JP2019168215A - Gas-liquid separator - Google Patents

Abstract

To inhibit increase of the number of components in a gas-liquid separator.SOLUTION: A gas-liquid separator 40 includes: a tank part 41 which separates a refrigerant flowing thereinto into a gas phase refrigerant and a liquid phase refrigerant and stores the refrigerants; a filter 48 which removes foreign objects of the refrigerant flowing into the tank part 41; a pipe connection part 42 which is provided at an upper part of the tank part 41 and in which an outlet and an inlet of the refrigerant from the tank part 41 are formed; a first outlet pipe 43 for flowing the liquid phase refrigerant that has passed through the filter 48 to the outside of the gas-liquid separator 40; a second outlet pipe 44 for flowing the gas phase refrigerant in the tank part 41 to the outside of the gas-liquid separator 40; an outer pipe part 45g provided at an outer periphery of the second outlet pipe 44 and forming a passage 47 with an outer periphery of the second outlet part 44; and a support part 45a through which the first outlet pipe 43 penetrates and which supports the outer pipe part 45g. The filter 48 is provided at the support part 45a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas-liquid separator.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a gas-liquid separation in which a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid mixed refrigerant from an evaporator is introduced into a tank via an inflow port, and the introduced refrigerant is separated into a liquid-phase refrigerant and a gas-phase refrigerant. A vessel is disclosed. In the gas-liquid separator of Patent Document 1, a filter is provided in the outflow pipe in order to prevent foreign matters from entering the gas-phase refrigerant sucked into the compressor through the outflow pipe.

  Patent Document 2 discloses an air conditioning loop that can be switched between a cooling mode and a heating mode. In this air conditioning loop, the gas guided from the external heat exchanger is separated into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, and the gas-liquid is discharged from the first outlet or the second outlet according to the operation mode of the air-conditioning loop. A separator is provided.

JP 2017-26192 A Special table 2013-535372 gazette

  In the gas-liquid separator of Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to provide an outlet pipe for allowing liquid phase refrigerant to flow out like the gas-liquid separator described in Patent Document 2. However, in such a configuration, it is necessary to provide a filter for removing foreign matter on the outlet pipe for allowing the liquid-phase refrigerant to flow out, and the number of parts increases.

  An object of the present invention is to suppress an increase in the number of parts in a gas-liquid separator including an outlet pipe for allowing a gas-phase refrigerant to flow out and an outlet pipe for allowing a liquid-phase refrigerant to flow out.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the gas-liquid separator includes a tank unit that separates and stores the refrigerant that has flowed into a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant, and a filter unit that removes foreign matter from the refrigerant that has flowed into the tank unit. And a pipe connection part provided at the upper part of the tank part to form an inlet / outlet of the refrigerant from the tank part, and a liquid phase refrigerant that has been connected to the pipe connection part and inserted into the tank part and passed through the filter part is gas-liquid separated. A first outlet pipe for flowing out of the apparatus, a second outlet pipe connected to the pipe connecting section and inserted into the tank section, for allowing the gas phase refrigerant in the tank section to flow out of the gas-liquid separator, 2 Outer pipe part provided on the outer periphery of the outlet pipe and forming a flow path between the outer periphery of the second outlet pipe, a closed part closing the lower end of the outer pipe part, and supporting the first outlet pipe and the outer pipe part And a filter part is provided on the support part.

  In the said aspect, the foreign material of the refrigerant | coolant which flowed in in the tank part can be removed with the filter part provided in the support part. Thereby, when the 1st exit pipe for flowing out the liquid phase refrigerant in a tank part out of a gas-liquid separator is provided, it is not necessary to provide the filter for the 1st exit pipe separately. Therefore, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner to which a gas-liquid separator according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner during cooling operation. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner during heating operation. FIG. 4A is a top view of the gas-liquid separator. FIG. 4B is a front view of the gas-liquid separator. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4A. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4A. FIG. 7A is a top view of the support portion. FIG. 7B is a top view of a support portion according to a modified example. FIG. 7C is a top view of a support portion according to a modification. FIG. 7D is a top view of a support portion according to a modified example. FIG. 7E is a top view of a support portion according to a modified example. FIG. 7F is a top view of a support portion according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, the gas-liquid separator 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7F.

  First, an air conditioner 100 to which the gas-liquid separator 40 is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner 100 includes a refrigeration cycle 2 in which a refrigerant circulates, a hot water cycle 6 in which hot water circulates, and an HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) unit 5 through which air used for air conditioning passes. And a controller 10 as a control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner 100. The air conditioner 100 is a heat pump system capable of cooling and heating. The air conditioner 100 is mounted on a vehicle (not shown) and performs air conditioning in a passenger compartment (not shown). For example, HFO-1234yf is used as the refrigerant, and antifreeze is used as the hot water.

  The refrigeration cycle 2 includes a compressor 21 as a compressor, a water-cooled condenser 22 as a hot water-refrigerant heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger 23, a gas-liquid separator 40, an internal heat exchanger 30, and an evaporator. An evaporator 25, a temperature expansion valve 26 as an expansion valve, a fixed throttle 27 as a throttle mechanism, a bypass passage 20a through which refrigerant bypasses the fixed throttle 27, and a flow path switching valve for opening and closing the bypass passage 20a. The second flow path switching valve 29 and the refrigerant flow path 20 that connects them so that the refrigerant can circulate. The refrigerant channel 20 is provided with a first channel switching valve 28 as an on-off valve.

  The compressor 21 sucks and compresses a gaseous refrigerant (gas phase refrigerant). Thereby, the gaseous refrigerant becomes a high temperature and a high pressure.

  The water-cooled condenser 22 functions as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 21 during heating operation. The water-cooled condenser 22 exchanges heat between the refrigerant that has become high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 21 and the hot water that circulates in the hot water cycle 6, and transmits the heat of the refrigerant to the hot water. The refrigerant condensed in the water-cooled condenser 22 flows to the fixed throttle 27.

  The water-cooled condenser 22 uses the heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 to heat the air that is led into the vehicle compartment and used for air conditioning through the hot water circulating in the hot water cycle 6. Here, the water-cooled condenser 22 and the hot water cycle 6 correspond to a heater that heats air introduced into the passenger compartment. Instead of this, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 may be directly guided to the heater core 62 without providing the hot water cycle 6. In this case, the heater core 62 corresponds to a heater.

  The outdoor heat exchanger 23 is disposed, for example, in an engine room (a motor room in an electric vehicle) of a vehicle and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outside air. The outdoor heat exchanger 23 functions as a condenser during the cooling operation, and functions as an evaporator during the heating operation. Outside air is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 as the vehicle runs or the outdoor fan 4 rotates.

  The gas-liquid separator 40 is located downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is gas-liquid separated into a gaseous refrigerant (gas phase refrigerant) and a liquid refrigerant (liquid phase refrigerant). To do.

  The gas-liquid separator 40 includes a tank part 41 and a pipe connection part 42.

  The tank unit 41 separates and stores the inflowing refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant by gravity. The tank portion 41 is provided so that its central axis is vertical. In the tank part 41, a liquid refrigerant accumulates in the lower side, and a gaseous refrigerant accumulates in the space above the liquid refrigerant.

  The pipe connection part 42 is provided in the upper part of the tank part 41, and forms an inlet / outlet of the refrigerant from the tank part 41. The pipe connection part 42 is provided with a first flow path switching valve 28. In the pipe connection part 42, all the pipes connected to the gas-liquid separator 40 are collected. Therefore, piping necessary when the first flow path switching valve 28 is provided outside can be omitted, and piping for connecting the gas-liquid separator 40 and other components can be simplified.

  The gas-liquid separator 40 guides the gaseous refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 to the compressor 21 during the heating operation. Only the separated gaseous refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator 40 to the compressor 21. During the cooling operation, the gas-liquid separator 40 stores the liquid refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and guides part of the liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 25 via the internal heat exchanger 30 and the temperature expansion valve 26. . Only the separated liquid refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator 40 to the temperature type expansion valve 26. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 for a conceptual diagram, the passage for guiding the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 21 is configured so that the oil contained in the circuit can be returned.

  A differential pressure valve 31 is provided between the gas-liquid separator 40 and the temperature type expansion valve 26. The differential pressure valve 31 is provided upstream of the internal heat exchanger 30. The differential pressure valve 31 opens when the pressure on the upstream side of the differential pressure valve 31 exceeds the set pressure. This set pressure is set in advance such that the differential pressure valve 31 does not open during the heating operation but opens only during the cooling operation. By providing the differential pressure valve 31, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from flowing from the gas-liquid separator 40 to the evaporator 25 through the temperature type expansion valve 26 during the heating operation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the evaporator 25 from being frozen and lubricating oil flowing through the refrigerant flow path 20 from being stored in the evaporator 25. The differential pressure valve 31 may be provided between the internal heat exchanger 30 and the temperature type expansion valve 26.

  The evaporator 25 is disposed in the HVAC unit 5. When the operation mode of the refrigeration cycle 2 is the cooling mode, the evaporator 25 causes the refrigerant to absorb the heat of the air led to the passenger compartment and evaporates the refrigerant. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 25 flows to the gas-liquid separator 40 via the internal heat exchanger 30.

  The temperature type expansion valve 26 is disposed between the internal heat exchanger 30 and the evaporator 25 and decompresses and expands the liquid refrigerant introduced from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the gas-liquid separator 40 and the internal heat exchanger 30. Let The temperature type expansion valve 26 automatically adjusts the opening according to the temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 25, that is, the degree of superheat of the gaseous refrigerant.

  When the load on the evaporator 25 increases, the degree of superheat of the gaseous refrigerant increases. If it does so, the opening degree of the temperature type expansion valve 26 will become large, and refrigerant | coolant amount will increase so that a superheat degree may be adjusted. On the other hand, when the load of the evaporator 25 decreases, the degree of superheat of the gaseous refrigerant decreases. If it does so, the opening degree of the temperature type expansion valve 26 will become small, and refrigerant | coolant amount will reduce so that a superheat degree may be adjusted. Thus, the temperature type expansion valve 26 feeds back the temperature of the gaseous refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 25 and adjusts the opening degree so that the gaseous refrigerant has an appropriate degree of superheat.

  The internal heat exchanger 30 exchanges heat between the refrigerant upstream of the temperature type expansion valve 26 and the refrigerant downstream of the evaporator 25 using a temperature difference.

  The fixed throttle 27 is disposed between the water-cooled condenser 22 and the outdoor heat exchanger 23, and decompresses and expands the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 and condensed by the water-cooled condenser 22. For the fixed throttle 27, for example, an orifice or a capillary tube is used. The aperture amount of the fixed aperture 27 is set in advance so as to correspond to specific operating conditions that are frequently used.

  Instead of the fixed throttle 27, for example, an electromagnetic throttle valve (not shown) having at least fully opened and a predetermined throttle state and capable of adjusting the opening stepwise or steplessly is used as a variable throttle (throttle mechanism). May be. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the bypass path 20a and the second flow path switching valve 29. The electromagnetic throttle valve is adjusted so as not to throttle the refrigerant flow during the cooling operation, and is adjusted so as to throttle the refrigerant flow during the heating operation.

  The first flow path switching valve 28 switches the refrigerant flow by opening and closing. The first flow path switching valve 28 is an electromagnetic valve having a solenoid controlled by the controller 10. The first flow path switching valve 28 is provided integrally with the gas-liquid separator 40. Thereby, while being able to simplify piping, the structure of the whole air conditioner 100 can be simplified.

  During the cooling operation, the first flow path switching valve 28 is closed. Thereby, the liquid refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator 40 passes through the internal heat exchanger 30, the temperature type expansion valve 26, and the evaporator 25 and is guided to the compressor 21. On the other hand, during the heating operation, the first flow path switching valve 28 is opened. Thereby, the gaseous refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator 40 passes through the first flow path switching valve 28 and is guided to the compressor 21. Therefore, during the heating operation, the refrigerant flows bypassing the internal heat exchanger 30, the temperature type expansion valve 26, and the evaporator 25.

  The second flow path switching valve 29 switches the refrigerant flow by opening and closing. The second flow path switching valve 29 is an electromagnetic valve having a solenoid controlled by the controller 10.

  During the cooling operation, the second flow path switching valve 29 is opened. As a result, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 passes through the water-cooled condenser 22 and then flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 by bypassing the fixed throttle 27. On the other hand, during the heating operation, the second flow path switching valve 29 is closed. As a result, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 21 passes through the water-cooled condenser 22 and the fixed throttle 27 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  The hot water cycle 6 includes a water pump 61 as a pump, a heater core 62, a hot water heater 63 as an auxiliary heater, a water-cooled condenser 22, and a hot water flow path 60 that connects them so that hot water can be circulated, Is provided.

  The water pump 61 circulates the hot water in the hot water channel 60.

  The heater core 62 is disposed in the HVAC unit 5 and heats air used for air conditioning by heat exchange between the air passing through the heater core 62 and hot water during heating operation.

  The hot water heater 63 assists in heating the air guided to the passenger compartment. The hot water heater 63 has a heater (not shown) inside, and heats the hot water using external power. For example, a sheathed heater or a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater is used as the heater.

  Instead of the hot water heater 63, for example, an air heater (not shown) that directly heats air guided to the passenger compartment, or exhaust heat of an engine (not shown) as an internal combustion engine of the vehicle is used. You may use the hot water type heat exchanger (not shown) which heats the air led to. In addition, any one of the hot water heater 63, the air heater, and the hot water heat exchanger may be used alone, or any combination thereof may be used.

  The HVAC unit 5 cools or heats air used for air conditioning. The HVAC unit 5 includes a blower 52, an air mix door 53, and a case 51 that surrounds the air mix door 53 so that air used for air conditioning can pass therethrough. In the HVAC unit 5, an evaporator 25 and a heater core 62 are arranged. The air blown from the blower 52 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 25 and with hot water flowing through the heater core 62.

  The blower 52 is a blower that blows air into the HVAC unit 5.

  The air mix door 53 adjusts the amount of air that passes through the heater core 62 arranged in the HVAC unit 5. The air mix door 53 is installed on the blower 52 side of the heater core 62. The air mix door 53 opens the heater core 62 side during heating operation, and closes the heater core 62 side during cooling operation. The amount of heat exchange between the air and the hot water in the heater core 62 is adjusted by the opening degree of the air mix door 53.

  The air conditioner 100 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 12 as a refrigerant temperature detector, an evaporator temperature sensor 13 as an evaporator temperature detector, and an outside air temperature sensor 15 as an outside air temperature detector. ing.

  The outdoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 12 is provided at the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 20. The outdoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 12 detects the temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  The outside air temperature sensor 15 detects the temperature of outside air before being taken in and passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  The evaporator temperature sensor 13 is installed on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 25 in the HVAC unit 5, and detects the temperature of the air that has passed through the evaporator 25. Note that the evaporator temperature sensor 13 may be directly installed on the evaporator 25.

  The controller 10 is a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. It is also possible to configure the controller 10 with a plurality of microcomputers. The controller 10 causes the air conditioner 100 to perform various functions by reading a program stored in the ROM by the CPU.

  The controller 10 is programmed to execute control of the refrigeration cycle 2. The controller 10 receives signals from the outdoor heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 12, the evaporator temperature sensor 13, and the outside air temperature sensor 15. Note that a signal from another sensor (not shown) may be input to the controller 10.

  The controller 10 executes control of the refrigeration cycle 2 based on the input signal. That is, the controller 10 sets the output of the compressor 21 and executes opening / closing control of the first flow path switching valve 28 and the second flow path switching valve 29 as indicated by a broken line in FIG. Moreover, the controller 10 performs control of the hot water cycle 6 and the HVAC unit 5 by transmitting an output signal (not shown).

  Next, with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3, each air-conditioning operation mode of the air conditioner 100 is demonstrated.

<Cooling operation>
During the cooling operation, the refrigeration cycle 2 is switched to the cooling mode. In the cooling mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 2 circulates as shown by a thick solid line in FIG.

  The controller 10 closes the first flow path switching valve 28 and opens the second flow path switching valve 29.

  The refrigerant compressed to high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 21 flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the water cooling condenser 22 and the second flow path switching valve 29. At this time, since hot water in the hot water cycle 6 is not circulated, the water-cooled condenser 22 hardly exchanges heat. Further, the refrigerant bypasses the fixed throttle 27 and passes through the bypass path 20a. When an electromagnetic throttle valve (not shown) is provided instead of the fixed throttle 27, the electromagnetic throttle valve is adjusted so as not to throttle the refrigerant flow.

  The refrigerant that has flowed to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is subjected to heat exchange with the outside air introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and cooled, and then is separated into gas and liquid by the gas-liquid separator 40. A part of the liquid refrigerant stored in the gas-liquid separator 40 flows through the internal heat exchanger 30 to the temperature type expansion valve 26 connected to the downstream side of the gas-liquid separator 40.

  After that, the liquid refrigerant is decompressed and expanded by the temperature type expansion valve 26, flows to the evaporator 25, and evaporates by absorbing the heat of air used for air conditioning when passing through the evaporator 25. The gaseous refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 25 passes through the internal heat exchanger 30 and flows again to the compressor 21.

  That is, in the cooling mode, the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 in the water-cooled condenser 22 passes through the water-cooled condenser 22 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23. Then, the refrigerant derived from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 flows into the gas-liquid separator 40 and is separated into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 40. Further, the temperature type expansion valve 26 decompresses and expands the liquid refrigerant guided from the gas-liquid separator 40, and the evaporator 25 heats the low pressure refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the temperature type expansion valve 26 and the air guided to the passenger compartment. The refrigerant is evaporated by exchange. The gaseous refrigerant thus evaporated is sucked into the compressor 21, compressed again, and discharged from the compressor 21.

  Here, the liquid refrigerant flowing from the gas-liquid separator 40 to the internal heat exchanger 30 is a high-pressure fluid, and the degree of supercooling is approximately 0 ° C. by gas-liquid separation in the gas-liquid separator 40. It is almost saturated. On the other hand, the gaseous refrigerant flowing from the evaporator 25 to the internal heat exchanger 30 is decompressed and expanded into a low temperature fluid when passing through the temperature type expansion valve 26. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant exchanges heat with the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant when it flows through the internal heat exchanger 30, and is excessively cooled by the gaseous refrigerant and has a degree of supercooling from the saturated liquid state. It becomes a cooling state. Further, when the gaseous refrigerant flows through the internal heat exchanger 30, it is heated by the liquid refrigerant to be in a heated state having a superheat degree.

  The air cooled by the refrigerant in the evaporator 25 is caused to flow downstream of the HVAC unit 5 and used as cooling air.

<Heating operation>
During the heating operation, the refrigeration cycle 2 is switched to the heat pump heating mode. During the heating operation, a so-called outside air endothermic heat pump operation is performed. In the heat pump heating mode, the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 2 and the hot water in the hot water cycle 6 circulate as shown by a thick solid line in FIG.

  The controller 10 opens the first flow path switching valve 28 and closes the second flow path switching valve 29.

  The refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor 21 to a high temperature flows into the water-cooled condenser 22. The refrigerant that has flowed to the water-cooled condenser 22 heats the hot water inside the water-cooled condenser 22, expands under reduced pressure through the fixed throttle 27, becomes a low temperature, and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 23.

  The refrigerant that has flowed to the outdoor heat exchanger 23 exchanges heat with the outside air introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 23 and then flows to the gas-liquid separator 40 for gas-liquid separation. Then, the gaseous refrigerant among the refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 40 flows again to the compressor 21 through the first flow path switching valve 28. Thus, in the heat pump heating mode, the liquid refrigerant is stored in the gas-liquid separator 40, and the gaseous refrigerant is guided to the compressor 21.

  That is, in the heat pump heating mode, the water-cooled condenser 22 exchanges heat between the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 and the air guided to the passenger compartment through the hot water cycle 6. The fixed throttle 27 decompresses and expands the refrigerant derived from the water-cooled condenser 22, and the refrigerant expanded and decompressed by the fixed throttle 27 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 23. The gas-liquid separator 40 separates the low-pressure refrigerant derived from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant thus separated is sucked into the compressor 21, compressed again, and discharged from the compressor 21.

  On the other hand, the hot water heated by the refrigerant in the water-cooled condenser 22 circulates and flows to the heater core 62 to heat the air around the heater core 62. The heated air is used as heating air by flowing to the downstream side of the HVAC unit 5.

  In addition, when the refrigerant cannot sufficiently heat the hot water by the water-cooled condenser 22, the hot water may be heated by operating the hot water heater 63 in combination with the outside air endothermic heat pump operation or independently.

  Next, a specific configuration of the gas-liquid separator 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5, 6, and 7A to 7F.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gas-liquid separator 40 includes a tank part 41, a pipe connection part 42, and a separation member 46 that separates the refrigerant flowing into the tank part 41 into a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant. A first outlet pipe 43 for allowing the liquid refrigerant in the tank part 41 to flow out of the gas-liquid separator 40, and a second for discharging the gaseous refrigerant in the tank part 41 out of the gas-liquid separator 40. An outer tube portion 45g provided on the outer periphery of the outlet tube 44 and the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44 and forming a flow path 47 between the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44, and the first outlet tube 43 penetrates the outer tube portion 45g. And a filter 48 as a filter part that is provided in the support part 45a and removes foreign matters of the refrigerant that has flowed into the tank part 41.

  The tank part 41 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. A pipe connection portion 42 is welded to the opening of the tank portion 41. As a result, a space S for storing the refrigerant is formed inside the tank portion 41.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the pipe connection portion 42 communicates with the first port 42a to which the pipe communicating with the suction side of the compressor 21 is connected, and with the first port 42a through the communication portion 42f and to the internal heat exchanger 30. A second port 42b to which a communicating pipe is connected, a third port 42c to which a pipe for supplying a liquid refrigerant to the internal heat exchanger 30 is connected, and a pipe to which the refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 23 is guided And a fourth port 42d to which are connected. The first port 42 a is provided on the side surface of the pipe connection portion 42. The second port 42b, the third port 42c, and the fourth port 42d are provided on the upper surface of the pipe connection portion 42.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the separation member 46 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is provided on the upper portion in the tank portion 41 so that the bottom portion is positioned upward. The refrigerant that has flowed into the gas-liquid separator 40 from the outdoor heat exchanger 23 through the fourth port 42d collides with the separation member 46, and thus is separated into a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant.

  The first outlet pipe 43 is constituted by a resin or metal pipe. The 1st exit pipe 43 is connected to the internal heat exchanger 30 through the flow path 42e and the 3rd port 42c which were formed in the piping connection part 42 (refer FIG. 6). The first outlet pipe 43 is fixed to the pipe connection portion 42 by press-fitting or welding, and is connected to the flow path 42 e of the pipe connection portion 42. The lower end of the first outlet pipe 43 is always provided so as to be located below the liquid level of the liquid refrigerant stored in the space S.

  The second outlet pipe 44 is constituted by a resin or metal pipe. The second outlet pipe 44 communicates with the first port 42a and the second port 42b through the flow path 42g and the communication part 42f formed in the pipe connection part 42. The second outlet pipe 44 is fixed to the pipe connecting portion 42 by press fitting or welding, and is connected to the flow path 42 g of the pipe connecting portion 42. The first flow path switching valve 28 is provided between the communication portion 42f and the flow path 42g. As the first flow path switching valve 28 is opened and closed, the communication portion 42f and the flow path 42g are communicated or blocked.

  The outer pipe portion 45g is formed in a pipe shape having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the second outlet pipe 44. The outer tube portion 45 g is provided on the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44, and an annular channel 47 is formed between the outer tube portion 45 g and the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44. The upper end of the outer tube portion 45g opens to the upper portion of the space S, and the lower end is closed by the closing portion 45d. As a result, the gaseous refrigerant in the space S is sucked through the flow path 47 from the upper opening of the outer pipe portion 45g and folded back at the lower end of the second outlet pipe 44, as shown by arrows in FIGS. It flows into the second outlet pipe 44.

  A through-hole 45e that communicates the space S with the inside of the outer tube portion 45g is formed in the closing portion 45d. The oil collected in the lower part of the space S together with the liquid refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 21 together with the gaseous refrigerant through the through hole 45e and the second outlet pipe 44, and lubricates each device in the refrigerant flow path 20.

  The closing portion 45 d includes a protrusion 45 h that protrudes to the bottom surface side of the tank portion 41. The protrusion 45 h prevents the through hole 45 e from being blocked by the bottom surface of the tank portion 41. In other words, the protrusion 45 h forms a gap for ensuring the oil flow between the closing portion 45 d and the bottom surface of the tank portion 41. Instead of the protrusion 45h, for example, a groove that connects the through hole 45e and the space S may be provided on the end surface of the closing portion 45d that faces the bottom surface of the tank portion 41.

  On the lower end side of the outer tube portion 45g, a restricting portion 45f that restricts the movement of the second outlet tube 44 in the axial direction is provided. The second outlet pipe 44 abuts on the restricting portion 45f, and the closing portion 45d abuts on the bottom of the tank portion 41, whereby the axial movement of the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g is restricted. In addition, the restricting portion 45f prevents the lower end of the second outlet pipe 44 from coming into contact with the closing portion 45d, thereby preventing the flow of the gaseous refrigerant.

  The support part 45a is formed so as to protrude from the end face of the main body part 45b in the axial direction of the first outlet pipe 43, and the cylindrical part 45i that supports the outer periphery of the first outlet pipe 43. And having. The main body 45b is provided with a plurality of filters 48 for removing foreign substances contained in the refrigerant and oil that have flowed into the tank 41.

  The support portion 45 a further includes a seal portion 45 c that seals between the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. The seal portion 45 c is formed in an annular shape extending along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41 from the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 45 b. Thus, by forming the seal portion 45 c so as to extend along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41, the seal distance in the axial direction can be increased. Therefore, the sealing performance between the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 45b and the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41 is improved. Accordingly, the liquid refrigerant surely passes through the filter 48 without passing between the seal portion 45c and the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant flows through the first outlet pipe 43 and through the through hole 45e. Foreign matters contained in the oil flowing out from the second outlet pipe 44 together with the gaseous refrigerant can be reliably removed. In addition, by forming the seal portion 45c so as to extend along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41, the outer tube portion 45g formed integrally with the support portion 45a can be supported without rattling.

  The cylinder part 45i is provided at a position offset from the center of the main body part 45b. The first outlet pipe 43 is supported by the cylindrical part 45i and the main body part 45b by inserting the first outlet pipe 43 so as to penetrate the cylindrical part 45i and the main body part 45b. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 45 i forms a seal with the outer peripheral surface of the first outlet pipe 43. Thus, by forming a seal between the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 45 i and the outer peripheral surface of the first outlet pipe 43, the seal distance in the axial direction can be increased. That is, the sealing performance between the first outlet pipe 43 and the support portion 45a is improved.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, a placement portion 45j for placing the desiccant 70 is provided in the center of the support portion 45a (main body portion 45b). The desiccant 70 is fixed to the mounting portion 45j by adhesion or the like.

  The plurality of filters 48 are provided along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral side of the support portion 45a, specifically, on the outer peripheral portion from the mounting portion 45j in the support portion 45a.

  The liquid-phase refrigerant separated by the separation member 46 falls to the outer edge side of the main body portion 45 b along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. For this reason, by providing the mounting part 45j in the center of the main body part 45b and providing the filter 48 on the outer periphery of the mounting part 45j, it is possible to improve the filtration efficiency of the filter 48 while securing the mounting place of the desiccant 70. Can be. In addition, when the installation place of the desiccant 70 is unnecessary, you may provide the filter 48 also in the mounting part 45j.

  The plurality of filters 48 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a straight line connecting the first outlet pipe 43 and the second outlet pipe 44. Thereby, the flow of the refrigerant passing through the filter 48 can be made uniform.

  As shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, a rib 45k that connects the mounting portion 45j and the outer edge portion of the main body 45b may be provided. Thereby, the intensity | strength of the support part 45a improves.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7D, 7E, and 7F, the filter 48 may have the same shape such as a circle or a quadrangle, and these may be provided concentrically on the support portion 45a. By making the filter 48 such a simple shape, the productivity of the filter 48 can be improved.

  Next, assembly of the gas-liquid separator 40 will be described.

  First, the first outlet pipe 43 is fixed so as to be connected to the flow path 42e of the pipe connection part 42, and the second outlet pipe 44 is fixed so as to be connected to the flow path 42g of the pipe connection part 42. Further, the separation member 46 is fixed to the first outlet pipe 43 and the second outlet pipe 44.

  Next, the first outlet pipe 43 is inserted into the cylindrical part 45i, and the second outlet pipe 44 is inserted into the outer pipe part 45g. Then, these assemblies are inserted into the tank portion 41. At this time, since the cylindrical portion 45i is provided at a position offset from the center of the main body portion 45b, by inserting the assembly into the tank portion 41, the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g The relative position is positioned. Thereby, the shape of the flow path 47 formed between the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g (interval between the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g) can be made constant.

  Further, a restricting portion 45f for restricting the axial movement of the second outlet tube 44 is provided on the lower end side of the outer tube portion 45g. As a result, the second outlet pipe 44 comes into contact with the restricting portion 45f, and the closed portion 45d (projecting portion 45h) of the outer pipe portion 45g comes into contact with the bottom of the tank portion 41. The axial movement of the tube portion 45g is restricted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outer tube portion 45g and the support portion 45a from rattling in the axial direction.

  According to the above embodiment, there exist the effects shown below.

  The gas-liquid separator 40 includes a tank unit 41 that separates and stores the refrigerant that has flowed into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant, a filter 48 that removes foreign matters from the refrigerant that has flowed into the tank unit 41, A pipe connection part 42 that is provided in the upper part and forms an inlet / outlet of the refrigerant from the tank part 41, and a liquid refrigerant that is connected to the pipe connection part 42 and inserted into the tank part 41 and passes through the filter 48 is separated into a gas-liquid separator. The first outlet pipe 43 for flowing out to the outside 40 and the pipe connecting part 42 connected to the first outlet pipe 43 and inserted into the tank part 41 for discharging the gaseous refrigerant in the tank part 41 out of the gas-liquid separator 40 An outer tube portion 45g that forms a flow path 47 between the second outlet tube 44 and the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44 provided on the outer periphery of the second outlet tube 44, and a blockage that blocks the lower end of the outer tube portion 45g. Part 45d, first outlet pipe 43 and outer pipe part 4 And a support portion 45a for supporting the g, filter 48 is provided in the support portion 45a.

  In this configuration, the filter 48 provided in the support portion 45a can remove the foreign matters such as the refrigerant and oil that have flowed into the tank portion 41. Thereby, it is not necessary to separately provide a filter for allowing the liquid refrigerant in the tank portion 41 to flow out of the gas-liquid separator 40 in the first outlet pipe 43. Therefore, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the first outlet pipe 43 passes through the support part 45a and is supported by the support part 45a.

  In this structure, since the 1st exit pipe 43 is supported by the support part 45a, the play of the 1st exit pipe 43 can be prevented.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the support portion 45a is formed so as to protrude from the end surface of the substantially disc-shaped main body portion 45b and the main body portion 45b in the axial direction of the first outlet pipe 43. A cylindrical portion 45i for sealing the outer periphery.

  The cylindrical part 45i seals the outer peripheral surface of the first outlet pipe 43, whereby the sealing performance between the first outlet pipe 43 and the support part 45a is improved. Thereby, since the liquid refrigerant passes through the filter 48 with certainty, foreign matters such as liquid refrigerant and oil flowing out through the first outlet pipe 43 can be reliably removed.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the cylindrical portion 45i is provided at a position offset from the center of the main body portion 45b, and the support portion 45a further includes a seal portion 45c that seals between the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. .

  When these are inserted into the tank part 41 with the first outlet pipe 43 inserted into the cylinder part 45i and the second outlet pipe 44 inserted into the outer pipe part 45g, the cylinder part 45i and the seal part 45c The relative positions of the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g are positioned. Thereby, the shape of the flow path 47 formed between the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g (interval between the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g) can be made constant.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the seal portion 45c is formed so as to extend from the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 45b along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41.

  By forming the seal portion 45 c so as to extend along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41, the sealing performance between the outer peripheral surface of the support portion 45 a and the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41 is improved. Accordingly, since the liquid refrigerant and the oil reliably pass through the filter 48, the liquid refrigerant flowing out through the first outlet pipe 43 and the foreign matter of the oil can be reliably removed.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the outer tube portion 45g is formed integrally with the support portion 45a.

  By forming the outer tube portion 45g and the support portion 45a integrally, the number of parts can be reduced.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, one end of the second outlet pipe 44 is connected to the pipe connection part 42, and the other end of the second outlet pipe 44 abuts on the restriction part 45 f formed in the outer pipe part 45 g and closes. When the portion 45d abuts against the bottom of the tank portion 41, the axial movement of the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe portion 45g is restricted.

  The movement of the second outlet pipe 44 and the outer pipe part 45g in the axial direction can be restricted by the second outlet pipe 44 coming into contact with the restricting part 45f and the closing part 45d coming into contact with the bottom part of the tank part 41. it can. Further, by providing the restricting portion 45f, it is possible to prevent the lower end of the second outlet pipe 44 from coming into contact with the closing portion 45d and hindering the flow of the gaseous refrigerant.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the closing part 45d is formed so as to protrude from the lower end surface, and has a protrusion 45h that contacts the bottom part of the tank part 41, and a through hole 45e that penetrates the closing part 45d. Provided.

  In this configuration, since the protrusion 45 h is provided, it is possible to prevent the through hole 45 e from being blocked by the bottom surface of the tank 41. Thereby, there is no possibility that oil will be prevented from being sucked from the through hole 45e.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the plurality of filters 48 are provided side by side in the circumferential direction of the support portion 45a.

  The liquid phase refrigerant separated by the separation member 46 descends along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. Therefore, by providing the plurality of filters 48 side by side in the circumferential direction of the support portion 45a, the filtration efficiency of the filter 48 can be improved.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the plurality of filters 48 are provided concentrically on the support portion 45a.

  The liquid phase refrigerant separated by the separation member 46 descends along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. Therefore, by providing the plurality of filters 48 side by side in the circumferential direction of the support portion 45a, the filtration efficiency of the filter 48 can be improved.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the plurality of filters 48 have the same shape.

  With this configuration, the productivity of the filter 48 can be improved.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, the plurality of filters 48 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a straight line connecting the first outlet pipe 43 and the second outlet pipe 44.

  In this configuration, the flow of the refrigerant passing through the filter 48 can be made uniform.

  In the gas-liquid separator 40, a placement part 45j for placing the desiccant 70 is provided in the center of the support part 45a, and the filter 48 is provided on the outer periphery of the placement part 45j.

  The liquid phase refrigerant separated by the separation member 46 descends along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion 41. For this reason, by providing the filter 48 on the outer periphery of the mounting portion 45j, it is possible to improve the filtration efficiency of the filter 48 while securing the mounting position of the desiccant 70.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above embodiment only shows a part of application examples of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configuration of the above embodiment. Absent.

100 Air Conditioning Device 20 Refrigerant Channel 21 Compressor (Compressor)
22 Water-cooled condenser (hot water-refrigerant heat exchanger)
23 Outdoor heat exchanger 25 Evaporator
26 Thermal expansion valve (expansion valve)
28 First flow path switching valve (open / close valve)
40 Gas-liquid separator 41 Tank part 42 Pipe connection part 43 First outlet pipe 44 Second outlet pipe 45a Support part 45b Body part 45c Seal part 45d Closure part 45e Through hole 45f Restriction part 45g Outer pipe part 45i Tube part 45j Part 45k rib 46 separation member 47 flow path 48 filter (filter part)
70 Desiccant

Claims (13)

A gas-liquid separator,
A tank unit that separates and stores the inflowing refrigerant into a gas phase refrigerant and a liquid phase refrigerant;
A filter part for removing foreign substances in the refrigerant flowing into the tank part;
A pipe connection part provided at an upper part of the tank part to form an inlet / outlet of the refrigerant from the tank part;
A first outlet pipe connected to the pipe connection portion, inserted into the tank portion, and for causing liquid phase refrigerant that has passed through the filter portion to flow out of the gas-liquid separator;
A second outlet pipe connected to the pipe connection part and inserted into the tank part, for allowing the gas-phase refrigerant in the tank part to flow out of the gas-liquid separator;
An outer pipe part provided on the outer periphery of the second outlet pipe and forming a flow path with the outer circumference of the second outlet pipe;
A closing portion for closing the lower end of the outer tube portion;
A support part for supporting the first outlet pipe and the outer pipe part,
The gas-liquid separator, wherein the filter part is provided in the support part. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1,
The first outlet pipe is supported by the support portion through the support portion;
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 1 or 2,
The support part is
A substantially disc-shaped body,
A cylindrical portion that is formed so as to protrude in an axial direction of the first outlet pipe from an end surface of the main body portion, and seals an outer periphery of the first outlet pipe.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 3,
The cylindrical portion is provided at a position offset from the center of the main body,
The support portion further includes a seal portion that seals between the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion,
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. The gas-liquid separator according to claim 4,
The seal portion is formed so as to extend from the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion along the inner peripheral surface of the tank portion.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The outer tube portion is formed integrally with the support portion.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
One end of the second outlet pipe is connected to the pipe connection portion,
The other end of the second outlet pipe abuts on a regulating part formed in the outer pipe part,
When the closed portion is in contact with the bottom of the tank portion, movement of the second outlet pipe and the outer pipe portion in the axial direction is restricted.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
In the blocking part,
A protruding portion that is formed so as to protrude from the lower end surface, and that contacts the bottom of the tank portion;
A through hole penetrating the blocking portion is provided,
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The filter unit has a plurality of filters,
The plurality of filters are provided side by side in a circumferential direction of the support portion.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The filter unit has a plurality of filters,
The plurality of filters are provided concentrically on the support.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The filter unit has a plurality of filters,
The plurality of filters have the same shape.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. The gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The filter unit has a plurality of filters,
The plurality of filters are arranged symmetrically with respect to a straight line connecting the first outlet pipe and the second outlet pipe.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that. A gas-liquid separator according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
In the center of the support portion, a placement portion for placing a desiccant is provided,
The filter part is provided on the outer periphery of the mounting part.
A gas-liquid separator characterized by that.

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