Oil-gas separator

Abstract

An oil-gas separator (100). The oil-gas separator comprises: a cylinder body (10), wherein one end of the cylinder body (10) is provided with a first communication hole (11), and the end of the cylinder body (10) facing away from the first communication hole (11) is provided with a second communication hole (12); an oil return pipe (20), wherein one end of the oil return pipe (20) is inserted into the first communication hole (11), and the oil return pipe (2) is connected to the cylinder body (10) through the first communication hole; a gas inlet pipe (30), wherein one end of the gas inlet pipe (30) passes through a sidewall of the cylinder body and extends into the cylinder body (10); a gas outlet pipe (60) passing through the second communication hole (12) and partially extending into the cylinder body (10); and a separation structure (40) installed inside the cylinder body (10) and sleeved on the outer periphery of a portion of the gas outlet pipe (60) extending into the cylinder body (10).

Description

Oil and gas separator

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311220446.0, filed on September 20, 2023, entitled “Oil separator and air conditioning system thereof”, and to Chinese patent application No. 202323202097.8, filed on November 24, 2023, entitled “Oil-gas separator”, the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to an oil-gas separator. Background Art

[0004] As a key component of air conditioning systems, the oil-gas separator, located between the compressor outlet and the condenser inlet, separates the lubricating oil from the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor, reducing the lubricating oil's impact on the refrigerant's heat exchange efficiency within the refrigeration system. However, prior art has struggled with insufficient separation between the lubricating oil and refrigerant, hindering refrigerant heat exchange. Therefore, improving the separation efficiency of the oil-gas separator remains a pressing technical challenge.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on this, the present application addresses the above technical issues and provides an oil-gas separator and an air-conditioning system thereof that are beneficial to improving separation efficiency.

[0007] The present application provides an oil-gas separator, comprising: a cylinder, which is provided with a second connecting hole and a first connecting hole arranged at intervals along its own axial direction; a return oil pipe, one end of the return oil pipe is inserted into the first connecting hole and is connected to the cylinder through the first connecting hole; an outlet pipe passes through the second connecting hole and partially extends into the cylinder; an air inlet pipe, one end of the air inlet pipe is passed through the side wall of the cylinder and extends into the cylinder; in the cylinder, the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe faces the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe and is spaced apart from the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe; and a separation structure, which is installed in the cylinder and sleeved on the outer periphery of the part of the air outlet pipe extending into the cylinder 10; along the axial direction of the cylinder, the separation structure is located between the port of the air inlet pipe located in the cylinder and the first connecting hole, and the separation structure is used to separate lubricating oil and refrigerant.

[0008] In some embodiments, the side wall of the cylinder is provided with an air inlet; the air inlet pipe passes through the air inlet and partially extends into the cylinder; the separation structure includes a filtering structure, and the outlet pipe is located in the cylinder and the pipe mouth is arranged farther away from the first connecting hole than the bottom of the filtering structure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe in the cylinder is arranged at an angle, and the central axis of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe in the cylinder intersects with the central axis of the air outlet pipe.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shortest distance between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is defined as h, the inner diameter of the cylinder is defined as D, and the shortest distance h between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe and the inner diameter D of the cylinder satisfy the following relationship: <h<0.5D。

[0011] In some embodiments, the inner diameter of the air inlet pipe is not greater than the inner diameter of the air outlet pipe.

[0012] In some embodiments, the filter structure has a filter screen, which is arranged along the circumference of the air outlet pipe. The angle between the filter screen and the axial direction of the air outlet pipe is defined as α, 0°<α<90°.

[0013] In some embodiments, within the cylinder, along the axial direction of the cylinder, the vertical distance from the bottom of the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe to the top of the filter structure is defined as t, and the vertical distance from the bottom of the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe to the pipe mouth of the air outlet pipe is defined as v. The vertical distance t from the bottom of the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe to the top of the filter structure and the vertical distance v from the bottom of the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe to the pipe mouth of the air outlet pipe satisfy the following relationship: t = (8% ~ 15%) v.

[0014] In some embodiments, the filtering structure includes a first mounting seat, a second mounting seat and a filter screen. The filter screen is arranged along the circumference of the air outlet pipe. The filter screen is connected between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat. The first mounting seat is sleeved and connected to the outer tube wall of the air outlet pipe, and the second mounting seat is connected to the inner wall of the cylinder.

[0015] In some embodiments, the separation structure includes a spiral guide plate, which is installed in the cylinder and surrounds the axis of the cylinder and extends spirally toward the first communicating hole.

[0016] In some embodiments, one end of the air inlet pipe extending into the cylinder has a guide surface, and the guide surface is inclined along the rotation direction of the spiral guide plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the oil return pipe includes at least a straight pipe section connected to the first connecting hole, the straight pipe section, the air outlet pipe, and the cylinder are coaxially arranged, and the axis of the air inlet pipe and the axis of the air outlet pipe are perpendicular to and intersect with each other.

[0018] In some embodiments, the shortest distance between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is defined as h, and the range of the shortest distance h between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is: 1mm≤h≤10mm.

[0019] In some embodiments, along the axis of the cylinder, the distance between the air inlet pipe and the spiral guide plate is defined as H, the distance between the air inlet pipe and the end of the air outlet pipe away from the first communicating hole is defined as b, the diameter of the air inlet pipe is defined as a, and the range of the distance H between the air inlet pipe and the spiral guide plate satisfies the following relationship: a / 2≤H <b。

[0020] In some embodiments, along the radial direction of the cylinder, the outer diameter of the spiral guide plate is defined as d, and the inner diameter of the cylinder is defined as D, and the following relationship is satisfied between the two: 0.6D≤d≤D.

[0021] In some embodiments, the spiral guide plate has at least one spiral turn, and one end of the spiral guide plate close to the first connecting hole is a head. Along the radial direction of the cylinder, the head is located on the back side of the guide surface.

[0022] The details of one or more embodiments of the present application are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the conventional technology, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the conventional technology descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0024] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an oil-gas separator provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0025] FIG2 is a front cross-sectional view of an oil-gas separator provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0026] FIG3 is a top cross-sectional view of an oil-gas separator provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0027] FIG4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an oil-gas separator provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0028] FIG5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of an oil-gas separator provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0029] The symbols in the figure mean the following:

[0030] 100. Oil-gas separator; 10. Cylinder; 11. First connecting hole; 12. Second connecting hole; 13. Air inlet; 14. First limiting protrusion; 15. Second limiting protrusion; 20. Oil return pipe; 21. Straight pipe section; 22. Bend pipe section; 30. Air inlet pipe; 31. Guide surface; 40. Separation structure; 41. Filter structure; 411. First filter screen; 412. First mounting seat; 413. Second mounting seat; 42. Spiral guide plate; 421. Head; 50. Second filter screen; 51. Filter tank; 60. Air outlet pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] It should be noted that when a mechanism is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another mechanism, it may be directly on the other mechanism or there may be a central mechanism. When a mechanism is considered to be "connected to" another mechanism, it may be directly connected to the other mechanism or there may be a central mechanism at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in the specification of this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0033] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly in contact with the second feature, or the first feature and the second feature are indirectly in contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in the specification of this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0036] Air conditioning compressors require lubricating oil for operation. However, since the lubricating oil is discharged along with the refrigerant when the compressor is discharged, the presence of lubricating oil increases the thermal resistance of the air conditioning system piping, reducing heat transfer and thus the cooling or heating efficiency of the air conditioning system. Furthermore, if the lubricating oil is not returned to the compressor in a timely manner, it can shorten the compressor's service life.

[0037] The oil-gas separator is used to separate the lubricating oil from the refrigerant and return the separated lubricating oil to the compressor through the oil return pipe. However, the separation efficiency of the oil-gas separator is limited. To improve the separation efficiency, the oil-gas separator is usually increased in size. However, such an oil-gas separator occupies a large space and is not easy to manufacture and assemble.

[0038] The present application provides an oil-gas separator 100 for separating lubricating oil and refrigerant.

[0039] Referring to Figures 1-5, in some embodiments, the oil-gas separator 100 includes: a cylinder 10, an oil return pipe 20, an air inlet pipe 30, a separation structure 40, and an air outlet pipe 60. The cylinder 10 is provided with a first connecting hole 11 and a second connecting hole 12 arranged at intervals along its own axial direction. One end of the oil return pipe 20 is inserted into the first connecting hole 11 and is connected to the cylinder 10 through the first connecting hole 11. The air outlet pipe 60 passes through the second connecting hole 12 and partially extends into the cylinder 10. One end of the air inlet pipe 30 is passed through the side wall of the cylinder 10 and extends into the cylinder 10. Inside the cylinder 10, the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe 30 faces the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe 60 and is spaced apart from the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe 60. The separation structure 40 is installed in the cylinder 10 and is sleeved on the outer periphery of the part of the outlet pipe 60 extending into the cylinder 10; along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, the separation structure 40 is located between the port of the inlet pipe 30 located in the cylinder and the first connecting hole 11. The separation structure is used to separate the lubricating oil and the refrigerant.

[0040] In the present application, the separation structure 40 is provided to help improve the separation efficiency of the lubricating oil and the refrigerant.

[0041] 1-3 , in some embodiments, in order to solve the problem of low separation efficiency of oil-gas separators in related technologies, the present application provides an oil-gas separator 100 for separating lubricating oil and refrigerant.

[0042] The oil-gas separator 100 includes a cylinder 10, an oil return pipe 20, an air intake pipe 30 and a separation structure 40. A first connecting hole 11 is opened at one end of the cylinder 10. One end of the oil return pipe 20 is inserted into the first connecting hole 11 and is connected to the cylinder 10 through the first connecting hole 11. One end of the air intake pipe 30 is passed through the side wall of the cylinder 10 and extends into the cylinder 10. The separation structure 40 is installed in the cylinder 10 and extends spirally around the axis of the cylinder 10 in the direction of the first connecting hole 11. Among them, along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, the spiral guide plate 42 is located between the end of the air intake pipe 30 extending into the cylinder 10 and the first connecting hole 11.

[0043] In this embodiment, the separation structure 40 is configured as a spiral guide plate 42 .

[0044] In this embodiment, by setting the separation structure 40 as a spiral guide plate 42, the refrigerant can flow along the rotation direction of the spiral guide plate 42 after entering the cylinder 10, avoiding the occurrence of turbulence and the like, and making the oil and gas separation efficiency higher.

[0045] One end of the air inlet pipe 30 extending into the cylinder 10 has a guide surface 31, and the guide surface 31 is inclined along the rotation direction of the spiral guide plate 42, so as to facilitate the refrigerant to enter the guide area of ​​the spiral guide plate 42 along the inclined direction of the guide surface 31.

[0046] Furthermore, a second communication hole 12 is formed at one end of the cylinder 10, facing away from the first communication hole 11. The oil-gas separator also includes an outlet pipe 60, one end of which passes through the second communication hole 12 and extends into the cylinder 10. The outlet pipe 60 is connected to the cylinder 10 via the second communication hole 12. The spiral guide plate 42 is wound around the outer circumference of the portion of the outlet pipe 60 that extends into the cylinder 10. In this way, the spiral guide plate 42 does not need to be installed in the cylinder 10 through any additional structure, but can be directly connected to the outer circumference of the outlet pipe 60, thereby achieving its own positional fixation and simplifying the structure.

[0047] Of course, in other embodiments, the spiral guide plate 42 may also be connected to the inner wall of the cylinder 10 through other connection structures, and is not limited to being directly connected to the outer peripheral side of the air outlet pipe 60 .

[0048] Furthermore, the oil return pipe 20 includes at least a straight pipe section 21 connected to the first communication hole 11. The straight pipe section 21, the outlet pipe 60, and the cylinder 10 are coaxially arranged, and the axis of the inlet pipe 30 and the axis of the outlet pipe 60 are perpendicular to and intersect each other. As a result, when the refrigerant enters the cylinder 10 from the inlet pipe 30, it directly impacts the outlet pipe 60 and is subjected to a spiral circumferential separation motion by the spiral guide plate 42, facilitating the separation of gas and liquid, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation performance of the oil-gas separator 100.

[0049] The oil return pipe 20 further includes a curved pipe section 22 connected to the straight pipe section 21 . The curved pipe section 22 extends in a direction away from the cylinder 10 and is used for connection to an external pipeline.

[0050] It can be understood that the axis of the air inlet pipe 30 may not intersect with the axis of the air outlet pipe 60, but may be staggered and eccentrically arranged, that is, the air inlet pipe 30 is eccentrically arranged relative to the cylinder 10. In this way, when the refrigerant enters the cylinder 10 from the air inlet pipe 30, it will have an eccentric movement trajectory, spirally separate around the inner wall of the cylinder 10, and perform secondary spiral circumferential separation movement under the action of the spiral guide plate 42, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation effect. Compared with the background technology, on the one hand, the separation effect is enhanced by adding the spiral guide plate 42. On the other hand, there is no need to increase the length of the cylinder 10 to increase the time of the spiral separation of the refrigerant around the inner wall of the cylinder 10, which is beneficial to reducing the volume of the oil-gas separator 100.

[0051] Furthermore, referring to FIG3 , the shortest distance between the end of the air inlet pipe 30 close to the axis of the cylinder 10 and the air outlet pipe 60 is defined as h. The range of the shortest distance h between the end of the air inlet pipe 30 close to the axis of the cylinder 10 and the air outlet pipe 60 is: 1 mm ≤ h ≤ 10 mm. It should be explained that the shortest distance h here refers to the shortest distance between the projection of the guide surface 31 of the air inlet pipe 30 on a plane and the tangent of the projection of the outer peripheral wall of the air outlet pipe 60 on the plane. This arrangement not only prevents the refrigerant from being directly rebounded into the air inlet pipe 30 after impact and collision with the air outlet pipe 60 due to the distance between the air inlet pipe 30 and the air outlet pipe 60 being too small, but also prevents the refrigerant from falling before colliding with the wall of the air outlet pipe 60 or colliding incompletely due to the distance between the air inlet pipe 30 and the air outlet pipe 60.

[0052] Specifically, the value of h can be 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, etc. Of course, the value of h can also be selected within the range according to requirements.

[0053] Referring to Figure 1 , along the radial direction of the cylinder 10, the outer diameter of the spiral guide plate 42 is defined as d, and the inner diameter of the cylinder 10 is defined as D, with the relationship 0.6D≤d≤D being satisfied. This ensures that the spiral guide plate 42 is sufficiently large in the radial direction of the cylinder 10 to effectively guide the refrigerant. When the diameter d of the spiral guide plate 42 is equal to the inner diameter D of the cylinder 10, the outer wall of the spiral guide plate 42 abuts the inner wall of the cylinder 10, and the spiral guide plate 42 is at its largest size.

[0054] Please refer to FIG. 2. Along the axial direction of the cylinder body 10, the distance between the intake pipe 30 and the spiral guide plate 42 is defined as H, the distance between the intake pipe 30 and the end of the outlet pipe 60 far from the first communication hole 11 is defined as b, and the diameter of the intake pipe 30 is defined as a. The range of the distance H between the intake pipe 30 and the spiral guide plate 42 satisfies the following relational expression: a / 2 ≤ H < b. Thus, when the range of the distance H between the intake pipe 30 and the spiral guide plate 42 satisfies a / 2 ≤ H, it can be ensured that when the gas in the intake pipe 30 enters the cylinder body 10 from the pipe orifice, it will not be blocked due to the too-close distance between the pipe orifice and the spiral guide plate 42, nor will the spiral guide plate 42 fail to function due to the too-far distance between the pipe orifice and the spiral guide plate 42.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, if the overall size of the oil-gas separator 100 changes significantly, the shortest distance h between the end of the intake pipe 30 close to the axis of the cylinder body 10 and the outlet pipe 60, and the distance H between the intake pipe 30 and the spiral guide plate 42 are not limited to the above range, but should be adjusted flexibly according to the working requirements.

[0056] The number of spiral turns of the spiral guide plate 42 is at least one turn. The end of the spiral guide plate 42 close to the first communication hole 11 is the head 421. Along the radial direction of the cylinder body 10, the head 421 is located on the back side of the guiding surface 31. It should be noted that the direction towards which the guiding surface 31 faces is the front side of the guiding surface 31, and the opposite direction is the back side of the guiding surface 31. The head 421 being located on the back side of the guiding surface 31 can ensure that the refrigerant will surely fall onto the spiral guide plate 42 after flowing out from the guiding surface 31. Therefore, the entire spiral guide plate 42 can be fully utilized, and the refrigerant will not directly fall onto the next layer of the spiral guide plate 42 or the bottom end of the cylinder body 10.

[0057] The number of spiral turns of the spiral guide plate 42 being at least one turn can ensure its guiding effect on the refrigerant and the gas-liquid separation effect. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the number of spiral turns of the spiral guide plate 42 is three turns. In some embodiments, it can also be set to two turns, four turns, five turns, etc.

[0058] The oil-gas separator 100 also includes a second filter 50. One end of the second filter 50 is mounted at the junction of the oil return pipe 20 and the cylinder 10. At least a portion of the second filter 50 is located within the oil return pipe 20. The second filter 50 protrudes along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, away from the cylinder 10, to form a filter slot 51. The opening of the filter slot 51 faces toward the cylinder 10. This allows the second filter 50 to filter impurities from the lubricating oil, preventing them from entering the compressor through the oil return pipe 20 and reducing the compressor's service life. Furthermore, the opening of the filter slot 51 faces toward the cylinder 10, meaning that the lubricating oil enters the filter slot 51 first. Due to the structure of the second filter 50, the second filter 50 is less likely to deform under the pressure of the lubricating oil, preventing the second filter 50 from being squeezed by the lubricating oil and causing it to sag toward the interior of the filter slot 51. This effectively ensures the filtration area of ​​the second filter 50 and improves its filtration effectiveness.

[0059] Furthermore, along the axial direction of the cylinder 10 and along the direction from the cylinder 10 to the oil return pipe 20 , the inner diameter of the second filter 50 tends to decrease, thereby improving the filtering effect of the second filter 50 .

[0060] Compared to related technologies, this embodiment provides a spiral guide plate 42, allowing the refrigerant to flow along the rotational direction of the spiral guide plate 42 after entering the cylinder 10, thereby improving the oil-gas separation effect. Furthermore, the guide surface 31 is tilted along the rotational direction of the spiral guide plate 42, so the refrigerant enters the guide area of ​​the spiral guide plate 42 along the tilted direction of the guide surface 31, avoiding turbulence and other conditions, thereby achieving higher oil-gas separation efficiency. A second filter 50 is also added to prevent impurities from entering the compressor through the oil return pipe 20 and reducing the compressor's service life.

[0061] Referring to Figures 4 and 5 , some embodiments of the present application provide an oil-gas separator 100. The oil-gas separator 100 includes a cylinder 10, an air outlet pipe 60, an air inlet pipe 30, and a separation structure 40. The cylinder 10 is provided with a second communication hole 12 and a first communication hole 11 spaced apart along its axial direction, and an air inlet 13 is provided on the side wall of the cylinder 10. The air outlet pipe 60 passes through the second communication hole 12 and partially extends into the cylinder 10. The air inlet pipe 30 passes through the air inlet 13 and partially extends into the cylinder 10. Within the cylinder 10, the opening of the air inlet pipe 30 faces the outer wall of the air outlet pipe 60 and is spaced apart from the outer wall of the air outlet pipe 60. The separation structure 40 is installed within the cylinder 10 and sleeved around the outer circumference of the air outlet pipe 60. Along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, the separation structure 40 is located between the air inlet pipe 30 and the first communication hole 11. The opening of the air outlet pipe 60 within the cylinder 10 is located farther away from the first communication hole 11 than the bottom of the separation structure 40. The end of the separation structure 40 closest to the first communication hole 11 along the axial direction of the cylinder 10 is the bottom of the separation structure 40. In this embodiment, the separation structure 40 is configured as a filtering structure 41.

[0062] In this way, the refrigerant gas and lubricating oil vapor output from the compressor are mixed to form a mixed gas which enters the cylinder 10 of the oil-gas separator 100 from the air inlet pipe 30. Since the pipe mouth of the air inlet pipe 30 is facing the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe 60, the mixed gas collides with the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe 60 after flowing out of the air inlet pipe 30 (with a certain initial velocity), and the mixed gas is accelerated. Part of the mixed gas flows around the air outlet pipe 60, and the other part swirls and flows along the inner wall of the cylinder 10, and then centrifugal motion occurs, so that the lubricating oil is thrown out during the centrifugal motion, which promotes the separation effect.

[0063] Furthermore, the filter structure 41 can filter the lubricating oil, and the refrigerant gas can directly pass through the filter structure 41 and flow out from the outlet pipe 60. The lubricating oil slowly penetrates the filter structure 41 under the action of gravity and finally flows out from the first connecting hole 11, thereby realizing the separation of the lubricating oil and the refrigerant.

[0064] In addition, in the cylinder 10, the outlet of the air outlet pipe 60 is away from the first connecting hole 11, and more lubricating oil liquid is gathered at the first connecting hole 11. This arrangement keeps the filtered refrigerant away from the lubricating oil to avoid the refrigerant from being remixed with the lubricating oil during the process of being discharged from the outlet of the air outlet pipe 60, thereby ensuring the separation effect of the lubricating oil and the refrigerant.

[0065] In a specific embodiment, the filter structure 41 includes a first filter 411, which is disposed circumferentially around the outlet pipe 60 and at an angle relative to the axial direction of the outlet pipe 60. Thus, the first filter 411 obstructs the flow of the mixed gas, causing the mixed gas to collide with the first filter 411 a second time, further changing the flow rate and direction of the mixed gas. This causes the mixed gas to undergo further centrifugal motion along the circumference of the first filter 411, and filtration is achieved during this centrifugal motion.

[0066] As shown in Figure 4, in an optional embodiment, the angle α between the first filter 411 and the axial direction of the outlet pipe 60 is defined as 0°<α<90°. In other words, the size of the first filter 411 gradually increases along the cylinder 10 toward the first connecting hole 11, and the space between the first filter 411 and the inner wall of the cylinder 10 becomes smaller and smaller, allowing the refrigerant in the mixed gas to gradually pass through the first filter 411, while the lubricating oil in the mixed gas is retained in the first filter 411, promoting oil-gas separation. In some embodiments, the angle α between the first filter 411 and the axial direction of the outlet pipe 60 satisfies the following conditions: α = 30°, 45°, and 75°.

[0067] It is understood that the arrangement of the first filter 411 facilitates centrifugal movement of the mixed gas along the circumference of the first filter 411, thereby guiding the flow of the mixed gas. Furthermore, the first filter 411 is angled with the axial direction of the outlet pipe 60, i.e., the first filter 411 is tilted, providing a larger filtration area, improving the filtration effect, and facilitating the separation of the refrigerant gas and the lubricating oil.

[0068] In a specific embodiment, the radial projection of the first filter 411 along the cylinder 10 is set to be trapezoidal. Correspondingly, the outer peripheral surface of the first filter 411 is an inclined smooth curved surface, which is conducive to draining the mixed gas and promoting the mixed gas to flow along the mesh surface of the first filter 411, thereby achieving filtration during the flow process.

[0069] As shown in FIG5 , in an optional embodiment, the opening of the air inlet pipe 30 within the cylinder 10 is tilted. This increases the area of ​​the opening of the air inlet pipe 30, thereby increasing the output area of ​​the mixed gas. This causes more mixed gas to collide with the wall of the air outlet pipe 60 per unit time, intensifying the intensity of the collision between the mixed gas and the outer wall of the air outlet pipe, intensifying the centrifugal motion, and further improving the separation efficiency of the lubricating oil and the refrigerant.

[0070] Further, in one embodiment, the central axis Y1 of the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 located inside the cylinder body 10 may also be set to intersect with the central axis Y2 of the outlet pipe 60, so that the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 faces the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 directly, ensuring the collision area between the mixed gas and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60, intensifying the centrifugal movement of the mixed gas, and promoting the separation effect.

[0071] In a further embodiment, the inner diameter of the intake pipe 30 is not greater than the inner diameter of the outlet pipe 60, so that the mixed gas input by the intake pipe 30 can all collide with the outlet pipe 60, ensuring the progress of the centrifugal movement.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, in a further embodiment, the minimum distance between the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 located inside the cylinder body 10 and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 is defined as h, and the inner diameter of the cylinder body 10 is defined as D. The minimum distance h between the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 located inside the cylinder body 10 and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 and the inner diameter D of the cylinder body 10 satisfy the following relational expression: 0 < h < 0.5D. Wherein, the straight line where the axial projection of the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 along the cylinder body 10 is located is taken as the first straight line X1, and the straight line where the tangent line of the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 is located is taken as the second straight line X2. When the first straight line X1 and the second straight line X2 are parallel, the vertical distance between the first straight line X1 and the second straight line X2 is the minimum distance h. In this way, the distance between the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 is relatively close, which can increase the intensity of the collision between the mixed gas and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60, and promote the centrifugal movement of the mixed gas. At the same time, it can also ensure that there is enough clearance between the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 and the pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 for the fluid to flow after changing the direction. In some embodiments, the minimum distance h between the pipe opening of the intake pipe 30 located inside the cylinder body 10 and the outer pipe wall of the outlet pipe 60 and the inner diameter D of the cylinder body 10 satisfy the following relational expressions: h = 0.1D, 0.2D or 0.4D.

[0073] In some embodiments, the mesh number of the first filter screen 411 is 30 - 120 meshes. In this way, it is ensured that the lubricating oil can be filtered out, and the refrigerant gas can directly pass through the first filter screen 411. In some embodiments, the mesh number of the first filter screen 411 is 30 meshes, 80 meshes or 120 meshes.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4, in a specific embodiment, within the cylinder 10, along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, the vertical distance between the bottom of the inlet pipe 30 and the top of the filter structure 41 is defined as t, and the vertical distance between the bottom of the inlet pipe 30 and the top of the outlet pipe 60 is defined as v, where t = (8% to 15%) v. The bottom of the inlet pipe 30 is the outer wall surface of the inlet pipe 30 axially adjacent to the first connecting hole 11, and the top of the filter structure 41 is the end surface of the cylinder 10 axially distal to the first connecting hole 11. This allows the filter structure 41 to be closer to the inlet pipe 30, facilitating a secondary collision between the mixed gas and the outlet pipe 60 after a short downward flow. This intensifies the centrifugal motion of the mixed gas and improves the oil-gas separation efficiency. For example, t = 8% v, 10% v, or 15% v.

[0075] As shown in Figure 4, in a specific embodiment, the filtering structure 41 also includes a first mounting seat 412 and a second mounting seat 413, and a first filter screen 411 is connected between the first mounting seat 412 and the second mounting seat 413. The first mounting seat 412 is sleeved and connected to the outer tube wall of the air outlet pipe 60, and the second mounting seat 413 is connected to the inner wall of the cylinder 10.

[0076] In this way, the first filter 411 is assembled close to the end of the air outlet pipe 60 through the first mounting seat 412, and the first filter 411 is assembled away from the end of the air outlet pipe 60 through the second mounting seat 413, thereby achieving tensioning and fixing of the first filter 411.

[0077] As shown in Figure 4, in a further embodiment, within the cylinder 10, the outlet pipe 60 is positioned between the first mounting seat 412 and the second mounting seat 413. This allows the outlet pipe 60 to be located farther from the first communication hole 11 along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, thereby reducing or preventing the lubricating oil at the first communication hole 11 from being carried back into the outlet pipe 60 by the refrigerant. Furthermore, the first mounting seat 412 and the second mounting seat 413 can be used as a reference, facilitating quick determination of the installation position of the outlet pipe 60.

[0078] As shown in Figure 4, in a further embodiment, the cylinder 10 is provided with a first limiting protrusion 14 and a second limiting protrusion 15 arranged at intervals, and the first limiting protrusion 14 and the second limiting protrusion 15 are both protruded radially inward from the inner wall of the cylinder 10 along the cylinder 10; the second mounting seat 43 is arranged circumferentially along the cylinder 10 and is installed between the first limiting protrusion 14 and the second limiting protrusion 15.

[0079] In this way, the first limiting protrusion 14 and the second limiting protrusion 15 can respectively limit the movement of the second mounting seat 413 along the axial direction of the cylinder 10, which is conducive to the stable assembly of the second mounting seat 413. During processing, the first limiting protrusion 14 can be processed first, and the second mounting seat 413 can be assembled into the cylinder 10 and abutted against the first limiting protrusion 14 before the second limiting protrusion 15 is processed, which is easy to operate.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present application, both the outlet pipe 60 and the inlet pipe 30 are sheathed with copper tubes to facilitate connection to external copper refrigerant lines. The barrel 10, outlet pipe 60, and inlet pipe 30 can be made of stainless steel to reduce production costs. Furthermore, the oil-gas separator 100 also includes an oil return pipe 20, which is mounted in the first connecting hole 11 and can be a copper pipe, allowing it to directly transport lubricating oil back to the compressor.

[0081] Compared to the prior art, it is understood that in this embodiment, the inlet pipe 30 can input a mixture of refrigerant and lubricating oil into the cylinder 10. Because the opening of the inlet pipe 30 faces the outer wall of the outlet pipe 60, the mixed gas first contacts and collides with the outer wall of the outlet pipe 60, thereby changing the flow rate and direction of the mixed gas, causing the mixed gas to undergo centrifugal motion, thereby promoting the separation of the refrigerant gas and the lubricating oil. Simultaneously, the filter structure 41 can filter the mixed gas, allowing the refrigerant gas to directly pass through the filter structure 41 and flow out of the opening of the outlet pipe 60. The lubricating oil is filtered and adheres to the filter structure 41. Under the action of gravity, it slowly flows from the filter structure 41 to the first connecting hole 11, and finally flows out of the first connecting hole 11. The outlet pipe 60 opening is positioned away from the first connecting hole 11 to prevent oil from splashing from the first connecting hole 11 into the outlet pipe 60, further ensuring the separation effect. In summary, the above-mentioned setting promotes the centrifugal movement of the mixed gas by causing the mixed gas to collide with the outlet pipe 60, and realizes oil and gas separation by filtration. At the same time, the outlet pipe 60 is away from the first connecting hole 11 to prevent the oil from re-mixing with the filtered refrigerant, which is beneficial to improving the separation efficiency.

[0082] The present application also provides an air-conditioning system, comprising the oil-gas separator 100 as described above.

[0083] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0084] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art could make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An oil-gas separator, characterized in that: include: The cylinder body is provided with a second communicating hole and a first communicating hole arranged at intervals along its axial direction; an oil return pipe, one end of which is inserted into the first communicating hole and connected to the cylinder through the first communicating hole; An air outlet pipe passes through the second communication hole and partially extends into the cylinder; an air inlet pipe, one end of which is passed through the side wall of the cylinder and extends into the cylinder; in the cylinder, the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe faces the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe and is spaced apart from the outer pipe wall of the air outlet pipe; and, A separation structure is installed in the cylinder and sleeved on the outer circumference of the part of the outlet pipe extending into the cylinder; along the axial direction of the cylinder, the separation structure is located between the port of the inlet pipe located in the cylinder and the first connecting hole, and the separation structure is used to separate lubricating oil and refrigerant.

2. The oil-gas separator according to claim 1, wherein the side wall of the cylinder is provided with an air inlet; The air inlet pipe passes through the air inlet and partially extends into the cylinder; The separation structure comprises a filtering structure, and the outlet pipe is located in the cylinder and its outlet is arranged farther from the first communicating hole than the bottom of the filtering structure.

3. The oil-gas separator according to claim 2, wherein: The pipe opening of the air inlet pipe in the cylinder is arranged obliquely, and the central axis of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe in the cylinder intersects with the central axis of the air outlet pipe.

4. The oil-gas separator according to claim 3, wherein: The shortest distance between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is defined as h, and the inner diameter of the cylinder is defined as D. The shortest distance h between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe and the inner diameter D of the cylinder satisfy the following relationship: <h<0.5D。 5. The oil-gas separator according to claim 2, wherein: The inner diameter of the air inlet pipe is not greater than the inner diameter of the air outlet pipe.

6. The oil-gas separator according to claim 2, wherein: The filter structure comprises a filter screen, which is arranged along the circumference of the air outlet pipe. The angle between the filter screen and the axial direction of the air outlet pipe is defined as α, 0°<α<90°.

7. The oil-gas separator according to claim 2, wherein: In the cylinder, along the axial direction of the cylinder, the vertical distance from the bottom of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe to the top of the filter structure is defined as t, and the vertical distance from the bottom of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe to the pipe opening of the air outlet pipe is defined as v. The vertical distance t from the bottom of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe to the top of the filter structure and the vertical distance v from the bottom of the pipe opening of the air inlet pipe to the pipe opening of the air outlet pipe satisfy the following relationship: t=(8%~15%)v.

8. The oil-gas separator according to claim 2, wherein: The filtering structure includes a first mounting seat, a second mounting seat and a filter screen, the filter screen is arranged along the circumference of the air outlet pipe, the filter screen is connected between the first mounting seat and the second mounting seat, the first mounting seat is sleeved and connected to the outer tube wall of the air outlet pipe, and the second mounting seat is connected to the inner wall of the cylinder.

9. The oil-gas separator cylinder according to claim 1, wherein: The separation structure comprises a spiral guide plate, which is installed in the cylinder and surrounds the axis of the cylinder and spirally extends toward the first connecting hole.

10. The oil-gas separator according to claim 9, wherein: One end of the air inlet pipe extending into the cylinder is provided with a guide surface, and the guide surface is arranged obliquely along the rotation direction of the spiral guide plate.

11. The oil-gas separator according to claim 10, characterized in that: The oil return pipe at least includes a straight pipe section connected to the first connecting hole, the straight pipe section, the air outlet pipe, and the cylinder are coaxially arranged, and the axis of the air inlet pipe and the axis of the air outlet pipe are perpendicular to each other and intersect.

12. The oil-gas separator according to claim 10, wherein: The shortest distance between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is defined as h, and the range of the shortest distance h between the end of the air inlet pipe close to the axis of the cylinder and the air outlet pipe is: 1mm≤h≤10mm.

13. The oil-gas separator according to claim 9, wherein: Along the axial direction of the cylinder, the distance between the air inlet pipe and the spiral guide plate is defined as H, the distance between the air inlet pipe and the end of the air outlet pipe away from the first connecting hole is defined as b, the diameter of the air inlet pipe is defined as a, and the range of the distance H between the air inlet pipe and the spiral guide plate satisfies the following relationship: a / 2≤H <b。 14. The oil-gas separator according to claim 9, wherein: Along the radial direction of the cylinder, the outer diameter of the spiral guide plate is defined as d, and the inner diameter of the cylinder is defined as D, and the following relationship is satisfied between the two: 0.6D≤d≤D.

15. The oil-gas separator according to claim 10, wherein: The spiral guide plate has at least one spiral turn, and one end of the spiral guide plate close to the first connecting hole is a head. Along the radial direction of the cylinder, the head is located on the back side of the guide surface.

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