Patent Application
20230003428
This application claims priority of a Chinese Patent Application No. 202010261377.8, filed on Apr. 3, 2020 and titled “GAS-LIQUID SEPARATOR AND THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM”, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present application relates to a technical field of air conditioners, and in particular, to a gas-liquid separator and a thermal management system.
In an air-conditioning system, an intermediate heat exchanger is used to exchange heat between a high-temperature refrigerant from a condenser and a low-temperature refrigerant from an evaporator to increase the temperature of the refrigerant entering a compressor. In a cooling mode, the temperature of the refrigerant before throttling can also be reduced, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the evaporator. Most compressors can only compress a gaseous refrigerant. If a liquid refrigerant enters the compressor, it will cause liquid shock and damage the compressor. In order to reduce the liquid shock of the compressor, a gas-liquid separator is installed before the compressor.
In a related art, a gas-liquid separator integrating heat exchange and gas-liquid separation functions is adopted. The gas-liquid separator includes an inner cylinder body, an outer cylinder body and an interlayer cavity between the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body. A device with gas-liquid separation function is located inside the inner cylinder body. A device with heat exchange function is located outside the inner cylinder body. The liquid refrigerant after gas-liquid separation is stored in the inner cylinder body. The refrigerant entering the interlayer cavity exchanges heat with the device with heat exchange function. In a cooling mode, the temperature of the refrigerant entering a throttling device is reduced, the cooling effect is improved, and the liquid shock phenomenon of the compressor can be further reduced. Under the condition that diameters of the inner cylinder body and the outer cylinder body remain unchanged, the structural arrangement of the heat exchange member of the heat exchange assembly will affect the distribution of the refrigerant in the interlayer cavity, thereby affecting the heat exchange effect of the device with heat exchange function. In the related art, the heat exchange members on two sides of the heat exchange tube have the same structure, so that the heat exchange capacities on the two sides of the heat exchange tube are the same. However, the requirements for the heat exchange capacity on the two sides of the heat exchange tube are different, and setting the structure of the heat exchange members on the two sides of the heat exchange tube to be the same will result in a waste of the interlayer cavity space.
In view of the above problems existing in the related art, the present application provides a gas-liquid separator and a heat management system with different structures of heat exchange members on two sides of a heat exchange tube.
In order to achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following first technical solution:
In order to achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following second technical solution:
In the present application, the structures of the first heat exchange member and the second heat exchange member located on opposite sides of the heat exchange tube are different. Compared with the first heat exchange member and the second heat exchange member in the related art having the same structures and the same heat exchange capacities on two sides of the heat exchange tube, under the condition that the diameters of the first cylinder body and the second cylinder body remain unchanged, the present application makes a difference in the heat exchange capacities on the two sides of the heat exchange tube according to the requirements of the gas-liquid separator for the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange assembly, so that the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange assembly is fully utilized.
A thermal management system includes the above gas-liquid separator. The thermal management system further includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and a throttling device. The gas-liquid distribution assembly is connected between the evaporator and the compressor. The heat exchange assembly is connected between the condenser and the throttling device. An outlet of the evaporator is connected to the first flow guide portion of the gas-liquid separator. An inlet of the compressor is connected to the second flow guide portion of the gas-liquid separator. An outlet of the condenser is connected to the second flow guide portion. An inlet of the throttling device is connected to the first flow guide portion.
Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail here, and examples thereof are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings indicate the same or similar elements. The implementation embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementation embodiments consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.
The terms used in the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms of “a”, “said” and “the” described in the present application and appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It should be understood that “first”, “second” and similar words used in the specification and claims of the present application do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, similar words such as “a” or “an” do not mean a quantity limit, but mean that there is at least one. A phrase such as “a plurality of” means two or more than two. Unless otherwise indicated, similar words such as “front”, “rear”, “lower” and/or “upper” are only for convenience of description, and are not limited to one position or one spatial orientation. Terms such as “including” or “comprising” and other similar words mean that the elements or components before “including” or “comprising” now cover the elements or components listed after “including” or “comprising” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or components.
A gas-liquid separator according to the exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Features in the embodiments and implementations described below may complement each other or be combined with each other without conflict.
According to a specific embodiment of the gas-liquid separator 100 of the present application, as shown in
In this embodiment, the first cylinder body/inner cylinder body 1 and the second cylinder body/outer cylinder body 2 are both hollow cylinders with a substantially circular cross section. An outer diameter of the first cylinder body 1 is smaller than an inner diameter of the second cylinder body 2. The first cylinder body 1 is located inside the second cylinder body 2. The gas-liquid separator 100 has a first cavity/interlayer cavity 10 and a second cavity/inner cavity 20. The first cavity 10 is located in the second cylinder body 2. The first cavity 10 is located outside the first cylinder body 1. The second cavity 20 includes at least a space inside the first cylinder body 1. The second cavity 20 is formed in the first cylinder body 1. The gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 is at least partially located in the second cavity 20. The first cavity 10 at least includes a cavity surrounded by an outer wall surface of the first cylinder body 1 and an inner wall surface of the second cylinder body 2. The heat exchange assembly 6 is at least partially located in the first cavity 10.
The first flow guide portion 3 and the second flow guide portion 4 are fixed to opposite sides of the second cylinder body 2 in an axial direction, respectively. One end surface of the second cylinder body 2 is surrounded by part of the first flow guide portion 3, and the other end surface is surrounded by part of the second flow guide portion 4. One end surface of the first cylinder body 1 abuts against the first flow guide portion 3, and the other end surface of the second cylinder body 2 abuts against the second flow guide portion 4. In some embodiments, the first flow guide portion 3 may be connected to the first cylinder body 1 and the second cylinder body 2, or may abut against each other through a sealing structure. The second flow guide portion 4 may be connected to the first cylinder body 1 and the second cylinder body 2, or may abut against each other through a sealing structure. The first flow guide 3 has a third cavity/interval cavity 30. The gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 is fixed with the first flow guide portion 3. The gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 communicates with the second cavity 20, the third cavity 30 and an outside of the gas-liquid separator 100. The third cavity 30 communicates with the first cavity 10.
In this embodiment, as shown in
The gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 includes a flow guide pipe 51 and a connecting pipe 52. One end of the connecting pipe 52 is fixed to the first part 31, and the other end is fixed to the second part 32. The flow guide pipe 51 is fixed to the first part 31. The flow guide pipe 51 is at least partially located in the second cavity 20. The connecting pipe 52 is at least partially located in the third cavity 30. An inner cavity of the flow guide pipe 51 communicates with the first through hole 33. An inner cavity of the connecting pipe 52 communicates with the second through hole 34 and the third through hole 35.
Along the axial direction of the gas-liquid separator 100, the projection of the first cylinder body 1 completely falls into the projection of the first part 31. An outer contour shape of the first part 31 is substantially the same as a cross-sectional shape of the first cylinder body 1.
The first part 31 includes a first end surface 311 away from the first cylinder body 1, a second end face 312 opposite to the first end face 311, and a first stepped surface 313. The first stepped surface 313 divides the side wall surface of the first part 31 into two sections, namely, a first side wall surface 314 and a second side wall surface 315. The first stepped surface 313 is externally connected to the first sidewall surface 314, and is internally connected to the second sidewall surface 315. An upper end surface of the first cylinder body 1 abuts against the first stepped surface 313. In some embodiments, part of the inner wall surface of the first cylinder body 1 is attached to the second side wall surface 315. The first through hole 33 and the second through hole 34 both form openings on the first end surface 311 and the second end surface 312. The upper end surface of the first cylinder body 1 and the first part 31 are fixedly connected by brazing, gluing or electromagnetic pulse welding.
The second part 32 includes a third end surface 321 away from the second cylinder body 2, a fourth end face 322 opposite to the third end face 321, and a second stepped surface 323. The second stepped surface 323 divides the side wall surface of the second part 32 into two sections, namely, a third side wall surface 324 and a fourth side wall surface 325. The second stepped surface 323 is externally connected to the third sidewall surface 324, and is internally connected to the fourth sidewall surface 325. An upper end surface of the second cylinder body 2 abuts against the second stepped surface 323. In some embodiments, part of the inner wall surface of the second cylinder body 2 is fixedly attached to the fourth side wall surface 325 by brazing, gluing or electromagnetic pulse welding. The third through hole 35 has openings formed on both the third end surface 321 and the fourth end surface 322.
The gas-liquid separator 100 also includes a pipeline connection assembly. The pipeline connection assembly is connected to the second part 32. The pipeline connection assembly includes a first connecting member 73 with a first channel, a second connecting member (not shown) with a second channel, a fastener (not shown) connecting the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member, and a sealing member (not shown) provided between the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member. When the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member are connected by the fastener, the first channel communicates with the second channel, and the sealing element is compressed. The connection between the first channel and the second channel is sealed by the sealing element. One of the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member is connected to the second part 32, and the other of the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member is connected to a pipe. The first channel and the second channel communicate with the third through hole 35 and the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100. When the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member are fixedly connected by the fastener, the second cavity 20 communicates with an external pipe. The gas-liquid separator 100 is connected to the thermal management system. It can be understood that, in the present application, the connection between the pipeline connection assembly and the second part 32 means that one of the first connecting part 73 and the second connecting part can be integrally formed with the second part 32 (refer to
In some embodiments, referring to
In the present embodiment, referring to
The third part 41 has a fourth through hole 43 that communicates with the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100 and the first cavity 10. The fourth through hole 43 is formed with openings on both opposite sides of the third part 41. In some embodiments, the opening formed on the side of the fourth through hole 43 adjacent to the first cavity 10 is larger than the opening formed on the side away from the first cavity 10. Referring to
The gas-liquid separator 100 is provided with a first support member 71 abutting between the third part 41 and the fourth part 42. In this embodiment, as shown in
In some other embodiments, the second flow guide portion 4 may only include the third part 41 which is covered to the second cylinder body 2. The first cylinder body 1 includes a cylinder body portion and a bottom cover integrally formed with the cylinder body portion.
The first support member 71 abuts between the third part 41 and the bottom cover. The matching relationship among the bottom cover, the first support member 71 and the third part 41 is similar to the matching relationship among the third part 41, the fourth part 42 and the first support member 71, and details are not repeated here.
The third part 41 is connected to the pipeline connection assembly. When the first connecting member 73 and the second connecting member are fixedly connected by the fastener, the first cavity 10 communicates with the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100, and the gas-liquid separator 100 is connected to a thermal management system.
In this embodiment, during installation, the end surface of one end of the first cylinder body 1 abuts against the first stepped surface 313, the inner wall surface of the first cylinder body 1 is welded to the second side wall surface 315, and the inner wall surface of the other end of the first cylinder body 1 is welded to the outer side wall surface of the fourth part 42, thereby realizing the sealing of the first cylinder body 1. The end surface of one end of the second cylinder body 2 abuts against the second stepped surface 323, the inner wall surface of the second cylinder body 2 is welded to the fourth side wall surface 325, and the inner side wall surface of the other end of the second cylinder body 2 is welded to the outer side wall surface of the third part 41, thereby realizing the sealing of the second cylinder body 2.
In this embodiment, referring to
The first plate 54 includes a main body portion 541 sleeved on the flow guide pipe 51 and an outer extension portion 542 extending downwardly along an outer edge of the main body portion 541. A gap is formed between an upper surface of the main body portion 541 and the first part 31, so that a first fluid can flow into the second cavity 20 from the connecting pipe 52. A gap is formed between an outer wall surface of the outer extension portion 542 and the inner wall surface of the first cylinder body 1, so that the first fluid continues to flow downwardly after entering the second cavity 20 from the connecting pipe 52. A gap is formed between a lower surface of the main body portion 541 and an upper end surface of the sleeve 53, a gap is formed between an inner wall surface of the outer extension portion 542 and an outer wall of the sleeve 53, and an end of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the first plate 54 is open, so that the second cavity 20 communicates with the inner cavity of the sleeve 53. A diameter of the main body portion 541 is smaller than an inner diameter of the first cylinder body 1 and larger than an outer diameter of the sleeve 53.
The inner wall surface of the sleeve 53 and the outer wall surface of the flow guide pipe 51 are spaced by a predetermined distance, so that a channel 40 for the first fluid to flow is formed between the inner wall surface of the sleeve 53 and the outer wall surface of the flow guide pipe 51. One end of the sleeve 53 away from the first plate 54 is sealed, so that the inner cavity of the sleeve 53 is isolated from the second cavity 20 at the end away from the first plate 54. A gap is left between the inner wall surface of the lower end of the flow guide pipe 51 and the lower end surface of the sleeve 53, so that the channel 40 communicates with the inner cavity of the flow guide pipe 51.
In this embodiment, the sleeve 53, the flow guide pipe 51 and the connecting pipe 52 are all hollow cylinders with substantially circular cross sections. One end of the flow guide pipe 51 is connected to the first part 31 and communicated with the third cavity 30, and the other end is open and communicated with the channel 40. One end of the connecting pipe 52 is connected to the first part 31 and communicated with the second cavity 20, and the other end is connected to the second part 32 and communicated with the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100. One end of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the fourth part 42 is self-sealing, and the other end is open and communicated with the second cavity 20. A limiting structure 531 is provided on the inner side wall of the sleeve 53 adjacent to one end of the fourth part 42. The end of the flow guide pipe 51 extends into the limiting structure 531, so as to fix the sleeve 53 and the flow guide pipe 51. This can be used to limit the displacement of the sleeve 53, but the design of the limit structure 531 does not affect the flow of the first fluid. Referring to
In some embodiments, the sleeve 53 can be fixed only by the limiting structure, or the sleeve 53 can also be connected with the first plate 54 to realize the fixation of the sleeve 53, or the sleeve 53 can also be connected to the fourth part 42 to realize the fixation of the sleeve 53.
In some embodiments, a side wall of the flow guide pipe 51 adjacent to one end of the first part 31 is provided with a balance hole 511 that communicates with the channel 40 and the inner cavity of the flow guide pipe 51 (refer to
The gas-liquid separator 100 is also provided with a filter assembly 72. The filter assembly 72 is fixed to one end of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the fourth part 42. The filter assembly 72 includes a filter screen 721 and a bracket 722. The bracket 722 abuts between the sleeve 53 and the fourth part 42 for fixing the filter screen 721, and can also be used to limit the sleeve 53 to reduce the shaking of the gas-liquid distribution assembly 5. The fourth part 42 may also be provided with a boss or groove that is matched with the bracket 722. One end of the bracket 722 is sleeved on the outside of the boss or inserted into the groove. The sleeve 53 may be provided with an oil return hole (not shown) adjacent to the bottom end or the side wall of the fourth part 42. A diameter of the oil return hole is matched according to the capacity of the thermal management system, so that the ratio of the refrigerant oil and the first fluid returning to the compressor 300 can be better. The filter screen 721 can prevent impurities from entering the compressor 300 through the oil return hole.
In some other embodiments, the sleeve 53 may be sealed and fixed with the fourth part 42 at one end and open at the other end. One end of the sleeve 53 can also be sealed and fixed to the fourth part 42 and the other end of the sleeve 53 can be sealed and fixed to the first plate 54. However, the end of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the first plate 54 is provided with an opening, and the opening communicates the inner cavity of the sleeve 53 with the second cavity 20. The sleeve 53 can also be sealed by itself at one end but fixed or connected to the fourth part 42, and open at the other end or connected to the first plate 54. However, the inner cavity of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the end of the first plate 54 communicates with the second cavity 20. The sleeve 53 can also be fixed to the first plate 54 at one end, and the other end is sealed by itself and not in contact with the fourth part 42. The inner cavity of the sleeve 53 adjacent to the end of the first plate 54 communicates with the second cavity 20.
It should be understood that when the gas-liquid separator 100 is not provided with the fourth part 42 but the first cylinder body 1 has a bottom cover, the matching relationship between the sleeve 53 and the bottom cover is similar to the matching relationship between the sleeve 53 and the fourth part 42, and details are not repeated here.
In some other embodiments, the gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 includes a flow guide pipe 51 and a connecting pipe 52. The flow guide pipe 51 is U-shaped, and one end thereof is higher than the other end. The higher end is connected to the first part 31, and the lower end is an open end. The open end is spaced apart from the second end face 312 by a predetermined distance. The first cylinder body 1 is provided with a connecting pipe 52, one end of which is connected to the second part 32 and the other end communicates with the second cavity 20 through the second through hole 34. A lower end surface of the connecting pipe 52 is lower than the open end, so that after the gas-liquid mixed refrigerant enters the second cavity 20 through the connecting pipe 52, the liquid refrigerant sinks due to gravity, the gaseous refrigerant floats up and flows into the U-shaped flow guide pipe 51 from the open end, and then enters the first cavity 10 through the third cavity 30.
When the gas-liquid separator 100 is working, flow directions of the first fluid are as follows: the first fluid flows into the second cavity 20 from the third through hole 35 through the connecting pipe 52, and continues to flow downwardly from the gap between the outer extension portion 542 and the inner wall surface of the first cylinder body 1. After that, the first fluid flows through the gap between the inner wall surface of the outer extension portion 542 and the outer wall surface of the sleeve 53, the gap between the lower surface of the main body portion 541 and the upper end surface of the sleeve 53, enters the channel 40 from the upper end of the sleeve 53, and continues to flow downwardly in the channel 40. After that, the first fluid enters the flow guide pipe 51 from the lower end of the flow guide pipe 51 and continues to flow upwardly in the flow guide pipe 51. After that, the first fluid enters the third cavity 30 from the first through hole 33, enters the first cavity 10 from the gap between the first part 31 and the second part 32, and continues to flow downwardly. Finally, the first fluid flows out of the gas-liquid separator 100 through the fourth through hole 43 of the third part 41 to enter the compressor 300. At this moment, the first fluid has completed the entire process of gas-liquid separation and heat exchange. Wherein, in the process of flowing in the first cavity 10, the first fluid exchanges heat with the heat exchange assembly 6.
It should be noted that, the first fluid entering the second cavity 20 from the first flow guide portion 3 is usually a first fluid mixed with gas and liquid. After entering the second cavity 20, the liquid first fluid sinks due to gravity, so that the liquid first fluid is stored in the first cylinder body 1 while the gaseous first fluid floats. Under the suction action of the compressor 300, the upper end of the sleeve 53 enters the channel 40, so that the liquid first fluid remains at the bottom of the first cylinder body 1, and the gaseous first fluid flows through the third cavity 30 and the first cavity 10, and then flows out of the gas-liquid separator 100 from the second flow guide portion 4, thereby realizing the gas-liquid separation of the first fluid.
In this embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes a heat exchange assembly 6 at least partially located in the first cavity 10. The heat exchange assembly 6 includes a first collecting pipe 61, a second collecting pipe 62, a heat exchange tube 63, a first heat exchange member/first fin 64, and a second heat exchange member/second fin 65. The second part 32 of the first flow guide portion 3 includes a fifth through hole 36 that communicates with the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100 and the heat exchange assembly 6. The third part 41 of the second flow guide portion 4 includes a sixth through hole 44 that communicates with the outside of the gas-liquid separator 100 and the heat exchange assembly 6. In this embodiment, one end of the first collecting pipe 61 is connected to the second part 32. One end of the second collecting pipe 62 is connected to the third part 41. The first collecting pipe 61 and the second collecting pipe 62 are disposed in parallel. One end of the first collecting pipe 61 is sealed and the other end of the first collecting pipe 61 communicates with the fifth through hole 36. One end of the second collecting pipe 62 is sealed and the other end of the second collecting pipe 62 communicates with the sixth through hole 44. At least part of the side wall of the first cylinder body 1 is recessed in a direction away from the second cylinder body 2 so as to form a first recess 11. At least part of the first collecting pipe 61 and the second collecting pipe 62 are accommodated in the first recess 11. Along the axial direction of the gas-liquid separator 100, the first part 31 is provided with a first avoidance part 316 at the part corresponding to the first recess 11, so as to facilitate the connection and assembly of the first collecting pipe 61 and the second part 32. Along the axial direction of the gas-liquid separator 100, a second avoidance portion 421 is provided at the portion of the fourth part 42 corresponding to the first recess 11 to facilitate the connection and assembly of the second collecting pipe 62 and the third part 41. Alternatively, the first cylinder body 1 may not be provided with the first recess 11 and the second recess 12.
A width of the heat exchange tube 63 is larger than a thickness thereof, and thus the heat exchange tube 63 has a flat shape. That is, a cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange tube 63 is flat. The number of heat exchange tubes 63 includes at least one. Each heat exchange tube 63 includes a plurality of flow channels extending along the heat exchange tube 63. The plurality of flow channels are spaced apart from each other.
In this embodiment, the number of heat exchange tubes 63 is three. The three heat exchange tubes 63 are disposed in parallel in the axial direction parallel to the gas-liquid separator 100. Each wide heat exchange tube 63 is disposed around the first cylinder body 1 to form an approximately cylindrical shape. One end of each heat exchange tube 63 is connected to the first collecting pipe 61 and the other end is connected to the second collecting pipe 62. Each flow channel of the heat exchange tube 63 communicates with the inner cavity of the first collecting pipe 61 and the inner cavity of the second collecting pipe 62.
The first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 are located on opposite sides of the heat exchange tube 63, respectively. The first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 are fixedly connected to opposite sides of the heat exchange tube 63 in the thickness direction, respectively. One side surface of the first heat exchange member 64 is adjacent to or attached to the inner wall surface of the second cylinder body 2, and the other side surface is connected to a side wall surface of the heat exchange tube 63. One side surface of the second heat exchange member 65 is adjacent to or attached to the outer wall surface of the first cylinder body 1, and the other side surface is connected to the other side wall surface of the heat exchange tube 63. The first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 are disposed in the first cavity 10 to enhance heat exchange between a second fluid in the heat exchange tube 63 and the first fluid in the first cavity 10.
It should be understood that the connection means that the first heat exchange member 64, the second heat exchange member 65 and the heat exchange tube 63 may be integrally formed, or may be formed separately and connected together by processing. The heat exchange tube 63, the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 are all disposed around at least part of the first cylinder body 1.
The first heat exchange member 64 includes a first flow guide structure 641. The first flow guide structure 641 protrudes beyond a surface of the first heat exchange member 64. The first flow guide structure 641 may be provided only on one side of the first heat exchange member 64, or may be provided on both sides of the first heat exchange member 64. The first flow guide structure 641 has a first fluid flow channel inside; and/or, a first fluid flow channel is formed between two adjacent first flow guide structures 641. The second heat exchange member 65 includes a second flow guide structure 651. The second flow guide structure 651 protrudes beyond the surface of the second heat exchange member 65. The second flow guide structure 651 may be provided only on one side of the second heat exchange member 65, or may be provided on both sides of the second heat exchange member 65. The second flow guide structure 651 has a flow channel for the first fluid to flow inside; and/or, a flow channel for the first fluid to flow is formed between two adjacent second flow guide structures 651.
In the present application, the structure of the first heat exchange member 64 and the structure of the second heat exchange member 65 are different. The structure of the first heat exchange member 64 includes one or a combination of one or more of the shape of the first flow guide structure 641, the distribution density of the first flow guide structure 641 and the thickness of the first heat exchange member 64. The shape of the first flow guide structure 641 can be one or a combination of one or more of a strip structure, a corrugated structure, a zigzag structure, a staggered tooth structure, a louver structure, a needle structure, a perforated structure, any structure with protrusions, and any structure with grooves on the surface (refer to
The structure of the second heat exchange member 65 includes one or a combination of one or more of the shape of the second flow guide structure 651, the distribution density of the second flow guide structure 651, and the thickness of the second heat exchange member 65. The shape of the second flow guide structure 651 can be one or a combination of one or more of a strip structure, a corrugated structure, a zigzag structure, a staggered tooth structure, a louver structure, a needle-shaped structure, a perforated structure, any structure with protrusions, and any structure with grooves on the surface (refer to
In this embodiment, as shown in
In order to ensure that there is a sufficient space in the first cylinder body 1 for storing the liquid first fluid, but the size of the first cavity 10 is relatively limited, in some designs of gas-liquid separators, the heat exchange requirements on both sides of the heat exchange tube 63 are different. If the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 use the same structure, that is, the heat exchange capacities on both sides of the heat exchange tube 63 are the same, the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange assembly 6 may be wasted. Different structures may be used for the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 when designing the heat exchange assembly 6. For example, when a side of the first heat exchange member 64 needs more heat exchange capacity, while a side of the second heat exchange member 65 needs to weaken the heat exchange capacity, by setting the structure of the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65, the flow resistance of the first heat exchange member 64 can be designed to be relatively small, and the flow resistance of the second heat exchange member 65 can be designed to be relatively large. Thereby, the distribution of the first fluid flowing into the first cavity 10 is improved. Most of the first fluid passes through the first heat exchange member 64 for heat exchange, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the heat exchange capacity of the first heat exchange member 64 and weakening the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65.
In this embodiment, by setting the shape of the first flow guide structure 641 of the first heat exchange member 64 and the shape of the second flow guide structure 651 of the second heat exchange member 65 to be different, the flow resistance of the first heat exchange member 64 is made smaller than the flow resistance of the second heat exchange member 65. The first fluid flowing into the first cavity 10 from the third cavity 30 preferentially flows through the flow channel of the first heat exchange member 64, thereby reducing the first fluid flowing to the flow channel of the second heat exchange member 65. This can weaken the heat exchange between the first fluid in the second cavity 20 and the first fluid in the first cavity 10, and prevent the liquid first fluid stored in the first cavity 10 from being heated into a gaseous state and entering the circulation of the thermal management system.
In other embodiments, referring to
Referring to
The flow guide member 8 at least includes two parts located at an upper end of the first collecting pipe 61 and a lower end of the first collecting pipe 61 to prevent that part of the first fluid flowing out of the third cavity 30 directly flows downwardly through the gaps between the first collecting pipe 61 and the second cylinder body 2, and the gaps between the second collecting pipe 62 and the second cylinder body 2 to flow out of the first cavity 10. That is, the first fluid can flow through the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 on the inner and outer sides of the heat exchange tube 63 as much as possible, thereby helping to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the gas-liquid separator 100.
Referring to
When the gas-liquid separator 100 is working, flow directions of the second fluid in the cooling mode are as follows: the second fluid flows into the heat exchange tube 63 from the sixth through hole 44 through the second collecting pipe 62, flows along the heat exchange tube 63 to the first collecting pipe 61, and finally the second fluid flows out of the gas-liquid separator 100 from the fifth through hole 36. Flow directions of the second fluid in the heating mode are as follows: the second fluid flows into the heat exchange tube 63 from the fifth through hole 36 through the first collecting pipe 61, flows along the heat exchange tube 63 to the second collecting pipe 62, and finally the second fluid flows out of the gas-liquid separator 100 from the sixth through hole 44. At this moment, the second fluid completes the entire process of heat exchange. Wherein, in the first cavity 10, the second fluid flowing in the inner cavity of the heat exchange tube 63 and the first fluid flowing in the first cavity 10 perform heat exchange.
When the gas-liquid separator 100 is working, due to the action of gravity, the liquid first fluid will be stored at the end of the first cylinder body 1 adjacent to the second flow guide portion 4. The gaseous first fluid flows into the first cavity 10 through the gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 to exchange heat with the heat exchange assembly 6. After that, the first fluid flows out of the gas-liquid separator 100. Since the refrigerant charge required by the thermal management system is different under different working conditions, the gas-liquid separator 100 in the related art will store the liquid refrigerant, and then, by adjusting whether to export the liquid refrigerant and adjusting the amount of the liquid refrigerant to be exported, the refrigerant charging amount of the thermal management system is adjusted.
If the stored liquid first fluid exchanges heat with the heat exchange assembly 6 or the first fluid in the first cavity 10, the first fluid may be heated into a gaseous state to enter the heat exchange cycle of the thermal management system, which will affect the heat transfer performance of the thermal management system. Therefore, by reducing the heat exchange performance of the second heat exchange member 65 on the side adjacent to the first cylinder body 1, the liquid first fluid in the first cylinder body 1 and the heat exchange assembly 6 or the first fluid in the first cavity 10 are reduced, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the thermal management system, and ensuring the heat exchange performance of the thermal management system.
According to another specific embodiment of the gas-liquid separator 100 of the present application, the difference between this embodiment and the above-mentioned embodiment is that the structure of the heat exchange assembly 6 is different, and the specific performance is as follows. In this embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 100 includes a first portion adjacent to the first flow guide portion 3 and a second portion adjacent to the second flow guide portion 4. The structure of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the first portion and the structure of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion are different. Since the liquid first fluid is mainly stored at one end of the first cylinder body 1 adjacent to the second flow guide portion 4 (i.e., an area corresponding to the second portion), the second heat exchange member 65 adjacent to the first cylinder body 1 can be further disposed in different regions, for example, only the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion can be weakened, that is, the structure of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion is adjusted. Alternatively, the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the first portion may be consistent with that of the first heat exchange member 64.
In some specific embodiments, the density of the second flow guide structure 651 of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion can be reduced, so that the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion is reduced. The heat exchange between the liquid first fluid in the first cylinder body 1 and the first fluid in the first cavity 10 or the heat exchange assembly 6 is minimized.
In this embodiment, only the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 adjacent to the second flow guide portion 4 can be weakened, so as to reduce the heat exchange between the liquid first fluid in the first cylinder body 1 and the heat exchange assembly 6 or the first fluid in the first cavity 10. On the basis of weakening the entire second heat exchange member 65, the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 corresponding to the second portion may be further weakened.
The parts of this embodiment that are the same as the above-mentioned embodiments will not be repeated here.
In a heating mode, the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the compressor 300 enters the condenser 400 for heat exchange, and then flows through the heat exchange assembly 6 in the gas-liquid separator 100 after being throttled by the throttling device 500. Then, the refrigerant enters the evaporator 200 for heat exchange. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 200 enters the gas-liquid separator 100, and after gas-liquid separation by the gas-liquid separator 100, the refrigerant flows into the compressor 300 to complete a heat exchange cycle.
Since the heat exchange assembly 6 and the gas-liquid distribution assembly 5 are simultaneously disposed in the gas-liquid separator 100, the heat exchange assembly 6 and the gaseous refrigerant after heat exchange will exchange heat with the liquid refrigerant stored in the first cylinder body 1. The liquid refrigerant that should be stored in the first cylinder body 1 may be vaporized after heat exchange, then enters the compressor, and then enters the heat exchange cycle, which may affect the performance of the thermal management system. In the present application, the space size of the first cavity 10 is fixed, and the heat exchange capacity of the second heat exchange member 65 adjacent to the first cylinder body 1 is weakened by disposing the first heat exchange member 64 and the second heat exchange member 65 with different structures. This can reduce the heat exchange between the liquid refrigerant in the first cylinder body 1 and the gaseous refrigerant in the heat exchange assembly 6 and the first cavity 10, thereby ensuring the heat exchange performance of the thermal management system.
It should be understood in the present application that the above-mentioned first fluid and second fluid are both refrigerants. The first fluid is the refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 200. The second fluid is the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 400 or the throttling device 500.
“Substantially” and “approximately” mentioned in the present application means that the similarity is more than 50%. For example, when the first cylinder body 1 is approximately cylindrical, it means that the first cylinder body 1 has a hollow cylindrical shape, a side wall of the first cylinder body 1 may be provided with a recess portion or a convex structure, and a contour of a cross-section of the first cylinder body 1 is not circular, but 50% of the contour consists of arcs.
The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present application, and do not limit the present application in any form. Although the present application has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present application. Any person skilled in the art, within the scope of the technical solution of the present application, can make some changes or modifications by using the technical contents disclosed above to be equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present application without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present application still fall within the scope of the technical solutions of the present application.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202010261377.8 | Apr 2020 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2021/085091 | 4/1/2021 | WO |
