirements for the high machining accuracy of the connection surface between the end plate and the tube sheet 200. This avoids the problems of high cost and easy sealing failure caused by installing the end plate and the sealing element 300 on the tube sheet 200.

[0054] Furthermore, by directly embedding the sealing element 300 into the opening of the groove cavity 220, on the one hand, the functions of flow convergence, flow diversion, flow deflection, and sealing undertaken by the end plate and sealing gasket of the existing shell-and-tube heat exchanger are all integrated into the groove cavity 220. This reduces the large sealing area between the existing end plate and tube sheet 200 to the smaller sealing area between the sealing element 300 and the groove cavity 220, reducing the sealing difficulty of the tube heat exchanger in this embodiment and thus saving manufacturing costs. On the other hand, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger in this embodiment replaces the existing tube sheet 200 by embedding the sealing element 300 into the groove cavity 220, which is equivalent to fusing the existing tube sheet 200 and the end plate together, thereby eliminating the thickness occupied by the sealing gasket and reducing the volume of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, the sealing element 300 is sealed and embedded in the opening of the groove 220, meaning that the sealing plate 330 does not protrude from the groove 220, allowing an open working space on the outside of the tube sheet 200. Thus, when the sealing element 300 is installed in the groove 220, it will not be affected by interference from sealing elements 300 installed in other grooves 220, thereby facilitating the installation of the sealing element 300 on the tube sheet 200 and improving the assembly efficiency and quality of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this invention. Especially when the sealing plate 330 and the tube sheet 200 are assembled by welding, interference from other sealing elements 300 on the welding torch will be avoided, allowing the welding torch to perform welding between the sealing plate 330 and the tube sheet 200 at any angle, thus achieving both high welding efficiency and high welding quality.

[0056] like Figures 1-13 As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model embodiment includes a shell 100, a tube sheet 200, a plurality of sealing elements 300 and a plurality of heat exchange tubes 600.

[0057] The outer side of the tube sheet 200 is provided with three sets of slots 220, each corresponding to an upstream tube section 610, a downstream tube section 630, and a midstream tube section 620 of a plurality of heat exchange tubes 600, respectively. Each set of slots 220 includes at least one slot 220. The inner side of the tube sheet 200 is provided with three sets of first connecting holes 210, each set of first connecting holes 210 having a plurality of first connecting holes 210.

[0058] The midstream pipe section 620 includes a first branch pipe section 621 and a second branch pipe section 622. The liquid inlet end of the first branch pipe section 621 is connected to the upstream pipe section 610 of the heat exchange tube 600, and the liquid outlet end of the first branch pipe section 621 is partially connected to the corresponding tank cavity 220 through multiple first connection holes 210. The liquid inlet end of the second branch pipe section 622 is connected to the corresponding tank cavity 220 through another part of the multiple first connection holes 210, and the liquid outlet end of the second branch pipe section 622 is connected to the downstream pipe section 630 of the heat exchange tube 600.

[0059] Multiple seals 300 are configured into three sets of seals 300, and the three sets of seals 300 are respectively connected to the upstream pipe section 610 of multiple heat exchange tubes 600, connected to the downstream pipe section 630 of multiple heat exchange tubes 600, and matched with the openings of the three sets of slots 220 corresponding to the midstream pipe section 620 of multiple heat exchange tubes 600.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, there are two sets of refrigerant cavities 220, with at least two cavities 220 in each set. Of the at least two cavities 220 in the same set, one is a refrigerant confluence cavity 220 for refrigerant aggregation, and the other is a refrigerant diversion cavity 220 for refrigerant diversion. Seals 300 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the cavities 220. That is, the diversion cavity 220 is used to divert the refrigerant, allowing the diverted refrigerant to enter the multiple heat exchange tubes 600 more evenly, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency. The confluence cavity 220 is used to collect the refrigerant discharged from multiple heat exchangers or the diverted refrigerant, so that the collected refrigerant can be discharged.

[0061] For example Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the cavity 220 corresponding to the upstream pipe section 610 of the multiple heat exchange tubes 600 is a flow distribution cavity 220, and the cavity 220 corresponding to the downstream pipe section 630 of the multiple heat exchange tubes 600 is a flow convergence cavity 220.

[0062] In addition, dividing each set of cavities 220 into multiple smaller ones reduces the area of ​​each cavity 220 and the seal 300 that mates with the cavity 220, thus reducing the installation difficulty of the cavity 220 and the seal 300. This is especially true when the cavity 220 and the seal 300 are connected by welding, reducing the difficulty of welding.

[0063] In some embodiments, the seal 300 is welded to the tube sheet 200 to ensure that the weld formed at least seals the joint between the edge of the seal 300 and the wall of the cavity 220 of the tube sheet 200. That is, by welding the edge of the seal 300 or its edge and other portions to the wall of the cavity 220 of the tube sheet 200, not only is the seal 300 fixedly connected to the tube sheet 200, but the sealing effect between the seal 300 and the wall of the cavity 220 of the tube sheet 200 is also improved. Furthermore, no other sealing structure is required between the seal 300 and the wall of the cavity 220 of the tube sheet 200, eliminating the need for space for installing a sealing structure and thus reducing the volume of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger in this embodiment.

[0064] Specifically, such as Figures 10-14 As shown, and refer to Figure 1 The sealing element 300 has an outer bevel 310 on its edge, and an outwardly opening bevel 320 is defined between the bevel 310 and the groove wall of the cavity 220. The proportion of the bevel on the edge of the sealing element 300 in the inward and outward directions is greater than or equal to one-half. In other words, the larger size of the bevel 310 in the inward and outward directions allows for a larger welding area between the sealing element 300 and the groove wall of the tube sheet 200 after welding, thereby improving the connection stability and sealing effect between the sealing plate 330 and the groove wall of the tube sheet 200.

[0065] The proportion of the slope in the inner and outer directions on the edge of the seal 300 can be, but is not limited to, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 or 1.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the groove wall of the cavity 220 has a straight section opposite to the beveled section 310, and the bevel 320 is a single-sided V-shaped bevel 320 defined between the straight section and the beveled section 310. In the processing of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this embodiment, only the beveled section 310 needs to be processed on the edge of the sealing plate 330, simplifying the shell-and-tube heat exchanger manufacturing process. The seal 300 and the groove 220 are welded on one side, requiring less welding wire during the welding process, further reducing manufacturing costs.

[0067] In other embodiments, the groove opening of the cavity 220 has a slope that is opposite to and inclined to the slope surface 310, and the slope surface 310 and the slope double-sided bevel 320.

[0068] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the refrigerant flows through the confluence or diversion of the cavity 220 after the seal 300 causes the opening of the cavity 220 to be closed, the seal 300 includes a sealing plate 330 and a pipe joint 340. In other words, the seal 300 that mates with the opening of the cavity 220 corresponding to the upstream pipe section 610 of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 600 or the opening of the cavity 220 corresponding to the downstream pipe section 630 of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 600 includes a sealing plate 330 and a pipe joint 340.

[0069] The sealing plate 330 is integrally formed and fits into the opening of the cavity 220, and also defines a second connecting hole 332. The inner end 341 of the pipe connector 340 is sealed and inserted into or integrally formed in the second connecting hole 332 of the sealing plate 330, and its outer end 341 is used to connect with the inlet pipe 510 or the outlet pipe 520, so that the pipe connector 340 can communicate with the cavity 220 through the second connecting hole 332, or the inner end 341 of the pipe connector 340 can be inserted into the cavity 220 through the second connecting hole 332, so that the inner end 341 of the pipe connector 340 is directly connected to the cavity 220. In other words, a sealing element 300 mates with the opening of the cavity 220 corresponding to the upstream pipe section 610 of the multiple heat exchange tubes 600, and the pipe joint 340 of the sealing element 300 is connected to the liquid inlet pipe 510; a sealing element 300 mates with the opening of the cavity 220 corresponding to the downstream pipe section 630 of the multiple heat exchange tubes 600, and the pipe joint 340 of the sealing element 300 is connected to the liquid outlet pipe 520. Thus, by utilizing the pipe joint 340 of the sealing element 300 in conjunction with the liquid inlet pipe 510 or the liquid outlet pipe 520, the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this embodiment are realized, and the structure is simple and the manufacturing cost is low.

[0070] The liquid inlet pipe 510 is used to guide the refrigerant into the tank cavity 220 for diversion. That is, the refrigerant is delivered into the pipe joint 340 through the liquid inlet pipe 510, flows through the pipe joint 340 and the tank cavity 220 in sequence, and is diverted when flowing through multiple first connection holes 210, and then enters the upstream pipe section 610 of multiple heat exchange tubes 600 respectively.

[0071] The liquid outlet pipe 520 is used to discharge the refrigerant that has been flowing into the tank cavity 220. That is, the refrigerant flows into the tank cavity 220 sequentially through the upstream pipe section 610 of multiple heat exchange pipes 600 and multiple first connection holes 210, so that the refrigerant gathers in the tank cavity 220, and then flows into the liquid outlet pipe 520 through the pipe joint 340, so that the refrigerant is discharged.

[0072] In some embodiments, the seal 300 is an integrally formed sealing plate 330, which fits into the opening of the groove 220, thereby reducing the gap between the seal 300 and the groove 220. This improves the sealing effect between the seal 300 and the groove 220 when the seal 300 is installed in the groove 220. Especially when the sealing plate 330 and the tube sheet 200 are assembled by welding, the welding can be more uniform, greatly improving the welding quality and enhancing the sealing effect.

[0073] The seal 300 causes the refrigerant to be deflected after the opening of the cavity 220 is completely closed. For example... Figure 5 As shown, a sealing plate 330 is connected to the opening of the cavity 220 corresponding to the first branch pipe section 621 and the second branch pipe section 622, and the sealing plate 330 completely seals the opening of the cavity 220. After the refrigerant discharged from the first branch pipe section 621 flows outward into its corresponding cavity 220, the refrigerant is guided and restricted by the cavity 220 and the sealing plate 330, causing the refrigerant to change its flow direction and flow inward into the second branch pipe section 622. Alternatively, the sealing element 300 causes the opening of the cavity 220 to be partially closed, and after connecting with the inlet pipe 510 or the outlet pipe 520, it facilitates the convergence or diversion of refrigerant flow. In other words, after the seal 300 is connected to the opening of the cavity 220, the seal 300 and the opening of the cavity 220 have at least a notch that can communicate with the outside, so that the inlet pipe 510 or the outlet pipe 520 can be directly connected to the inside of the cavity 220 through the notch, so that the inlet pipe 510 can deliver refrigerant into the cavity 220 or the refrigerant inside the cavity 220 can be discharged through the outlet pipe 520.

[0074] Optionally, the sealing plate 330 has a through hole that extends through it in the inward and outward directions, and the liquid inlet pipe 510 or the liquid outlet pipe 520 is interference-fitted with the through hole.

[0075] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the outer surface 331 of the sealing plate 330 is flush with the outer surface of the tube sheet 200, or the sealing plate 330 is recessed into the groove 220. That is, the sealing plate 330 does not protrude from the groove 220, thus providing an open working space outside the tube sheet 200. This ensures that when installing the sealing element 300 in the groove 220, it will not be affected by interference from sealing elements 300 installed in other grooves 220, facilitating the installation of the sealing element 300 on the tube sheet 200 and improving the assembly efficiency and quality of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this invention. Especially when the sealing plate 330 and the tube sheet 200 are assembled by welding, interference from other sealing elements 300 on the welding torch is avoided, allowing the welding torch to perform welding between the sealing plate 330 and the tube sheet 200 at any angle, thereby achieving both high welding efficiency and high welding quality.

[0076] Furthermore, after the sealing plate 330 is welded to the tube sheet 200, the outer surface of the sealing plate 330 and the outer surface of the tube sheet 200 will be completely fused into a single plane, which improves the overall integrity of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this utility model embodiment.

[0077] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, when the seal 300 causes the opening of the cavity 220 to be closed and the flow is combined or divided, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger also includes a liquid equalization element 400. The liquid equalization element 400 is formed in or connected to the cavity 220 and located inside the seal 300. It includes a liquid equalization plate, on which multiple flow equalization holes 411 are defined to cause the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the inside through the multiple flow equalization holes 411 to the heat exchange tubes 600. That is, the refrigerant in the cavity 220 must first pass through the liquid equalization element 400 to cause the refrigerant to be divided to a certain extent. The refrigerant after being divided flows to the multiple first connection holes 210, so that the refrigerant can receive a more sufficient flow equalization effect. That is, the refrigerant can fully enter more first connection holes 210, ensuring that more heat exchange tubes 600 can receive refrigerant, thus improving the heat exchange effect.

[0078] The liquid equalization plate also has a flow-collecting hole 421 that is opposite to the flow equalization hole 411 in the inward and outward directions. The refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchange tube 600 is guided from the inside to the outside through multiple flow equalization holes 411 and then through the flow-collecting hole 421 to be discharged. Thus, the refrigerant is collected by the liquid equalization plate, so that the refrigerant can be discharged more smoothly.

[0079] Specifically, such as Figure 13 As shown, the liquid equalization component 400 includes a manifold 410 connected to the outer side of the liquid equalization plate, and the manifold 410 defines a manifold orifice 421. The inner side of the sealing component 300 is attached to the outer side of the manifold 410, and defines a second connecting hole 332 on it with its inner end opposite to the manifold orifice 421. The outer end of the second connecting hole 332 is used to directly or indirectly connect to the inlet pipe 510 or the outlet pipe 520 via the pipe connector 340.

[0080] In some embodiments, the thickness of the tube sheet 200 in the inward and outward directions is 38-58 mm. Optionally, the thickness of the tube sheet 200 is 40-53 mm. Optionally, the thickness of the tube sheet 200 is 44-50 mm. Optionally, the thickness of the tube sheet 200 is 43-47 mm. On the one hand, the thickness of the tube sheet 200 is sufficient to form the structure of the cavity 220 and the first connecting hole 210, and ensures that the tube sheet 200 will not deform during use, thus giving the tube sheet 200 a longer service life. On the other hand, excessive thickness of the tube sheet 200 is avoided, reducing the overall size of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger in this embodiment and lowering manufacturing costs.

[0081] The thickness of the tube sheet 200 includes, but is not limited to, 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, 45mm, 48mm, 51mm, 54mm, 57mm or 58mm.

[0082] In the inward and outward directions, the length of the first connecting hole 210 is 18-28 mm. Optionally, the length of the first connecting hole 210 is 20-27 mm. Optionally, the length of the first connecting hole 210 is 22-25 mm. Optionally, the length of the first connecting hole 210 is 23-24 mm. Since the first connecting hole 210 needs to be in continuous contact with refrigerant, the first connecting hole 210 has a sufficiently large size to withstand stress changes caused by temperature variations, thus giving the tube sheet 200 a longer service life.

[0083] The length of the first connecting hole 210 includes, but is not limited to, 18mm, 20mm, 21mm, 23mm, 24mm, 26mm or 27mm.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3-4 As shown, the seal 300 includes a sealing plate 330 and a pipe joint 340 sealed thereon. The sealing plate 330 covers the opening of the groove 220, and the pipe joint 340 communicates with the groove 220 at least through a second connection hole 332 defined on the sealing plate 330; or, the seal 300 is an integrally formed sealing plate 330 that fits and covers the opening of the groove 220.

[0085] In the inward and outward directions, the depth of the cavity 220 is 20-40mm. Optionally, the depth of the cavity 220 includes, but is not limited to, 20mm, 22mm, 25mm, 29mm, 33mm, 35mm, 39mm, or 40mm. This not only provides space within the cavity 220 for refrigerant flow and installation of the sealing plate 330, but also avoids the problem of insufficient length of the first connecting hole 210 due to the excessive size of the cavity 220.

[0086] In the inward and outward directions, the thickness of the sealing plate 330 is 8-16mm. Optionally, the thickness of the sealing plate 330 includes, but is not limited to, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, or 16mm. This makes the structure of the sealing plate 330 more stable and allows the size of the sealing plate 330 to fit the cavity 220, so that the sealing plate 330 does not occupy too much space in the cavity 220, thus facilitating the flow and diffusion of refrigerant within the cavity 220.

[0087] The distance between the farthest two sides of the sealing plate 330 is 80-120mm, and the distance between the nearest two sides is 30-80mm. Optionally, the distance between the farthest two sides of the sealing plate 330 includes, but is not limited to, 80mm, 84mm, 90mm, 97mm, 100mm, 110mm, or 120mm. Optionally, the distance between the nearest two sides of the sealing plate 330 includes, but is not limited to, 30mm, 36mm, 45mm, 55mm, 63mm, 70mm, or 80mm. This allows the sealing plate 330 to have a more stable structure, improving the service life of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger of this embodiment.

[0088] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, a first limiting step 240 protrudes from the wall of the cavity 220. A first limiting part 241 is provided on the outer side of the first limiting step 240 to block the inner side of the liquid equalization component 400. The inner side of the liquid equalization component 400 is restricted by the first limiting part 241, which facilitates the positioning of the liquid equalization component 400 in the inner and outer directions and improves the installation efficiency of the liquid equalization component 400.

[0089] In the inward and outward directions, the first limiting part 241 of the first limiting step 240 and the outer end opening 211 of the first connecting hole 210 are spaced apart. That is to say, after the liquid equalization component 400 is installed in the first limiting part 241, the multiple confluence holes 421 of the liquid equalization component 400 are spaced apart from the outer end opening 211 of the first connecting hole 210 in the inward and outward directions. This allows the refrigerant to be fully dispersed after being diverted by the liquid equalization component 400, so that the refrigerant can be more fully diverted. That is, the refrigerant can fully enter more of the first connecting holes 210, ensuring that more heat exchange tubes 600 can flow into the refrigerant, thus improving the heat exchange effect.

[0090] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the first limiting step 240 extends along the cavity wall of the groove 220, allowing the liquid equalizing component 400 to be evenly stressed along the cavity wall of the groove 220 after it is installed on the first limiting step 240, thereby improving the stability of the liquid equalizing component 400 installation. Furthermore, both ends of the first limiting step 240 have smooth curved or oblique end faces 242 that smoothly transition with the cavity wall surface of the groove 220, thus reducing the processing difficulty of the first limiting step 240. And / or its outer side abuts against the inner side of the liquid equalizing component 400, and / or its inner side is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 220. In other words, the outer side of end face 242 is attached to the inner side of liquid equalization component 400, and the inner side of end face 242 is in contact with the bottom surface of the tank cavity 220; or, the outer side of end face 242 is spaced apart from the inner side of liquid equalization component 400, and the inner side of end face 242 is in contact with the bottom surface of the tank cavity 220; the outer side of end face 242 is attached to the inner side of liquid equalization component 400, and the inner side of end face 242 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the tank cavity 220; or, the outer side of end face 242 is spaced apart from the inner side of liquid equalization component 400, and the inner side of end face 242 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the tank cavity 220.

[0091] Furthermore, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the cavity 220 is a rectangular groove with rounded corners to accommodate a plurality of first connecting holes 210 arranged in an array and a plurality of heat exchangers connected thereto. There are two first limiting steps 240, which are distributed opposite each other at a pair of diagonal points of the cavity 220. After the liquid leveling component 400 is installed on the first limiting steps 240, the liquid leveling component 400 experiences more stable force, thereby further improving the installation stability of the liquid leveling component 400.

[0092] Furthermore, a second limiting step 250 (not shown in the figure) protrudes from the wall of the cavity 220, and a second limiting portion 251 is provided on the outer side of the second limiting step 250 to stop the inner side of the seal 300; and the second limiting step 250 continuously or intermittently defines the sub-cavity 221 so that the liquid equalizing member 400 is stopped by the first limiting portion 241 after passing through the sub-cavity 221. By using the second limiting portion 251 to restrict the position of the sealing plate 330 in the inward and outward directions, the sealing plate 330 is easier to position during installation, thereby improving installation efficiency. In addition, the positioning and limiting of the surface of the liquid equalizing member 400 by the wall surface of the sub-cavity 221 further improves the installation stability of the liquid equalizing member 400.

[0093] In other embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, a second limiting step 250 protrudes from the wall of the cavity 220. A second limiting portion 251, which blocks the inner side of the seal 300, is located on the outer side of the second limiting step 250. The second limiting portion 251 restricts the position of the sealing plate 330 in the inward and outward directions, making it easier to position the sealing plate 330 during installation and improving installation efficiency. The second limiting portion 251 of the second limiting step 250 is spaced apart from the outer end opening 211 of the first connecting hole 210 in the inward and outward directions. That is, after the sealing plate 330 is installed on the second limiting portion 251, there is a certain distance between the sealing plate 330 and the first connecting hole 210, allowing the refrigerant a certain diffusion distance before entering the first connecting hole 210 from the cavity 220. This allows the refrigerant to enter more of the first connecting holes 210 and then enter multiple heat exchangers through these multiple first connecting holes 210, thus improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0094] Specifically, the second limiting step 250 is an annular step extending from the cavity wall of the groove 220, and the second limiting portion 251 is the annular end face on the outer side of the second limiting step 250. The inner side of the edge of the sealing member 300 is attached to the second limiting portion 251 of the second limiting step 250.

[0095] In some embodiments, the air conditioner of this utility model includes a main unit 700 and an indoor unit 800.

[0096] The main unit 700 includes a compressor 721, a first main unit heat exchanger 710, and a second main unit heat exchanger 722, through which refrigerant circulates. The first main unit heat exchanger 710 is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger as described in any of the above embodiments. The indoor unit 800 includes an indoor unit heat exchanger 810, through which refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit heat exchanger 810 and the first main unit heat exchanger 710.

[0097] The compressor 721 draws in refrigerant from the first main unit heat exchanger 710 and compresses it. The refrigerant then flows into the second main unit heat exchanger 722. After exiting the second unit heat exchanger, the refrigerant re-enters the first main unit heat exchanger 710, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant circulating between the indoor unit heat exchanger 810 and the first main unit heat exchanger 710. The refrigerant circulating between the compressor 721, the first main unit heat exchanger 710, and the second main unit heat exchanger 722 can be Freon, while the refrigerant circulating between the indoor unit heat exchanger 810 and the first main unit heat exchanger 710 can be water.

[0098] The air conditioner of this utility model embodiment has a first main heat exchanger 710, which directly integrates the sealing element 300 into the groove 220 of the tube sheet 200, directly forming a structure on the tube sheet 200 for converging, splitting, or deflecting flow. Compared with the existing shell and tube heat exchangers that require end plates and sealing elements 300 to form a converging, splitting, or deflecting flow structure on the tube sheet 200, the sealing element 300 directly replaces the end plate and sealing gasket, thereby eliminating the need for costly sealing gaskets and the technical requirement of high processing precision for the connection surface of the end plate and tube sheet 200. This avoids the problems of high cost and easy sealing failure caused by installing the end plate and sealing element 300 on the tube sheet 200.

[0099] In other embodiments, the air conditioner of this utility model includes a main unit 700 and an indoor unit 800.

[0100] The main unit 700 includes at least one first main unit heat exchanger 710 and at least two main unit units 720. The first main unit heat exchanger 710 is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger of any of the above embodiments. Each main unit unit 720 includes a compressor 721 and a connected second main unit heat exchanger 722; and the second main unit heat exchangers 722 of each main unit 720 are collectively connected to at least one first main unit heat exchanger 710. The indoor unit 800 includes an indoor unit heat exchanger 810, and refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit heat exchanger 810 and at least one first main unit heat exchanger 710. That is, the first main unit heat exchanger 710 cooperates with multiple main unit units 720, thereby greatly improving the refrigerant handling efficiency and improving the cooling effect of the air conditioner of this embodiment.

[0101] Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that although many exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein, many other variations or modifications conforming to the principles of the present invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger, characterized in that, include: A tubular shell defining an outwardly opening lumen; A tube sheet, which is formed on or connected to the opening of the tube cavity of the tube shell, and defines a first connection hole on its inner side that is connected to the opening of the tube cavity and is used to connect the heat exchange tube, and defines a groove on its outer side that opens outward and is connected to a plurality of the first connection holes. A sealing element is fitted into the opening of the cavity to facilitate the convergence, diversion, or deflection of refrigerant after the opening of the cavity is closed.

2. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seal has an outer bevel on its edge, and an outwardly opening bevel is defined between the bevel and the groove wall of the cavity, wherein the bevel accounts for more than or equal to one-half of the edge of the seal in the inward and outward directions.

3. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 2, characterized in that, The groove wall has a straight section opposite to the beveled section, and the bevel is a single-sided V-shaped bevel defined between the straight section and the beveled section.

4. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the seal causes the opening of the cavity to be closed for refrigerant confluence or diversion, the seal includes: A sealing plate, wherein the sealing plate is integrally formed and fits into the opening of the groove cavity, and a second connecting hole is defined thereon; The pipe connector has its inner end sealed and inserted into or integrally formed on the second connection hole of the sealing plate, and its outer end is used to connect to the liquid inlet pipe or the liquid outlet pipe, wherein the liquid inlet pipe is used to guide the refrigerant into the tank cavity for diversion, and the liquid outlet pipe is used to discharge the refrigerant that has flowed into the tank cavity.

5. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer surface of the sealing plate is flush with the outer surface of the tube sheet, or the sealing plate is sunk into the groove cavity.

6. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the sealing element causes the opening of the cavity to be closed for flow convergence or divergence, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger further includes: A liquid equalization element is formed in or connected to the cavity and located inside the seal. The liquid equalization element includes a liquid equalization plate, which defines a plurality of flow equalization holes to cause the refrigerant to flow from the outside to the inside through the plurality of flow equalization holes to the heat exchange tube, or to guide the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchange tube from the inside to the outside through the plurality of flow equalization holes and then flow out.

7. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 6, characterized in that, A first limiting step protrudes from the wall of the groove cavity, and a first limiting part is provided on the outside of the first limiting step to block the inside of the liquid equalization component. The first limiting part of the first limiting step and the outer end opening of the first connecting hole are spaced apart in the inward and outward directions. And / or, The first limiting step extends along the cavity wall of the groove, and its two ends have smooth curved or oblique end faces that smoothly transition with the cavity wall surface of the groove, and / or its outer side abuts against the inner side of the liquid equalization element, and / or its inner side is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove.

8. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 7, characterized in that, The groove wall of the cavity also protrudes to form a second limiting step, and a second limiting part is provided on the outside of the second limiting step to block the inside of the seal; and the second limiting step continuously or intermittently defines the sub-cavity so that the liquid equalizing element is blocked by the first limiting part after passing through the sub-cavity.

9. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 8, characterized in that, The liquid equalization component includes a manifold plate connected to the outside of the liquid equalization plate, and the manifold plate defines a manifold hole; The inner side of the seal is attached to the outer side of the manifold, and a second connecting hole is defined thereon, the inner end of which is opposite to the manifold hole. The outer end of the second connecting hole is used to directly or indirectly connect to the inlet pipe or outlet pipe via a pipe joint.

10. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second limiting step protrudes from the wall of the groove cavity, and a second limiting part is provided on the outside of the second limiting step to block the inside of the seal. The second limiting part of the second limiting step and the outer end opening of the first connecting hole are spaced apart in the inward and outward directions.

11. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the inward and outward directions, the thickness of the tube sheet is 38-58mm, and the length of the first connecting hole is 18-28mm.

12. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing element includes a sealing plate and a pipe joint sealed thereon, the sealing plate covering the opening of the groove cavity, and the pipe joint communicating with the groove cavity at least through a second connecting hole defined on the sealing plate; or, the sealing element is an integrally formed sealing plate that fits and covers the opening of the groove cavity. as well as, In the inward and outward directions, the depth of the groove is 20-40mm, the thickness of the sealing plate is 8-16mm, the distance between the farthest two sides of the sealing plate is 80-120mm, and the distance between the nearest two sides of the sealing plate is 30-80mm.

13. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank cavity is divided into two groups, and each group has at least two tank cavities; among the at least two tank cavities in the same group, one tank cavity is a confluence tank cavity for refrigerant confluence, and the other tank cavity is a diversion tank cavity for refrigerant diversion. as well as, The sealing element is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the groove cavity.

14. An air conditioner, characterized in that, Including the shell-and-tube heat exchanger as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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