Gas-liquid separator, compressor assembly and air conditioner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional compressors face reduced intake efficiency due to high compression frequencies exceeding resonance frequencies, leading to diminished performance and increased risk of liquid hammer and oil accumulation, which affects compressor reliability and noise levels.
Innovation Solution
A gas-liquid separator design where the outlet pipe passes through the side wall of the housing to reduce length and increase resonance frequency, combined with a fixing member to mitigate vibration and facilitate lubricating oil reflow, ensuring continuous compressor lubrication and improved performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the length of the outlet pipe is reduced to increase resonance frequency, then the intake efficiency and compression performance are improved, but the capacity of the gas-liquid separator is reduced, increasing the risk of liquid hammer
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet pipe is configured to pass through the side wall of the gas-liquid separator housing rather than extending vertically through the bottom. This dimensional change allows the pipe to exit at a higher position, effectively reducing the functional length of the outlet pipe within the separator while preserving the separator's full height and separation capacity. The pipe trajectory changes from a vertical path to an angled or horizontal path through the side wall.
2Productivity
If the outlet pipe passes through the side wall to reduce length, then resonance frequency is increased, but the pipe produces greater vibration and noise during operation
Solution Approach 1:
A fixing member is introduced as an intermediary element to connect the outlet pipe to the gas-liquid separator housing. This fixing member serves as a mediator that absorbs and dampens the vibrations generated by the refrigerant flow in the outlet pipe, preventing excessive vibration and noise while maintaining the shortened pipe configuration. The fixing member acts as a vibration isolation element between the pipe and the housing.
3Productivity
If the outlet pipe passes through the side wall, then the length is reduced and resonance frequency is increased, but oil accumulates in the area below the outlet pipe, reducing lubricating oil in the compressor
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet pipe is positioned to pass through the side wall at a height that ensures the bottom of the gas-liquid separator remains at the same gravitational potential level as the pipe outlet. This configuration prevents oil accumulation below the pipe by maintaining equipotential conditions, allowing lubricating oil to flow freely back to the compressor without being trapped in dead zones. The pipe outlet position is carefully selected to avoid creating oil pockets.
4Speed
If the compressor operates at higher frequencies, then compression speed is increased, but the intake frequency exceeds resonance frequency, reducing intake efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The physical parameters of the outlet pipe system are changed by reducing the effective length of the outlet pipe and modifying its trajectory to pass through the side wall. This parameter change increases the resonance frequency of the refrigerant in the outlet pipe, allowing it to track with higher compressor operating frequencies. The resonance frequency is adjusted to match the higher compression frequencies, maintaining intake efficiency across a broader operating range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances intake efficiency and compressor performance by maintaining resonance pulsation, reduces vibration and noise, and ensures continuous lubrication, thereby improving long-term reliability.
Implementation Method 1
When a pulsation frequency of the refrigerant reaches an intake resonance, an amplitude of the pulsation of the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator reaches the maximum. The intake frequency of this type of compressor is equivalent to the intake resonance frequency, a pressure wave generated by the resonance of the refrigerant produces the intake pressure boost effect on the intake of the compressor
Implementation Method 2
since the outlet pipe passes through the side wall of the housing of the gas-liquid separator to reach the outside of the housing, most of the outlet pipe hangs and extends into an inner cavity of the gas-liquid separator, thus causing the outlet pipe to easily produce a relative great vibration when the compressor is operating, causing an increasing in the noise easily, and even causing damage and fracture of the outlet pipe
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A gas-liquid separator (100), comprising a housing, an outlet pipe (103), and a liquid suction pipe (104). The outlet pipe (103) passes through a side wall of the housing to reach an outside of the housing. One end of the liquid suction pipe (104) extends to a bottom of an inner cavity of the gas-liquid separator (100), and another end of the liquid suction pipe (104) is connected to the outlet pipe (103). Also disclosed are a compressor assembly and an air conditioner. By means of shortening the length of the outlet pipe (103), the first-order resonance frequency of a refrigerant may be increased to prevent the air suction frequency of a compressor from significantly exceeding the first-order resonance frequency of the refrigerant when operating at a high frequency, which thereby facilitates the compressor in generating an intake pressure boost effect when operating at the high frequency, enhances the air intake efficiency of the compressor, and improves the performance of the compressor.