Refrigerating system and air conditioner

Abstract

The refrigerating system comprises a refrigerant circulating system at least composed of a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a throttling element, and the throttling element is connected between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in series; the threaded pipe is connected to the refrigerant circulation system in series, the threaded pipe is arranged between at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and the throttling element, the threaded pipe at least comprises a threaded section, and a spiral groove is formed in the inner wall of the threaded section. After the threaded pipe is arranged on at least one side of the throttling element, the refrigerant at the corresponding position of the throttling element is guided by the spiral groove in the inner wall of the threaded section to generate the rotating trend and action around the axis of the pipeline, the flowing path of the liquid refrigerant is close to the wall surface under the influence of centrifugal force, and the gas refrigerant flows in the axis position of the pipeline; an annular flow is formed. The flow pattern of the annular flow can effectively avoid aggregation and collapse of bubbles and pulsation of refrigerant pressure, and finally the refrigerant noise of the refrigerating system can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and more specifically, to a refrigeration system and an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the air conditioning industry, its research focus has shifted from improving performance to energy conservation, environmental protection, and enhancing the human-machine experience. Users have increasingly stringent requirements for air conditioner operating noise. In addition to noise sound pressure level, noise disturbance level is also within their acceptable range. The fluctuation and frequency of noise will affect the noise disturbance level.

[0003] At the user end, the noise generated by the indoor unit of the air conditioner mainly originates from the two-phase flow near the throttling element. The refrigerant undergoes flash evaporation inside the throttling element and at its inlet and outlet, transforming into a gas-liquid two-phase flow. Alternatively, if the condenser's condensation efficiency is poor, the refrigerant exiting the condenser lacks subcooling, and its flow pattern is also two-phase. The gas typically flows in the pipe as bubbles, and the two-phase flow pattern is usually intermittent. Intermittent flow causes larger pressure fluctuations, resulting in greater excitation of the refrigerant pipes and thus making it more prone to pipe vibration noise. This noise is even more severe when the refrigerant before the throttling element is in a two-phase flow state.

[0004] Meanwhile, larger bubbles flowing inside the pipe can cause them to burst and produce sharp, piercing noise due to their collision with the pipe wall and pressure fluctuations. By using certain technical means to suppress intermittent flow and the formation and collapse of large bubbles, the noise level and disturbance level at the user end of the air conditioning system can be effectively reduced.

[0005] Therefore, how to reduce the noise generated by refrigerants in two-phase flow patterns is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a refrigeration system to reduce the noise generated by a two-phase flow refrigerant;

[0007] Another objective of this application is to provide an air conditioner having the above-described refrigeration system.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0009] The first aspect of this application provides a refrigeration system, comprising:

[0010] A refrigerant circulation system consisting of at least a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a throttling element, wherein the throttling element is connected in series between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;

[0011] A threaded tube is connected in series with the refrigerant circulation system, and the threaded tube is arranged between at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and the throttling element. The threaded tube includes at least a threaded section, the inner wall of which has helical grooves.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the threaded pipe is arranged between the throttling element and both the first and second heat exchangers.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the threaded tubes on both sides of the throttling element have the same structure.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the outer wall of the threaded segment is a threaded structure or a smooth tubular structure.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the threaded pipe further includes a first straight pipe section and a second straight pipe section, the first straight pipe section and the second straight pipe section being located at both ends of the threaded section, respectively.

[0016] The inner walls of both the first and second straight pipe sections are cylindrical.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first straight pipe section, the second straight pipe section, and the threaded section are an integral structure.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the helical groove of the threaded segment has an arc-shaped structure.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the refrigerant circulation system further includes a four-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the four-way valve is connected to the discharge port of the compressor, the second valve port is connected to the first refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger, the third valve port is connected to the first refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger, and the fourth valve port is connected to the suction port of the compressor.

[0020] When the refrigerant circulation system is in heating mode, the first and second valve ports of the four-way valve are connected, and the third and fourth valve ports are connected.

[0021] When the refrigerant circulation system is in cooling mode, the first and third valve ports of the four-way valve are connected, and the second and fourth valve ports are connected.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the throttling element is an electronic expansion valve or a capillary.

[0023] The refrigeration system provided in this application includes a threaded pipe arranged between at least one of the first and second heat exchangers and the throttling element. During operation, the refrigeration system may contain a two-phase refrigerant. With the threaded pipe installed on at least one side of the throttling element, the refrigerant at the corresponding position of the throttling element is guided by the spiral grooves on the inner wall of the threaded section, generating a rotational tendency and movement around the pipe axis. Under the influence of centrifugal force, the liquid refrigerant flows close to the wall, while the gaseous refrigerant flows at the central axis of the pipe, forming an annular flow. This annular flow pattern effectively avoids the accumulation and collapse of bubbles and the pulsation of refrigerant pressure, ultimately effectively reducing the refrigerant noise of the refrigeration system.

[0024] A second aspect of this application provides an air conditioner including a refrigeration system as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger is an indoor heat exchanger and the other is an outdoor heat exchanger.

[0025] The air conditioner provided in this application has the aforementioned refrigeration system, and therefore possesses all the technical effects of the aforementioned refrigeration system, which will not be elaborated upon here. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a system diagram of the refrigeration system disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the threaded pipe disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the threaded pipe disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the figure are as follows:

[0031] 101-Compressor; 102-Four-way valve; 103-First heat exchanger; 104-Throttling element; 105-Second heat exchanger;

[0032] 201-Threaded Pipe;

[0033] 2011 - First straight pipe section; 2012 - Second straight pipe section; 2013 - Threaded section. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The core of this application is to provide a refrigeration system to reduce the noise generated by a two-phase flow refrigerant;

[0035] Another key aspect of this application is to provide an air conditioner having the aforementioned refrigeration system.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below do not limit the scope of the application as described in the claims. Additionally, the complete composition represented in the embodiments below is not limited to what is necessary as the solution to the application described in the claims. It should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the application are shown in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0037] During the refrigerant circulation process in a refrigeration system, the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant at the condenser outlet is primarily throttled and depressurized into a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant through a throttling element. Typically, at the inlet and outlet of the throttling element, the cross-sectional area of ​​the refrigerant flow channel changes abruptly, causing a rapid change in refrigerant velocity and pressure. Some of the liquid refrigerant cavitates into gaseous refrigerant, forming a two-phase flow. Alternatively, if the condenser's heat exchange efficiency is poor, the refrigerant at the condenser outlet may lack subcooling, existing in a two-phase flow state before entering the throttling element. The gaseous phase accumulates in the form of bubbles. With refrigerant flow and pressure fluctuations, some large bubbles may collapse into smaller bubbles, generating bubble collapse noise. Simultaneously, the pressure fluctuations caused by bubble collapse, transmitted to the pipe walls, can lead to severe vibrations in the piping, generating a series of vibration noises.

[0038] To reduce noise generated by refrigerants in a two-phase flow pattern, embodiments of this application disclose a refrigeration system. For example... Figures 1-3 As shown, the refrigeration system disclosed in this application includes a refrigerant circulation system and a threaded pipe 201.

[0039] The refrigerant circulation system comprises at least a compressor 101, a first heat exchanger 103, a second heat exchanger 105, and a throttling element 104, with the throttling element 104 connected in series between the first heat exchanger 103 and the second heat exchanger 105. The compressor 101 is responsible for compressing the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, thus driving the refrigerant to circulate within the system.

[0040] One of the first heat exchanger 103 and the second heat exchanger 105 is a condenser, and the other is an evaporator. The condenser is used to cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101, causing it to condense into high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The condenser releases heat by exchanging heat with the outside air or water. The evaporator is a key component where the refrigerant absorbs heat from the surrounding air and converts it into cold air. In the evaporator, the liquid refrigerant evaporates rapidly, absorbing heat from the surrounding environment, thereby lowering the temperature and achieving a cooling effect. The throttling element 104, as the boundary between high and low pressure, throttles and reduces the pressure of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant, regulating the amount of liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator to adapt to changes in the cooling load. At the same time, it also prevents liquid slugging in the compressor, ensuring the safe operation of the system.

[0041] The threaded pipe 201 is connected in series with the refrigerant circulation system, and at least one of the first heat exchanger 103 and the second heat exchanger 105 is arranged between the threaded pipe 201 and the throttling element 104. That is, the threaded pipe 201 can be provided only on the inlet side of the throttling element 104, or only on the outlet side of the throttling element 104, or both on the inlet and outlet sides of the throttling element 104.

[0042] The threaded pipe 201 includes at least a threaded section 2013, the inner wall of which has helical grooves. When the refrigerant flows through the threaded section 2013 of the threaded pipe 201, it is guided by the helical grooves on its inner wall, causing the refrigerant to form a swirling flow. During the operation of the refrigeration system, there may be a two-phase flow refrigerant in the system. After the threaded pipe 201 is installed on at least one side of the throttling element 104, the refrigerant at the corresponding position of the throttling element 104 will be guided by the helical grooves on the inner wall of the threaded section 2013, generating a rotational tendency and movement around the pipe axis. Affected by centrifugal force, the liquid refrigerant flows close to the wall, while the gaseous refrigerant flows at the central axis position of the pipe, forming an annular flow. This annular flow pattern can effectively avoid the accumulation and collapse of bubbles and the pulsation of refrigerant pressure, ultimately effectively reducing the refrigerant noise of the refrigeration system.

[0043] It should be noted that the threaded pipe 201 may have only one threaded segment 2013, or multiple threaded segments 2013 may be set at intervals as required.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will understand that the threaded tube 201 is small in size, low in cost, simple to operate, and safe and reliable. Furthermore, the threaded tube 201 has minimal impact on system pressure, enabling noise reduction at the user end while ensuring the refrigeration system's capacity.

[0045] Typically, at the inlet and outlet of the throttling element 104, the cross-sectional area of ​​the refrigerant flow channel changes abruptly. At this point, the refrigerant velocity and pressure change drastically, causing some liquid refrigerant to cavitate into gaseous refrigerant, forming a two-phase flow. Alternatively, if the condenser's heat exchange efficiency is poor, the refrigerant at the condenser outlet may lack subcooling, and it will already be in a two-phase flow state before entering the throttling element 104. The gaseous phase will collect in the form of bubbles. With the flow of refrigerant and pressure fluctuations, some large bubbles may collapse into several smaller bubbles, generating bubble collapse noise. Simultaneously, the pressure fluctuations caused by bubble collapse, transmitted to the pipe wall, may lead to severe vibration of the pipeline, generating a series of vibration noises.

[0046] Based on this, in this embodiment, threaded pipes 201 can be arranged between the throttling element 104 and the first heat exchanger 103 and the second heat exchanger 105. That is, in this embodiment, threaded pipes 201 are arranged on both the inlet and outlet sides of the throttling element 104.

[0047] In this embodiment, the refrigerant at the inlet and outlet of the throttling element 104 is guided by the spiral grooves inside the threaded pipe 201, resulting in a rotational tendency and movement around the pipe axis. Due to centrifugal force, the liquid refrigerant flows close to the wall, while the gaseous refrigerant flows along the central axis of the pipe, forming an annular flow. This annular flow pattern effectively avoids the accumulation and collapse of air bubbles and refrigerant pressure pulsations, ultimately effectively reducing refrigerant noise on the indoor side.

[0048] Furthermore, threaded pipes 201 are installed at both the inlet and outlet of the throttling element 104 to ensure that, in cooling mode, the refrigerant flows from the outdoor heat exchanger (such as the first heat exchanger 103) to the throttling element 104, and in heating mode, the refrigerant flows from the indoor heat exchanger (such as the second heat exchanger 105) to the throttling element 104, both times passing through the threaded pipes 201 for flow pattern reforming. This ensures that when the refrigerant at the condenser outlet is in a two-phase flow state, the flow pattern at the inlet of the throttling element 104 is an annular flow. Moreover, the arrangement of the double threaded pipes 201 also ensures that, in both cooling and heating modes, the unstable intermittent two-phase flow state of the refrigerant after exiting the throttling element 104 can be reformed into a continuous flow state.

[0049] When threaded tubes 201 are provided on both the inlet and outlet sides of the throttling element 104, the structure of the threaded tubes 201 on both sides of the throttling element 104 can be designed to be the same. Of course, those skilled in the art will understand that the threaded tubes 201 on the inlet and outlet sides of the throttling element 104 can also be designed differently according to requirements.

[0050] The threaded tube 201 can be made of copper, just like other pipes in the refrigeration system, but it can also be made of other materials. The length, pitch, and depth of the threaded section 2013 can be adjusted according to the specific system. The outer wall of the threaded section 2013 can be a threaded knot or a smooth tubular structure; this embodiment does not limit the structure of the outer wall of the threaded section 2013.

[0051] In one specific embodiment of this application, the threaded pipe 201 may further include a first straight pipe section 2011 and a second straight pipe section 2012, which are located at both ends of the threaded section 2013. The first straight pipe section 2011, the second straight pipe section 2012, and the threaded section 2013 may be designed as an integral structure. The inner walls of the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 are both cylindrical holes. The first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 are used to connect and communicate with corresponding pipelines of the refrigeration system.

[0052] Specifically, the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 can be nested with the corresponding pipes of the refrigeration system and then welded to achieve corresponding connection. For example, the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 can be inserted into the cavity of the corresponding pipe of the refrigeration system, or the corresponding pipe of the refrigeration system can be inserted into the cavity of the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012. The length of the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 can be designed according to requirements. In this embodiment, the length of the first straight pipe section 2011 and the second straight pipe section 2012 is not limited.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the helical groove of the threaded section 2013 can be an arc-shaped structure. The arc-shaped helical groove allows for lower flow resistance of the refrigerant within the threaded section 2013. Furthermore, the smoothness of the helical groove can be controlled by changing the radius of the arc. For example, a larger radius results in a smoother transition at the helical groove, enabling the refrigerant to swirl while maintaining lower flow resistance. Those skilled in the art can select the radius of the arc of the helical groove according to the specific application. Additionally, other structures can be used for the helical groove, and it is not limited to an arc-shaped structure.

[0054] The refrigeration system can be the refrigeration system of a refrigerator or the refrigeration system of an air conditioner. When the refrigeration system is the refrigeration system of an air conditioner, it can switch between cooling and heating modes by switching the direction of refrigerant flow.

[0055] In this embodiment, the refrigerant circulation system may further include a four-way valve 102, which has four ports, defined as the first port, the second port, the third port, and the fourth port. The first port of the four-way valve 102 is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 101, the second port is connected to the first refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger 103, the third port is connected to the first refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger 105, and the fourth port is connected to the suction port of the compressor 101.

[0056] When the refrigerant circulation system is in cooling mode, the first and second ports of the four-way valve 102 are connected, as are the third and fourth ports; that is, the discharge port of the compressor 101 is connected to the first refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger 103, and the second refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger 103 is connected to the first side of the throttling element 104 through a threaded pipe 201. The first refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger 105 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 101, and the second refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger 105 is connected to the second side of the throttling element 104 through a threaded pipe 201.

[0057] When the refrigerant circulation system is in heating mode, the first and third ports of the four-way valve 102 are connected, and the second and fourth ports are connected. The discharge port of the compressor 101 is connected to the first refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger 105, and the second refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger 105 is connected to the second side of the throttling element 104 through a threaded pipe 201. The suction port of the compressor 101 is connected to the first refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger 103, and the second refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger 103 is connected to the first side of the throttling element 104 through a threaded pipe 201.

[0058] In one specific embodiment of this application, the throttling element 104 can be an electronic expansion valve or a capillary tube. This embodiment does not limit the specific type of the throttling element 104.

[0059] In summary, the refrigeration system disclosed in this application has a simple structure, is safe and reliable, and is low in cost. By actively interfering with the flow pattern of the two-phase refrigerant, it can effectively reduce refrigerant noise on the user side while ensuring refrigerant pressure drop and air conditioning capacity, thereby improving user comfort and product reputation.

[0060] This application also discloses an air conditioner, which includes the refrigeration system disclosed in the above embodiments, wherein one of the first heat exchanger 103 and the second heat exchanger 105 is an indoor heat exchanger and the other is an outdoor heat exchanger.

[0061] The air conditioner disclosed in this application has the above-mentioned refrigeration system, and therefore has all the technical effects of the above-mentioned refrigeration system, which will not be repeated here.

[0062] As indicated in this application and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "a," and / or "the" are not specifically singular and may include the plural. Generally, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements. An element defined by the phrase "comprising an..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0063] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setup," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0064] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0065] This document uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this application without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A refrigeration system characterized by, The application relates to a refrigeration system. The refrigeration system comprises a refrigerant circulation system composed of at least a compressor (101), a first heat exchanger (103), a second heat exchanger (105) and a throttling element (104), the throttling element (104) being connected in series between the first heat exchanger (103) and the second heat exchanger (105); a threaded pipe (201) connected in series in the refrigerant circulation system, and the threaded pipe (201) being arranged at least between the throttling element (104) and one of the first heat exchanger (103) and the second heat exchanger (105), the threaded pipe (201) comprising at least a threaded section (2013), and the inner wall of the threaded section (2013) having a spiral groove. The throttling element (104) and the first heat exchanger (103) and the second heat exchanger (105) are arranged with the threaded pipe (201) therebetween.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein, The threaded pipes (201) on both sides of the throttling element (104) have the same structure.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 2 wherein, The outer wall of the threaded section (2013) is in a threaded structure or a light pipe structure.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein, The threaded pipe (201) further comprises a first straight pipe section (2011) and a second straight pipe section (2012), and the first straight pipe section (2011) and the second straight pipe section (2012) are respectively arranged at the two ends of the threaded section (2013).

5. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein, The inner wall of the first straight pipe section (2011) and the second straight pipe section (2012) is a cylindrical hole. The first straight pipe section (2011), the second straight pipe section (2012) and the threaded section (2013) are in an integrated structure.

6. The refrigeration system of claim 5 wherein, The spiral groove of the threaded section (2013) is in an arc surface structure.

7. The refrigeration system of any of claims 1-6, wherein, The refrigeration system further comprises a four-way valve (102), the first valve port of the four-way valve (102) being communicated with the exhaust port of the compressor (101), the second valve port being communicated with the first refrigerant port of the first heat exchanger (103), the third valve port being communicated with the first refrigerant port of the second heat exchanger (105), and the fourth valve port being communicated with the suction port of the compressor (101); 8. The refrigeration system of any of claims 1-6, wherein, When the refrigeration system is in a heating mode, the first valve port and the second valve port of the four-way valve (102) are communicated, and the third valve port and the fourth valve port are communicated; When the refrigeration system is in a cooling mode, the first valve port and the third valve port of the four-way valve (102) are communicated, and the second valve port and the fourth valve port are communicated. The throttling element (104) is an electronic expansion valve or a capillary tube.

9. The refrigeration system of any of claims 1-6, wherein, The application further relates to a refrigeration system as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein one of the first heat exchanger (103) and the second heat exchanger (105) is an indoor heat exchanger, and the other is an outdoor heat exchanger.

10. An air conditioner characterized by comprising: ​

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