Cooling pipes and oxygen generators and automobiles

Abstract

The application provides a cooling pipeline, an oxygen generator and a car, wherein the cooling pipeline is used for connecting a molecular sieve and a compressor, and comprises: a first section connected with the compressor; a second section connected with the molecular sieve; and a cooling section communicating the first section and the second section, wherein the cooling section is arranged in a curved shape along the direction from the first section to the second section, and the curved shape passes through a plane where the two ends of the cooling section are located multiple times. In this way, the flow path of the compressed gas in the cooling pipeline and the contact area between the cooling pipeline and the ambient air are improved, so that the heat of the gas can be quickly and efficiently conducted to the external air through the curved pipeline, and the high-temperature gas can be effectively cooled.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of vehicle-mounted oxygen generation, and in particular to a cooling pipe, an oxygen generator, and a car. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the common working principle of PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen generators is as follows: ambient air is compressed by a compressor and then, either directly or through a simple gas storage tank, enters a molecular sieve tower controlled by valves. The molecular sieve adsorbs nitrogen under high pressure, thereby separating oxygen. However, the continuous operation of the compressor generates a large amount of heat, resulting in very high temperatures for the output compressed air. Direct cooling of the high-temperature gas produced by the compressor, whether through the compressor or through a gas storage tank, is not effective. Furthermore, since the adsorption capacity of the molecular sieve is closely related to temperature, it gradually decreases as the temperature rises. If the high-temperature compressed gas from the compressor is directly transferred to the molecular sieve, it will reduce the oxygen production efficiency of the molecular sieve. Utility Model Content

[0003] This application provides a cooling pipe to solve the problem of poor gas cooling effect during oxygen production in the prior art.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a cooling pipe for connecting a molecular sieve and a compressor, comprising: a first section connected to the compressor; a second section connected to the molecular sieve; and a cooling section connecting the first section and the second section, wherein the cooling section is arranged in a curved shape along the direction from the first section to the second section; the curved shape passes through a plane containing both ends of the cooling section multiple times.

[0005] The length of the cooling section is more than twice the minimum distance between the first and second sections.

[0006] The cooling section is arranged in a spiral shape.

[0007] The cooling section includes multiple arc-shaped segments, which are either connected to each other or connected to each other by multiple straight segments.

[0008] The outer wall of the cooling section is equipped with heat sinks.

[0009] The cooling pipes are a one-piece molded structure.

[0010] To address the aforementioned problems, a second aspect of this application provides an oxygen generator, including the cooling pipe of any of the above-mentioned components.

[0011] The oxygen generator includes a fan, and the cooling pipes are located in the airflow path of the fan.

[0012] The oxygen generator has a ventilation structure, and the cooling pipes are located on the airflow path of the ventilation structure.

[0013] To address the aforementioned issues, a third aspect of this application also provides a vehicle that includes an oxygen generator comprising any of the aforementioned components.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: Unlike the prior art, this application connects the first section of the cooling pipe to the compressor and the second section of the cooling pipe to the molecular sieve. The high-temperature compressed gas generated by the compressor can be cooled by passing through the cooling section of the cooling pipe. Furthermore, the cooling pipe is designed to be curved, passing through the plane at both ends of the cooling section multiple times. This improves the flow path of the compressed gas in the cooling pipe and the contact area between the cooling pipe and the ambient air. This effectively and quickly and efficiently conducts the heat of the gas to the outside air through the curved pipe, thereby effectively cooling the high-temperature gas. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the cooling pipes, the molecular sieve, and the compressor in this application;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the cooling pipe of this application;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the cooling pipe of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this application involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0020] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this application involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0021] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cross-sectional view of the cooling pipe 30 provided in this application.

[0022] This application provides a cooling conduit. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the cooling pipe 30 is used to connect the molecular sieve 20 and the compressor 10. In this embodiment, the cooling pipe 30 includes a first section 301, a second section 302, and a cooling section 303. The first section 301 is connected to the compressor 10, the second section 302 is connected to the molecular sieve 20, and the cooling section 303 connects the first section 301 and the second section 302. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cooling section 303 is arranged in a curved shape along the direction from the first section 301 to the second section 302, and the curved shape passes through the plane where both ends of the cooling section 303 are located multiple times. The first section 301 and the second section 302 can be made of flexible hoses with good ductility, such as hoses made of EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). This effectively ensures the stability of the cooling pipe 30 when connecting the compressor 10, the molecular sieve 20, and the cooling section 303 via the first section 301 and the second section 302, thereby increasing the reliability of the entire machine under complex operating conditions.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, since the cooling pipe 30 connects the molecular sieve 20 and the compressor 10, the gas flow path is from the compressor 10 to the cooling pipe 30, and then through the cooling pipe 30 to the molecular sieve 20. That is, ambient air is compressed by the compressor 10 and then transported to the molecular sieve 20 through the cooling pipe 30, where the molecular sieve 20 adsorbs nitrogen under high pressure, thereby separating oxygen. However, because the continuous operation of the compressor 10 generates a large amount of heat after the ambient air is compressed, the temperature of the output compressed air is relatively high. If this air were directly transported to the molecular sieve 20, it would cause the performance of the molecular sieve 20 to degrade, resulting in a decrease in the produced oxygen concentration. Therefore, by setting up the cooling pipe 30 between the compressor 10 and the molecular sieve 20, the compressed air can be effectively cooled, thereby effectively preventing the performance degradation of the molecular sieve 20.

[0024] It should be noted that the adsorption capacity of molecular sieve 20 is closely related to temperature. Specifically, the adsorption capacity of molecular sieve 20 is negatively correlated with temperature; that is, as the temperature of molecular sieve 20 increases, its adsorption capacity gradually decreases. In other words, the higher the temperature, the lower the adsorption capacity of molecular sieve 20 for nitrogen during oxygen production, resulting in a decrease in oxygen production efficiency and the concentration of oxygen produced. Therefore, after ambient air is compressed by compressor 10, the temperature of the compressed gas produced is relatively high. If this gas is directly transmitted to molecular sieve 20, the excessively high temperature will cause the temperature of molecular sieve 20 to rise. Under the conditions of high-temperature gas and high-temperature molecular sieve 20, the adsorption efficiency of molecular sieve 20 will be significantly reduced, leading to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen produced. Furthermore, if high-temperature gas is directly transmitted to molecular sieve 20, the continuous high temperature will cause thermal aging of molecular sieve 20, damaging its microporous structure and shortening its service life.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, after the compressor 10 compresses the ambient air, the compressed gas can be transmitted to the cooling pipe 30 and then to the molecular sieve 20. Specifically, the compressed gas generated by the compressor 10 is transmitted to the cooling section 303 through the first section 301 of the cooling pipe 30 and then to the molecular sieve 20 through the second section 302. When the high-temperature compressed gas generated by the compressor 10 is transmitted to the cooling pipe 30, the high-temperature compressed gas can be cooled by the cooling pipe 30, and then the cooled gas is transmitted to the molecular sieve 20, thereby effectively ensuring the oxygen production efficiency of the molecular sieve 20.

[0026] In this embodiment, the cooling pipe 30 includes a first section 301, a second section 302, and a cooling section 303. When the high-temperature compressed gas generated by the compressor 10 is transported to the cooling pipe 30 for cooling, the cooling occurs specifically through the cooling section 303. The cooling section 303 is curved along the directions of the first section 301 and the second section 302, thereby relatively lengthening the cooling pipe 30 within a limited space, increasing the flow path of the high-temperature compressed gas within the cooling pipe 30, and effectively improving the cooling speed of the high-temperature gas. The curved shape of the cooling section 303 can be represented by multiple passes through a plane containing both ends of the cooling section 303. For example, the cooling section 303 can pass through the plane connecting the first section 301 and the cooling section 303, and the plane connecting the second section 302 and the cooling section 303, multiple times, thus increasing the length of the cooling section 303 and improving the cooling efficiency of the cooling pipe 30. By designing the cooling section 303 in the cooling pipe 30 as a curved shape, the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the ambient air can be effectively increased, thus effectively increasing the heat dissipation area of ​​the cooling section 303. This allows the heat from the high-temperature gas to be quickly and efficiently conducted to the outside air through the curved pipe, effectively cooling the high-temperature gas. In other words, when cooling the high-temperature gas through the cooling section 303, heat can be dissipated through natural convection and radiation of the ambient air, ensuring effective cooling before the gas enters the molecular sieve 20, thereby effectively improving the service life of the molecular sieve 20.

[0027] In an optional embodiment, the cooling pipe 30 can be specifically configured as a copper pipe. When the molecular sieve 20 and compressor 10 are connected via the cooling pipe 30, the high thermal conductivity of the copper pipe allows for heat dissipation from the high-temperature compressed gas generated by the compressor 10. That is, the temperature of the copper pipe is automatically carried away by natural convection, and the temperature of the copper pipe can be transferred to the outside air through radiation, thus rapidly cooling the high-temperature compressed gas. In other embodiments, the cooling pipe 30 can also be made of other metal pipes with high thermal conductivity, such as alloy pipes, depending on actual needs; this application does not impose specific limitations here.

[0028] In the above embodiment, by setting the first section 301 of the cooling pipe 30 to be connected to the compressor 10 and the second section 302 of the cooling pipe 30 to be connected to the molecular sieve 20, the high-temperature compressed gas generated by the compressor 10 can be cooled by passing through the cooling section 303 of the cooling pipe 30. Furthermore, by setting the cooling pipe 30 to a curved shape that passes through the plane at both ends of the cooling section 303 multiple times, the flow path of the compressed gas in the cooling pipe 30 and the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the ambient air are improved. This effectively transfers the heat of the gas to the outside air quickly and efficiently through the curved pipe, thereby effectively cooling the high-temperature gas.

[0029] In an optional embodiment, the length of the cooling section 303 is more than twice the minimum distance between the first section 301 and the second section 302. That is, by increasing the length of the cooling section 303, the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the outside air can be effectively increased. This allows the high-temperature compressed gas generated when the compressor 10 compresses the ambient air to be transferred into the cooling pipe 30. Since the cooling pipe 30 is exposed to the ambient air, heat can be quickly dissipated from the surface of the cooling section 303 under natural air convection, thereby reducing the temperature of the high-temperature gas inside the cooling pipe 30. Furthermore, the heat from the high-temperature gas inside the cooling pipe 30 can be transferred to the sidewalls of the cooling pipe 30, and the heat on the cooling pipe 30 can also be dissipated into the surrounding ambient air through thermal radiation.

[0030] In an optional embodiment, after the compressor 10 generates high-temperature compressed gas and transfers it into the cooling pipe 30, the heat of the high-temperature gas is transferred to the side wall of the cooling pipe 30. On the one hand, the heat on the cooling pipe 30 can be dissipated into the surrounding ambient air through thermal radiation; on the other hand, the surrounding ambient air has air convection, which can dissipate the heat dissipated from the high-temperature gas onto the cooling pipe 30 through convection. That is, the heat of the high-temperature gas entering the cooling pipe 30 is first transferred to the cooling pipe 30, and then dissipated through thermal radiation and convection. Moreover, the cooling section 303 of the cooling pipe 30 is relatively longer, which can lengthen the flow path of the high-temperature gas, thereby efficiently dissipating heat and reducing the temperature of the high-temperature gas to the temperature at which the molecular sieve 20 can operate efficiently.

[0031] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the cooling section 303 is arranged in a spiral shape. That is, the cooling section 303 is designed as a spiral pipe. When the cooling pipe 30 is installed in products such as oxygen generators, its length can be effectively increased within a limited space, thereby improving the layout capability of the cooling pipe 30 within the product. The spiral arrangement of the cooling section 303 effectively increases the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the ambient air, thus efficiently cooling the high-temperature gas and improving the oxygen production efficiency of the molecular sieve 20.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cooling section 303 includes multiple arc-shaped segments 304, which are interconnected. The cooling section 303 is configured as a series of arc-shaped segments 304 connected together, for example, in a "serpentine" shape, thus increasing the length of the cooling section 303 and increasing the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the ambient air. This efficiently cools the high-temperature gas, thereby improving the oxygen production efficiency of the molecular sieve 20. The cooling section 303 includes multiple arc-shaped segments 304, which can be formed by connecting multiple straight segments 305. In other embodiments, the cooling section 303 can also be configured in other shapes, depending on the requirements. The key is to ensure that the contact area between the cooling pipe 30 and the ambient air is increased, and that the gas temperature after cooling by the cooling section 303 is sufficient to ensure efficient oxygen production by the molecular sieve 20. This application does not impose specific limitations here.

[0033] In one optional embodiment, the cooling pipe 30 can be a one-piece molded structure, that is, the first section 301, the second section 302, and the cooling section 303 of the cooling pipe 30 are manufactured in one piece, for example, by injection molding. In other embodiments, the cooling pipe 30 can also be configured according to the installation scenario, for example, it can be divided into multiple sections and then spliced ​​together. The specific configuration can be determined according to actual needs, and this application does not impose any specific limitations.

[0034] In an optional embodiment, heat sinks (not shown) are provided on the outer wall of the cooling section 303. Several heat sinks may be provided, and they may specifically be aluminum fins; this application does not impose a specific limitation on this. By providing heat sinks on the outer wall of the cooling section 303, the heat dissipation area of ​​the cooling section 303 can be further increased. Specifically, the heat sinks may be arranged along the cooling axis direction on the outer wall of the cooling section 303, or they may be arranged perpendicular to the cooling axis direction on the outer wall of the cooling section 303, that is, the heat sinks are arranged around the cooling sidewall, and the heat sinks are spaced apart. The specific arrangement method is not specifically limited in this application.

[0035] In this embodiment, the compressor 10 compresses ambient air to generate high-temperature compressed gas, which is then transferred to the cooling section 303 via the first section 301. The heat from the high-temperature gas in the cooling section 303 can be transferred to the outer wall of the cooling section 303 and then to the heat sink via the outer wall of the cooling section 303. In other words, the heat from the high-temperature gas in the cooling section 303 is conducted to the outer wall of the cooling section 303 and the heat sink. The heat from the cooling section 303 and the heat sink can be transferred to the environment where the cooling pipe 30 is located through thermal radiation. Furthermore, the air convection in the environment where the cooling pipe 30 is located carries away the heat from the heat sink and the cooling section 303, thereby quickly dissipating the heat in the cooling pipe 30. Correspondingly, the heat of the high-temperature gas within the cooling pipe 30 is continuously transferred, and the heat dissipation from the cooling pipe 30 through air convection and thermal radiation is also continuous. Therefore, as the high-temperature gas is cooled through the cooling pipe 30, its temperature gradually decreases from the first section 301 towards the second section 302. Thus, by increasing the length of the cooling pipe 30 and installing heat sinks on the outer wall of the cooling pipe 30, it can be ensured that the temperature of the high-temperature gas is reduced to a preset temperature value when it is transferred to the molecular sieve 20 after being cooled through the cooling pipe 30. Specifically, the preset temperature value means that the molecular sieve 20 can efficiently produce oxygen at this preset temperature, and the stability of the molecular sieve 20 during oxygen production can be effectively guaranteed at this preset temperature, avoiding the problem of reduced service life caused by thermal aging of the molecular sieve 20.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, a thermally conductive silicone layer (not shown) may be provided on the outer wall of the cooling section 303. This thermally conductive silicone layer further enhances the heat dissipation capacity of the cooling pipe 30, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency for high-temperature gas. The thermally conductive silicone layer may be provided on the outer wall of the cooling pipe 30 between spaced-apart heat sinks. In other embodiments, other highly thermally conductive materials may be provided on the outer wall of the cooling section 303; this application does not specifically limit the application of these materials.

[0037] Unlike the prior art, the second aspect of this application also discloses an oxygen generator, which includes a cooling pipe 30, which is the cooling pipe 30 of any of the above embodiments.

[0038] In an optional embodiment, the oxygen generator is equipped with a fan (not shown), and the cooling pipe 30 is located in the airflow path of the fan. That is, the oxygen generator itself has a fan, and by placing the cooling pipe 30 in the airflow path when the fan is working, the airflow generated by the fan can carry away the heat from the cooling pipe 30, thereby cooling the gas inside the cooling pipe 30.

[0039] In an optional embodiment, the oxygen generator has a ventilation structure (not shown), and the cooling duct 30 is located in the airflow path of the ventilation structure. Similarly, by placing the cooling duct 30 in the airflow path of the ventilation structure, the heat of the cooling duct 30 can be carried away by the ventilation path existing in the oxygen generator itself, thereby cooling the gas inside the cooling duct 30.

[0040] In a specific application scenario, when oxygen is generated by an oxygen generator, the cooling pipe 30 can be placed in the airflow path of the fan and / or ventilation structure. After the compressor 10 compresses the ambient air and generates corresponding high-temperature gas, and the high-temperature gas is transferred to the cooling section 303 through the first section 301, the heat of the high-temperature gas can be transferred to the side wall and heat sink of the cooling section 303. The temperature of the cooling section 303 and the heat sink is transferred to the surrounding ambient air through radiation. The cooling pipe 30 is placed in the airflow path of the fan or ventilation structure to remove the heat from the cooling pipe 30 and the heat sink, thereby cooling the high-temperature gas. The cooling section 303 then transfers the cooled gas to the molecular sieve 20 through the second section 302, so that the molecular sieve 20 can complete the oxygen generation.

[0041] In an optional embodiment, the high-temperature gas generated by the compressor 10 is cooled via the cooling pipe 30, thereby preventing the high-temperature gas from being directly transferred into the molecular sieve 20. Directly transferring the high-temperature gas into the molecular sieve 20 would increase system complexity, manufacturing costs, size, and power consumption (e.g., requiring an additional fan). Furthermore, since the oxygen production efficiency of the molecular sieve 20 decreases at high temperatures, the system might require higher operating pressures or more frequent switching cycles to achieve the set oxygen concentration and flow rate, indirectly increasing the load on the compressor 10 and overall energy consumption. Therefore, cooling the high-temperature gas via the cooling pipe 30 effectively improves oxygen production efficiency and reduces the failure rate of the molecular sieve 20.

[0042] Unlike the prior art, this application also discloses a third aspect of an automobile that includes an oxygen generator, which is the oxygen generator of any of the above embodiments.

[0043] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cooling pipe, characterized in that, The cooling pipe, used to connect the molecular sieve and the compressor, includes: The first section is connected to the compressor; The second section is connected to the molecular sieve; A cooling section connects the first section and the second section, and the cooling section is arranged in a curved shape along the direction from the first section to the second section; The bending shape passes through a plane containing both ends of the cooling section multiple times.

2. The cooling pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the cooling section is more than twice the minimum distance between the first section and the second section.

3. The cooling pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling section is arranged in a spiral shape.

4. The cooling pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling section includes multiple arc-shaped segments, which are formed by connecting the multiple arc-shaped segments to each other, or by connecting multiple straight segments.

5. The cooling pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, Heat sinks are provided on the outer wall of the cooling section.

6. The cooling pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling pipe is a one-piece molded structure.

7. An oxygen generator, characterized in that, The oxygen generator includes the cooling pipes as described in any one of claims 1-6.

8. The oxygen generator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The oxygen generator includes a fan, and the cooling pipe is located in the airflow path of the fan.

9. The oxygen generator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The oxygen generator has a ventilation structure, and the cooling pipe is located on the airflow path of the ventilation structure.

10. A car, characterized in that, The vehicle includes an oxygen generator as described in any one of claims 7-9.

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