Low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

Provided is a low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator and a method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator. The low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator includes an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, where the outer cylinder is coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder. Front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, and two ends of an intermediate annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. Partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the partitioning rings include openings connecting divided annular cavities.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] The present application is based upon and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510107520.0, filed on January 23, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of evaporators, and more particularly to a low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator and a corresponding manufacturing method.BACKGROUND

[0003] As a crucial heat exchange device in refrigeration systems, an evaporator’s core function is to facilitate the evaporation of refrigerant and absorb heat. According to differences in actual application scenarios, evaporators are designed into various structural forms to adapt to different refrigeration demands, such as plate evaporators, basket-type evaporators, and cylindrical evaporators. Among these, cylindrical evaporators, with their unique cylindrical shape design, exhibit significant advantages in specific application scenarios. Such evaporators are typically deployed in situations requiring refrigeration treatment of their outer or inner walls. Cylindrical evaporators not only provide a large heat exchange area but also help optimize heat transfer efficiency, ensuring that the refrigerant can fully evaporate and absorb heat; they can be used in cooling and concentrating processes for fruit juices, dairy products, and other foods, as well as in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning. The structure of cylindrical evaporators is relatively simple, easy to clean and inspect, and convenient for maintenance. Meanwhile, since the design of cylindrical evaporators usually considers modularity and scalability, they can be flexibly configured and expanded as needed in practical applications.SUMMARY

[0004] According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides cylindrical evaporator, including an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder. The outer cylinder is coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder. Front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity. Two ends of the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. A plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings include openings connecting divided annular cavities.

[0005] According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a cylindrical evaporator. The method includes: clamping a partitioning ring into an outer retaining groove on an outer wall of an inner cylinder, where the cylindrical evaporator includes the inner cylinder and an outer cylinder that is coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder, front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, and two ends of an intermediate annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, a plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings include openings connecting divided annular cavities.

[0006] It is to be understood that the above general descriptions and detailed descriptions below are only exemplary and explanatory and not intended to limit the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the assembly of the inner cylinder and partitioning rings in accordance with the present disclosure, from the front direction;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the assembly of the inner cylinder and partitioning rings in accordance with the present disclosure, from the rear direction;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural view of the partitioning rings in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of the refrigerant flow direction in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 6 is a schematic structural view of the evaporator in accordance with the present disclosure, assembled with side plates; and

[0014] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator during interference fit in accordance with the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise represented. The implementations set forth in the following description of examples do not represent all implementations consistent with the disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with aspects related to the disclosure as recited in the appended claims.

[0016] It shall be understood that, although the terms “first,”“second,”“third,” etc. may be used herein to describe various information, the information should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one category of information from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, first information may be termed as second information; and similarly, second information may also be termed as first information. As used herein, the term “if” may be understood to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to a judgment,” depending on the context.

[0017] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,”“an example,”“some embodiments,”“some examples,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described is included in at least one embodiment or example. Features, structures, elements, or characteristics described in connection with one or some embodiments are also applicable to other embodiments, unless expressly specified otherwise.

[0018] For making it convenient for those skilled in the art to understand, multiple implementation modes are listed in the embodiments of the disclosure to describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the disclosure clearly. Of course, those skilled in the art can understood that multiple embodiments provided in the embodiments of the disclosure can be executed independently, or can be combined with methods of the other embodiments in the embodiments of the disclosure for execution together, or may be executed independently or after combined with some methods in other related technologies. No limits are made thereto in the embodiments of the disclosure.

[0019] Existing cylindrical evaporators generally adopt an inner and outer cylinder wall structure, with spiral copper tubes or spiral strips assembled between the inner and outer cylinder walls. When a spiral tube structure is used between the inner and outer cylinder walls, the spiral copper tube wall thickness is at least 0.5mm, and the outer cylinder thickness is 1mm. The contact between the copper tube and the outer cylinder is line contact, with a very small contact area, requiring the addition of thermal paste. This necessitates heat conduction through the copper tube – thermal paste – stainless steel outer cylinder, resulting in high thermal resistance. Moreover, such evaporator cylinders have many complex parts and numerous manufacturing process steps, requiring tube bending, expansion and clamping tooling, application of thermal paste, clamp fixing, and other processes; leading to higher manufacturing costs, larger thermal resistance, and lower refrigeration efficiency.

[0020] When using a spiral strip (or spiral plate) structure, such as the spiral outer steel cylinder and its processing for an ice cream machine evaporator disclosed in Patent No. CN104315759B, a tight-fitting structure is utilized between the inner and outer cylinder walls and the spiral plate to form a spiral refrigerant channel. The two sides of the cylindrical evaporator are sealed, and pipelines are connected at the front and rear positions of the cylindrical evaporator. In use, the refrigerant enters the spiral channel through the pipeline to evaporate, achieving the refrigeration function. During assembly, to ensure the spiral plate is sleeved into the inner cylinder, there will be a gap between the spiral plate and the inner cylinder during sleeving, allowing refrigerant to flow directly through the gap, which means the original intended refrigerant path has no refrigerant flowing through it, reducing the effective heat exchange area and resulting in poor refrigeration. Furthermore, the manufacturing process for spiral plate cylindrical evaporators is equally complex, leading to high production costs.

[0021] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present disclosure provides a low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator and a corresponding manufacturing process. By assembling partitioning ring structures in parallel between the inner and outer cylinder walls, refrigerant channels are formed between the partitioning rings. The opening structure of the partitioning rings enables bidirectional flow of refrigerant liquid, resulting in good refrigerant liquid flow, lower thermal resistance, and a simpler manufacturing process.

[0022] To solve the above technical problem, the present disclosure provides the following technical solution: a cylindrical evaporator including an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder an outer cylinder, coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder, where front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, two ends of the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, and a plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings comprise openings connecting divided annular cavities.

[0023] In some examples, each partitioning ring is an annular structure with an opening, and the partitioning rings are arranged axially between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder.

[0024] In some examples, opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are staggered relative to each other.

[0025] In some examples, opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are opposite.

[0026] In some examples, a diameter of the outlet pipe is greater than a diameter of the inlet pipe, and an internal cavity of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder is axially divided into a front section, a middle section, and a rear section from an inlet end to an outlet end, where a distance between two partitioning rings in the front section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section and the distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the rear section.

[0027] In some examples, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are assembled on an inner wall of the inner cylinder or assembled on an outer wall of the outer cylinder.

[0028] In some examples, twice a distance between adjacent partitioning rings is greater than a width of the opening of each partitioning ring, and the width of the opening is greater than the distance between adjacent partitioning rings.

[0029] In some examples, a cross-section of a partitioning ring is circular or square.

[0030] In some examples, an outer retaining groove, having an annular shape and arranged axially, is formed on an outer wall of the inner cylinder, each partitioning ring is clamped and assembled in the outer retaining groove, an inner wall of the outer cylinder and an outer diameter of the partitioning ring are interference fitted, and a contour of a contact portion between the outer retaining groove and the partitioning ring corresponds to each other.

[0031] In some examples, an inner retaining groove, having an annular shape and arranged axially, is formed on an inner wall of the outer cylinder, each partitioning ring is clamped and assembled in the inner retaining groove, and an outer wall of the inner cylinder and an inner diameter of the partitioning ring are interference fitted.

[0032] In some examples, two sides of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively sealed by side plates, and a central mounting tube extends through a middle of the side plates.

[0033] In some examples, a manufacturing process for a cylindrical evaporator is provided, including clamping a partitioning ring into an outer retaining groove on an outer wall of an inner cylinder, where the cylindrical evaporator includes the inner cylinder and an outer cylinder that is coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder, where front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, and two ends of an intermediate annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, a plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings include openings connecting divided annular cavities; heating the outer cylinder and sleeving the outer cylinder onto an outside of the partitioning ring; cooling down the outer cylinder so that an inner wall of the outer cylinder interference fits around an outer circumference of the partitioning ring; and sealing and welding the two ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

[0034] In some examples, air-tightness is detected after the welding is completed.

[0035] In some examples, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are integrally welded to the inner wall of the inner cylinder.

[0036] In some examples, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are formed of stainless steel material, and a partitioning ring is a circlip.

[0037] In some examples, the two ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are sealed and welded using high-frequency welding.

[0038] Reference numbers are shown as: 01, inlet pipe; 02, outlet pipe; 1, inner cylinder; 11, outer retaining groove; 2, outer cylinder; 21, inner retaining groove; 3, partitioning ring; 4, side plate; 41, central mounting tube; 42, flange.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator may be applied in ice cream machine systems, including systems of the general type disclosed in Patent No. CN104315759B - the overall structure and principle of this low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator are similar to the ice cream machine evaporator of Patent No. CN104315759B, except that it is mainly used in scenarios where the external cylinder wall is refrigerated.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, a low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator includes an inner cylinder 1 and an outer cylinder 2 that is coaxial with the inner cylinder 1 and sleeved outside the inner cylinder 1. The front and rear ends of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 are sealed and assembled. In some examples, if used in the food, cold drink, or edible ice industries, the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 may be made of stainless steel material. The two ends of the intermediate annular cavity between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 are respectively connected and assembled with an inlet pipe 01 and an outlet pipe 02. The inlet pipe 01 and outlet pipe 02 may be formed of copper tubing, which facilitates connection and welding with the liquefaction part of the entire system. In these embodiments, since the working surface is the outer wall surface of the outer cylinder 2, the inlet pipe 01 and the outlet pipe 02 are respectively assembled at the two ends of the inner wall of the inner cylinder 1. When the inner cylinder serves as the working surface, the inlet pipe 01 and the outlet pipe 02 may also be welded and assembled on the outer wall of the outer cylinder 2 as needed. The above structure is not described in detail here.

[0041] In these embodiments, an improved structure is shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Partitioning rings 3 arranged axially are assembled in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. A partitioning ring 3 is an annular structure with an opening, as shown in FIG. 4. The partitioning ring 3 may be made of elastic material. In some examples, the partitioning ring 3 may use spring steel material. In specific implementations, the center of each partitioning ring 3 is located on the axis of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, and the plane where the partitioning ring 3 is located is perpendicular to the axis of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. The partitioning ring 3 is clamped and fixedly assembled between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, with opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings 3 being opposite.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, this low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator, through axially arranged partitioning rings 3, divides the cavity between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 into parallel annular unit cavities. The openings of the partitioning rings 3 enable communication between adjacent unit cavities. Since the opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings 3 are opposite, the communication ports between a middle unit cavity and its two adjacent unit cavities are located on diametrically opposite sides relative to the center. The communication ports at both ends of the same unit cavity are connected through two semicircular arc-shaped cavities. Thus, when the refrigerant enters from the inlet pipe 01 and flows to the outlet pipe 02, it passes through multiple parallel unit cavities. The entire refrigerant flow process is shown in FIG. 5. The refrigerant enters through the inlet pipe 01 on the right side of the annular cavity of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, and finally flows out from the outlet pipe 02 on the left side of the annular cavity of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. The refrigerant completes the evaporation process in the parallel unit cavities between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. The refrigerant flows in opposite directions between each adjacent unit cavity, finally passing through the entire cavity between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. In this evaporator, because the refrigerant in the unit cavities directly contacts the heat exchange wall, the thermal resistance is reduced. At the same time, a stepped evaporation process occurs in each unit cavity, thereby ensuring the heat exchange efficiency corresponding to the heat exchange wall of each unit cavity. Further, because inlet end and outlet ends in each unit cavity are connected through two semicircular channels, the refrigerant flow capacity is increased, thereby significantly improving evaporation efficiency.

[0043] In an evaporator, a drop in pressure is required to achieve refrigerant evaporation within the refrigerating device, and the evaporated refrigerant in the evaporator increases in volume, requiring a larger flow cross-section. In specific design, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the diameter of the outlet pipe 02 is greater than the diameter of the inlet pipe 01, thus ensuring that the increased volume of refrigerant can be smoothly discharged. At the same time, the internal cavity of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 is axially divided into a front section, a middle section, and a rear section from the inlet end to the outlet end, where the distance between two partitioning rings 3 in the front section is greater than the distance between two partitioning rings 3 in the middle section, and the distance between two partitioning rings 3 in the middle section is greater than the distance between two partitioning rings 3 in the rear section. This stepped increase in spacing design causes the flow cross-sectional area of the internal cavity of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 to gradually increase from the refrigerant inlet end to the outlet end, thereby further dividing the refrigerant evaporation process in the evaporator into multiple gradual processes. This makes the entire evaporation and refrigeration process more uniform, significantly reducing evaporator vibration, noise, and other issues.

[0044] In these embodiments, the distance between the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1 and the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2 is constant. Therefore, when the refrigerant flows in the cavity between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, the ratio of the width between adjacent partitioning rings 3 to the opening of the partitioning ring 3 is the ratio of the cavity cross-sectional area in that part where the refrigerant flows. In this disclosure, after the refrigerant enters one end of the unit cavity, it will pass through the two arc-shaped cavities on both sides to reach a subsequent outlet position. Accordingly, within the unit cavity, the refrigerant flow cross-section is twice the unit cavity cross-section. In this configuration, twice the distance between adjacent partitioning rings 3 is greater than the width of the opening of the partitioning ring 3, which can ensure that when the refrigerant passes through the opening of the partitioning ring 3, a pressure difference change will occur on both sides of the opening of the partitioning ring 3, thereby promoting refrigerant evaporation. Further, the width of the opening of the partitioning ring 3 is greater than the distance between adjacent partitioning rings 3, thereby ensuring smoother refrigerant flow through both sides of the opening of the partitioning ring 3.

[0045] In specific designs, the cross-section of the partitioning ring 3 may be circular or square, and the square includes rectangular shapes. In these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the cross-section of the partitioning ring 3 is circular. In specific designs, an outer retaining groove 11 arranged axially in an annular shape is processed on the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1. The partitioning ring 3 is clamped and assembled in the outer retaining groove 11. The outer contour of the contact portion between the outer retaining groove 11 and the partitioning ring 3 is a corresponding arc shape, such that the radius of the said partitioning ring 3 is the same as the radius of the arc shape of the cross-section of the outer retaining groove 11, thereby allowing the inner circumference of the partitioning ring 3 can be completely clamped within the outer retaining groove 11. When the cross-section of the partitioning ring 3 is square, the cross-section of the outer retaining groove 11 is also designed as a corresponding square groove. The inner wall of the outer cylinder 2 and the outer diameter of the partitioning ring 3 are interference fitted, such that the outer cylinder 2 to tightly press the outer wall of the partitioning ring 3 to achieve sealing. At the same time, the interference fit between the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2 and the outer diameter of the partitioning ring 3 can keep the inner diameter of the partitioning ring 3 tightly clamped with the outer retaining groove 11, thereby completely blocking the two side unit cavities.

[0046] In some examples, the partitioning ring 3 may directly use a standard circlip structure. For example, the partitioning ring 3 may be implemented using an external circlip, where the external circlip refers to the circlip structure as shown in FIG. 4; and the outer retaining groove 11 uses a standard outer retaining groove corresponding to the style in FIG. 4. This allows the partitioning ring 3 to be directly purchased as a standard part, greatly reducing design and manufacturing costs. Using standard sizes also makes the overall product processing more convenient, manufacturing costs lower, and dimensional matching / tolerance easier to achieve.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the two sides of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2 are respectively sealed and assembled by side plates 4. The side plate 4 is circular and entirely sealed on the side of the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. A central mounting tube 41 is assembled in the middle of the side plates 4 and extends through the middle of the side plates, such that equipment using this evaporator structure can be installed by passing a shaft through the central mounting tube 41. One side of the outer cylinder 2 is integrally processed with a flange 42, which allows the evaporator to be fixed via the flange 42, providing a stable structure and convenient use.

[0048] When specifically manufacturing this low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator, its manufacturing process includes the following processing steps:

[0049] Step 1: According to the above structure, and referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3, prepare the parts of the evaporator, such as the inner cylinder 1, the outer cylinder 2, the partitioning rings 3, etc. The inlet pipe 01 and the outlet pipe 02 are integrally welded to the inner wall of the said inner cylinder 1;

[0050] Step 2: Clamp the partitioning rings 3 into the outer retaining groove 11 on the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1, such that the opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings 3 are opposite, as shown in FIG. 2;

[0051] Step 3: Heat the outer cylinder 2 and then sleeve it onto the outside of the partitioning rings 3. In the processing, the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2 and the outer diameter of the partitioning ring 3 are designed with an interference fit dimensional tolerance;

[0052] Step 4: After the outer cylinder 2 is assembled in its corresponding position relative to the inner cylinder 1 in the previous step, cool down the outer cylinder 2 so that the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2 interference fits around the outer circumference of the partitioning rings 3;

[0053] Step 5: Seal and weld the two ends of the outer cylinder 2 and the inner cylinder 1 after the interference fit in the previous step, so that sealed unit cavities are formed between the outer cylinder 2 and the inner cylinder 1. In specific welding, the sealed welding of the two ends of the said inner cylinder 1 and outer cylinder 2 adopts high-frequency welding. High-frequency welding can directly heat and weld the inner welding surfaces of two metals, which is simple to implement, faster in heating, and can ensure welding quality;

[0054] Step 6: Introduce pressurized gas into the welded cylindrical evaporator through the inlet pipe 01 and the outlet pipe 02 to detect the evaporator’s air-tightness.

[0055] After the completion of the above steps, the product can be used directly or stored dry, depending on production needs.

[0056] In conventional cylindrical evaporators using spiral strips, the spiral strip is formed as an integral structure. During manufacturing, in order to allow the spiral strip to be fitted into the inner cylinder 1, a clearance fit is required between the spiral strip and the inner cylinder 1. As a result, it is not feasible to form a corresponding outer retaining groove 11 structure similar to that in this disclosure, which easily leaves gaps after assembly, resulting in low heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant. In the embodiments of this disclosure, because separate elastic partitioning rings 3 are used instead of integral spiral strips or spiral tubes, the partitioning rings 3 can be directly clamped into the retaining grooves 11, avoiding the problem of conventional spiral strip structures being unable to be clamped tightly with the inner cylinder.

[0057] During assembly, through a thermal expansion process, the outer cylinder 2 may be thermally expanded and then sleeved onto the outside of the partitioning rings 3 assembled on the inner cylinder 1. After cooling, the partitioning rings 3 are interference fitted between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2, thereby ensuring the sealing between adjacent unit cavities between the inner cylinder 1 and the outer cylinder 2. This effectively prevents gaps from forming between the partitioning rings 3 and the inner and outer walls they contact, ensuring that the refrigerant gradually passes through each unit cavity and guaranteeing the refrigeration effect. This cylindrical evaporator reduces the number of components required for overall design and manufacture and simplifies the manufacturing process, thereby enabling faster design and production and lower overall cost.

[0058] In some other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, this low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator is basically the same as embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-6, with the main difference being that an inner retaining groove 21 arranged axially in an annular shape is processed on the inner wall of the outer cylinder 2. The partitioning ring 3 adopts an external circlip structure, and the partitioning ring 3 is elastically clamped and assembled outwards into the inner retaining groove 21, and the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1 and the inner diameter of the partitioning ring 3 are interference fitted. In some examples, the inner diameter of the partitioning ring 3 and the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1 adopt an interference fit dimensional tolerance. In specific processing, the outer cylinder 2 and the partitioning ring 3 are heated together after assembly, and then, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7, the outer cylinder 2 and the partitioning ring 3 as a whole are sleeved onto the outside of the inner cylinder 1; then cooling is performed to achieve an interference fit between the outer wall of the inner cylinder 1 and the inner diameter of the partitioning ring 3.

[0059] Compared with the existing technology, the present disclosure provides a low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator and its manufacturing process, which has the following beneficial effects.

[0060] Firstly, the low thermal resistance cylindrical evaporator, through axially arranged partitioning rings, divides the cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder into parallel annular unit cavities. The openings of the partitioning rings enable communication between adjacent unit cavities. Since the opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are opposite, the communication ports between a middle unit cavity and its two adjacent unit cavities are located on diametrically opposite sides relative to the center. The communication ports at both ends of the same unit cavity are connected through two semicircular arc-shaped cavities. Thus, when the refrigerant enters from the inlet pipe and flows to the outlet pipe, it passes through multiple parallel unit cavities. Because the refrigerant in the unit cavities directly contacts the heat exchange wall, the thermal resistance is lower. At the same time, a stepped evaporation process occurs in each unit cavity, ensuring the heat exchange efficiency corresponding to the heat exchange wall of each unit cavity. Since the inlet end and outlet end in each unit cavity can be connected through two semicircular channels, the refrigerant flow capacity is higher, greatly improving evaporation efficiency.

[0061] Additionally, during the manufacturing of this cylindrical evaporator, because separate elastic partitioning rings are used instead of integral spiral strips or spiral tubes, the said partitioning rings can be directly clamped into the retaining grooves. During assembly, through a thermal expansion process, the outer cylinder can be thermally expanded and then sleeved onto the outside of the partitioning rings. After cooling, the partitioning rings are interference fitted between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, thereby ensuring the sealing between adjacent unit cavities between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. This effectively prevents gaps from forming between the partitioning rings and the inner and outer walls, ensuring that the refrigerant gradually passes through each unit cavity and guaranteeing the refrigeration effect. This cylindrical evaporator cylindrical evaporator reduces the number of components required for overall design and manufacture and simplifies the manufacturing process, thereby enabling faster design and production and lower overall cost.

[0062] It should be understood that, in this specification, relational terms such as “first” and “second” are used solely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily imply any actual relationship or order between such entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms “comprise,”“include,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device that comprises a list of elements is not limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or device. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase “comprising a…” does not exclude the presence of additional, identical elements in the process, method, article, or device that comprises the element.

[0063] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cylindrical evaporator, comprising: an inner cylinder; and an outer cylinder, coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder, wherein front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, wherein two ends of the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, andwherein a plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings comprise openings connecting divided annular cavities.

2. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 1, wherein each partitioning ring is an annular structure with an opening, and the partitioning rings are arranged axially between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder.

3. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are staggered relative to each other.

4. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are opposite.

5. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein a diameter of the outlet pipe is greater than a diameter of the inlet pipe, and wherein an internal cavity of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder is axially divided into a front section, a middle section, and a rear section from an inlet end to an outlet end, wherein a distance between two partitioning rings in the front section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section and the distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the rear section.

6. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are assembled on an inner wall of the inner cylinder or assembled on an outer wall of the outer cylinder.

7. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein twice a distance between adjacent partitioning rings is greater than a width of the opening of each partitioning ring, and the width of the opening is greater than the distance between adjacent partitioning rings.

8. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein a cross-section of a partitioning ring is circular or square.

9. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein: an outer retaining groove, having an annular shape and arranged axially, is formed on an outer wall of the inner cylinder, each partitioning ring is clamped and assembled in the outer retaining groove, an inner wall of the outer cylinder and an outer diameter of the partitioning ring are interference fitted, and a contour of a contact portion between the outer retaining groove and the partitioning ring corresponds to each other.

10. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein: an inner retaining groove, having an annular shape and arranged axially, is formed on an inner wall of the outer cylinder, each partitioning ring is clamped and assembled in the inner retaining groove, and an outer wall of the inner cylinder and an inner diameter of the partitioning ring are interference fitted.

11. The cylindrical evaporator according to claim 2, wherein two sides of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively sealed by side plates, and a central mounting tube extends through a middle of the side plates.

12. A method for manufacturing a cylindrical evaporator, comprising: clamping a partitioning ring into an outer retaining groove on an outer wall of an inner cylinder, wherein the cylindrical evaporator comprises the inner cylinder and an outer cylinder that is coaxial with the inner cylinder and sleeved outside the inner cylinder, wherein front and rear ends of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are sealed to form an annular cavity, and two ends of an intermediate annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are respectively connected with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, a plurality of partitioning rings are arranged in the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder to divide the annular cavity, and the plurality of partitioning rings comprise openings connecting divided annular cavities; heating the outer cylinder and sleeving the outer cylinder onto an outside of the partitioning ring;cooling down the outer cylinder so that an inner wall of the outer cylinder interference fits around an outer circumference of the partitioning ring; andsealing and welding the two ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.

13. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, further comprising:detecting air-tightness after the welding is completed.

14. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe are integrally welded to the inner wall of the inner cylinder.

15. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are formed of stainless steel material, and a partitioning ring is a circlip.

16. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein sealing and welding the two ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder comprises: sealing and welding the two ends of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder using high-frequency welding.

17. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, further comprising: axially assembling each partitioning ring between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, wherein each partitioning ring is an annular structure with an opening.

18. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are staggered relative to each other.

19. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein opening directions of adjacent partitioning rings are opposite.

20. The method for manufacturing the cylindrical evaporator according to claim 12, wherein a diameter of the outlet pipe is greater than a diameter of the inlet pipe, wherein an internal cavity of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder is axially divided into a front section, a middle section, and a rear section from an inlet end to an outlet end, wherein a distance between two partitioning rings in the front section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section and the distance between two partitioning rings in the middle section is greater than a distance between two partitioning rings in the rear section.

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