Accumulator and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

This accumulator comprises: a cylindrical container; an inflow pipe which passes and is inserted through a side surface of the container in a direction perpendicular to the center axis of the container and through which a refrigerant that has passed through the pipe flows into the container; and a plurality of outflow pipes through which a gaseous refrigerant that has passed through the inside of the pipes from the inside of the container flows out, wherein the plurality of outflow pipes each have one end which is located inside the container and on which an outflow port is provided, the outflow port of each of the outflow pipes is located above the inflow pipe in the height direction, and the outflow ports of the respective outflow pipes are open in the same direction.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an accumulator and a refrigeration cycle device, and more particularly to an accumulator that can be connected to a plurality of compressors by piping. [Background technology]

[0002] In a refrigeration cycle device that controls multiple indoor units individually, an accumulator that stores surplus refrigerant during operation is generally installed as a pressure vessel between the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit and the refrigerant suction side of the compressor. Here, there is an outdoor unit equipped with multiple compressors, in which only one accumulator is provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Such an accumulator includes one inlet pipe and multiple outlet pipes connected to the suction sides of multiple compressors. A gas-liquid mixed refrigerant in which refrigerant and oil are mixed flows into the inlet pipe. The inlet pipe is provided perpendicular to the central axis of a cylindrical container and penetrates the container. The outlet pipe is connected to the suction sides of the multiple compressors, and one end of the outlet pipe is located inside the container and serves as an outlet for discharging the gas refrigerant in the container toward the multiple compressors. The multiple outlets are concentrated in the center of the container by a U-shaped pipe.

[0004] In the accumulator of Patent Document 1, by arranging the outlet pipes using U-shaped pipes in this manner, it becomes difficult for the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that flows into the container from the inlet pipes to be sucked in from the outlet, and the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe is made uniform. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 129006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an accumulator, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing into the main container collides with the liquid refrigerant stored in the container, causing disturbances in the liquid surface. As a result, the liquid refrigerant is stirred up and flows out through the outlets and outflow pipes. After the flowing gas-liquid mixed refrigerant collides with the inner wall of the container, it flows out directly from the outlets and outflow pipes.

[0007] The accumulator described in Patent Document 1 is configured to suppress the variation in the outflow amount by bringing each outlet port closer to the center using U-shaped piping. Here, there are other factors that cause the variation in the outflow amount. For example, the outflow piping including the U-shaped piping may have a difference in the height of the outlet port due to manufacturing variations. In the outflow piping, the refrigerant is more likely to flow out from an outlet port located at a lower position closer to the liquid level. For this reason, the outflow amount of the accumulator will be biased due to the difference in the height of the outlet port. In addition, when the outlet ports are facing in different directions, there is a problem that the outflow amount will be biased depending on the fluid behavior inside the container.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an accumulator that reduces the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from a plurality of outflow pipes, and a refrigeration cycle device including the accumulator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The accumulator disclosed herein includes a cylindrical container, an inlet pipe inserted through a side surface of the container in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the container, through which a refrigerant that has passed through the inside of the pipe flows into the container, a plurality of outlet pipes through which a gaseous refrigerant that has passed through the pipes flows out from the container, and a disc-shaped baffle plate that blocks the outflow of liquid refrigerant from the outflow pipes, The container has a plurality of pipes that communicate with the inside and outside of the container and connect the container to a plurality of outflow pipes, and the ends on the inside side of the container are at the same height in the height direction of the container; The plurality of outflow pipes each have an outlet at one end located inside the container, is inserted into the pipe stand, Outlet is at the same height in the vessel height direction at the end of the nozzle on the vessel inner side,The baffle plate is located above the inlet pipe, the outlets of each outlet pipe open in the same direction, and is installed between the inlet pipe and the outlets of the multiple outlet pipes in the height direction of the container.

[0010] In addition, the refrigeration cycle device disclosed herein has a refrigerant circuit in which a plurality of compressors, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by piping, and the above-mentioned accumulator is connected between the evaporator and the plurality of compressors. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to this disclosure, the outlet of the outlet pipe is located higher in the vertical direction than the inlet pipe, and the outlets of each outlet pipe open in the same direction, thereby improving the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out of each of the multiple outlet pipes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration device 1 equipped with an accumulator 300 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment when viewed from a side surface of a container 310. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment when viewed from above a container 310. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant inside container 310 in accumulator 300 according to embodiment 1, as viewed from the top side of container 310. FIG. [Diagram 5] 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant inside container 310 in accumulator 300 according to embodiment 1, as viewed from the side of container 310. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an accumulator 300A according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7]10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in a container 310 of an accumulator 300A according to the second embodiment when viewed from the top side of the container 310. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment when viewed from the side of a container 310. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment when viewed from the top side of a container 310. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in a container 310 of an accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment when viewed from a side surface of the container 310. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the accumulator according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and are common to the entire embodiment described below. In addition, the size relationship of each component in the drawings may differ from the actual one. The form of the components shown in the entire specification is merely an example, and is not limited to the form described in the specification. There are cases where not all of the devices described in the specification are included. In particular, the combination of components is not limited to the combination in each embodiment, and components described in other embodiments can be applied to other embodiments. In addition, the high and low of pressure and temperature are not determined in relation to absolute values, but are determined relatively in the state, operation, etc. of the device. In addition, the up and down direction in the drawings explaining the accumulator is the height direction when the accumulator is installed, and the left and right direction or depth direction is the horizontal direction (planar direction).

[0014] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a refrigeration device 1 equipped with an accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment. The refrigeration device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a refrigeration cycle device that performs a vapor compression refrigeration cycle operation. Here, the refrigeration device 1 will be described as an example of a refrigeration cycle device.

[0015] The refrigeration device 1 is a device that cools the interior of a room, a warehouse, a showcase, a refrigerator, etc., which is a space to be cooled. The refrigeration device 1 of the first embodiment has a heat source side unit 10 and a user side unit 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration device 1 of the first embodiment has one heat source side unit 10 and one user side unit 20, but the number of units is not limited to these. For example, there may be two or more heat source side units 10. In addition, there may be a configuration in which two or more user side units 20 are connected in parallel.

[0016] In the refrigeration device 1, the heat source unit 10 and the user unit 20 are connected by a liquid refrigerant extension pipe 600 and a gas refrigerant extension pipe 700 to configure a refrigerant circuit for circulating the refrigerant. In the following description, a refrigeration device 1 in which the refrigerant exchanges heat with air will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the refrigeration device 1 may be one in which the refrigerant exchanges heat with a fluid such as water, refrigerant, or brine.

[0017] The user side unit 20 is, for example, a unit installed in a room that is a space to be cooled. The user side unit 20 has a user side expansion valve 400 and a user side heat exchanger 500 that are part of the configuration of the refrigerant circuit. The user side unit 20 also has a user side fan 510.

[0018] The utilization side expansion valve 400 is a pressure reducing device that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit and adjusts the flow rate. The utilization side expansion valve 400 has a throttling device such as an electronic expansion valve or a temperature sensing expansion valve. Here, in the first embodiment, the utilization side expansion valve 400 is installed in the utilization side unit 20, but may be disposed in the heat source side unit 10.

[0019] The utilization side heat exchanger 500 is a heat exchanger that functions as an evaporator that evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with indoor air. The utilization side heat exchanger 500 is, for example, a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger configured to have a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of fins.

[0020] The usage-side fan 510 is a blower that blows air to the usage-side heat exchanger 500. The usage-side fan 510 is disposed near the usage-side heat exchanger 500. The usage-side fan 510 includes, for example, a centrifugal fan, a multi-blade fan, etc. Here, the usage-side fan 510 may be a fan that can adjust the amount of air blown to the usage-side heat exchanger 500 by controlling the rotation speed of a motor.

[0021] On the other hand, the heat source side unit 10 in the refrigeration apparatus 1 of the first embodiment has a plurality of compressors 100a, 100b, and 100c, a heat source side heat exchanger 200, and one accumulator 300. The heat source side unit 10 also has a heat source side fan 210, and an oil regulator 110a, 110b, and 110c.

[0022] The compressors 100a, 100b, and 100c (hereinafter, collectively referred to simply as "compressors 100") compress the refrigerant sucked in and discharge the refrigerant at high temperature and high pressure. The compressors 100a, 100b, and 100c compress the refrigerant sucked in from the suction pipes 800a, 800b, and 800c (hereinafter, collectively referred to simply as "suction pipes 800"), respectively, and discharge the refrigerant at high temperature and high pressure. Each compressor 100 is connected to the accumulator 300 via the corresponding suction pipe 800. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration device 1 of the first embodiment has three compressors 100 connected in parallel in the refrigerant circuit. However, two or four or more compressors 100 may be connected in parallel depending on the load of the user side unit 20. Here, the compressor 100 of the first embodiment will be described as a constant speed compressor. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the compressor 100 may be an inverter compressor capable of varying the capacity (the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time) by arbitrarily changing the operating frequency.

[0023] The heat source side heat exchanger 200 is a heat exchanger that functions as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant by heat exchange with the outdoor air. The heat source side heat exchanger 200 is, for example, a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger configured to have a plurality of heat transfer tubes and a plurality of fins. The heat source side heat exchanger 200 of the first embodiment is described as functioning as a condenser, but may also have a function of a supercooler that supercools the refrigerant.

[0024] The heat source side fan 210 is a blower that sends air to the heat source side heat exchanger 200. The heat source side fan 210 is disposed near the heat source side heat exchanger 200. The heat source side fan 210 includes, for example, a centrifugal fan, a multi-blade fan, etc. The heat source side fan 210 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0025] Oil regulators 110a, 110b, and 110c (hereinafter collectively referred to simply as "oil regulators 110") are installed between an oil return pipe 340 of accumulator 300 (to be described later) and the corresponding compressor 100. Oil regulators 110 can control the amount of oil supplied to each corresponding compressor 100. Oil regulators 110 in the first embodiment are containers that store oil discharged from oil return pipe 340. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Oil regulators 110 may be configured to include a valve or the like that controls the amount of oil supplied. Moreover, oil regulators 110 do not have to be installed.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment when viewed from the side of the container 310. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment when viewed from the top surface (upper bottom surface) of the container 310. The accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment stores surplus refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. The accumulator 300 includes a container 310, an inlet pipe 320, a plurality of outlet pipes 330a, an outlet pipe 330b, and an outlet pipe 330c, and an oil return pipe 340. Here, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 showing the configuration of the accumulator 300, members inside the container 310 are indicated by dotted lines.

[0027] The container 310 is a cylindrical sealed container that becomes the main body of the accumulator 300. Here, the central axis that passes through the container 310 in the height direction is the central axis X. The container 310 has an inner peripheral surface 311. The container 310 has a nozzle 312a, a nozzle 312b, and a nozzle 312c on the upper surface. The nozzle 312a, the nozzle 312b, and the nozzle 312c have through holes that communicate the inside and outside of the container 310, and the opening part in the container 310 opens from the upper surface of the container 310 to the lower surface (lower bottom surface) along the central axis X. The nozzle 312a, the nozzle 312b, and the nozzle 312c (hereinafter, when collectively referred to, simply as "the nozzle 312") have outlet pipes 330a, outflow pipes 330b, and outflow pipes 330c inserted into the through holes, respectively, and are connected. Furthermore, inside the container 310, the nozzles 312 are aligned at the same position in the height direction.

[0028] The inlet pipe 320 is a pipe that introduces the refrigerant into the container 310 from the user-side heat exchanger 500 side, which serves as an evaporator, via the gas refrigerant extension pipe 700. A refrigerant in a mixed state of a gas refrigerant that is a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant that is a liquid refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as a gas-liquid mixed refrigerant) flows into the inlet pipe 320. Here, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant contains oil that serves as a lubricant for the compressor 100. The inlet pipe 320 penetrates the side surface of the container 310 along a direction perpendicular to the central axis X of the container 310 (horizontal direction) and is inserted into the container 310. The tip of the inlet pipe 320 in the container 310 is an inlet 321. The inlet 321 is an opening that introduces the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant into the container 310. The inlet 321 is located in the container 310 at a certain distance from the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310. The inlet 321 is located at a position where the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant can be caused to collide with the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 and swirl in the circumferential direction. In addition, the end face of the inlet 321 side of the inlet piping 320 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the pipe axis 322 of the inlet piping 320 in order to increase the opening area.

[0029] Outlet pipes 330a, outlet pipes 330b, and outlet pipes 330c (hereinafter, collectively referred to simply as "outlet pipes 330") are connected to suction pipes 800a, suction pipes 800b, and suction pipes 800c, respectively, and are pipes that allow the refrigerant to flow out from within container 310. The refrigerant in container 310 flows out from each outlet pipe 330 to the corresponding compressor 100 side and is sucked in. Each outlet pipe 330 in the first embodiment is inserted into container 310 to a point where it does not penetrate the nozzle stub 312 of container 310 described above. Each outlet pipe 330 is connected to container 310 on the upper surface of container 310, and the connection part is also located above inlet pipe 320 in the height direction. Since each outlet pipe 330 does not penetrate nozzle stub 312, it does not form a U-shaped pipe within container 310.

[0030] One end of the outflow pipe 330 on the container 310 side becomes the outlet 331a, the outlet 331b, and the outlet 331c (hereinafter, when collectively referred to, simply as the "outflow outlet 331"). The outlet 331 is an opening that causes the gas refrigerant to flow out from inside the container 310. As described above, one end of the outflow pipe 330 on the inside side of the container 310 is inserted into and connected to the nozzle 312. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the opening part of the lower end (lower end) located on the inside side of the container 310 of the nozzle 312 becomes the outlet 331 of the outflow pipe 330, and the position in the height direction of each outlet 331 is the same as the lower end of the nozzle 312, and is aligned in the height direction. In addition, the position of each outlet 331 is a position on a circumference centered on the central axis X, where the distance a between adjacent outlets 331 is equal. Therefore, in each outlet 331, the distance between each outlet 331 and the central axis X is the same. 3, the interval between adjacent outlets 331 is set to d. Here, the interval d is set to, for example, about 170 mm. However, in order to make the conditions under which the refrigerant flows out from each outlet pipe 330 as similar as possible, it is preferable that the interval d is as small as possible and that the outlets are located close to the central axis X in the vicinity of the central axis X unless there are special circumstances. For this reason, the interval d is determined to be the minimum based on manufacturing constraints and the like. Also, each outlet 331 is located above the inlet pipe 320 in the height direction.

[0031] The oil return pipe 340 is a pipe connected to each compressor 100 via each oil regulator 110. The oil flows into the container 310 from the inlet pipe 320 together with the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant and accumulates in the container 310, and is returned to each compressor 100 from the oil return pipe 340. For this reason, the accumulator 300 in the first embodiment does not need to insert the outlet pipe 330 provided with an oil return hole to the bottom of the container 310 and provide a mechanism for returning the oil via the outlet pipe 330.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in container 310 of accumulator 300 according to embodiment 1 when viewed from the top side of container 310. Also, Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in container 310 of accumulator 300 according to embodiment 1 when viewed from the side of container 310. In Figs. 4 and 5, the flow of refrigerant is indicated by arrows as flow line Y.

[0033] The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing out from the user-side heat exchanger 500 of the refrigeration device 1 serving as an evaporator passes through the gas refrigerant extension pipe 700, passes through the inlet pipe 320, and flows into the container 310 from the inlet 321. Here, as described above, the inlet pipe 320 is provided penetrating the container 310 in a direction perpendicular to its central axis X. Then, the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing into the container 310 from the inlet 321 of the inlet pipe 320 collides with the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 approximately perpendicularly.

[0034] The gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that collides with the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 flows in two directions in the circumferential direction along the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310. The refrigerant that flows in the circumferential direction along the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 flows not only in the circumferential direction but also in the downward direction. Ultimately, the liquid refrigerant flows toward the bottom of the container 310 due to its own weight. In addition, the liquid refrigerant droplets and oil droplets contained in the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant are scattered in a mist form due to collisions, etc., drip along the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310, and accumulate at the bottom of the container 310. However, depending on conditions such as the inflow speed of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, the liquid refrigerant droplets and oil droplets may not drip, and the scattered droplets may flow out directly from the outlet 331 through the outflow piping 330. Here, in order for the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that collides with the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 to flow along such a trajectory, it is important that the inflow pipe 320 is arranged so that the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that flows into the container 310 from the inflow port 321 collides almost straight with the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310. In addition, it is important that the distance between the inflow port 321 of the inflow pipe 320 and the inner circumferential surface 311 is short (the distance between the inner circumferential surface 311 and the inflow port 321<the distance between the inner circumferential surface 311 and the central axis X).

[0035] Similarly, when liquid refrigerant is stored in the container 310, depending on conditions such as the inflow speed, the stored liquid refrigerant is influenced by the flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that has flowed into the container 310 via the inflow pipe 320, and the liquid surface of the stored liquid refrigerant rises. A part of the rolled-up liquid refrigerant passes through each outlet 331 and flows out from each outlet pipe 330. Furthermore, a part of the rolled-up liquid refrigerant is pushed out in the same direction as the refrigerant flowing along the inner circumferential surface 311 in the horizontal direction. Then, the liquid refrigerant that has been separated into two directions together with the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant collides at an insertion part (hereinafter referred to as a collision point A) where the inflow pipe 320 is inserted and connected to the container 310. The liquid refrigerant that has collided with the collision point A continues to travel from the inner circumferential surface 311 in the direction toward the central axis X, and then flows out from the outlet 331 that exists in the traveling direction.

[0036] In addition, when the liquid refrigerant in the container 310 is almost full and reaches the height of the outlet 331, the liquid refrigerant flows out from the outlet 331. If there is a variation in the height of the outlet 331, the liquid refrigerant will selectively flow out from the outlet 331 at a lower position. However, in the accumulator 300 of the first embodiment, as described above, the outlet 331 is located at the lower end of the nozzle stub 312, which is uniform in height, and does not penetrate, and there is no piping below the lower end of the nozzle stub 312. Therefore, there is no variation in the position in the height direction between the outflow pipes 330 due to manufacturing variations in the pipe length, pipe processing, pipe connection, etc. of the outflow pipes 330. Therefore, the accumulator 300 of the first embodiment can suppress the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outflow pipe 330.

[0037] Similarly to the nozzle 312, each outlet 331 opens from the upper surface to the lower surface of the container 310 along the central axis X. Therefore, each outlet 331 faces the same direction, and variations in the outflow amount of the refrigerant due to differences in the orientation of the outlets 331 can be suppressed. Furthermore, the interval d between adjacent outlets 331 in each outlet 331 is set as small as possible. Therefore, each outlet 331 is positioned close to each other, and variations in the outflow amount of the refrigerant due to differences in the positions of the outlets 331 can be suppressed.

[0038] As described above, according to the accumulator 300 of the first embodiment, the inlet pipe 320 is configured to penetrate the container 310 in a direction perpendicular to its central axis X. In addition, the outlet pipes 330 are configured such that the outlets 331, which are openings in the container 310, are located at the lower end of the pipe stand 312 and are arranged at equal intervals on a circumference centered on the central axis X. For this reason, in the plurality of outlet pipes 330, the accumulator 300 can suppress the variation in the outlet height position without the occurrence of the variation in the height position due to the manufacturing variation of the pipe length, pipe processing, pipe connection, etc. In addition, the accumulator 300 can reduce the difference in the direction and position of the outlets 331 in each of the plurality of outlet pipes 330. Therefore, the accumulator 300 of the first embodiment can suppress the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330, and can improve the performance.

[0039] Embodiment 2 FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the accumulator 300A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram when viewed from the top side of the container 310. In FIG. 6 showing the configuration of the accumulator 300A, the members in the container 310 are indicated by dotted lines. In FIG. 6, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 2 and the like are attached to the components that perform the same functions as in the first embodiment. In the accumulator 300A according to the second embodiment, the positions of the outlet 331 of the outflow pipe 330 and the nozzle 312 of the container 310 are different from those of the accumulator 300 according to the first embodiment. In the accumulator 300A according to the second embodiment, the nozzles 312 are arranged on a circumference centered on the central axis X within the area C surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 6. The area C is an area surrounded by a semicircle of radius b from the central axis X. The area C is an area on the side opposite to the side where the inflow pipe 320 is inserted into the container 310, and does not include the collision point A. The diameter b of the semicircle is perpendicular to the pipe axis 322 of the inlet pipe 320 in the horizontal direction.

[0040] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in container 310 of accumulator 300A according to embodiment 2 when viewed from the top side of container 310. In Fig. 7, the flow of refrigerant is indicated by arrows with flow line Y. Since the general flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant in container 310 is similar to that of accumulator 300 in embodiment 1, the following description will focus on the effect of the position of outlet 331 (pipe stand 312) in embodiment 2.

[0041] In the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment, the nozzle 312 is installed in the region C. Here, the region C is an region on the opposite side to the side where the collision point A, which is the connection portion between the container 310 and the inlet pipe 320, is located, and is a region far from the collision point A.

[0042] When liquid refrigerant is stored in container 310, the liquid surface of the stored liquid refrigerant is rolled up by the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that flows into container 310 via inflow piping 320. A part of the rolled up liquid refrigerant is pushed out horizontally in the same direction as the refrigerant flowing along inner circumferential surface 311. The liquid refrigerant then collides with inflow piping 320 at collision point A, and further travels from inner circumferential surface 311 toward central axis X. Therefore, when outlet 331 is located in the vicinity of inflow piping 320 or in a region near collision point A, the liquid refrigerant is more likely to flow out.

[0043] Therefore, the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment is configured such that the nozzle 312 is installed in the region C and the outlets 331 of the respective outlet pipes 330 are located there. Therefore, the speed of the liquid refrigerant that is wound up is reduced, and the liquid refrigerant falls downward due to gravity. Even if the liquid refrigerant advances from the inner circumferential surface 311 toward the central axis X after colliding with the inlet pipe 320, it is difficult for the liquid refrigerant to reach the outlets 331 in the region C. Therefore, the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment can suppress the amount of refrigerant flowing out from the outlet pipe 330, and further suppresses the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330.

[0044] As described above, according to the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the accumulator 300 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment, the outlets 331 of the outlet pipes 330 are located at a position opposite to the side where the inlet pipes 320 are inserted into the container 310, and the positions of the outlets 331 are located far from the collision point A of the liquid refrigerant. Therefore, the accumulator 300A of the second embodiment can suppress the outflow amount of the liquid refrigerant itself, and can suppress the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330. Therefore, the performance of the accumulator 300A can be improved.

[0045] Embodiment 3 FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment when viewed from the side of the container 310. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment when viewed from the top side of the container 310. In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 showing the configuration of the accumulator 300B, members inside the container 310 are indicated by dotted lines. In the accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, members having the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 and the like are members that perform the same functions as those described in the first embodiment. The accumulator 300B according to the third embodiment is configured to include a baffle plate 350 serving as a baffle plate having a rectifying effect between the inflow pipe 320 and the outlet 331 (the nozzle 312) of the outflow pipe 330.

[0046] The baffle plate 350 of the third embodiment has one or more openings 351, and is installed horizontally between the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet 331. As shown in FIG. 9, the shape of the baffle plate 350 is, for example, a disk shape. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the baffle plate 350 has one opening 351. The distances c between the opening 351 and each outlet 331 are uniform. Here, in the third embodiment, the shapes of the baffle plate 350 and the openings 351 are circular, but are not limited thereto.

[0047] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in container 310 of accumulator 300B according to embodiment 3 when viewed from the side of container 310. Next, the flow of refrigerant in accumulator 300B of embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. The general flow of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant in container 310 is similar to that of accumulator 300 of embodiment 1, so the following description will focus on the function of baffle plate 350 in embodiment 3.

[0048] There are two patterns in which the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant that has flowed into container 310 from inlet 321 and the liquid refrigerant stored in container 310 flow out from outlet 331. One is a pattern in which liquid droplets contained in the inflowing gas-liquid mixed refrigerant do not drip, but flow out directly from outlet 331 through outlet piping 330. The other is a pattern in which the stored liquid refrigerant is stirred up by the inflowing gas-liquid mixed refrigerant, and flows out from outlet 331 through outlet piping 330.

[0049] In either pattern, the liquid refrigerant collides with the baffle plate 350 installed between the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet 331 of the outlet pipe 330, and the baffle plate 350 blocks the liquid refrigerant. Therefore, the accumulator 300B of the third embodiment can reduce the amount of liquid refrigerant flowing out from the outlet pipe 330. Also, by making the distances c between the opening 351 of the baffle plate 350 and each outlet 331 uniform, the refrigerant that passes through the opening 351 reaches each outlet 331 uniformly.

[0050] As described above, according to the accumulator 300B of the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in the accumulator 300B of the third embodiment, the baffle plate 350 is provided between the inlet pipe 320 and the outlet 331. Therefore, the accumulator 300B of the third embodiment can suppress the outflow amount of the liquid refrigerant itself, and can suppress the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330, thereby improving the performance.

[0051] Here, the relationship between the distances of the baffle plate 350 and the inflow pipe 320 and the outlet 331 will be described. For example, the baffle plate 350 is arranged close to the outlet 331 (outflow pipe 330) so that the distance between the baffle plate 350 and the inflow pipe 320 is greater than the distance between the baffle plate 350 and the outlet 331 (outflow pipe 330). With this relationship, even if the liquid level of the liquid refrigerant in the container 310 rises, the refrigerant flowing out of the outlet pipe 330 is less likely to be affected by the liquid refrigerant. Therefore, the accumulator 300B can obtain a stable effect.

[0052] On the other hand, if the distance between the baffle plate 350 and the inflow pipe 320 is smaller than the distance between the baffle plate 350 and the outlet 331 (outflow pipe 330), the baffle plate 350 will be located near the inflow pipe 320. Therefore, the baffle plate 350 can be disposed in the cylindrical portion of the container 310, similar to the inflow pipe 320, making it easier to dispose the baffle plate 350.

[0053] Embodiment 4 As described above, in the accumulators 300 to 300B according to the first to third embodiments, the end face of the inlet 321 side of the inflow pipe 320 is an inclined surface. Depending on the orientation of the inclined surface, the amount of the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant flowing in two separate directions in the circumferential direction along the inner circumferential surface 311 of the container 310 may flow differently. For example, the amount of refrigerant is greater on the side of the inclined surface that faces the inner circumferential surface 311 with a larger area. Therefore, by determining the position of the outlet 331 of each outlet pipe 330 based on the orientation of the inclined surface at the inlet 321, it is also possible to suppress the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out of each outlet pipe 330.

[0054] The accumulator 300A according to the second embodiment suppresses the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330 by adjusting the position of each outlet port 331. That is, the accumulator 300A suppresses the variation in the amount of refrigerant. However, even if there is a variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330 of the accumulator 300, it is sufficient that the variation in the amount of refrigerant is suppressed at the time of taking in the equipment such as the compressor connected to each outlet pipe 330. Therefore, in order to reduce the influence of the variation in the amount of refrigerant flowing out from each outlet pipe 330 on the equipment, the pressure loss of the pipe may be adjusted in the heat source side unit 10. For example, the suction pipe 800 connected to the outlet pipe 330 through which a large amount of refrigerant passes is increased by making the piping length to the compressor 100 longer than the other suction pipes 800. In addition to the length, the pressure loss in the suction pipe 800 may be increased by increasing the number of bends. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the refrigeration device 1 has been described as an example of a refrigeration cycle device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to other refrigeration cycle devices such as an air conditioner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Refrigeration device, 10 heat source side unit, 20 user side unit, 100, 100a, 100b, 100c compressor, 110, 110a, 110b, 110c oil regulator, 200 heat source side heat exchanger, 210 heat source side fan, 300, 300A, 300B accumulator, 310 container, 311 inner surface, 312, 312a, 312b, 312c pipe stand, 320 inlet pipe, 321 inlet port, 322 pipe shaft, 330, 330a, 330b, 330c outlet pipe, 331, 331a, 331b, 331c outlet, 340 oil return pipe, 350 baffle plate, 351 opening, 400 user side expansion valve, 500 User side heat exchanger, 510 user side fan, 600 liquid refrigerant extension piping, 700 gas refrigerant extension piping, 800, 800a, 800b, 800c suction piping.

Claims

1. A cylindrical container; an inlet pipe that is inserted through a side surface of the container along a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the container, and through which the refrigerant that has passed through the inside of the pipe flows into the container; A plurality of outlet pipes through which the gaseous refrigerant that has passed through the inside of the container flows out; a disc-shaped baffle plate that blocks the outflow of the liquid refrigerant from the outflow pipe, The container has a plurality of pipes that communicate with the inside and outside of the container and connect the container to the plurality of outflow pipes, and the ends on the inside side of the container are at the same height in a height direction of the container, The plurality of outlet pipes have an outlet port at one end located inside the container, each of the outlet pipes is inserted into the nozzle, the outlet port is at the same height in the height direction of the container at the end of the nozzle on the inside side of the container, and is located higher than the inlet pipe, and the outlet port of each of the outlet pipes opens in the same direction, The baffle plate is installed in the height direction of the container between the inlet pipe and the outlet ports of the plurality of outlet pipes.

2. an oil return pipe provided at a bottom of the container and through which oil contained in the refrigerant passes; 2. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of outflow lines do not have a mechanism for returning oil from the container.

3. 3. The accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the outlet ports of the plurality of outlet pipes are located at positions spaced the same distance from the central axis of the container.

4. The accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of outlet pipes are spaced apart from adjacent outlet ports at equal intervals.

5. The accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outlet ports of the plurality of outlet pipes are located near the central axis of the container.

6. 5. The accumulator according to claim 3, wherein the outlet ports of the plurality of outlet pipes are located in an area opposite to a side where the inlet pipes are inserted into the container when the container is viewed in a height direction.

7. The accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the baffle plate has one or more openings and is disposed perpendicular to the central axis of the vessel.

8. The accumulator according to claim 7 , wherein the outlet ports of the plurality of outlet pipes are positioned at the same distance from the opening of the baffle plate.

9. The accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the baffle plate is positioned at a position in the height direction of the container such that the distance between the baffle plate and the inlet pipe is closer than the distance between the baffle plate and the plurality of outlets.

10. A refrigerant circuit is provided in which a plurality of compressors, condensers, expansion valves, and evaporators are connected by piping. A refrigeration cycle device, comprising: an accumulator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, connected between the evaporator and a plurality of the compressors.

11. The accumulator has an oil return pipe through which oil contained in the refrigerant passes, The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an oil regulator between the oil return pipe and the compressor, the oil regulator adjusting an amount of the oil returned to the compressor.

12. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the oil regulator is a container for storing the oil.

13. The refrigeration cycle device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein a plurality of suction pipes in which a pressure loss is adjusted and an amount of refrigerant sent from the accumulator to the plurality of compressors is adjusted are connected between the accumulator and the plurality of compressors, respectively.

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