Refrigerant Suction Accumulator Layout for Oil Return and Backflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In refrigerant circuit systems with multiple accumulators in series, inappropriate sizing of oil return holes can lead to liquid backflow and oil discharge from the compressor due to deteriorated oil return, causing failures and damage.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a configuration where the first accumulator has a larger volume and a smaller oil return hole, and the second accumulator has a smaller volume and a larger oil return hole, with a ratio of the second oil return hole area to the first being at least 1.1, to effectively prevent liquid backflow and ensure reliable oil return.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single accumulator is used, then device complexity is reduced, but liquid backflow prevention and oil return performance cannot be simultaneously optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oil return function within a single accumulator by providing multiple oil return holes instead of one large hole. This segmentation allows the single accumulator to achieve both liquid backflow prevention and good oil return performance, eliminating the need for multiple accumulators while maintaining reliable operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerant circuit system in which the volume of a plurality of accumulators provided in series and the size of an oil return hole are appropriately set so as to achieve both the prevention of liquid backflow and the prevention of oil discharge from a compressor caused by deteriorated oil return. The refrigerant circuit system includes: a compressor 9 having a refrigerant suction pipe 20B; a first accumulator 18; and a second accumulator 19, the first accumulator 18 and the second accumulator 19 being provided in series inside the refrigerant suction pipe 20B of the compressor 9 along a refrigerant circulation direction, wherein the first accumulator 18 and the second accumulator 19 are adapted to satisfy V1 > V2 where V1 is a volume of the first accumulator 18 and V2 is a volume of the second accumulator 19, and wherein the first accumulator 18 and the second accumulator 19 are also adapted to satisfy A1 < A2 where A1 is an opening area of a first oil return hole 37 provided in a refrigerant exit pipe 36 of the first accumulator 18 and A2 is an opening area of a second oil return hole 41 provided in a refrigerant exit pipe 40 of the second accumulator 19.