Horizontal Gas-Liquid Separator for Space-Constrained Air Conditioners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas-liquid separators for air conditioners, typically vertical in structure, face limitations in space constraints which affect the separation efficiency, leading to suboptimal performance when the tank height is insufficient.
Innovation Solution
A horizontal gas-liquid separator design with a refrigerant inlet pipe that flows from left to right within the housing, turns back after reaching the right side wall, enhancing separation stroke and time, and includes a partition plate to further separate gas and liquid phases, optimizing the positioning of outlets relative to the inlet pipe to prevent entrainment and improve separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a vertical gas-liquid separator is used, then the separation effect can be maintained, but the vertical space occupancy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional vertical gas-liquid separator into a horizontal configuration, changing the primary separation dimension from vertical to horizontal. This dimensional change allows the separator to achieve effective gas-liquid separation while occupying less vertical space, directly resolving the contradiction between maintaining separation effectiveness and reducing vertical footprint.
2Length of stationary object
If the tank height is reduced to save space, then the vertical space occupancy decreases, but the gas-liquid separation effect becomes worse
Solution Approach 1:
By switching from vertical to horizontal orientation, the patent extends the separation path in the horizontal dimension while reducing vertical height. The horizontal separator maintains adequate separation length without requiring tall vertical space, thus improving both space utilization and separation effectiveness simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies key geometric parameters of the separator, including the orientation angle, length-to-diameter ratio, and internal component positioning. These parameter changes optimize the separation performance for horizontal configuration, ensuring effective gas-liquid separation is achieved despite the reduced vertical dimension.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the refrigerant inlet pipe extends far into the cavity, then the separation stroke increases, but the distance from the left sidewall must be carefully controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for the inlet pipe positioning, defining that the distance L3 from the left sidewall must be greater than or equal to both L1 (distance from gas outlet to left sidewall) and L2 (distance from liquid outlet to left sidewall). This parameter optimization ensures adequate separation stroke while maintaining simple positioning requirements.
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
The horizontal design improves gas-liquid separation efficiency and reduces vertical space occupancy, achieving better separation outcomes by increasing the separation stroke and time while maintaining a compact form factor.
Implementation Method 1
enabling separation of gas and liquid mainly depending on the action of gravity
Implementation Method 2
enabling separation of gas and liquid mainly depending on the action of gravity and centrifugal force
Data Source
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AI summary
A horizontal gas-liquid separator (100) for an air conditioner includes a housing (10) and a refrigerant inlet pipe (120). The housing (10) defines a cavity (110). The cavity (110) has a gas outlet (111) formed in the top of the cavity (110) and a liquid outlet (112) formed in the bottom of the cavity (110). A minimum distance between the gas outlet (111) and a left sidewall of the cavity (110) is denoted by L1, and a minimum distance between the liquid outlet (112) and the left sidewall of the cavity (110) is denoted by L2. The refrigerant inlet pipe (120) is located on a left side wall of the housing (10) and has an end extending into the cavity (10). A distance between an end face of the end of the refrigerant inlet pipe (120) and the left sidewall of the cavity (110) is denoted by L3, and L3≥L1, L3≥L2.